International Women’s Day: women group calls for protection of rights
By TCN News,
Hyderabad: On 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (8th March), Hyderabad based organization Nisa Research and Resource Centre for Women organized a program in Hyderabad calling for protection of women’s rights both by civil society and governments.
Minor gangraped in Ghaziabad
By IANS,
Ghaziabad : A 13-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by two young men and an adolescent in Pratap Vihar area of Ghaziabad, adjoining the national capital, the police said Sunday.
According to the police, the girl, who is a resident of Pratap Vihar, had stepped out of her house Saturday afternoon when the three young men, also staying in the same locality, forcibly took her to a secluded spot and raped her.
The men threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the crime to anyone.
Karnataka women seek 50 percent quota in local bodies
By IANS,
Bangalore : Women members of local government bodies in Karnataka have sought 50 percent representation for them in the three-tier 'panchayat' (local council) institutions across the state.
In a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Sunday, a joint organisation of the members said the state government should reserve 50 percent of the total seats for women in the local bodies' elections due March 2010.
29 UP cops named in 23 rape cases in 14 months: CM
Lucknow: As many as 29 Uttar Pradesh Police personnel were named in 23 cases of rape registered in the state in the 14 months...
Why women interact socially better than men
By IANS,
Dubai : Women have higher emotional intelligence than men. That is why they perform better in several areas of social interaction and have a higher sense of well-being and satisfaction, according to a study.
The study, conducted by Kuwait University psychology professor Othman Al-Khudher and colleague Huda Al-Fadhli, found that women perform better in many related areas than their male counterparts.
Celebrating women’s power through extraordinary tales
(March 8 is International Women's Day)
A woman's ability to fight back is her biggest strength. As we will celebrate the many facets of women ahead of International Women's Day that falls March 8, the IANS book stack offers you extraordinary tales of triumph and memories. Take a look.
18 castes to be included in ST category
Ranchi: Jharkhand's Bhokta and Puran are among the 18 communities across India that are likely to be designated as Scheduled Tribes (STs) by the...
With art and grit, she helps women in Maoist badlands
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Bundu : Deep in the heart of Maoist country in Jharkhand, a young woman is reviving ancient artistic genres to "bring new meaning into the lives of tribal and backward caste women" whose husbands and kin have taken to arms.
Reshma Dutta, the daughter of the erstwhile 'zamindar' (landlord) of Bundu, an economically backward district 40 km from Ranchi, makes terracotta, dokra (metal ware) and ceramic sculptures, jewellery, cutlery and solid three-dimensional wall paintings using ethnic Sohrai motifs and techniques.
Telegu short-story writer, Muslim physiotherapist win awards at Women Summit 2021
Women Summit is the annual get together of the members and well-wishers of Women’s Manifesto, a national level NGO formed in 2014. It...
Six arrested in Haryana for gang-raping, selling woman
Chandigarh : Haryana Police have arrested six people for their alleged involvement in the gang rape and sale of a woman from Maharashtra. Three...
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.
Mahila Congress launches campaign for passage of women’s quota bill
New Delhi, (IANS): The Congress's women's wing, Mahila Congress, on Sunday launched a signature campaign seeking early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in...
A Portrait of the Indian as a Young Dalit Girl: Part 2 – Sister,...
(Editor’s note: This was first published on Yahoo.com as a single piece. We are reproducing the long form report in parts for TwoCircles.net readers.)
You...
The pain of Dardpora: Kashmiri half-widows living in a state of limbo
By Muhammad Zulqarnain Zulfi
Dardpora (Jammu and Kashmir): Lying near thick deodar forests, terraced cornfields, apple orchards and jagged mountains, the hamlet of Dardpora looks...
69-year-old nun’s murderer admits killing another: Police
Kottayam (Kerala): A day after Kerala Police revealed that a man arrested from Haridwar for killing and 69-year-old nun at her convent near here...
Chaitanya Datla first civilian woman to sail Indian Navy warship
By IANS,
New Delhi : Chaitanya Datla, a 28-year old executive from Bangalore, is all set to create history by becoming the first civilian woman to sail on an Indian Navy warship.
Datla was chosen the winner of National Geographic Channel's "Mission Navy: Lehron Ke Sartaj" from over 50,000 civilians who participated in the landmark docu-reality series, it was announced Wednesday.
PM apprised about Ruchika case
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath Friday apprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about developments in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case that has grabbed national headlines.
Tirath had gone to meet the prime minister to wish him on New Year day and also apprise him about the case. National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas was present on the occasion, official sources said.
