In this episode of Beyond Borders Podcast, our host Aakriti Dhawan is joined by Debarati Guha, Director of Programs for Asia at DW (Deutsche Welle). Together, they discuss issues that deeply affect women in everyday life, often ignored, as well as the fairness of the media in 2026.

From being gifted a sewing machine instead of a bicycle as a young girl to constantly having to fight to make a place for herself in professional spaces, Guha reflects on the subtle ways patriarchy continues to shape women’s lives even today. The conversation also touches on workplace inequality, women not being taken seriously in media spaces, how empowerment is often spoken about without real shifts in power truly being accepted, and the unsafe realities many women still face, from rape threats and domestic violence to female foeticide and the lack of basic dig ...