16 November, , 2009
Feminism And Dalit Women In India
By Cynthia StephenThus, Dalit women are slowly attempting to come to grips with their invisibility in the discourse, and are beginning not just to speak out, but also to theorise and build wider solidarities so as to earn the place, hitherto denied, under the sun
05 November, , 2009
Gendered Language
By Neerja Dasani & Swati RoyA list of gendered words we use everyday in our lives
14 October, , 2009
Are Women Getting Sadder?
Or Are We All Just Getting a Lot More Gullible?
By Barbara EhrenreichFeminism made women miserable. This, anyway, seems to be the most popular takeaway from "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness," a recent study by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers which purports to show that women have become steadily unhappier since 1972. Maureen Dowd and Arianna Huffington greeted the news with somber perplexity, but the more common response has been a triumphant: I told you so
13 October, , 2009
Impact Of Peasant Suicides On Women
By Ranjana PadhiPreliminary findings of a survey in Punjab
18 August, 2009
On Islam And Gender Equality
By Yoginder SikandRethinking Islam and gender equality in the light of Malay woman lawyer and activist Salbiah Ahmad's book - Critical Thoughts on Islam, Rights and Freedom
30 July, 2009
Socio-Economic Inequality Leads To
Gender-Based Violence
By Nasiruddin Haider KhanIf we want to counter and prevent gender-based violence, we have to think about the reasons for violence in the society with all its complexities
21 July, 2009
Learn Masculinity From Mahatma Gandhi?
By Nasiruddin Haider KhanWomen have raised their voices against gender-based violence. They have fought for policies and laws. But now it is high time that women's movement should engage men. There are enormous challenges to counter violence against women. Without involving men, it is not possible to prevent gender based violence
19 July, 2009
The Words Of God Do Not Justify Cruelty To Women
By Jimmy CarterIt is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and out-dated attitudes and practices
06 July, 2009
Women And Negative Stereotypes:
An End Before A Start
By Divya BhargavaWe may be reluctant to believe that discrimination against individuals because of their sex, race, age, sexual orientation or health status still exits in institutions in most countries. We also may not want to accept the fact that sexual violence is common in all culture, that women are victims of rape, battering and sexual harassment each day, despite legislation prohibiting such violence, common policing, workplace policies, counseling and training programs exist. Yet this is the reality for most women
05 July, 2009
Gay Rights And Us
By Dr. Shah Alam KhanIt is wrongly felt that by legalising the LGBT community, the Delhi High Court has opened the flood gates for such relationships. "Oh my God, my son will be a gay now", screamed a man from inside his new Skoda on a TV channel. I wish I could tell him that his son will be a gay or a heterosexual not because of the High Court order but because of his sexual orientation and preferences
29 April, 2009
Stop South Asia’s Talibanisation, Protect Women
By Amrita Nandy-JoshiSouth Asia is fast emerging as the global epicentre of a backlash against women’s rights and liberties. It will be a real tragedy if millions of women across South Asia continue to lose their identities because of creeping fundamentalism. We need to check the tide before it causes havoc
22 April, 2009
Dehumanising The Muslim Woman
By A. Faizur RahmanThe passage of a law in Afghanistan asking Muslim women to unconditionally submit to the sexual whims of their husbands once in four days is a shocking piece of legislation that seeks to dehumanise women reducing them to mere chattels devoid of human rights
02 April, 2009
Hypocrisy Of Brahminical And Mainstream
Feminist Movements
By Surendra Gopinath RoteMainstream feminist movement could focus on the livelihood issues of women. However, the point is not to feed the stomach only but it is question of self respect, dignity and of equal status which all denied by caste system. My question still stands there those feminist who worships Rama, Krishna, Shiva and Ganesh how could they become the emancipatory force for Dalit women or even for mainstream women?
14 March, 2009
Girl Gangs With A Noble Cause
By Anjali SinghWhat began as self help girl group, a unique concept taken up by UNICEF Lucknow, today is one of the most powerful tools young adolescent girls are using to protect themselves against exploitation and fight for their rights. Called 'Kishori Sabhas' or 'Samuhs' these groups are so popular that they have even managed to do away with practices like child labor and child marriage in the villages
12 March, 2009
Feminism’s Challenge: Articulating Alternatives
To Unsustainable Hierarchies
By Robert JensenAlthough men often treat feminism as a threat, in the 20 years I have been involved in feminist projects I have come to recognize it as a gift to men who want to understand and critique not only gender but other oppressive systems. For me, feminism is a crucial part of the struggle for social justice and sustainability
07 March, 2009
Exposing Human Rights Violations In Pakistan
By Q. Isa DaudpotaBrave women such as Mukhtar Mai and Minallah backed by women’s organizations such as Women’s Action Forum, work to highlight and undue the prejudices and help outdated and diabolical customs. PPP women such as Sherry Rahman, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Shazia Marri, Sassui Palejo, Farzana Raja and, ace-researcher on Karo Kari, Nafisa Shah must speak out in the public forums against guilty fellow legislators and ministers. They have seriously violated the human rights and particularly that of women. To date, however, their silence is deafening
24 February, 2009
Radical Love
By Mickey Z. interviews Natty SeidenvergNatty Seidenverg is a writer and an activist from the high desert region of Cascadia. She's been giving radical love workshops for about three years. Mickey Z. interviews Natty
29 January, 2009
Girl Child Marriage In Madhya Pradesh -
Impedes Child Rights
By Seema JainChild marriages continue to be a fairly widespread social evil in Madhya Pradesh, despite a law banning it. The DLHS-3 recorded that 40.5% of boys are married below the age of 21 years and 29.2% of girls aged below 18 were married. The scenario of rural parts in the state is nastiest where about 58.5% women aged 20-24 years got married by the time they are 18 years old
26 January, 2009
Dystopians On Estrogen
By Carolyn BakerCarolyn Baker challenges the notions of the recent article in the New Yorker regarding those who are consciously preparing to live in a post-petroleum, energy depleted, economically depressed world. She also takes the author to task for reporting a preponderance of male responses to the challenge and essentially omitting female voices, noting that the female perspective on the transition is pivotal
25 November, 2008
The Rights Of Women As Casualties Of War
By Ramzy BaroudQurban-Bibi and Nahil Abu-Rada are two women, one Afghan and the other Palestinian, who made news with similar tragedies. But their losses also helped further delineate the plight of millions of women in war zones and poor countries
09 September, 2008
The Cry Of The Baby Girl:
Who Will Come To My Rescue?
