Thread by @TheCityofwomen

Hi. If you're on Instagram, we really hope you check out our feed today. We have the most amazing guest curator Pooja Saxena @anexasajoop instagram.com/p/CN1cPWmJy6i/…

@anexasajoop: For as long as I can remember, I have judged the safety of a street or a public space by the number of women I could see. Lots of women 👍🏼 Barely any 👎🏼 (Waaaay) More often than I would like to admit, I have walked streets where the only woman to be seen was me.

.@poojasaxena More than a question of safety, it feels like a matter of tacit discouragement — you’re not welcome. On days like that, I look to sign boards around me to find any trace of women. Maybe the street is named after one? Or a store, perhaps? Even those are hard to find.

.@anexasajoop: And even when I do find one, I can’t help but think about what gets named after women. Shops to do with clothing are the number 1️⃣ spot — here's Vijayalakshmi Silks and Sarees from MG Road in Bangalore.

.@anexasajoop: Geetha clothing stores, Ahmedabad

.@anexasajoop Sabiya Stores, Shahpur, Ahmedabad.

.@poojasaxena: If one is lucky, one will spot a bookstore named after a woman — that’s Gouher Press & Book Depot from Chennai.

.@poojasaxena: Or even, an auto works shop, again from Ahmedabad.

.@poojasaxena: And while we’re on the subject of shop signs, a question always on my mind is which women are granted the honour and privilege of having a store or public building named after them?

.@poojasaxena: Being the Queen of England helps. Swipe to find an apartment building called Queen’s Court near Bombay’s Oval Maidan.

.@poojasaxena: And finally, Stella Studio in Bangalore’s Frazer Town, run today by Stella Joyce Machado, who was named after the studio by her late father, who founded the place over half a century ago.

.@anexasajoop Do you frequent a shop named after a woman? What does it sell? Have you ever spotted a shop run by a woman that she named after herself? I would love to know! Tell us in the comments

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