‘Muslims have become demolition targets:’ Jamia Nagar residents on DDA demolitions
On February 15, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished 50 structures in Jamia Nagar, a predominately Muslim majority neighbourhood in New Delhi. The area...
India steps into history with women’s quota bill
By Minu Jain, IANS,
New Delhi: India's politics took a decisive step towards change Tuesday with its upper house passing a historic bill giving one-third representation to women in parliament and state legislatures, crossing the biggest hurdle in the road towards political empowerment for women in the world's largest democracy.
Women to attend Church of England meetings
By IANS,
London: Women clergy will attends bishops' meetings of the Church of England for the first time.
Great to have so many women MPs in Lok Sabha : Moon Moon Sen
By Sreeparna Chakrabarty,
New Delhi : It is great to have so many women in the Lok Sabha this time, says the glamorous actor-turned-politician Moon...
Calcium supplements cause heart problems in women?
By IANS,
Sydney: There is growing evidence that calcium supplements increase the risk of heart attacks among older women, say researchers.
PFI encourages students with its “School Chalo” campaign
By TCN News
Bangalore: Muslims students have high drop-out rates, to plug-in this major source of educational backwardness Popular Front of India (PFI) organizes an annual “School Chalo” programme in which students from the weaker sections are given scholarships. In Karnataka, programme was conducted in various localities on June 5th and 6th this year.
यूपी में भाजपा की जीत के बीच कहाँ खड़े है मुसलमान !
आसमोहम्मद कैफ।Twocircles.net
देश के सबसे बड़े राज्य उत्तर प्रदेश में भारतीय जनता पार्टी चुनाव जीत गई है। संभवतः योगी आदित्यनाथ एक बार फिर...
Having lost all to floods, woman waits for missing family
By Imran Khan, IANS,
Saharsa (Bihar) : Meena Devi lost everything she had - her thatched house, clothes, two buffaloes, four goats and two sacks of wheat - in the floods caused by the turbulent Kosi river in Bihar and she has been surviving on water. But all this seems immaterial to her as she prays day and night for the safety of her missing husband and sons.
Four decades on, Bhopal gas tragedy victims yet to find closure
Many victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy still reel from the devastation that the incident caused in their lives.
Huneza Khan | TwoCircles.net
BHOPAL (MADHYA...
Haryana village women to get exclusive meeting place
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Rural women in Haryana will get "women chaupals" - an exclusive common meeting place for them - in all villages across the state.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Thursday that the women chaupals, each costing Rs.300,000 and having a covered shed, would be constructed in all villages in a phased manner.
Nearly 100 model villages in the state have already got these women chaupals. The first phase of the project was started by the Haryana government in 2008-09.
40 cases of crime against women recorded daily in Delhi: Centre
New Delhi : On an average 40 cases of crime against women, including at least four rape cases, are registered everyday in Delhi, union...
Ex-NCP minister booked for sexual assault
Mumbai:A former Nationalist Congress Party minister Laxmanrao Dhoble has been accused of sexual assault by a woman college employee, officials said.
"We have registered a...
Nine arrested for torturing Assam woman as ‘witch’
Guwahati : Nine people were arrested Wednesday in Assam's Sivasagar district for torturing a woman and branding her a 'witch', police said.
The incident took...
Remembering children of riot affected families on Children’s Day
Study reveals the terrified children in relief camps badly need social, emotional and administrative support
By Nikhat for TwoCircles.net
She makes your home, let it be hers too
By Paloma Ganguly, IANS,
They were lying on the floor, face up, one knee flung over the other, singing their hearts out. It was a Bengali song, which roughly translated went: "Deep in the woods, the moon is out; mother, where is that dark sister of mine who sings me a song and a rhyme?" The louder, soulful voice was that of Kavita, my 17-year-old maid, and trying to match her every note and word was my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Teesta.
French burqa ban is an infringement on women’s right: Bazm-e-Khwateen
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Congress, JD-U, Left to bring privilege motions against Irani
New Delhi : Seeking to put the Narendra Modi government on the defensive, the Congress and JD-U said on Saturday that they will bring...
Modi says glad to see highest number of women in UP assembly
New Delhi, (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed happiness to see a new record of highest number of women MLAs elected to...
SC to hold speedy hearing of cases of sexual abuse
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday said it would be shortly evolving a mechanism for the speedy hearing of cases of sexual and other criminal offences against women.
Obama administration backs gay marriages in Supreme Court
Washington: The Obama administration called state bans on same-sex marriage "incompatible with the constitution", as a brief was filed in the US Supreme Court...
App for female commuters’ safety launched
Kolkata : Female train commuters in distress can now seek immediate police assistance at the touch of a button -- courtesy a mobile...
