‘OMG 2’, ‘Chhatriwali’, ‘Janhit Mein Jaari’ and ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’ are a few Hindi films that highlight the importance of sex education in our country. From adults to teenagers, people are unaware of their bodies. They do not understand the difference between sex and intimacy. Many cultures call it a sin to identify with genders other than male and female or explore sexuality beyond the boundaries of binary. This is where sex educators step in. They make it easy for us to understand medical jargon and answer queries without attaching stigma, judgement, and taboo to the subject.
Among a handful of sex educators in India, Artika Singh is breaking not only taboos but also continuously smashing patriarchy. The Public Health Anthropologist has more than 18k followers on Instagram and posts reels educating people about sexuality and expanding the horizons of intimacy. She bursts myths and presents facts on various subjects ranging from orgasms to safe sexual experiences.
The founder of Taarini Foundation, a non-profit organisation, said, “A sex educator is not someone who is saving young girls and women. They provide information, resources, and tools to people so that they can empower themselves and save themselves from certain situations.”
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Artika Singh’s Journey: From A Book On Anthropology To Non-Profit Organisation
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Studying at Welham Girls School, Dehradun, Artika was first introduced to a book on anthropology by her teacher. She was a science student who was interested in reading, did a lot of volunteer work, and was always ahead when it came to co-curricular activities. She never thought that she wanted to be a sex educator, but she knew that documenting the lived experiences of people always interested her.
“It was interesting for me to know why people do certain things differently, in the cultural, religion, medical, and healthcare context,” she added. Since her father is a doctor, she was always inclined towards the healthcare industry.
In college, she got a chance to be a part of a project related to menstrual health and hygiene. It was a 3-month project, and after two months of working on the ground, the sex educator was sure that she wanted to build her career in public health. In 2018, Artika graduated from Hansraj College, University of Delhi, she started working on creating her non-profit organisation.
When Artika started the Taarini Foundation, her parents found it a bit challenging to convey to other people what their daughter did for a living. “I come from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, and this (sex education) is something that is difficult to articulate. My mom would say that she works in healthcare, and dad would say that she works in menstrual healthcare and empowerment,” she added.
After being 7 years into this, Artika’s parents are proud to introduce their daughter. The 26-year-old sex educator works with communities on the ground to spread awareness on the subject.
Internal And External Challenges Of Being A Sex Educator
If you surf through Artika’s Instagram handle, you will find several videos related to sex, intimacy, and sexuality. These are the topics that quickly grab the attention of trolls, and they do not shy away from commenting on whatever first pops into their head. She said that she has come across two kinds of challenges - external and internal.
External challenge is being on social media and putting yourself out there. People from different walks of life can be offended by the type of content she puts or doesn’t like what she says. “They want to impose that I am ruining everyone’s morals. I don’t take it personally,” she added.
Another kind of targeting that Artika faces is quite personal. Trolls comment on how she looks, talks, and appears. Initially, these comments used to hurt her, but now, she does not give two hoots about them. She says that if the comment is not related to her content, she is the least bothered by it. She deletes such comments.
Challenges Of Being A Content Creator
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Being on social media comes with a challenge that one often loses themselves in the game of algorithms. Artika said that it had happened a few times when she started making videos and reels.
She added that when you see other people growing, and you are not, you get stuck in a loop of what they are doing that is working for them. You try to understand and replicate the content or understand your audience and how to grow your views. She feels that in the midst of it all, one can easily divert from the path and lose the sense of purpose.
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Women Also Propagate Patriarchy
Speaking about her work on the ground, Artika said that she spoke to people from different communities and each has its challenges. During the first project of her non-profit organisation, she briefed her team about the semi-rural area in New Delhi. They were prepared to greet patriarchal mindsets. However, the team made sure that in any case, they would try their best to address the queries of people and make them aware of safe sex practices. “Women were in more control of their sexual and reproductive health than we assumed, which was a little surprising, in a good way,” she added.
Artika said that in many cases, she found that patriarchy was often preached not by men, but by women. “It was good learning for me,” she added. The sex educator clarified that this is not a pattern only in rural areas but also in urban areas as well.
Another back-and-forth challenge was to talk to people about sex, menstruation, sexual health, and intimacy, which would often affect religion, morals, and learnings of people.
Artika started making reels to expand her base and ensure that she reached more people. She wanted to use the power of social media to disseminate useful information that users could benefit from. In 2021, she won the Young Person of the Year award from the Sexual Health Wing of the National Health Survey (NHS) and Brook Sexual Health Awards. She has also received RNW Media Global Digital Sex Educators Hub, supported by UNESCO.
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‘Knowledge Is Shakti’
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For Artika, ‘Shakti’ means Goddess Durga, the one who saves. But in the context of her work, she believes that sex educators are not saving young girls or women. She added that it is knowledge about the subject and your body that saves you from certain situations.
“For me, knowledge is the true form of Shakti with which you can empower yourself and others,” Artika concluded.
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