Tag: women rights

Rights that Indian women should be aware of:

  Regarding rights in the modern era, every Indian woman needs to be aware of a few legal rights. There are plenty of laws protecting women in India. For the protection and advancement of women, our constitution grants them exclusive rights.

Indian women rights history:

During the early Vedic era, women and men were treated equally in all aspects of their lives. Women may have received an education during the early Vedic era, according to the writings of ancient Indian grammarians like Patanjali and Katyayana. In a practise known as swayamvar or a live-in relationship known as Gandharva marriage, Rigvedic verses imply that women married at an advanced age and were likely free to choose their own husbands.

The modern laws to look in today’s world are:

Right to maintenance

As long as she doesn’t remarry, a married woman is entitled to get maintenance from her ex-husband, which includes the necessities of life like food, clothing, shelter, and access to healthcare. Except when the wife is living in adultery or refuses to live with her husband without a good reason, Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, requires the husband to support his divorced wife.

Right to equal pay

Our laws are now gender-neutral. Equal remuneration for equal work is due to both men and women. The same is provided for by the Equal Remuneration Act. It guarantees equal pay for equal work for both male and female employees. There won’t be any gender discrimination in the context of hiring practises or working conditions.

Right to dignity and decency

Women’s rights include decency and dignity. Anyone who tries to harm her modestly is regarded as a sinner, and the law very good mandates punishment for such behaviour. Each and every woman has the right to live in dignity, free from intimidation, compulsion, violence, and prejudice. The criminal code outlines the penalties for offences against women such as sexual harassment (Section 354), assault with the intent to strip her naked or violate her sense of modesty (Section 354), voyeurism (Section 354), stalking (354D), etc.

Rights at workplace

You have a right to have a female restroom where you work. At places, with more than 30 female workers, providing facilities for care and feeding of children is mandatory. Further, the Supreme Court and the Govt. had put in to ensure the safety of women at workplaces. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in Vaisakha v. State of Rajasthan, had laid down exclusive guidelines for protection of women from Sexual Harassment at workplace, following which, the Govt. in 2013, has enacted an exclusive legislation- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION and REDRESSAL) Act, 2013 for that end. So, if any person at your workplace, asks you for sexual favours, or makes sexually coloured remarks and whistles looking at you or sings obscene songs looking at you, touches you inappropriately, or shows pornography, then all that will constitute Sexual Harassment and you may complain to the Internal complaints committee which is required to be constituted by the employer at each office or branch with 10 or more employees. The District Officer is also required to constitute a Local Complaints Committee at each district, and if required at the block level. Apart from this, IPC also, penalizes Sexual Harassment under 354A by providing an imprisonment of 1-3 years.

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Right of private defence/ self-defence

It is a right of defence. When defending your body or the body of another person from the attacker, you run the risk of causing serious harm, severe harm, or even death. However, you can only kill the attacker without drawing liability or punishment if certain conditions are met. For example, if you believe the attacker is about to rape, kill, or kidnap you, lock you in a room, or throw or attempt to throw acid at you, you can kill that person and the law will protect you.

Indicators of Women’s Status in India


There are different forms of violence on women, which act as threats to women’s independent identity and
dignity. Forms of violence are:
1) Female foeticide & infanticide- According to a survey by British medical journal, Lancet, nearly 10
million female abortions have taken place in India in the last 20 years, which is rampant amongst the
educated Indian middle class as well.
There are organizations like Swanchetan, which are working towards educating & bringing awareness in
people against the ghastly act.

Women at a rally in support of the Equal Rights Amendment in Detroit’s Kennedy Square, June 30, 1981.


