Breaking Taboos
MUMBAI- 5 December 2016, Asia Society India Centre was delighted to welcome to its platform Annie Zaidi, Journalist and Filmmaker; Kalyani Joshi, Community and Partnerships, Saral Designs; Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, Social Activist and Chairman, Astitva Trust; Rosalyn D’ Mello, Art Writer and Author; Shikha Makan, Filmmaker; for a wide ranging panel discussion on taboos faced by women in India, irrespective of class, culture or background.
Starting the discussion, Makan spoke about her film 'Bachelor Girls' centered on housing discrimination against single women in India and the taboos associated with it. There is an interesting phenomenon growing around the country which has gone parallel with the evolution of women in asserting their identities. She said single women are viewed similar across all of India, women are primarily defined once they get married and have children. D’Mello went into details about the restrictions surrounding her memoir ‘A Handbook for My Lover’ written about her current relationship which also delve into taboos Indian women face such as menstruation and masturbation. Speaking about her experience D’Mello felt once she moved from Mumbai to Delhi she was more accepted, and no longer has to assert her values and goals to her family. She went on to say “if you are feminist, you have to live it every day, everything you do has to be an extension to feminism.”
On the topic of self-appreciation Joshi went on to say, “you should learn to love your body, this should be taught and respected at home and at school. Similarly Tripathi asserted “it is me who will chose my gender, it’s my body and my decision.” India is a progressive country, but transgenders have to demand their rights. There is no workplace policy, in the West people have equal rights, which is why most transgenders in India turn to sex work. The audience was left with a thought-provoking question of what does freedom really mean for independent women in today’s urban reality?
Reported by Maneka Chotirmall, Programme Assistant, Asia Society India Centre.
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