An Israeli startup have produced a gaggle of hens all called Golda that are the first in the world to lay eggs that only produce females. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Israeli startup breeds hens which only lay female eggs

Several Ethiopian schoolgirls dressed in jeans, sweatpants, and abayas practised the art of skateboarding, breaking all taboos. Although there are numerous skateboarding communities in the country, they are mostly dominated by men. With experience and time, female skateboarders have developed skills to cope with criticism and avoidable injuries that the sport entails.

Some of the girls in Ethiopian Girl Skaters, an all-female group founded by Sosina Challa and Micky Asfaw, have girls as young as six years old in the group. They regularly practise mastering the sport. While some carefully advance a few metres while holding their friends’ hands for support, others sprint across ramps and concrete humps.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/320-people-killed-in-ethiopian-gun-attack-witnesses-claim-490079">320 people killed in Ethiopian gun attack, witnesses claim</a>

Challa, in conversation with AFP, said that she founded the group in order to empower young and passionate women who find it difficult to participate in extreme sports due to Ethiopia’s view of girls, to say some, and help their parents. She further stated that since the time group was founded in December 2020, she, along with other mentors, has taught skateboarding to nearly 150 girls.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopia-vows-probe-into-gruesome-video-of-man-on-fire-461681">Ethiopia vows probe into gruesome video of man on fire</a>

Another skateboarder named Hanas, a 22-year-old girl, said that it’s not common for girls in the country to start skateboarding because not many people support the idea. She said, "But somebody had to be the first, some group had to start and we were the first one and I feel honoured to be part of that."

Iman Mahmud, after 18 months of training, said that she no longer cares about what other people think about her being a girl and taking part in such sports activities. She said, "It helped me defeat my fears. I just enjoy it. It makes me happy."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Several Ethiopian schoolgirls dressed in jeans, sweatpants, and abayas practised the art of skateboarding, breaking all taboos. Although there are numerous skateboarding communities in the country, they are mostly dominated by men.

Several Ethiopian schoolgirls dressed in jeans, sweatpants, and abayas practised the art of skateboarding, breaking all taboos. Although there are numerous skateboarding communities in the country, they are mostly dominated by men. With experience and time, female skateboarders have developed skills to cope with criticism and avoidable injuries that the sport entails. Some of the girls in Ethiopian Girl Skaters, an all-female group founded by Sosina Challa and Micky Asfaw, have girls as young as six years old in the group. They regularly practise mastering the sport. While some carefully advance a few metres while holding their friends’ hands for support, others sprint across ramps and concrete humps. Also read | 320 people killed in Ethiopian gun attack, witnesses claim Challa, in conversation with AFP, said that she founded the group in order to empower young and passionate women who find it difficult to participate in extreme sports due to Ethiopia’s view of girls, to say some, and help their parents. She further stated that since the time group was founded in December 2020, she, along with other mentors, has taught skateboarding to nearly 150 girls. Also read | Ethiopia vows probe into gruesome video of man on fire Another skateboarder named Hanas, a 22-year-old girl, said that it’s not common for girls in the country to start skateboarding because not many people support the idea. She said, "But somebody had to be the first, some group had to start and we were the first one and I feel honoured to be part of that." Iman Mahmud, after 18 months of training, said that she no longer cares about what other people think about her being a girl and taking part in such sports activities. She said, "It helped me defeat my fears. I just enjoy it. It makes me happy." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'It makes us happy': Group of Ethiopian girls finds joy in skateboarding despite criticism

Opening up a new avenue for females, the Indian Army on Thursday kicked off the process of inducting women as jawans by starting their online registration for recruitment in the corps of military police.

WION Gravitas: Landmark decision by Indian army, now women can be inducted as jawans

Mumbai is justifiably proud to celebrate the recent surge in the birth of girl child but the trend, unfortunately, is not consistent with rest of India. The 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) findings show that India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Tinseltown&rdquo;, along with five other Maharashtrian cities, has crossed the shining mark of 1000 girl child. Thus, the coveted quantitative equality between the male and female population has been reached there. However, a closer look at the NFHS report, beyond the narrow confines of city limits, reveals a different story. A story that is grim and more consistent with India&rsquo;s past record of low sex ratio for girls. 
 
