Dowry killing mocks Nepal PM’s resolve
By IANS,
Kathmandu : He led a 10-year guerrilla war against the government and succeeded in ending Nepal's centuries-old institution of monarchy. But Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is facing a far more tougher challenge as he battles to eradicate social evils that continue to flourish despite a newly declared ban.
Almost 10 days after the former revolutionary pledged to ban the system of dowry in Nepal, a killing has been reported from the southern lowlands.
Channel of women, by women, for everyone
By IANS,
New Delhi : It is a 24-hour news and infotainment channel of the women, by the women, for everyone. This International Women's Day March 8 a new channel, manned mostly by women, with women-centric programming, will be launched.
Focus TV, a channel aimed at empowering women in all spheres of life, will be Asia's first women based channel, its officials said.
India gets its first woman speaker in Meira Kumar
By IANS,
New Delhi : History was made Wednesday when diplomat-turned-politician Meira Kumar became the first woman speaker of the Indian parliament, the otherwise fractious house setting aside its differences to elect the Dalit leader unanimously.
The 64-year-old Congress leader from Bihar was chosen for the post of speaker of the Lok Sabha, a key constitutional post, after party president Sonia Gandhi proposed her name. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee seconded it.
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.
Tribal women protestors in Lalgarh teargassed
By IANS,
Lalgarh (West Bengal): A Trinamool Congress team, including two junior central ministers, visited this trouble-torn belt Tuesday and demanded the withdrawal of the ongoing security operations before police staged a baton charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a group of agitating tribal women.
Omar Abdullah promises zero tolerance to rights violations
By IANS,
Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his Independence Day speech here Saturday, said his government would not tolerate human rights violations by the security forces and also apologised for the lapses in the probe into the rape and murder of two women in Shopian district.
"I cannot overlook the tragic incident that occurred at Shopian. I accept that there were mistakes by the administration and the government initially with regard to this incident," Abdullah said.
Women’s groups hail 50 percent women’s quota in panchayats
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women's rights groups Friday hailed the government's decision to increase the reservation for women in panchayats, or village councils, to 50 percent, saying the move will encourage women to have a greater say in local governance.
The reservation for women in the 252,000 panchayats across the country was earlier 33 percent.
Ranjana Kumari of NGO Women Power Connect said: "This move is an excellent example to show how a woman in a leadership position can bring about positive changes in the country's political infrastructure."
Parliamentary panel tables report on women’s reservation bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : Holding that reservation of 33 percent seats was a "necessary strategy" to enhance the participation of women in the decision making process, a parliamentary panel on a bill to enable this tabled its report in both houses Thursday amid vociferous protests by several parties.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice hoped that the measure would be passed into law "and put into action without further delay".
SIT trying to shield Rathore: Ruchika’s lawyer
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Pankaj Bhardwaj, molestation victim Ruchika Girhotra's lawyer, Wednesday said the special investigation team (SIT), constituted to probe fresh cases registered against former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, is trying to shield the accused.
"SIT is working hand in glove with the accused and they are only trying to shield him and delay the proceedings of the case. We have no trust in SIT's investigation, that is why we had demanded a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe in the case," Bhardwaj told IANS here.
Women less than 10 percent of India’s higer judiciary
By Rana Ajit, IANS,
New Delhi : Did you know the Supreme Court doesn't have a single woman judge? The Indian judiciary continues to turn a Nelson's eye to gender parity despite the government making a concerted bid to raise women's representation in parliament and state legislatures to 33 percent.
As per official figures, the Supreme Court shares its dubious distinction with several high courts, including those of Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.
Bangladesh revives women’s development policy
By IANS,
Dhaka : The Bangladesh government has announced the revival of a women's development policy to mark International Women's Day Monday while activists pledged to focus on acid attacks on women.
State Minister for Women and Children Shirin Shjarmin Chowdhury said the National Women's Development Policy-1997 would be broad-based and reintroduced to include rights of tribal women, those who are physically and mentally challenged and those hit by climate change.
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.
‘Black’ woman’s tale drives Nepal rights campaign
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Dark, untouchable and a slave, yet Kali is the heroine of a campaign to protect the rights of the disadvantaged communities of Nepal, especially women.
She is the central character in a street play, "Kali Aimai, the black woman, which has been sponsored by the UN to tour Nepal's remote districts to campaign against violence targeting women, exploitation and untouchability, and to train local artists to spread the message farther.
Women’s bill to go through Lok Sabha before March 16
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government intends to push through the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha before the house adjourns March 16 for a three-week break, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.K. Bansal said here Wednesday.