2) Rape, sexual harassment & abuse- It acts as a deterrent to women’s freedom & perpetuates the notion
that women are the weaker sex. Every 2 hours, a rape occurs somewhere in India!
The recent Dec. 16 Delhi Gang rape case, shook the entire country and led to protests all across the
country, setting up of Justice Verma panel & helped in the fast track judgment of the case. However
rampant cases of rape of Dalit women, acid attacks, eve teasing go unnoticed.
3) Domestic violence and dowry deaths- Violence on women in the family were considered family
problems and were never acknowledged as “crimes against women” until recently. It is prevalent in all
classes of society.
4) Prostitution- A large number of women destitute or victims of rape who are disowned by family fall prey
to prostitution forcibly. There are no governmental programs to alleviate the problem of prostitution.
5) Objectification of women- Indecent Representation of Women(Prohibition) Act, 1986 prohibits indecent
representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings etc. However a
whole lot of indecent representation of women is done through literature, media, paintings etc
upholding the “right to freedom of expression”.

As per World economic forum survey, India’s Global Gender Gap Index 2011 ranking is 113 out of 134 countries
with neighbors like Bangladesh at 69 & China at 60.
1) Sex Ratio –Sex ratio is used to describe the number of females per 1000 of males. As per census 2011
sex ratio for India is 940 females per 1000 of males, i.e. females form a meager 47% of the total
population. The State of Haryana has the lowest sex ratio in India and the figure shows a number of 877
of females to that of 1000 males while Kerala has the highest of 1084 females per 1000 males
2) Health – Studies on hospital admissions and records have shown that males get more medical care
compared to girls. 2% of the female population is absolute anaemic. 12% of the female population of the
country suffers from repeated pregnancy (80% of their productive life is spent in pregnancy) & lack of
nutrition.

3) Literacy – The female literacy levels according to the Literacy Rate 2011 census are 65.46% where the
male literacy rate is over 80%. While Kerala has the highest female literacy rate of 100% , Bihar is at the
lowest with only 46.40%
4) Employment – Of the total female population 21.9% are a part of Indian workforce.
Majority of women are employed in the rural areas and in agriculture. Amongst rural women workers
87% are employed in agriculture as laborers, cultivators, self employed like hawkers etc i.e in the
unorganized sector which almost always remains invisible.
Despite the equal remuneration Act 1976, women are paid lower wages, occupy lower skilled jobs, have
less access to skill training and promotion.
5) Political status – Though India had a women Prime Minister Late Ms Indira Gandhi, women are not fairly
represented in the Parliament & other State & Local bodies. With only around 9 per cent women in
upper house and around 11 per cent in the lower house of parliament, India ranks 99th in the world in
terms of female representation among MPs.
However 73rd & 74th amendments to the constitution have ensured the participation of women in
PRIs with a reservation of 1/3rd for women. Today more than 30 million women are actively participating
in the political decision making process at the grass root.

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“Without economic freedom other aspects of women equality would not be realized”
-Jawaharlal Nehru
Women’s work participation rate in general has been declining over the decades. The decline has occurred due
to several factors:
1) Absence of comprehensive and rational policy for women’s emancipation through education, training
and access to resources such as land, credit and technology etc.
2) The perception of male as the breadwinner of the family despite the fact that in low income households
women’s income is crucial for sustenance. This perception adversely affects women’s education &
training. Employers also visualize women workers as supplementary workers & also cash in on this
perception to achieve their capitalistic motives by keeping the wage low for women.
3) Structural changes in the economy e.g decline in traditional rural industries or industrialization.
4) Lack of assets (land, house) in their own name in order to have access to credit and self employment
opportunities
5) Huge demand

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of time and energy of women for various tasks at home like child bearing and rearing etc
in addition to participation in labour force leave them with little time for education, training and self
development
6) Division of labour based on the gender between men and women & technological advancements work
against women. They are the last to be hired and first to be sacked.
7) Govt. programs to increase employment and productivity are focused more on men & women are seen
as beneficiaries rather than active participants

FEMINISM : Good or Bad ?

