Sehmat, Rumi, Simi: Celebrating the women from 2018's best movies

This 8th March, the day that is celebrated as International Women's Day, has celebrities from across the world joining hands for a unique, impactful video that attempts to create awareness for equality of women’s rights globally

The video has been created by The Circle, which is a global NGO formed by women and is for women, with the idea to help raise awareness of the lack of equal women’s rights in across walks of life. &nbsp;Established by Annie Lennox who heralded is a Scottish Grammy Award Winning singer in 2008, the NGO has put together a video where acclaimed artists of the world, including Indian actors like Farhan Akhtar and Richa Chadha along with international pop stars &nbsp;like Mary J Blige, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran create awareness on women’s rights. Other artists who feature in the video include Hozier, Oscar-nominated actor Richard E Grant, 'Game Of Thrones' star Gwendoline Christie and Paloma Faith.&nbsp;

In the video, each of these artists showcases statistics of the reality of lack of women’s representation and rights. The video has been created to stir awareness amongst people to know the reality, educate themselves on statics and numbers and come together in support to help the idea of a larger cause of women’s rights globally.

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Speaking about it, Richa said, “I am so excited to be a part of this video. Last year a survey claimed that India is the worlds most unsafe place for women and I was really embarrassed. I was even more disturbed to read in another survey that 42% of women think that being beaten is ok. There needs to be a drastic shift in mindset if we are to progress in a genuine way as a country. To me, it’s empty progress if you have giant skyscrapers but I cannot go home from my office in the same skyscraper using public transport at 9 pm in the night without the fear of assault. And this is true for most parts of India. I am grateful that India finds representation in the video.”

This 8th March, the day that is celebrated as International Women's Day, has celebrities from across the world joining hands for a unique, impactful video that attempts to create awareness for equality of women’s rights globally The video has been created by The Circle, which is a global NGO formed by women and is for women, with the idea to help raise awareness of the lack of equal women’s rights in across walks of life.

This 8th March, the day that is celebrated as International Women's Day, has celebrities from across the world joining hands for a unique, impactful video that attempts to create awareness for equality of women’s rights globally The video has been created by The Circle, which is a global NGO formed by women and is for women, with the idea to help raise awareness of the lack of equal women’s rights in across walks of life. Established by Annie Lennox who heralded is a Scottish Grammy Award Winning singer in 2008, the NGO has put together a video where acclaimed artists of the world, including Indian actors like Farhan Akhtar and Richa Chadha along with international pop stars like Mary J Blige, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran create awareness on women’s rights. Other artists who feature in the video include Hozier, Oscar-nominated actor Richard E Grant, 'Game Of Thrones' star Gwendoline Christie and Paloma Faith. In the video, each of these artists showcases statistics of the reality of lack of women’s representation and rights. The video has been created to stir awareness amongst people to know the reality, educate themselves on statics and numbers and come together in support to help the idea of a larger cause of women’s rights globally. Speaking about it, Richa said, “I am so excited to be a part of this video. Last year a survey claimed that India is the worlds most unsafe place for women and I was really embarrassed. I was even more disturbed to read in another survey that 42% of women think that being beaten is ok. There needs to be a drastic shift in mindset if we are to progress in a genuine way as a country. To me, it’s empty progress if you have giant skyscrapers but I cannot go home from my office in the same skyscraper using public transport at 9 pm in the night without the fear of assault. And this is true for most parts of India. I am grateful that India finds representation in the video.”

Richa Chadha, Farhan Akhtar, Ed Sheeran come together for a unique video on women's day

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” noted French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously, in her classic book, The Second Sex (1949).

The world is celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 with great pomp and show. Yet, 70 years after Simone’s pithy observations, things have not changed much. It is not merely gender equality, but something beyond that is needed to negate the thoughts expressed by the great French philosopher.

In the case of a woman, her birth itself is less than welcome. The love for a son is overwhelming because it is he who takes care of his parents and it is the son who will perform the last rights. Daughter is a paraya dhan (stranger’s property), whose wedding would make the family poorer and smaller.

Considering the fall in sex ratio, laws have been enacted and progressive policies of the central government, like “Beti Bachao Beti Padao” (save the daughter, educate the daughter) have been introduced.

Still, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, up to five crore girls and women are ‘missing’ from India’s population because of termination of the female foetus and high mortality of the girl child due to lack of adequate care.&nbsp;

Data collected by the Office of Registrar General of India from the Civil Registration System (CRS), reveals that in 2016, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan had the worst sex ratio at birth (SRB) of 806. Tamil Nadu, which had sex ratio of 935 in 2007, came down to 840 compared to the all India figure of 877. Karnataka has an SRB of 983, which has declined by 108 marks in comparison with the survey conducted in 2007 when it stood at 1,004.&nbsp;

Despite the rise in literacy, the sex ratio has not improved, says the first phase of the National Family Health Survey — 2015-16 (NFHS 4). As a matter of fact, the sex ratio in many states has significantly decreased despite a corresponding rise in the literacy rate.

It begs the question: Is the supposed disadvantage of a girl child an actual disadvantage, or is it based on societal perceptions?&nbsp;

Perception about women is not just a matter of chance. It has been deliberately built up because of their patriarchal status — &nbsp;how she has to dress, what to study, where to study and whom to marry — are all decided by men.So the biological condition of women, per se, is not a handicap. It is her strength and a special feature. Her unique feminine features, her sex organs, menstruation, pregnancy and her menopause are not just important but are the epicentre of the entire family system.&nbsp;

Still, the accepted reality is that these features are a burden. A menstruating woman is not supposed to participate in routine and religious affairs, as she is considered impure. Menstruation is used as a tool to make women feel inferior about herself and her body.&nbsp;

So, it is the perception that counts. If we feel bad about a thing, it becomes a bad thing; if we feel good about it, it becomes a good thing.

Despite the handicaps, some women have started recognising their true potential, questioning the rules laid down for them by society. They are breaking barriers and have earned a respectable position in society. Indian women are excelling in every field of life, profession or business. Progress is taking place, but it is slow. At some points, the gaps are big and visible.&nbsp;

Despite the rise in literacy levels, the number of working women is on the decline. As per the World Economic Forum survey on gender gap index (2017), India is ranked 108 out of 144. In the gender inequality index — UNDP (2017), India stands at the 127th position out of 183.&nbsp;

According to the National Family Health Survey — 2015-16, working women have declined from 36 per cent in 2005-06 to 24 per cent in 2015-16. &nbsp;

There are more figures. Niti Aayog-SDG India Index - 2018, puts women labour force participation rate at 32 per cent of the total labour force. Women in leadership roles has been pegged at 8.7 per cent in state legislative assemblies.&nbsp;

According to a 2015 study by think tank McKinsey Global Institute, currently, women contribute a mere 17 per cent to India’s GDP, well below the global average of 37 per cent. If women participated in the economy at par with men, India could increase its GDP by up to 60 per cent or $2.9 trillion by 2025. &nbsp;

On International Women’s Day, there is a pressing need for gender-focused structural reforms to increase women’s contribution to productivity and growth.

Improved advancement practices alone can pitch talented women into leadership and managerial roles. There is a need to travel beyond gender equality; empowering of half of the potential workforce has significant growth benefits that go beyond gender equality. &nbsp;

Empowering women can become a reality only when running a family is not her exclusive and sole responsibility. In order to make families, societies and countries prosperous, both men and women will have to share the responsibility jointly. This alone will ensure better participation of women in work.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-quite-clearly-the-second-sex-2727363">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” noted French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously, in her classic book, The Second Sex (1949). The world is celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 with great pomp and show.

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” noted French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously, in her classic book, The Second Sex (1949). The world is celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 with great pomp and show. Yet, 70 years after Simone’s pithy observations, things have not changed much. It is not merely gender equality, but something beyond that is needed to negate the thoughts expressed by the great French philosopher. In the case of a woman, her birth itself is less than welcome. The love for a son is overwhelming because it is he who takes care of his parents and it is the son who will perform the last rights. Daughter is a paraya dhan (stranger’s property), whose wedding would make the family poorer and smaller. Considering the fall in sex ratio, laws have been enacted and progressive policies of the central government, like “Beti Bachao Beti Padao” (save the daughter, educate the daughter) have been introduced. Still, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, up to five crore girls and women are ‘missing’ from India’s population because of termination of the female foetus and high mortality of the girl child due to lack of adequate care. Data collected by the Office of Registrar General of India from the Civil Registration System (CRS), reveals that in 2016, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan had the worst sex ratio at birth (SRB) of 806. Tamil Nadu, which had sex ratio of 935 in 2007, came down to 840 compared to the all India figure of 877. Karnataka has an SRB of 983, which has declined by 108 marks in comparison with the survey conducted in 2007 when it stood at 1,004. Despite the rise in literacy, the sex ratio has not improved, says the first phase of the National Family Health Survey — 2015-16 (NFHS 4). As a matter of fact, the sex ratio in many states has significantly decreased despite a corresponding rise in the literacy rate. It begs the question: Is the supposed disadvantage of a girl child an actual disadvantage, or is it based on societal perceptions? Perception about women is not just a matter of chance. It has been deliberately built up because of their patriarchal status — how she has to dress, what to study, where to study and whom to marry — are all decided by men.So the biological condition of women, per se, is not a handicap. It is her strength and a special feature. Her unique feminine features, her sex organs, menstruation, pregnancy and her menopause are not just important but are the epicentre of the entire family system. Still, the accepted reality is that these features are a burden. A menstruating woman is not supposed to participate in routine and religious affairs, as she is considered impure. Menstruation is used as a tool to make women feel inferior about herself and her body. So, it is the perception that counts. If we feel bad about a thing, it becomes a bad thing; if we feel good about it, it becomes a good thing. Despite the handicaps, some women have started recognising their true potential, questioning the rules laid down for them by society. They are breaking barriers and have earned a respectable position in society. Indian women are excelling in every field of life, profession or business. Progress is taking place, but it is slow. At some points, the gaps are big and visible. Despite the rise in literacy levels, the number of working women is on the decline. As per the World Economic Forum survey on gender gap index (2017), India is ranked 108 out of 144. In the gender inequality index — UNDP (2017), India stands at the 127th position out of 183. According to the National Family Health Survey — 2015-16, working women have declined from 36 per cent in 2005-06 to 24 per cent in 2015-16. There are more figures. Niti Aayog-SDG India Index - 2018, puts women labour force participation rate at 32 per cent of the total labour force. Women in leadership roles has been pegged at 8.7 per cent in state legislative assemblies. According to a 2015 study by think tank McKinsey Global Institute, currently, women contribute a mere 17 per cent to India’s GDP, well below the global average of 37 per cent. If women participated in the economy at par with men, India could increase its GDP by up to 60 per cent or $2.9 trillion by 2025. On International Women’s Day, there is a pressing need for gender-focused structural reforms to increase women’s contribution to productivity and growth. Improved advancement practices alone can pitch talented women into leadership and managerial roles. There is a need to travel beyond gender equality; empowering of half of the potential workforce has significant growth benefits that go beyond gender equality. Empowering women can become a reality only when running a family is not her exclusive and sole responsibility. In order to make families, societies and countries prosperous, both men and women will have to share the responsibility jointly. This alone will ensure better participation of women in work. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Quite clearly the second sex: Running a family should not be sole responsibility of women

