India

In 1952, a decade after the Indian independence activist Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the flag of the Indian National Congress at the Gowalia Tank maidan, India held its first general elections. Women had come out in massive numbers to take part in the marches and rallies of the Indian freedom movement, and had filled the prisons of the British Raj alongside the men. Now they thronged in equally large numbers to see for themselves the new ballot boxes, and to cast their votes.

The social media experience which came across as a liberating tool for women, was often equated with a living room where one could voice opinions in public sphere. However, of late, a series of incidents have sounded a note of caution against the euphoria around social media. It has been compared to a street where women are abused, threatened, ogled at, rebuked, only virtually.

We invite you to read the full article published April 1 2014

Husbands of the women contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Bihar are going all out to support their wives.Take the case of Sailesh Kumar, husband of Misa Bharti and son-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. An IIM Lucknow alumnus, Kumar is managing his wife's poll campaign – besides taking care of the couple's two daughters.

If what she and her family claims and what her voter identity card shows is true, she is 114. Pathumuthu (Fathima) Shahul will have her moment in the sun on April 10 when she becomes the oldest voter in Kerala, exercising her franchise at the Ambalamkunnu Anganwadi polling station in the Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency.

Although the question whether she is the oldest voter in the State or the country might trigger a debate, the Kollam district administration has no doubt that she is the oldest voter in the district.

In the run-up to the last round of Assembly elections in 2013, a Gender Manifesto was released by women’s organisations setting out a series of priorities across demographic groups and economic sectors. It is safe to assume that no political party or candidate engaged with this list and made it a part of their campaign. The only gender issue that featured was safety in Delhi, with the incumbents on the defensive.

India and the United States will jointly move a resolution to address violence, particularly against women and girls, at the Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organisation in Geneva later this month.

The resolution on “The role of health sector in addressing violence, particularly against women and girls” will be supported by Belgium, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway and Zambia.

As the world celebrates 100 years of women suffrage, Indian women continue to fight for things that matter.

2013 was a turning point for women in India as the brutal gang rape of Nirbhaya and the huge protests in the aftermath placed the issue of violence against women at the heart of public discourse in the country.

As we step into 2014, it is crucial to reflect as to why as a society we are still struggling to ensure something as basic as safety for one half of its population.

On the eve of elections in Delhi, women's rights activists called on political parties on Tuesday to commit to a "Womanifesto" - a gender-sensitive agenda - to combat rising crimes against women in the Indian capital.

The gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy trainee in New Delhi last December jolted many usually apathetic urban Indians into joining street protests and sparked national discussion about how prevalent violence against women is in largely patriarchal Indian society.

Campaigning for the December 4 Assembly elections in Delhi ended on Monday with around 25 rallies and road shows being organised in the capital.

The public engagement programmers included those by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

While the city was plastered with posters promising safety to women and the issue figures big in party manifestos, only a few women have made it to the candidates’ list for the Delhi Assembly polls.