WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY: An Outlook


The road towards gender equality has been slow-moving, but people and organisation around the world are committed to meet the objective. We can see that the social and economic policies that are made nowadays by the government have much thought in them. They aim to put women on equal footing with men in all fields. Creating a world which is equal in gender is assumed to be the most challenging effort of the country. It is fundamental for achieving equal human rights, peace, security, sustainable development and productivity.

Every year March 8 is marked as International Women’s Day. It represents women power; it celebrates womanhood and reminds us if the wonders they have given to this world. Do we need it? Yes, for many years. Many women shine in the world despite their stereotypical society. Parenting plays a vital role in women empowerment. Receiving opportunities and the understanding of making use of them make women successful in a gender unequal world. We live in urban development, and many women are privileged here. However, when we go deeper into rural areas, where the majority of the population resides, we see how deprived they genuinely are. We must also look at urban poor people; opportunities are quite narrow for them because the boys either get it or grab it before them.

Women in rural areas talk about National Rural Employment Guarantee schemes. It makes more sense to them than women’s day. Women whose occupation is farming want their farm and produce saved and fundamental rights protected. Their perspective doesn’t go beyond that. This happens because many of them aren’t aware of any scheme at all, as many women are not allowed to socialise freely, move away from home or a particular territory. They must understand the power of the common objective of gender equality as they will ultimately be at the ‘benefit’ receiving end of it. They must fight for women’s right, which is a human right.

We have been talking about Women’s Day. Many females exist in a socially disadvantaged atmosphere. They need this day as a symbol of women empowerment. In firms and politics, until the female’s performance is measured with the same yardstick, which is used to measure men, there will be inequality. Even though there is consciousness awakening is such platforms, there is still a long way to go. When women become successful again, they have much pressure on them. They must keep setting examples for other women; they are subject to societal expectations, and they sometimes have to carry themselves like men. They have so many qualities that they possess, and men don’t. They must keep moving forward.

The less than encouraging thing to notice is that in reality, many women don’t want to be treated as equal. They do not want to take up work which men usually do. When asked for a job with six days work till late hours, majority of women won’t say yes because it is late hours and they must go home to take on the burden of taking care of the family. They feel indebted to the family as they try to balance work and family life, and when they are unable to strike it, they feel guilty. It is because society has brought up women is a stereotypical manner that they are mentally conditioned to think this way. Some are lucky to have a family which backs them up while others have to prioritise and live by their code of life.

A heavily debatable opinion is that women have to be better than men to reach the same status, i.e. gender equality. There is much responsibility for this common objective on all of us. Cities must provide an encouraging environment for women to walk freely at night and do the things they want to, and we must not judge them. They must encourage themselves, and we must give them liberty and atmosphere to fly as they wish.

Society makes a perfect image of women- She has to be good looking, must cook well, must be well cultured. The day it accepts women the way they are, that day will bring about a significant change. A father is seen as the commanding figure while the mother is the nurture at home. That is how we are made. There are things that women must do too for themselves to be ‘gender-equal’. Today women must lead with qualities of both and stay unaffected from things that society labels them with. A sad fact of life is that in India, boys are social security of parents, girls are not yet. Thinking must change. It all starts with how we are raised, and we must raise our boys and girls equally. Once we do that, we will see a significant change till then, gender equality will stay a dream.


How to manage personal finances

Finding out “why”


This is the first step in planning your budget. The reasons could be you want to minimize your spending habits or you have a debt repayment plan and to be debt-free or want to save for any of your long term goals. This step is very necessary because without deciding the purpose of your financial budgeting you can’t plan a proper budget.

Priorities setting


After deciding your whys you need to set your priorities according to your priorities. It is about finding out what’s important to you then controlling the habits of spending and saving to achieve the “why”.
These include your long term and short term goals and syncing them in the order of your priorities. Like you are going to marry soon so you want to buy a house in the future or if there is a couple who wants to plan their children’s higher education expenses, so priorities should be decided at this level.