As many would argue, a single day to celebrate women and their contribution to the society is not enough. We, as a society at large, are going through massive changes in the way we treat our women and deal with the issues that plague them. The last year saw a monumental movement like Me Too coming to the fore where women across the world united and spoke against sexual harassment and called for immediate action against the perpetrators.&nbsp; 
 
There is a lot do, we admit. But perhaps a day like Women&#39;s Day would be a good day to spearhead change in the right direction, spread awareness and sensitize women and men about the issues that women want everyone to focus on.&nbsp; 
 
We went around asking some of the talented women in WION what change they would want this International Women&#39;s Day. The reactions were rather refreshing as most demanded a cohesive, inclusive environment above anything else.&nbsp; 
 
Here is what the women of WION had to say. 
 
&#39;Love yourself&#39;

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This <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensDay</a> I wish more of us understand the value of &#39;self-love&#39; and self-prioritizing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/empoweryourself?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#empoweryourself</a>
&mdash; Sparshita Saxena (@_Sparshita_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Sparshita_/status/971340715384066053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This Women&#39;s Day I want none of us to shy away from the fact that, in a way, most of us forget to love ourselves. Caught in the rut of life, the humdrum and chaos of our daily routine drowns the need to take care of ourselves. 
 
This goes out to all those super-women who know no failure -- you juggle multiple roles, outperform your expectations and still choose yourself in the end. This Women&#39;s Day, I want all of us to embrace a change and make conscious efforts to put ourselves first more often. Take charge of your health and practice self love; reach out to sisters who are not as privileged as you and before anything, teach them how to take care of their health and how to love themselves. Let this change be tangible, literal... wear it on your face, let it radiate and turn into a happy halo around you! 
 
- Sparshita Saxena, Senior Copy Editor, WION DIgital 
 
&#39;Acknowledge the contribution of other women&#39; 
&nbsp;

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A big shout out to all the lovely ladies out there. 
This women&#39;s day appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of women in your life. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NothingWithoutWoman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NothingWithoutWoman</a>
&mdash; Puniti Pandey (@PandeyPuniti) <a href="https://twitter.com/PandeyPuniti/status/971360949616615425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This women&#39;s day appreciate&nbsp;and acknowledge the efforts of women in your life. From time immemorial a woman has always played a vital role in the functioning of a family and their home. She is born with the big obligation on her shoulder to take over the responsibility of, first her house, and then her husband&#39;s house.&nbsp;Throughout her childhood, she is imparted with the values that she is supposed to assimilate in order to become a credible homemaker.

And with the growing times, these responsibilities have broadened. After woman&#39;s active and increased participation in the so-called &quot;man&#39;s world&quot;, the lady power has not only emerged as a successful home maker but also a tough competition for men in the corporate and business sector.&nbsp; 
 
-Puniti Pandey, Copy Writer, WION Digital&nbsp;

&#39;Inclusive environment&#39;

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This Women&#39;s Day, I would wish for Indian women to be as empowered as men which in turn implies more freedom, liberation, inclusion, sensitisation towards problems of women and greater role in decision making whether at the work place or at home
&mdash; Chandni Prashar (@ChandniPrashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChandniPrashar/status/971379350846300161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This Women&#39;s Day, I would wish for Indian women to be as empowered as men which in turn implies more freedom, liberation, inclusion, sensitisation towards problems of women and greater role in decision making whether at the work place or at home. 
 
We need to change mindsets and perspectives towards women and overcome and challenge biased and non-inclusive behaviour towards women. At home, women need to take more decisions from deciding which serial to watch to having an equal say in what to buy and where to live. At work, women need to take on greater leadership roles, be in charge of things and prove the biases towards them are incorrect. 
 
-Chandni Prashar, Senior Journalist, WION Digital

&#39;Importance of change&#39;

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I want to dedicate this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensDay</a> to change. Let&#39;s change one attitude, one belief, one perception, one stereotype and the world will be a happier, fairer place to live in. Fair, not privileged. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyWomensDay</a> all you ladies out there!
&mdash; Zeba khan (@zessz) <a href="https://twitter.com/zessz/status/971394353091497985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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International Women&rsquo;s Day or March 8 is just another date on the calendar as I feel every day belongs to us women and men of course.&nbsp; 
 
Yes, I identify myself as a feminist but I believe in equality rather than privilege and I want to dedicate this women&rsquo;s day and every women&rsquo;s day in the future to &lsquo;change&rsquo;. If only we (women), in our daily lives are able to bring about a change in two individuals from both the sexes, the world would be a much fairer (read equal, not colour) place to live in.&nbsp; 
 
I am talking about the change in attitude, behaviour, and ideology. Why don&rsquo;t we fuel the cycle of change from our own house -- say, parents, siblings? I started with my younger sibling, my brother. Grown up to be a young man himself, my 23-year-old brother hates ads that portray women as sexual objects, was my biggest supporter in marrying out of love, never took my care and love for him for granted and the list can go on endlessly. My next change is my husband (work in progress) and hopefully, my kids when I have them.&nbsp; 
 
With every change, I hope to see a society where people, both women and men are compassionate, value one another and help each other to grow both in personal and professional space. We (women) have to stop limiting ourselves, reinforcing stereotypes at home and work, promote patriarchal setups and say it&rsquo;s okay for a woman to confirm and a boy to rebel. We need to bring that change. It&rsquo;s okay for anyone to rebel or confirm, it should be a matter of choice! 
 
-Zeba Khan, Associate Producer, WION Digital

&#39;More than lip service&#39;

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Freedom to return home late has been expanding by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TwoHours?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TwoHours</a> every decade. Will this be the pace of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Womenempowerment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Womenempowerment</a>
&mdash; Vanshika Garg (@Vanshika2k14) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vanshika2k14/status/971636551204720640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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When India talks about &#39;Women&#39;s day&#39;, it seems superficial and overrated. This is the 43rd Women&#39;s day and our society is getting liberal with the pace of #TwoHours. Until two decades back, women could stay out of the home until 6 p.m., then 8 p.m. in the next decade, and now, max. up to 10 p.m. And here we are, celebrating the achievements of women. The only thing achieved is #TwoHours.&nbsp;

-Vanshika Garg, Editorial Intern, WION Digital

&#39;End of misogyny&#39; 
 
On International Woman&#39;s Day, I believe we are not far from that day when the invisible glass ceiling that does not allow a woman climb up despite the hard work she puts in will just melt away. Women will not be subjected to snide remarks for struggling to accomplish the herculean task of being a doting mother, loving wife and a committed professional. We don&#39;t want to be superwoman because we now know what exploitation the term entails. We are just women. And that is good enough for us. Very importantly, women want to hear less of misogynist comments. No one gets to tell a woman because her husband earns well, she doesn&#39;t need a raise for the work she puts in. At work, we don&#39;t want special treatment, but don&#39;t treat us unfairly. &nbsp;

- Madhumita Saha, Opinion Editor

&#39;Don&#39;t tell us what to do or how to behave&#39;

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We are told to respect fear more than respect ourselves. So today, all I want to say to all the women out there - YOU DO YOU! Trust your gut and have power over yourselves. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/womensday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#womensday</a>
&mdash; Anushka Dixit (@Nushi93) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nushi93/status/971672109113053184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Day today, and as a woman, all I want is to not be reminded of it...not be told &ldquo;you&rsquo;re a woman, you shouldn&rsquo;t be working so hard on your career&rdquo;, &ldquo;oh leave it, you mustn&rsquo;t do that, it&rsquo;s way too tough&rdquo;, &ldquo;you shouldn&rsquo;t be working till midnight&rdquo;, &ldquo;time is ticking think about getting married.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
I still read about how society reacts to women who aren&rsquo;t your stereotypical lot and are getting out of the traditional thinking. The thinking of &ldquo;what would society think&rdquo; bothers me. We are told to respect fear more than respect ourselves. This is, perhaps, why women fear to talk about being strong, powerful and independent. This is why, the courageous women who do take the stage to talk about it, have to clinch onto their hearts when walking on streets because of the sheer fear of being harassed. I still see it. I still read about it.&nbsp; 
 
So today, all I want to say to all the women out there is - YOU DO YOU! Trust your gut and have power over yourselves.&nbsp; 
 
- Anushka Dixit, Copy writer, WION DIgital

 
&#39;Life should not end after marriage&#39;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenEmpowerment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomenEmpowerment</a> will be established when women will stop compromising with their career after marriage irrespective of any reason<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensDay</a>
&mdash; Srishti Sisodia (@srishti_sisodia) <a href="https://twitter.com/srishti_sisodia/status/971611683306328064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Women empowerment is essential because, for hundreds of years, we are living in patriarchal/gender biased society. I agree there are certain places or certain people who still consider women a second-class citizen but things are changing and changes take time. Slowly and steadily the notion of empowering women is gaining pace. 
 