The decrease is most stark when we consider the sex ratio of the total population, and not only data on children. Indian states of Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, to name a few, show a decline in the number of recorded females. Optimists may point out that, except the states of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, all the above mentioned states exhibit a &ldquo;healthy&rdquo; sex-ratio of more than 950 females per 1000 men. But the most disconcerting aspect of the issue is that, instead of improving, or at least holding on to past achievements, these states are all sliding, as is evident when we compare the present with the situation a decade back. 
 
Contrary to popular assumption that female-male sex ratio is skewed more in rural India, it is in the urban milieu that we see a sinking number of females.This is equally true for the BIMARU states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, and not so obvious states of Assam and Karnataka. It is particularly disconcerting to see the Indian state of Assam in the list because the north-eastern parts of India have been traditionally known to have a favourable sex-ratio for girls. 
 
This declining rate of girl child and women in the national population have created an all-round anxiety. Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has coined the term &ldquo;missing women&rdquo; to underline how silently, imperceptibly, albeit dangerously, an increasing number of women are lost through sex-selective abortions, female infanticide, inadequate health care and undernutrition. The Indian census data of 2011 on male-female ratio vindicates Sen&rsquo;s theory. 
 
According to the 2011 Indian census report, there were 943 females for every 1000 males - a gap of 57 person. Instead of the ideal 1:1 ratio, this number implies that 5.70 per cent of India&rsquo;s 1.311 billion population is &ldquo;missing&rdquo;. This sums up to a staggering number of 37,363,500 missing women. 
 
While India&rsquo;s shining image of an economic superpower is projected worldwide, its female population by and large continue to suffer from various forms of discrimination, neglect and even violence. Perhaps, the most repulsive aspect of the whole story is that much of the violence against Indian women, which translates into a skewed sex ratio, largely stems from the intimate circle of family members. While the Indian state watch helplessly. 
 
(WION)

National survey shows demographic trends for females in India are worrying, but sometimes in subtle and imperceptible ways

Mumbai is justifiably proud to celebrate the recent surge in the birth of girl child but the trend, unfortunately, is not consistent with rest of India. The 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) findings show that India’s “Tinseltown”, along with five other Maharashtrian cities, has crossed the shining mark of 1000 girl child. Thus, the coveted quantitative equality between the male and female population has been reached there. However, a closer look at the NFHS report, beyond the narrow confines of city limits, reveals a different story. A story that is grim and more consistent with India’s past record of low sex ratio for girls. The decrease is most stark when we consider the sex ratio of the total population, and not only data on children. Indian states of Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, to name a few, show a decline in the number of recorded females. Optimists may point out that, except the states of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, all the above mentioned states exhibit a “healthy” sex-ratio of more than 950 females per 1000 men. But the most disconcerting aspect of the issue is that, instead of improving, or at least holding on to past achievements, these states are all sliding, as is evident when we compare the present with the situation a decade back. Contrary to popular assumption that female-male sex ratio is skewed more in rural India, it is in the urban milieu that we see a sinking number of females.This is equally true for the BIMARU states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, and not so obvious states of Assam and Karnataka. It is particularly disconcerting to see the Indian state of Assam in the list because the north-eastern parts of India have been traditionally known to have a favourable sex-ratio for girls. This declining rate of girl child and women in the national population have created an all-round anxiety. Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has coined the term “missing women” to underline how silently, imperceptibly, albeit dangerously, an increasing number of women are lost through sex-selective abortions, female infanticide, inadequate health care and undernutrition. The Indian census data of 2011 on male-female ratio vindicates Sen’s theory. According to the 2011 Indian census report, there were 943 females for every 1000 males - a gap of 57 person. Instead of the ideal 1:1 ratio, this number implies that 5.70 per cent of India’s 1.311 billion population is “missing”. This sums up to a staggering number of 37,363,500 missing women. While India’s shining image of an economic superpower is projected worldwide, its female population by and large continue to suffer from various forms of discrimination, neglect and even violence. Perhaps, the most repulsive aspect of the whole story is that much of the violence against Indian women, which translates into a skewed sex ratio, largely stems from the intimate circle of family members. While the Indian state watch helplessly. (WION)

Study reveals Indian women still 'missing'

Every week, scientists in southern China release three million bacteria-infected mosquitoes on a three kilometre (two-mile) long island in a bid to wipe out diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. 
 
The scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria in a laboratory, then release infected male mosquitoes on the island on the outskirts of the city of Guangzhou. The bacteria, which occurs naturally in about 28 per cent of wild mosquitoes, causes infected males to sterilise the females they mate with. 
 
