Producing talks and material
Swati Jagdish, a resident of Coimbatore, would often go to a park in her neighborhood as a new mother. She soon began chatting with other female patrons. They would discuss their experiences as mothers while sitting under a tree. She got the idea to extend this to social media and normalize discussions on birth positions, breastfeeding, gentle parenting, etc. from this open forum. She created the @mayas_amma page around eight years ago in an effort to spark conversations in a taboo sector.
According to Forbes India, Swati is now placed 73rd in the Changemaker category of India’s Top 100 Digital Stars 2023. “I’m feeling quite content right now. The sexual health educator adds, “It’s refreshing to have someone volunteer to recognize the work you do when brands are approaching with pay and recognition.” According to Swati, this acknowledgment is “even better” as it encourages public awareness and education. This goes hand in hand with her intention to regularize safe, healthy, and sex-positive conversations at home.
One movement at a time
Swati had previously belonged to the Coimbatore Parenting Network, a support group among other mothers. She began imparting her skills on nursing, attachment parenting, and natural childbirth at this point. She is its trustee now. “When I realized that more people would be learning about these across India, the ongoing real-time awareness in the city translated into social media,” she adds.
The Facebook page launched first in 2015, followed by the Instagram page in 2016. She shared articles on nursing, childrearing, using cloth diapers or baby carriers, and the gentle parenting philosophy. Conversations on sex education naturally begin with these subjects.
According to Swati, the process of developing and maturing together with the material generated has inspired her to investigate topics and provide them from many angles. Give them (people/satisfied customers) all the information they need to make an educated choice, she advises. She is researching detransitioning at the moment and will be studying this topic shortly. She is filming a new version of her class to assist people understand the process in addition to making short films about it. For future reference, this will also be made available on her app, Maya’s Amma, in the future.
Finding equilibrium
Swati tells stories with a lot of enthusiasm. She usually has over 300 scripts and topics prepared for discussion! She continues, “I can turn any topic into a story and tell it in a way that anyone can understand.”
Her feed has balancing difficulties. Some are based on her own experiences and the subjects she wishes to discuss, while others are requests from her fans of all genders and ages. “Parents were my main target audience, but because of my parent-like image, many teenagers have started following me these days,” the speaker continues.
Her friends and family are rooting for her to succeed in her endeavors. “It wasn’t shocking to anyone because I didn’t suddenly jump onto social media one day to discuss a taboo subject,” she says. However, trolling does happen, and in August 2023, she was charged for pushing kids to see porn. “Those who have attended one or more of my workshops or who know me personally are aware of who I am. Speaking of limits, having worked in the field for eight years, I know which trolls to ignore and which to take seriously,” she claims. At the end of the day, Swati is certain that everyone is an individual who just wants to have fun and develop. Therefore, it is best to prioritize each job that accompanies aging, accept the obligations, and seize the chance to shine. These days, I value my duties as a mother and a content writer equally. Being a mother taught me a lot, but I still need to use my creativity in some capacity. Everything is given equal consideration, she claims.
With the intention of bringing about a shift, Swati wants to keep shattering taboos via engaging in dialogue, normalizing the use of language, telling tales about these topics, and establishing a secure atmosphere for future generations.