In recent years, the status of women have seen positive changes. Most parents are focusing on educating their girl child and helping them to realise their dreams pursue higher education and a successful career.&nbsp; 
 
Women also need to stop compromising with their career after the marriage irrespective of any reason. Fight it out, ladies! 
 
It isn&#39;t always that a woman is forced to leave her job by her family members. Many a time she herself chooses to leave the job to appease others.&nbsp;We see a lot of girls in school and colleges but not at the workplace. The reason is quite obvious- a lot of us grew up dreaming about the fairy tale weddings and holy matrimony but there is so much more to do in life, so much to achieve as an individual other than being a good wife or a mother.&nbsp; 
 
I am not demeaning household work but in the contemporary era, self-dependence is the key to happiness. So get up and go to work even when you are 50. 
 
PS: Dear husbands, learn to cook and prepare the breakfast some time so that she can leave for office in free mind.

- Srishti Sisodia, Copy writer, WION Digital

&#39;React where it is needed&#39; 
 
As hard as being a woman in this country really is, I&#39;m proud to be a part of this changing society. 
 
One change that I would like to see in my society would be to see people becoming&nbsp;more tolerant towards things. Intolerance becomes a major barrier to change.&nbsp;As seen during the release of a Bollywood movie, the intolerance level in the people of India is shocking and what triggers more is that the information provided to them is not always reliable. Without checking the accuracy of the information, many people get hyper and start reacting in a manner that is not suitable. &nbsp; 
 
Such kind of reactions is not seen when an actual crisis occurs, like violence, or a rape, and so on. Reactions should be provided at places where it is needed, and this becomes one thing that I would want to change here. 
 
- Nandini Singh, Editorial Intern, WION digital

&#39;Train the boys well&#39;

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Let&#39;s train our boys well. Let&#39;s teach them to be self-reliant and raise them as sensitive human beings because only then can the society be free of misogyny and inequalities. And then, every day can be a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensDay</a> , no?
&mdash; Shomini Sen (@shominisen) <a href="https://twitter.com/shominisen/status/971650722449297408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Our society is going through massive change, no doubt. And while more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of an equal society, there is still a lot to do. There are still a lot of issues that need to be addressed and patriarchy is one of them.&nbsp; 
 
As women, we have to deal with patriarchy on a daily basis. Be it at the workplace, where a male colleague can pass an unintentional sexist comment, or at home, where a male member of the family may refuse to help with household chores(because that&#39;s apparently not HIS job), or at&nbsp;a&nbsp;restaurant, where the waiter doesn&#39;t think you are capable to pay the food bill and gives it to the guy, the struggle is constant. So it is important to train our boys well.

Treat your son the way you would treat your daughter- teach him to be self-reliant, self-sufficient and more importantly raise them to become sensitive human beings. Because when we raise our boys well, we get a cohesive, healthy environment where everyone is treated equally. I understand that the change will not happen overnight, but we all have taken a step towards it- so it&#39;s only a matter of time that things will change for the better.&nbsp; 
 
-Shomini Sen, Assistant Editor, WION Digital

&#39;Change the stereotypes&#39;

On International Women&#39;s day what I would like to change is the mindset of people and the social norms that stereotype women as the sole nurturer of the society.&nbsp;It annoys me to see that women are treated as unequal. It is unfair to think of them simply as supreme nurturers and goddess of patience and expect them to be always full of kindness and generosity. 
 
Instead, let all the women around you have their own space to grow, to make mistakes and stand up again like any other normal human being full of imperfections.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Women&#39;s behavior is not limited to the kindness and generosity that society has imposed on them. A woman goes through a lot of changes, physically, biologically and emotionally and it would be really nice if society can just leave them alone from stereotyping and always questioning the way she conducts herself.&nbsp; 
 
No, our hearts are not always filled with forgiveness and kindness- in fact, it is filled with the same emotions and vulnerabilities that every &#39;human being&#39; &nbsp;has.

- Shivani Kumar, Copy Writer, WION Digital

We went around asking some of the talented women in WION what change they would want this International Women's Day.