Setting to rest speculation about the fate of the contentious bill that gives 33 percent representation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures and was passed by the Rajya Sabha Tuesday, Bansal said the bill would be passed in the lower house before March 16.
"That's our intention," Bansal told IANS.
BJP divided on women’s bill, Advani calls MPs for tea
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday denied reports that it was divided over the women's quota bill but the rift was evident with a section of MPs led by Yogi Adityanath saying that quotas for women were "needless" and would be opposed in the Lok Sabha.
As the signs of disquiet grew, veteran leader and chairperson of the BJP parliamentary party L.K. Advani called for a meeting of the party's Lok Sabha MPs at his residence over tea Thursday evening.
Court orders protection for woman duped by policeman
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to provide protection to a woman who has filed a complaint against a constable for raping her and marrying her despite having a wife.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta directed the police to provide the woman protection and told the District Investigating Unit (DIU) to monitor the case.
The first of women officers in Pakistan hope to carry arms soon
By Igor G. Barbero, IANS/EFE,
Abbottabad (Pakistan) : Amid shouts of "Allah Hu" of hundreds of men cadets, a group of 38 women does stretches, push-ups and a series of other exercises in their new dark green tracksuits, like that of the national flag, on the outskirts of the city of Abbottabad, in the north of Pakistan.
Having had good education and fulfilled their dream of entering the most powerful institution in Pakistan, the army, the first few batches of women officers of the Military Academy also hope to hold arms soon and defend the country on its frontiers.
UN creates unified organisation for women
By DPA,
New York: The UN General Assembly Friday took a major step by pulling together fragmented groups to establish a new entity aimed at intensifying efforts to meet the needs of women and girls worldwide.
The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, known simply as UN Women, will merge four existing groups that have been working to improve the lives of women and girls.
High court dismisses woman wrestler’s plea
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed the petition of a woman wrestler who challenged the selection criteria of the Wrestling Federation of India for the Commonwealth Games.
Justice S. Murlidhar, while dismissing the plea of Sonika Kaliraman, said: "Irrespective of past performances, the Federation is supposed to select players with good current performance."
Hearing the submissions of WFI, the court clarified that there is no "arbitrariness" on the part of the Federation in rejecting anyone's participation in the Games.
Awareness needed for Delhi’s women: Dikshit
By IANS,
New Delhi: Delhi's women need to be made aware about their rights and the importance of their empowerment, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said here Saturday.
People not helping make Delhi safe for women: Dikshit
By IANS,
New Delhi: Like other metros in the country, the national capital lacks people's participation in improvement of security for women, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Tuesday.
Women empowerment necessary, says ex-South Africa deputy president
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women should be given due recognition for their work in politics, education and social services, former deputy president of South Africa Baleka Mbete said here Monday.
Scrap polls if no women votes: Pakistani daily
By IANS,
Islamabad: A leading Pakistani daily has described as "perfectly legitimate" a demand that elections be scrapped in those polling stations where no woman votes.
Watch your diet, you multi-tasking women!
(March 8 is International Women's Day)
By Nivedita Sharma, IANS,
US woman, 80, with no training, lands plane
By IANS,
Washington : An 80-year-old woman in the US who had never flown before managed to land a small aircraft after her pilot husband passed out at the controls.
‘Enforcement of laws on women hit by lack of funds’
By IANS,
New Delhi: Enforcement of women-friendly laws suffers from lack of funds and training among the implementation agency personnel, activists said here Thursday.
SRK celebrates women’s power, calls them ‘leaders of future’
By IANS,
New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has said women are the future and that "one needs to have women to have men", so they must be respected.
Sex workers, women’s groups in One Billion Rising campaign
By IANS,
Kolkata: Sex workers from the city's red light areas participated in street plays and dances and brought out a rally as part of...
Japan must act responsibly on ‘comfort women’: China
Beijing: China has urged Japan to act responsibly after a senior Japanese official announced plans to re-examine a statement offering apologies for Japan's wartime...
Woman jumps before Delhi Metro train, dies
New Delhi : A 30-year-old woman died here Monday after she jumped in front of a Delhi Metro train, an official said.
Omvati, a resident...
Fresh, young faces in Left list, Subhasini Ali fielded from Barrackpore
Kolkata : Packing 26 new faces and nominating several young leaders, West Bengal's main opposition Left Front Wednesday announced its candidates list for the...
Speakers indict Narendra Modi for orchestrating gender violence and serious violations of...
By TCN News,
A packed meeting at the London School of Economics organised by the LSE Gender Institute in collaboration with the Freedom Without Fear Platform and South Asia Solidarity Group on 3rd March, discussed the rise of Hindu fascism and its impact on gender and called for Narendra Modi to be brought to justice.
More women than men in Kerala; few enter parliament
By Sanu George,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala has more women than men, but few women contest and even fewer reach parliament.
Kerala has the highest gender electoral...
Five held guilty in two Shakti Mills gang-rape cases
Mumbai: A Mumbai court Thursday found five people guilty of two gang-rape cases in July-August last year in the Shakti Mills Complex here, officials...
‘Indian women unpaid for nine months in Saudi Arabia’
Dubai: Eleven Indian women, working as cleaners in a hospital in Saudi Arabia have appealed for help after they were allegedly not paid their...
Three Indians, four NRIs win US women’s empowerment award
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : Three Indians and four persons of Indian origin have received the 2013 World of Difference Awards' from US-based The International...
Rahul targets Modi on manifesto delay, women’s security
Sirsa/New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Sunday launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, accusing them...
NHRC directs Rajasthan government to compensate woman
New Delhi : The NHRC Wednesday asked the Rajasthan government to compensate a woman who delivered a baby by the roadside after a state...
‘Sports can empower women’
New Delhi: Social pressures shouldn’t restrict any woman to pursue a career in sports, said a former international volleyball player who believes sports has...
Tejpal’s plea: SC issues notice to Goa government
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the Goa government on the bail plea by Tehelka founder editor Tarun Tejpal, currently in...
“Caste is enforced through Dalit women’s bodies”
By TCN News,
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Dalits are at the bottom of caste hierarchy in India and the caste system is enforced through Dalit women’s bodies in the form of violence and abuse, said activists Asha Kotwal and Thenmozhi Soundarajan, who were in town to give details about a month-long “Dalit Mahila Swabhiman Yatra” in India.
Women riders, activists welcome ‘helmets mandatory’ move
New Delhi : The Election Commission (EC) has given the transport department its go-ahead to make changes in the rules to make helmets mandatory...
Sunlight deficiency causing bone-health problems in young women
(May 28 is International Women's Health Day)
New Delhi : Sunlight missing from the lives of busy young women is making them deficient in...
We can make a difference, say women MPs
By Sreeparna Chakrabarty,
New Delhi : Having been elected in their largest number his time, women MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha feel they will...
Pass Women’s Reservation Bill: NHRC
New Delhi : The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) Tuesday called for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill to give them one-third seats...
Woman kanwariya killed in Bengal stampede
Kolkata: A 50-year-old woman kanwariya was killed and over a dozen were injured in a stampede Monday in West Bengal's Hooghly district, police said.
The...
Vocational training: 30 percent quota for Bengal girls
Kolkata: The fees for girls will be halved at entrance tests for polytechnics or ITI vocational courses and 30 percent seats reserved for them...
Telangana CM for action against onscreen violence against women
Hyderabad : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao Thursday asked the state police chief to consider taking action against films and television serials portraying...
Scheme for saving and educating girls in 100 districts
New Delhi : India will launch a mega scheme for saving and educating the girl child in 100 districts of the country that have...
Two arrested for throwing acid on Kashmir woman student
Srinagar : Two people were arrested Thursday for throwing acid on a 21-year-old woman law student in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, police...
Prabhu prioritises women safety in rail budget
New Delhi : Giving priority to women's safety, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Thursday announced the utilisation of resources from the Nirbhaya Fund by Indian...
Nun gang rape: Women’s right panel team to visit Bengal
Kolkata : Taking cognizance of the gang rape of a 71-year-old nun in West Bengal's Nadia district, the National Commission for Women on Friday...
Girl tortured by father, stepmother rescued in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The injuries and scars all over her body bear testimony to the cruel torture she was subjected to by her father and stepmother...
Two Air India staff, seven Napalese held for human trafficking
New Delhi : Two Air India staff and seven Nepalese women have been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here on charge...
Cynicism, casteism haunt women’s reservation bill
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Since electoral considerations rather than a genuine desire for women's empowerment were behind the latest move to revive the 12-year-old legislation for reserving parliamentary and assembly seats for women, its fate may be no different from what happened earlier.
The very manner in which the measure was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, with several women MPs shielding the law minister from unruly critics when he tabled the bill, showed that its passage would not be easy.
About two million women trafficked every year: UN
By DPA,
New York : An estimated two million women are caught each year in the worldwide sex industry while countless children and other women are forced into low-waged jobs, the UN said Tuesday in a renewed effort to fight human trafficking.
The UN said there are no accurate statistics, but the number of women trafficked across borders each year could be twice as high if the count includes those forced into domestic situations.
Organisations structured to keep women down: study
By IANS,
Sydney : Why there are so few women in top positions in companies may have more to do with their hierarchical structure rather than attitudes to women, a new study contends.