Women key to US presidential elections: poll
By DPA,
Washington : Women hold an important key to winning the US presidential elections in November because neither Democrat Barack Obama nor Republican John McCain has yet won a majority of women voters into their corner, according to a poll.
Obama has won the support of 49 percent of women, while 38 percent are for McCain, according to the poll released Tuesday, commissioned by a coalition of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a female-oriented TV broadcaster, and hundreds of women's organisations.
Sharmila Tagore lauds Yemeni director for highlighting women’s sufferings
Kolkata : Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore heaped praises on Yemeni filmmaker Khadija Al Salami, considered the first woman director from her country, for being...
Manipuri women assault case: Fifth accused granted bail
By IANS,
New Delhi : A court here Thursday granted bail to a man accused of assaulting two Manipuri women, saying four accused facing the...
Half of Delhi’s women voters turned out for polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : An elated Election Commission Saturday said that over 50 percent of women voters in the capital came out to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha polls, showing much more enthusiasm than in the last general elections.
"We were flooded with calls from women voters enquiring about the poll process and clearing doubts over their identity proof," Uday Baxi, joint chief electoral officer, told IANS.
December 16 documentary: Bar Council notice to lawyers
New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Saturday issued notice to two defence advocates for their controversial remarks in the BBC documentary...
Accepting Sahitya Akademi award with mixed feelings: K.R. Meera
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : Though it's an honour, it’s painful to accept a Sahitya Akademi award at a time when country is witnessing...
Obama tributes from India’s most acclaimed women in films
By IANS,
New York : Barack Obama's election as US president is historic not just for Americans but for people the world over, say three of Indian cinema's best known women - Deepa Mehta, Mira Nair and Shabana Azmi.
Tributes to the president-elect who will be the first African American in the White House poured in Wednesday at the the opening of the five-day MIAAC Film Festival of Indian Independent and Diaspora films.
Sexual Harassment of female students in Jamia Milia opens a can of worms
TCN News
Female students of Jamia Milia Islamia University have been protesting from February against the HoD of fine arts Professor Hafeez Ahamed for allegedly...
Woman injured in crude bomb blast in Nandigram
By IANS,
Kolkata : A woman member of Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) was injured Sunday in a crude bomb blast at Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, the police said.
Crude bombing and firing started early Sunday between activists of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Trinamool Congress over land acquisition at five villages of Nandigram - Osmanchowk, Jalpai No. 7, Jadubarichowk, Sonachura and Bhutarmor.
Centre to launch three-day campaign for better women’s health
New Delhi : The union health ministry will launch a three-day nationwide campaign for ensuring better health for women, it was announced here Thursday.
The...
‘Women intend to quit jobs due to gender bias, harassment’
New Delhi : Working women, especially those in the private sector, desire to quit their jobs for a number of reasons, including gender bias...
उज़मा नाहिद : मुस्लिम महिलाओं को आर्थिक रूप से सशक्त बनाने की एक मिशन
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
मुंबई : मुसलमानों में मज़हबी तौर पर जो रिवायती घराने हैं, उन घरानों की बेटियां भी देश की खुली फ़िज़ा...
BJP reluctant to table women’s reservation bill: AIWC
New Delhi : All India Women's Congress president Shobha Oza Monday said the BJP government was reluctant to table the women's reservation bill in...
The girl behind ‘Who is Kalam’?
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : The book title "Who is Kalam?" may be intriguing but has a heart-warming story behind it --...
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...
Arab-American family slams United Airlines over discrimination
New York : An Arab-American family slammed United Airlines after its staff removed them from a flight in an incident that they claimed was...
Drop in women MLA numbers in Telangana stresses need for 33% reservation
By Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net
The number of women in Telangana State Assembly has come down this year as compared to the previous elections of 2014,...
‘इस्लाम ने ही पहली दफ़ा औरतों को उनका हक़ दिया’ –जस्टिस राजेन्द्र सच्चर
‘मुसलमान औरतों की आवाज़: सड़क से संसद तक’: बंदिशों की बेड़ियों को झकझोरने की कोशिश
Fahmina Hussain, TwoCircles.net
बदलते समय, बदलते समाज, बदलते परिवेश के बीच...
Delhi court takes cognizance of complaint against AAP legislator Gaur
New Delhi : A court here on Thursday took cognizance of a complaint against Aam Aadmi Party legislator Bhavna Gaur for allegedly misrepresenting...
President to visit women’s first education institute
By IANS,
Pune : President Pratibha Patil will arrive here Friday on a three-day visit, her first to the city after she assumed the country's highest office, to attend a function at India's first, over a century-old education institution for women.
On the day of her arrival, India's first woman president will grace the commemoration ceremony of Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sansthan, marking the 150th birth anniversary of Maharshi Dhondopant Karve, the founder of this institute which was the country's first to impart women's education.
SC seeks police’s response on threat to lawyer in Sabarimala temple case
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi Police commissioner to apprise it of steps taken by police on the complaint...
Three women charred to death in Chhattisgarh village
Raipur, March 7 (IANS) A woman and her two daughters were charred to death in a Chhattisgarh village Saturday after fire broke out in their shanty while they were asleep, police said.
The incident occurred in Kunjnagar village in Surguja district at around 4 a.m., police said.
The three victims were identified as Rajkumari, 32, and her two daughters - Rekha, 12, and Jaya, 10.
Need for substantive representation of women on boards: Maneka
New Delhi : There is a compelling need for substantive representation of women on the boards of companies rather than a token representation through...
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.
Woman saves Indian from Bangladeshis’ captivity in Baharin
Manama: An Indian, allegedly tortured and held hostage in Bahrain by five Bangladeshis for a paltry BHD800 ransom (about $2,000), was rescued with the...
आज़मगढ़ में दलित उत्पीड़न के मामले ने तूल पकड़ा
स्टाफ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
उत्तर प्रदेश के आजमगढ़ जिले के एक गांव में दलितों पर पुलिस उत्पीड़न का मामला सामने आया है। गांव में दो पक्षों...
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...
Banerjee flags off ladies special train in West Bengal
By IANS,
Kolkata: Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday flagged off the first ladies special EMU train and 19 augmented 12-coach EMU services in Howrah division in West Bengal, in line with the commitment she made during her 2009-10 budget speech.
"This special ladies local train would ply between Howrah and Bandel station twice daily during the peak hours. It will help the women passengers of the Howrah division to travel comfortably during the office hours," Banerjee said during the flagging off ceremony.
गुमनाम कबड्डी कोच इलियास की कहानी, जो समाज की अज्ञानता से जूझे मगर देश...
Twocircles.net के लिए दरियापुर( मुकामां) से आसिफ इकबाल की रिपोर्ट
पटना से करीब 90 किमी पूरब में गंगा नदी किनारे दरियापुर गांव बसा है। यहां...
हिन्दू कोड बिल पर चुप्पी साधकर भाजपा कर रही ट्रिपल तलाक की राजनीति
अभय कुमार
पिछले महीने पूर्वी उत्तर प्रदेश के सोनभद्र में भाजपा की एक बड़ी रैली से ख़िताब करते हुए पार्टी अध्यक्ष अमित शाह ने सपा,...
Ramadan 1433: Shukr
By Natisha Mallick, TwoCircles.net
Eighteen-year old Shabhana daughter of Meraj Jahan is reading the Holy Quran outside her 24sq. yrds- 2 room house. She never...
Wll balance right to equality, religious practice, SC on Sabarimala
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday said that it would balance the right to equality with the right to freedom of religion...
Lalitha Kumaramangalam takes charge as NCW chair
New Delhi : BJP leader Lalitha Kumaramangalam Monday took charge as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women and said that she will...
Young woman’s semi-nude body found hanging from tree
By IANS,
New Delhi : The semi-naked body of a young woman was found hanging Wednesday from a tree in a public park in northwest Delhi. The police suspect she could have hung herself after being sexually assaulted.
The victim, who appeared to be in her early-20s and was yet to be identified, was found hanging around 9.35 a.m. from a tree in Sector-3 Rohini, a stone's throw away from the Jaipur Golden Hospital.
She might have hung herself with the sari she was wearing, a police official said.
Women’s progress in not possible without assistance of men: Senior Bangladesh official
By NNN-BSS,
Dhaka, Bangladesh : Education Adviser of Bangladesh caretaker government Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman y said advancement of women could not be possible without the assistance of their counterparts.
"Cooperation of men is very much needed to ensure progress of the women," he said while addressing as the chief guest the inaugural session of the two-day South Asian Soroptimist Conference at the Spectra Convention Centre at Gulshan in the city on Friday.
Soroptimist International Club of Dhaka has arranged the conference as part of its silver jubilee celebration.
Mamata to attend meeting on women’s quota bill
By IANS,
New Delhi: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend a meeting of all political parties in the Lok Sabha on the women's reservation bill here Monday, a Trinamool Congress leader said Saturday.
The Trinamool Congress, the second largest party in the Congress-led ruling coalition, had abstained from voting on the women's quota bill in the Rajya Sabha March 9.
"Mamataji will attend the meeting," Trinamool chief whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told IANS.
However, the party did not reveal the strategy to be adopted in the meeting.
