Episode 09 - Breaking the Cycle of Silence

Women in Labour

Former Senior Adviser to the World Bank, recipient of multiple awards, author of ‘Chup’ and founder of ‘Chup Circles’, Dr. Deepa Narayan explores women’s learned habits, pleasing behaviors and deference to men, resulting in a vicious cycle of silence. She argues that, despite the veneer of gender equality that middle and upper-middle-class women wear, we’re still only trying to unlearn these habits. And that our stories are more similar to each other’s than we’d like to believe. Listen to Dr. Deepa Narayan, in conversation with Aditi and Christina, as she encourages you to make yourself heard, even in the face of a society that constantly yells “Chup!” With special guest Dr. Deepa Narayan: Dr. Deepa Narayan is the author of the ground-breaking book, Chup: Breaking The Silence About India’s Women. Previously she was the Senior Adviser at the World Bank where she wrote the influential Voices of the Poor series. She was named one of the 100 most influential global thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine in the USA as well as one of India’s 35 Great Thinkers by India Today. She is a TED speaker and founder of Chup Circles and Conscious Caring, conversational spaces in the time of COVID-19. Her opinion pieces have been published widely including in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Vogue, The Hindu, and Hindustan Times. MORE TO READ. This 2018 TOI interview with Dr. Narayan: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/all-that-matters/many-of-us-are-feminists-with-bad-habits/articleshow/63247690.cms This 2018 WaPo piece about Dr. Narayan and ‘Chup’: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/12/why-indias-modern-women-say-its-a-burden-to-be-female/ This 2018 Vogue piece by Dr. Narayan: https://www.vogue.in/content/deepa-narayan-the-shocking-secrets-i-learned-about-indian-women This 2018 Elle piece by Dr. Narayan: https://elle.in/article/deepa-narayan-modern-urban-indian-woman/ This 2018 TheQuint interview where Aditi talks about women’s laughter: https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/aditi-mittal-peformance-at-leddis-night-ladies-finger World Bank, 2000, ‘Voices of the Poor’ http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/131441468779067441/Voices-of-the-poor-can-anyone-hear-us MORE TO WATCH. Dr. Narayan’s TED Talk, titled ‘7 beliefs that can silence women — and how to unlearn them’: https://www.ted.com/talks/deepa_narayan_7_beliefs_that_can_silence_women_and_how_to_unlearn_them?language=en This short clip featuring Dr. Narayan talking about the issue of gender inequality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ZPQ1TzDMI This short video about ‘Chup’ by Juggernaut Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0aNjk6fZ-g A BIG THANKS Women In Labour is generously supported by a grant from the American Center, New Delhi. All opinions, findings, and conclusions are those of Women In Labour and its hosts only — and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.