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Prevent before it's too late

First time author Farida Raj's book addresses health issues and aims to reach out to Urdu speaking women

ALL IN THE FAMILY Waheeda Rehman (right) releases Farida Raj's (left) book Photo: K Gajendran

Those who know Farida Raj know that she would put her best foot forward to complete any task that she sets her mind on. When she thought of penning down a book that would act as a health guide for women, nothing could stop her. What sets her work apart from scores of other books that adorn bookshelves is the fact that the book caters to Urdu speaking women.

"There are a whole lot of books that English speaking women can refer to. But there's very little to help women who read only Urdu. This prompted me to write Hum Aur Hamari Sehet. The book is like a guide that women can refer to when in doubt and then consult a practitioner," says Farida Raj.

Farida is a teacher by profession and started writing after she came across startling realities. She recalls, "Once, during my work concerned with children who have learning disability, I happened to meet a lady at the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) Secunderabad. She had a young child in her arms who was, evidently, mentally challenged. She said it was her fifth child and all her children were faced with a similar condition. I asked her if she had thought of genetic counselling after noticing the problem her first child had faced, and she declared that she had never thought of taking medical help. She had only turned to god or approached fakirs for help." The incident mirrored stark reality and Farida set out to write a column on health in an Urdu daily.

Farida discovered that many women were reluctant to come out in the open and discuss health related issues. "We live in a society where it's taboo to touch ourselves. Many women hesitate to do breast examination, failing to understand that it's the best way to detect early breast cancer. My book is aimed at teaching women how certain medical conditions can be prevented.You'll be surprised to know that many women, who are caught in the daily routine of taking care of their families, do not realise that depression is a health condition that needs to be addressed to. Sexuality is another area that women are hesitant to pose questions even to their own family members. My book is like a reference work that women can turn to for help and can then consult a medical practitioner," she explains.

From being a teacher who focused on children with special abilities to turning a columnist in an Urdu newspaper, Farida felt it was tough to reach out to all women through question-answer columns. Hence the book, which is more personalised. Hum Aur Hamari Seheth was launched in the city amidst select women guests and was released by her aunt and veteran actress Waheeda Rehman.

SANGEETHA DEVI. K

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