Just over a month ago, a young girl living in Kenya died by suicide. The reason? She was period shamed in front of her peers by her teacher for bleeding through her uniform. This was the first time the child got her period, so she had not planned to have menstrual supplies at hand. The […]
Period Representation on TV
In India, it is unsurprising that people still follow archaic traditions and hold backward beliefs. Talking about periods is considered a social taboo in several households. And like other important issues, there is a daily fight to change society’s perceptions and normalize the existence of menstruation by having necessary conversations. Recently, we at GiveHer5 found […]
The Ideal Timeline of a Woman’s Life
Women are often subjected to a timeline about how each year of their life should pan out. A checklist. And with each phase of the timeline comes a voice. Is there an ideal timeline for a woman’s life?
Inclusion in Beauty Contests like Miss India
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Beauty [/ˈbjuːti/] is a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Not only the entire idea of judging women on the basis of their appearance preposterous, but it is also demeaning, and creates a big dent on a […]
The Story of a Legend – Madame Marie Curie
Madame Marie Curie the first woman to be awarded a Nobel prize, and then again. The only person to receive the Nobel prize in two different scientific fields. This Polish-French physicist and chemist was not just exceptionally ahead of her times in academics, but she was also a female powerhouse. The fifth child of teachers, […]
Menstrual Leaves: Yes or No?
As the name suggests, menstrual leave is leave granted to a woman during her period and can be either paid or unpaid, depending on the company’s policies. The reason being that according to a study 20% of the 40% of the working female population experience a condition called dysmenorrhea that causes tremendous pain during menstruation. […]
Not like Other Girls – Breaking Down The Sentence that Breaks Womanhood
I watched a video recently titled ‘I’m not like other girls’ by Girlsfeed, Buzzfeed India’s panel discussing mainstream issues of toxic masculinity, online dating and other everyday concerns a modern Indian woman faces. This particular video ran me through a series of emotions, ranging from guilt to anger to determination. Maybe it stung because […]
The Right to say No: Pro Life vs. Pro Choice
‘We’re always going to argue about abortion. It’s a hard choice and it’s controversial, and that’s why I’m pro-choice, because I want people to make their own choices.’ – Hillary Clinton With the Trump administration’s new attempt to implement laws that ban abortions, the battle has picked up pace like never before. […]
Do we have Something to be Proud About?
For those who are completely detached from social media or living under a rock, June is LGBT Pride Month, which began as a commemoration to the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969. This is why Pride events, most popularly Pride Parades are held all through June. Despite the joint efforts of a large population […]
Prepare for Your Daughter’s First Period
It’s not every day that your daughter gets her first period. When I think about my period, well it’s a funny story. I was staining underwear after underwear and couldn’t understand what was going on and why each one of them was turning brown. By that point in my life, I already knew about menstruation […]