<p>For Iranian parachuting enthusiast Bahareh Sassani, skydiving is &quot;a way to prove that women are just as capable as men&quot; -- a small step from a big height for women&#39;s equality in her country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 35-year-old accountant has been skydiving less than two years but already has more than 220 jumps under her belt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I encourage all women to try this experience. It gives you the feeling you can do whatever you want. Women should not be excluded from anything,&quot; she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sassani -- one of just a handful of female skydivers in her deeply conservative homeland -- refuses to describe herself as a &quot;feminist&quot;.</p>

<p>But her motto is firm &quot;there is no difference between men and women and a woman can do anything she wants and succeed&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That still runs against the grain of Iranian society, where women have had a lower legal status than men since the Islamic revolution of 1979 even if they have battled to stay equal in daily life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Her favourite pastime is still very much the preserve of men in Iran -- made more complicated by the fact there is no parachuting club so she must do it with the army.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;When they organise jumps, the army invites everyone, including civilians,&quot; she explained.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were a handful of women parachutists in pre-revolutionary Iran: archived images published recently by the ISNA news agency showed the first four female army skydivers from 1965.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But today, women are not permitted to join the army.</p>

<p>The police have an elite unit that does some parachuting practice, but Sassani says she knows only five other qualified women from the civilian population.</p>

<p>Unlike her friends who chose to buy a car, clothes or jewellery with their first pay cheques or savings, Sassani said she opted instead to invest in parachuting, despite the adventurous sport being a male bastion in Iran.</p>

<p>At the start, her motivation for taking up skydiving was to combat a fear of heights, she said. But now she loves the sense of liberation from everyday cares that it gives her, she added.</p>

<p>Male reactions can be rather extreme though, she says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Men often avoid women like me, thinking we aren&#39;t made for marriage because we are uncontrollable,&quot; she said, bursting into laughter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;But a small number do show an interest in what I&#39;m doing.&quot;</p>

<p>It can also generate interest abroad, said Sassani, who has jumped in Russia, Kenya, Thailand and the UAE.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Even abroad, when I skydive, people are surprised. They think there are a lot of restrictions in Iran, but I explain to them that there are women doing motocross, flying planes and, yes, parachuting,&quot; she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A recent photo did the rounds in the Iranian media, showing Sassani jumping with an Iranian flag.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I meet lots of cultures and beliefs abroad, but I&#39;m a patriot and I love doing jumps in Iran more than anything,&quot; she adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bahareh Sassani: "Men often avoid women like me, thinking we aren't made for marriage because we are uncontrollable"

For Iranian parachuting enthusiast Bahareh Sassani, skydiving is "a way to prove that women are just as capable as men" -- a small step from a big height for women's equality in her country. The 35-year-old accountant has been skydiving less than two years but already has more than 220 jumps under her belt. "I encourage all women to try this experience. It gives you the feeling you can do whatever you want. Women should not be excluded from anything," she said. Sassani -- one of just a handful of female skydivers in her deeply conservative homeland -- refuses to describe herself as a "feminist". But her motto is firm "there is no difference between men and women and a woman can do anything she wants and succeed". That still runs against the grain of Iranian society, where women have had a lower legal status than men since the Islamic revolution of 1979 even if they have battled to stay equal in daily life. Her favourite pastime is still very much the preserve of men in Iran -- made more complicated by the fact there is no parachuting club so she must do it with the army. "When they organise jumps, the army invites everyone, including civilians," she explained. There were a handful of women parachutists in pre-revolutionary Iran: archived images published recently by the ISNA news agency showed the first four female army skydivers from 1965. But today, women are not permitted to join the army. The police have an elite unit that does some parachuting practice, but Sassani says she knows only five other qualified women from the civilian population. Unlike her friends who chose to buy a car, clothes or jewellery with their first pay cheques or savings, Sassani said she opted instead to invest in parachuting, despite the adventurous sport being a male bastion in Iran. At the start, her motivation for taking up skydiving was to combat a fear of heights, she said. But now she loves the sense of liberation from everyday cares that it gives her, she added. Male reactions can be rather extreme though, she says. "Men often avoid women like me, thinking we aren't made for marriage because we are uncontrollable," she said, bursting into laughter. "But a small number do show an interest in what I'm doing." It can also generate interest abroad, said Sassani, who has jumped in Russia, Kenya, Thailand and the UAE. "Even abroad, when I skydive, people are surprised. They think there are a lot of restrictions in Iran, but I explain to them that there are women doing motocross, flying planes and, yes, parachuting," she said. A recent photo did the rounds in the Iranian media, showing Sassani jumping with an Iranian flag. "I meet lots of cultures and beliefs abroad, but I'm a patriot and I love doing jumps in Iran more than anything," she adds.