The study, by Terry Fitzsimmons of the University of Queensland, has sought to understand gender inequality at workplaces and the barriers preventing women from obtaining top leadership positions.
The challenges encountered by women rising through company hierarchies are not entirely explained by existing theories, which claim that inequality stems from social stereotypes and culture, Fitzsimmons said.
American Muslim activist lauds Kuwaiti womens political engagement
By Nawab Khan, KUNA,
Brusels : A leading Muslim woman activist in the United States has underlined the important political role played by women in the Gulf countries particularly in Kuwait.
"We believe that the Gulf is very important because it is a prosperous region of the world and secondly there are some women activism coming out, specifically from countries like Kuwait," Daisy Khan, Executive Director, American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) told KUNA in an interview in Brussels Tuesday. She noted that Kuwait is at the forefront of promoting a parliamentary system.
Three Muslim women in Man Asia long list
Three Muslim women in Man Asia long list
New Delhi: Three Muslim women found themselves among the 21 selected for Man Asia Literary Prize. The long list of 21 unpublished works includes work from Anjum Hasan, Daisey Hasan, and Salma.
The 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize long list was chosen from submissions received from all over Asia. The largest single group of submissions was from India, followed by the Philippines.
A short list of five works will be announced in October 2008 and winner awarded in November.
Sari-wearing women may face jail if new Nigerian law passed
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Indian women in their traditional saris with midriffs showing may find themselves falling foul of Nigerian law if a bill currently under discussion in that country is passed.
Tourists in towelling wraps and Nigerian women in traditional dress with their stomachs exposed could also find themselves behind bars for three months or subjected to fines of $100, according to the Media24 News Service here.
Malaysian Indian woman to sue for false detention
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A Malaysian Indian woman is seeking compensation and an unqualified apology from the Malaysian immigration department for her wrongful detention for 11 months after she was mistaken for an illegal alien from Sri Lanka.
Perak state's Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman A. Sivanesan relayed Rajeshvari's demand during a media conference in Ipoh Tuesday.
Urging the department to check all detention depots in the country, Sivanesan said he feared that Rajeshvari's case could be "just the tip of the iceberg".
Two young Swedish women marry in Agra
By IANS,
Agra : Two young Swedish women, who were living together in New Delhi for the past one year, married in traditional Hindu style at a temple here, a priest said.
According to Baba Dharam Das, who conducted the marriage Saturday at a temple in Agra Cantonment, an autorickshaw driver brought the two women to the temple and persuaded him to get them married according to Vedic rites.
The autorickshaw driver made arrangements for the marriage in which Sandra, who played the husband, put vermillion on the forehead of Sara, who played the wife's role.
Recovery from alcoholism painful for midlife women
By IANS,
Sydney : Women recovering from alcoholism are more likely to relapse as they reach midlife thanks to the pressures they face.
"Alcohol inflicts more damage, more quickly on women than on men. For those who have already had a problem with the misuse of alcohol, relapsing can have dire consequences," said PhD researcher Janice Withnall of the University of Western Sydney (UWS) School of Education.
Uttar Pradesh cop accused of rape
By IANS,
Lucknow : An Uttar Pradesh policeman has been booked for allegedly raping a woman in Shahjahanpur district, officials said Thursday.
Tejpal Singh, posted at Tilhat police station of the district, is absconding after the woman accused him of raping her.
"The woman has alleged that Singh lured her to his government quarter inside the police station premises when she went there to lodge a complaint Oct 15," Shahjahanpur district police Superintendent Ejil Arasan told IANS over phone.
The woman said that Singh raped her and then tried to give her money, he added.
Commonest medicine for Australian women: antidepressants
By IANS,
Sydney : The most commonly prescribed medication for Australian women is antidepressants, according to a study.
The study, by universities of Queensland and Newcastle, is the latest to emerge from a longitudinal study on women's health.
Julie Byles, professor at Quensland, who co-authored the study, said the research indicated the prevalence of antidepressant use increased with age.
"Eight percent of younger women and 14 percent of mid-age women used antidepressants during the surveyed period," Byles said. "This figure jumps to 18 percent in older women."
Men, women approach charity differently
By IANS,
Sydney : Would you prefer to give money to someone needy in your neighbourhood or a needy person in a foreign country?
If you're a man, you're more likely to give to the person closest to you, that is, the one in your neighbourhood, if you give at all.
If you're a woman, you're more likely to give, and to give equal amounts to both groups, according to research by Texas A&M University marketing professor Karen Winterich and colleagues.