By Loveleen KaurA female in the womb is as vulnerable as the women outside. She is punished for a crime that she is not responsible for…of coming into being…of not being a male
19 August, 2008
Homosexuality In India
By Namit AroraWhile the Indian response reduces open conflict, the flip side is a muffled suffering: countless men and women lead double lives, hiding from their true natures and denying themselves the most precious of intimacies and self-knowledge
28 July, 2008
Raksha Bandhan – A hindrance For
Development Of Women Society?
By PardeepWhen sister ties a thread on the wrist of brother and asks him to protect her in difficulties. Don’t all you think this it's showing or impelling that women society is not capable/eligible for protecting herself and she always needs a help. Isn’t it showing that the women society is inferior and can’t help own-self?
18 June, 2008
Can We End Gender Inequality?
By Rahil YasinThe UN recommended some actions to governments to eliminate the discrimination against women in its Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Pakistan must follow the UN declaration as well. Unless and until there is a proper campaign by both political and civil society to alter the anti-women sentiment in our society, the atrocities against women would continue, to the detriment of society as a whole
30 April, 2008
Alas..!! Women
By Pardeep S AttriThough the top most position of India (President) a woman is occupying but it would be one of the biggest misconceptions “by this women society is going to be empowered” as being claimed by the most of the political parties. We can only hope that Mrs. President will do something for empowering or making women society to live with dignity. Before this let’s see past record of last six to eight months
04 March, 2008
Reflections On The Importance Of
International Women’s Day
By Lucinda MarshallAs women throughout the world gather to observe International Women’s Day on this, the 100th anniversary of the New York City Bread and Roses March, they do so in the face of a seemingly intractable culture of impunity that enables increasingly horrendous acts of violence against women
28 February, 2008
Abuse On Women- Whose Fault?
An Open Letter Legal Luminaries
By Stree MuktiShri S R Nayak, State Human Rights Commission Chairperson speaking on "Human Rights and Lawyers' Role" at a programme organized by the Vakeelara Sangha, said (as reported in Indian Express dated 9th Feb 2008), "…. yes men are bad … but who asked them (the women) to venture out in the night... the women should not have gone out in the night and when they do, there is no point complaining that men touched them and hit them. Youth are destroying our culture for momentary satisfaction…"
09 January, 2008
How Maruti 'Celebrates' The Molester !
By Anjali Sinha & Subhash GatadeThe logo of Maruti-Suzuki talks of 'Count on Us'. And as far as women's dignity' is concerned the Maruti needs to introspect whether it can be really 'Counted upon or not'
15 October, 2007
Stop Domestic Violence Now!
By Nasiruddin Haider KhanThe Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is a historic step towards a gender sensitive law in India. However, the big question remains, how is it different from other existing laws of the land? Why is this law unique? Most importantly, what are the benefits an aggrieved person can get from this law?
16 August, 2007
Shaping A Child's Gender Identity: The Role Of School
By Simon BhuiyanLooking at the whole system of functioning of schools, it seems like schools are the factory of creating patriarch. When are talking of equality among genders, creating policy and law to uphold quality, how can we talk about all these without looking at our present: the children and their social process of learning. Can we really bring equality among genders through laws and policy without looking at changes in the basis of learning?
26 June, 2007
Mughals And Backwardness Of Indian Women
By Adv. Irfan EngineerThe Presidential nominee of the UPA made an unnecessary statement linking the ghunghat of Hindu women to the Mughal rule
01 June, 2007
Gender Identity And Homophobia In Pakistan
By Tahmina RashidPakistan is in the grip of homophobia after the same sex couple was imprisoned for three years for perjury. The sensational response that this incident received in Urdu and English newspapers highlights our homophobic attitudes, Issues surrounding gender identity and lack of empathy as human beings
31 May, 2007
The Case Of Shahzima Tariq And Shamial Raj
On Entering Into "Same Sex" Marriage
By Nighat MajidHere is the story of a couple who have been jailed in Pakistan, simply because they chose to get married and happen to be same sex, though even that is not absolutely certain
29 May, 2007
Looking HIV And AIDS Issues Through
Gender And Human Rights Lenses
By Sirajul IslamWhile analysing gender, HIV and AIDS and human rights, we acknowledged that when men are fighting a deadly human immunodeficiency virus, women are fighting both a deadly virus and wide-ranging inequity in trying to defeat the hazards of HIV and AIDS. We understood that from corner to corner of the world, they face a number of conditions which swell their possibility of HIV infection in gender-specific ways
13 April, 2007
Whither Autonomous Women's Movement?
