Anti-AFSPA rally demands repealing the draconian law

By TCN News, New Delhi: On 30th march, an anti-AFSPA rally was jointly organized by Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, AISA, AIPWA, RYA, DSF, JNUSU, NEFIS, Voices against 377, NAPM and Right to water campaign, from Mandi House metro station to Jantar Mantar. It was organized as a part of an effort to create a political pressure for repeal of AFSPA in this election season. After the rally, a public meeting was held at Jantar Mantar.

Indian law: Domestic Violence Act

By Avani Bansal for TwoCircles.net -- Advocate Avani Bansal is currently a student doing Masters at Harvard Law School . She pursued MPhil in Law at...

A woman’s journey from hunger to the legislature

By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS, Hyderabad : From a small hut in a remote village in East Godavari district to the Andhra Pradesh legislature, Anguri Lakshmi Shiva Kumari has come a long way.

वंचितों की नायिका पल्लवी पटेल ने डिप्टी सीएम केशव प्रसाद मौर्य को हराया

जिब्रानउद्दीन।Twocircles.net डॉक्टर पल्लवी पटेल ने सिराथू विधानसभा क्षेत्र से पूर्व डिप्टी सीएम और प्रत्याशी केशव प्रसाद मौर्य को हराकर एक इतिहास सा रच दिया है।...

You won’t find a husband, world’s tallest girl told

By IANS, London: Marvadene Anderson, a US resident who is said to be the world's tallest teenage girl at 6 feet 11 inches, says the rudest thing that she has ever been told is that she won't "be able to find a husband". "People are friendly with me because of my height and my personality. If I was tall and mean, I think I'd have a problem," The Telegraph quoted Anderson as saying Tuesday. "The rudest thing anybody ever said about my height is that I'm not going to be able to find a husband."

Nine women killed in Gujarat temple stampede

By IANS, Gandhinagar: Nine women were trampled to death and at least six other women were injured in a stampede at a religious function in Dhoraji town in Gujarat's Rajkot district Sunday night, police said. The condition of two of the injured, admitted to the nearby Junagadh Government Hospital, has been described by doctors as serious.

Indian women’s relay team to compete Friday

By IANS, Beijing : It will be India's last chance to salvage prestige on the track event of athletics as the women's 4x400m relay team get into action at the Beijing Olympics Friday. The showpiece track and field have seen pathetic performances from the Indians so far, with none of the competitors progressing beyond the first stage and none managing to replicate the performance they had come up with to make the cut for the big event.

Government not utilising Rs.2,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund, SC told

New Delhi: The Supreme Court was told Friday that the government was sitting on Rs.2,000 crore earmarked under the Nirbhaya Fund - meant to...

NCW meets Air India staff involved in mid-air scuffle

By IANS, New Delhi: The National Commission for Women Wednesday recorded statements from the Air India air hostess, the flight purser and the two pilots involved in the Oct 3 mid-air scuffle and alleged molestation on board a flight. "The committee constituted by the NCW met the air hostess, the flight purser and two pilots. They have recorded their statements," committee member Manorama Bawa from All India Women's Conference told IANS.

UP announces free bus ride for women on Raksha Bandhan

Lucknow, (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday announced that women across the state will get free ride on all state-owned buses on...

Rape is fault of the victims, say half of women: survey

By IANS, London : Half of women think that rape victims are to blame for the attack, a media report said Monday quoting a British study. The poll of 1,000 adults found that 54 percent of women believe rape victims should be held accountable for their attack and women were more likely than men to blame victims, with those aged between 18 and 24 the most likely to judge, Daily Mail reported.

Row over Goa minister terming rape accused ‘naive’

Panaji : Even as Goa Police continues to probe the alleged gang rape of two Delhi women tourists, a comment by state Tourism Minister...

‘Rural women help Himachal fight open defecation’

By IANS, Shimla: Rural women in Himachal Pradesh have emerged as the driving force behind wiping out the menace of open defecation, a global expert said here Sunday.

हक़ मांगना कब से मज़हब के खि‍लाफ़ हो गया…

नासिरूद्दीन , TwoCircles.net जब भी कोई मज़लूम आवाज उठाती/उठाता है, ताक़तवर उसकी आवाज़ दबाने की भरपूर कोशि‍श करते हैं. ताक़त के कई रूप हैं. इसके...

Indian-Canadians outraged by overturning of Reena Virk murder verdict

By IANS, Vancouver : The Indian-Canadian community here has been outraged by a court's decision to overturn the life sentence of a woman convicted for brutally beating and drowning Indian origin teenager Reena Virk in 1997. The beating and drowning of the 14-year-old girl in Victoria near here by Kelly Ellard and her friends made international headlines and shook Canadians. The Indian-Canadian community was jolted again Friday when the British Columbia Court of Appeal here overturned Ellard's conviction and ordered a retrial.

