Aliya Bashir

The value of a ‘spiritual life’ through religious diversity that still exists today inside the culture of Kashmir’s capital city of Srinagar

In this conflict-ridden Himalayan territory, entrepreneurship has witnessed many a metamorphosis. Initially, it was taken up by the educated upper class men who invested their own money to build their fortunes.

Dal Lake is known as a jewel of Indian-administered Kashmir. Now, women, who are increasingly cultivating produce on the lake, say it’s key to their livelihoods.

‘Bees are like my family’: A female beekeeper is reviving honey production in Kashmir

The Teenage Girls who Intervene to Stop Domestic Violence in their Community

Already battling discrimination, Indian women with disabilities are thrown another curve ball in the form of the pandemic and the restrictions it has prompted.

In the village of Dardpora, hundreds of women live in isolation. Their husbands were killed fighting against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region. Now the widows receive little social or financial support.

Hundreds of victims have forged a unique path for themselves through ‘A Gift Story’ – an online portal where their personal stories are packaged through gifted accessories and exquisite craftsmanship.

Despite the odds, a group of women farmers in the Indian state of Haryana persevered to become success stories after empowering themselves and others in their communities.

Health workers are braving insecurity, hostile terrain, misinformation and distrust to reach far-flung communities with the vaccine.

There is no evidence linking infertility to COVID-19 vaccine side effects... ‘To live or die is in the hands of God. But to live with the stigma of not having a child is to die every day.’

Children of Kashmiri counterinsurgents face their own battles ‘The widows and orphans of these families were left to fend for themselves and treated as untouchables.’

The rise of COVID-19 in 2020 not only flooded general medical facilities with patients—especially in rural areas, sending more patients to seek care in the city of Srinagar. It also overwhelmed the already-ailing maternal health system.

Kashmir’s health system, battered by conflict and neglect, was not ready to manage maternal health amid COVID-19’s disruptions, especially during the first 2 months of the pandemic, and mothers endured many complications.