By Anjali SinhaThe seventh national conference of women's movement particularly autonomous women's movement was held in Kolkata in the beginning of September 2006. Although it has been more than six months that the conference was held, but looking at the fact that the issues discussed/not discussed had a lot of import for the women's movement in general and the autonomous women's movement in particular, a few observations about the same are being shared with the wider audience
12 April, 2007
Betis As Bombs – Exploding The Borders
Of Caste And Community
By Kavita KrishnanWe need to recognise the links between Babu Bajrangi's assaults on women's freedom, and those structures and practices that we tend to take as normative, natural and acceptable – such as the practice of arranging marriages within one's caste and community, disapproving of independent relationships forged by one's sisters or daughters, holding oneself to be the 'guardian' of one's sisters or daughters, and so on
30 March, 2007
Manhattan Prosecutors Declare War On Families
By David HeleniakIn the October 2006 issue of The Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk exposes a disturbing development that had not been commented upon before. In her eye-opening article “Criminal Law Comes Home,” Suk examines a practice in Manhattan that has become routine in criminal cases involving domestic violence, the imposition of de facto divorces in which the government “initiates and dictates the end of ... intimate relationship[s]” by subjecting “the practical and substantive continuation of the relationship[s] to criminal sanction”
27 March, 2007
The Real Gay Agenda
By Mary ShawThose who oppose same-sex marriage say that it would undermine the institution of marriage. But isn't heterosexual infidelity already doing that? I fail to see how legalizing same-sex marriage would have any effect on heterosexual marriages
24 March, 2007
Status Of Muslim Women:A Historic Review
By Sana Laila Ehtisham & S.Ehtisham MDThe upshot of the resurgence of Wahabi creed is that women are fast losing ground. They are harassed, made to wrap themselves up into a veritable sack like a bag potatoes, have their movements restricted and generally life made intolerable for them. The reverberations have reached Europe, Canada and USA as well
22 March, 2007
Missing In Action
By Lucinda MarshallThe Peace Movement’s Silence on the Impact of War on Women
19 March, 2007
Save The Girl Child
By Sumita ThaparSince the late 1970s when the technology for sex determination first came into being, sex selective abortion has unleashed a saga of horror. Experts are calling it "sanitised barbarism". Demographic trends indicate India is fast heading towards a million female foetuses aborted each year
14 March, 2007
Ms. Shilpa Shetty And Her Sisters Of A Lesser God
By Ramesh KambleMs. Shetty achieved both quick publicity and huge money. But, the marginalized women India, for that matter in the world, neither seek publicity nor they seek money. They just seek recognition and action, from both Indian and world community, against violence, harassment and discrimination they suffer in their every day really ‘real’ lives
10 March, 2007
War On Terror, War On Women
By Heather WokuschUnder Bush, the US has become more militaristic and less tolerant of diplomacy and dissent. Women's rights have deteriorated accordingly.Sabotaging programs for women has become something of a sport for this administration - in fact, one of Bush's first acts as president was to shut down the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach
03 March, 2007
International Women’s Day 2007:
We Stand With The Women Of The World
By Lucinda MarshallInternational Women’s Day , which is observed on March 8 is a time not only to celebrate women’s lives and achievements, but also a chance to join hands in solidarity with women around the globe and to focus much needed attention on the many problems women face today
28 February, 2007
The Imperfect Sex. Why Is Sor Juana Not A Saint?
By Jorge MajfudWe can understand in the same way the political and religious factor in two women as different as Saint Teresa and Sor Juana. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for which one of them has been repeatedly honored by the religious tradition and the other reduced to the literary circle or to the Mexican two-hundred peso notes, symbol of the material world, abstraction of sin
16 January, 2007
Girls For Gender Equity
By Mickey Z.An interview with Mandy Van Deven
28 December, 2006
IGNOU, RTI And The Distant Dream Of
Women's Empowerment
By B RahulAnalysis of the latest data made available by the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi (IGNOU) in response to an application made under the Right to Information Act reveals that the average number of female students freshly enrolled each year in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree programme in the seven years from 1996 to 2002 was 17146 which is 65% of the total. The average number of female students per year over the same period who had successfully completed the course and been awarded the BA degree was a miniscule 440
23 December, 2006
Shame, Not In Doha But In India
By Vidya Bhushan RawatI hope that India will grow simultaneously with diversity and dissent in the coming years. How can a nation and a society grow with such scandalous officials and reporters who criminalise the sexual deformity of a person and whose fight for people's right confine to the cases of certain high profile cases of page three parties, and who continue to ignore the bigger issues of dissent and disgust in India and whose ignorant reporters can simply call these dissenters as terrorists or Naxalites
21 December, 2006
Iraqi Women's Bodies Are
Battlefields For War Vendettas
By Kavita N. RamdasAlmost four years into the Bush Administration's ill fated adventure in Iraq, Iraqi women are worse off than they were under the Baathist regime in a country where, for decades, the freedoms and rights enjoyed by Iraqi women were the envy of women in most other countries of the Middle East
High Maternal Mortality In The Heart Of India
By Anil GulatiApproximately 10,000 women die every year in Madhya Pradesh during pregnancy or within 42 days after pregnancy. Majority of these could be prevented. Medically these deaths may be due to hemorrhage, infection, eclampsia or unsafe abortion or any of three delays
19 December, 2006
Caught Between culture And weakness:
The Ipswich victims
By Sambaiah GundimedaAn essay dedicated in memory of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholas, the five murdered women in Ipswich, UK
16 December, 2006
16 Days Of Activism To End
Violence Against Women
By Amrita Nandy-Joshiwe are the bystanders to other men's violence, and have to make a choice: do we stay silent and look the other way when our male friends and relatives insult or attack women, or do we speak up? We urge the governments and parliaments that have adopted laws to ensure their implementation
08 December, 2006
What She Wore
By Lucinda MarshallIt is unfortunate when the media continues, with all its damaging and misogynist implications, to insist by inclusion that what women wear or how they look is related to their capability. As Allison Stevens demonstrates, it is in fact possible to write about women and what they have accomplished without trivializing their empowerment by asserting such spurious connection . This is the standard to which journalism should be held in regard to gender
29 November, 2006
War Chic
By Lucinda MarshallThe November issue of the magazine Marie Clare did an outstanding job of in remedying the media’s woeful lack of coverage of the impact of war on fashion. With several hard-hitting articles and a photo spread, MC gives this aspect of war reporting it’s proper due
28 November, 2006
The Pill
By Peter RostJust sit back for a moment and think . . . do you think any man would risk any of this? And do you think he would feel comfortable having his sperms destroyed by a pill?
24 November, 2006
A Beacon Of Hope In NYC
By Farzana Hassan-ShahidIs there room for women's equality within Islam's ideological framework? Is secularism the answer to the rights of minorities so often violated in Muslim countries? Would Sufi Islam and its colorful manifestations occupy a genuine place within Islam?