As many would argue, a single day to celebrate women and their contribution to the society is not enough. We, as a society at large, are going through massive changes in the way we treat our women and deal with the issues that plague them. The last year saw a monumental movement like Me Too coming to the fore where women across the world united and spoke against sexual harassment and called for immediate action against the perpetrators. There is a lot do, we admit. But perhaps a day like Women's Day would be a good day to spearhead change in the right direction, spread awareness and sensitize women and men about the issues that women want everyone to focus on. We went around asking some of the talented women in WION what change they would want this International Women's Day. The reactions were rather refreshing as most demanded a cohesive, inclusive environment above anything else. Here is what the women of WION had to say. 'Love yourself' This #WomensDay I wish more of us understand the value of 'self-love' and self-prioritizing. #empoweryourself — Sparshita Saxena (@_Sparshita_) March 7, 2018 × This Women's Day I want none of us to shy away from the fact that, in a way, most of us forget to love ourselves. Caught in the rut of life, the humdrum and chaos of our daily routine drowns the need to take care of ourselves. This goes out to all those super-women who know no failure -- you juggle multiple roles, outperform your expectations and still choose yourself in the end. This Women's Day, I want all of us to embrace a change and make conscious efforts to put ourselves first more often. Take charge of your health and practice self love; reach out to sisters who are not as privileged as you and before anything, teach them how to take care of their health and how to love themselves. Let this change be tangible, literal... wear it on your face, let it radiate and turn into a happy halo around you! - Sparshita Saxena, Senior Copy Editor, WION DIgital 'Acknowledge the contribution of other women' A big shout out to all the lovely ladies out there. This women's day appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of women in your life. #NothingWithoutWoman — Puniti Pandey (@PandeyPuniti) March 7, 2018 × This women's day appreciate and acknowledge the efforts of women in your life. From time immemorial a woman has always played a vital role in the functioning of a family and their home. She is born with the big obligation on her shoulder to take over the responsibility of, first her house, and then her husband's house. Throughout her childhood, she is imparted with the values that she is supposed to assimilate in order to become a credible homemaker. And with the growing times, these responsibilities have broadened. After woman's active and increased participation in the so-called "man's world", the lady power has not only emerged as a successful home maker but also a tough competition for men in the corporate and business sector. -Puniti Pandey, Copy Writer, WION Digital 'Inclusive environment' This Women's Day, I would wish for Indian women to be as empowered as men which in turn implies more freedom, liberation, inclusion, sensitisation towards problems of women and greater role in decision making whether at the work place or at home — Chandni Prashar (@ChandniPrashar) March 7, 2018 × This Women's Day, I would wish for Indian women to be as empowered as men which in turn implies more freedom, liberation, inclusion, sensitisation towards problems of women and greater role in decision making whether at the work place or at home. We need to change mindsets and perspectives towards women and overcome and challenge biased and non-inclusive behaviour towards women. At home, women need to take more decisions from deciding which serial to watch to having an equal say in what to buy and where to live. At work, women need to take on greater leadership roles, be in charge of things and prove the biases towards them are incorrect. -Chandni Prashar, Senior Journalist, WION Digital 'Importance of change' I want to dedicate this #WomensDay to change. Let's change one attitude, one belief, one perception, one stereotype and the world will be a happier, fairer place to live in. Fair, not privileged. #HappyWomensDay all you ladies out there! — Zeba khan (@zessz) March 7, 2018 × International Women’s Day or March 8 is just another date on the calendar as I feel every day belongs to us women and men of course. Yes, I identify myself as a feminist but I believe in equality rather than privilege and I want to dedicate this women’s day and every women’s day in the future to ‘change’. If only we (women), in our daily lives are able to bring about a change in two individuals from both the sexes, the world would be a much fairer (read equal, not colour) place to live in. I am talking about the change in attitude, behaviour, and ideology. Why don’t we fuel the cycle of change from our own house -- say, parents, siblings? I started with my younger sibling, my brother. Grown up to be a young man himself, my 23-year-old brother hates ads that portray women as sexual objects, was my biggest supporter in marrying out of love, never took my care and love for him for granted and the list can go on endlessly. My next change is my husband (work in progress) and hopefully, my kids when I have them. With every change, I hope to see a society where people, both women and men are compassionate, value one another and help each other to grow both in personal and professional space. We (women) have to stop limiting ourselves, reinforcing stereotypes at home and work, promote patriarchal setups and say it’s okay for a woman to confirm and a boy to rebel. We need to bring that change. It’s okay for anyone to rebel or confirm, it should be a matter of choice! -Zeba Khan, Associate Producer, WION Digital 'More than lip service' Freedom to return home late has been expanding by #TwoHours every decade. Will this be the pace of #Womenempowerment — Vanshika Garg (@Vanshika2k14) March 8, 2018 × When India talks about 'Women's day', it seems superficial and overrated. This is the 43rd Women's day and our society is getting liberal with the pace of #TwoHours. Until two decades back, women could stay out of the home until 6 p.m., then 8 p.m. in the next decade, and now, max. up to 10 p.m. And here we are, celebrating the achievements of women. The only thing achieved is #TwoHours. -Vanshika Garg, Editorial Intern, WION Digital 'End of misogyny' On International Woman's Day, I believe we are not far from that day when the invisible glass ceiling that does not allow a woman climb up despite the hard work she puts in will just melt away. Women will not be subjected to snide remarks for struggling to accomplish the herculean task of being a doting mother, loving wife and a committed professional. We don't want to be superwoman because we now know what exploitation the term entails. We are just women. And that is good enough for us. Very importantly, women want to hear less of misogynist comments. No one gets to tell a woman because her husband earns well, she doesn't need a raise for the work she puts in. At work, we don't want special treatment, but don't treat us unfairly. - Madhumita Saha, Opinion Editor 'Don't tell us what to do or how to behave' We are told to respect fear more than respect ourselves. So today, all I want to say to all the women out there - YOU DO YOU! Trust your gut and have power over yourselves. #womensday — Anushka Dixit (@Nushi93) March 8, 2018 × It’s Women’s Day today, and as a woman, all I want is to not be reminded of it...not be told “you’re a woman, you shouldn’t be working so hard on your career”, “oh leave it, you mustn’t do that, it’s way too tough”, “you shouldn’t be working till midnight”, “time is ticking think about getting married.” I still read about how society reacts to women who aren’t your stereotypical lot and are getting out of the traditional thinking. The thinking of “what would society think” bothers me. We are told to respect fear more than respect ourselves. This is, perhaps, why women fear to talk about being strong, powerful and independent. This is why, the courageous women who do take the stage to talk about it, have to clinch onto their hearts when walking on streets because of the sheer fear of being harassed. I still see it. I still read about it. So today, all I want to say to all the women out there is - YOU DO YOU! Trust your gut and have power over yourselves. - Anushka Dixit, Copy writer, WION DIgital 'Life should not end after marriage' #WomenEmpowerment will be established when women will stop compromising with their career after marriage irrespective of any reason#WomensDay — Srishti Sisodia (@srishti_sisodia) March 8, 2018 × Women empowerment is essential because, for hundreds of years, we are living in patriarchal/gender biased society. I agree there are certain places or certain people who still consider women a second-class citizen but things are changing and changes take time. Slowly and steadily the notion of empowering women is gaining pace. In recent years, the status of women have seen positive changes. Most parents are focusing on educating their girl child and helping them to realise their dreams pursue higher education and a successful career. Women also need to stop compromising with their career after the marriage irrespective of any reason. Fight it out, ladies! It isn't always that a woman is forced to leave her job by her family members. Many a time she herself chooses to leave the job to appease others. We see a lot of girls in school and colleges but not at the workplace. The reason is quite obvious- a lot of us grew up dreaming about the fairy tale weddings and holy matrimony but there is so much more to do in life, so much to achieve as an individual other than being a good wife or a mother. I am not demeaning household work but in the contemporary era, self-dependence is the key to happiness. So get up and go to work even when you are 50. PS: Dear husbands, learn to cook and prepare the breakfast some time so that she can leave for office in free mind. - Srishti Sisodia, Copy writer, WION Digital 'React where it is needed' As hard as being a woman in this country really is, I'm proud to be a part of this changing society. One change that I would like to see in my society would be to see people becoming more tolerant towards things. Intolerance becomes a major barrier to change. As seen during the release of a Bollywood movie, the intolerance level in the people of India is shocking and what triggers more is that the information provided to them is not always reliable. Without checking the accuracy of the information, many people get hyper and start reacting in a manner that is not suitable. Such kind of reactions is not seen when an actual crisis occurs, like violence, or a rape, and so on. Reactions should be provided at places where it is needed, and this becomes one thing that I would want to change here. - Nandini Singh, Editorial Intern, WION digital 'Train the boys well' Let's train our boys well. Let's teach them to be self-reliant and raise them as sensitive human beings because only then can the society be free of misogyny and inequalities. And then, every day can be a #WomensDay , no? — Shomini Sen (@shominisen) March 8, 2018 × Our society is going through massive change, no doubt. And while more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of an equal society, there is still a lot to do. There are still a lot of issues that need to be addressed and patriarchy is one of them. As women, we have to deal with patriarchy on a daily basis. Be it at the workplace, where a male colleague can pass an unintentional sexist comment, or at home, where a male member of the family may refuse to help with household chores(because that's apparently not HIS job), or at a restaurant, where the waiter doesn't think you are capable to pay the food bill and gives it to the guy, the struggle is constant. So it is important to train our boys well. Treat your son the way you would treat your daughter- teach him to be self-reliant, self-sufficient and more importantly raise them to become sensitive human beings. Because when we raise our boys well, we get a cohesive, healthy environment where everyone is treated equally. I understand that the change will not happen overnight, but we all have taken a step towards it- so it's only a matter of time that things will change for the better. -Shomini Sen, Assistant Editor, WION Digital 'Change the stereotypes' On International Women's day what I would like to change is the mindset of people and the social norms that stereotype women as the sole nurturer of the society. It annoys me to see that women are treated as unequal. It is unfair to think of them simply as supreme nurturers and goddess of patience and expect them to be always full of kindness and generosity. Instead, let all the women around you have their own space to grow, to make mistakes and stand up again like any other normal human being full of imperfections. Women's behavior is not limited to the kindness and generosity that society has imposed on them. A woman goes through a lot of changes, physically, biologically and emotionally and it would be really nice if society can just leave them alone from stereotyping and always questioning the way she conducts herself. No, our hearts are not always filled with forgiveness and kindness- in fact, it is filled with the same emotions and vulnerabilities that every 'human being' has. - Shivani Kumar, Copy Writer, WION Digital

International Women's Day: Inclusion, tolerance, end of misogyny — the changes that women want

Bollywood films have most often been blamed for promoting misogyny through its cinema. For years women characters have just been used as props in the narrative. Sure, there have been films that have had strong women characters, but those have been far and few in between.&nbsp;

While we have celebrated films like Mother India, Aandhi and Mirch Masala in the past, there are certain films that have changed the tide for the better in the recent past with their strong female roles. These characters have not just changed the way we percieve women in Hindi cinema but have also helped in addressing some pertinent issues plaguing our society. 
 
On Women&#39;s Day, here are the 12 path-breaking roles that changed the way we perceive women characters on screen. 
 
English Vinglish:&nbsp;Sridevi&#39;s comeback was highly anticipated and when she finally did with Gauri Shinde&#39;s English Vinglish, we couldn&#39;t get enough of her. Known mostly for her ultra-glamorous roles throughout her career, Sridevi chose to play an underdog in her come back film. A story of a simple house-wife yearning to gain the respect of her family and thus taking up classes in spoken English- Shashi was easily relatable to most of us and our mothers. More importantly, the film highlighted the immense work that our mothers put in at home and outside.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wmGVY4T88dc" width="560"></iframe>

Angry Indian Goddesses:&nbsp;What&#39;s there not to like about Angry Indian Goddesses really? The film celebrates sisterhood in its true sense where a group of seven friends gathers in a quaint villa in Goa for a bachelorette party of one of their own. Their party abruptly comes to an end when one of them goes missing one night. The film perhaps was the first mainstream film to openly talk about homosexuality and raised the importance of acceptance.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dIdxxvph-Vw" width="560"></iframe>

Kahaani:&nbsp;A pregnant Vidya Balan walking around alone in the chaotic city of Kolkata looking for her missing husband made for a very intriguing storyline. With no big male star- the film completely focussed on Vidya Bagchi- the main protagonist, who may on the surface look like a hapless woman in search of her husband, but in reality was a strong-willed woman who came to an unknown land on a mission. And who could have predicted that brilliant climax in the end?