Young women seek protection in Bangalore after attacks
By IANS,
Bangalore : A group of young women Monday asked Bangalore police to ensure security of women in India's tech hub, as at least six women, including a journalist, have been attacked in the last ten days.
The young women, accompanied by members of Alternative Law Forum, submitted a memorandum to Shankar Bidari, the city police commissioner, over attacks on them for wearing western attire and allegedly not conforming to Indian culture and traditions.
Women devotees throng Kerala capital, cook rice on streets
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : An estimated three million women devotees from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu converged on streets leading to the Attukal Bhagavathi temple here Tuesday and cooked rice offerings on thousands of firewood stoves for the goddess in one of the largest religious gatherings in southern India.
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.
Leading Deoband Ulema oppose Women’s Reservation Bill
By RINA,
Deoband: Some of the leading Ulema of Deoband have shown their opposition to 33 per cent Women’s Reservation Bill that has again gained momentum due to the elevation of Ms. Meira Kumar as the first woman speaker of Lok Sabha in the history of independent India.
This issue has ruffled many a feathers in not only in the political circles but also in the realms of religion. Many Ulema are from the world renowned Islamic seminary of Darul Uloom have opposed the bill.
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.
Kerala’s Left Front recommends 50 percent quota for women
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Friday recommended to the state government to reserve 50 percent seats in local governments for women.
"We have now decided that it is time to ensure that 50 percent of seats are reserved for women. We expect it to take place by the local bodies polls next year," LDF convener Vaikom Viswan told reporters.
Total literacy for women in five years, promises PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : All women in the country would be literate in five years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday while noting that female illiteracy and poor infrastructure were obstructing India's economic growth.
The prime minister, who was launching the Rs.65 billion (over $1.3 billion) literacy mission 'Saakshar Bharat', said: "In fact, many observers have seen infrastructure development in the economic sector and female literacy in the social sector as two very critical factors that impede India's steady climb to a higher and sustainable level of growth and development."
Mother, daughter held for stoning woman to death
By IANS,
Raipur : A village headwoman in Chattisgarh was arrested Monday with her daughter and son-in-law for allegedly stoning to death a woman who was branded a witch.
The incident took place at Narkela village in Jashpur district, about 450 km from here.
"The village sarpanch, Rimni Bai, and her daughter and son-in-law were arrested following strong evidence that they stoned to death a middle-aged tribal woman Budhiaro Bai after branding her a witch," said a police official probing the case.
Police not to arrest Rathore ‘hastily’ despite criticism
By IANS,
Panchkula (Haryana): Haryana Police has been pulled up for delaying action in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case but police officials say they did not want to arrest former top cop S.P.S Rathore "hastily" despite a Panchkula court having dismissed his anticipatory bail pleas.
"Our investigation is still under process and we are looking into all aspects of the case before arresting anybody. We cannot do things hastily in this matter and we are busy collecting evidence pertaining to these FIRs," Superintendent of Police (Panchkula) Maneesh Chaudhary told IANS here Saturday.
Singapore premier urges couples to have more babies
By DPA,
Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Saturday called on couples to have more children as the city-state's birth rate slipped to its lowest level in 2009.
"Despite all our efforts, we are producing far too few babies," Lee said in a message marking Sunday's start of the lunar Year of the Tiger.
"Last year, we were short of at least 10,000 babies just to replace ourselves," he added.
Lee especially urged ethnic Chinese to dismiss their superstitions against children born in a Year of the Tiger.
Rajya Sabha adjourned again over women’s bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the second successive day Tuesday as a handful of opposition members noisly voiced their protest against passing the historic women's reservation bill.
When the house assembled in the morning, chairman Hamid Ansari read out a condolence message on the Chilean earthquake and then announced question hour.
BJP women protest over reservation bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) women activists Tuesday demonstrated outside the Parliament House protesting against the delay in the passing of the women's reservation bill.
Some 20 activists blocked traffic outside the parliament gate near Vijay Chowk shouting slogans against political leaders ranged against the bill that provides 33 percent reservation to women in all legislatures.
All the women were detailed by the police after they stopped some MPs from entering the house.
Reservation bill will be beacon for emancipation of women
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha is a momentous, heartwarming step not only for India, but is likely to be an inspirational trendsetter for women's empowerment in the entire region.
Although it is only the first step, the ripples from the smashing of a glass barrier are bound to be felt in virtually all areas of traditional male dominance. Like its democracy, therefore, India will also be a beacon in the matter of women's emancipation.
No afterthought on women’s reservation bill: Khurshid
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government will go ahead with the women's reservation bill with no plans to dilute any of its clauses even though it is open to discussions with any political party, said Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
"The cabinet has taken a well-informed decision. If we did not believe in the decision we have taken then why would we have taken such a step in the first place?" Khurshid queried, speaking to reporters on the margins of a microfinance conference here.
