Leeza Mangaldas

Leeza Mangaldas
Born
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Occupations
  • Sex educator
  • sports reporter
  • podcaster
Years active2013 – present
Known forSex education

Leeza Mangaldas is an Indian sex educator and sports reporter. Her work focuses on female sexuality.[1] She authored the 2022 book The Sex Book: A Joyful Journey of Self Discovery. Mangaldas has also worked as podcaster and occasional actress.

Early life and education

Mangaldas was born in Bangalore, India.[2] Her father is an architect and her mother is an interior designer and photographer.[3] She grew up in Goa and attended high school in Kodaikanal.[3] She studied English literature and visual art at Columbia University in New York, including in classes taught by Gauri Viswanathan, and graduated in 2011.[3][4] After graduation, she moved to Mumbai.[3]

Career

While based in Mumbai, Mangaldas worked as an actress and was a co-founder of Evoke India,[5] an organization curating speaker events.[6][7] She had a lead role in the 2014 film W, about sexual violence against women in India.[2][8] She also wrote a 2013 opinion article noted by The Indian Express to address themes in the film about shame and self-blame by survivors.[9]

While working as a newscaster, and with experience as a reporter that included the Indian Super League,[10][11][12] Mangaldas began independently posting sex education videos in 2017 on YouTube in English to help address what she felt was "a lack of easily accessible information and non-judgemental platforms to share questions and experiences, and obtain facts and resources pertaining to sex, sexuality, gender, sexual health, relationships, and the body."[13][3][4]

After success creating content on YouTube and Instagram, this became her full-time occupation in 2018.[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, she also began creating videos in Hindi.[14] In 2021, she began the podcast Love Matters, produced by The Indian Express and Deutsche Welle.[15] In December 2021, she began the Hindi sex education podcast The Sex Podcast with Leeza Mangaldas on Spotify.[16][4][17] In 2023, Meta, the company operating Instagram, restricted several Indian sex education content creators' accounts—including that of Mangaldas, who then deleted some of her content to avoid restrictions after an unsuccessful appeal.[18]

In 2022 Mangaldas founded a sexual wellness brand called Leezu's which sells massagers and lubricants.[19]

Mangaldas is a member of The Pleasure Project, an NGO that has worked alongside the World Health Organization to research sexual health.[20][21]

The Sex Book

In October 2022, Mangaldas published her first book The Sex Book: A Joyful Journey of Self-Discovery with Harper Collins, and released an audio version on Audible.[22][23] Scroll.in described the book as "scientifically oriented"[24] and The Hindu described the book as "an invaluable sex-education manual that helps readers navigate and celebrate their bodies, identities and relationships."[25] According to Vogue India, "Far from the grim scientific jargon and convoluted infographics of a biology textbook, The Sex Book is a breezy read. Mangaldas is like a good friend [...] No question is too stupid, no concern too small."[23]

Honors and awards

References

  1. ^ Bhatia, Reema (October 2022). "Feminism in the Virtual Space: The Indian Context" (PDF). Vantage: Journal of Thematic Analysis. 3 (2): 41 – via Maitreyi College, University of Delhi.
  2. ^ a b Adivarekar, Priya (4 April 2014). "Arty at heart". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Shende, Shruti (16 February 2022). "More to sex than reproduction". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Scheffler, Ian (2022). "Let's Talk About Sex on YouTube". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  5. ^ Leeza, Mangaldas (3 January 2013). "Misogyny in India: We are all guilty". CNN. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  6. ^ "About". Evoke India. 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  7. ^ "The Evening of Beauty, Love, Money and Music at U S Consulate". TellyChakkar. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  8. ^ Daniel, Zoe (5 March 2013). "India on Trial". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 February 2024. ProQuest 1314476445
  9. ^ "In Her Honour". The Indian Express. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b Sethi, Shikha (11 February 2021). "Innovators, entertainers, disruptors, game changers: Meet GQ's Most Influential Young Indians". GQ India. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Extra Time with Leeza Mangaldas". www.indiansuperleague.com. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Leeza Mangaldas' YouTube channel will solve all your millennial woes, from relationships to sexuality - Elle India". elle.in. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  13. ^ Muralidharan, Siddarth (3 January 2023). "Leeza Mangaldas: 'Some people think women should not talk about sex'". Frontline. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ^ Bhura, Sneha (18 April 2021). "We pathologise our healthy bodies and desires, says online sex educator Leeza Mangaldas". The Week. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Love Matters: How a podcast is shaping conversations on love, relationships, and more". The Indian Express. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  16. ^ Javalgekar, Aishwarya (21 December 2022). "10 Must-Listen Feminist Podcasts Of 2022". Feminism in India. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Meet GQ's 30 Most Influential Young Indians of 2022". GQ India. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  18. ^ Singh, Rishika (7 September 2023). "'Account Restricted': Sex-ed content creators fight shadowbans on social media sites". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Sexual Wellness In India Is Undergoing A Revolution Thanks To These Inventive Brands". IndiaTimes. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  20. ^ Nolen, Stephanie (15 November 2022). "Bringing Sexy Back — To Fight H.I.V." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  21. ^ "The Pleasure Fellowship - The Pleasure Project". 10 July 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  22. ^ Menon, Anasuya (9 December 2022). "Sex educator Leeza Mangaldas' book aims to normalise conversations around sex". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  23. ^ a b Shankar, Avantika (12 November 2022). "Leeza Mangaldas: "We are just supposed to reluctantly have sex—what kind of bullshit expectation is that?"". Vogue India. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  24. ^ Debnath, Sayari (8 October 2022). "October in nonfiction: Seven recent books that offer unique perspectives on India and its people". Scroll.in. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  25. ^ Basu, Soma (19 October 2022). "Five health books to read in October". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  26. ^ Kuenzang, Karishma (13 March 2021). "HT Brunch Social Media Star of The Week: Leeza Mangaldas". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Cosmopolitan India Blogger Awards 2021-22: Meet the Winners". www.cosmopolitan.in. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  28. ^ Marik, Priyam (16 July 2022). "'We have a population of more than a billion and yet must pretend that none of us has sex'". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  29. ^ Team, S. T. P. (8 April 2022). "Spotify's AmplifiHer: Meet The Women Who Are Shining Bright In India's Audio Industry". SheThePeople. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Brilliant, Loud and Exceptional: Rolling Stone India's Women in Creativity Gathering Brought Together the Best in Arts and Business". Rolling Stone India. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  31. ^ D'silva, Sharon (19 November 2023). "Femina's Fab 40: Leeza Mangaldas, Sexuality Educator & Author | Femina.in". Femina. Retrieved 10 February 2024.