Boju Bajai

The newest episode of 2023 is here! Kicking off the new year with our conversation with Mahima Vashisht, the very talented and funny womaniya behind ‘Womaning in India’ newsletter. We talk about everything from subtle sexism, gender blindspots, raja betas, and everything in between.

Mahima’s weekly newsletter weaves in deeply personal and shockingly candid stories from Indian households and is equal parts hilarious and insightful. She shares real stories of real women of India to highlight gender bias blind spots in everyday life - at home, at the workplace, in public spaces, and even in women's own self-image.

Womaning in India won the 2022 Women's Web digital creators award for "Writing with Social Impact", and has been a featured publication on the global platform, Substack. Mahima is a former civil servant with the Government of India and currently works as a climate change expert with UNICEF. #TalentKiDukaan

Please check out Mahima Vashisht’s newsletter Womaning in India https://womaning.substack.com/

We highly recommend reading The Raja Beta Syndrome by Mahima Vashisht

https://womaning.substack.com/p/the-raja-beta-syndrome

Follow Mahima on Twitter @mahimavashisht https://twitter.com/mahimavashisht?lang=en

And listen to The Womaning in India podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/07ybD3OdCa1AGUO4Elh5H9

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack at bojubajai.substack.com/ We will bring to you a weekly roundup of news and feminist views.

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/

Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Music credit:

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Dilli 6, Delhi-6, A.R. Rahman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPkthMfeWMY

Mumbhai, Bombay Boys, Javed Jaffrey, Ashutosh Phatak; Dhruv Ghanekar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCmi6eofAE4

This time we talk about bros, who run everything from influential social media platforms to newsrooms and spiritual empires and their highly problematic views on gender among many things. We’ve been saying these things for the last SIX (!!!) years, but like always our daaju bhaais refuse to engage with any of the criticism cos that’s how they #thrive.

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack at https://bojubajai.substack.com/ We will bring to you a weekly roundup of news and feminist views.

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Music credit:

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Chaand Sitaare Parody ft. Lala Ramdev & Coronil | Srushti Tawade + @Official PeeingHuman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDqBK9eTReU

Why This Kolaveri Di, Dhanush, Anirudh, Sony Music India, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR12Z8f1Dh8

Related readings:

The Meteoric Rise in Sympathy for Rape-Accused Lamichhane, Cold Takes by Boju Bajai, https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-8-the-meteoric-rise-in-sympathy

Nepali Media's Problematic Male Gaze & Gender Blindspot, Cold Takes by Boju Bajai, https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-11-nepali-medias-problematic

The Guru Effect, https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-10-the-guru-effect

How Sadhguru built his Isha empire. Illegally, Newslaundy, https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/05/17/how-sadhguru-built-his-isha-empire-illegally

‘सद्‍गुरु’का असत् विचार, Bibhu Luitel, https://nepalkhabar.com/opinion/104518-2021-8-28-7-35-38

सद्‍गुरुलाई कोही किन प्रश्न गर्दैन ?, Kunsang, https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2022/11/05/166761320871649608.html

चुनावी मैदानमा महिला उम्मेदवारलाई कति सहज? संगीता कुँवर, ekagaj.com, https://ekagaj.com/article/thought/119995

Women in Politics and the Media, IDEA, https://www.idea.int/news-media/events/e-discussion-women-politics-and-media

Episode #17 Stop Calling us Cheli Beti, Boju Bajai, https://bojubajai.org/episodes/17-stop-calling-us-cheli-beti/

Episode #16 This is How Nepal’s news media covers rape https://soundcloud.com/bojubajai/this-is-how-nepals-news-media-covers-rape

This Climate Guru Is a Celebrity in the US. In India, He’s Accused of Destroying a Forest. - VICE, https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/xgy8bw/climate-yoga-celebrity-sadhguru-india-will-smith-trevor-noah

Sadhguru, the spiritual leader with ties to Will Smith and Modi, explained - Vox, https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/23206916/sadhguru-explained-save-the-soil-modi

Abortion is legal in Nepal, but it is still criminalised. What does this mean for reproductive justice and what impact does it have on the reproductive health of women? Why are women still being driven to seek unsafe abortions? Why does our society still view abortion as something shameful and how does that affect the health and mental wellbeing of women?

Reporter Srijana Khadka speaks to healthcare workers from Ramechhap and Syangja about the degree of safety and level of access of abortion services available to women. She also interviews the Executive Director of FWLD and leading advocate Sabin Shrestha who has been working in the area of legalisation and decriminalisation of abortion.

This is the second part of our series on abortion rights in Nepal. We discuss about the cultural attitudes surrounding abortion in our homes, families and hospitals, and what that means for young Nepali women when they seek such services. And how does American politics around abortion rights actually could have an impact down the line in countries like Nepal.

Listen to part 1 here: https://bojubajai.org/episodes/74-abortion-rights-in-nepal-part-1/

Series credits:

Research by Shristi Shakya. You can follow her on Twitter at @shristishk https://twitter.com/shristishk

Reported by Srijana Khadka. She reports on social issues, especially concerning children and women, at ekagaj.com Follow her on Twitter at @seerukhadka

https://twitter.com/seerukhadka

Sound and Audio editor: Flekke and Phatcowlee

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack at https://bojubajai.substack.com/ We will bring to you a weekly roundup of news and feminist views. Subscribe to our newsletter and we will bring you some of the best writing by women; our feminist takes on uncles, gurus, neta jyus + much more :)

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Related readings

Factsheet by FWLD on laws related to abortion rights: https://fwld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/abortion-law-Fact-sheet.pdf

A translated transcript of the landmark ruling in 2009 in the case of state v. Lakshmi Dhital: https://reproductiverights.org/sites/crr.civicactions.net/files/documents/Lakshmi%20Dhikta%20-%20English%20translation.pdf

A special report by journalist Srijana Khadka on the gendered use of contraceptives in Nepal: https://ekagaj.com/article/special-report/25468/

It's been exactly twenty years since Nepal legalized abortion. There's been a lot of talk about abortion and women’s rights over their bodies since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the US. But have we ever had similar discussions over abortion rights in Nepal, accessibility to such services, and the cultural attitudes towards abortion in Nepali society, where abortion was legalized twenty years ago?

In the first of two parts, we discuss the cultural attitudes surrounding abortion in our homes, families, and hospitals, and what that means for young Nepali women when they seek such services. And how could American politics around abortion rights actually have an impact down the line in countries like Nepal?

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Research by Shristi Shakya

Theme music by Fleeke

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If you enjoy listening to Boju Bajai and want to support our work, please consider becoming our patron. More details at patreon.com/bojubajai

Please subscribe to our weekly newsletter 'Cold Takes by Boju Bajai' https://bojubajai.substack.com/

Subscribe to Boju Bajai on all podcast platforms

Follow Boju Bajai on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram

Related readings

- How Donald Trump’s anti-abortion rule is creating a dystopia for Nepali women https://tkpo.st/2r3Atxb

- गर्भपतन सम्बन्धाी कानुृनको कार्यान्वयनको अवस्था र चुनौती, FWLD

https://bit.ly/3rrbm3j

- When pro-choice becomes no-choice

https://bit.ly/3UT2AIJ

- ‘Abortion in Nepal: Women Imprisoned’ (2002) by the Centre for Reproductive Law and Policy and the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD)

https://bit.ly/3C0N9pl

- Nepali women imprisoned for abortion granted amnesty

https://bit.ly/3SvhZ0m

- Read more about the landmark 2009 Supreme Court decision in Lakshmi Dhikta v. Nepal which not only reinforced the right to abortion but also emphasized that access to abortion is a human right.

https://bit.ly/3EbDoay

- Roe v Wade explained

https://bit.ly/3EilhQ6

- More than 600,000 unwanted pregnancies a year, 390,000 abortions, many largely unsafe, says a new UNFPA report

https://bit.ly/3EafITT

- Although Roe v. Wade does not have a direct impact on US foreign policy, its overturn would send a strong signal about the US position on reproductive health care.

Donor Tracker Commentary, 2022 https://bit.ly/3M2PpRI

- A report by The Washington Post stated that following the leak of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, Google searches for IUD, Plan B, and contraception spiked.

https://wapo.st/3SF0UAO

लप पर्नै मात्र लागेको थियो, साला IELTS बीचमा आइदियो !!!

This episode is all about online dating in the times of the rapidly increasing number of bideshiney mayalu haru. So how have dating apps made it easy or difficult to look for companionship for young Nepalis, and shifted attitudes towards dating? And how often does bidesh ko visa and bidesh ko degree come in the way of budding romance? Last year, over 1 lakh individuals received NOC (No Objection Certificate) to study abroad. त्यसले गर्दा यहाँ कतिजना प्रेमि प्रेमिकाहरुको बिछोड भयो होला? Sadness only hyapenn!

