Blog
Abuse, of any form, can be a devastating experience, requiring to be dealt with sensitively. One such form of abuse that called for immediate action in India is Child sexual abuse. To counter the growing cases of child sexual abuse and the undefined rules of reporting, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences was introduced in 2012. With many new provisions, but still, a long way to go, the POCSO Act demands a closer look.
Social isolation, combined with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, has understandably increased clinical anxiety and depression in all sections of society. We are also experiencing a rise in teletherapy, owing to the ongoing pandemic. Even though teletherapy is a much-needed advancement in the field of mental health, there needs to be a dialogue on how it does not act as a game-changer in India; this is owing to the nation’s socio-cultural context which reinforces digital inequality, reflected by the existent internet access gap.
Despite the advancements in reproductive healthcare, women face tremendous stigma while accessing these services. Owing to the persistent negative attitudes towards abortion and sterilization, women are marginalized, patronized, and struggle to exercise their fundamental reproductive rights. The threat of judgment and social exclusion discourages them from talking about their experiences with infertility and infant loss, giving rise to a mutually reinforcing cycle of silence. This stigma can be traced back to normative gender roles and deterministic attitudes that societies hold even today.