तस्वीरों में : समय से पहले बाढ़ जैसे हालात, फंसे लोग ,बहे जानवर
बिजनोर : उत्तराखंड में हो रही कई दिन से तेज़ बारिश के चलते गंगा किनारे के कई जनपदों में बाढ़ के हालात पैदा हो...
50 percent quota for women in panchayats lauded
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Commission of Women Thursday welcomed the cabinet's decision to reserve 50 percent of seats in rural panchayats for women.
"We are delighted," NCW chairperson Girija Vyas told reporters here.
The cabinet has approved amendment of article 243 D of the constitution to increase the reservation from 33 percent to 50 percent of the panchayat seats to be filled by direct election for women.
"Women face discrimination from the home to parliament. They have to be made equal partners in decision-making," she said.
Women doctors force rape victim to deliver, kill infant
By IANS,
Mumbai : Maharashtra police have arrested and charged two women doctors with forcing a teenaged girl -- who had been raped and was seven months pregnant -- to deliver and then killing the newborn.
I.S. Patil, the investigating officer, said the incident occurred Nov 29 after the 15-year-old rape victim -- more than seven months pregnant -- was admitted to the Sitamai Hospital at Pen in Raigad district, around 100 km south of here.
The hospital is run by Pramodini Paranjpe, a gynaecologist.
Indian woman rescued in Germany reaches Delhi
New Delhi : Gurpreet, the Indian woman who was rescued from a refugee camp in Germany along with her eight-year-old daughter, reached New Delhi...
Growing number of 50-plus women giving birth
By IANS,
London: A growing number of women are giving birth in their 50s, as more and more in vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics relax rules on treating older patients.
Asia’s biggest naval academy designed by Chandigarh woman
By IANS,
Ezhimala (Kerala) : It is another feather in her cap. For Namita Singh, one of the leading architects in the country, it was a proud moment when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Thursday inaugurated the Indian Naval Academy, Asia's biggest, that she has designed. It was a project she bagged beating several architectural firms.
Namita, 60, heads Satnam, Namita and Associates, a leading Chandigarh-based architecture firm and it was through a national tender in 1988 that her firm bagged the prestigious project to design the Indian Naval Academy in Kannur here.
Human trafficker nabbed in Guwahati, 8 girls rescued
By IANS,
Guwahati: The Government Railway Police (GRP) Saturday nabbed a human trafficker and rescued eight girls from her clutches here.
Women’s quota bill in present form is injustice: Muslim group
By IANS,
New Delhi: The All India Milli Council, a Muslim group, Saturday demanded a "quota within quota" in the women's reservation bill and said it will hold a protest march Monday against the government's move to pass the legislation in its present form.
M. Manzoor Alam, general secretary of the Milli Council, said here Saturday that the protest march at Jantar Mantar would be joined by other religious minority groups and Dalit organisations.
"If passed, the bill will amount to injustice against the women belonging to minorities and Dalits," Alam said.
Muslim women of the world urged to unite
By NNN-Bernama,
Kuala Lumpur : Collective action among Muslim women around the world is necessary to bring out women's issues for serious, indepth discussion, says the executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), Daisy Khan.
Muslim women represented half of the world's Muslim population and therefore their issues were societal and serious, she said in an interview with Bernama here Tuesday.
Television hosts assault woman during live show
By IANS/EFE,
Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), April 10 (IANS/EFE) Three television hosts assaulted a woman presenter and pulled out her hair after she called them homosexuals during a live show broadcast on the national network.
Enrique Crespo, Ali David and Tommy "La Berny" Castillo attacked Venya Carolina on live television as she called them homosexuals, the Commission on Public Entertainment and Radiophony said in a statement Friday.
Musharraf slams Pakistan government over women’s rights
Islamabad : Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf on Sunday said that the ones calling him dictator have deprived the women of their rights in...
Sania rues gender discrimination in sports
Mumbai, (IANS): Decrying the widespread gender discrimination in society at large, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza rued the fact that the world of sports...
Clean Chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in sexual harassment case is supreme injustice, say...
TCN News
About 350 feminists and women’s rights groups have written an open letter to the retired judges of Supreme Court expressing their disappointment at...
Rahima Khatun: Exemplary work in the field of Muslim women empowerment and children’s welfare...
Changing the socio-economic status of Muslim women by mobilising them into Self-Help Groups and building their skills and capacities is the singular goal of ‘Rajya Mahila Samman 2014’ awardee
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata/Howrah: Her mission is to self-help, empower and to protect the minority women, girls and children, especially in the rural society. Rahima Khatun has devoted herself for spreading awareness and upliftment of women, eliminate poverty and help tide over poor health and illiteracy. Her weapons in this fight are skill development programmes and self help groups focusing on Muslims.
