Voices

A time to #metoo or not to
Girl in a sporty attire walking on an unmetalled road up a hill. A black dog walks a little ahead of her.
A time to #metoo or not to

Time and sexuality, neither is one-dimensional, neither is neat and both have a way of being always in a state of movement, whether we like it or not, flow with it or not.
By Shikha Aleya
November 1, 2017
A time to #metoo or not to
General and not so General
Sketches of three girls side-by-side as if walking on a ramp.
General and not so General

The relationship between caste and sexuality has always been a complicated one, one that is performed through socially sanctioned practices,…
By Aiman Khan
October 16, 2017
General and not so General
Veiled Desires
Face of a woman and its mirror image below it in a black and white abstract art.
Veiled Desires

I still remember my early childhood days when we used to get lessons on caste in our day-to-day lives. Coming…
By Prarthana
October 3, 2017
Veiled Desires
Queer Women in Aranyani’s A Pleasant Kind of Heavy and Other Stories*
Poster of the book 'A pleasant kind of heavy and other erotic stories'. Breasts are drawn with blue ink at the top with bright red background.
Queer Women in Aranyani’s A Pleasant Kind of Heavy and Other Stories*

Aranyani’s writing most certainly has a sensory charm and no two people are going to experience her narration the same way. I wish you a happy and gloriously gay reading of this fleshy collection of erotic stories!
By Swati Vijaya
September 1, 2017
Queer Women in Aranyani’s A Pleasant Kind of Heavy and Other Stories*
Reflections on accessibility and sexuality
A woman in a wheelchair, smiling, conversing with another woman who is also on a wheelchair. She has long hair pulled to one side, is wearing frameless specks, and is wearing a red and black top.
Reflections on accessibility and sexuality

I thought of myself as a feminist activist much before I formally entered the development sector space. I participated in…
By Shreshtha Das
August 16, 2017
Reflections on accessibility and sexuality
From the periphery to the core: How can we hear more women’s voices from rural India?
Several young Indian rural women sitting in a row on a carpet. Some have raised their hands, as if in answer to a question. They are wearing bright-coloured sarees, and bangles. Some are wearing bindis too.
From the periphery to the core: How can we hear more women’s voices from rural India?

Neha is a proud, beaming 16-year-old. Standing on the lawns outside Delhi’s India Gate, she speaks to the camera about…
By Gram Vaani
August 16, 2017
From the periphery to the core: How can we hear more women’s voices from rural India?
Accessing Safer Sex – what does it mean to have access to exploring and enjoying your sexuality safely?
Still from a Hindi film 'Lipstick under my Burkha'. The character of Ratna Pathak Shah is waving so as to get someone's attention. She is wearing a rose in her hair, a pink saree with golden border, black blouse, and has her hair tied in a plait that has been pulled to the front. She is wearing coloured bangles, and earrings.
Accessing Safer Sex – what does it mean to have access to exploring and enjoying your sexuality safely?

The discourse on safer sex is usually couched in medical language– protection from STIs and unwanted pregnancies are what supposedly…
By Unnimaya Kurup
August 16, 2017
Accessing Safer Sex – what does it mean to have access to exploring and enjoying your sexuality safely?
“Do You Get What I’m Saying?” – Discussing Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Indian Regional Languages
Photo of a strip of small black plastic packets of contraceptives.
“Do You Get What I’m Saying?” – Discussing Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Indian Regional Languages

Language is central to how we think about concepts and ideas, and rights-based language matters enormously when we talk about sexuality. However, much of what many of us know about sexuality-related topics is constructed, explained and communicated solely in English.

By Vani Viswanathan
August 3, 2017
“Do You Get What I’m Saying?” – Discussing Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Indian Regional Languages
Queer Pride in India: Creating Space for Intersectional Queer Identities and Other Marginalised Voices?
Photo of a vibrant queer pride march. There is a huge crowd, lots of rainbow-coloured umbrellas, flags, drawings, and writings on placards. One placard reads "ab toh angrej bhi maan gaye" in Hindi.
Queer Pride in India: Creating Space for Intersectional Queer Identities and Other Marginalised Voices?

There are many ways to be queer. Apart from the fact that queerness encompasses a wide variety of sexual expression,…
By Sonia Dhawan
August 3, 2017
Queer Pride in India: Creating Space for Intersectional Queer Identities and Other Marginalised Voices?
The United States of Indian-Americans
A brown hand holding the pride flag infront of the Whitehouse (in the background) . Screen reader support enabled. A brown hand holding the pride flag infront of the Whitehouse (in the background) .
The United States of Indian-Americans

It is very easy to fall into the trap of believing that the survival of the larger group is more important than the rights of an individual. This is especially true in diasporic communities, where people are constantly struggling to keep their cultural identities intact while simultaneously assimilating to the majority culture just enough to survive.
By Sonia Dhawan
July 15, 2017
The United States of Indian-Americans
On Being Gay and Muslim
Its a a painting of a maze madeof acrylic using pride colors.
On Being Gay and Muslim

My entire life has been a struggle of confused identities. I stood at the intersection of gay, Muslim and economic privilege.
By Aersh
July 15, 2017
On Being Gay and Muslim
Hum Aapki Hain Samdhan*
Its a poster of the singer, Munni Ketki Wali. Its in black and white, where a lady is smiling, wearing winged eye-liner, she has long hair. The caption on the poster says, मुन्नी केतकीवाली, Munni Kethkiwali and the names of her songs- दरोगा जी से कहिये गहरा कुआँ रस्सी छोटी सी बीच बज्रया खटमल काटे लढाये लियो अँखियाँ
Hum Aapki Hain Samdhan*

Let me begin with a confession. I have always loved the idea of marriage. What is one to do when…
By Manak Matiyani
July 1, 2017
Hum Aapki Hain Samdhan*
Early ‘Love Marriage’ and the Big, Bad Internet
Its an image of keyboard's control key.
Early ‘Love Marriage’ and the Big, Bad Internet

In fact, the Internet actually allows adolescents access to a wide range of information including on sexual health. A 2015 study by Marie Stopes International[2] (an organisation that provides contraception and safe abortion services) found that the main source of information on sexual health among adolescents is the Internet.
By Shubha Kayastha and Indu Nepal
June 1, 2017
Early ‘Love Marriage’ and the Big, Bad Internet
How We Can Make Our Cities Safer Using Crowdsourced Data
The photo shows a red hand trying to shut the mouth of a woman. There’s a caption on the photo saying sexual harassment is a crime and a yellow caption in between says, break the silence.
How We Can Make Our Cities Safer Using Crowdsourced Data

Sexual violence is a global pandemic affecting one in three women at least once in their lifetime. The statistics in India are equally shocking. National Crime Records Bureau statistics of 2014 indicate that a rape occurs every 20 minutes in India.

By ElsaMarie D'Silva
June 1, 2017
How We Can Make Our Cities Safer Using Crowdsourced Data
Cashless and Stranded in Budhwar Peth: How the 2016 Demonetisation Affected Sex Workers
A photo of a man holding the old Rs.1000 and Rs.500 notes,
Cashless and Stranded in Budhwar Peth: How the 2016 Demonetisation Affected Sex Workers

The disruptions in sex work due to demonetisation were not merely about the cash crunch though. Probing deeper, the real problems were to do with a breakdown in the rituals of soliciting, and what it meant behaviourally for the women.
By Sutapa Majumdar and Rohini Sahni
May 15, 2017
Cashless and Stranded in Budhwar Peth: How the 2016 Demonetisation Affected Sex Workers
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