12 Muslim women among top 200 women nominees of #100Women achievers contest of Ministry...

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), in collaboration with Facebook, have announced the...

Indian held for Andhra student’s murder to appear in court

London, May 9 (IANS) A 24-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was to appear before British magistrates Friday on charges of killing a woman from his native state in the city of Birmingham, 190 km from here. Nagaraju Kumar Nalluri was arrested Wednesday - a day after police found the 23-year-old woman dead from head injuries in her rented house in the Birmingham suburb of Handsworth.

Women-only buses roll out to loud approval in Kashmir

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: A special bus service for women was launched in Srinagar on Tuesday, April 19, and this step,...

Self-help groups help women overcome childhood sexual trauma

By IANS, London : Women who have lived through the nightmare of sexual trauma in childhood can help one another overcome these memories by sharing their experiences. One reason why such women don't talk about their trauma is the fear of being disbelieved. Some of them said that they tried to tell their story but nobody would listen to them. Others recalled that although their counsellor or doctor gave them a patient hearing, there was still a vital something missing, namely the opportunity to talk to someone in a similar predicament.

Action sought against two lawyers for derogatory remarks on women

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association on Friday sought action against two lawyers - M.L. Sharma and A.P.Singh - for making derogatory...

A Muslim woman’s decade-long struggle to get Khula

By Nadia Hussain, TwoCircles.net When Shabana (name changed) got married to Javed (name changed) in 2006. she had never imagined the battle she would have...

Death of Fathima Latheef a blatant case of discrimination and Islamophobia, say students

By Daisy K, TwoCircles.net Just five months after Dr. Payal Tadvi, a medical student at Nair Hospital in Mumbai was driven to suicide due to...

Women’s groups urge centre to address grievances of rape victims

By IANS, New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) along with its Delhi wing Saturday urged the central government to address the grievances of rape victims with sensitivity. Several advocates, NGO workers and the members of the NCW and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) held a seminar to discuss the guidelines approved by the Delhi High Court a few months back to tackle sexual offences with more sensitivity. Girija Vyas, chairperson of NCW, pointed out that there is lack of sensitivity in the country towards sexually assaulted women and children.

Hong Kong peeping Tom took over 1,000 sneak photos of women

By DPA, Hong Kong : A Hong Kong peeping Tom, who was caught as he snapped a picture up the skirt of a woman on an escalator with his mobile phone, had more than 1,000 similar pictures, a court report said Thursday. Police found 346 pictures taken up the skirts of women and more than 700 photos showing the backsides of women wearing mini-skirts and shorts. Thirtynine-year-old Chan Yung who claimed to be a university professor, appeared in court Wednesday pleading guilty to committing an act to outrage public decency.

First US woman vice presidential candidate dead

By IANS/EFE, Washington : Geraldine Ferraro, the first American woman vice presidential candidate, has died. She was 75.

HC upholds life for jilted lover who maimed woman’s face

By Garima Tyagi, New Delhi : A jilted lover who maimed the face of a woman who refused his marriage proposal has been denied relief...

Danish woman’s rape: Victim identifies all accused

New Delhi : A Danish woman, allegedly gangraped by six vagabonds last year, appeared before a court here on Wednesday and identified all...

Decadal increase in separated women goes up to a million

By IANS, New Delhi : The government Friday said the number of divorced and separated women in the country has gone up by nearly a...

Woman alleges rape, tattooing of insults on forehead for not bringing dowry

Jaipur : In a shocking incident, a woman in Rajasthan has alleged that she was harassed, beaten-up, raped and was tattooed with abuses including...

Masked girls: A fashion shrouded in mystery

By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net Modern girls from Indian metros may soon pose a big challenge to authorities in France and Belgium, who are busy implementing new rules on hijabs and burqas. If our latest fashion remains unchecked and crosses the international boundaries of these two European countries––and of course many others––then they may soon be flooded by ‘masked girls’ from India.

BJP showing fake love for Dalits, says BSP chief

Lucknow : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday accused the BJP of showing "fake love" for the Dalits. The BJP hit back,...

Kashmir budget proposes free schooling for girls

Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday announced special budgetary initiatives for women that include school fee waiver up to Class 12,...

Meghalaya home minister quits

Shillong : Meghalaya Home Minister Roshan Warjri has resigned from the ruling Congress-led government, a party official said Friday. Warjri, the first woman home minister,...

Indian woman jailed in Britain for carrying fake documents

By IANS, London : An Indian national, Fatima Gani, has been jailed for possessing fake identity documents at her home in Tooting, London. The 42-year-old woman had illegally stayed back in the country after arriving on a holiday, the police said. Her house was raided on a tip-off. She pleaded guilty to 17 offences of identity fraud at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced to two years in prison. A large number of documents, including fake and original passports, driving licences and bank documents were seized from her house.