Cheryl Cole voted most inspirational woman of decade
By IANS,
London: Cheryl Cole, who recently separated from her soccer player husband Ashley Cole following the exposure of his string of affairs, has been voted as the most inspirational woman of the decade in a new poll.
The 26-year-old pop star was given the honour for both her "beauty" and "success" - with 29 percent of her fans praising her looks and 51 percent in awe of her career, reports contactmusic.com.
The survey conducted by the cosmetic treatment review website, www.goodsurgeonguide.co.uk involved 1,100 British women.
IAF grants permanent commissions to 22 women officers
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to grant permanent commissions to 22 women officers in line with a court directive to ensure gender equality but this will not apply to women officers who join in the future, an official said Wednesday.
"We have started the process of according permanent commission to 22 women officers in accordance with a Delhi High Court order and have decided against challenging it," IAF spokesperson Tarun Kumar Singha told IANS.
80 percent women fear for safety in Delhi: Survey
By IANS,
New Delhi: Nearly 80 percent of Delhi women fear for their safety in the city, a new survey says.
The Delhi government's women and child development department, NGO Jagori and international organisation Unifem conducted the survey.
The survey, released Thursday, is based on interviews of 5,010 people, including 3,816 women and 944 men. The rest are common witnesses like bus conductors, shopkeepers and auto drivers, who have a probability of witnessing acts of sexual harassment against women.
Judge bans burqa in Australian court
By IANS,
Sydney : An Australian judge Thursday refused to allow a Muslim woman to wear a full-face veil in court during her testimony as a witness in a fraud trial.
Perth's District Court Judge Shauna Deane said that in the interest of a fair trial the witness should not be allowed to wear a niqab or burqa. But she said she would speak to counsel about ways to accommodate the witness, The Age reported.
Women MPs’ day in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi: With the world observing International Women's Day, Indian lawmakers Tuesday made a strong pitch for reserving one-third seats in parliament and state legislatures for women.
PM reiterates commitment for quotas for women
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday reiterated his government's commitment to providing reservations for women in local bodies, state legislatures and parliament.
A man’s battle for women’s rights
Feeling lost amidst academics spewing jargon at a recent seminar on Muslim women, I was relieved to meet Nasiruddin Haider Khan, ...
Manipur’s women not adequately represented in state legislature
By IANS,
Imphal : After Mizoram, Manipur is the second Indian state where women voters outnumber men. However, the number of female legislators in the state assembly is minimal.
Can women endure more pain than men?
By IANS,
London: For many people, the debate whether men or women handle pain better may remain unresolved, but scientists now say that females endure more pain.
College Day celebrated at Women’s College in AMU
By TCN News,
Aligarh: The Women’s college of the Aligarh Muslim University celebrated its College Day today.
Tripura gets maximum women legislators
By Sujit Chakraborty, IANS,
Agartala : With five of the 15 women contestants winning, the Tripura assembly now has the highest number of women legislators since the state was carved out in 1972.
Indian women entering Bahrain on forged visas
By IANS,
Dubai : Hundreds of Indian women, mainly from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, are entering Bahrain on forged visit visas to work as domestic helps, a media report said Saturday.
Government adopts policy for women’s empowerment
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government has adopted a national policy for empowerment of women with the objective of bringing about their advancement, development...
Can India Inc. come to the rescue of women?
(March 8 is International Women's Day)
By Sanjiv Kataria,
Many occasions last week tugged at my conscience, primarily because of a series of events. Two ladies were planning their shopping itinerary, seated in a McDonald's in south Delhi, till their drifting conversation hit me that the whole expedition was centered on one thing - clean toilets. The next day I overheard another lady refusing to sip tea or coffee before heading out. Politely, she stated, no fluids, on the days she steps out, lest she should have to use a restroom outside.
AMU’s vice chancellor promises women fair and equal opportunities
Aligarh : AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah Friday said that the university will not tolerate any discrimination against women.
He said...
Bharatiya Mahila Bank expanding base across India
Agartala: The Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), the country's first all-women bank, aiming to economically empower women will open 55 more branches across the country...
One killed in landslide in Jammu region
Jammu: One woman was killed and three others seriously injured in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district Monday,...
Foreign woman journalist killed, another hurt in Afghanistan
Kabul : A foreign woman journalist was killed In Afghanistan and another was injured after being fired at by an Afghan police officer Friday.
"One...
Rahul Gandhi targets Modi’s personal life
Jammu: Targeting BJP's prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi's personal life, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday said Modi not once mentioned his wife's name...
