Through Instagram, Twitter and personal blogs, these outspoken women are laying the foundation for important and necessary conversations about gender equality, sexual harassment and other issues that remain largely unaddressed or stigmatised, finds Zaral Shah
The certified nutritionist and lactation counsellor — and mother of two — aims to change the perspective around how a woman’s body changes during pregnancy and early motherhood as well as normalise the natural aspects of childbirth and rearing. Kamana Gautam is also especially dedicated to educating people about the benefits of breastfeeding. She favours Instagram as visuals create a greater impact.
“I HADN’T HEARD OF THE WORD ‘INFLUENCER’ UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO, and I never thought people would put me into that category because of the number of followers I have. I wanted to share with people my journey of motherhood, subaspects of natural birthing, breastfeeding, et al. I wanted to share my experiences with fellow mothers to ensure no one feels alone. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and, for me, Instagram became that village.”
“SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, A WOMAN’S BODY HAS ALWAYS BEEN SEXUALLY OBJECTIFIED, AND THAT IMPACTS BREASTFEEDING TOO.
Women are scared to feed their kids in public because it has been ingrained in their minds that the breasts’ primary role is to fulfil a man’s desire and not to provide nutrition to the baby. I started posting breastfeeding pictures in the hope that I could change that perspective. And if you look at any such photo that I have put up, there are lots of lewd and obscene messages that I have received from boys and men. Women also never post picture of their postpartum bellies because they are ashamed and embarrassed. They are judged by society, and expected to lose the weight. All this made me share an image of myself after giving birth to empower and make women aware that they are not alone, and to tell them that their postpartum bodies are beautiful.”
“THE #METOO MOVEMENT SPREAD ACROSS THE WORLD LIKE FIRE.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de Verve.
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Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