So this episode is for all the विदेशिने/विदेशिएका मायालुहरु र उनीहरुका अधुरो love storiyaaaa.

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

References:

Nepali students seeking opportunities abroad https://kathmandupost.com/national/2022/06/25/kantipur-hissan-education-fair-kicks-off

Nepali students in zeee Amrika

https://np.usembassy.gov/the-united-states-remains-a-preferred-choice-for-nepali-students/

Music credit

Kesariya Tera, Brahmashtra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BddP6PYo2gs

Bidhesh jaaney mayalu timilai, Deepak Thapa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkFrP_o73qs

Din Pani Bityo, NSK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdcg6vQfaAw

Haye Hukku Haye Hukku Haaye Haaye - Gopi Kishan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7P4XtQrC0o

Mauka, Aastha - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWi6yhYHcxg

Poets Yukta Bajracharya and Ujjwala Maharjan join Boju Bajai to talk about their friendship, their collaborative partnership, and why we need to learn to communicate better with our friends.

Ujjwala Maharjan is a poet and educator from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is one of the co-founders of Word Warriors, a poetry group leading the spoken word movement in Nepal since its inception in 2010. She believes in arts in education as a pathway to build a more empathetic and inclusive society. Working towards that goal, she is currently exploring trauma-informed practices and narrative approaches with artists and educators.

Back in Nepal after doing her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, she is currently doing a few poetry and storytelling workshops, while working on her first book. Throughout the pandemic year, she has also been having fun schooling herself in the art of rap and hip-hop and experimenting with it, inspired by her former students in Philadelphia.

Yukta Bajracharya (she/her) is a poet, educator and co-founder of Word Warriors, a spoken word poetry collective in Nepal, founded in 2010. She has performed poetry, facilitated spoken word poetry workshops and organized poetry slams and events all over Nepal. She is passionate about facilitating spaces where children and youth can explore their creativity and express themselves through writing and other forms of art. A recent graduate of the Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Children’s Literature, Media and Culture, Yukta's research interests include poetry, folklore, indigeneity and community-based arts education.

Here are some poems Yukta and Ujjwala have collaborated on:

Privilege: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAuXiEAx93M

(a)nagarik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnjE8RkWvyg&t=17s

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai​​

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

It’s all about Nepali uncle हरुको कान्ड this month, from बजेट चलखेल behind चुकुल लाको doors to सुनको लौरो “flying” to Jhapa bypassing the customs office at TIA. Buddha was born in Nepal wala पावन भूमीमा यति धेरैं चलखेल, जालझेल? Boju Bajai thinks Nepal Tourism Board should rethink their promos and maybe add “All बिचौलियाहरु and also Buddha was born in Nepal.”

Link to The Nepali Man - https://soundcloud.com/bojubajai/the-nepali-man

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai​​

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

Link to all the news stories:

घुस संवादले देखाएको न्यायालयको कुरुप तस्वीर - https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/06/1146725

Minister Ale losing it (Leaked audio tape) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_zIaGySoM

सन्की मन्त्रीको गिर्दो मर्यादाः उत्कर्षमा आलेको अश्लीलता - https://nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/politics/857791-1655511483.html

मन्त्री आलेको अश्लील गाली सामाजिक सन्जालमा भाइरल - https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/02/1079160

Minister Ale with Salman Bhai - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu08MdRuBPA

मध्यराति बजेटमा जब ‘चुकुल’ लाग्यो…- https://annapurnapost.com/news/morning-watch-when-purvanasule-runs-the-budget-206196

‘सुनको लौरो’ बारे अनुसन्धान सुरु, भन्सार कार्यालय अनभिज्ञ - उपहारमा पाएको सुनको लौरो राज्यलाई दिने दुर्गा प्रसाईको घोषणा - https://www.onlinenepal.com/2022/06/19/138720/

महिला कर्मचारीसँग काम गर्न असजिलो हुने भन्दै वडाध्यक्षले मागे पुरुष कर्मचारी - https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/130644

धादिङमा किसानले लुटे दुई ट्रक रासायनिक मल (भिडियो रिपोर्टसहित) - https://www.himalayatv.com/2022/06/18/69643/

कोरोना भाइरसको घातक पहिलो र दोस्रो लहरमा अग्रपङ्क्तिमा काम गर्ने महिला स्वास्थ्यकर्मीको भोगाइबारे हाम्रो नयाँ एपिसोड सुन्नुहोला। आफ्नो पेशाले गर्दा अरुहरुबाट विभेदकारी व्यवहार खेपे, बिरामीहरुले दिनहु ज्यान गुमाएको देखे, अझ त्यसमाथि कामसँगै घरव्यवहार सम्हाल्नु पर्ने दोहोरो बोझ - यी सब कुराहरुले उनीहरुको मानसिक स्वास्थ्यमा कस्तो असर पर्यो ? यहि सेरोफेरोमा पत्रकार मन्जु टेलरले तयार पार्नु भएको यो एपिसोड सुन्नु होला।

Our new episode is out! In this collaboration with The Record, we explore the lasting impact on the mental health of female health care workers, who were, and continue to be on the frontlines of the deadly pandemic. This episode might be distressing for some as it contains mentions of Covid-related death and anxiety.

Edited by Irina Giri.

Readings:

For female health workers, it’s like the pandemic never ended

https://recordnepal.com/for-female-health-workers-its-like-the-pandemic-never-ended

Delivered By Women, Led By Men: A Gender And Equity Analysis Of The Global Health And Social Workforce, a report by WHO (2019)

https://bit.ly/3x0bMA8

वीर अस्पतालको कोभिडजन्य संक्रामक फोहोर असुरक्षित रूपमै उठाउन सफाइकर्मी बाध्य by मञ्जु टेलर

https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/80146/2022-02-08

Psychological impact on women health workers involved in COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan: A Cross-sectional Study, by Li et al. (2020)

https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/91/8/895

The Dialogical Experience Of Being A Mother Of A Child And A Nurse In The Covid-19 Pandemic, by Carlos et al. (2020)

https://bit.ly/3NhCDhR

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Don’t forget to subscribe to/follow Boju Bajai wherever you get podcasts. If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, don’t forget to rate and review us.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…​

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FjuUBD

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:

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YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

Boju Bajai को बासी बासी takes on everything from देशको खस्कदो अर्थतन्त्र to upcoming local elections, and all the bro candidates, including Keshav Sthapit and his थुतुनो when it comes to addressing the MeToo allegations against him. And जाँदा जाँदै we also talk about the most bro-ey bro, Elon bhai saab, who just bought Twitter! Bro harukai chhha moj!

Please subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast and leave us daami review hai. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. And if you really enjoy our laugh and guff gaff and want to support work, please become our patron. More information at patreon.com/bojubajai

Body & Data petition to Election Commission to take down personal information of voters: https://bit.ly/3vGBpXj

Reading list/ resources:

केशव स्थापितको अभिव्यक्ति : सार्वजनिक मञ्चबाटै महिलामाथि हिंसा - https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/04/1117857

Public availability of electoral roll data raises privacy concerns https://tkpo.st/3y0bEmk

Nepal bans imports of luxury goods amid dwindling forex reserves https://tkpo.st/3rTtp2P

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai​​

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

Boju Bajai is hosting All Ears, Nepal’s first podcast festival on April 9 & 10 (Saturday - Sunday). AllEars is the first podcast festival of its kind in Nepal, curated to celebrate all things audio. And this episode is all about All Ears, the amazing sessions we have planned, and why you should be part of it.

All sessions take place online (on Zoom). Please register for the sessions here https://bojubajai.org/allears/

The festival brings together a host of international and Nepali podcasters who have used the audio medium to carve space for often-overlooked stories, experiences, and perspectives, all the while creating an intimate relationship with their listeners through their voice and their innovative storytelling. We have 10 amazing sessions with podcasters from Nepal, the Philippines, Australia, and Myanmar. Check out our full lineup here: www.bojubajai.org/allears

The festival will also offer podcasters expert advice and tools to build communities and ecosystems necessary for creating podcasts that are informative, innovative, listener-focused, and consistent.

Creators of Sabscast, Gulaabi Sambad, Period Kaa Kura, Hamro Yatra, Aji’s Podcast will be part of the festival. Check out the list of speakers, the session details, timings, and Zoom links here: www.bojubajai.org/allears

All Ears podcast festival is funded by Splice Media.