Feminism is the advocacy of the equality of the sexes. It does not seek exploitation and harassment of men by women in any field as many ‘intellectuals’ think! It only seeks to eradicate the violence against women and their poor treatment by their male counterparts wherever it is happening. People think feminism is giving women another superpower through which they can rule others , but this is not the true side , Feminism means equality in education & professional fields , equality in terms of rights , & this equality is not only for women but for men also . Feminism seeks to achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of BOTH the sex & not just females. Societies around the world often give exclusive rights and privileges to men (like standing up for themselves without being branded as being ‘loud’ and ‘bossy’, doing what they love to do, not being responsible for bringing up the kids and many more!) while women, in general, are treated unfairly. Feminism fights against gender stereotypes and seeks equal educational and professional opportunities for women. Feminists work for women’s rights, like the right to work, to remove the gender pay gap, to get an education, to have equal rights and respect within marriage, and to have paid maternity leave , to do what ever they want to , etc.

FIVE REASON WHY FEMINISM IS STILL A NEED OF THE HOUR ARE :

  1. Gender inequality is very bad for women health : Gender inequality is bad for women health , it makes them think that they are not superior to others , which leads to bad mental health . Further mental health leads to many diseases like PCOD, heart diseases, etc.
  2. Equal pay for all genders : Since work hours are same , so should be the pay range is the moto of feminism. Women are often paid less as compare to men & gives the reason that they work less , this belief should be removed & females should be paid equal to men .
  3. Education : Girls are pressurized to marry , then what about their dreams & education ? This is why we need feminism , just like men are asked to study so do women should have been asked too .
  4. Right to work : Still there is this stereotype in our brain that women can not do this job or this job is not meant for women . to remove this thinking from the society , feminisms is the need of the hour.
  5. Have equal rights & respect within the marriage .

At last i would like to conclude this article with a quote , ” Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men. It does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a bitch or a dyke, it means you believe in equality.”

– Words of REBBICA WEST

Important Constitutional Rights granted exclusively for women

These are some important rules that EVERY INDIAN must know!

Human’s rights are Woman’s rights and Woman’s rights are Human’s rights

Hillary Clinton

Legal provisions for women that everyone should know

We live in a world where gods and goddesses are worshipped and women are harassed, tortured, abused and abducted every single day. The Government of India confers important rights to Indian women, investigating cases related to many women. Unfortunately, many women in India are not aware of their rights which are provided in different Indian laws.

On the basis of gender equality, an Indian woman has 11 rights in India.

1. Women have a right to Zero FIR

A FIR that can be filed at any police station irrespective of the location where the incident occurred or a specific jurisdiction it comes under, the Zero FIR can later be transfered to the Police Station in whose jurisdiction the case falls under. This ruling was passed by the Supreme Court to save the victim’s time and prevent an offender from getting away scot-free.

2. Women have the right against being stalked

Section 354D of the IPC makes way for legal action to be taken against an offender if he/she follows a woman, tries to contact her to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest; or monitor the use by a woman of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication.

3. Female sexual assault victims have the right to keep their identity anonymous

To ensure the protection of privacy of a woman, a woman who has been sexually assaulted may record her statement alone before the district magistrate when the case is under trial, or in the presence of a female police officer.

4. Women have the right against workplace harassment

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act gives a female the right to file a complaint against any kind of sexual harassment at her place of work. Under this act, she can submit a written complaint to an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at a branch office within a period of 3 months.

5. Women have right not to be arrested at night

Unless there is an exceptional case on the orders of a first class magistrate, a woman cannot be arrested after sunset and before sunrise. In addition, the law also states that the police can interrogate a woman at her residence only in the presence of a woman constable and family members or friends.

6. Women have a right against domestic violence

Section 498 of the Indian Constitution looks to protect a wife, female live-in partner or a woman living in a household like a mother or a sister from domestic violence (including verbal, economic, emotional and sexual) by the hands of a husband, male live-in partner or relatives. The accused shall be punished with a non-bailable imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

7. Women have the right to get free legal aid

Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, female rape victims have the right to get free legal aid or help from the Legal Services Authority who has to arrange a lawyer for her.

8. Women have the right to equal pay

According to the provisions listed under the Equal Remuneration Act, one cannot be discriminated on the basis of sex when it comes to salary, pay or wages. Working women have the right to draw an equal salary, as compared to men.

