Mayasvevak

Let us return to the story of the warrior Durga. All of the kings, along with Brahma-Shiva-Vishnu, the near-omnipotent male trinity, closed their eyes and concentrated fervently on Shakti. Soon she appeared in the form of Durga, a beautiful and muscular woman, her eyes radiating with omniscience, her demeanor serene yet firm. “Durga, please save… Read More

My own interpretation of the tale of Durga’s prowess is one I have distilled over the span of my life. Many thousands of years ago, a man called Mahishasura had ambitions of global conquest and amassing immense wealth, not unlike the imperialists of the past few centuries. His physical strength was colossal and his avarice… Read More

As an Indian woman, I have cultivated more than a passing interest in what sets us and other indigenous peoples apart, especially with respect to how the female is regarded. This is what I have learned so far. Since a little over ten thousand years ago, upon the advent of settlements, most metropolitan societies became… Read More

It is that time of year again, when over a billion people across the world celebrate Shakti, the female creative power. It is a time of phenomenal creativity, when building-sized temples, called pandals, are erected from sustainable, recycled, and biodegradable materials in almost every neighborhood in Kolkata, and many other villages, towns, and cities throughout… Read More

Describing her strategy in choosing and arguing six gender discrimination and equal rights cases in front of the all-male US Supreme Court, five of which cases she won, Ruth Bader Ginsburg revealed, “We frankly copied what the NAACP Inc. Fund [and Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice,] had done, that… Read More

There were many discriminatory laws on the books in the US in the 1970s. For example, employers in most states could legally fire a woman for being pregnant, banks could require a woman applying for credit to have her husband co-sign, and in 12 states, husbands could not be prosecuted for raping their wives. It… Read More

United States of America Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18th, 2020, leaving behind a phenomenal legacy of progress toward equal rights for women and minorities. However, the vacancy she leaves behind in the Supreme Court may hastily be filled in such a manner that notable strides made toward social and… Read More