2018 has truly been the year of speaking up. From the debate over breastfeeding in public at the beginning of the year, to the second, much bigger wave of #MeToo and the landmark judgements passed by the Supreme Court – the Youth Ki Awaaz community has been a loud voice of reason.
As we usher in the new year, here’s a look back at the most read stories on Youth Ki Awaaz that sparked debate, positive conversations and was read by tens of thousands of people.
1. How to become a doctor in India
NEET PG Scam 2018: What Is The Future For India’s Doctors If Seats Are Being Bought?
I was also receiving messages from a whole lot of people, telling me that they can fix MD/MS seats even before the results could come.
Page views: 53,904
2. For those who think child marriage only happens in rural India
I Was Almost Married Off To A 14-Year-Old Girl
Is marriage just another business?
Page views: 65,479
3. A powerful story of coming out and celebrating identity
Meet Ankita, The 20-Year-Old Roadies Contestant Who Came Out On National TV
From battling depression to coming out to her parents through a letter, she has had a difficult, but inspiring journey.
Page views: 59,763
4. Cinema that boldly speaks about women’s sexuality and desire.
In These 3 Films, I Found Stories That Boldly Explore Sex, Sexuality And Women’s Oppression
Those movies had a message, and so do I. I say to all women – speak up, say no to abuse, say no to oppression, share your stories, and do not let men overpower you.
Page views: 71,251
5. Exploitation in the name of centuries-old ‘tradition’ in Kerala
Chooral Muriyal: What A Sick Temple ‘Ritual’ Is Doing To Young Boys In Kerala
The best-kept secret about the practice perhaps is what happens to these children after the festival.
Page views: 69,303
6. How we continue to be shockingly ignorant of the way our bodies work
The Story Of My First Pregnancy Scare Isn’t Just A Silly Story To Laugh At
My body was largely made up of trials, errors and incorrect ideas that I only addressed once it was too late.
Page views: 62,500
7. The true colours of Holi.
Nandgaon Holi: Where Male Children Aged 7 To 15 ‘Proudly’ Molested Me
We should stop treating children committing crimes in isolation from how we are raising them in the first place
Page views: 69,208
8. For those who call the ‘merit’ card.
My Upper-Caste Uncle, A Civil Servant, Perfectly Explained Why India Needs Reservation
In light of what actually happens in villages, I would say that the SC/ST Act is not used at all. Maybe the educated elite of the cities misuse it, but what about the downtrodden people in the villages who do not even know of the existence of such laws?
Page views: 81,895
9. Is this our culture and civilisation where religion is more important than bringing justice to a horrific crime?
The Rapist-Murderer Of The 8-Year-Old In Kathua Is Being Defended In The Name Of ‘Bharat Mata’
How can people who prey on an 8-year-old girl for the satisfaction of their psychopathic sexual desires, and the people who support them and then take refuge in nationalism, have love for the motherland?
Page views: 69,503
10. A shocking account on the ugly side of customer service.
An Amazon Pick-Up Employee Assaulted And Threatened To Kill Me For My Negative Feedback
Long after I had given the negative feedback, the pick-up employee beat me up severely and told me he would make me disappear instantly.
Page views: 103,900
11. When Youth Ki Awaaz users boldly spoke up about breastfeeding in public.
What Is The Youth Ki Awaaz On Breastfeeding In Public?
The Malayalam magazine ‘Grihalakshmi’ took a bold stand by featuring a model breastfeeding a baby on its cover. The cover sparked a nationwide debate. We asked the Youth Ki Awaaz community what they felt about the issue of breastfeeding in public, and the ‘Grihalakshmi’ cover. Here’s a look at some of the responses.
Page views: 67,157
12. A mother who fearlessly stood strong against regressive wedding traditions.
‘I Will Not Do Kanyadaan, My Girl Isn’t A Commodity’: A Mother’s Inspiring Stand
“I don’t see any good in that unseen, dubious moksha achieved after the huge suffering and pain of a kanyadaan. I cannot even imagine abstaining from my daughters for a lifetime.”
Page views: 50,805
13. A moving report on events that followed the shocking rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua.
You Were Never India’s Daughter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out in December 2012 in support of Jyoti Singh aka Nirbhaya and called her Bharat ki Beti. Is Asifa not Bharat ki Beti for him?
Page views: 61,405
14. Relationships that challenge the norm.
I Dated A Woman 20 Years Older Than Me: First It Was All About Sex, Then It Changed Me
I think if I met Mahima now, things might go a lot differently between us, because she’s still a really special person, and I’m a lot more sorted in my lifestyle and priorities. My whole life is less chaotic because I’ve grown up too.
