Bollywood movies are usually about heroism where a man rescues and comforts the female character and takes responsibility to fix all problems. Most sucessful Bollywood films have a male superstar in the lead role. However, looking at the recent trends in Bollywood we can see that there is a small shift from the typical movies to a new kind of …
Category: Women in Media
Elections and Women
The 2014 Lok Sabha elections declared their results yesterday. First things first, congratulations to our new Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Modi. As a social media jockey, I have followed these elections very closely. There is no questioning the fact that these were the most ruthlessly fought elections in recent times where the ruling party was desperate to reclaim its power, …
Feminism or Basic Human Rights?
Growing up in an ordinary, military, middle-class family, I didn’t expect myself to become a feminist. When I was a teenager, the prevailing view was that feminism meant being anti-men. Feminists were women who were divorced, widowed, or victims of abuse and hated everything to do with men. They lobbied for women’s freedoms only so that they could take away …
Woman in a Man’s World
A walk near a construction site in my city made me think about the involvement of women in male-oriented jobs. What caught my eye was the large number of women working with their children at the site. These women were doing the same heavy lifting as men, while constantly taking care of their children. One of the women there told …
The Bollywood Hypocrisy Around Women Rights
A couple of weeks prior to Women’s Day, a documentary based on a women’s vigilante group, The Gulaabi Gang, was released in India. The production of this documentary started in 2009, after the director Nishtha Jain, met the organization’s leader Sampat Pal Devi. She has been a champion of women’s rights for decades. She has fought against child marriage, the …
Only Beauty, No Brains: How Gender Stereotypes View Women?
Music has the ability to transcend boundaries and connect people and identities. It’s thus surprising that in the most melodious times, we manage to not only find disparities, but also the means of incessant debate and outrage. This month, popular singer Palash Sen belted out more than just music at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai’s college festival. A lot …
How Feasible is the Fight Against Sexual Harassment at Workplaces?
As journalism students, we are taught certain things that I believe could also be applied to any other field in which individuals are encouraged to follow their minds. We’re told that a true journalist follows a story fearlessly, takes a stand, believes in their fraternity and is an upright, ethical individual. These are important guidelines, in general, for a woman …
The Internet: A New Tool of Feminism?
Cyber has become a common prefix in the last decade. Cybershopping, cyberbanking, cyberpunk, cyberbullying; the list of cyber prefixed words is never-ending. Ever heard of feminism on Internet? It is called cyberfeminism. Feminists across the world have used blogs, websites, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more such portals to disseminate their ideas and opinions. The information shared across the Internet …
Small Screen, Big Deal: When Will Television Portray Women in the Right Light?
Considering the importance we attach to arts and entertainment in our country, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they make a statement, if not always, a difference. Art aims to mirror a lot of us, our society in itself and the stories it tells. Fantasy and make-believe may be fascinating genres, but let’s just talk about the need …
Successful Women Do Things Differently – Breaking Myths with Successful Women
Women today are expected to juggle home, family, relationships, career and work. To do this they need to achieve a perfect balance between home and work without letting either take a backseat! This can build on a lot of pressure, especially with a competitive work environment and compromised time at home and both areas of life demanding very high standards …