Blog

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak./Audre Lorde

Meenakshi Sundareshwar, a Diwali week release on Netflix has invited a mixed response. It has been criticised widely for its over stretched plot, its terrible Tamil diction and several flaws in its direction. However, despite its stated imperfections, the movie carries a refreshingly progressive tone that makes it a fascinating watch. Even though there are visible signs of modernity in middle class urban society, marriage...

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As care givers, it’s natural for women to slip into acts that sustain and provide for her family, friends and colleagues at work. When her husband burns the midnight oil preparing for a critical presentation, the cup of hot chocolate arrives without asking. She drops her work to patiently listen to the unending woes of a colleague struggling with a micromanaging boss. Locating the missing...

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The business case for diversity and inclusion was made a long time ago. Almost every research done by the Big 4 consulting companies have made emphatic statements on the positive impact of diverse and inclusive organizations. Leaders across the globe do not pass up an opportunity to amplify the decibel levels on the matter. There is no doubt that organizations that are still pussyfooting on...

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What’s wrong with sending kiss emojis to a female colleague in a professional whatsapp group?” “What’s wrong with wearing a vest for a work meeting?” “What’s wrong with asking someone to keep their video on during a meeting?” What’s wrong with calling someone in the night to discuss work?”

What’s wrong with sending kiss emojis to a female colleague in a professional whatsapp group?” “What’s wrong with wearing a vest for a work meeting?” “What’s wrong with asking someone to keep their video on during a meeting?” What’s wrong with calling someone in the night to discuss work?” These have been some questions that have been asked in the training sessions that I have conducted post March 2020. 2020...

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Should we call them widows?

Recently I received a message from various sources about a resource group for covid widows. Yes, widows- women who have lost their husbands and not married again. The male equivalent is widower- a man who has lost his wife and not married again. Some women felt that the word widow carried a negative connotation for women. “We can’t call them widows” was a common refrain. While dictionary definitions...

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The Many roles of the Great Indian Kitchen

Sometime in 6th century BC, Sumangalamata, the wife of an umbrella maker, mother of Sumangala, left her family to become a Theri,,a Buddhist nun. This is a poem she wrote as she experienced the sweet taste of liberation. A woman well set free! How free I am, How wonderfully free, from kitchen drudgery. Free from the harsh grip of hunger, And from empty cooking pots, Free too of that unscrupulous...

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