Woman arrested for killing her seven babies in US
Washington: Police in the US state of Utah Sunday arrested a 39-year-old woman for killing her seven infants over a 10-year period, the media...
Didn’t go to town when Vajpayee’s niece joined us: Congress
Kolkata: Hitting back at the BJP for showcasing its new recruit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's half brother, the Congress Saturday said it did not...
Crimes against women in Bengal have dipped: NCRB
Kolkata : The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report that said incidents of crimes against women have dipped in West Bengal came as...
UN body concerned about impact of Gaza violence on women
United Nations : The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Friday expressed its deep concern about the impact of the ongoing Gaza conflict on women's...
Japan comfort women issue still causing violations: UNHCR
Geneva : UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Navi Pillay Wednesday expressed regret that Japan has failed to pursue a comprehensive, impartial, and...
SC to hear woman advocate’s plea over her rape
New Delhi : The Supreme Court will Tuesday hear a plea alleging police inaction on a complaint by a woman advocate from Chhattisgarh alleging...
Mentally-unstable woman kills her children
Lucknow: A mentally-unstable woman here beat her two children with bricks to death for playing against her wishes, police said Thursday.
The incident took place...
Inquiry report on death of pregnant women by Thursday: Odisha minister
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak on Monday said a committee probing the death of three pregnant women at a...
Men outnumber women in media in India, Pakistan
Bangkok : Although the presence of women in media has more than doubled in two decades, they constitute only 28.6 percent of the media...
India’s eight women wrestlers for Worlds announced
Lucknow : The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Monday selected eight women grapplers for the World Championships to be held in Las Vegas...
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...
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.
Woman Detained For Spreading Rumor Online About New Quake
By Bernama,
Hefei : Police detained a woman on Tuesday in east China's Anhui Province for spreading a rumor online that a series of powerful earthquakes will jolt the province.
The Provincial Department of Security monitored a posting on Monday from Baidu.com, a popular search portal, declaring Anhui was likely to be hit by a series of earthquakes at or above 7 on Richter scale, citing a forecast from the official website of the U.S. Geological Survey.
To the rescue of women in Thailand
By Shen Min, Ling Shuo, Xinhua,
Bangkok : Sitting at her house in Bangkok, Pavena Hongsakul, at her fifties, still keeps the feminine grace and soft-spoken manner that distance herself from the image of a well-known women's rights advocate in normal conception.
For the last decade, Ms. Pavena has been witnessing and dealing with the darkest side of the Thai modern country facing women -- rape, abuse, domestic violence, forced prostitution, sexual harassment and human trafficking.
12 female workers killed in road accident
By IANS,
Raipur : At least 12 female labourers were killed Friday and 20 others injured in Chhattisarh when a vehicle in which they were travelling overturned, the police said.
A Tata 407 truck crowded with about 45 industrial workers turned turtle in Akoli village in Durg district, some 60 km from here, when the driver lost control while negotiating a turn.
The injured, mostly male workers, were rushed to a government hospital at Durg town.
Woman raped by three men in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : A 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three men including a 65-year-old in Trilokpuri area of east Delhi, police said Saturday.
"The senior citizen who is accused of rape is related to the victim's son-in-law. The victim's daughter had got married a year ago and at present is going through a marital discord with her husband. The victim had gone to the house of a relative of her daughter's in-laws," a police officer said.
UN call to end violence against women in war
By Xinhua,
United Nations : The UN Security Council has said that systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence against women during armed conflicts can constitute war crimes and called on the international community for greater efforts to combat the "silent war".
"Violence against women has reached unspeakable and pandemic proportions in some societies attempting to recover from conflict," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday while addressing a Security Council debate on sexual violence in armed conflict.
Woman burnt to death in Orissa violence over VHP leader’s killing
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : A young woman was burnt to death and a church official seriously injured when a mob torched an orphanage in an Orissa village, sparking tension across the state Monday even as thousands observed a statewide shutdown called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest the killing of one of its leaders.
A 22-year-old woman was killed and a church official badly injured when angry mobs burnt down an orphanage in Khuntpali village in Barhgarh district, 300 km from here, Monday.
While Christians claimed the woman was a nun, the state police have denied it.
South African women open guest house for 2010 World Cup
By IANS,
Phalaborwa (South Africa) : A group of 11 women in this town has opened a 4.5-million rand ($587,696) guest house, targeting visitors during the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup the country is hosting.
The Sasavona Guesthouse in Lulekani, a few kilometres from the Kruger National Park in Phalaborwa in the northern province of Limpopo has been opened to tourists and visitors this week, but the real target is the World Cup tourists, BuaNews reported Saturday.