Track your spending habits


This is the most important step while planning a budget. Spending habits as if you are spending on the unnecessary things in your life. Check your monthly expenses yearly expenses and try to figure out which is unnecessary for you and cut out them.

Choosing the method

with the 50/30/20 rule, 50 % of your take-home pay goes towards your needs. 30% should go towards your wants or discretionary income. Remaining 20% of your take-home pay should go to your savings. for example, if your income is 50000 then 25000 should go towards your need like housing utility, insurance, groceries. 15000 should go towards your wants and the remaining 10000 should go towards your savings.

There are various methods of budgeting like zero-sum budget, anti budget, money flow, etc. Find out which one is best for your according to your spending and priorities.

live with your Budget


There is no use of the method you have decided if you don’t implement it in your life. create a spreadsheet use pen and paper for creating the spreadsheet or you can use many digital tools that are available online for the same like Mint, Clarity money, Tiller money, You need a budget, Digit, Qapital, etc.

Updating the Budget regularly


Review, Revise, Improve
There is no rule for improving your budget. It is up to you your personal satisfaction with your spending habit.
You pick up a budget applied and then not satisfied with the can savings then you can revise your budget again make it do some improvements accordingly again apply and see the result.
Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind while updating the budget-
Slash expenses- If in your budget you are finding yourself overspending then see where you can cut those expenses.

Create seasonal budgeting-

Besides the main budget, a seasonal budget for holiday and summer season should also be maintained.

Link existing habits with new ones-

If you have added some more new spending habits then link that with your existing ones.

Set dates to review and tweak-

You should always review your budget whether you are happy with it or not.

Get help if you need–

MMI offers free budget counseling to anyone struggling with the management of the budget.

“SMILE”:A POWERFUL WEAPON

Did you smile today?? – No, then smile a little before reading this article. A smile on a face is the most powerful gesture to a human being.

Smile is a beautiful, positive facial expression which provides happiness to the person observing and the one itself. Smile is a powerful weapon which connects to other people. ‘Scientific studies have confirmed that a genuine smile is generally considered attractive to others around us’. Smiles help you make great first impression in all aspects of your life.

“A smile cost nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.”– Dale Carnegie

How Smile acts as a Weapon? Let us understand-

  • To defeat bad mood- in your bad and frustrating mood, showing a smile to the world can actually give your brain a happy boost.
  • To conquer your enemy- a smile with confidence marks a strong effect on the enemy side. Jealous people are conquered by a smile which make them think that you a strong.
  • Smiling is contagious- Smile also has the power to elevate others mood and make things positive.It passes on the feeling of happiness from one to another.
  • Smiling makes a person attractive- We are naturally drawn to people who smile. There is a real physical attraction factor linked to the act of smiling.Use the attraction power of smile to draw people in.
  • Lowers stress- smiling relieves stress.It activates neuropeptides which are known to fight off stress. 
  • Keeps away from depression- a smile on the face keeps us away from depressed thoughts in mind.
  • Promotes positive thinking- Smiling can help you develop stronger paths in your brain for positive thinking.The more you smile, the more you get positive thoughts.

Smiles may strengthen the body on a cellular level. When you smile you reduce the rigidness of your cells and this relaxation can help reduce the risk of stress-induced cell mutations.

Think of how you feel when someone passing by gives a gesture of smiling, now imagine the same feeling of acceptance that you can give to someone…..

Now, you choose how to live your life-with smile or without. “Stay Happy Stay Healthy”

Keep Smiling….!!!!

“Cooking – A great pastime.”

I never actually liked to cook for me and my family. Cooking is something which I always found to be very complicated and difficult. I felt that it was not my cup of tea. But, the lockdown that was implemented due to COVID-19 inspired and gave me the time to learn cooking. I feel that this lockdown is responsible for bringing out the cook in each and every one of us.

Cooking doesn’t only serve the purpose of feeding people. But, it also has many benefits. Today, I am going to discuss with you a few of them.

◆ Cooking makes you creative. When you like cooking, you always feel like preparing new dishes every day. In this process, you experiment with innovative recipes. This helps to boost your imagination and creativity skills.

