Anju Kish, a former journalist, writer, stand-up comic, and TEDx speaker, she is not your conventional educator. But perhaps that’s exactly why her work stands out. Through her platform, UnTaboo, she is not just teaching sex education; she is reshaping how India understands bodies, boundaries, and conversations that have long been pushed under the carpet.
Where It All Began
The idea for UnTaboo didn’t come from a boardroom; it came from a deeply personal place. As a mother, Kish found herself searching for age-appropriate, child-friendly resources to explain puberty and sexuality to her children. What she found instead was a glaring gap. That gap became her starting point. After formally training as a sex educator, she founded UnTaboo in 2015, an initiative built on the simple but powerful idea that children deserve accurate, age-appropriate information about their bodies and safety.
A Curriculum That Grows With You
What sets UnTaboo apart is its life-stage approach to sex education.
The platform conducts workshops and sessions for:
• Children as young as Junior KG
• School students up to Class 12
• Parents navigating difficult conversations
• Teachers who often don’t know where to begin
These sessions are not limited to biology. They go deeper, into conversations around consent, boundaries, body autonomy, emotional safety, and respect.
Because, as Kish often points out, sex education is not just about sex. It is about understanding oneself and others in a safe, informed, and empathetic way.
Over the years, UnTaboo has reached over 100,000 children, parents, and educators, working with some of India’s leading schools.
Making The ‘Uncomfortable’ Feel Normal
If there is one thing Kish does exceptionally well, it is this: she makes the uncomfortable, comfortable.
Through humour, storytelling, and honesty, she dismantles the awkwardness that often surrounds these conversations.
Her work challenges a deeply rooted cultural pattern: the idea that talking about sex somehow takes away innocence. In reality, the opposite is true. Open conversations equip children with the knowledge to protect themselves and make informed decisions.
In a society where misinformation often fills the silence, UnTaboo creates a space for clarity, safety, and trust.
A Book That Changed The Conversation
Kish’s bestselling book, How I Got My Belly Button, is a reflection of her approach, simple, honest, and designed for young minds.
Written as an engaging, child-friendly narrative, the book introduces concepts like puberty and growing up in a way that feels approachable rather than intimidating. It went on to win recognition as a leading children’s book in its category, reinforcing just how necessary such resources are.
Beyond Classrooms: A Cultural Shift
UnTaboo is not just a platform; it is part of a larger movement. In India, where sex education is still met with hesitation, resistance, and even stigma, initiatives like these are essential. Experts have long argued that comprehensive sex education is crucial for addressing issues like consent, gender equality, and safety. Anju’s work sits at the intersection of all of these.
By engaging not just children but also parents and educators, she is helping shift the narrative from fear to understanding, from silence to conversation.
The Woman Behind The Mission
There is a certain courage in choosing to speak about what others avoid. But Anju brings more than courage; she brings relatability.
Whether she’s on stage as a comic, speaking at a TEDx event, or conducting a workshop, her voice remains consistent: open, honest, and deeply human. She doesn’t position herself as an authority speaking down to her audience. Instead, she becomes a guide, someone who understands the awkwardness, the hesitation, and the questions we were all once too afraid to ask.
Because at its core, sex education is not about teaching children something too soon.
It is about ensuring they are never left to learn it the wrong way.