Iranian woman skydiver looks to break down stereotypes

<p>Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as &quot;injustice&quot;, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage.</p>

<p>According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without &#39;mahram&#39; in a group of at least four.</p>

<p>In his monthly radio address of &#39;Mann ki baat&#39;, the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or &#39;mahram&#39; may appear as a &quot;small thing&quot;, but such issues &quot;have a far reaching impact on our image as a society&quot;.</p>

<p>He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule.</p>

<p>&quot;Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it,&quot; he said in his broadcast.</p>

<p>He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries.</p>

<p>&quot;I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without &#39;mahram&#39; and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj.</p>

<p>&quot;Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq.</p>

<p>He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or &#39;talaq-e-biddat&#39; while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning.</p>

<p>Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or &#39;sewa bhaav&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice.</p>

<p>On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.</p>


Following the removal of restriction, hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage

Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as "injustice", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage. According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without 'mahram' in a group of at least four. In his monthly radio address of 'Mann ki baat', the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or 'mahram' may appear as a "small thing", but such issues "have a far reaching impact on our image as a society". He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule. "Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it," he said in his broadcast. He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries. "I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without 'mahram' and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage," he said. He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj. "Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category," he said. He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...," he said. While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq. He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning. Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or 'sewa bhaav'. "Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values," he said. He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice. On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.

Muslim women can travel for Haj without male guardian: Prime Minister Modi

<p>It was a cold day yesterday, December 13th when a large group of people got together in Connaught place. They represented organisations, such as the Centre for Social Research, Joint women&rsquo;s programme, Justice Seekers, Women Power Connect, CARE, YWCA of Delhi, YWCA India, NFIW, Muslim Women&rsquo;s Association, Sahaj Sambhav, SERWA, Delhi State Council of women, Delhi government and others.</p>

<p>The purpose of their rally was to make a strong request to the government to introduce the women&rsquo;s representation bill in the upcoming parliamentary session in December.</p>

<p>This bill guarantees that at least 1/3 of all the legislators in the parliament will be women. At least 1/3 of election tickets will be given to women so that they can contest the elections and have a chance to win a seat. Women have always been underrepresented in the Indian parliament (never more than 12 per cent), and this bill aims to set that right. The bill has already been passed in the Rajya Sabha and requires a simple majority in the Lok Sabha to become law.</p>

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<p>Women reservation bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. (Others)</p>
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<p>The central government had promised citizens equal representation for women in its election manifesto. The government currently enjoys an absolute majority in the legislature. Activists are, therefore, baffled and dismayed that the government in spite of its rhetoric (of being sensitive to women&rsquo;s issues) has not seen fit to table and pass the bill. There seem to be no obvious impediments to its passage as the opposition supports the bill too. Women activists strongly believe the time is ripe for the government to take this progressive step.</p>

<p>Yesterday, during the rally, various activists, citizens and elected leaders voiced their arguments and concerns. Dr Ranjana Kumari, the iconic director of Centre for Social Research, reiterated her frustration at the government dragging its heels over this critical issue despite enjoying power for over 3 years. She felt it was one of the ways for them to regain the trust of the public who felt let down.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ms Alka Lamba of Delhi government made a passionate speech, reminding all that women were not wallflowers to be stepped upon. They could, in fact, assume the role of warrior queen Rain Laxmibai or Goddess Kali when necessary, for a worthy cause.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senior activists of the Joint women&#39;s programme, Padmini Kumar and Husna Subhani stated that it was a now or never situation for the re-tabling of the bill as the current government enjoyed an absolute majority, and there would be no difficulty in the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha. Mrs. Anshu Sahi, an ex-principal army public school, talked about her desire to see a level playing field for girls and boys.</p>

<p>Other activists sang, chanted slogans, expressed demands and answered questions posed by the media persons gathered there. The media wanted to ascertain why the bill was not being passed by the government despite gender experts advocating the importance of its passage for the overall development of the country. The activists felt this was due to a mixture of a prevalent patriarchal mindset and a reluctance of those in power to relinquish any part of it.</p>

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<p>The committed activists and citizens defied the orders of the local policemen who tried to prevent them from marching and did execute a peaceful walk around Connaught Place, raising awareness about the bill. It was very fitting that the entire rally took place around the base of the Indian flag- since this bill relies on constitutional guarantees for the upliftment of women.</p>

