india

If there’s anything I love with a passion, it’s kicking serious ass. Which is probably why, as an 8 year old, Dangerous Dave inspired equal amounts of angst and satisfaction in me. In this simple 8-bit videogame, I overcame obstacles and struggled through levels, overusing my jetpack privileges and never quite pressing the Alt-key fast enough. Okay, maybe I wasn’t a particularly good player, but…

A couple makes out inside a cyber cafe cubicle in a city crunched for space and privacy. A woman bathes and changes clothes inside her hotel room. A honeymooning couple films its first time together, possibly to preserve the memories for a lifetime. All of them are oblivious to either being captured by hidden cameras or the possibility of their footage being leaked online. Voyeuristic websites…

Namita Aavriti of the Alternative Law Forum speaking on the petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on online pornography from the prism of freedom of speech and privacy laws. She was speaking at the "Tangled, Like Wool" meeting held in New Delhi on January 28, 2014 as a part of the EROTICS India project.

Street-based sex workers manage all business over the phone. Clients arrange their visits after confirming the sex workers’ availability via mobile phones. Sex workers communicate easily with outstation clients and their maalaks (literally meaning “masters”, often regular customers who have graduated into lovers), without the fear of prying eyes. Being constantly connected also helps build client…

This is the third in a series of posts reporting on the day-long “Tangled, Like Wool” meeting held in New Delhi in January 2014.

Urban Indian women use the Internet to learn about sex and sexuality while negotiating the thin line between finding intimacy and encountering harm. This is the sixth in a series of posts reporting on the day-long “Connect Your Rights!” meeting held in Mumbai in November 2013. The meeting explored topics such as tools to combat violence against women, pornography, sexuality, and freedoms and…

Human rights organisation CREA conducted a study in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh last year to assess the feasibility of delivering sexual and reproductive health information through mobile phones to adolescent girls. The study was a part of the “It’s My Body” programme held in collaboration with 15 local community-based organisations for girls aged 12 to 18 years. The findings of the study…

Sex workers are increasingly using the Internet for finding business, organising themselves, and fighting for their rights. However, the online space is not without some of the hindrances of the offline one. This is the fifth in a series of posts reporting on the day-long “Connect Your Rights!” meeting held in Mumbai in November 2013. The meeting explored topics such as tools to combat violence…

This is the fourth in a series of posts reporting on the day-long “Connect Your Rights!” meeting held in Mumbai in November 2013. The meeting explored topics such as tools to combat violence against women, pornography, sexuality, and freedoms and risks in the online world.