Born in Dubai to Indian parents, I moved to North America when I was six months old and grew up desperately wanting to fit in. I spent most of my formative years rejecting my family’s heritage and culture, not understanding how much I could learn from it.

My parents always told me how different life was for people living in India. My mom and dad would both tell me that if I were there, I wouldn’t be able to go out alone – the way I do here – because I am a female. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the difficulties women face, from rape culture to inequalities in the workplace and society.

It wasn’t until I went to India for the first time in 2013 that I realized gender inequalities are deeply ingrained in both government systems and culture.

This story allowed me to explore inequality at one of the most basic levels – health – and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do so.

I saw parts of India I never thought I’d see, from the tribal villages in the Tapi District to the rural farmlands outside of Dwarka and I am thankful for all of the people who let me into their homes (and offered me fresh milk and coconut water!) so I could learn more about their lives.

I am thankful for my mom for sticking by me during my field work and helping me translate the many local dialects we encountered. I am also thankful for my aunt, Bhanu, and cousin, Bena, for helping me get oriented in Dwarka – I definitely would have been lost otherwise. A special thanks goes to Gaurang Mehta for doing everything from helping out with flat tires to running around for me while I was in Canada.

I owe a lot to Susan Harada, my adviser, who has dealt with me working down to the wire many times – thank you, Susan.

Also a big thanks to Roger Martin, the website builder extraordinaire who saved the day when my site decided to crash on me.

Finally, thank you to the women I met in India who are in my story and to those who aren’t. It was inspiring to see your resilience.

While I know change is slow, I hope this project will shed some light on an overlooked but important issue in India.