22 November, 2006
Women And Poverty
By Vidya Bhushan RawatDalit women suffer from double disability in our society. The first disability of being woman is doubled with the caste tag over head. Women remain the most 'sought after' 'object' in our society and 'honour' of our families. Her honour is a subject of contention between warring brothers, avenging communities and destroying civilization. From Gujarat to Kashmir, the honour of women became the major issue in our uncivilized world
Big Pharma Hits On Pregnant Women
By Evelyn PringleIf Big Pharma cared one iota about the unborn fetus, at a bare minimum, it would call off its hired-guns traveling around the country peddling SSRI antidepressants to pregnant women by convincing doctors to prescribed the drugs and ignore the studies and FDA warnings that say SSRIs are associated with serious birth defects
20 November, 2006
What About Women’s Lib?
By Peter RostIt is only sad that in 2006 so many men still feel emasculated by a relationship with a smart woman and so many women still feel they have to submit to a man to survive
28 October, 2006
Why Can't The Australian Imam Think Beyond Meat?
By Farzana VerseySheik Taj Aldin al Hilali chose the month of Ramzan to talk about meat. Unfortunately, he was referring to women in that demeaning fashion. Said he, "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden, or in the park, or in the backyard without cover, and the cats come to eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat's?"
Discrimination At The National
Endowment For Democracy
By Bev ClarkGeorge Bush and Robert Mugabe may have a lot more in common than they think, homosexuality being just one of them. I have striven for gay and lesbian equality in a country where our presidents says homosexuals “have no rights at all” and calls us “worse than pigs and dogs”. And in the United States I find myself and my partner being discriminated against on the grounds of sexual orientation by an organisation that claims, in its Statement of Principles and Objectives that:Democracy involves the right of the people freely to determine their own destiny
20 October, 2006
Behind Closed Doors: The Invisibility
Of Domestic Violence
By Lucinda MarshallDomestic violence is the most common form of violence against women. A recent study by the World Health Organization found that intimate personal violence (IPV) rates around the world varied from 15% in Yokohama, Japan to 71% in Ethiopia. Here in the U.S. one out of four women will be assaulted by a partner during her lifetime
17 October, 2006
Is Betty Ugly?
By Lucinda MarshallIt has become normal to consider normal women ugly. We abide by the denigration of women's bodies because it is very, very profitable. The result for millions of women is not only damaged self-esteem and unrealistic expectations, but damaged health and bodies as well. And that is a very, very high price to pay
06 September, 2006
What Women Are Saying About
The Violence In the Middle East
By Lucinda MarshallThere has been no shortage of punditry when it comes to the current crisis in the Middle East, however most of the published and broadcast voices have been male. If there is to be any hope of a sustainable peace in this region it is critically important to also listen to what women are saying
10 August, 2006
Teach The Girls To Swim
tsunami, survival and the gender dimension
By S GauthamIn Indonesia, in the four villages in the Aceh Besar province surveyed by Oxfam only 189 of 676 survivors were female. That is a ratio of 3:1. In the worst affected village, Kuala Cangkoy, for every male who died, there were four females. In Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, almost three times as many women were killed as men, with 391 female deaths, compared with 146 men. In Pachaankuppam village, every single person to die was a woman. Why does this happen?
28 April, 2006
Wanting This And That
By Amrita Nandy-JoshiNorway’s government passed an order to ensure that in the next two years, forty percent of the board members of the country’s large, publicly traded private companies be women. The penalty for nonconformity is the disbandment of the defaulting corporation. One still has to come at the price of the other. Female labour-force participation rates might have increased while marriage and fertility rates decreased
08 April, 2006
The Urgent Need To Fully Fund VAWA
By Lucinda MarshallThe Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was unanimously reauthorized by Congress late last year. Funding for the act's various programs, however, is far from assured. For the fifth year in a row, President Bush's budget request did not provide full funding for existing VAWA programs
04 April, 2006
The Price Of Being A Woman:
Slavery In Modern India
By Justin HugglerThe desire for sons has created a severe shortage of marriageable young women. As their value rises, unscrupulous men are trading them around the subcontinent and beyond as if they were a mere commodity
03 April, 2006
Democracy In Ladakh Marginalized Women
By Stanzin DawaDemocracy in Ladakh doesn't consider women as people, why? Where are the women representation and their leadership in the local democratic set up ? It's shocking that women representation in the existing council of both Leh and Kargil absolutely does not exist
28 March, 2006
Women And War: A First-Hand Perspective
By Sonia NettninAt the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Dr. Rashad Zayadan spoke about the situation in Iraq since the US-led invasion over three years ago. She asked a group of lawyers and law students to inform their families and friends about Iraqi suffering because of the war. She talked about justice and peace by ending the military occupation in Iraq
16 March, 2006
President Bush’s Ken-Doll Performance
An Insult To Women
By Lucinda MarshallPresident Bush’s fawning attempt to frame himself as a champion of women is not only delusional, his remarks on International Women’s Day were an affront to women everywhere
27 February, 2006
Arab Women’s Movement In US
By Sonia NettninArab and Arab-American Women will be having a national gathering June 9-11, 2006 in Chicago
15 February, 2006
'It Was A Crime That I Was Born A Woman'
By Indira JaisingWhile on the one hand, the judges sympathise about violence against women, on the other hand women lawyers are disrespected in the very temple of justice.Navratna Chaudhary, while appearing in the court of Justice S N Dhingra on January 7, 2006, was told by the judge that he knew how women lawyers make it, implying thereby that they use immoral means
10 February, 2006
Islamic Feminism Revisited
By Margot BadranSurveying the most recent developments in Islamic feminism, Margot Badran finds an increasingly dynamic global phenomenon that is as varied as it is radical
21 January, 2006
Sex For Sale? The Argument Doesn't Sell
By Remya MohanDecriminalisation of prostitution, as suggested by the Planning Commission of India, institutionalises the abuse of human beings and is an obstacle to women’s emancipation
12 January, 2006
Porn Fiesta
By Remya MohanThe rampant proliferation of pornography has a definite role to play in the numerous cases of internet and camera-phone sex-scandals unearthed periodically across India. The convergence of technology has made it easy to distribute pornography while enabling peddlers and users to maintain their privacy and dodge the law
10 January, 2006
Ten Million Girls Aborted As
Indians Seek Male Heirs
By Jeremy LauranceAt least 10 million female foetuses have been aborted in India over the past two decades by middle-class families determined to ensure they have male heirs
05 October, 2005
Are Liberal Abortion Laws
Responsible For Female Foeticide?
