As a woman growing up in a patriarchal set up, I’ve had several questions and asking them blatantly is a taboo in itself. From commenting on periods, sex, sexuality, feminism, gender stereotypes, mental/personality disorders to opining about the political rule, everything is considered radical. My attempt with my Instagram account Kalmuhi is to ask these questions and implant them in young minds.
“Kalmuhi” is a term in Hindi for any woman who takes a stand, who isn’t afraid of breaking rules, and speaks up against any form of ridiculous and dated tradition that leads to discrimination. The effort is to seek answers to these complicated questions through art. Each monochromatic simple-looking doodle is a quirky and angry illustration which stands for something very strong and speaks of a neglected social issue. Also, it just happens to be a creative vent for all my little frustrations.
Sex Ed
Parents are often reluctant to teach accurate and relevant information about sex to adolescents because of the stigma associated with the topic. More than taboo, mothers especially feel like talking about sex is embarrassing and dirty which makes it a mystery that children are supposed to decode by themselves leading to various misunderstandings and issues in their reproductive lives.
And The Lack Of It
Why sex education should be made compulsory in this country.
The recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout puts a 12% tax on sanitary pads, whereas it levies 0% tax on sindoor, bindi and bangles, artifacts which are basically optional accessories. The prices of cigarettes have gone down too while the government is too busy not giving a damn about the reproductive health of women in this country.
#FreeTheNipple
Instagram is just another part of the huge chunk of people in the world that get offended by the sight of a nipple. We are women who have breasts that have nipples. Get over it.
‘Unholy’ Women
The taboo of not visiting a place of worship while on periods is as old as time and it’s high time we smash it and shut it down because – turns out – it is a natural process and God don’t mind it either.
The Right To Bleed
We menstruate. Period.
And The Right To Pleasure
A research study says that about 75% of women that have sex never orgasm. It’s high time men stop being selfish and women spoke up for the sake of their own pleasure.
The Peacock Myth
Rajasthan High Court judge Justice Sharma said that the peacock (which is the national bird of India) doesn’t have sex to procreate. The doodle is a fun take on Justice Sharma’s ignorance and the society’s mentality considering the process embarrassing and dirty.
Slutshaming
To all the aunties who have ever asked me to sit properly – I’ll sit the way I want, thanks.
I just hope people take something away from my doodles. They’re quirky, mad, angry and meant to start a dialogue about all these serious social issues. If nothing else, I just hope they lead to awareness and and spark discussions to figure solutions further.
Check out more fiery Kalmuhi originals on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you’ve got some kickass art on Instagram too, tell us how you got started by sharing your story here!