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rsjamVgPoI8" width="560"></iframe>

Queen:&nbsp;How fun can it be to go on a honeymoon alone? Apparently a lot. Kangana Ranaut&#39;s Rani taught each one of us the importance of loving one&#39;s self and putting oneself before everything else. Didn&#39;t we all crave to go on a trip alone after watching Queen? Perhaps the most spirited character of our times, Rani remains one of the most relevant characters in Indian cinema till date.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KGC6vl3lzf0" width="560"></iframe>

Anaarkali of Aarah and Pink 
No means no. Two of the most powerful films, Anaarkali of Aarah and Pink spoke about consent and delivered a very pertinent and a strong message. That a woman can sing provocatively, flirt with you even, and wear revealing clothes, but if she says no to a sexual relationship, she must be respected. The four women in these two films were strong-willed and despite the stark backgrounds they belonged to, all these characters &nbsp;echoed the thoughts of women across the country.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jHFT_PdLh20" width="560"></iframe> 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AL2TShb6fFs" width="560"></iframe>

Highway:&nbsp;How many mainstream films in Bollywood have talked about child sex abuse the way Veera does in the end? The film highlighted that no money can buy you happiness and that one can find peace and freedom in the most uncanny of places. Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda&#39;s powerful performances, coupled with AR Rahman&#39;s soulful music made this Imtiaz Ali film a sublime watch.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LSrDD52bx4A" width="560"></iframe>

Margarita With A Straw and Lipstick Under My Burkha:&nbsp;These films had their flaws but still need to be celebrated for they both spoke about women&#39;s desire. In India, to talk about sex and one&#39;s sexual desire openly is considered a taboo, especially for women. A woman talking about what she wants in bed openly is often frowned upon. But both these films celebrated women who were perhaps comfortable expressing their feelings about sex. Be it Laila, a girl with cerebral palsy, who does not mind swinging both ways in Margarita, With A Straw to a 55-year-old Usha Parmar who reads erotic novels and yearns for her hot swimming coach, these women were unabashed and strong in their own unique way.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6zy3F0WVDK0" width="560"></iframe> 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EpHqeHF8NM0" width="560"></iframe>

Piku: Shoojit Sircar&#39;s Piku was a story that most urban, working women could relate to. Deepika Padukone as Piku was financially independent, successful in her career and a parent to her whimsical, hypochondriac father. She had her needs, she wanted to settle down with a man, but more importantly, she gave all her time and energy to her father.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeiKUlUUNQ8" width="560"></iframe>

Secret Superstar: A spirited, talented young girl not only realizes her own dreams but also helps to free her mother from an abusive marriage. Secret Superstar gave so many of us hope to dream big and more importantly to break free when it becomes ugly. And if a 14year old girl can do it, so can others, no?

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J_yb8HORges" width="560"></iframe>

Nh10: Anushka Sharma starrer NH10 not only was a nail-biting thriller but it was also a film that highlighted a very important point- that a woman can look after and protect herself in terms of crisis. If she is pushed to the wall, she has the strength to fight back and how.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9icNqWlylw" width="560"></iframe>

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They are spirited, strong, feisty and real

Bollywood films have most often been blamed for promoting misogyny through its cinema. For years women characters have just been used as props in the narrative. Sure, there have been films that have had strong women characters, but those have been far and few in between. While we have celebrated films like Mother India, Aandhi and Mirch Masala in the past, there are certain films that have changed the tide for the better in the recent past with their strong female roles. These characters have not just changed the way we percieve women in Hindi cinema but have also helped in addressing some pertinent issues plaguing our society. On Women's Day, here are the 12 path-breaking roles that changed the way we perceive women characters on screen. English Vinglish: Sridevi's comeback was highly anticipated and when she finally did with Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish, we couldn't get enough of her. Known mostly for her ultra-glamorous roles throughout her career, Sridevi chose to play an underdog in her come back film. A story of a simple house-wife yearning to gain the respect of her family and thus taking up classes in spoken English- Shashi was easily relatable to most of us and our mothers. More importantly, the film highlighted the immense work that our mothers put in at home and outside. Angry Indian Goddesses: What's there not to like about Angry Indian Goddesses really? The film celebrates sisterhood in its true sense where a group of seven friends gathers in a quaint villa in Goa for a bachelorette party of one of their own. Their party abruptly comes to an end when one of them goes missing one night. The film perhaps was the first mainstream film to openly talk about homosexuality and raised the importance of acceptance. Kahaani: A pregnant Vidya Balan walking around alone in the chaotic city of Kolkata looking for her missing husband made for a very intriguing storyline. With no big male star- the film completely focussed on Vidya Bagchi- the main protagonist, who may on the surface look like a hapless woman in search of her husband, but in reality was a strong-willed woman who came to an unknown land on a mission. And who could have predicted that brilliant climax in the end? Queen: How fun can it be to go on a honeymoon alone? Apparently a lot. Kangana Ranaut's Rani taught each one of us the importance of loving one's self and putting oneself before everything else. Didn't we all crave to go on a trip alone after watching Queen? Perhaps the most spirited character of our times, Rani remains one of the most relevant characters in Indian cinema till date. Anaarkali of Aarah and Pink No means no. Two of the most powerful films, Anaarkali of Aarah and Pink spoke about consent and delivered a very pertinent and a strong message. That a woman can sing provocatively, flirt with you even, and wear revealing clothes, but if she says no to a sexual relationship, she must be respected. The four women in these two films were strong-willed and despite the stark backgrounds they belonged to, all these characters echoed the thoughts of women across the country. Highway: How many mainstream films in Bollywood have talked about child sex abuse the way Veera does in the end? The film highlighted that no money can buy you happiness and that one can find peace and freedom in the most uncanny of places. Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda's powerful performances, coupled with AR Rahman's soulful music made this Imtiaz Ali film a sublime watch. Margarita With A Straw and Lipstick Under My Burkha: These films had their flaws but still need to be celebrated for they both spoke about women's desire. In India, to talk about sex and one's sexual desire openly is considered a taboo, especially for women. A woman talking about what she wants in bed openly is often frowned upon. But both these films celebrated women who were perhaps comfortable expressing their feelings about sex. Be it Laila, a girl with cerebral palsy, who does not mind swinging both ways in Margarita, With A Straw to a 55-year-old Usha Parmar who reads erotic novels and yearns for her hot swimming coach, these women were unabashed and strong in their own unique way. Piku: Shoojit Sircar's Piku was a story that most urban, working women could relate to. Deepika Padukone as Piku was financially independent, successful in her career and a parent to her whimsical, hypochondriac father. She had her needs, she wanted to settle down with a man, but more importantly, she gave all her time and energy to her father. Secret Superstar: A spirited, talented young girl not only realizes her own dreams but also helps to free her mother from an abusive marriage. Secret Superstar gave so many of us hope to dream big and more importantly to break free when it becomes ugly. And if a 14year old girl can do it, so can others, no? Nh10: Anushka Sharma starrer NH10 not only was a nail-biting thriller but it was also a film that highlighted a very important point- that a woman can look after and protect herself in terms of crisis. If she is pushed to the wall, she has the strength to fight back and how.

12 path-breaking Bollywood roles that celebrate womanhood in its true sense

This year&rsquo;s Man Booker Prize jury boasts of the presence of an extraordinary woman. Lila Azam Zanganeh, the forty-year-old Iranian-French writer, is delighted about the opportunity to select the best fiction for 2017. An erstwhile academic who felt &ldquo;miserable&rdquo; grading papers at Harvard, Azam Zanganeh is a worshipper of chaos. Her award-winning book, The Enchanter: Nabokov and Happiness exemplifies her resistance to handed-down structures and ideas. &ldquo;Something borrowed and something invented&rdquo; is how she describes her writing.

Of mothers and motherlands

I begin by asking Azam Zanganeh about her poetic sensibility through a somewhat leading question, using words and phrases like &ldquo;childhood&rdquo; and &ldquo;immigrant adult experience.&rdquo; She is too clever to miss it. &ldquo;Oh! It does come from my childhood.&rdquo;

What follows next, however, sets the theme of the interview on her terms.

&ldquo;It also comes from my relationship with my mother who loves words, poetry and beauty, and always tries to attract my attention to things of beauty and wonder. She thought that when you lost everything on the outside, the only thing that mattered was what you had within yourself: your culture. So, in a way, it comes from my Persian background. So much of the Persian culture is poetry. It&rsquo;s Rumi and Hafiz you grow up hearing. There&rsquo;s a beautiful line by Hafiz &#39;Look, among the ruins I see the light of God! Can you imagine what I see in what place?&#39; I think that informs everything else.&quot;

Azam Zanganeh was born and raised in France in a diplomatic family, which was soon to become political immigrants after the Islamic revolution in Iran. She studied literature and philosophy at &Eacute;cole Normale Sup&eacute;rieure, a premier institution dedicated to the training of professors, researchers and public administrators. She moved to the USA to become a teaching fellow at Harvard University, only to realise that academic life was not for her.

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Freedom to work

&ldquo;I struggled with the structure of the academic life. I like not having structures. I love inventing my own. I felt imprisoned,&rdquo; she says.

Does this yearning for freedom and making forays into a world that is opening up come from her background?

&ldquo;I was the first woman in my family to vote when I became a French citizen. I&rsquo;m also the first one to choose exactly what she wants to do. I&rsquo;m completely supported by my parents. This freedom is exciting and you want to do something with it. When I was a student in France, I worked for radio, interned for television and did a million things. One of my French friends once remarked, &lsquo;Oh, you are really obsessed with work&#39;. I was really upset with her. You, my friend, come from a background with generations of women who have had the possibility to work. Don&rsquo;t tell me, as an immigrant Iranian girl, that I&rsquo;m obsessed with work. Of course, I am. I have a great desire to work and to be engaged with the world. There&rsquo;s nothing better.&quot;

Is Azam Zanganeh trying to make up for the generations of Iranian, Middle Eastern women who never had a chance to work?

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m making amends without feeling resentful. I&rsquo;m aware of the generations behind me and they don&rsquo;t pour resentment into me. They pour great strength instead. I feel their collective yearning and it&rsquo;s that longing that I carry with me around the world. I think of my grandmother, Zahra, who is incredibly intelligent. My own mother, a brilliant diplomat, could not work after the Islamic revolution. We became political immigrants in France and her life became complicated.&quot;

At this point, I&rsquo;m curious about Azam Zanganeh&rsquo;s thoughts on dealing with various categories which she falls under: Woman, immigrant, Iranian.