Government for harsher punishment for throwing acid on women
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Monday informed the Supreme Court it was willing to amend penal laws to provide for harsher punishment for throwing acid on women - a crime the apex court has described as "worse than murder".
Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran told the bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan that unlike as in the normal penal laws, the government even wanted to put the onus on the person accused of throwing acid to prove his innocence.
Women empowerment mission to begin work soon
By IANS,
New Delhi: The central directorate of the National Mission for Empowerment of Women will soon be operational, officials Monday said.
"The directorate will have four posts with a director of additional secretary level. The names will be forwarded to the cabinet for approval next week," a women and child development ministry official said, adding that the states had also been told to set up their resource centres soon.
An amount of Rs.35 lakh per year has been sanctioned for state centres, the official said.
Taslima diagnosed with breast tumours in US
Dhaka: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has been diagnosed with breast tumours at a hospital in New York.
Doctors found the tumours "quite big" and...
Love Jihad and targeting of religious minorities
By John Dayal,
The recent outpouring of support for the “development” agenda of the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, by several leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches may possibly stave off the immediate attention of the Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home affairs, but it is not likely to reduce the deep and seemingly abiding distrust the Indian political and social system has of what is popularly called the “Missionaries”. Nor will it mitigate the hate that is now erupting in India against religious minorities.
Hijabi rebels in India
By Kousar Fathima
Purdah is not new to Indian Muslims, it has always been a part of Muslim society but with passage of time and...
Women healing Pakistan
By Ayeda Naqvi
Last week, six relief workers in Mansehra, a city in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), died after an attack on their office. In 2008, gunmen killed four staff members of another international aid agency. Charities and international aid organisations are under constant threat in Pakistan, particularly in the NWFP, yet a group of women continue their humanitarian efforts in the region, despite the risks.
Girls’ school blown up in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: Extremists blew up an all-girls school in Pakistan's Khyber Agency, a tribal area, leaving one person killed, Geo News reported Monday.
Rajasthan woman beaten with chain to ‘free’ her of evil spirit
Jaipur : A 32-year-old woman resident of a small village in Rajasamand district of Rajasthan was beaten up severely with an iron chain by...
Punjab to allow sisters to tie rakhis to prisoner brothers
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Extending a special gesture to women whose brothers are spending time in jails across the state, the Punjab government Monday announced that sisters will be allowed to tie rakhis to their imprisoned brothers Wednesday.
Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria said that special instructions were being issued to jail officials all over the state to allow women to tie rakhis to their brothers who are lodged in jails across the state.
The Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, which symbolises the bond of love between brothers and sisters, falls Aug 5.
Like mother, like child, glam kids beat the trodden path!
(Mother's Day is on May 8)
By Shilpa Raina, IANS,
57 mn more men than women globally: UN report
By IANS,
New Delhi : There are 57 million more men than women globally, a UN report said.
Teresa Rehman wins Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity
By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net,
Ctrl+F is Gone: ECI Turns Bihar’s Voter List into a Puzzle After SIR, Leaving...
Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net
Patna: Zaheeb Ajmal, a social activist in Phulwari Sharif, Patna, has been helping residents, particularly slum dwellers and other socially and economically disadvantaged...
Manipur Muslim girls form union for empowerment
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Imphal (Manipur): The Manipur Muslim girl students have formed, perhaps first time in the history of the state, a union to wage a war on two fronts: to change Muslim socieity’s approach on higher education for Muslim girls and to demand state government reservation for Muslim women.
Five women stripped, paraded naked in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : Five women were stripped and paraded naked in Deoghar district of Jharkhand after being charged of witchcraft, police said Monday.
Five women, including three widows, were forcibly brought to a field Sunday in Patharghatia village in Deoghar, about 350 km from state capital Ranchi. They were stripped and paraded naked and two of them were forced to eat excreta, police said.
Woman power: Ibsen strikes a chord in India
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's female characters are not just Western stereotypes. They transcend boundaries to symbolise the dilemmas and emancipation of contemporary women who could well belong to India.
And this was evident at the 10-day Delhi Ibsen Festival, which ended Dec 20 with plays and workshops interpreting the celebrated 19th century writer in the South Asian context.
Court fines NRI rape accused for frivolous plea
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday slapped a fine of Rs.100,000 on a non-resident Indian, accused of rape, for filing a "misleading" plea for quashing the charges against him.
Justice S. Muralidhar dismissed the plea of Neeraj Gulati and fined him for stating wrong facts in his plea.
