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New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI/GPRC): Humour and satire have great potential to bring visibility and foster critical thinking on gender equality issues.
Seeta& Geeta is a collection of short stories, and a humorous attempt to help end gender discrimination. The novel displays the inequalities Indian women continue to face at the ground level, but from an offbeat perspective. The stories deal with various issues, most of which have been declared unconstitutional, yet continue to exist and thrive, such as child marriage/gauna, dowry, female infanticide, love jihad, acid attacks, dark skin bias, body shaming and virginity rituals. But before you think otherwise, the book is actually snippets or more like a collection of anecdotes wherein the authors show you the hilarious aspect of our everyday lives and especially a glimpse into the mindset of the modern Indian woman. There are a whole lot of things that are touched upon humorously yet the impact of those words echo much louder than had it been said with a serious tone. In short- it's light, funny, yet hard hitting. Award-winning serial entrepreneur Anoushka Adya and renowned social activist Jyoti Adya decided to take an offbeat viewpoint on the whole women empowerment debate to show just how ridiculous some of the customs and societal attitudes are. Pick up this book only if you are looking for something to make you laugh hard and leave you thinking just how ironic our societal attitude gets. "This is a satirical take on the unique desi feminist issues that are still prevalent in India and showcase some of the hindering customs that our ancestral forefathers have passed down, that have become irrelevant in today's landscape", says author Jyoti Adya, Director, Lajja Foundation. "The overarching concept of Seeta depicts the docile Indian girl who accepts everything that Society throws at her and blindly follows it, while Geeta depicts the new age Indian girl who refuses to be a doormat, questions illogical age-old customs, and embraces only what makes sense to her", says Anoushka Adya, Founder and Director, Lajja Foundation. Seeta& Geeta shows the dichotomy that exists in Indian society even today, the two faces of the Indian woman that exist even today. This book is an attempt to be the voice of millions of Indian women in India and across the globe. Desi Challenges: At the ground level, India deals with the peculiarities of what the authors call the "desi feminist' challenge. The challenge of equal pay or countering sexism at the workplace comes much later. Women in India are still struggling to have their basic freedoms ensured at home and in society. About the Authors: Anoushka is an award-winning entrepreneur, a marketer, and a TEDx Speaker, who believes that there is no substitute to hard work. She is also the force behind Lajja Diaries, Di-Mentions Studio, an award-winning digital marketing agency; and Grow Labs. Jyoti Adya is the Founding Member of Lajja Diaries and Executive Director of the Lajja Foundation, has more than 10 years of experience in the field of social work. Lajja Diaries - The Inspiration: Conceived on the 2nd anniversary of Nirbhaya, Lajja Diaries is a platform that encourages discourse on Women's Rights in India and across the world. "Shed the shame and share" is what Lajja Diaries, truly believes in. Started in 2014, Lajja Foundation is an award-winning NGO that has connected thousands of women over the years, created a community and has won several awards including Community Developer of the Year by IIT Delhi and an award from Mr Akshay Kumar for their slum menstrual hygiene camps. Lajja envisages a society, where women, irrespective of caste, class and religion, enjoy full citizenship, earn a livelihood with dignity and generate wealth and value for all. This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)
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