◆ Cooking helps to relieve your stress. While cooking you get involved in the dish so much that you completely focus on it, thus forgetting your tension or stress. It thus brings positivity in your thoughts and keeps you away from the pessimism.

◆ Cooking keeps you fit and healthy. If you cook for yourself, you know better what is good for you and your health and you cook accordingly. You choose your ingredients wisely and avoid junk food, thus becoming more fit.

◆ Cooking brings you close to your family as through cooking, you can express your love towards them. It is a way of showing your support and care. When your family helps you in cooking, you create some good memories with them and you communicate well with them.

◆ When you get your recipe tasted by someone and receive appreciation for it, you feel very happy. You feel like you have accomplished something and this sense of achievement makes you proud. It also makes you more confident and focussed in life.

◆Cooking teaches you to be patient and the importance of hard work. To prepare a good dish you need to be calm until it gets cooked perfectly. You can’t just add all the ingredients at once. Also, you might not be able to prepare the perfect recipe in the first attempt. You have to keep trying until you get success.

◆ Food cooked in restaurants is quite tasty and buying such food saves your time. But, it is expensive as compared to home-cooked food. Cooking on your own can save a lot of your money.

◆ Cooking can be a great profession. If you can cook well you can become a chef or start up your own business of home cooking or own a restaurant. You can take classes for cooking both virtually and physically.

Thus, we can conclude that cooking has many physical and mental benefits. It is a productive hobby which does not have any side effects. It can take you away from the stress of your daily routine and make you feel cheerful.

Hence, you shall try to take out some time from your daily regimen and try to cook something for yourself and your family. This will just change your mood and make you feel much better.

The Chapekar Brothers and assassination of W.C Rand, The British plague Commissioner of Pune 1897

During late 1896 dreaded disease of plague had struck Pune and by early 1897, the disease had spread critically. In February 1897 alone, there were 657 deaths reportedly due to plague. About half of the city’s population had left it.The government set up a Special Plague Committee in March that year to handle the menace and control the spread of the disease. It was chaired by an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer W. C. Rand.

The commission appointed more than 800 officers and soldiers on duty in Pune rather than employing doctors for the job of implementing the measures. The measures included entry into houses forcefully, examination of its occupants including women, taking them to segregation camps and preventing people affected with plague from leaving or entering Pune.People were denied permission to conduct the funerals of their loved ones unless the deaths were registered. If plague was the cause of death, the dead had to be cremated in special grounds designated by the government.

A medical camp for the plague, in Pune 1896, source of the image Google

The Chapekar brothers  Damodar Hari Chapekar, Balkrishna Hari Chapekar and Vasudeo Hari Chapekar and a friend of them Mahadev Ranade initially belonged to Chapa small hamlet near Chinchwad, then a village near Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India

1.Balkrishna Hari Chapekar 2.Damodar Hari Chapekar 3. Basudev Hari chapekar 4. Mahadev Ranade. Source of image Google

Regular harassments of Rand commission had prompted the Chapekar brothers and other members of the revolutionary “Chapekar Club” to take action against the person who started it all—the commissioner. On 22 June 1897, brothers Damodar Hari Chapekar and Balkrishna Hari Chapekar assassinated a British official W. C. Rand and his military escort Lieutenant Ayerst at Pune, Maharashtra. This was the first case of militant nationalism in India after the 1857 Revolt.

Chapekar Brother statue at Chinchwad, source of the image Google

All three brothers were found guilty and hanged, an accomplice was dealt with similarly, another, then a schoolboy, was sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment.