9. Women have the right to dignity and decency

In an event of accused being a woman, any medical examination procedure on her must be performed by — or in the presence of another woman.

10. Women have the right against indecent representation

Depiction of a woman’s figure (her form or any body part) in any manner that is indecent, derogatory, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals, is a punishable offence.

11. Women have the right to register virtual complaints

The law gives women the provision for filing virtual complaints via e-mail, or writing her complaint and sending it to a police station from a registered postal address. Further, the SHO (Station House Officer) has to a police constable to her place to record her complaint. This is in case a woman is not in a position to physically go to a police station and file a complaint.

It is high time Women become aware of their rights and Stand up strong! Rise up together against the injustices happening against Women!!

  • Source: India Today

References: India Today

When the caged birds sing.

How important is it to have a voice ? And how important is it for that voice to be heard ?

A few months back ,Loujain al-Hathloul, one of the most prominent women’s rights activists from Saudi Arabia was released after spending more than 1000 days in prison. Her release came about a week after the US called on Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record, including releasing all political prisoners and women’s rights activists.In December 2020, she was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison by a Saudi Specialised Criminal Court. The Saudi Arabian authorities charged her under the state’s broad counter-terrorism laws for undermining national security and trying to change the political system of the country.

The Saudi women's rights activists who remain behind bars | Human Rights News | Al Jazeera

Being branded as a terrorist, she must have done something which could have endangered her country and the people. So what exactly did she do?

She had played a fundamental role in the movement to lift the driving ban on women and the “Wilayah” male guardianship system. It was only last year in August that Saudi Arabian women were allowed to travel abroad without obtaining permission from a male guardian, apply for passports and register their marriages and divorces. So trying to abolish ages old patriarchal dictum which had chained women for years, yes you can say that’s somewhat fulfills the definition of terrorism.

In 2014, al-Hathloul, who had a driving license issued in the UAE, was detained for 73 days for attempting to drive into Saudi Arabia from the UAE. Following this, weeks before the Saudi Arabian authorities lifted the ban on women drivers in 2018 (the last such ban in the world) she was arrested along with several other women’s rights activists. Before the ban was lifted, any women caught driving, could be sentenced to flogging (a beating administered with a whip or rod)

In 2015, she made an unprecedented move ,when she stood for elections , which was also the first time women were allowed to vote and stand for elections. But according to Amnesty International , her name was not even added to the ballots.

She was detained in 2018 on grounds of national security.For over 10 months after she was detained, she was not charged and there was no trial. According to Amnesty International, she was waterboarded, given electric shocks, was sexually harassed and was threatened with rape and murder during this time. Finally she was able to see the light of the day , after spending days locked up, for having a voice.

Princess Latifa is the daughter of Dubai’s billionaire ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and his second ” official” wife Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein. A video of her had surfaced a couple of months back in which she claimed she was being kept hostage by her father in a villa converted into a jail in Dubai. Talk about actually being caged, that to in your own house, that to for years, by your own father.

Amnesty accuses India of violating rights, capturing runaway Dubai princess - India News

As per the ‘Free Latifa’ campaign, the princess tried to escape from the family residence in Dubai in 2002. She was 16 at the time. She was, however, easily tracked and brought back to the palace where she was allegedly detained by her father for over three years, the campaign says.

Latifa made a second attempt to escape in February 2018, when she met up with her friend at a coffee shop in Dubai. After which they drove out of town and managed to cross the border into Oman. From there, she got on a boat and sailed into international waters. However, she was held just off the coast of Goa in India by a “significant Indian and UAE military force”, and taken back to Dubai again.

Since they were published, the videos have led to a call for an investigation into the matter by the United Nations (UN), which has responded to these demands affirmatively saying it will raise the matter with the UAE.

As per recent pictures uploaded on social media, she was seen at various places with her friends . And the update regarding her actual whereabouts is under process.