According to the prosecution, Neeraj had raped his servant, a native of Jharkhand, in his Naraina home here February 15, 2007. A first information report confirming the sexual assault was filed Feb 19.
Women crime less in male-dominated societies!
New York: Feminists would take this with a grain of salt as a new study has found that rates of rape, sexual assault and...
Pregnant woman alleges triple talaq over girl child fears
Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), (IANS): A pregnant woman in Uttar Pradesh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleging her...
Meet Sadaf Chaudhary, who wants to serve country by becoming an ambassador
UPSC topper among Muslim aspirants, Sadaf Chaudhary of Roorkee uttarakhand, who secured the overall 23rd rank, is of firm opinion that improvement in the...
Rahul calls for ‘tsunami of women members’ in Congress
New Delhi : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday called for a "tsunami of women members in the Congress" and said his party will...
Women get permanent commission in military
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday granted permanent commission to women officers in all three wings of the armed forces.
A division bench comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and M.P. Garg ordered the defence forces to reinstate all the women officers who had approached the court seeking permanent commission.
In its 32-page order, the bench directed the government to reinstate those officers as well as those who retired during the case.
Australia takes tough line on female circumcision
By DPA,
Sydney : Female circumcision is called female genital mutilation (FGM) in Australia and it's a crime.
Those performing it face a possible seven-year prison term and those who don't report it risk a stiff fine.
In Sydney's outer suburb of Auburn, there's a specialist FGM clinic that has been in operation for over 10 years and sees around 40 women a year.
The typical patient is in her 20s, is about to wed, and was operated on by a village midwife in an African or Middle Eastern country when she was young.
Probe ordered after woman committed ‘Sati’ in Bihar
Patna : A probe has been ordered into a 70-year-old woman allegedly committing "Sati" by jumping into the funeral pyre of her husband Saturday...
Kashmiri women contesting poll to usher in change
By F. Ahmed,IANS,
Srinagar : Five women among the 71 candidates in five assembly constituencies in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, which go to the polls on Nov 30, say they are contesting to usher in change.
Shabnum Gani Lone, a senior lawyer and daughter of slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, is challenging candidates of the regional National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), besides independents, in the Kupwara assembly constituency.The Nov 30 polling will be in the third of the seven-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP MLA brings up triple talaq issue in Gujarat Assembly
Gandhinagar, (IANS): Amid the ongoing nationwide debate over triple talaq, a BJP legislator on Friday moved a motion in the Gujarat Assembly advocating the...
Woman killed in Bihar for practising witchcraft
Patna: A 55-year-old Muslim woman was killed by her neighbours in Bihar's Khagaria district, for allegedly practising witchcraft, police said Friday.
Hasina Khatoon, a resident...
Indian woman hangs herself in UAE
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: A 27-year-old woman from India's Kerala state allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in Al Ain city in Abu Dhabi.
Centre asks Nagaland to punish guilty in Dimapur lynching
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asked the Nagaland government to take strict action against the people involved in the lynching...
Women’s group, citizens condemn Jamiat Ulema resolutions on women quota, education
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: All India Progressive Women’s Association has condemned Jaimat Ulema-I-Hind for passing resolutions at its recent Deoband conclave against the interests of women. Some of the resolutions adopted at the congregation of the Jamiat Ulema in Deoband “strongly offend the principle of women’s equality” AIPWA said.
Two released Japanese tourists depart Yemen
By NNN-SABA,
Sana'a : Well-informed sources said that the two Japanese women tourists Keiko Mishima, 41, of Suginami Ward, Tokyo, and Shizuko Endo, 44, of Fukuoka, left Yemen on Friday morning a day after they were freed from their kidnappers in Marib province, 170 kilometers east of the capital, Sana'a.
The sources said to Saba, that Keiko Mishima and Shizuko Endo enjoy good health after they were kidnapped last Wednesday by gunmen in Marib.
Inspired village headman now focuses on nomadic tribes
By Priyanka
New Delhi : Sunil Jaglan, a Haryana village headman whose online drive for the girl child went viral on Twitter after...
Congress accuses RSS of trafficking tribal girls in Assam
New Delhi : The Congress on Saturday alleged that three affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were involved in trafficking of 31...
Now, Jalpaiguri missionary school receives threat letter
Kolkata: Even as police are yet to make any arrest into the gang rape of a nun in a convent in West Bengal's Ranaghat,...
Sabrimala can’t ban women under right to manage religious affairs: SC
New Delhi : The Supreme Court in Monday said that gender equality is a constitutional message and Sabarimala temple management cannot say that banning...
Obey your wife and rule the world: Supreme Court
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has a recipe for a successful marriage, more so for men: Obey your wife and rule the world!
