You can change the world, one dictionary entry at a time
by Rashmee
Posted on May 20, 2021
/ LANGUAGE Maria Beatrice Giovanardi is proof that words matter and we can change the world by forcing change in how they’re used. And defined. Some little time ago, as this fascinating piece in British Vogue reports, Ms Giovanardi was looking up synonyms for the word ‘woman’ in early 2019 and came upon the following: … Continue reading “You can change the world, one dictionary entry at a time”
Read MoreIs it a liberation to give George Eliot back her real name?
by Rashmee
Posted on August 15, 2020
The ‘Reclaim Her Name’ library has reissued 25 novels written by women using male pen names. This time, they’ve used the woman writer’s real name. So George Eliot’s ‘Middlemarch’ has been reissued bearing the author’s real name, Mary Ann Evans. So too George Sand’s ‘Indiana’. If you’re bent on acquiring this version (free downloads available), … Continue reading “Is it a liberation to give George Eliot back her real name?”
Read MoreNow, the astronaut wife is an astronaut too
by Rashmee
Posted on May 29, 2020 / The Focus
The SpaceX launch – the first since 2011 to take NASA astronauts into space from US soil – has been postponed until 30 May. But it has managed to provide an important and heartwarming sociology lesson while the world waits for veteran astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to take off. We have learned about the … Continue reading “Now, the astronaut wife is an astronaut too”
Read MoreSexist Politics: The rest of the world is no different from India
by Rashmee
Posted on May 18, 2019 / First Post
Unlikeable. Unelectable. Those are just two of the adjectives being applied to some of the more prominent of the six female candidates currently campaigning to be the Democratic Party’s 2020 nominee for president of the United States. Statement shoes! When Theresa May became Britain’s second female prime minister in July 2016, the talk was … Continue reading “Sexist Politics: The rest of the world is no different from India”
Read MoreWoman to have baby is really not a news story. But a prime minister?
by Rashmee
Posted on January 19, 2018
Put a 37-year-old woman in the prime minister’s office and the next thing you know she’s having a baby. It’s funny but the news from New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s office is exactly what first propelled her to global attention. In early August, soon after being elected to lead the country’s Labour party, Ms … Continue reading “Woman to have baby is really not a news story. But a prime minister?”
Read MoreWas it really a big year for Arab women? Yes and it raises the bar for 2018
by Rashmee
Posted on December 29, 2017
When people talk about 2017 being a good year for Arab women they normally point to Saudi Arabia’s decision to lift the driving ban. That was eye-catching. But there’s a great deal more. In Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon, there was a massive boost to women’s right to be safe from physical, mental and emotional … Continue reading “Was it really a big year for Arab women? Yes and it raises the bar for 2018”
Read MoreSaudi should be pleased Belgium believes its pledge on women’s rights
by Rashmee
Posted on December 22, 2017
The Saudi Crown Prince should be pleased. A few months after his very public, much-touted promise of furthering and respecting the rights of women, Belgium is to send Riyadh its first female ambassador. Brussels has said that its appointment of a woman as its envoy in the conservative country will send a “clear signal” about … Continue reading “Saudi should be pleased Belgium believes its pledge on women’s rights”
Read MoreWhat Singapore’s hijab-wearing first woman president tells us about that efficient city-state
by Rashmee
Posted on September 15, 2017
Speak to an Indian, a Brit or an American about Singapore and listen to them get all sniffy. “Great success story,” they will acknowledge, “but it’s not exactly democratic, is it?” The Indian, the Brit or the American may end their comment on Singapore with a question mark but depend on it, it’s not a question. … Continue reading “What Singapore’s hijab-wearing first woman president tells us about that efficient city-state”
Read MoreCould America take a presidential ticket that has two white grandmothers?
by Rashmee
Posted on June 29, 2016
Just days ago, Hillary Clinton and Senator Elizabeth Warren campaigned together in Ohio. By all accounts, they seemed to be having a good time and so did the people who attended. So could a Hillary ticket really have a woman as vice-presidential pick? This question is really not about Senator Warren’s abilities so much as whether … Continue reading “Could America take a presidential ticket that has two white grandmothers?”
Read MoreObama’s win revealed America’s racism. Will Hillary’s run show its sexism?
by Rashmee
Posted on May 11, 2016
Could Hillary’s run for president change the US in the same that happened with Barack Obama? I mean latent sexism coming to the fore just as Mr Obama’s 2008 election victory exposed America’s latent racism. Everyone read the results of that 2008 election wrong. Everyone thought America was in a post-racial phase, a glorious time … Continue reading “Obama’s win revealed America’s racism. Will Hillary’s run show its sexism?”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK