Bad news, ladies. Companies have invented yet another thing that can be wrong with you. Not only is your hair too curly, your lips too thin, your waist too thick, and your armpits not smooth enough. Now it turns out that your vagina is too dark. But don’t fret! Your disgusting problem can be treated ...
The freedom to define ourselves as individuals, rather than by our relationships with men, is a global feature of feminism. Indira Goswami, who died this week, was an activist and writer who took that notion seriously. Widowed as a young woman, Goswami lived amongst other young widows in an Assam ashram; she wrote her first, ...
Honour killings — two words that should not be used in the same sentence. And yet the practice of “cleansing” a family from the dishonour of a woman is not only still carried out, it is reportedly on the rise. Honour killings are an ancient tradition of controlling a woman’s actions — particularly her sexuality. ...
Most women just want healthy babies. Period. The reality, though, is there’s still evidence of son preference in many countries. We immediately turn our minds to India and China, where sex-selection became so widespread that they’re now figuring out how to rectify extreme gender imbalance. Today, the United Nations favours a ban on all sex-based ...
Rape statistics in Delhi are the highest amongst Indian cities. The same is true for kidnapping, dowry death and domestic abuse. It’s difficult to say if this means more women are raped and assaulted in Delhi, or if more women report sex crimes to the police. The statistics are based on 2010 figures and are ...
Whiteness has always intrigued me. I have experienced several instances throughout my life where I yearned to “be white.” The books I read and the people I watched in films, movies and television shows as a child in Singapore were mostly white — not many looked or lived like I did. I was enraptured by the ...
It’s Diwali, the festival of lights. On my first Diwali in India, an honorary Auntie (not an actual relative, but a woman older than me) welcomed me into her Maharashtra home. We exchanged small gifts and Indian sweets wrapped in thin silver paper. We all dressed up and lit fairy lights to welcome the Lakshmi, ...
It seems like every new phone application is either useless (like giving you a cartoon beer to chug), or offensive (like the fake girlfriend app or the one that helps guys track their girlfriend’s periods). Finally, there’s an app out there that could actually help people — India’s new “Fight Back” app launches next month ...
If you have a problem with MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, it might be even harder to accept the reverse: 61 and pregnant. Although she’s old enough to be a granny, an unnamed 61-year-old Brazilian woman is due with her first child this November. After having “undergone a very thorough medical clearance,” her and her 38-year-old ...
Whether it’s because they want to start decorating their baby’s room, pick out names, or they just hate surprises, some couples want to know the sex of their baby as early as possible. If you fall under any of these categories, a simple blood test can do the trick. Blood tests that are done around ...
So, we’re having this baby. It’s due in a few weeks and we’re trying to get organized with all...
I recently heard about what is claimed to be the rising phenomenon of Japanese men remaining virgins for longer...
Ladders. Patriarchal conspiracy. I’ll explain… This week I climbed a ladder. I was trying to reach a loft space,...
Dear Madame X, My boyfriend needs to look at porn while we have sex. It bothers me because I...
Mrs. Dalloway is yet another feminist classic that I had to grow into. Wrapped up in Woolf’s instantly recognizable...
Last week saw a Big Thing come to our soggy little island. Well, it was a Big Thing for...
Last weekend I was entertaining a guest, you know, the sort I was planning to have lots and lots...
All little girls want to be princesses… right?! It’s bad enough that toy aisles are separated out by what...