CHANGING GENDER NORMS

Our society has from the very beginning been governed by gender norms, assigning a place for each of the sexes and it was always expected for us to adhere to it . But in recent times with rising consciousness about the biased wall that separates the different sexes, society has strived to make the workspace more habitable so that there can be peaceful co-existence. History has led us to believe how that society which is deficient in practicing equality can be defunct and not let the country prosper as a whole. Naming a few revolutionary figures like Mary Kom, Kalpana Chawla, Vikram Seth, Gauri Sawant, Sanjeev Kapoor who should be lauded for breaking gender barriers and helping us become a progressive and prosperous society, have also contributed in breaking the various prejudices and stereotypes attached to categorizing work according to the sex. These virtuous legacy holders have not only left a visionary impact on the young minds but also have helped a few of them to achieve their dream. In the 21st century with the oncoming of many revolutionary changes, breaking gender barriers was a highly anticipated evolutionary change. We are still singing glory songs of the famed queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai in the post-colonial era who did not submit to British authority and fought to save her kingdom. She was one of the few brave hearts who could not be subjugated by male dominance. It was uncustomary during those times for a woman to rule a kingdom. When talking of female rulers during the colonial times, one cannot miss mentioning Razia Sultana the valorous Queen of Delhi sultanate and who is notable for being the first female Muslim ruler of the Indian subcontinent. The UN also has incorporated this changing scenario in its selection for possible women candidates for the post of general secretary a post traditionally held by men. In this way, the UN which is very active and vocal in its agenda for abolishing the gender disparity has successfully helped pinpoint the existing problems in the society. The Air Force has taken a major stride towards achieving gender parity by allowing women in combat roles. “Indian Air force (IAF) ensures equal opportunities are given to all men and women” (as published by Hindustan Times). Even in the medical field where a registered nurse was seen as an occupation solely for women to pursue, it is now becoming a common trend for even men to work as registered nurses. Women in the past, who were forced to confine themselves in the house and take care of the children have turned the tables so drastically that now women functioning in the economy have become a crucial part in managing the market economy. Similarly bonding with the baby, engaging with one’s child has also improved the father-child relationships over the world. This has proven effective in may manners and now even men are engaging in babysitting duties. World-renowned chefs like Gordan Ramsey, Sanjeev Kapoor make us realize that men actually possess culinary skills and can work just fine without burning the house down. These success stories help us realize however small our dreams may be, they still are worth achieving.

INDIAN EDUCATION FUTURE

From the ancient time India remains the father of education, at that time the gurukuls were in trend which teaches only that subject that a particular want to learn and he or she gets skilled in that particular subject whether it’s academic or related to any physical activity. Nowadays schools have taken place of the gurukuls in which the students are forced to learn some common subjects against his or her interest that is why in India the grades matter more than the skills. Students are forced to carry heavy bags to schools due to which there is a great loss in their both physical and mental health which is becoming a blockage in their future. If we see towards the future then there is lots of work that has to be done in the field of education. We are blending toward smart classes or online classes today that has to be done a several years ago, that is why Indian education system is lacking in the field. If we talk about present the government is taking every step in the field of education to help children make their life. According to the survey, India has the more number of youngsters than any other country in the world. Despite being the youngest country in the world they are failing in the field of education. If we want to achieve that position then the education must be formalised now so that its effects can be seen in the future. World is expecting more from India and it is the time for all the young Indians to prove them wrong. The ways government are taking steps then in the upcoming 50 years the education will be democratised and done online only through home and they can gain knowledge from any part of India

SMART RING

Smart Rings are the only possible tech solution, to discover something smaller than the smart watch. After a lot of attempts ,smart rings were actually created with useful technology. Smart Rings are not a totally new concept, but it’s been revolutionalized over the years.

History has been evidence how so many Startup companies despite repeated attempts ,failed either due to lack of funding, legal disputes, issues related to packaging sensor, health tracker ,everything in a small space, which kept on popping up from time to  time. We can easily sync them  to our mobile phones, via Bluetooth. Smart Ring is endowed with different functions. Some may track sleep, pulse rate, heart rate, whilst others may not. The smart ring would be a relief from the mobile phones, as we’ll get to know whenever there is a message or e-mail.

