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At 29, Marriage Is Made My Only Identity
“Beta, my heart is aching. I am getting old. I can’t bear all this pain for long. What will happen to you after I am gone?”, says my mother over the phone. “Just marry and I will be okay,” she adds. Before I could even use an excuse to hang up, my father goes on to…
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Understanding The Harmful Tradition of Breast Ironing
What is Breast Ironing? Breast Ironing is a harmful cultural practice that continues to perpetuate silently in different parts of the world for centuries. Once a girl’s breast starts growing during puberty, usually, the mother carries out the practice. Where is this custom prevalent? This is primarily practiced in West and Central Africa- Nigeria, Togo, Republic…
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Patrilocality: Roots of Gender Discrimination in Many Countries
What is Patrilocality? In Patrilocal societies, women move to their husbands’ house and co-reside with husbands’ parents after marriage. Patrilocality is associated with gender gaps in personal autonomy, decision making, education, health, and division of labor. With marriage, almost all the girls who live with her husband’s parents and extended family, lose a great deal of…
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Gender Discrimination in Access and Consumption of Food Across Cultures
Equal access to food and nutrition is one of the core human rights. Yet, in several cultures across the world, women do not have equal access to food. There are strange taboos and gender discrimination in the consumption and access to food in many countries. Poverty as well as discriminatory social and religious customs are the…
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Male guardianship in Saudi Arabia
What is the male guardianship rule? Women in Saudi Arabia, irrespective of their age, education or employment status, must have a male guardian, typically a father, brother, husband or uncle (mahram). Women are treated like second class citizens in Saudi Arabia. All females, girls, and women are forbidden from traveling, conducting official business,…