Pink Tax: Why Is Being a Woman More Expensive?

Have you wondered why a razor for women providing the same services is more expensive than that of men? Or why the salon services charge more for the simplest female haircuts?

The answer lies in Pink Tax which is a gender based pricing where women have to pay more for certain products and services whereas men have to pay less for the exact same services.

So are you only going to outrage if Starbucks charges you “unnecessarily”? With our society’s patriarchal norms, women have been struggling for equality. On one hand if women are being paid less, they’re being exploited with unreasonable extra costing in personal hygiene products, clothings like t-shirts, jeans, belts, etc. are costlier when compared to men’s wear where there was no difference identified in the quality. Even salon services like basic hair spa, facials, hair cuts, etc. are shockingly cheaper for men. It disgusts me to bring to your notice that this gender based pricing begins from birth itself. The toys used for girls are again higher than that for boys. Medicines that are manufactured for women are also at similar receiving ends of pink tax.

After understanding the statistics with the difference of 5% to 50% extra prices, the first thing that comes to mind is “WHY?”
Well, the origin lies in the strong pillars of patriarchy, Aren’t women told to look good all the time? For decades, women’s actions are being controlled by men. Whether it’s education, job or civil services, women never got their rights but they were “given” those rights. Especially when the significance of a woman was in her appearance, the market knew that women were obliged to buy those products in order to match the societal norms. Eventually, some patriarchal brands increased the prices for feminine products.

So are we going to sit quietly thinking – “Ab ham kuch nahi karsakte.” and “Asia hi toh hota hai.“?
A responsible citizen would never do that and instead follow these steps to take one step forward to eradicate pink tax:
1. Identify the patriarchal brands and stop using their products which charge females “unnecessarily”
2. Be Proactive and compare the prices of the different gendered products, check if they’re providing the same services.
3. Cross check the difference in service with the difference in the prices.
4. Find out the brands and services that do not discriminate and have similar rates for all genders.
5. look out for laws that help you take necessary actions against gender based pricing.

Every time we hear the colour PINK, we associate it with feminine attributes. I need you to change your perspective towards the color as a gender role to an indication of discrimination wherever you see Pink and do not fall prey to this silent exploitation.

~Fareha Kazi, TYBA

Things You Can Do to Reduce Strain of Excess Screen Time

“Okay, let’s stop here for today.” These magical words hit your ears after a tiring lecture and you breathe a sigh of relief. You shut down your device, rubbing your eyes and wondering why your back hurts. Relatable? We got you covered. Here’s a list of all the things you can do to make online lectures enjoyable.

First, use a laptop, desktop, or tablet instead of a phone. Second, when you have a break, use it for your eyes! Let it not add to your screen time. Third, ditch the screen whenever you can. If you feel stiff during a lecture, rotate your neck and arms, stretch or shake your legs and loosen your muscles (make sure your webcam is switched off). Close your eyes, don’t look at the screen while typing, and use audio files and voice notes whenever you can.

Fourth, listen to your dad when he lectures you about your posture. Make sure your feet are placed flat on the floor and your lower back is upright and supported. Make sure the screen is at eye level. Looking down will hurt your neck and looking up will hurt your eyes. Fifth, close all those tabs you’re looking at during the lecture. We think our generation is the coolest because we can multitask, but sometimes it can just leave you cluttered and exhausted. Take it from a fellow student, those emails you want to check right in the middle of the lecture might be the reason you zone out and go blank.

Finally, observe your lifestyle. Do you wake up fifteen minutes before the lecture and switch on your device before brushing your teeth? Perhaps you can do something to shake off the lethargy. Wake up early and do a fun workout at home or just stand by the window sipping a hot beverage. Basically, do anything that gives a yawn free and motivating start to your day.

If you think lifestyle changes are not enough, you can always reach out to friends and family or seek professional help. But a little bit of self-help and self-care will refresh you and you will find yourself feeling more focused and enthusiastic as you participate in your lectures.

-Rasika Godbole, TYBA

Understanding the complicatedly unnoticed Parkinson’s Disease.

The world is progressing with uncovering the stigma around mental illnesses, yet quite a large percentage of people remain either unaware or misguided. Every nine minutes, they will diagnose a patient with Parkinson’s disease and by the time you complete reading this article, a life is changed forever.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition. The term “neurodegenerative”, means a condition involving the degeneration of the neurons in the brain that progresses over time. In simpler words, it is a brain disorder affecting movement and other parts of life. You may wonder what causes such a disorder. Well, the scientists believe Genes and Environment have a hand in it.

In a particular area in the brain, an important chemical called Dopamine – ‘the happy hormone’ is produced. So, what can a loss of Dopamine-producing cells result in? Yeah you guessed it right. Parkinson’s. The symptoms of Parkinson’s begin when there is a reduction of around 70-80% of the dopamine-producing cells. Since it is a progressive disease. When these symptoms manifest, they may be subtle or unnoticeable initially. However, Parkinson’s affects each individual differently.

There are four primary symptoms of Parkinson’s:

• Rigidity–Stiffness
• Bradykinesia-Slowness, particularly in gait, that makes activities that were once easy and effortless (like walking) increasingly challenging.
• Tremor–A resting tremor (like hands shaking when they are not in use)
• Instability–Lack of balance

There are also some additional symptoms and potential indicators such as:

• Troubled Sleep
• REM sleep behavior disorder–Physically acting out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with abnormal vocal sounds and movements during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
• Constipation
• Hypertension–Fainting or dizzy spells
• Cognition–Issues with focusing, memory, or planning activities
• Depression and Anxiety

Typically, symptoms build up in a Parkinson’s subject in his or her late 50s or early 60s, but some individuals may develop it much earlier. Although PD is most frequently diagnosed with the elders, each year we find an increasing number of younger people diagnosed. Although there has been no definite cure discovered, the symptoms can be controlled effectively with a combination of medications, also engaging in Activities like physiotherapy, speech therapy, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, dance & music therapy, and yoga. Control over diet & nutrition is also very important. Centers for Disease Control (US) rated complications from Parkinson’s disease as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, they estimate that four to six million people suffer from the condition.

But here’s the good news for Indian patients and their family-friend members -Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society is an all-India charity organization whose vision was to set up a free-of-cost multi-disciplinary support service for people with Parkinson’s. It provides multidisciplinary care, support, and rehabilitation through group sessions held in 24 states. Recently in India, PD has been included in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, by the Indian Parliament.

Our voices shouldn’t just be adding to the conversation; they should start them. In the battle for a cure, we can arm those around us with knowledge, and a newfound ability to recognize the beginning stages of Parkinson’s in their friends, their families. Care doesn’t always take the form of one-on-one treatment. In the form of awareness, like a pebble in a lake, it will ripple outward to serve the greater whole.

With all this said, I want to point out that mental health is still taken very lightly in India. Mental health awareness can become the means of ending this apathy. Progressive government policies based on evidence-based approaches, an engaged media, a vibrant educational system, a responsive industry, aggressive utilization of newer technologies and creative crowd-sourcing might together help dispel the blight of mental illnesses.

Vaidehi Dhulap, TYBA

Words of Wisdom For Work From Home

Preparing yourself for the New Normal does not only require you to sanitize your hands and wear masks but also requires you to familiarise yourself with the upcoming digital world. Work from home may seem tiresome and difficult hence, here are some useful tips to make it interesting!!

● Make To-Do List a night before: To start with, make a to-do list on the previous night before you sleep. Jot down all the important things you need to do the next day. This will help you not to miss any urgent task. Tick off those tasks as soon as you finish them the next day.

● Start Early:
Remember, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. Wake up half an hour before you actually want to, spend some time with yourself. Have positive thoughts in your mind. Prepare a mind map of the activities you have assigned for the day. Take a bath. Well, it’s pretty boring to convince yourself of that, but taking a bath will not only freshen you up but will also awaken you physically and mentally. Start your day with a healthy breakfast.

● Choose a proper place for your work area:
Select a quiet space for work. Noisy surroundings can distract your attention. Make sure the area where you are sitting is bright and airy. Dark, congested space is prone to make you feel dull and lethargic. And you do not want to lack your dose of motivation? Place your device at your eye level on a desk or a table. Sit erect. Maintain a proper body posture. Don’t lounge around.

● Organize your workspace:
Set up your space. Collect all the stationery from pens to notepads to even your calendar. To save you from running around for a pen-drive the entire house. Check whether all your devices are fully charged: your Laptop/ Computer, Bluetooth
earphones, etc. Ensure good internet connectivity. Keep a power bank hand just in case of any network issue.

● While working :
Turn off unnecessary notifications to have more focus on work. Keep notepads and calendar handy to mark important dates. Jot down the tasks you need to work on along with the deadlines if any.

● Take regular intervals: Too much time sitting in a place makes our body rigid and causes strain to the eyes. Practice finger and eye exercises to ease them. Stretch your body. Walk around the house for a while. Drink lots of water.

● Refrain from using screen after work:

After you finish your work, avoid stressing out on the deadlines. Stay away from any screen for a while. Do not go scroll your social media unnecessarily Spend time with your family. Indulge yourselves in activities like reading a book, going for a stroll, a cycle ride etc. Give time for your hobbies.

And you’re done! Follow these simple tips and look how they make you your own boss at home! Cheers to Work from Home-Life!

~Palakshi Sathe, FYBA

Celebrating Kamal Haasan’s evergreen hits on his Birthday

Remember tuning to songs like, “tere mere beech mein ” and “aye Zindagi Gale Laga le”? We definitely need to thank Kamal Haasan for some of his heart warming songs especially on his birthday.

A single person glittering as an actor, dancer, film director, screenwriter, producer, playback singer, lyricist and politician, no doubt KAMAL HAASAN is referred as “Ulaganayagan” meaning “Universal hero”. Even though he is an epitome in acting, his connection with songs and music is equally astonishing. He himself has stated, how being born in a Brahmin household influenced and shaped his musical tastes and choices. His debut song was “Nyayiru Oli Mazhaiyil” in the year 1975.

He has sung about 108 songs in the languages of Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. Among them, some of the hit numbers include Kanmani Anbodu, Inji Idupazhagi, Thenpandi Cheemayile, Raja Kaiya Vachchaa, Sundhari Neeyum Sundharan Njanum, Kadavul paathi mirugam paathi. Haasan debuted as a lyricist in Virumaandi featuring the song of “Unna Vida Indha Ulagatthil”. When it comes to lyrics, Neela Vaanam, Saagaavaram, Unnai Kaanadhu Naan are few of his great works. All these are the precious drops in his ocean of oeuvre. His songs don’t only stick to a particular genre but exhibit variance.

The best part is, teens who listen to regional songs could relate to his songs in any phase of his or her life. When you’re sad, when you’re happy, when you’re celebrating, when you fall in love, when you fall out of love, when you’re hurt, when you’re demotivated, when you’re healing, whatever the situation maybe, his songs can always lead a helping hand.

“Anbe Sivam” is one such classic that evokes peace and brings positivity. He has not only done justice to his connection with music as a lyricist or a singer but as an actor, he has given his whole and soul to express the raw emotion in the songs. That immense attachment has made his songs equally significant to his movies. All of his evergreen songs are going to continue for the generations to come. He is an adept at everything that is thrown at him.

~Manisha Kandaswamy, TYBA