Ruchi feels a woman’s identity goes along with that of her family

A new study conducted through Facebook by researchers from the University of York says more women now prefer to retain their maiden names after marriage. However many women still feel compelled by society to change their surnames as a mark of respect towards the new family as well as her husband. Women Talk Online blogger Debarati Mukherjee speaks to few women and finds more about the trend.

Illustration by Soofia Says

I am a woman trying very hard to prove my worth and standing up against patriarchal mindsets every day. One of the peculiarities I have developed in this quest is the adoration of female super heroes. A woman icon who kicks butts reminds me of my own alter ego and indirectly satisfies my sick fantasies of throwing a punch or two at some men I have experienced. 

What makes people happy? And how does happiness impact health? Dr. Katrin Beckmann has the answers.

Pakistan’s women participate at a rally on Women’s day

If asked to relate Pakistan’s political situation to a literary work or character, my first suggestion would be, something Orwellian. Or maybe, an Aldous Huxley novel. What I would not compare it to, is Dickens’ Miss Havisham from Great Expectations; the old, frigid woman who is impossibly fixated on her past and refuses to let go. On the eve of elections 2013, however, I came across an article that did just that.

Eva-Marree, 27, a Swedish sex workers’ rights activist was murdered earlier this month by her ex-boyfriend when she went to visit her children. Marree had lost custody of her children because she is said to have “romanticized prostitution.” The Swedish authorities allegedly denied her custody of children because of her profession. Prostitution is illegal in Sweden. Sex workers continue to be stigmatized by the society and have few platforms to voice their problems and concerns. They are barred from state welfare benefits and any kind of protection if they choose to continue their work as sex workers.

Dancing is considered an art and dancers the world over are respected for their artistic performance, but many women who opt to dance in Indian bars often get harassed by people around them. Public dancing in bars is considered unethical and eight years back the government of India’s western state, Maharashtra, banned their act.

Which colour would you like to wear on the most important day of your life? I say peach. But unlike me, most women in Pakistan would prefer wearing black, according to a Gallup survey in Pakistan. The empirical research was conducted to mark women’s day and was released recently. It studied several women’s issues, including their favourite colour and forms of violence they had been subjected to.