Let’s get back to the where we began, How important is it to have a voice ? and how important is to be heard ?

Female emancipation!

Feminism

Women’s empowerment can be defined to promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others.

‘There should be gender equality’ —a familiar line uttered repeatedly by many self-claimed modern era intellectuals .I think I will use the term that ‘men and women are complementary to each other’. Neither can survive without the other. Nature has created women and men in such a way that mankind will only survive if both genders coexist. Thus, the genders complement each other. I think this definition makes more sense .My argument is that gender equality means equal respect and equal remuneration in the same performance in their exclusive domain.

               Not all girls are made of sugar
               and spice and all things nice.
            There are girls made of dark lace
         and witchcraft and a little bit of vice.
          There are daughters made claw-first
        and story-mad, tiger roar and wolf-bad.
     There are women made of terrible tempests
    and savage storms and the untamed unwanted.

   These are damsels made of flawless fearlessness
 made of more bravery than knights have ever seen.
These are princesses made of valour and poison alike 
 and they are here to hold court as your queens.

                             -Nikita gill
  • Why should the men’s championship get more sponsorship than women’s, and why should the winner be paid more? Why is it that men cricketers get paid more, receive more appreciation and more respect than their women counterparts? Why is Sachin Tendulkar treated as the God of cricket but Mithali Raj simply a good Indian woman cricketer? Why do male hockey players get more money and respect than women players?
  • The bottom line is, and I repeat myself here, nature has made men and women differently. They compliment each other but can’t be equal physically and cannot compete with each other in every area. But gender equality can be achieved if we can extend the same respect, offer the same pay scale and the same status to champions of both genders in their domain. Personally, I respect Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj equally. I do watch women cricket matches with the same enthusiasm as I watch men’s cricket. Are you ready to do that? If yes, then you are encouraging gender equality. Else, you are going down a darker path, with no respect and no equality.
  • Also, being called “beautiful” is nice, don’t get me wrong. But hearing the words, “You’re brilliant” means so much more. Because beauty won’t get me a college diploma. Curves won’t get me a secure job and a sufficient salary. Being pretty won’t get me respect.
  • Beauty doesn’t encompass the person you are. All women have natural beauty, but beauty can only take you so far. When I am most insecure, I don’t want confirmations of my physical appearance. I want confirmation that my work, mind and strength are recognized. We grow up thinking beauty and male validation was the ultimate goal. Now, as a young woman, my greatest goal is to be successful in my career. I strive for knowledge, not perfect hair. I want respect, not a skinny waist. Being educated and opinionated will get you so much farther than just a pretty face. “Screw beautiful. I’m brilliant. If you really want to appease me, compliment my brain.”

” I WOULD RATHER STRUGGLE EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE THAN TO EVER GIVE A MAN THE POWER TO SAY ‘ YOU WOULDN’T HAVE THAT IF IT WASN’T FOR ME’ “

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Myths and Taboos around Menstruation

Menstruation has always been surrounded by taboos and myths that exclude women from many aspects of socio-cultural life. Not entering the temples and kitchens during menstruation is a major restriction for rural girls and women from orthodox families. They are believed to be unhygienic, inpure and unclean and hence their touch is considered to be contaminating.

“A menstruating woman is impure, she cannot enter holy places”

“Don’t enter the kitchen, don’t cook or touch the food, it will go sour”

Such taboos about menstruation present in many societies impact on girls’ and women’s emotional state, mentality and lifestyle and most importantly, health. About 23% of girls in India, mostly from less economically developed areas drop out of school when they begin menstruating. The monthly menstruation period also creates obstacles for female laborers. The gender – unfriendly work environment, infrastructure and the lack of adequate menstrual protection alternatives and clean, safe and private sanitation facilities for female workers undermine the right of privacy. Over 77% of menstruating girls and women in India use old cloth, which is often reused. This increases susceptibility to infection, putting them at the risk of being stigmatized.

The first and foremost strategy in this regard is raising the awareness among the adolescent girls related to menstrual health and hygiene. The need of the hour is to disseminate the same knowledge and normalize this concept among the male community, since most women shy away from discussing about it due to lack of support from their male partners and other family members. Provision of sanitary napkins and adequate facilities for sanitation and washing should be made available with the gender perspective.

We need to rise above all odds and link physical infrastructure and sanitation projects to health education and reproductive health programs and address the issue in more holistic ways because

Menstruation is a very normal biological phenomenon, and society should understand that women have the power of procreation just because of this virtue. TALK ABOUT IT!

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WOMEN ATHLETE

Lesson 6 women and sports

Over the past several decades , the role of women has changed drastically .However , gender beliefs and stereotypes still do exist across the world especially in sports . Most of the people in our society consider that sports are not meant for females but only for males .Social tradition , customs and cultures have great influence upon the psychology of women . In a male dominating society , males are expected to be aggressive , independent , dominating , robust and confident , whereas females are expected as well as considered to be emotional , sensitive , cooperative , sympathetic , loyal , etc. It is a well – known fact that participation of women in sports is increasing year after year .With this enhancement in female participation in sports , there is also renewed interest in the psychological characteristics of the female athletes and the effects of athletics on women . The various psychological traits of women athletes are stated below .

  1. Gender Role Orientation : It is an established fact that there has been an increase in the level of women’s participation in the types of sports that have been traditionally limited to only males , e.g., wrestling , weightlifting , kick boxing , body building , etc . However , many sports have been still considered inappropriate for women . For a long time it was considered that women should not take part in athletics because of the potentially harmful masculinising effects of sports .
  2. Competitiveness : It is evident that in the field of sports , both men and women are competitive in their own fields . In fact , women are more goal oriented and perform magnificently in artistic activities such as gymnastics . However , a number of research studies indicate that females who take part in sports are more competitive in comparison to the females who do not participate in sports .
  3. Confidence : As mentioned earlier , due to social pressures , women tend to have less confidence than men . Participation in sports , competitive environment , awards and recognitions increase confidence levels of sportspersons . However , a significant difference may exist between sportswomen and non- sportswomen .
  4. Self-esteem : Most of the research studies indicate that training plays a vital role in performance . Self -esteem improves with good performance . In the field of sports , intensive training helps in enhancing self-esteem . Research studies also show that those people who engage in sports have high self-esteem in comparison to non-participants .
  5. Aggression : Aggression is a forceful , goal- directed action that maybe verbal or physical . Participation in sports has many positive aspects which usually involve aggressive behavior . Various studies of aggression show that athletes who participate in contact sports , i.e., football players , judos or wrestlers are more aggressive than the athletes who participate in less contact sports . However , females who participate in contact sports show more aggression in comparison to females who do not participate in sports at all.

May Malala Come in Every Lap!

Let’s peep in the alleys of the most promising international icon with exceptional zeal:

Malala Yousafzai (Pic Source: Google)

We Human beings are succumbing every minute to fear & bigotry since the mysterious accident by which life sprang on Earth .And also every era-produced Malala pick up the flag of humanity with the brave philanthropic hymns. The world which is now somehow livable, is about to celebrate the 24th birthday of an exceptional mental strength as well as of such a magnificent lens and throw a glance on the pager of her life:

The journey of an ordinary human to an extraordinary one started on July 12 , 1997 at Mingora in Pakistan. Since childhood, with the touch of her father. Ziauddin Yousafzai, a school owner and an educational activist himself (whom Malala termed as the ‘Falcon’) Malala got herself involved in human rights advocacy, especially education of women in her native swat valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the local  Taliban had banned girls from attending schools . Then the little mind rarely couldn’t take so much time to realize the bluffing of terror patriarchy and resolved to eradicate it for a harmonious life of every girl with a backbone.

When she was only 11 years old, She gave a speech in Peshawar on “How dare the Taliban take away our Basic Right to Education” In 2009 , She started blogging as a short step towards the zenith of her life. In 2011 , She was awarded ‘Pakistan’s  National youth peace prize’ In that year, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a south African activist, nominated her for the International Children’s Peace Prize of the Dutch International children‘s advocacy group kids Rights Foundation.

With Malala’s growing popularity, dangers too stealthily came along her way. On October 09, 2012, the Taliban ascended to the peak of inhumanity by shooting this 15-year old child  returning from school by bus. One bullet went through her head, neck and ended in her shoulder. Though her health was critical, her fighting spirit made her recover from the malign wounds and after almost 1 year restarted attending school.

Malala with her lovely Family, during her hospitalization (Pic Source: Google)

Eventually, Malala got a massive outpouring of support in the limelight. On July 12, 2013 on her 16th birthday Yousafzai delivered a speech at the United Nations. There she sad:

“The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this weakness, Fear and hopelessness died ; Strength, power and courage were born.”

–Malala

There Malala challenged orthodoxy, illiteracy & terrorisms:

“The extremists were and they are, afraid of books and pens… They are afraid of women… Let’s speak of our books and pens — our most powerful weapons.”

–Malala

On that very auspicious day, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN, pronounced “Malala Day” in honor of The young leader’s activism. He assured that no child should have to die for learning and nowhere should teachers to teach.

When the second voyage of Malala’s life had just started to roll out the wheels, European parliament awarded her the ‘Sakharov Prize’ in 2013.

In the next year, conches of ‘Satyam’ blew when Malala became the youngest ever Nobel Prize Laureate. She received the award along with Kailash  Satyarthi, Indian children’s rights activist. This unparalleled and unequal ‘Global Teacher‘ became a gentle advocate of Peace.

Malala Yousafzai (Source: Google)

In April 2017, United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres appointed Yousafzai as a UN messenger of peace to promote girls’ education. She was also given Honorary Canadian Citizenship in 2017.

In the meanwhile, Yousafzai family launched the Malala fund in 2014 to ensure girls around the world have access to 12 years of free, safe & quality education, though later she revealed her extreme grief:

“The shocking truth is that world leaders have the money to fully fund primary AND secondary education around the world – but they are choosing to spend it on other things, like their military budgets. In fact, if the whole world stopped spending money on the military for just 8 days, we could have the $39 billion still needed to provide 12 years of free, quality education to every child on the planet.”

Malala wrote in her Website (https://malala.org/)

This torch bearer of Pakistan as well as of the enter world have offered the opportunity to go through the reviews by publishing books:

However Malala has taught all the Homo sapiens sapiens what education is, what consciousness is, what backbone is and what fearlessness is. We all are hopeful — this gene of Brave is/will be straight at the nook and corner of this world — every mother will stealthily smile, seeing her fearless child crying in its subconscious mind.

WOMEN AND SPORTS

In the field of games and sports, people do not acknowledge women’s sports to be at par with men’s sports .Right from the beginning of Olympic Games, the role of women in sports and games has been neglected. However, from the last decade of previous century , there is an increasing interest of women in sports both as participants and spectators. The provision of sports facilities to both women and men in sports shows a new trend. More people, than in the past, now want to see women on the playfields. However , few discriminations still persist in terms of salaries, cash awards, television time, etc. Indeed a lot of efforts have been taken vis-a`-vis women participation in sports and even greater steps are yet to be taken.

SPORTS PARTICIPATON OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Here, we will discuss in detail women’s participations in the field of sports .As a matter of fact, women’s participation in sports has a long history . In ancient Olympics , women were not allowed to even watch sports competitions . Even in the first modern Olympic games which were held in 1896 in Athens , there was no participation of women .In fact , women started participating in the modern Olympic Games from 1900 onwards . They participated only in two sports events . In this Olympics , only twenty – two women participated . In 1904 Olympic Game , only six women participated in three events . With the passage of time , the number of women participants in Olympics increased and exactly after 100 years i.e., in 2000 Sydney Olympics , the number of women participants increased up to 4,096 . In this Olympics , a total of 10,500 sportspersons from 199 countries took part and out of which 38.2 per cent were women. This number of women participants was a record during that time . In 2008 Olympic Games , which were held in Beijing , a total of 10,700 sportspersons from 205 countries took part and out of which 4,637 were women whose percentage was 42.4 , whereas only 23 women of India participated in the London Olympics . In 2012 London Olympic Games , 10,960 sportsperson from 205 countries participated , out of which 4,862 were women whose percentage was more than ever before . For the first time women boxing was included in the Olympic program . In 2008 Olympics , 26 female sportsperson participated from India . Only four Indian women participated in the Olympics held in 1952 in athletics . Karnam Malleshwari became the first Indian Women to secure a bronze medal in weightlifting in Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 . In 2012 London Olympic Games , Sania Nehwal and MC Mary Kom added feather in the cap of India by securing one bronze medal each . Though PT Usha could not win any medal in the 1984 Olympic in 400 m hurdle race , yet her performance was remarkable and extraordinary . In fact , there is a long list of Indian woman sportsperson who have won various positions in the World Cups , Common Wealth Games, Asian Games ,SAF Games , etc.

What is Catcalling?

Catcalling is a form of harassment primarily consisting of unwanted sexual comments. This may include honking, wolf-whistling and indecent exposures. Most of the time, it is a man who catcalls and a woman who is catcalled.

According to surveys by Stop Street Harassment (a non-profit organization):

  • Nearly 95% of female respondents were honked at one or more times
  • Nearly 82% of female respondents were the target of a vulgar gesture at least once
  • Nearly 81% of female respondents were the target of sexually explicit comments from an unknown man at least once
  • Just over 77% of women said they were the target of kissing noises from men.

Where catcalling takes place?

Catcalling doesn’t only happen on the streets. Sexual harassers find targets on campus sidewalks, in restaurants and movie theaters, at work, inside homes – literally anywhere. Similarly, anyone can be a catcaller – including a person’s acquaintances. Online catcalling is also an issue just as severe as in-person catcalling. What’s worse, people on social media are able to say more because they are protected by a screen.

The Problems with Catcalling

  • It’s disrespectful: Catcalling is uncalled-for and usually makes the victim feel exposed and uncomfortable. In some cases, catcalling is used as a method of expressing power over someone, rather than the misperception of it being a “compliment”.
  • It’s not impressive: Someone may catcall in order to impress their friends, or the person they are catcalling at, but it’s actually unimpressive and immature.

Catcalling is not a compliment, it’s a harassment!!

Whilst compliments and flirting can be harmless and fun, shouting at strangers is not flattering, it leaves “targets” feeling exposed.

Catcalling is degrading, demeaning, and disgusting.

Women have the right to be treated with as much respect and dignity when walking down the street as any man. Women deserve to feel safe.

How to react if you are being catcalled?

  • Catcallers usually look for a reaction. Don’t give them one, especially fear.
  • Get to a safe or crowded place as soon as you can. Seek help if needed.
  • If you are around other people and it’s safe, you can use a simple comeback like “that’s harassment” or “don’t do that”.
  • While snapping back (if you choose to do so), make sure to keep walking and don’t stop.
  • Avoid the use of swear words or eye contact.
  • If it’s online, you can block and report them. Choosing to reply is also an option (e.g., asking “would you find it okay if someone spoke to your mother or sister in that way?”).
  • Document it: write it down or take a picture/screenshot. By doing this you can call them out later.
  • Share your story if you feel comfortable.

How to intervene if someone is being catcalled?

  • Call out the harasser if it is safe to do so.
  • Create a distraction or start chatting with the target (e.g., drop your keys and ask “are these yours?”).
  • Approach the target afterwards to see if they need company or if there is anything else you can do to help.
  • Whatever you do, don’t put the person who is catcalled at greater risk (e.g., becoming aggressive).

Catcalling has become normalized, as it is often disregarded as a “joke”, or even a compliment. These are some tips to learn why this is absolutely not the case.