Women in contract jobs more likely to face sexual advances
By IANS,
Sydney : Women holding casual and contract jobs are 10 times more likely to face sexual advances than those in permanent positions, according to a study.
The research by Anthony LaMontagne, VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, examined the likelihood of sexual harassment in different types of employment.
"Our study shows that 79 percent of those who experience unwanted sexual advances at work are women," he said.
Courage under crisis: stories of Bangalore’s brave women
By Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Bangalore : The cruel blows of fate have not broken their will, their resolve to fight. Widowed very early in life, or divorced after facing cruelty in their husband's home, or raped and fighting a legal battle to get the rapists punished - these women from India's tech hub have shown courage under crisis.
Meet these grand old ladies - Padma Srinivasan, 73, and her friend Jayalakshmi Sreenivasan, 75. Popularly known as Bangalore's "pizza grannies", Padma and business partner Jayalakshmi sell yummy pizzas in the country's IT hub to run an old age home.
Court denies bail to man who abandoned pregnant wife
By IANS,
New Delhi : For Amit Sharma, a zonal manager with a telecom company, abandoning his pregnant wife and posting his profile at a matrimonial website proved costly as he was denied anticipatory bail by a city court and sent to jail for 14 days.
His wife Lata alleged that Sharma, who married her in January 2008, soon started harassing for not bringing sufficient dowry. A few months earlier, he abandoned her despite her being pregnant, following which she charged her husband with cruelty.
Women manage finance better: Chanda Kochhar
By Anuradha Shukla, IANS,
New Delhi : Chanda Deepak Kochhar, set to take over as managing director and chief executive of ICICI Bank, India's largest in the private sector, firmly believes women make better bankers, even if a lot also depends on how they use the opportunities that come their way.
"So far as the financial sector is concerned, I feel women are always better with managing finance," says the 47-year-old banker who takes charge Friday at the landmark ICICI Bank Towers in Bandra-Kurla Complex in suburban Mumbai.
Woman fails to identify policemen she accused of rape
By IANS,
New Delhi : A woman, who has accused five policemen of raping her in a police station this week, failed to identify them when the police station staff was paraded before her Thursday, police said.
"She was called up for her help in identifying the accused policemen, but during the re-examination of her statement contradictions were found and these are being examined," Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.
Delhi woman now tells court policemen did not rape her
By IANS,
New Delhi : A woman who had accused five police officials of raping her in a police station here Monday, admitted before a court Thursday that her allegation was false.
A 35-year-old woman had alleged a station-house officer (SHO) and four constables gangraped her inside the Inderpuri police station three days ago. On Thursday in a statement before a city magistrate she said that she leveled false allegations against the policemen as the SHO had tightened the screws against illegal activities in the area.
Day-long workshop in Kerala to fight cyber crimes against women
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala government will host a day-long workshop Aug 1 to find ways and means to tackle cyber crimes against women, state Social Welfare Minister P.K. Sreemathi said here Wednesday.
"Even though the police department does not maintain separate registers on cyber crimes against women, it is now common knowledge that women, especially school and college girls and young women, are falling prey to this crime," Sreemathi said.
Hundreds of women march in Delhi for reservation bill
By IANS,
New Delhi: Hundreds of women from many parts of the country Monday marched in the capital demanding that parliament pass the bill to reserve 33 percent of legislature seats for women.
The march to parliament was organised by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA).
The women marched from Ramlila Maidan holding banners and placards, and raising slogans asking, "President (Pratibha) Patil's speech promised Women's Reservation Bill in 100 days - Why the broken promise?"
The march reached Parliament Street where a mass meeting was held.
Ticketless passenger alleges she was stripped, railways denies
By IANS,
Kolkata: A ticketless passenger accused a woman ticket checker of stripping her, leading to a mob fury at the bustling Sealdah station here. But an official inquiry found she had disrobed herself to draw sympathy from fellow commuters, a railway official said Tuesday.
"Asima Biswas, 47, was Monday travelling without a ticket. She was asked by a woman ticket checker at the Sealdah railway station to show her ticket. But she failed to show any, and instead took off her sari," an Eastern Railway (ER) spokesman told IANS.
Women set for Karva Chauth celebrations
By IANS,
New Delhi : Adorned in traditional garb and with intricate henna designs on their hands, women in the national capital and several parts of north India are celebrating the Karva Chauth festival Wednesday with a day long fast and prayers for their husband's long life.
As per custom, women must observe a day long fast which is followed by evening rituals including sitting around the deity Gaura Mata and a small clay pitcher called karva and offering prayers.