Gender Question

May 30 2022 43 ep. 18 mins 1.2k
Gender Question Podcast artwork

Gender Question is a weekly podcast in which Associate Editor Dhamini Ratnam addresses blindspots around gender and sexuality, by taking an issue that's in the news, and looking at it differently, with the help of experts. This is a Hindustan Times production brought to you by HT Smartcast.

  Society & Culture  Kids & Family
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Who's affected by the crisis in Sri Lanka?

May 30 2022 23 mins  
The island nation of Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. The root cause of the country’s economic problem is its inability to pay back its debt, which runs to trillions of dollars because its foreign reserves are at an all-time low. But what exactly does this mean? Who does it affect the most? And how are those most affected reimagining t

Two Muslim Women Tell Us What The Hijab Means To Them

Apr 18 2022 24 mins  
On March 15, the Karnataka high court held that the hijab – or the headscarf worn by many Muslim women and girls – was not essential to Islam, and so educational institutions had the right to ask their students to not wear the hijab and only stick to the uniforms prescribed. In this episode of the Gender Question, we speak to two Muslim women, one of whom wears the hijab and o

Shelter in Mumbai

Feb 24 2022 24 mins  
In this episode, Dhamini Ratnam is being joined by a trans man - Rohan and deconstructs his past experiences, how the "Maya Nagari" Mumbai gets very conservative to provide shelter to both the lovers as he comes from the City of Joy hoping something better happens to him. He also speaks about how this "Abnormal Love" as termed by the society has affected his mental sanity. Despite

Same sex marriage: In conversation with a petitioner

Sep 21 2021 23 mins  
One such question pertains to ‘same-sex marriages’. India does not recognise same-sex marriages. None of the marital laws expressly recognise same-sex marriages. One of the petitioners are Joydeep Sengupta, an OCI, and Russell Blaine Stephens, a US citizen. Sengupta and Stephens been in a loving relationship for nearly 20 years and even got married in New York on August 6, 20

Being a woman artist under Taliban rule

Aug 25 2021 29 mins  
After 20 years, the Taliban have swept to victory in Afghanistan. Since then the questions were being asked about how this group will govern the country, and what their rule would mean for women, human rights, and political freedoms. In this episode, our host had a conversation with Malina Sulaiman, a graffiti artist, painter and metal worker from Afghanistan who had to leave the

5: On the frontline of the pandemic

Aug 03 2021 9 mins  
A year on, as Covid 19 continues to spread widely in the second wave, we speak to social workers tasked by the government to track the pandemic. The all-women workforce called ASHA workers, battle people's resistance and low pay and put their lives at risk every day.

4: How a judge learnt about queer lives

Jun 16 2021 29 mins  
In this episode, host Dhamini Ratnam talks about how a high court judge made an effort to learn about queer lives. What he learnt, speaking to a counsellor and members of the LGBTQIA community turned his perception, and led to a very progressive judgement.

3: ME TOO: What a court case said about women's testimonies

Mar 15 2021 18 mins  
The defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani has been one of the most high-profile Me Too cases in court. What was the case about? And what does it hold out for women's testimonies?

2: What are women farmers really protesting?

Feb 05 2021 20 mins  
Women’s participation and role in the agriculture sector is one that has historically been overlooked. With issues ranging from lack of recognition to absence of land rights, the agricultural sector has given rise to decades of struggle for women. After the announcement of the new laws, women farmers fear that the farm laws will further deepen gender inequality in the sector. Tun

1: Look who lost their jobs, and didn’t get it back

Jan 19 2021 18 mins  
Work, unemployment and economic recovery are gender issues. And there’s data to prove it. The new season of Gender Question kicks off by talking to women about their experience of working in the pandemic and how tough it’s been to get back on their feet. We also speak to academicians who explain why women have it harder than men when it comes to work. If it’s economic recover