The Ilm with Ayesha Aleem Ayesha Aleem

Ayesha Aleem speaks to The Ilm's audio editor, Sharad Joshi, about Season 1 - just a fun chat about learnings, challenges and favourite parts. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @gettheilm 

Email: gettheilm@gmail.com 

Produced by: Sharad Joshi (@sharadmakesmusic on Instagram) 

For the final episode of Season 1, Ayesha Aleem spoke to Kim of The Picha Project based in Malaysia, an organisation that helps refugee families rebuild their lives by supporting them to build sustainable food business. It's a delicious dose of positivity and change towards a complex problem and what makes Kim and her co-founders cool women doing a cool thing in the world. 

Check out The Picha Project at www.pichaproject.com. 

Thank you for listening to Season 1. We're working on Season 2 and will be back soon. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @gettheilm 

Email: gettheilm@gmail.com 

Produced by: Sharad Joshi (@sharadmakesmusic on Instagram) 

If there's anything more frustrating than figuring out how to file taxes, it's probably managing legal formalities. Even at the best times, the law can feel convoluted and confusing. If you're a woman going through a personal crisis, it can feel downright daunting. The reality is that nearly all women will need to access the law, either for themselves or a loved one, at some point during their life. Whether for a case of domestic violence, to file for a divorce, an FIR, to report sexual harassment or dowry harassment, which is still a common problem in India, the law can feel isolating instead of protective. Knowing your rights when going into a complicated situation is a huge part of succeeding in it. Women's rights lawyer at the Bombay High Court, Veena Gowda, tells us what women need to be aware of when navigating these painful circumstances. 

And we'll also hear from Deepika Bhardwaj, a filmmaker who has produced a documentary called Martyrs of Marriage, currently on Netflix, about false accusations of Section 498 A and why she thinks this is a side of crime that deserves more attention. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @gettheilm 

Email: gettheilm@gmail.com 

Produced by: Sharad Joshi (@sharadmakesmusic on Instagram) 

On the previous episode, we talked about women and their bodies. This time, we're talking about women and their minds - because mental health isn't talked about nearly enough. Therapist Aakriti Joanna is using Instagram to spread awareness about mental health and in this short conversation, she speaks about some of the issues she's seen affect women in particular. Think of this as an insta-therapy session?

An entire book can written about it. And maybe followed by an entire series. How women feel about their bodies has had us thinking about the topic since forever. The media, the mirror, sometimes our own mothers and our minds have told women what they should look like, what they should eat, what they should wear and how they should behave. And that's when everything is going according to plan. 

No one has accounted for times when our bodies rebel against us. Too many women suffer in silence because their friends and family don't make the effort to understand their ailment. Because, as one woman puts it, the medical community fails them. Because women's health and wellness isn't given as much priority as it needs. 

Ayesha Aleem speaks to three women who cope every day with complex health conditions. These are brave, honest stories that I hope will encourage everyone to love themselves more, to be truly grateful for what our bodies do for us each day, which we often take for granted. And that these stories will remind us to pause and pay attention when someone might be silently calling for help. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @gettheilm 

Email: gettheilm@gmail.com 

Produced by: Sharad Joshi (@sharadmakesmusic on Instagram) 

There isn't a single woman who hasn't at some point in her life felt physically threatened either because of how someone looked at her, by what someone did to her or what they said to her. Every woman recognises those pangs of fear that can grip our insides, whether it's dark outside or in broad daylight, whether wearing something that shows skin or while completely covered up, whether the incident followed an action or nothing at all. 

Speak to men and many will say they just don't have these concerns. They don't panic about how to get home late at night. They don't feel like they need to "cover up" their shoulders or legs. They don't worry about how their choice of clothes, attitude, time of day or how something completely unrelated might make them a target of violence. But most women are familiar with all of this. Women in India - a few times over. 

Ayesha Aleem speaks to Holly Wise, Sania Farooqui and Sarah Khan for three different perspectives about what it means to be a woman - and feel safe - in India. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @gettheilm 

Email: gettheilm@gmail.com 

Produced by: Sharad Joshi (@sharadmakesmusic on Instagram)