&nbsp;

Resisting categories

&ldquo;Categories were once empowering but now they have become extremely problematic. I was in NYC on 9/11 and everybody wanted me to write a book about being Iranian in that age. I refused. It was nothing but reductive. Of course, I&rsquo;m Iranian! But I&rsquo;m also many other things, as we all are. I feel the same way about being a woman. I understand that it&rsquo;s a historical fight. We benefit so much from the women behind us 60 years ago. But I&rsquo;m now in a position where I&rsquo;m beginning to think that gender doesn&rsquo;t matter and we have to start thinking differently.&rdquo;

She starts talking about her upcoming work of fiction.

&ldquo;My new book is about a woman knight that crosses 1400 years. It&rsquo;s about her emergence as a woman and her understanding of what being a woman is. As I was thinking about the meaning of womanhood, I understood that the principle of androgyny is present in all spiritual traditions. We all carry the masculine and the feminine. And beyond that, we carry the force to transcend those dualities at any moment to become something completely unique. As writers, that&rsquo;s what we are looking for: The uniqueness of our voice and not the voice of a specific identity.&rdquo;

Are we, then, ready for a post-feminist world?

&quot;It&rsquo;s always a fight. We are always losing and re-negotiating. The feminist movement is so important. I would probably not be sitting here, neither would you! We wouldn&rsquo;t be having this conversation if it weren&rsquo;t for the feminist movement. At the same time, thinking about a post-feminist movement is important too. Maybe someday, we would be in a world where it wouldn&rsquo;t matter. It&rsquo;s worth imagining what that world would look like.&quot;

&nbsp;

Women and kindness

Azam Zanganeh slips in an interesting thought while talking about her favourite authors. &ldquo;I like the French Belgian writer Marguerite Yourcenar who wrote Memoirs of Hadrian. I adore her, she was hugely well-read and erudite. But she wasn&rsquo;t a very good human being; Not very kind. Kindness to me is extremely important, just as important as intelligence and anything else is. Kindness is at the heart of whatever politics I embody.&rdquo;

Kindness and fortitude are Azam Zanganeh&#39;s most defining character traits. Her association with initiatives like International Rescue Committee, Libraries Without Borders, Narrative 4, and The Lunchbox Fund exemplifies that.

When she finishes speaking, I begin to wonder if women have to be particularly kind. Is that a burden of their category- gender- they ought to carry? I carry this thought away with me. We reconnect over SMS after a couple of months. She remembers me but misspells my name. Most people do so. What sets her apart from them is that she sends an apology briefly afterwards. She cares. I recall how upon our first meeting she suggested that since we both were starving, lunch was a better idea than an interview. How she later waited for me to wrap up other interviews.&nbsp;

Lila Azam Zanganeh didn&rsquo;t have to.

(WION)

The Man Booker Prize jurist talks about understanding, but not being defined by, categories like 'immigrant', 'Iranian', and 'woman'

This year’s Man Booker Prize jury boasts of the presence of an extraordinary woman. Lila Azam Zanganeh, the forty-year-old Iranian-French writer, is delighted about the opportunity to select the best fiction for 2017. An erstwhile academic who felt “miserable” grading papers at Harvard, Azam Zanganeh is a worshipper of chaos. Her award-winning book, The Enchanter: Nabokov and Happiness exemplifies her resistance to handed-down structures and ideas. “Something borrowed and something invented” is how she describes her writing. Of mothers and motherlands I begin by asking Azam Zanganeh about her poetic sensibility through a somewhat leading question, using words and phrases like “childhood” and “immigrant adult experience.” She is too clever to miss it. “Oh! It does come from my childhood.” What follows next, however, sets the theme of the interview on her terms. “It also comes from my relationship with my mother who loves words, poetry and beauty, and always tries to attract my attention to things of beauty and wonder. She thought that when you lost everything on the outside, the only thing that mattered was what you had within yourself: your culture. So, in a way, it comes from my Persian background. So much of the Persian culture is poetry. It’s Rumi and Hafiz you grow up hearing. There’s a beautiful line by Hafiz 'Look, among the ruins I see the light of God! Can you imagine what I see in what place?' I think that informs everything else." Azam Zanganeh was born and raised in France in a diplomatic family, which was soon to become political immigrants after the Islamic revolution in Iran. She studied literature and philosophy at École Normale Supérieure, a premier institution dedicated to the training of professors, researchers and public administrators. She moved to the USA to become a teaching fellow at Harvard University, only to realise that academic life was not for her. Freedom to work “I struggled with the structure of the academic life. I like not having structures. I love inventing my own. I felt imprisoned,” she says. Does this yearning for freedom and making forays into a world that is opening up come from her background? “I was the first woman in my family to vote when I became a French citizen. I’m also the first one to choose exactly what she wants to do. I’m completely supported by my parents. This freedom is exciting and you want to do something with it. When I was a student in France, I worked for radio, interned for television and did a million things. One of my French friends once remarked, ‘Oh, you are really obsessed with work'. I was really upset with her. You, my friend, come from a background with generations of women who have had the possibility to work. Don’t tell me, as an immigrant Iranian girl, that I’m obsessed with work. Of course, I am. I have a great desire to work and to be engaged with the world. There’s nothing better." Is Azam Zanganeh trying to make up for the generations of Iranian, Middle Eastern women who never had a chance to work? “I’m making amends without feeling resentful. I’m aware of the generations behind me and they don’t pour resentment into me. They pour great strength instead. I feel their collective yearning and it’s that longing that I carry with me around the world. I think of my grandmother, Zahra, who is incredibly intelligent. My own mother, a brilliant diplomat, could not work after the Islamic revolution. We became political immigrants in France and her life became complicated." At this point, I’m curious about Azam Zanganeh’s thoughts on dealing with various categories which she falls under: Woman, immigrant, Iranian. Resisting categories “Categories were once empowering but now they have become extremely problematic. I was in NYC on 9/11 and everybody wanted me to write a book about being Iranian in that age. I refused. It was nothing but reductive. Of course, I’m Iranian! But I’m also many other things, as we all are. I feel the same way about being a woman. I understand that it’s a historical fight. We benefit so much from the women behind us 60 years ago. But I’m now in a position where I’m beginning to think that gender doesn’t matter and we have to start thinking differently.” She starts talking about her upcoming work of fiction. “My new book is about a woman knight that crosses 1400 years. It’s about her emergence as a woman and her understanding of what being a woman is. As I was thinking about the meaning of womanhood, I understood that the principle of androgyny is present in all spiritual traditions. We all carry the masculine and the feminine. And beyond that, we carry the force to transcend those dualities at any moment to become something completely unique. As writers, that’s what we are looking for: The uniqueness of our voice and not the voice of a specific identity.” Are we, then, ready for a post-feminist world? "It’s always a fight. We are always losing and re-negotiating. The feminist movement is so important. I would probably not be sitting here, neither would you! We wouldn’t be having this conversation if it weren’t for the feminist movement. At the same time, thinking about a post-feminist movement is important too. Maybe someday, we would be in a world where it wouldn’t matter. It’s worth imagining what that world would look like." Women and kindness Azam Zanganeh slips in an interesting thought while talking about her favourite authors. “I like the French Belgian writer Marguerite Yourcenar who wrote Memoirs of Hadrian. I adore her, she was hugely well-read and erudite. But she wasn’t a very good human being; Not very kind. Kindness to me is extremely important, just as important as intelligence and anything else is. Kindness is at the heart of whatever politics I embody.” Kindness and fortitude are Azam Zanganeh's most defining character traits. Her association with initiatives like International Rescue Committee, Libraries Without Borders, Narrative 4, and The Lunchbox Fund exemplifies that. When she finishes speaking, I begin to wonder if women have to be particularly kind. Is that a burden of their category- gender- they ought to carry? I carry this thought away with me. We reconnect over SMS after a couple of months. She remembers me but misspells my name. Most people do so. What sets her apart from them is that she sends an apology briefly afterwards. She cares. I recall how upon our first meeting she suggested that since we both were starving, lunch was a better idea than an interview. How she later waited for me to wrap up other interviews. Lila Azam Zanganeh didn’t have to. (WION)

International Women's Day: In conversation with Lila Azam Zanganeh

Raise your voice before it&rsquo;s too late&hellip;

&ldquo;Blood had clotted in several organs due to the blood clotting in her brain&rdquo; said Maldives Police Service, about the woman who died&nbsp;in a suspected case of a domestic violence in 2015.

The death of Ziyadha Mohammed, the battered woman from Gaaf Dhaal Atoll Thinadhoo of southern part Maldives, is an indication of the worsening situation of violence against women in the country.

According to her friends and family, Ziyadha was physically and sexually abused by her husband. Her condition worsened because she kept the extent of abuse a secret.

Mother of three,&nbsp;she was treated at the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Ziyadha was required&nbsp;to undergo an emergency surgery as she was bleeding from&nbsp;her brain, but doctors were unsuccessful in saving her due to her severe condition. While she was at the hospital, she never regained consciousness and passed away two weeks later, which was in late December 2015.

In recent times, this is a major&nbsp;fatality case&nbsp;from&nbsp;domestic violence. Though there are not many deaths recorded by domestic violence or violence against women, statistics shows that the culture of violence against women is an alarming issue in the Maldives.

Violence against Women

According to the study on women&rsquo;s health and life experiences&nbsp;conducted by Maldives&#39; ministry of gender and family in 2007,&nbsp;one in every three women aged between 15-49 years have experienced physical or sexual violence or both at some stage of their life.

