Girl Up RIHA

  Emotions, for a very long time, have been gendered. For decades, the belief that women are more emotional than men has been one of the most consistent gender stereotypes. However, with ever increasing awareness and acceptance, one comes to realise that the gender stereotypes may apply to beliefs about the expression of emotion more than to the experience of emotion. We , as a society,   often talk about emotions of women, children, and the sentiments of elder people. People believe that women express all emotions more than men, with the exception of anger and pride, which are seen as uniquely masculine emotions. If a woman cries, it isn’t considered unusual because women are ‘allowed’ to cry. Women are free to express themselves; people accept their moods and tears.    But what about men?    Let me give an example of a   girl   going through emotional trauma. One doesn't consider the girl's reaction unusual and feels sympathetic towards her. However, if one sees a man cr

  ** trigger warming: includes sensitive content**  “Violence is an uncontrollable animal, which usually ends up attacking its own master”  - Renny yagosesky.       Domestic violence is a form of abuse that occurs, or is caused by someone who is present in one’s domestic sphere. Despite numerous waves against it over the years, domestic violence seems to increase day by day. The most common example can be of marriage- where one partner is dominating and is trying to be controlling.   However, it’s not confined to married couples it can be in any domestic relationship. Primarily it has been noticed that violence is committed largely by men towards women but so far it’s not true. The violence can also be committed by women in both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ relationships.   There are varied forms of domestic violence: • Physical Abuse This form of abuse happens moderately in a relationship. Initially it starts with a push, scratching, pinching etc. which are often ignored and a

  Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a health condition in which a woman’s hormones are imbalanced. This hormonal imbalance causes women to have irregular menstrual cycles or skip their periods altogether and can make it harder for them to conceive. PCOS is a condition that affects women during their reproductive years (ages 15 to 44). Between 2 to 27 percent of women in this age group suffer from PCOS. This makes it one of the most common hormonal disorders in this age group. It often begins soon after the first menstrual period around the age of 11 or 12. It can also develop during the 20s or 30s.   What Exactly Happens in PCOS The ovaries are responsible for producing the Female Sex Hormones ( Estrogen & Progesterone ). These hormones help to regulate the normal development of eggs in the ovaries during each menstrual cycle. The ovaries also produce a small amount of Male Hormones known as Androgens . The release of an egg by one of the ovaries each month is define

  “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights” -HILLARY CLINTON   Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) mean that you should be able to make your own decision s about your body and have all necessary information regarding it. You should have access to sexual and reproductive health services, you should have the right to choose who you want to marry and whether you want to have children or not and if yes, then how many and when . It also means that our lives should be free from all forms of sexual violence, including rape, female genital mutilation, forced pregnancy, forced abortion and forced sterilization. SRHR is a concept that Indians, and South Asians are largely ignorant and aloof about. The taboo around topics like sex and sexuality is the root cause for the many issues people, especially women, face daily. Reproductive health means a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of reproductive

  Mental health is that aspect of our life which most of us tend to neglect. Mental health includes our psychological, emotional, behavioural and social well-being. It is a state of mind in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. In recent times people are focusing more towards their growth, they are being more productive and are building stairs to move progressively in this direction. It’s not wrong to say that everyone enjoys success and wishes to climb up the ladder through the norms of success that have been set within society however this success brings a lot of pressure on our minds- pressure of more productivity and to always stay on top of our game. What we fail to realize here is that more pressure on our mind-set brings more stress and negativity. Thoughts play a significant role in our mental activity. They also produce feelings and

  Looking at the anti-racism protests happening across the globe, I have a question for everyone out there, do we, as a society, really accept dark skinned people? As a citizen of India, my answer is NO. Each one of us has, at some point in time, made statements like 'You look tanned' or 'Her features are good but she is dark skinned'. For centuries, the prejudice against dark skin has been omnipresent in the society and has been engrained in the mind-sets of people.   Unilever unveiled Fair and Lovely which further added to the obsession with fair skin fir ages conditioning narratives on how fair skin was what is truly desirable. According to their website, Fair and Lovely is 'one of the most trusted brands for young women in India'. In 2019, the industry had a total revenue of around Rs 3,000 crore, according to the Indian Fairness Cream and Bleach Market Overview (2018 - 2023). Market Revenues were expected to reach Rs 5000 Crore by 2023.   These skin