&quot;The aim is trying to suppress the mosquito density below the threshold which can cause disease transmission,&quot; said Zhiyong Xi, who is director of the Sun Yat-sen University Centre of Vector Control for Tropical Diseases and pioneered the idea. &quot;There are hot spots,&quot; Xi said. &quot;This technology can be used at the beginning to target the hot spots ... it will dramatically reduce disease transmission.&quot; 
 
Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths worldwide every year and Zika has become a concern for athletes at this year&#39;s Olympic Games, which open in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. Some athletes, including the top four ranked male golfers, have declined to take part. 
 
An outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil last year has spread through the Americas and beyond, with China confirming its first case in February. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. 
 
Sun Yat-sen&#39;s Xi said that several countries had expressed interest in his experiments, especially Brazil and Mexico. In the laboratory, mosquito eggs are collected from breeding cages containing 5,000 females and 1,600 males and injected with the wolbachia bacteria. 
 
Xi&#39;s facility has the capacity to breed up to five million mosquitoes a week. While a female mosquito that acquires wolbachia by mating is sterile, one that is infected by injection will produce wolbachia-infected offspring. Dengue, yellow fever and Zika are also suppressed in wolbachia-injected females, making it harder for the diseases to be transmitted to humans. 
 
Xi set up his 3,500 square metre (38,000 square feet) &quot;mosquito factory&quot; in 2012 and releases the males into two residential areas on the outskirts of Guangzhou. 
 
Xi said the mosquito population on the island has been reduced by more than 90 per cent. One villager on the island, 66 year-old Liang Jintian, who has lived there for six decades, said the study was so effective he didn&#39;t have to sleep with a mosquito net any longer. 
 
&quot;We used to have a lot of mosquitoes in the past. Back then some people were worried that if mosquitoes were released here, we would get even more mosquitoes,&quot; he said. &quot;We have a lot less mosquitoes now compared to the past.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria, then release infected male mosquitoes to sterilise females they mate with

Every week, scientists in southern China release three million bacteria-infected mosquitoes on a three kilometre (two-mile) long island in a bid to wipe out diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. The scientists inject mosquito eggs with wolbachia bacteria in a laboratory, then release infected male mosquitoes on the island on the outskirts of the city of Guangzhou. The bacteria, which occurs naturally in about 28 per cent of wild mosquitoes, causes infected males to sterilise the females they mate with. "The aim is trying to suppress the mosquito density below the threshold which can cause disease transmission," said Zhiyong Xi, who is director of the Sun Yat-sen University Centre of Vector Control for Tropical Diseases and pioneered the idea. "There are hot spots," Xi said. "This technology can be used at the beginning to target the hot spots ... it will dramatically reduce disease transmission." Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths worldwide every year and Zika has become a concern for athletes at this year's Olympic Games, which open in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. Some athletes, including the top four ranked male golfers, have declined to take part. An outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil last year has spread through the Americas and beyond, with China confirming its first case in February. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. Sun Yat-sen's Xi said that several countries had expressed interest in his experiments, especially Brazil and Mexico. In the laboratory, mosquito eggs are collected from breeding cages containing 5,000 females and 1,600 males and injected with the wolbachia bacteria. Xi's facility has the capacity to breed up to five million mosquitoes a week. While a female mosquito that acquires wolbachia by mating is sterile, one that is infected by injection will produce wolbachia-infected offspring. Dengue, yellow fever and Zika are also suppressed in wolbachia-injected females, making it harder for the diseases to be transmitted to humans. Xi set up his 3,500 square metre (38,000 square feet) "mosquito factory" in 2012 and releases the males into two residential areas on the outskirts of Guangzhou. Xi said the mosquito population on the island has been reduced by more than 90 per cent. One villager on the island, 66 year-old Liang Jintian, who has lived there for six decades, said the study was so effective he didn't have to sleep with a mosquito net any longer. "We used to have a lot of mosquitoes in the past. Back then some people were worried that if mosquitoes were released here, we would get even more mosquitoes," he said. "We have a lot less mosquitoes now compared to the past." (Reuters)

China: Scientists release 3 million bacteria-infected mosquitoes to combat Zika, other diseases

females

Females, News on Females, stories on Females, articles on Females, Females stories at Wion, Females news, Females latest news