Page views: 63,103
15. A grim reminder that Indians continue to be intolerant of anything they find ‘unusual’.
‘Get Out Of India, Go To China’: Threatened In Delhi Metro For Speaking My Native Tongue
It was just another regular Sunday. I took an auto from my hostel to the Hauz Khas metro station where
Page views: 80,930
16. Sex, sexual health and reproductive rights need to be a bigger part of our everyday conversations.
The Condom Broke: An Unplanned Pregnancy, And A Planned Abortion At 22
The doctor knew from our faces what we were going through and told us that we had not committed any crime.
Page views: 67,187
17. Before we ask men to stop pulling women back, let’s make sure we have each other’s backs.
An Open Letter To Shahnaz Husain After She Rejected Me For Being A Woman Photographer
Before we ask men to stop pulling women back, let’s support and choose each other based on capabilities and not gender.
Page views: 50,761
18. How to not portray women’s empowerment.
‘Veere Di Wedding’ Is Neither Women-Centric Nor Powerful
This movie (read, music video) shows typically high-class women (read, people) doing everything they want because they are loaded with money. That’s all that it’s about.
Page views: 102,805
19. In broad daylight, this is how unsafe women continue to be.
Drunk Man Openly Harasses Girl On A Chennai Bus – This Is How The Public Reacted
Here cometh a this man-all drunk and horny. He can’t stand straight and blabs something quietly to a girl in the first seat. And then…
Page views: 106,618
20. An unapologetic ‘victim’ of ‘Love Jihad’.
I Was A Safe, Upper-Middle Class Brahmin Woman. Until I Fell In Love With A Kashmiri Muslim
I consented to this relationship. I love my Kashmiri Muslim man with all that I’ve got. My love is my personal choice, none of anybody’s business.
Page views: 76,888
21. The big, fat Indian wedding and what it really costs.
A Rough Estimate To Prove That Indian Weddings Are A Giant Waste Of Money
This is a sassy opinionated piece garnished with some statistical evidence to inspire intellects and perhaps even ignite some much-needed
Page views: 79,344
22. Studying abroad isn’t just about #TravelGoals and living the ‘first-world life’.
I Spent 2 Years Studying In Paris And London And The Experience Wasn’t What I’d Hoped For
The experiences in these cities were beset with racism, discrimination and ignorance. Whether or not you feel gloomy, the weather always will be.
Page views: 112,690
23. A shocking reality we continue to ignore.
Meeting Asha: A Harrowing Glimpse Into The Lives Of Homeless Women In Delhi
For most women living in shelters, there is often no difference between having that roof over your head and sleeping on the roadside.
Page views: 56,490
24. A moving account on marriage, sex, love and women’s desire.
For 25 Years I’ve Stayed Faithful To A Husband Who Refused Me Sex
I was young, alone in a big metro, no relatives or parents whose shoulder I could cry on and definitely no friend because to everyone else I had somehow and most undeservedly got hold of the best man on the planet.
Page views: 96,525
25. An important perspective on the web series that shook up Indian audiences.
Troubling But True: The Sexual Dynamics In ‘Sacred Games’
Whatever “Sacred Games” has succeeded in, it has also succeeded in opening a whole new valve that will now normalise sexual intercourse – and that’s always a good thing.
Page views: 56,150
26. September 6, 2018 – the day India finally said yes to love!
8 Most Powerful Things The SC Said On Section 377
Social morality cannot be used to violate the fundamental rights of even a single individual. Constitutional morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality.
After the landmark judgement, stories from young Indians poured in on the platform with messages of celebration and hope. Check them out here.
Page views: 54,825
27. From the big-O to a big NO.
‘He Was My Professor, 40 Yrs Older’: Indian Women Share Sexual Encounters They Can’t Forget
We asked people to contribute a story about a sexual experience they couldn’t forget – awful or awesome or ho-hum – in this anonymous form.
Page views: 86,134
28. When trolls couldn’t handle the idea of a ‘Hindu terrorist’.5 Irrefutable Reasons Why Priyanka Chopra ‘Deserved’ The Recent Trolling For ‘Quantico’
Priyanka Chopra was recently trolled and received heavy criticism on Twitter for playing an FBI agent foiling the plot of Hindu terrorists.
5 Irrefutable Reasons Why Priyanka Chopra ‘Deserved’ The Recent Trolling For ‘Quantico’
Priyanka Chopra was recently trolled and received heavy criticism on Twitter for playing an FBI agent foiling the plot of Hindu terrorists.
Page views: 66,179
Your words, your stories have undeniable power, and we hope you use this power to make the world better in 2019.