Every one in five women of this age group have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner. Approximately, every one in eight women in the same age group reported that they have been sexually abused before the age of 15, making them a victim of child abuse.

The statistics of Maldives Police Service also show&nbsp;that domestic violence has been increasing at an alarming rate. The number of domestic violence cases in 2015 has increased to 341 from 187 reported in&nbsp;2014. More than 300 cases have&nbsp;been reported in 2016 as well.

Police assume that the actual number of domestic violence cases, especially cases victimising women, will be higher than the police records as many go unreported in the country. &nbsp;Since police records cannot adequately shed light on the seriousness of this issue, the actual situation of the victims remains&nbsp;unknown.

&nbsp;

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Women&rsquo;s rights activists believe that female participation at policy-making level is critical to the cause of gender equality (Others)
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&nbsp;

Challenging social norms

This small island nation has a culture of hiding violence against women, because the society, by and large believes, that&nbsp;issues leading to violence should remain within the family to keep up their reputation in the community. The societal norms and beliefs make it difficult to combat the issue.

The belief that women are supposed to stay at home to look after the family while men work to provide the economic support, made educating girls less important than boys. However, over the decades, girl&rsquo;s education has improved rapidly in the country with the introduction of the&nbsp;universal primary education system that made education compulsory for all children. With this foundation, girls&#39; tertiary education has also increased over the years and is helping them to get jobs. But the ideology that women are supposed to stay at home post-marriage still exists in the society.

Yet, with the high living expenses in the country, especially in the capital city of Mal&eacute;&nbsp;where one-third of the country&#39;s population resides, it is very difficult to depend just on husband&rsquo;s income.&nbsp;Women are, therefore, allowed&nbsp;to work as well. However, there is only a small percentage&nbsp;of women at the management and decision-making levels, both in public and private sectors. The challenges in the areas of women&rsquo;s political, economic and social empowerment still remain.

A women&rsquo;s right activist said that the situation of women in the Maldives is far from good.

&ldquo;They say that in the Maldives, gender issue is at a level that is far better than anywhere else in Asia. But that is not the point. The point is that one in three women at some point in their life experience violence of some form: sexual, physical abuse and that is not good&rdquo; she said.

Women&rsquo;s rights activists believe that female participation at policy-making level is critical to the cause of gender equality. But that is not the case in the Maldives. The negligible number of female representatives in the cabinets of different administrations prove that Maldives still has a long way to go to achieve the ambitious goal of gender equality.

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom&rsquo;s administration currently has only three women in the cabinet of 15 ministers. While President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik&rsquo;s administration had only 19 per cent&nbsp;women in the cabinet, President Mohamed Nasheed&rsquo;s administration had 21 per cent&nbsp;and President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom&rsquo;s last Cabinet had 22 per cent&nbsp;of female cabinet ministers. Currently, there are 85 members in the parliament and only 5 are women MPs.

Stand against violence

The present government says that political, economic and social empowerment of women and zero tolerance of violence against women are key pledges in their manifesto. Former Foreign Minister,&nbsp;Dhunya Maumoon said that the government is committed to addressing the root cause of violence against women by investing efforts in gender equality and empowerment.

According to her, Maldives has made significant progress through Sexual Abuse and Harassment Prevention Act, the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Prevention Act which strengthen the country&#39;s&nbsp;legal framework to prevent further violence.

The Domestic Violence Prevention (DVP) Act was ratified in 2012, making it a turning point in the history of the nation, where any act of domestic violence is clearly and categorically identified as a criminal offense. The DVP Act identifies specific acts that are deemed acts of domestic violence and, for the first time, accords roles and responsibilities to various government and non-governmental bodies to address and combat domestic violence in the country.

Yet, to combat violence against women, it is necessary to stand against it and change the norms and beliefs that it is &lsquo;right&rsquo; to tolerate violence from family or husband.

Ministry of gender and family suggests that in order to&nbsp;combat this serious issue, everyone should make it their individual responsibility to save the victims of violence and report to the authorities before it is too late.

While awareness can help the victims come forward, better implementation of the legislations is also required for this fight.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) says more efforts are needed to implement anti-domestic violence acts and&nbsp;authorities need to do more work on it. HRCM also calls the authorities to provide with&nbsp;more efficient ways to help&nbsp;silent sufferers like Ziyadha, while there is still time to do so.

Family and friends&nbsp;want&nbsp;to bring justice to Ziyadha and they may succeed by punishing the person responsible for her death. But nothing could bring her back. If only Ziyadha spoke up and raised her voice for her rights before it was too late, she may not have&nbsp;ended her life prematurely.

If Maldivians retain the culture of hiding the actions of violence against women and continue the habit of tolerating these kinds of violence, this country may have to witness more tragic losses.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Government data in 2007 stated that one in three women aged between 15-49 years have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point

Raise your voice before it’s too late… “Blood had clotted in several organs due to the blood clotting in her brain” said Maldives Police Service, about the woman who died in a suspected case of a domestic violence in 2015. The death of Ziyadha Mohammed, the battered woman from Gaaf Dhaal Atoll Thinadhoo of southern part Maldives, is an indication of the worsening situation of violence against women in the country. According to her friends and family, Ziyadha was physically and sexually abused by her husband. Her condition worsened because she kept the extent of abuse a secret. Mother of three, she was treated at the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Ziyadha was required to undergo an emergency surgery as she was bleeding from her brain, but doctors were unsuccessful in saving her due to her severe condition. While she was at the hospital, she never regained consciousness and passed away two weeks later, which was in late December 2015. In recent times, this is a major fatality case from domestic violence. Though there are not many deaths recorded by domestic violence or violence against women, statistics shows that the culture of violence against women is an alarming issue in the Maldives. Violence against Women According to the study on women’s health and life experiences conducted by Maldives' ministry of gender and family in 2007, one in every three women aged between 15-49 years have experienced physical or sexual violence or both at some stage of their life. Every one in five women of this age group have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner. Approximately, every one in eight women in the same age group reported that they have been sexually abused before the age of 15, making them a victim of child abuse. The statistics of Maldives Police Service also show that domestic violence has been increasing at an alarming rate. The number of domestic violence cases in 2015 has increased to 341 from 187 reported in 2014. More than 300 cases have been reported in 2016 as well. Police assume that the actual number of domestic violence cases, especially cases victimising women, will be higher than the police records as many go unreported in the country. Since police records cannot adequately shed light on the seriousness of this issue, the actual situation of the victims remains unknown. Women’s rights activists believe that female participation at policy-making level is critical to the cause of gender equality (Others) × Challenging social norms This small island nation has a culture of hiding violence against women, because the society, by and large believes, that issues leading to violence should remain within the family to keep up their reputation in the community. The societal norms and beliefs make it difficult to combat the issue. The belief that women are supposed to stay at home to look after the family while men work to provide the economic support, made educating girls less important than boys. However, over the decades, girl’s education has improved rapidly in the country with the introduction of the universal primary education system that made education compulsory for all children. With this foundation, girls' tertiary education has also increased over the years and is helping them to get jobs. But the ideology that women are supposed to stay at home post-marriage still exists in the society. Yet, with the high living expenses in the country, especially in the capital city of Malé where one-third of the country's population resides, it is very difficult to depend just on husband’s income. Women are, therefore, allowed to work as well. However, there is only a small percentage of women at the management and decision-making levels, both in public and private sectors. The challenges in the areas of women’s political, economic and social empowerment still remain. A women’s right activist said that the situation of women in the Maldives is far from good. “They say that in the Maldives, gender issue is at a level that is far better than anywhere else in Asia. But that is not the point. The point is that one in three women at some point in their life experience violence of some form: sexual, physical abuse and that is not good” she said. Women’s rights activists believe that female participation at policy-making level is critical to the cause of gender equality. But that is not the case in the Maldives. The negligible number of female representatives in the cabinets of different administrations prove that Maldives still has a long way to go to achieve the ambitious goal of gender equality. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration currently has only three women in the cabinet of 15 ministers. While President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s administration had only 19 per cent women in the cabinet, President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration had 21 per cent and President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s last Cabinet had 22 per cent of female cabinet ministers. Currently, there are 85 members in the parliament and only 5 are women MPs. Stand against violence The present government says that political, economic and social empowerment of women and zero tolerance of violence against women are key pledges in their manifesto. Former Foreign Minister, Dhunya Maumoon said that the government is committed to addressing the root cause of violence against women by investing efforts in gender equality and empowerment. According to her, Maldives has made significant progress through Sexual Abuse and Harassment Prevention Act, the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Prevention Act which strengthen the country's legal framework to prevent further violence. The Domestic Violence Prevention (DVP) Act was ratified in 2012, making it a turning point in the history of the nation, where any act of domestic violence is clearly and categorically identified as a criminal offense. The DVP Act identifies specific acts that are deemed acts of domestic violence and, for the first time, accords roles and responsibilities to various government and non-governmental bodies to address and combat domestic violence in the country. Yet, to combat violence against women, it is necessary to stand against it and change the norms and beliefs that it is ‘right’ to tolerate violence from family or husband. Ministry of gender and family suggests that in order to combat this serious issue, everyone should make it their individual responsibility to save the victims of violence and report to the authorities before it is too late. While awareness can help the victims come forward, better implementation of the legislations is also required for this fight. Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) says more efforts are needed to implement anti-domestic violence acts and authorities need to do more work on it. HRCM also calls the authorities to provide with more efficient ways to help silent sufferers like Ziyadha, while there is still time to do so. Family and friends want to bring justice to Ziyadha and they may succeed by punishing the person responsible for her death. But nothing could bring her back. If only Ziyadha spoke up and raised her voice for her rights before it was too late, she may not have ended her life prematurely. If Maldivians retain the culture of hiding the actions of violence against women and continue the habit of tolerating these kinds of violence, this country may have to witness more tragic losses. (WION)

Women's Day: Silent sufferers of domestic violence in the Maldives

Imagine an alien massacre destroys our homes, and&nbsp;what remains&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;world unfit for human&nbsp;survival. We are&nbsp;physically and emotionally hurt. Mankind is directionless, and there&#39;s no sign&nbsp;of help or hope.

This is what happens to wild animals when their homes, the forest, are cut down. We place them in an environment&nbsp;their natural instincts don&#39;t recognise.

One&nbsp;species to face this&nbsp;is&nbsp;the sloth&nbsp;of South America. With&nbsp;trees being rapidly cut down&nbsp;they were left homeless, injured and tormented.&nbsp;Until one day they&nbsp;saw a ray of hope.

A human&nbsp;came like a hero to save them, by&nbsp;sheltering&nbsp;them in her own house.&nbsp;A&nbsp;place that was unfamiliar but felt safe. She fed them, soothed them and when they were ready put them back into their natural homes. Over a 12-year period super-saviour Monique Pool, also known as the &quot;Sloth Lady&quot;, has rescued 700 sloths.

Pool fell in love with sloths after&nbsp;she took in Lucia, a baby from a rescue centre. Today&nbsp;14 sloths safely reside in her house, while she continues to rescue&nbsp;more and advocate&nbsp;for their conservation rights.

 
Sloths: What are they?

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The Sloth Lady

It all began in 2005 when Pool&nbsp;lost her dog and phoned the local Animal Protection Society to see if they&#39;d found her. They hadn&#39;t, but she was told about a baby sloth they didn&#39;t know how to look after. Even though she was clueless about sloths, she offered to take it in and was instantly smitten.

To learn how to take care of&nbsp;her newly-found love, she consulted another sloth rescuer in Costa Rica. It turns out sloths&nbsp;consume goat&#39;s milk, as cow&#39;s milk is&nbsp;fatal.

&ldquo;My first baby will always remain in my heart. &nbsp;He died within two years and I didn&#39;t know why at first. The experience taught me how little expertise there was in their rehabilitation and care. He is the reason I continue to do this work.&rdquo;

Her motivation to establish an organisation came from her desire to help one animal. That alone&nbsp;showed her&nbsp;the need to ensure the survival of this species.

The rescue process begins with a call from a concerned community member. &nbsp;Pool travels to the animal&#39;s location&nbsp;to pick it up. &ldquo;Sloths are difficult to rescue considering their strong climbing skills and ability to hang on to anything with their strong grip.&rdquo;

Once the sloth has been safely rescued, she brings them back to her rehabilitation centre&nbsp;and performs an examination.

&ldquo;Some of them have come to us with severe wounds and sometimes completely debilitated, always caused by humans. These types of animals do not make it, sloths do everything slow, even dying. Sometimes I sit with them, chanting to them mantras to help them make the transition.&rdquo;

If the animal is healthy, it is released back in the forests. Otherwise, it is treated until it&#39;s ready to be on its own.

&ldquo;They are not pets, they are wild animals. They&#39;re capable of taking care of themselves as long as they are in their natural surroundings and that is where I decided to put them. It&#39;s a special experience to watch a sloth climb on a tree, deep in the safety of a forest.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s raining sloths

In 2012, Pool faced a crisis that she calls &quot;Sloth Armageddon&quot;. A forest near her city was being cleared and she was to rescue 14 sloths. As 50-foot-high trees were cut down, sloths fell to the ground, to be picked up by Pool and her team.&nbsp;

&quot;There were so many of them, it was hard to open the cage and keep them all in,&quot; she says. &quot;As soon as they saw the doors open, they would try and get out.&quot; At night, males would fight and had to be separated.

Four days into the rescue, they realised they were dealing with a lot more than 14 sloths. &quot;After a month we were close to 200 sloths,&quot; says Pool. &quot;At one point, we had 17 babies being fed with droppers.&quot;

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Super-savior Monique Pool, also known as the Sloth Lady has rescued 700 sloths and rehabilitated them in her house over a period of 12 years. (Others)
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&nbsp;

Being slothified

&ldquo;They are peaceful and smiling creatures but far from easy to keep. Unlike most animals, sloths that are moving are sloths that are unhappy. When they sit, eat and sleep, is when they are happy.&rdquo;

Taking care of sloths is a challenge in itself. Since there is limited knowledge about their biology, Pool struggled to keep these furry animals healthy and help them recover from traumatic events. The adult sloths need to be fed three times a day and babies every few hours.

&ldquo;Sloths have very sensitive diets. Our team has to go to the forest every day to fetch fresh leaves.&rdquo;

She finds them sharp - a group of sloths learned how to open the bathroom door and one even used the toilet.

&quot;The first time we thought it was a mistake. It was only after the fourth time we realised we had taught her how to go to the toilet,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&ldquo;When I had my first baby, a friend observed that it was clutching my glasses and looking at it like it was investigating.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Not just sloths

Pool now also takes care of dolphins, anteaters, armadillos and porcupines. She is a real hero in the world of wildlife rehabilitation.&nbsp;

When animals are in trouble, she is the one you call!

More power to you Monique!

(WION)

Monique Pool has 14 sloths she rescued living in her house. When forests are cut down, she's out saving even more

Imagine an alien massacre destroys our homes, and what remains is a world unfit for human survival. We are physically and emotionally hurt. Mankind is directionless, and there's no sign of help or hope. This is what happens to wild animals when their homes, the forest, are cut down. We place them in an environment their natural instincts don't recognise. One species to face this is the sloth of South America. With trees being rapidly cut down they were left homeless, injured and tormented. Until one day they saw a ray of hope. A human came like a hero to save them, by sheltering them in her own house. A place that was unfamiliar but felt safe. She fed them, soothed them and when they were ready put them back into their natural homes. Over a 12-year period super-saviour Monique Pool, also known as the "Sloth Lady", has rescued 700 sloths. Pool fell in love with sloths after she took in Lucia, a baby from a rescue centre. Today 14 sloths safely reside in her house, while she continues to rescue more and advocate for their conservation rights. Sloths: What are they? The Sloth Lady It all began in 2005 when Pool lost her dog and phoned the local Animal Protection Society to see if they'd found her. They hadn't, but she was told about a baby sloth they didn't know how to look after. Even though she was clueless about sloths, she offered to take it in and was instantly smitten. To learn how to take care of her newly-found love, she consulted another sloth rescuer in Costa Rica. It turns out sloths consume goat's milk, as cow's milk is fatal. “My first baby will always remain in my heart. He died within two years and I didn't know why at first. The experience taught me how little expertise there was in their rehabilitation and care. He is the reason I continue to do this work.” Her motivation to establish an organisation came from her desire to help one animal. That alone showed her the need to ensure the survival of this species. The rescue process begins with a call from a concerned community member. Pool travels to the animal's location to pick it up. “Sloths are difficult to rescue considering their strong climbing skills and ability to hang on to anything with their strong grip.” Once the sloth has been safely rescued, she brings them back to her rehabilitation centre and performs an examination. “Some of them have come to us with severe wounds and sometimes completely debilitated, always caused by humans. These types of animals do not make it, sloths do everything slow, even dying. Sometimes I sit with them, chanting to them mantras to help them make the transition.” If the animal is healthy, it is released back in the forests. Otherwise, it is treated until it's ready to be on its own. “They are not pets, they are wild animals. They're capable of taking care of themselves as long as they are in their natural surroundings and that is where I decided to put them. It's a special experience to watch a sloth climb on a tree, deep in the safety of a forest.” It's raining sloths In 2012, Pool faced a crisis that she calls "Sloth Armageddon". A forest near her city was being cleared and she was to rescue 14 sloths. As 50-foot-high trees were cut down, sloths fell to the ground, to be picked up by Pool and her team. "There were so many of them, it was hard to open the cage and keep them all in," she says. "As soon as they saw the doors open, they would try and get out." At night, males would fight and had to be separated. Four days into the rescue, they realised they were dealing with a lot more than 14 sloths. "After a month we were close to 200 sloths," says Pool. "At one point, we had 17 babies being fed with droppers." Super-savior Monique Pool, also known as the Sloth Lady has rescued 700 sloths and rehabilitated them in her house over a period of 12 years. (Others) × Being slothified “They are peaceful and smiling creatures but far from easy to keep. Unlike most animals, sloths that are moving are sloths that are unhappy. When they sit, eat and sleep, is when they are happy.” Taking care of sloths is a challenge in itself. Since there is limited knowledge about their biology, Pool struggled to keep these furry animals healthy and help them recover from traumatic events. The adult sloths need to be fed three times a day and babies every few hours. “Sloths have very sensitive diets. Our team has to go to the forest every day to fetch fresh leaves.” She finds them sharp - a group of sloths learned how to open the bathroom door and one even used the toilet. "The first time we thought it was a mistake. It was only after the fourth time we realised we had taught her how to go to the toilet," she said. “When I had my first baby, a friend observed that it was clutching my glasses and looking at it like it was investigating.” Not just sloths Pool now also takes care of dolphins, anteaters, armadillos and porcupines. She is a real hero in the world of wildlife rehabilitation. When animals are in trouble, she is the one you call! More power to you Monique! (WION)

International Women's Day: Super-woman saves the sloths

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