Fetish of Hindu supremacists to see Muslim houses crumbling, and Muslims going to jail:...

Transcript of the interview given by student activist Afreen Fatima to Maktoob Media on June 16. Fatima’s house was demolished by Prayagraj (Allahabad) authorities...

Delhi policewoman smothered to death by fiance

New Delhi : A 20-year-old Delhi Police woman constable was smothered to death by her fiance at a guest house here, officials said Tuesday....

Attack on human rights defenders Soni Sori

By TCN News, Geedam (Chattisgarh): Reports are emerging that Soni Sori, the adivasi leader from Bastar, was attacked by few unidentified men in Geedam, Chattisgarh....

Women comprise 5.5 percent of 288-member Maharashtra assembly

Mumbai : Barely 5.5 percent of the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly are women, according to an analysis of poll results Monday. Of the total 4,119...

“Her New World” project launched by Shaheen Academy at Guwahati

TCN News: “Her New World”  a project for both rural and urban women of Assam was launched on 15th of October by Shaheen Academy. The...

Special rooms at TN bus stations for lactating mothers

Chennai : In a novel initiative for the benefit of lactating mothers, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Friday announced that exclusive rooms...

BSF women step closer to creating history at the border

By Alkesh Sharma, IANS, Hoshiarpur (Punjab) : As they thumped their feet into the ground for the final parade as trainees, they all knew that they are just a step away from their destination - of being the first women to be guarding India's international borders. The Kharkan camp of the Border Security Force (BSF), 15 km from this Punjab town, saw history being made Saturday as 178 women recruits were inducted into the BSF fold after their impressive passing out parade here.

Academicians, activists ask Press council to act against Zee News

By TCN News Delhi: About 250 academics have appealed to the Press Council of India and the Broadcast Association to take necessary action against...

Sania gets Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards for 12 others

New Delhi : Tennis star Sania Mirza received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour on Saturday, while 12 others,...

Media award for young woman journalist

By IANS, New Delhi : Alifiya Khan, 24, has won the third Anupama Jayaraman Memorial journalism award for exposing loopholes in the country's healthcare system with a series of investigative articles. The award consists of a citation and a cash award of Rs.15,000. Khan, a Mumbai-based correspondent with the Hindustan Times, wrote on 12 state-run healthcare centres. "Primary Hell Centres" - one of her articles which helped Khan clinch the award - unveiled the condition of health centres where untrained Ayurvedic doctors carried out post mortems and used disposable needles on patients.

294 days and counting: Why Churachandpur refuses to bury its dead

By Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net Churachandpur, Manipur: September 1 started like every other day at work for Chingneihoih, 22, from Churachandpur. For the...

Abducted Tripura girl rescued in Bihar

Agartala: Bihar Police have rescued a 16-year-old girl kidnapped from Tripura and arrested her abductor, police said here Saturday. "A married young man kidnapped the...

Asia’s richest woman was feng shui master’s lover, court told

By DPA, Hong Kong : Asia's richest woman, according to court testimony, was the lover of a feng shui master for 14 years before leaving him her entire multibillion-US-dollar fortune, a news report said Saturday. Lawyers for feng shui master Tony Chan said he and Nina Wang shared a "long-lasting, close and affectionate love" from 1993 to her death last year, the South China Morning Post reported. The pair allegedly had "midnight meetings" disguised as feng shui consultations during their secret affair, which began three years after Wang's husband was kidnapped, never to reappear.

Yemen: government discuss seats allocation for women in councils

By NNN-SABA, Sana'a : The Yemeni government discussed on Tuesday's meeting, headed by Prime Minister Ali Mujawar, the report on reviewing the study of COTA system to allocate seats for women in the elected councils. The report, presented by Minister of Social and Labor Affairs, was referred to a ministerial committee for revision. The cabinet affirmed its support to woman and the importance of expending the political participation of women in the elected councils with an average of 15 percent.

Homemakers without a home: women and displacement in Chars of Dhubri

By Parvin Sultana, The lives of char dwellers are marked by persisting underdevelopment, systemic exclusion, and frequent displacement. However, its impact is manifold on the lives of women. This brings forth the need to take a gendered look at the process of dispossession.

Minister seeks report from Delhi LG on Belgian woman’s molestation case

New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday sought a report from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on the molestation of a...

A conversation with Dr Audrey Truschke, the author of Aurangzeb: The life and legacy...

By Misbahuddin Mirza for TwoCircles.net Over the ages, the fertile lands of India have constantly attracted wave after wave of peoples to migrate and settle...

