Is it tough to be a woman in India? Debatable, isn't it? On one hand, there is feminism, women empowerment, and related conversations, while on the other, there are women who are beaten up, sexually abused and getting acid thrown at them. In the midst of contrast and ironies, Sanya Runwal decided to do her bit. And how, you may ask. Well, this 17-year-old lent her voice and words against the oppression of women through her first book, Ten Dollar Bride, which is a collection of seven short stories.
After two months of research, this young activist aims to surely bring about a change with her book. Writing has always been a way for the twelfth grader to express her emotions and de-stress from the news about the atrocities on women, "I realised that if my message is conveyed in the form of a story, it would have a greater impact," says Sanya.
All the seven stories are inspired by true events. Of all the stories she researched, the one of a child bride touched her the most. "She was married off to a man, considerably older. After the wedding, she had to go through a lot of hardships. She was beaten up and wasn't even fed. When the in-laws saw her eating once, they poured acid down her throat," she narrates with gloom.
Sanya says that the Nirbhaya case, that happened when she was 13, was what made her a feminist. "I followed the case very closely. After that, I felt that I should step up and do something," she says. Later, she joined Myna Mahila Foundation, an NGO that makes affordable menstrual hygiene products available for rural women.
As for the future, Sanya is still too young and unsure of what she would like to do next. But she knows that feminism is for her and she would do anything that goes down that path.
