The Womb

The Common Woman: “I Had SEX, A Lot of It” I am a sister. I am a daughter. And I was repeatedly violated. Not by strange men in questionable alleys and darkened pathways. But in familiar surroundings by trusted men as sun rays kissed their treacherous backs. There was no media trial as I hugged myself on the floor. No protests as I struggled to make sense of it, numb for days. Perhaps it was because I couldn’t come forward against people so intrinsically connected with my life. Or maybe, just maybe because my horror was not detachable from people’s lives. My perpetrators could not be othered. They were mine. https://lnkd.in/dMbRxQYn

The Womb Launches : The Common Woman   We have built a society where ‘the common man’ is the general applicable standard. In our society, the women and their voices are often invisibilised and unheard, at both individual and collective level, on an everyday basis.   So while women suffer in silence, there is no platform for them to stand in their own power and be heard. It is in the light of this, that ‘The Womb’ has decided to launch a new vertical – ‘The Common Woman’. If you have a story that deserves to be told, shared and mulled over, write to us. Pain and joys when shared, multiplies. It is time, that we get over the taboo and talk about issues that matter, stories that women actually live, stories which are suffocating under the pressure of emotions such as guilt, shame, fear, vulnerabilities.   Once we narrate our stories to complete strangers, it magically no longer holds us captive. What’s more, we experience the magic of oneness – when it strikes us that millions of womenaround the world can relate to our experiences, thus affirming – ‘We are not alone’. Yes, my friend – ‘you are not alone’. We are all common women and our stories deserve to be told.   You can trust us with the privacy of your story and choose to submit either anonymously or identify yourself.   You might not know it right now, but there is a latent sisterhood energy, waiting to be unleashed. We are here at the eye of that storm.   Send your pieces to : [email protected]   For any queries/other pieces, you can write to our Editor at [email protected]   https://lnkd.in/dRXhjvEd

Police Torture of Dalits in Madhya Pradesh: Beyond a Law-and-order Failure! The issue of police torture sparked discussions throughout our country when an old video, from October 2023, of a Dalit woman and her grandson being beaten by the railway police in Katni, Madhya Pradesh went viral on social media. Post this video going viral, the current scenario is that an investigation has been launched by the deputy superintendent of police, after the concerned police-in-charge had been removed. This gut-wrenching incident raises two crucial questions – Is the police authorized to torture someone solely because they are a repeated offender? And would this incident have happened majorly because the concerned two people are Dalits? Article 20(3) of the Constitution provides the accused a right against self-incrimination. Read Full Piece Here- https://lnkd.in/d-RJsTqF #katni #madhyapradesh #dalit #policetorture

Kolkata Rape And Murder Suo Moto Proceedings: A Call For Enhanced Safety Standards! By Lauren Prem The Supreme Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices Manoj Mishra and JB Pardiwala, on 20th August 2024, shed light on the recurrent safety issues faced by women in our country, during the Suo moto proceedings on the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder case. A crucial measure put forth by the court is ‘triaging medical departments and places within the hospital’ based on the possibility of violence. It further states “Areas such as emergency rooms and intensive care units are prone to a greater degree of violence and may possibly need additional security in place to deal with any untoward incident.” https://lnkd.in/d3-xu5NQ #kolkata #suomotucohnizance #Law #SupremeCourt #NationalTaskForce

Broken, Battered, Taunted, Killed And Misjudged Dr Elsa Lycias Joel It is shameful that few public servants have the audacity to declare that public spaces are not meant to be the right places for the right kind of women at the wrong time. When did a seminar hall in a medical college turn unsafe for a trainee doctor? Was she inappropriately clothed? What a handful of politically elite say is not different from what a convicted criminal said. Enough is enough. As long as naming and shaming the victim continues in addition to gracing them with unbefitting titles, violence against women in all forms will continue with a plight of pandemic proportions. https://lnkd.in/dTrRkF5S #kolkata #anjalisingh #asifa #jyotisingh #sohanlalvalmiki #zaheera #mathura #aruna

From Labharthi To Leaders, The Real Rakhi Gift Indian Women Need By Kanksshi Agarwal and Avani Bansal The images of women parading naked to protest against AFSPA in Manipur in 2004, to women being forcefully paraded naked in the recent Manipur riots in 2024 – the message is clear. Women’s bodies are sites of power and the matrilineal nature of the north-eastern societies brings this in focus. Political messaging to women in campaigns should not reduce them to ‘behnas and didis’ who are wooed by a gift of Rs. 250 in their accounts every rakhi, as reducing women’s rights to a “gift” will do more harm than good to women’s dignity and agency. https://lnkd.in/dPmaQ3WS #women #labharthis #rakhis #feminism #womeninpolitics #womenempowerment Kanksshi Agarwal (She/They) Avani Bansal

‘Reclaim The Night’ Protest 2024 Ground protest, sometimes seem to be the only panacea to outright fundamental right violations in India. Expressing outrage against the ghastly Kolkata rape and murder case, men and women, especially women in large numbers hit the streets in Kolkata on the eve of the Independence Day, 2024. While the protests were initially planned to happen in college street and academy areas of Kolkata, it spread across the nation as many other cities stepped in to reclaim the night and highlight the safety issues that women still face in our country. However a small group of people also entered into the RG Kar Medical Hospital and college, vandalizing the hospital property and attracting attention in the news for its violent nature, taking away some of the attention from the otherwise well meaning and very impactful protests on ground. https://lnkd.in/dGeNim6X #kolkata #reclaimthenight

Public Outrage On Kolkata Doctor’s Death Case Rape and murder, considered brutal crimes, almost always evoke huge public outrage. Such is the recent case of a man, named Sanjay Roy, who is alleged to have committed rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor, whose body was found on 9th August 2024, at the seminar room of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. This horrendous incident has infuriated the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and so many doctors, across the state and other parts of India, leading them to protest regarding speedy imposition of punishment on those responsible for the said crimes. Colloquially called the Nirbhaya 2.0, this incident has stunned the entire nation. https://lnkd.in/gKGvTjy9 #kolkatadoctor #violenceagainstwomen

Mothers’ Sentiments: A Tale Of Unity Behind Fierce Rivalry Sports is much more than mere competition! It is a life experience – one capable of changing a person, for good or bad. As Vinesh Phogat strives to stand up for herself in a hostile environment, the Olympics 2024 has portrayed a shimmer of hope and optimism through a heartwarming incident where Neeraj Chopra’s mother calls Arshad Nadeem her son and Arshad Nadeem’s mother calls Neeraj Chopra her son, thereby giving testimony to the point that sports does not need to be all about competition. Nadeem and Neeraj won gold and silver respectively, yet Neeraj Chopra’s mother appreciates Nadeem’s performance and says “For us, silver is also like gold.” https://lnkd.in/dPmR_bNC #olympics #olympics2024

Gender Parity At The 2024 Paris Olympics: Really A Tale Of Winning Together? Did you know that that the Paris Olympics 2024 is the first Olympic game to provide 50% women reservation. Read On : https://lnkd.in/dqC6zfXg #Olympics #olympics2024 #olympicgames #OlympicGamesParis2024 #womenatolympics