5 BEST SMART RINGS

Motiv Ring($99.99) –this one is the best smart ring available , in terms of it’s price ,features. This  was announced way back in the year 2017,and comes in mainly three colour variations-slate grey, titanium and Rose gold. It can not only monitor our heat rate ,but also is a fitness tracker. It keeps record of all our activities and moves, and since it’s data is stored in our phones, it can be viewed later. It’s has a battery life of upto 5 days, and is water resistant. It’s highlight is its sleek design ,8 mm width and comes in 7 sizes fit for both men and women. It even helps us to log in to our facebook, google accounts. It’s very easy to wear , and stylish.

Oura($275)-this smart ring provides us readiness score for the day by using our data from phone. It comes in two models, the recent  one being sleeker, and slimmer. It comes in sizes  from US 6-US 13.it comes packed in four sensors-gyroscope,3D accelerometer, infrared pulse measurement and body temperature sensors. It’s highlight is the focus on mainly three areas –activity, sleeping and readiness.

The recent innovation of Oura is a initiative by the NBA , against the pandemic. Players would get a notification, when something infected in in their 6 feet radius, and it gives signals on detecting early signs of Covid-19.According to the survey conducted on 2000 workers ,it can observe body associations between fever, cough and heart rate ,temperature.

NBC Open($85)-this smart ring comes with two Intags .The private one is used for sensitive stuff, like smart door lock and for payment purposes. The other one is for public information like email address. It is waterproof resistant.

Amazon Echo Loop($129.99-$179.99)-Amazon is amongst the more popular ones, it’s packed in microphones and speakers. It interacts with Alexa smart assistant, and comes with all day battery life, with water resistant feature.

ORII Smart Ring($199)-This smart rings allows us to take a call by holding our fingers  to our ears, by using the bone conduction technology. Available in different colour variation like red, silver, grey , and is available in different size forms fit for both men and women.

Addiction😬

Yesterday, I was sitting in window and enjoying Rain. I was thinking about what can I do? At that time suddenly my brother came and he suggested to play PUBG. I was like… Are you kidding? How could girls play PUBG? On that sentence he delivered me a whole lecture. He said there is no age limit to play any game… Blah.. Blah.. Blah.. But I was not interested & he also know that didi was not going to show any intrest . So he went on his friends house and continued his work. At that time, I was thinking where is the future of these people? Really they don’t have anything to do apart from playing games 🤔.. Actually, I am not against of games. But there is word called “Limits” If we are spending our whole day with headphones & smartphones then this is wrong. I respect those gamers who choose their careers in this field. But what about that people who are spending their whole day in this. According to me, games are just for Entairnment purpose. So we should play it only for Entairnment. I want to tell you one case related this, in our colony there is one boy who is just in 5th standard. But he is totally addicted to PUBG. His mom beat him very badly everyday but no effect. He used to spend his whole day in PUBG. One day his father decided to take his smartphone and his parents took his smartphone & also they decided not to use smartphones. After 2 days he was completely psychologically disordered. He was breaking everything, running anywhere & making horrible faces and many things. He was completely mentally retarded so now he is in hospital. After taking whole treatment he is returning home. So I kindly request you all people who are addicted towards games like this please be aware & save your future as well as life.

Darkness tries to Eclipse light but as long as there is love shadows REMAIN illusion.

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft passess by the Sun or The Moon.An eclipse is either the result of an occulation (completely hidden) or a transit ( partially hidden).The term eclipse is most often used to describe either a ‘Solar Eclipse’ or ‘Moon Eclipse’.A Solar eclipse occurs when the portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks the Sunlight. This occurs when the Sun , Moon and the Earth are aligned.Such alignment concides with a new Moon (Syzygy) which indicates that the Moon is closest to the ecilptic plane. In a total eclipse the dusk of the Sun is fully obsucred by the Moon.In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.On 21st June 2020 Solar eclipse marked one of only 5 such instances where a maximum Solar Eclipse was visible from India in a time frame of the next 100 years.The annualar part belt of the eclipse passed through cities like Joshimath, and Dehradun in Uttrakhand,Sirsa in Haryana and parts of Rajasthan it was almost visible from ever part of the country.India witnessed the magnificent “Ring of Fire” and saw the skies turn dark as the Moon overshadowed the mighty Sun.