By Pavan NairWhen the state whether by default or intent encourages the use of abortion as a method to restrict the number of children in a family, then the law can be misused to have children of the preferred gender. This is exactly what has happened in India
04 October, 2005
I Like Women Like Me!
By Sruti BalaPalestinian women bring sexuality onto the political agenda
17 September, 2005
1, 2, 3, Not It! : How The Separation Of Powers Is
Helping California Avoid Gay Marriage
By Andrea K RufoSometimes the separation of powers can be harsh. Take gay rights efforts in California – a state with takes pride in just how close it's willing to treat gay unions like marriages but refuses to take that final step to make them legal
07 September, 2005
The Crime And Advertisement
By Sorit GuptoTo create an awareness in the citizens of Delhi against eve teasers, Delhi Police has come up with an advertisement in the news papers, which infact shows the deep male chauvinistic attitude of the police force
13 August, 2005
India And Pakistan's Deadly Code Of Dishonour
By Salman RushdieIn honour-and-shame cultures like those of India and Pakistan, male honour resides in the sexual probity of women, and the "shaming" of women dishonours all men
03 June, 2005
Dalit Feminism
By M. Swathy MargaretI appeal to young Dalit women not to get subsumed in the relatively macro-identities of mainstream progressive movements such as the male Dalit movement or the upper-caste feminist movement. It is only by retaining our unique voice within these movements that we can contribute meaningfully to these movements and benefit from them
11 April, 2005
When Catholic Women Are Equal Partners
By Mary E. HuntCatholic history is measured in centuries, not decades, and Catholic women have been an integral part from the beginning.One would never know that from observing the funeral, conclave, and plans for a new papacy following the death of Pope John Paul II. A visitor from Venus would think that men gesture, genuflect, and guard, while women pray silently under their mantillas with candles and rosaries in hand
29 March, 2005
The Jurisdiction Dilemma
By Ali Dayan HasanNearly three years after she was raped by four "volunteers" on the order of a village panchayat, Mukhtar Mai still awaits justice. The release and re- arrest of the four and the events surrounding the progress of the case raise yet larger questions about the sorry state of Pakistan's legal system
18 March, 2005
Kerala's Silent Revolution
By Rajaji Mathew ThomasIt was the participation of huge masses in public action and political decision making that transformed Kerala. At present a silent revolution driven by hundreds of thousands of women is in the making. The women self-help group’s, especially the state supported ‘Kudumbasree’ project are turning the poor women of Kerala into small time entrepreneurs
15 March, 2005
Kerala's Sex Industry
By Amrith Lal, P K Surendran & K.AjithaK.Ajitha was a revolutionary communist who later turned into a crusader for women's rights in Kerala state of India. Here is an interview with her on the violence against women in Kerala
13 March, 2005
Rape: As An Instrument Of state
Repression In Nepal
By PeoplesmarchIn Nepal women, suspected to be Maoists or sympathisers of Maoists, have been marched nakedly in front of the public, subjected to repeated rape with all forms of sadistic torture on their private parts while in custody
Women's Rights Eroding In Latin America
By Laura CarlsenDomestic violence claims the lives of 14 women a day in Mexico, but the law in 8 states does not consider domestic violence a crime and 12 do not penalize rape in marriage. It is often the custom to consider a rape case resolved if the rapist offers to marry the victim
12 March, 2005
For Women, Violence A Universal Threat
By Pat OrvisThirty years ago--when the first U.N. World Conference on Women was held in Mexico--it was mostly men who came, especially from the more tradition-bound "third-world" cultures, to debate the issues for women. But for the past two weeks for the Beijing Plus +10, conference rooms have been filled to standing-room capacity with women. A report
Sexism And Science
By R RamachandranRemarks made by the President of Harvard University on the under-representation of women in the fields of science and engineering bring the issue of gender discrimination to the forefront once again
09 March, 2005
Wangari Maathai Speaks
By Wangari Maathai & Amy GoodmanNobel peace laureate Wangari Maathai speaks on the environment, the war in Iraq, debt and women's equality
08 March, 2005
Women Still Are Second-Class Citizens
By Dian HarrisonToday is International Women's Day, a worldwide celebration of women's fight for equality and human rights. Let us remember that in much of the world women are still second-class citizens
Women Against Fundamentalism
By Dolores ChewRepeatedly we see that intrinsic to fundamentalist thinking and operating is the control of women, their autonomy, their sexuality, their choices. That is why women are often the primary or exclusive targets of fundamentalist forces. Control the women, control the community
Victims Of Abuse
By Mita KapurViolence against women is the most persuasive human rights violation in the world today. Opening the door on the issue is like standing on the edge of a deep ravine vibrating with collective anguish. Where there should be outrage, there is denial and largely passive acceptance
In The Shadow Of Violence
By Mari Marcel ThekaekaraDespite the celebrations on March 8, the incidence of violence against women is rising. A look at what can be done to change attitudes
Empower Women
By Praveen DalalThe plight of the women cannot be improved till they are duly represented in the "power structure". In a democratic country the voice of women can be heard only to the extent they are sharing the power structure in the governance of the country
15 February, 2005
Sex Choice As Advertisement,
Rape As infotainment !
