While in labour, a woman at a government hospital in the country was slapped hard for shouting in pain. Miles away, a young woman in a bigger city was judged for visiting a doctor without a parent or her husband. And, “bear with it,” is common advice from medical professionals for period cramps. Gender-based discrimination in the health sector is a reality across rural and urban India. With a view to address the lack of sensitivity and demand ‘basic’ dignity in healthcare, Khud Se Pooche, a women-led and women-centric initiative, is hoping to develop a safe space for every ally.

Campaign lead Gurpriya Singh tells us, “The project is physically based out of Bihar, but the Internet helped us facilitate natiowide mobility. When we started out, it was difficult to find a byword for dignity in Hindi. We realised that most women had no access to proper medical care, and indignity was such a large chunk of their daily lives that identifying it in relation to health could only be an afterthought.” Singh explains that the need for a campaign calling for safe medical care through art was felt in the course of many workshops. “In one such workshop, the safety pin emerged as a symbol of dignity for sufferers,” she notes. The project then collaborated with artists and creators to get the ball rolling.