Society & Development – Page 4

Past her shelf life

Uma at Indianwriting has this posted an email she received from someone in the US… I found much in the mail objectionable but this sentence particularly got me thinking – The number of overage unmarried Indian girls in the US is quite large. And there is nothing the parents can do about it, which causes… Continue reading Past her shelf life

For want of a scooter, a life was lost

The gift of a daughter – is not enough – it is the gifts that the daughter carries to her husband’s home that matter… As I finish reading Subhadra Butalia’s book The gift of a daughter – ‘encounters with the victims of dowry’, my thoughts are with the countless married women who go through this… Continue reading For want of a scooter, a life was lost

Sex, AIDS and mosquito bites

Students fear AIDS could spreads through kissing, says report in todays’ ToI. While students were generally found to be knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS, the survey found they had misconceptions about transmission. A large number of believed that kissing (40%), hugging (29.7%) and sharing of clothes (25.4%) caused viral transmission. A shocking 45.1% thought that mosquito bites… Continue reading Sex, AIDS and mosquito bites

world community grid and more than one rupee

I hope some good comes out of this appeal for one rupee a day for Project Why. A few popular blogs had linked to the post as well (thanks Amit, Uma, Abi, desipundit); more people have seen Anouradha’s modest appeal, will they also act on it? No one has responded with ideas on what we… Continue reading world community grid and more than one rupee

A rupee a day

But what I do? What can an individul do? Anuradha at Project Why believes that not only do individuals matter but even single rupee contributions to a cause do. Which is why this plea for a rupee day donors. If you have not heard of Project Why, please read about it here and here. Pwhy… Continue reading A rupee a day

Thank you for the sugar, madam

We went back to the old age home last evening. They look for donations to buy provisions and we had offered to buy their sugar every month. Our point of contact earlier and yesterday was Sunaina. Sunaina is always neatly dressed, her sari pinned up and face bright and smiling as she welcomed us. She… Continue reading Thank you for the sugar, madam

The old and the forgotten

We spent part of Diwali morning at a home for the aged. Fifty old women, all of whom have lost their husbands are living alone. As in, living together, all alone. When I called the trustee in the morning to ask if there was anything in particular they needed that we could take with us,… Continue reading The old and the forgotten

Hiv-hope news updates

The Science blog had carried this piece recently, HIV Mortality in India Drops with Introduction of Generic Antiretroviral Therapy. The survival rate of HIV-infected patients in India has risen in response to a 20-fold drop in the price of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The piece ends with this very important point. Making HIV-infected people aware of… Continue reading Hiv-hope news updates

Babies for sale online

The BBC reports that advertisements for babies have been appearing on the Chinese counterpart of eBay, Eachnet. China’s strict “one child” birth control policy, coupled with the traditional bias for male children, has led to widespread reports of child abductions, and several people have been sentenced to death for their part in smuggling rings. .… Continue reading Babies for sale online

Committed professional or mother?

I might be late to this party but I just read this interview on Ad Age with Neil French, the creative chief at WPP. In the interview, French shrugs his shoulders and tries hard to dismiss his decision to quit the company as just one of theose things that happen. (Link through adrants. The Ad… Continue reading Committed professional or mother?