Brut India spoke to Aranya Johar, a teenage spoken-word artist, who has struck a chord with poems about ordinary women experiencing everyday sexism.
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00:00I wanted people to be so uncomfortable and then to realise that how they feel within
00:05those two and a half minutes of me performing is how every woman feels every day, all the time.
00:17Not just me, my mother, sisters, friends all, quick in their pace, pose 30 in the evening.
00:23My mom telling me to wear skirts out less often, nirbhaya and more, left forgotten.
00:27We don't want to be another of India's daughters, do we?
00:40I had a voice and opinion but they muted my sound,
00:43probably because I was told, boys only like girls who are fair and lovely.
00:46I was probably like 13 when I performed the first time. I sneaked into a bar
01:02because that time there was only one open mic that would happen in Bombay
01:06and that was the first time I ticked that box of are you 18 and above when I wasn't.
01:10The first boy who held my hand told me boys don't want to hear about vaginas bleeding.
01:20Younger me could smell the misogyny, vaginas only meant to be fucked,
01:24breasts only meant to be sucked, mouths only meant to blow.
01:30My mom was so excited because she finds it so funny when I cuss.
01:35My dad was like, that is very different, Aaru.
01:44When I sit back and look at, you know, say my DMs or my Facebook or my Twitter or whatever,
01:49there'll be like five very rude, hateful comments
01:53and there'll be like 40 or 50 comments of admiration and appreciation.
01:58I used to slut shame girls a lot and once I started reading more about feminism,
02:06I realized it was wrong. Your first thought seeing someone dress more confidently,
02:10then you might be like, what is slut? And then catching yourself saying, no, that's wrong.
02:14So being a feminist in 2018 is realizing there's going to be change
02:18all around and be ready to change yourself.