Hijab controversy resurfaces in Mangalore

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter, Mangalore: Time and again, the Hijab row continues to haunt Muslim girls in educational institutions across Karnataka, but especially so in Mangalore. This time, a college management on the outskirts of the city at Valachil in Dakshina Kannada district has asked girls not to attend the classes wearing Hijab.

Sexual harassment led to Delhi school stampede: fact-finding report

By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent, New Delhi: A fact-finding report released today has concluded that sexual harassment of girl students led to the stampede in the government senior secondary school in New Delhi’s Khajuri Khas area on September 10 resulting in the death of five girls and injury of scores of others.

Rajasthan gets NHRC notice over woman’s rape by policeman

New Delhi : The NHRC has issued notice to the Rajasthan government over a report that said a police assistant sub-inspector allegedly raped...

Daughter wants death for rapist dad

By IANS Amritsar: "My father should not be spared for his acts. He should be shot dead," was the impassioned plea of the college-going daughter of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The father has allegedly been raping his daughter for the past eight years. Speaking to reporters here Thursday, the 20-year-old said she wanted no mercy for her father. "Don't spare him. The police should shoot him dead," she said, speaking in Punjabi.

Assam Congress women demand tickets for general elections

By IANS, Guwahati : Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress, the women's wing of the ruling Congress party in the state, Monday demanded 33 percent reservation for women candidates in the upcoming general elections. "We want at least four seats for women candidates to contest in the Lok Sabha elections. I think we are justified in our demand and we have already intimated the same to Congress president Sonia Gandhi," president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress Moloya Barman told IANS.

Mauritius hiring only women from Indian subcontinent

By IANS, Dhaka : Mauritius is phasing out male workers and hiring only women from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a newspaper report here said Friday, quoting a local labour recruiting agent. The recruiting agent, who was not named, said the southern African island nation would not send back workers before their job contracts expire but it now has a policy of not hiring male workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Bangladesh has been concerned at reports from Mauritius that the latter will send back 6,000 workers, employed mainly in its garment industry.

Branded Witches, Beaten by Mobs, Burned Alive – In the Land of Goddesses, India’s...

Across India’s tribal villages, women continue to be hunted and killed as witches, while families watch in silence, fear or grief. Poonam Masih, TwoCircles.net Asansol (West...

Ramadan 1439: Andaleeb Wajid

By Poornima Marh, TwoCircles.net Andaleeb Wajid, is the author of several novels. "Ramadan is a month of faith and devotion. It is month where all...

Sushma says didn’t recommend travel documents for Lalit Modi

New Delhi : Hoping to deflect the opposition flak, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said she did not recommend travel documents...

Women in Saudi Arabia vote for first time

Riyadh : Municipal elections began on Saturday in Saudi Arabia in which women cast their votes for the first time. Women also stood as candidates,...

Sushma calls attack on Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru ‘shameful’

New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday described as "shameful" an alleged attack and stripping of a Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru...

More Women Occupying Key Postions In Business Sectors

By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama, Hanoi : The number of women involved in businesses worldwide and occupying key decision-making positions are rising steadily, with more having the power to decide purchases made by their companies, the Global Summit of Women was told today. Summit president Irene Natividad said the majority of new small businesses in the United States were owned by women while one third of companies in Vietnam were headed by them.

Conference on minority girls’ aspirations held in Delhi

Najma Heptulla signals speedy implementation of govt schemes in eastern India. By TCN News, New Delhi: The two-day National Conference on ‘an understanding...

4 women allegedly slain by own family in possible `honour killing’

By DPA, Montreal : Canadian authorities have charged an Afghan immigrant, his wife and their oldest son with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three Montreal sisters and an older female relative. Zainab Shafia, 19, Sahar Shafia, 17, and Geeti Shafia, 13, all sisters, were found dead with Rona Amir Mohammed, 50, in a submerged car June 30 in the historic Rideau Canal near Kingston, Ontario. From the beginning, investigators were baffled how the car managed to negotiate several obstacles to end up in the canal tail first, without leaving any skid marks.

Muslim women MPs meet in Indonesia

By IANS, Abu Dhabi: Women MPs from over 50 Muslim majority countries took part in a Muslim female parliamentarians conference in Indonesia.

Open letter to political parties to take up the issue of repealing AFSPA

By TCN News, New Delhi: Civil Society groups and individuals, led by Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign (SSSC), and endorsed by several others have written an open letter to all the political parties to take up the issue of repealing The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

डींगरहेड़ी कांड : महापंचायत ने जलाई इंसाफ़ की मशाल

अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net तावड़ू (हरियाणा) : मेवात ज़िले के डींगरहेड़ी गांव में 24-25 अगस्त की रात को गौरक्षकों द्वारा दो लोगों की हत्या, एक...

