India is full of paradoxes, always has been. We take two steps ahead and one step backward. While women of menstruating age are still banned from entering the Sabrimala temple, the year so far has seen many landmark developments that point in the direction of a progressive nation. On Independence Day, take a look at… Continue reading Happy Independence day: 15 reasons why 2018 could be India’s most woke year yet
A woman is raped every 13 minutes in India. As the situation reaches desperate proportions, one police commissioner thinks there might be an answer. In the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, a new, all-female police squad, mounted on motorbikes, aims to keep women safe on the streets. Is it working? ELLE finds out. Once Nirmala notices… Continue reading The all-female motorbike squads tackling India’s rape problem
Women still make up less than a quarter of all STEM professionals, command only 6 percent of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies, and hold just 21 percent of congressional seats — you get the idea. There’s still a lot of work to do. And from Silicon Valley to Hollywood, the latest suggestion for closing… Continue reading Sheryl Sandberg on why men should mentor women
Here’s an unsurprising and completely not-fun fact about period myths : For most of history, the people who researched and made big declarations about periods were men who weren’t having periods themselves. If you’re familiar with the concept of “sexism,” you can probably guess how bad and dumb this was. The result was women hearing a lot… Continue reading 10 bizarre period myths women were told throughout history
Emelia Holden, 21, is a force to be reckoned with. Holden was doing her job as a server at a pizzeria called Vinnie Van Go-Go’s in Savannah, Georgia where she was recently groped by a customer/ pervert named Ryan Cherwinski. But Holden retaliated, and the restaurant’s surveillance camera caught the moment she took him down.… Continue reading Today’s hero: Emelia Holden who body-slammed a pervert who groped her
For the sheer magic their mastery behind the scenes makes possible, these incredible women from the Hindi film industry are undisputable leading ladies in their own right. They’ve paid their dues, stormed a few boys’ clubs, proven their worth, and inspired several generations of young women to pursue careers in film. For this special spread, some of… Continue reading Meet 14 behind-the-scenes women in film you need to know
When I say the woman I went home with that night was hot, I don’t just mean she was good-looking. She was essentially the lovechild of Karlie Kloss and Snow White: A total smokeshow and way out of my league. We met at a bar. She liked dancing to Robyn. I liked her skin. Usually, I… Continue reading Why some women find it difficult to orgasm during sex, and how to resolve it
This Mother’s Day, don’t leave a single stone unturned in your efforts to shower your mum with this season’s top fashion picks — and make a grand gesture she won’t forget. Show off your impeccable taste (that you, no doubt, inherited from her) with these chic gifts from Michael Kors. 8 stylish Mother’s Day presents from… Continue reading 8 stylish gifts from Michael Kors to pamper your mom with on Mother’s Day
To say we live in the Age of Oversharing is a wild understatement. And yet, most of us still don’t know how much money our closest friends make, let alone how they negotiated to get there. But being armed with real, concrete information — both the hard numbers and the soft skill tactics — is… Continue reading 5 women on how to successfully negotiate a raise
In 2016, the Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first batch of women fighter jet pilots — Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh. It was in October 2015 that the government, spearheaded by the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, took the decision to open the fighter stream for… Continue reading Meet the first women fighter jet pilots of the Indian Air Force
As India’s first female Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman wields control over one of the largest armies in the world with disarming diplomacy and quiet grit. The thing about Nirmala Sitharaman is that she hardly ever gets agitated, angry or belligerent. It’s a rare quality to keep calm as a political spokesperson on Indian news television and… Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: India’s first female Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is a force to reckon with
At 61, after working in a male-dominated field of law for over 30 years, Zia Mody, founder and managing partner, AZB and Partners, has slowly risen up the ladder to become one of India’s leading corporate legal eagles. But her journey has not been easy — in fact, it has been fraught with setbacks that she has persevered… Continue reading 5 ways to be a successful female entrepreneur, according to Zia Mody
Something’s snapped. After the 2016 presidential election, women nationwide wanted to make a scene. We flooded streets in protest. We filled out ballots. Whispers gave way to battle cries. We didn’t do it for “attention”; we did it for progress. In “Fired Up,” ELLE.com explores women’s rage — and what comes next. Swearing is powerful. It’s an… Continue reading There’s a swearing double standard — and women can change it
No matter how high you climb, the challenges don’t end. It’s about constantly proving yourself in this fast-paced world. 6 powerful women in finance to watch out for: [Gallery id=”1187″] Photographs: Trupal Pandya; Sittings Editor: Rahul VijayHair and Make-up: Jean-Claude Biguine; Assisted by: Divya Gursahani
One of the leading fashion capitals in the world, Paris is renowned for its stylish sensibilities. From architecture to clothes, every aspect about Paris spells out fashion — and that’s the exact aesthetic that sums up ELLE Studio. From the house of renowned Parisian brand ELLE, ELLE Studio is made for the modern day woman whose… Continue reading Add a Parisian touch to your wardrobe with ELLE Studio’s latest collection
“I’d like to think I’m infiltrating people’s prejudices by creating simple yet beautiful work about feminism.” Brooklyn-based art director Natasha Sumant, 26, is on a mission to break cultural and gender stereotypes surrounding South-Asian women. Having grown up as “a dark-skinned South Indian girl”, Sumant was conscious of race and feminism at an early age.… Continue reading Gundi Studios is breaking gender stereotypes, one badass design at a time
Women from all over the world took to the streets on January 21 for the Women’s March 2018 — in its second year — held in response to Donald Trump being selected as the US President. This year took forward the #MeToo movement that had leading Hollywood actresses Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman open up and share their… Continue reading 21 empowering messages from the Women’s March 2018
In October 2017, a little after The New York Times exposition of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein exploded across the Internet and set in motion a worldwide outpouring of women (and men) detailing their experiences of sexual harassment, I was at the centre of a smaller, but no less damning revolution in this part of the… Continue reading What is it like to be sexually harassed by your own boss and mentor? This writer shares her brave story
As of January 1, 2018, it is illegal to pay men more than women in Iceland. The Nordic country is the first in the world to make equal pay the law, following an announcement of the legislation on March 8, International Women’s Day 2017. Under the new rules, companies that employ more than 25 people are obliged… Continue reading Iceland just made it illegal to pay men more than women
Some people might not describe their stretch marks as beautiful, but these women are proving that they can be turned into gorgeous works of art. Sara Shakeel added glitter to stretch marks in a beautiful display of empowering art, Cinta Tort Cartró turned stretch marks into beautiful rainbows, and now artist Sally Hewett has incorporated… Continue reading Embroidery artist creates work that embraces stretch marks, scars and body hair
Despite its glitz and glamour, awards season somehow always acts as a large dose of reality. Historically, cinema has always been undiverse, with an overwhelming number of nominations and wins awarded to white males. However, even after the film industry began opening its doors to people of colour and female directors — let’s not forget that… Continue reading The SAG Awards will now have female-only presenters in wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal
