The Pink Ladoo Project

The Pink Ladoo Project is an initiative that first launched in the United Kingdom in order to address the gender-biased social norms of South Asian communities. The tradition of celebrating the birth of a boy by distributing sweets, typically 'ladoos', to friends and family is deeply-rooted in patriarchal values. There are no explicit traditions similar for celebrating the birth of girls. The leaders of The Pink Ladoo Project believe this gender-biased tradition insinuates that "from birth, South Asian girls [are] worth less than their male counterparts". Thus, this project was launched on [insert]. The 'pink ladoo' is much more than a sweet; it is a symbol that protests gender inequality and it represents a strong movement towards empowering South Asian girls and women.

Traditional Practices

Specific South Asian traditional practices privilege males while simultaneously devaluing females. *link to dowry page* patriarchy

The Project

Khaira's Story

The founder of

What is a Ladoo?

girls have their own rights, and their own celebratory sweets. PIC

Mission

The Pink Ladoo Project, launched in the UK, Canada, and Australia by founder Raj Khaira, is a stark reminder that there is much work to be done to accomplish gender equality globally. The project is grounded by the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, specifically by Goal 5: Gender Equality. The Pink Ladoo Project aspires to "achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls".

The 'pink ladoo' is merely a sweet, but this project is much greater than itself. It encourages South Asian communities to celebrate the birth of sons and daughters equally. Khaira states that "the birth announcement is the first tradition to be skewed towards the male child, and the pink ladoos hope to change that". This is a part of a larger conversation which works to eliminate all forms of discrimination, violence and harmful practices against women and girls. In South Asian communities, the 'pink ladoo' recognizes the necessity for girls' education, the full value of a woman's participation in society and equal opportunities for leadership for both genders. Importantly, this project contributes to ensuring universal access to sexual reproduction health and reproductive rights. The individuals behind The Pink Ladoo Project reminds the South Asian public that this is not an initiative to devalue the birth of sons or to instruct others on how to celebrate the birth of daughters. Families can celebrate however they wish to do so; The Pink Ladoo Project hopes this strikes ideas to pursue gender-equal celebrations.

The Launch

On October 11, 2015, the UN International Day of the Girl, the Pink Ladoo Project distributed boxes of 'pink ladoos' in partnership with the sweet ship, Barfia London . As Khaira describes, this is the ideal site to launch the campaign as hospital staff witness the first moments of devastation from South Asian diaspora families once hearing that their baby is female. By celebrating the birth of a girl in the prime moments with 'pink ladoos', a positive discourse is encouraged.

Spreading the Sweetness

Since October 2015, the project has spread largely to Australia and Canada. Pink ladoos have been distributed in the Canadian cities of Toronto, Edmonton, Regina, and Surrey . At the CEPT university hospital in Gujarat, India, volunteers distributed 'pink ladoos' in 40°C weather. This is a non-profit organization, so no proceeds are gained from sales. The importance of this project is to start a conversation.