"Bibi joh boltee hai woh sunno (Listen to whatever your wife says). We all listen," a vacation bench of Justice Markandeya Katju and Justice Deepak Verma observed while hearing a lawsuit by Indian Air Force officer Deepak Kumar, who had complained that his estranged wife Manisha had ruined him and his family by implicating them in false criminal cases including sodomy.
Mother’s poor health gets transferred to child, study shows
By IANS,
Boston : Poor health of a little girl leads to poor health of the children she has many years later, Indian-American researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found, using data from India.
The study revealed an association between the height of mothers and several indicators of her children's health, including risk of death, risk of being underweight, and anaemia.
NCW sends notice to Tapas Paul over rape remark
New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) Tuesday issued notice to Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Tapas Paul seeking an explanation for...
College women drink excessively to hook men
By IANS,
Washington : College women may be downing a peg too many in order to hook their male counterparts but without much success, according to a new study.
A survey of 3,616 college students at two universities found that the bulk of women overestimated the amount of alcohol a typical guy would like his female friends, dates or girlfriends to drink.
The results showed 71 percent of women overestimated the men's actual preference of drinks at any given event. The women overestimated by an average of one-and-a-half drinks.
Two women thrown off train in Bihar, one dead
Patna : In a shocking incident, a woman was killed and another seriously injured when some unidentified people threw them off a running train...
U.S. military: Gunmen kill 5 Iraqis, wound pregnant woman
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A group of unidentified gunmen killed five Iraqis on Saturday in a shooting attack, the U.S. military said.
The incident took place near the U.S. Balad base north of Baghdad.
The U.S. military said masked gunmen attacked the house belonging to the leader of the local Sunni Awakening Council group, an organization which stood up against al-Qaida terrorists with the back of the American and Iraqi troops.
A pregnant woman escaped with an injury in the shooting, the military added.
NHRC notice to Kerala over Dalit student’s rape, murder
New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to the Kerala government over the alleged rape and murder of...
‘Women empowerment, gender equality will have to be done’
By IANS,
New Delhi : One of the tasks we still have to accomplish in our country is the empowerment of women and gender equality, President Pratibha Patil said here Sunday, adding "A new India is emerging which is confident and its economic growth has caught the attention of the world".
Inaugurating the National Press Day celebrations, organised by the Press Council of India, the president said: "Women constitute about half of our population but still do not have the same opportunities as their male counterparts in many areas."
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,...
JNUSU demands arrest of professor accused of sexual misconduct
New Delhi, (IANS): Scores of Jawaharlal Nehru University students on Monday staged a protest outside police station near the varsity demanding the arrest and...
Colonial hangover ails workers of Assam’s tea industry
By Azera Parveen Rahman,
Tezpur (Assam) : Colonial-style bungalows of Assam's expansive tea gardens and the British-era lifestyles of their executives paint a picture postcard of yore. Sadly, this hangover also extends to the poor living conditions of labourers - an issue now in the limelight after the World Bank said that it was probing the violation of workers' rights inthese plantations it jointly finances with Tata Global Beverages.
SDPI disappointed at CBI letting Amit Shah off the hook in Ishrat case
By TCN News,
Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI) feels dismayed at the Central Bureau of Investigation, (CBI) which while filing a supplementary charge-sheet in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case has let Amit Shah, a close aide of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, off the hook. Only former Intelligence Bureau, (IB), special director Rajender Kumar has been accused of murder and three serving officers of criminal conspiracy in the case.
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...
NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh over assault on woman
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Tuesday issued notice to Chhattisgarh over the assault of a 65-year-old woman suspected of...
Women as a vote bank: Not a win-win for politicos
By Amulya Ganguli
Women are now being courted by some politicians who sense that their appeal to Dalits, backward castes and Muslims is dwindling in...
Bill for women’s quota in urban bodies in Lok Sabha
By IANS,
New Delhi : A bill seeking 50 percent reservation for women in urban local bodies was introduced Tuesday in Parliament.
Introducing the constitutional (112th Amendment) bill in the Lok Sabha, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said: "Enhancement of reservation for women in urban local bodies will not only ensure their increased representation and participation... but also mainstream gender concerns in governance and decision making process, particularly, those related to women's issues such as water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, health and education."
35 NGOs come together to push for women’s bill
By IANS,
New Delhi: Thirty-five civil society organisations will get together next week to formulate an action plan to push for the women's reservation bill that was passed by the Rajya Sabha but is yet to be taken up by the Lok Sabha.
Ranjana Kumari of the the Centre for Social Research, one of the participating NGOs, said: "The aim of the public meeting is to chalk out an action plan in order to pressurize parliamentarians to pass the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha."