WorklifeIndia

India has more than 90 million Muslim women. A majority of them are poor and uneducated. Even those at the top of the table of the society feel that they have to face too many established narratives, whether it’s about domestic violence, forced marriage or the burqa, preventing real discussions on more important issues.

In recent years, India has also witnessed an increase in hate crimes against the minority Muslim community and some say they now feel anxious about their future as an Indian Muslim. As International Women's Day approaches, we speak to those who have challenged gender and religious stereotypes in India. We ask them, what does it mean to be a Muslim woman in today's India?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Photo: Muharram procession in New Delhi, as women come together to commemorate the martyrdom Imam Hussein. Credit: Jasjeet Plaha/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Globally, more than 82,000 people in more than 50 countries are now infected with the coronavirus. Close to 2,800 have died, mostly in China’s central Hubei province. While countries battle to control the outbreak, the World Health Organisation has warned it will be ‘fatal’ for any country to assume it will not get any cases.

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we ask, what is the hidden impact of the coronavirus? What measures is India taking to ensure complete preparedness? Is there a social cost to the misinformation around coronavirus? And will businesses that are heavily dependent upon their trade with China cushion the imminent fallout?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Dr Shahid Jameel, leading virologist, CEO, Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance health charity; Qian Sun, Chinese journalist; Subodh Rai, senior director & head - analytics, CRISIL Ratings

Many of us love the natural world. We find animals cute, majestic and even fascinating - but rapid urbanisation and deforestation are threatening their population all over the world.

As India hosts an international UN summit to discuss new measures to protect endangered wildlife, it is also facing an increasing risk of extinction of three of these species - the Great Indian Bustard, Asiatic Elephant and the Bengal Florican. In fact, nearly 100 bird species in the country are also at risk of extinction.

Is development coming at a cost of depleting natural resources? Is it time the authorities took stricter measures to prevent poaching, habitat encroachment and illegal trade of animals? WorklifeIndia discusses the reasons and the solutions to mitigate India's vanishing wildlife species.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Dr Ramesh Krishnamurthy, scientist, Wildlife Institute of India; Latika Nath, wildlife conservation ecologist; Aparna Rajagopal, chairperson, Wildlife SOS

Photo: Elephants in woodland Credit: Getty Images

It's Valentine's Day and love is being celebrated across the world. But the way we seek love has vastly changed, and India is no exception.

Technology and modern living have morphed how we find romance and express love. While popular culture continues to be overwhelmingly straight, many are breaking free of the default 'hetero' norm, to acknowledge their preference for non-heterosexual sexuality.

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we ask: what are the different faces of modern love? Has the idea of romance changed? And how is it affecting our psyche, interactions with people, and the way we look at relationships?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Dr Pragati Singh, founder, Indian Aces asexual community, identifies as demisexual; Anika Verma, human rights campaigner, identifies as polyamorous and bisexual; Debolina Dey, assistant professor, identifies as lesbian and queer

India has won 13 Olympic medals since the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and women account for five of them. In contrast, all 13 medals claimed by India pre-Sydney belong to men, signifying a change in paradigm in the nation's sporting landscape.

But several challenges remain. In a country with a skewed sex ratio, gender discrimination, and striking disparities in opportunities for boys versus girls, it has taken sheer grit and guts for many of our sportswomen to come out shining and force a mindset change.

Now, as the BBC launches its first-ever Indian Sportswoman of the Year award, WorklifeIndia asks how Indian women in sports can break barriers and change the game.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Anju Bobby George, former athlete and chairperson, Athletes’ Commission; Manisha Malhotra, former Olympic tennis player, head of sports excellence & scouting, JSW Sports; Vandana Vijay, TV editor, BBC Indian Languages

The gap between the super-rich and the rest of the world is widening, as wealth continues to be owned by a small minority, according to a new report by global non-profit, Oxfam. Over 2,000 of the world's billionaires have more wealth than nearly 60 per cent of the planet’s population.

The contrast is even sharper for developing countries such as India, where some 74% of the money generated goes to the richest 10%, the charity says.

So what's the best way to greater equality and faster growth? How can we raise the living standards of the poor, especially the poorest 40%? And how can more women get economic benefit for their unpaid care work?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Manav Subodh, co-founder, 1M1B (1 Million for 1 Billion); Ranu Bhogal, director of policy, research & campaigns, Oxfam India; Naghma Mulla, chief operating officer, EdelGive Foundation

India is among the world's youngest nations. More than half of its population, over 600 million people, is under the age of 25. That is an extraordinary demographic that gives a sense of importance of young Indians for the future of Asia and of the world.

Today's young people are well aware of events in other parts of the world. They are vocal in their demands for good jobs and better education, they challenge established social norms, and in schools and colleges, they are learning to dream big.

But are their rising aspirations being met with equal opportunities? What are the fears and concerns in the minds of the Indian youth? What does a young India really want?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Sabika Abbas Naqvi, founder, Sar-i-Rahguzar: Poetry on the Streets; Ashweetha Shetty, founder and CEO, Bodhi Tree Foundation; Ayush Jaiswal, co-founder, Pesto Tech

Walking on the streets in many Indian cities is often likened to an adventure. People are seen jostling for space in narrow lanes, hawkers shouting, traffic zooming past and of course cows squatting in the middle of the roads.

But there is very little chance of finding a walkway with a ramp for people with disabilities, or markers to help the visually challenged.

India is home to more than 26 million people with disabilities. A majority of them live in rural areas and struggle for access to education, employment and healthcare. #WorklifeIndia asks how government, corporates and civil society can come together to ensure dignity and inclusion for people living with disabilities.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Devika Malik, para-athlete and co-founder, Wheeling Happiness; Dr Jitender Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Sarthak Educational Trust; Swati Rustagi, Director of HR, Amazon India Operations

It’s a new year and the start of a fresh chapter. It is also the time we make resolutions to bring changes into our lives.

So what’s on your list? Are you thinking about buying that dream car or home, but don’t have enough funds? Or are you looking at quitting your job to be your own boss, but aren’t sure how to start and what to do?

#WorklifeIndia speaks to experts to ask the million-dollar question: how should we manage our money?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Satyen Kothari, founder and CEO, Cube wealth app; Chinu Kala, founder, Rubans Accessories; Shaurya Bajaj, equity investor

Remember the times when you planned your day such that you could catch your favourite show on television? If you missed an episode, you would call others to fill you in. Streaming services and video-on-demand have changed all that. We now consume content on web series, television shows and films anytime and anywhere we like.

How does content differ across different platforms? And how is the rise of streaming impacting Bollywood and the traditional platforms like movie theatres?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures; Gourav Rakshit, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures; Richa Chadda, Bollywood actor

Photo: Man watching a tablet with headphones Credit: Getty Images