By Subhash GatadeThe process of sanitising violence against women to enhance one's business prospects can be said to be a effective marketing strategy the world over and media has been a party to this
Woman And Social Class
By Sarabjit K.A Critical Study of Roopa Bajwa's "The Sari Shop"
17 January, 2005
Rehana’s Fight
By V.B.RawatRehana Khan, a 37 years old social activist in the Gangoh block of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, face one of the toughest battle of her life. Her social battles against orthodoxy are in no way less than the battle for her rights in her own family
19 November, 2004
Death In The Womb
By Anna DaniThe desire for a male child at all costs in India has now resulted in an alarming scenario. The child sex ratio for the country stands at 927 in 2001, down from 945 in 1991
24 October, 2004
Indian Army And The Legacy Of Rape In Manipur
By Shivali TukdeoMasculine military privilege and its visible aggression in Manipur can only be understood in terms of an ancient war tactic which uses rape as a tool to control and dehumanize the ‘enemy’. As Manipuri women take their struggle to streets, they have become an inspiration to everyone suffering and fighting patriarchy. In struggle, together!
17 October, 2004
Mumbai's Other Half
By Kalpana Sharma"Disenfranchise them." This is the new cry of some middle class people in Mumbai. The poor living in slums are "illegal" in that they are squatting on land not meant for that purpose. So deny them the vote
15 October, 2004
Liberating Iraq! What About Iraqi Women?
By Bhaskar DasguptaIraq's current lack of basic rights for women and the threat of a rise of political Islam are the result of a tyrannical rule, twelve years of economic sanctions, three devastating wars and an occupation
Muslim Women And Gender Justice
By Yoginder SikandA recently concluded two-day conference in New Delhi brought together a number of Muslim women activists from different parts of India, as well as some members of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board to discuss a range of issues relating to Muslim women
11 October, 2004
Blood Thirsty Honour
By Githa HariharanIn India, adults may vote, but they cannot marry who they choose
30 September, 2004
Media Culpability In The Continuum Of
Violence Against Women
By Lucinda MarshallStories about violence in the home are routinely trivialized as domestic matters and misogynist violence such as female genital mutilation and honor killings are dismissed as cultural norms
24 September, 2004
The Women Of The Sangh
By Jyotirmaya SharmaThe Sangh relentlessly argues for the liberation, enlightenment, education and employment of Muslim women, something that it rejects in its notion of the ideal Hindu woman
08 September, 2004
Uma And Her Mad Sisters
By Sagarik GhoseThe woman politician in India is sadly anti-democratic
02 September, 2004
Getting Ready For World's First Women's-Only Mosque
By S. Anand
A group of Muslims in Tamil Nadu is set to build the world's first women's-only mosque
16 August, 2004
Acid Test For Being Women
By Ammu JosephNearly 280 women were killed and 750 injured through acid attacks in Pakistan in 2002, according to Human Rights Watch. The Acid Survivors Foundation in Bangladesh recorded 485 such attacks in 2002 alone
29 July, 2004
Body Of The Nation: Why Women
Were Mutilated In Gujarat
By Martha C. NussbaumThe woman functions as a symbol of the site of weakness and vulnerability inside any male, who can be drawn into his own mortality through desire. The Muslim woman functions doubly as such a symbol. In this way, a fantasy is created that her annihilation will lead to safety and invulnerability The paranoid anxiety that keeps telling every man that he is not safe and invulnerable feeds the desire to extinguish her
25 July, 2004
The Baby Doom
By Kavery NambisanThe world's largest minority is an endangered species, thanks to one of the most privileged and influential groups: the doctors. The medical profession has been co-opted in a crime against girls and it is not complaining
21 July, 2004
Whither Gender Parity?
By Ram PuniyaniThe India Muslim Personal Law board's meeting gave the hope that it will abolish triple talaq, will take a step towards justice for Muslim women. But that was not to be
16 July, 2004
Sabarimala:For Women's Right To Worship
By Raji RajagopalanSabarimala temple in Kerala, South India, prevents women between the age group of ten and fifteen from entering and worship the idol. This is a discriminatory action which has been going on for ages
23 June, 2004
How Kerala Behaves With Women
By Sreedevi JacobSix women reporters of Malayala Manorama travelled acrosskerala unescorted, to experience at first hand the safety and security that God’s Own Country was offering them
21 June, 2004
Triple Divorce - Need For Change
By Asghar Ali EngineerIt is high time that Muslim women in democratic society like that of India struggle for reform within the Qur'anic frame-work and win their rights guaranteed by the scripture
16 June, 2004
Alerting On The Film "Girl Friend"
After watching a film like this, it is impossible for anyone to think of 'women who love women' as normal human beings with two hands and two feet, who may be a friend, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a neighbour, a grand mother and least of all a caring lover
14 June, 2004
Can Science Be Women-friendly?
By Kalpana SharmaEach time a woman becomes an aeronautical engineer, or a nuclear physicist, or excels in some area previously considered a male preserve, she is applauded and celebrated, but strictly as an exception
10 June, 2004
The Gender Experience At
Aligarh Muslim University
By Nazia Y.IzuddinAligarh Muslim University is a romantic dream for Muslims all over the world. But for the girl students of the university it is not so romantic when they are discriminated for their gender
30 May, 2004
Invoking Regressing Symbols
By Kalpana SharmaSushma Swaraj's threat to put on the garb of the Hindu widow if Sonia Gandhi became the Prime Minister smacks of sinister, backward politics which also reinforces the plight of the women in the Indian society
Ameena's Dilemma
By Beena SarwarThis is the story of a mother and her two daughters who educated themselves against the wishes of the community in Pakistan
21 May, 2004
Violence against Dalit Women In Nepal
By Padmalal BishwakarmaAny violence on the Dalit community is ultimately born by Dalit
women. Specifically during the eight-year of Maoist war, many of Dalit youths have lost their lives by being the victim of both
Maoists and state. It is the Dalit women who have to bear all such unbearable sufferings socially, economically, culturally and
politically at great risk of her own and her children's life08 May, 2004
Irshad Manji: Islam's Marked Woman
By Johann HariIrshad Manji is a lesbian Muslim who says her religion is stuck in the Middle Ages. The outspoken author tells how she became a target for assassination
25 April, 2004
Equality In Death
By Barbara VictorWhen Wafa Idris blew herself up in Jerusalem two years ago, she immediately gained iconic status as the intifada's first female martyr. But Palestine's shahidas are often victims of their own society
19 March, 2004
Sati glorification: Crime, Society
And The Wheels Of Injustice
By Rakesh ShuklaDespite protests both within Rajasthan and across the country, no appeal has been filed against the recent acquittal of those accused of glorifying sati, following the death of Roop Kanwar on her husband's funeral pyre back in 1987
15 March, 2004
Give The Girls A Level Playing Field
By Beena SarwarAs India and Pakistan are battling it out on the cricket field, does anyone think of the girls who are never given a level playing field in life?
09 March, 2004
40m Bachelors And No Women
By Justin McCurry and Rebecca AllisonChina, the most populous nation on Earth, could find itself dealing with the combined frustrations of as many as 40 million single men by 2020 because its one-child policy is creating a shortage of female babies
08 March, 2004
Women's Day - Time To Reflect And Celebrate
By Kalpana SharmaCan Indian women dream of a day when they will be treated with the same respect and rights as men, in fact as all human beings, men and women, should?
04 March, 2004
"Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women"
By Soma WadhwaManish Jha's film "Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women" tells of the metamorphosis of the male into animal if the world were to become womanless. The film takes the evil of female infanticide to its logical conclusion
23 February, 2004
Forget Valentine's Day
By Kalpana SharmaWhy should the Sangh Parivari's pay so much attention to Velentine's day? Will this not be better if they tackled the manner in which girls continue to be treated and deal with the mockery of marriage where girls are openly traded?
21 February, 2004
No Honour In Honour Killings
By Dr Bhaskar DasguptaIn many honour killings, the women of the family actively participated in killing their own daughters or sisters. When the women themselves participate in such a disgusting crime, how can one blame only the men?
15 February, 2004
The Eve Of Destruction
By Karen ArmstrongAll religions have had a problem with women and sex - and Christianity more than most
31 January, 2004
The World Women’s Forum
By America Vera-ZavalaSomething happened in Mumbai that makes this year’s forum deserve to be named the World Women’s Forum
02 January, 2004
How Natural Is normal?
By Nivedita MenonThe recent episode of a lesbian couple in Kerala having to seek court intervention to stop police persecution initiated by their parents, starkly underlines the fearsome question that lies unrecognized at the heart of the furore around Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code: Is it natural to be normal?
27 November, 2003
Acid Death For Refusing To Marry
Statesman News ServiceA 22 year old woman died after criminals threw acid on her face and force to drink it allegedly at the behest of her former tutor whom she had refused to marry
24 November, 2003
Myth Of The Mother
By Tishani DoshiFor all this criticism, Mother Teresa has done one thing. She has irreparably changed the idea of "Mother" in India. She has raised the bar of expectation. Already, we have been trained to think of mothers as ultimate sacrificers
19 November, 2003
India's Hidden Aids Epidemic
By Maxine FrithCampaigners say a combination of ignorance and huge inequalities between the sexes is allowing HIV to spread quickly, the virus is estimated to infect 25m by 2010
17 November, 2003
Malimath Report: Delusions Of Gender-sensitivity
By Human Rights FeaturesAn Amnesty International report, expressed concern about the Malimath Committee's recommendations relating to the treatment of women in criminal law
04 November, 2003
When Love Spells Death
By Anjali ModiIn parts of North India, if two young people, especially from different communities, hope to build a life together, they are hunted down for daring to think that they can
03 November, 2003
Some frequently asked questions
29 October, 2003Rape: National And international
By Valson ThampuThe rape of a Swiss embassy staffer in Delhi must be condemned.But what is neither acceptable nor understandable is the fact that tens of thousands of other rapes are simply glossed over
28 October, 2003
The Seven Veils
By Dr Bhaskar DasguptaThe veil is a fascinating piece of clothing. It seems to be present in almost all cultures throughout the centuries. But using the name of God to oppress women is cowardly and should be shunned
22 October, 2003
Rape Capital
By Soma WadhwaA series of gruesome rapes and sexual assaults in the last two months in New Delhi have served as rude reminders of how frighteningly unsafe the city has become for women
19 October, 2003
In The Shadow Of Inequality
By Nighat GandhiIslamic feminism, or the quest for Muslim women's rights within the framework of Islamic laws, should be seen as a starting point. It may enable them to step out of a world of ignorance, inequality, and indignity
14 October, 2003
Being A Eunuch
By Siddarth NarrainThe eunuchs of India constitute a much-misunderstood community; they are often denied humane treatment by the state machinery and are deprived of the rights that other citizens enjoy
01 October, 2003
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
By Dr Barnita BagchiThe life and work of multifaceted South Asian Bengali feminist Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain provides inspiration and a rich source of insight
27 September, 2003
'Laddu' Means A Boy, `Barfi' A Girl
By Gargi ParsaiA sign language is gaining currency in India devised by unscrupulous doctors to circumvent the law which bans sex determination of an unborn child to prevent female foeticide
20 September, 2003
Demonising Homosexuals In India
By Siddharth SrivastavaThe Indian government recently reaffirmed its stand against homosexuality in India, a move that could drive the them further into the fringes of society
06 September, 2003
Renaming 'Women's Studies Center'
By Rochona Majumdar'Women's Studies Center' at the University of Pune was
renamed as the 'Women's and Family Studies Center'. As the feminist historian Tanika Sarkar put it, "it re-embeds women within the family," ignoring their role in vast web of complex social relations25 August, 2003
"How Can I Be sexist? I’m An anarchist!”
By Chris CrassPersonal Reflections On Challenging Male Supremacy
13 August, 2003
Domestic Violence Is Not So Private
By Shabana AzmiMarital and domestic violence may be a private affair but its public consequences are serious
09 August, 2003
Uniform Civil Code or Gender Justice?
Moderator, India Thinkers NetIronically those who speak of the Common Civil Code have
not been honest about gender justice.No one is really
interested in the Women's Reservation Bill05 August, 2003
Uniformity or Gender Justice
By Ram PuniyaniWhat India need is not a uniform civil code but a gender
just code. A uniform code need not be gender just while a gender just code can be uniform for the whole Nation23 July, 2003
January 18, 2003- This Day Shall Not Define My Life
By Lucretia StewartA rape victim tells the horrors of the rape and it aftermath
09 July, 2003
Muslim Women On The Move
By Asghar Ali EngineerMuslim women are on the move. They are questioning the traditional interpretations of the Qur’an in respect of women’s rights and demand equal rights for men and women
04 July, 2003
Indira's Ire
By Indira Jaisingh And Malini GhoseIndira Jaising about the shortcomings of the Domestic Violence Bill
03 July, 2003
We Still Need Feminism
By Natasha WalterFeminism is pronounced dead every few years, even though its basic goals have never been achieved. Despite the strong awareness of discrimination,people tend to see their experience of inequality as a private rather than collective experience, one that requires private rather than collective solutions
01 July, 2003
Women's Liberty Under Attack In Northwest Pakistan
By Juliette TerzieffA religious alliance in Pakistan's Northwest provinces is ushering in strict new laws that threaten the rights of women and remind many of the Taliban
17 June, 2003
Girls In The war
By Manjushree ThapaA visit to the hill districts of Dailekh, Kalikot and Jumla in west Nepal in February 2003, three weeks after the declaration of the ceasefire between government and Maoist forces, reveals that the much-touted female involvement in the Maoist movement is ethically problematic for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M)
11 June, 2003
Gender Justice
By Ram PuniyaniThe proper campaign has to be for gender-just civil codes, and this has to be implemented through social reform
08 June, 2003
Of Bride Burnings and Astronauts
By Sarita SarvateHow can a continent of dowries and female infanticideproduce so many successful female Indian scientists, authors and explorers?
06 June, 2003
The Dowry Scourge
By Imtiaz AhmadIf the anti-dowry legislation was serious about curbing dowry, it should have ensured that women received a share in the family property
01 June, 2003
Hitting dowry for a six
By Kalpana SharmaSo has young Nisha Sharma of Noida sparked off a new anti-dowry movement? One would like to think that this could happen
30 May, 2003
Nisha's Law
By Rajeev DhavanThe dowry law needs revision... providing for victim compensation and having a single civil and criminal court to try the cases
28 May, 2003
Goa College Girl Raped By Classmates
By Rupesh SawantIn a shocking incident, an 18-year-old girl studying at the College of Art in Panjim, was raped by her own classmates during a college party
25 May, 2003
Deep-rooted Disease
By Anjali ModiThe giving and taking of dowry, dispite a decades-old law prohibiting it, is done openly
24 May, 2003
An Income Of One's Own
By Nicole BokatA hard truth to learn - feminist speak doesn't matter much when you're living hand-to-mouth
23 May, 2003
Saving Private Lynch, Forgetting Rachel Corrie
By Naomi KleinJessica Lynch and Rachel Corrie could have passed for sisters. Two all-American blondes, two destinies forever changed in a Middle East war zone.But who is the hero?
Reincarnating Freud: Rules, Planets, and Hysteria
By Susana McCollomThe media and self-help industry produce and perpetuate negative female stereotypes. Self-empowerment, through means including education, sports, and community involvement, is less interesting to the profit-oriented media.
22 May, 2003
Women And Political Power
By Gail OmvedtIt is time to give women the support they need for their ongoing aspirations to empowerment, not through a badly- thought-out Constitutional Amendment, but through direct legal pressure on political parties
18 May, 2003
Women And War: Acclimatised To Violence
By Revathy GopalWhy women and children become a part of the `collateral damage' in war games?
16 May, 2003
Women's Worst Enemy
By Kumkum ChadhaDo women cooperate with men in perpetuating gender disparities?
04 May, 2003
Putting Her Best Foot Forward
By Rinku PeguWomen are now looking beyond the 33 per cent reservation in local politics.
01 May, 2003
Indian Women Criticize 'Fair and Lovely' Ideal
By Nicole LeistikowSkin lightening is coming under increasing criticism in India
A Model Minority
By Kamalika BanerjeeDomestic violence among South Asians in North America is on the rise
28 April, 2003
Gender Bias Worst Among Nairs, X'ians
Astudy on gender and mental health in Kerala reveals that gender disparity is minimal within the Ezhava and Muslim communities while the role of gender disparity in psychological stress is most pronounced among Nairs and Syrian Christians
'Don't Condemn The Institution of Dowry'
Interview with Veena Talwar Oldenburg"Don't condemn the institution of dowry, which has only become a pathology because of gender relations. "
Miss World Contest is no Longer a Harmless Fun
by Ros CowardAs contestants flee and Nigeria counts its dead, it is now impossible to argue that Miss World is harmless fun
In a world of violence
by Suchitra BehalGender insensitive police and judiciary, antiquated laws and prevalent social attitudes make life hell for a victim of rape.
When the victim is put on trial
by Anita Joshua
The rape victim in India is made to feel guilty. Anita Joshua discusses the issues involved in dealing with rape.
Insensitive In Uniform
by Devesh K. Pandey
Problems in dealing with the police lead to many rapes going unreported
The Womb And The Sword
by Sarah Joseph
Noted writer and feminist Sarah Joseph enquires into the plight of women caught up in communal frenzy and the roles that women could play to bring peace
Eve Teasing, Rite of passage?
by Vijay NagaswamiVijay Nagaswami argues that the psychodynamics of eve-teasing are closely linked to the issue of masculinity and the masculine agenda.
Sexual harassment: Tightrope walk to justice
by Radhika Chopra
Radhika Chopra enquires why abuses against women are interpreted as the result of misinterpreted signals when complaints are filed against sexual harrassment in India