Five gutsy women make powerful personal statements
They are fun, they are fiery, they are fearless, and they are feminists. Radhika Apte, Aalia Furniturewalla, Meghna Pant, Saloni Chopra and Sapna Bhavnani write on some important and relevant issues this Women’s Day
Radhika Apte on #nudity 
These days, much is being said about heroines taking up ‘bold’ characters. Yes, it is heartening to see women in movies break away from the virginal angelic stereotype. But that doesn’t mean every woman character has to be ‘bold’. That again is a stereotype. 
It’s no secret that I like to march to the beat of my own drum, but I’ve always tried to be sensitive in the way I do it. I always believed that as long as I wasn’t hurting anyone and my intentions weren’t misplaced, I could do anything. What I could never figure out was why being an autonomous, bold woman capable of making her own choices was such a big deal. 
In India, 33 per cent of women – around 20 million women; almost the entire population of Australia – are victims of physical abuse. Take a moment to think about this. One out of every three women you know is hit by a man she loves and trusts! Worse still, according to UNICEF, 57 per cent boys and 53 per cent girls in India think a husband is justified in beating his wife! 
Around mid last year, I told you “my breasts are not my respect and dignity”. And I meant it. My boobs really aren’t holy or sacred. No woman’s are. Neither is our vagina. Then why all this undesired attention? 
It’s no secret that the fewer clothes you wear on social media, the more likes/followers you get. Although it’s visually appealing to see so many naked people on my timeline, it’s also very sad to see so many women/men fall prey to this sneaky advertising gimmick that convinces people that this is a sort of feminist movement.
