Blog 2: July 14th
India is an interesting country. Delhi is extremely polluted and scorching hot. Some days the temperature can reach 110F! There’s pollution everywhere and the sky is grey. One thing that really impressed me about India is how they are still a developing nation but working so hard to turn things around. This summer they planted 22 million trees in Delhi. Stores do not offer plastic bags, only cotton ones. All take away is in recycled bags. India is still the most polluted place in the world, with Faridabad the place I’m staying, being the second most polluted place. One of the biggest issues holding India down from really progressing is the fact only 10% of their population pays taxes. Unfortunately, the majority of the population faces extreme poverty, living on less than 100rs a day. India is still lacking in many things. They don’t have any form of birth control leaving many people to not have sex until they’re 25. Unmarried women cannot receive a pregnancy test even if the doctor knows they could be pregnant. Hepatitis B is a huge issue in India due to lack of accessible healthcare and little to no symptoms from Hep B. In rural areas men tend to use the bathroom on the side of the road, yet women are forbidden from doing this.
Dharmshala, India
Women are generally respected just as much as men. Contrary to what I read online before coming they are allowed to be out at night freely. Rural women tent to wear saris and traditional Indian clothes while modern women wear western clothes. On subways women are given a separate area near the front of the area that men are not allowed to enter. They can sit anywhere else in the train, but the first cab is theirs to choose if they want.
Taj Mahal, Agra, India