कोई नहीं है भजनपुरा का फुरसा हाल लेने वाला…

Anzar Bhajanpuri for TwoCircles.net बिहार के कोसी क्षेत्र की पहचान दुनिया भर में है. 2008 की कोसी त्रासदी ने यहां की कठिन ज़िन्दगी और संघर्ष...

‘Society will benefit from more women in politics’

By IANS, New Delhi : When 181 women get "empowered" to enter parliament society as a whole will benefit, Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed said here Monday. "All eyes are riveted towards India's parliament now. The thing to be kept in mind is that by asking for 33 percent reservation, we are not asking for a favour because when 181 women will be in the parliament, the society as a whole will benefit," Hameed said at the release of a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on gender equality in Asia-Pacific region.

Show political will on women’s bill, CPI-M tells government

By IANS, New Delhi : The government should show political will in passing the women's quota bill in the Lok Sabha, the Communist Party of India-Marxist said Tuesday, a day after an all-party meeting on the issue failed to reach a consensus. "The government should show political will," CPI-M MP Brinda Karat said on the government's decision to hold further discussion on the bill without setting a time frame. It did not say whether the meeting would be held before the house assembles April 15 after a three-week break.

The way to a lady’s heart is through her stomach – if you’re a...

By Ernest Gill, DPA, Hamburg : The way to a lady's heart is through her stomach - if you're a male chimpanzee seeking a mate. But you have to be patient and feed her lots of meat over a long period of time, according to new findings by German scientists. Wild female chimpanzees copulate more frequently with males who share meat with them over long periods of time, according to a study led by German researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Munich.

Ramadan 1437: Binnish Affan

By Asif Khan, TwoCircles.net “I don’t remember ever wanting to become a teacher.” Binish Affan laments the lack of role models in academics. A post-graduate...

Programme for women to go green in Rajasthan

New Delhi: Recognizing the importance of women's participation in governance, a non-governmental organisation has decided to develop a programme to encourage environmental initiatives in...

Remembering Qurratulain Hyder : The fierce, unapologetic and bold Urdu writer

By Sharjeel Usmani for TwoCircles.net The Union Hall building of Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) is buzzing with supporters of the newly elected...

Muslim couple in Bokaro, Jharkhand allege “custodial torture,” police refute allegations

A Muslim couple in Bokaro, Jharkhand has alleged that they were tortured by police while in custody over allegations of theft against them....

Girl denied permission to board Delhi Metro while wearing a Hijab

By Amit Kumar, Twocircles.net Delhi: In what looks like a case of religious discrimination, a Muslim girl was denied entry into the...

A Bihar man goes to meet daughter who strayed into Pakistan

Patna: Janardan Mahto, a labourer from a Bihar village, on Tuesday left for Delhi where he hopes to meet his daughter Geeta, the deaf-mute...

Intermediate topper Talat Nazneen wants to become IAS officer

By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net, Patna: Talat Nazneen Zakia has secured first position in Intermediate examination 2009 in Bihar, and thus has become pride of not only for her family but her educationally backward community also – the community where more males are literate than females.

UP to give Rs.20 lakh to Delhi rape victim’s family

By IANS, Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Monday announced Rs.20 lakh as financial aid to the family of the New Delhi gang-rape victim.

Mamata didi has become Shahenshah: Modi

Kharagpur (West Bengal) : Launching a direct attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the "didi"...

Most MPs against women’s bill: Sharad Yadav

By George Joseph, IANS, New Delhi : Continuing his opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav says that 90 percent of MPs are against the bill that seeks to set aside a third of all seats in India's legislatures for women. "If there is no party whip, 90 percent of the MPs will oppose the bill, whether they are from the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) or the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), whether they are from backward classes or upper castes, whether they are male or women MPs," Yadav claimed in an interview.

Women’s quota bill put to vote in Rajya Sabha

By IANS, New Delhi : India's upper house of parliament, Rajya Sabha, Tuesday put to vote the women's quota bill reserving a third of seats in parliament and state assemblies for women amid vocal acrimony and dissent.

पलायन को आईना दिखाती पहाड़ की ये महिला

पंकज सिंह बिष्ट नैनीताल (उत्तराखंड) : आज जहां एक तरफ़ पहाड़ के लिए पलायन श्राप बना हुआ है. जिसे रोकना सरकार के लिए एक चुनौती...

#TCN10: Looking back at TwoCircles.net

By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net “Are there enough news stories on Indian Muslims to do a daily news portal?” This was one of the first question that...

Woman conceives after tubectomy at Uttar Pradesh hospital

By IANS, Lucknow : The wife of a poor farmer of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh gave birth to twins earlier this week -- even after opting for a tubectomy operation in a government hospital following the birth of their third child last year. Although the farmer, not willing to be named, says he will make all possible efforts to bring up his five children, the state health department terms this to be a minor issue.

Locals keep Delhi’s oldest orphanage running

By Mohammed Anas, New Delhi: Little Zoobi was dropped by her mother a year back at ‘Bacchon Ka Ghar’, Delhi’s oldest orphanage, in Matia Mahal locality in the walled city. She has now accustomed to her new home, bajis (wardens), sahelis (friends) and aapis (elder sisters). Only occasionally, she craves for her home and her late father. But solace comes in the company of Shaila, Ashiya, Ruby and others who have also lost their fathers and share the shelter with Zooby.

Women deprived from voting in elections in Pakistan province

Islamabad: Polling booths for women in local elections in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province were deserted on Saturday following an unannounced ban on women voters. The women's...

Islamic clerics fume at ‘Abdullah’s anti-burqa’ views

By IANS, Lucknow : Leading Islamic clerics have taken strong exception to union minister Farooq Abdullah's reported views against Muslim women wearing the burqa. Several maulanas in Lucknow and some well known scholars at the prominent Deoband school of Islamic thought have raised serious objections to former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Abdullah's reported remark at Ajmer Monday that the burqa was largely responsible for backwardness among Muslim women.

Women’s Day: Spicejet’s all-women crew flights, SRL Diagnostics awards 5

New Delhi : On the occasion of International Women's Day on Sunday, budget carrier SpiceJet said it was operating 16 all-women crew flights across...

Woman raped, minor girl molested in capital

By IANS, New Delhi : A woman was allegedly raped after falling unconscious and a six-year-old girl was molested in two separate incidents of sex crimes in the capital, police said Friday. "A 24-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by Syed Saamir Ali, 28, resident of Bulandshahr, March 28. Ali and the woman had met at a mobile repairing shop in Nehru Pace a few days earlier and had become friends," a police official said. Ali had served the woman cold drinks laced with sedative March 28 and raped her when she became unconscious.

Majiziya Bhanu wins gold in World Powerlifting Championship

By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net Majiziya Bhanu has done it again. The Kerala girl has won a gold medal in the 56 kg senior women's open...

The Veiled West

By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi The Muslim women veil issue in France is gradually taking an ugly shape across the world. The ‘extra’ liberal people possessed with Western life style even in the East count banning ‘burqa’ as women ‘liberation’ from ‘the dark age’ in tune with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, yet majority of Muslims across the globe consider it as direct attack on one’s freedom of living and religious practicing. It is nothing less than forceful conversion of Muslim women to the Western civilization, some argue.

CBI files closure report in case against Maneka Gandhi

New Delhi : The CBI has filed a closure report in a case against union minister Maneka Gandhi and two others for allegedly diverting...

“Anti-nationals” of the world unite: Umar Khalid back in JNU campus

By TCN News, New Delhi: The JNU campus was enlighten on Sunday night when Umar Khalid, an accused of raising anti-national slogans, returned to the...

US court dismisses 1984 riots case against Sonia Gandhi

New York : A US court of appeals in New York has affirmed a district court's order and dismissed Nov 1984 anti-Sikh violence...

Did Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in Triple Talaq, lie about her divorce?

By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net Over the past few years, the issue of instant Triple Talaq has been discussed, criticised, debated and analysed a lot....

Harassed husbands outnumber their counterparts: NGO

By IANS, Chandigarh: The Domestic Violence Act, which aims to shield the rights of women, is being misused by some to harass their in-laws and extort money from their husbands, an NGO alleged here Saturday. Representatives of Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), an organisation that is fighting for the rights of Indian husbands, said cases of men being harassed by their wives clearly outnumber the cases of harassed women.

Kanyashree scheme to be part of school syllabus: Mamata

Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the Kanyashree Prakalpa - a scheme for girls - would be included...

Sixty percent of burn patients in Jammu are women

Jammu : Women constitute sixty percent of those with burn injuries here, a study said here on Wednesday. The study -- Burns in Jammu: Retrospective...

Police reaction to attacks on Bangalore women disappointing: group

By IANS, Bangalore : Bangalore police have brushed aside concerns over attacks on women on the streets of India's IT capital as "sporadic" and mere "eve-teasing", says a group formed to protest such crimes. Disappointed with Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari's reaction to the attacks here - at least five in the past fortnight - the members of Fearless Karnataka/Nirbhaya Karnataka (FKNK) say they will press ahead with plans March 7 and 8 to protest these attacks and raise awareness among the police and citizens.

Two injured in Agra clash

Lucknow : Two people were injured when two groups clashed in Agra which prompted police reinforcements to control the situation, police said on Monday. The...

Muslim women join hands to rehabilitate khaki terror victims in Hyderabad

By TwoCircles.net news desk, Hyderabad: In a commendable move that will show light to the society which appeared almost indifferent to the acquittal of scores of Muslim youths in terror cases in Hyderabad, least to talk of their rehabilitation, the city Muslim women have come up extending their helping hand to the victim youths.

Giving a voice to Orissa’s exploited tribal women

By Arun Anand, IANS, Kandhamal (Orissa), Feb 24 (IANS) Reena Rana, a tribal woman in her 20s, is waiting for her five-year-old son to be returned to her. Her husband married another woman a few years ago and Reena had to leave his house. She is voiceless, like many other tribal women in Orissa's Kandhamal district who are victims of domestic violence. "I had a son and a daughter, but my daughter passed away. Then my husband forcibly took my son away. I want my son back and some financial support to live a life of dignity," wailed Reena.

‘3,500 women benefit from Himachal’s Janani Express’

Shimla : More than 3,500 mothers and their newborns in Himahcal have benefitted in two months under the Janani Express-102 scheme, the state government...

Will set up world-class institutes for minorities, 40% reservation for women: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

By TCN News The Ministry of Minority Affairs will establish “world class educational institutions to provide better traditional and modern education to students belonging...

Women’s panel to submit report on Amethi ‘atrocities’

By IANS, Lucknow : The National Commission for Women (NCW) Friday said it will submit within a week a report on the police attack on women in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi town. "I visited Amethi and met the women injured in the baton charge by police. I saw their medical reports," Neeva Konwar, a member of the NCW, told reporters in Lucknow after returning from Amethi. The police allegedly broke into the houses of some residents of Amethi July 13 after they staged a noisy protest against the deteriorating power supply in the town.

Consult us on Teresa’s remains: Catholic bishops

By IANS, New Delhi : The government should consult the church and the Missionaries of Charity before taking a decision on the Albanian government's request for Mother Teresa's remains, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) said Monday. "As and when such a request comes to us, we will take a considered decision in consultation with the Missionaries of Charity," said CBCI spokesperson Rev Babu Joseph.

Trinamool MLA’s son worried about his safety after mother shot at

Kolkata : Days after his mother was shot at in their home, the son of Trinamool Congress legislator Arjun Singh on Saturday expressed concern...

67 girls found in raid on Rajasthan ashram are hypnotised

By IANS Jaipur, July 5 : Counselling of 67 girls, found in a police raid on an ashram being run in a hotel in Rajasthan's Rajsamand,...

Calcutta University teachers allege assault; minister seeks report

Kolkata : Calcutta University vice chancellor Suranjan Das and some teachers were on Wednesday manhandled by supporters of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress students'...

Bengal Christian forum condemns gang rape of nun

Kolkata: Condemning the alleged gang rape of a nun by dacoits in West Bengal's Nadia district, a state forum of Christians on Saturday accused...

AAP leader lodges complaint against Delhi legislator

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Alka Lamba has lodged a police complaint against Delhi legislator Vinod Kumar Binny and 21 others for alleging...

Women shouldn’t have mobile phones: BSP MP

By IANS, Lucknow : The BSP found itself red faced Monday after one of its MPs said women should not be given mobile phone.

Our society behaves horrendously with women: Author Amish Tripathi

By Shilpa Raina, Jaipur : Controversies in India are given greater prominence than pressing issues like the oppression of women that need to be brought...

NGOs in Mumbai demand compensation for Pune victim’s family and a ban on Hindu...

By TwoCircle.net Staff Reporter, Mumbai: A number of secular Non Government Organizations (NGOs) gathered together in Azad Maidan of Mumbai under the black banner to protest against disorderly killing of an innocent Muslim techie Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh in Hadapsar area of Pune by the activists of radical outfit Hindu Rashtra Sena. They demanded compensation of Rs. 15 lakhs for the family of killed techie along with a government job to one of the member of his family as Mohsin was the only bread winner for family, besides an immediate ban on Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS).

Anandiben: Gujarat’s first woman CM, India’s 15th

By Vinod Taksal, New Delhi : In Anandiben Patel, Gujarat has got its first woman chief minister and the country its 15th woman head of...

Trial in Lucknow for women’s wrestlers from Monday

New Delhi : The selection committee of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will meet at Sports Authority of India (SAI) training Centre in...

Woman burnt to death by in-laws for dowry, alleges family

By IANS, New Delhi: A 28-year-old woman, married for seven years, was allegedly burnt to death Sunday by her in-laws in Delhi, police and her family said. Deepika Bajaj, who has a six-year-old daughter, called police before dying and told them that she had been set on fire by her husband and in-laws, an official said. "We received a call at around 8.30 in the morning when the deceased woman, Deepika Bajaj, called us before dying and told that she has been set on fire inside her home by her husband and in-laws," the police officer said.

BJP has highest MPs/MLAs with declared crime against women cases, says report

New Delhi (IANS): The BJP leads recognized political parties with the highest number of 12 lawmakers at the central and state levels who have...

Women devotees flood Kerala capital for festival

By IANS, Thiruvananthapuram : Spirals of smoke rose from hundreds of firewood stoves here Tuesday as an estimated three million women devotees from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu converged on the path to the Attukal Bhagavathi temple and cooked rice offerings for the goddess. The offering is made on the penultimate day of the 10-day-long Attukal Pongala festival, which is often referred to as the equivalent of the Sabarimala pilgrimage for women. Attukal Bhagavathi is believed to be an incarnation of Kannaki, the central character of the Tamil epic "Silappathikaaram".

Misguided empowerment camouflaged as choices

By Zoya Khan for TwoCircles.net, A lot has been said about the recent Vogue campaign which claims to empower women by having to make their own choices. Well I have something to say, and I will say it not because I have the choice to but because I have the option to. To exercise that option could be my choice. Most certainly it is not the case. Our choices are driven by the current market situation and are dependent on the dynamics and functioning of the markets. It is amidst this that the choices we make are heavily market-oriented.

Seminar on ‘Contribution of Muslim Women in Natural and Social Sciences’ held in Aligarh

TCN News Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) held a seminar on Contribution of Muslim Women in Natural and Social Sciecnces and noted pediatrician, Dr Hameeda...

Bihar to provide sanitary napkins at nominal price

By IANS, Patna: Bihar will provide sanitary napkins at a nominal cost in rural areas of its 10 districts to raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene among the women, an official said.

Women journalists in India yet to break the glass ceiling: Leela Menon

By IANS, Thiruvananthapuram : Veteran journalist Leela Menon, who was the first woman in the state to join the profession, Sunday opined that women in Indian media are yet to break the glass ceiling. "One or two Barkha Dutts are not enough and those women who are at the top are only so by virtue of their family owning the organisation. This clearly shows that the others are being discriminated against," she said. Menon, 85, who was with the Express group for a long time, now edits the Bharatiya Janata Party mouthpiece "Janmabhoomi" here.

Akhilesh gets luxury cars, but cuts budget for women’s panel

By Mohit Dubey, Lucknow : As women's safety continues to be a cause for concern in Uttar Pradesh, here's a shocker: An activist has found...

Madhya Pradesh rocked by four rape cases

By IANS Bhopal, July 10: Four incidents of rape including two gang rapes have rocked Madhya Pradesh since Sunday, officials said on Monday. A young woman...

BSP MP moves bail application in rape case

New Delhi: BSP MP Dhananjay Singh Saturday moved bail application after the woman who accused him of raping her, denied the charge in a...

Canadian women tourists robbed in Lucknow

By IANS, Lucknow : Two Canadian women tourists were robbed in the Uttar Pradesh capital late Sunday night, police said. The incident took place in the central Hazratganj locality of the capital at around 11:30 p.m. when the tourists from Ottawa, Canada, were returning to their hotel in a cycle rickshaw. "According to the complainants, Gillian and Catherine, two motorcycle borne men intercepted them and snatched their purses," additional superintendent of police Paresh Pandey told IANS.

सियासत और लालच की भेंट चढ़ गुमनामी के कगार पर पहुंच गया है बाँदा...

आकिल हुसैन । Twocircles.net  2006 को तीन महिलाएं संपत पाल,हेमलता पटेल,सुमन सिंह चौहान दबी कुचली पीड़ित महिलाओं को उनके अधिकारों के प्रति जागरूक करने के...

Three held for woman’s gangrape in Madhya Pradesh

By IANS, Bhopal : Three men were arrested for the alleged gangrape of a 30-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district, police said Wednesday. "The woman was waiting for a bus to go to Ujjain Tuesday when the trio offered her lift in their jeep. Later, they took her to bypass road and raped and assaulted her," said Dewas Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rajput. Rajendra Senghav of Dewas, Sunil Mehta of Raisen district and Bunty Patel of Bhopal were arrested by a police patrol on the bypass road, he said.

Demand for woman president in BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit

By IANS, Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wholeheartedly supported the passage of the women's reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha, is now witnessing demands from women members in its Madhya Pradesh unit that the post of state president should go to one of them. "Since the time of the Jana Sangh, the organisation is headed by men in the state. The time has come for the baton to be handed over to the fair sex," a senior woman party leader said on condition of anonymity.

Sania becomes top ranked doubles player with Charleston title

Charleston (US): Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their third successive doubles title together, securing the Family Circle Cup tennis title on Sunday, enabling...

Ujanmaidan – where 14 tribal women were raped in 1988

By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net,

Empowering Rural Women

By Shobha Shukla,
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