<p>The rally was a wonderful reminder of the perseverance of the women&#39;s movement. For 21 long years, the women activists have not given up their tireless struggle to see that justice prevails and that women who make up 50 per cent of the population get their fair share of representation in governance at the highest levels. Having more female legislators in parliament will drive the country&#39;s development at a faster pace as a new talent pool will be available.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Simultaneously, more women will be empowered in significant ways. Several women&#39;s issues will be brought up and addressed more thoughtfully and comprehensively. Seeing more women in leadership roles will inculcate more respect for this sex in the general population and help reverse the patriarchal mindset.</p>

<p>The rally was also a reminder of the gumption of women activists and their fierce sense of social responsibility. Our school education helps us to think more logically and communicate our thoughts clearly. The fact that so many more of us women are educated is due to the fact that a committed set of activists of the past generations defied the social order that curtailed and restricted a woman&rsquo;s education beyond the 5th standard. Similarly we need to battle hard to leave an equally rich legacy for the generation after us.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The central government needs to introduce the women?s representation bill in the upcoming parliamentary session in December

It was a cold day yesterday, December 13th when a large group of people got together in Connaught place. They represented organisations, such as the Centre for Social Research, Joint women’s programme, Justice Seekers, Women Power Connect, CARE, YWCA of Delhi, YWCA India, NFIW, Muslim Women’s Association, Sahaj Sambhav, SERWA, Delhi State Council of women, Delhi government and others. The purpose of their rally was to make a strong request to the government to introduce the women’s representation bill in the upcoming parliamentary session in December. This bill guarantees that at least 1/3 of all the legislators in the parliament will be women. At least 1/3 of election tickets will be given to women so that they can contest the elections and have a chance to win a seat. Women have always been underrepresented in the Indian parliament (never more than 12 per cent), and this bill aims to set that right. The bill has already been passed in the Rajya Sabha and requires a simple majority in the Lok Sabha to become law. Women reservation bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. (Others) × The central government had promised citizens equal representation for women in its election manifesto. The government currently enjoys an absolute majority in the legislature. Activists are, therefore, baffled and dismayed that the government in spite of its rhetoric (of being sensitive to women’s issues) has not seen fit to table and pass the bill. There seem to be no obvious impediments to its passage as the opposition supports the bill too. Women activists strongly believe the time is ripe for the government to take this progressive step. Yesterday, during the rally, various activists, citizens and elected leaders voiced their arguments and concerns. Dr Ranjana Kumari, the iconic director of Centre for Social Research, reiterated her frustration at the government dragging its heels over this critical issue despite enjoying power for over 3 years. She felt it was one of the ways for them to regain the trust of the public who felt let down. Ms Alka Lamba of Delhi government made a passionate speech, reminding all that women were not wallflowers to be stepped upon. They could, in fact, assume the role of warrior queen Rain Laxmibai or Goddess Kali when necessary, for a worthy cause. Senior activists of the Joint women's programme, Padmini Kumar and Husna Subhani stated that it was a now or never situation for the re-tabling of the bill as the current government enjoyed an absolute majority, and there would be no difficulty in the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha. Mrs. Anshu Sahi, an ex-principal army public school, talked about her desire to see a level playing field for girls and boys. Other activists sang, chanted slogans, expressed demands and answered questions posed by the media persons gathered there. The media wanted to ascertain why the bill was not being passed by the government despite gender experts advocating the importance of its passage for the overall development of the country. The activists felt this was due to a mixture of a prevalent patriarchal mindset and a reluctance of those in power to relinquish any part of it. Women activists organised a rally in support of women’s representation bill. (Others) × The committed activists and citizens defied the orders of the local policemen who tried to prevent them from marching and did execute a peaceful walk around Connaught Place, raising awareness about the bill. It was very fitting that the entire rally took place around the base of the Indian flag- since this bill relies on constitutional guarantees for the upliftment of women. The rally was a wonderful reminder of the perseverance of the women's movement. For 21 long years, the women activists have not given up their tireless struggle to see that justice prevails and that women who make up 50 per cent of the population get their fair share of representation in governance at the highest levels. Having more female legislators in parliament will drive the country's development at a faster pace as a new talent pool will be available. Simultaneously, more women will be empowered in significant ways. Several women's issues will be brought up and addressed more thoughtfully and comprehensively. Seeing more women in leadership roles will inculcate more respect for this sex in the general population and help reverse the patriarchal mindset. The rally was also a reminder of the gumption of women activists and their fierce sense of social responsibility. Our school education helps us to think more logically and communicate our thoughts clearly. The fact that so many more of us women are educated is due to the fact that a committed set of activists of the past generations defied the social order that curtailed and restricted a woman’s education beyond the 5th standard. Similarly we need to battle hard to leave an equally rich legacy for the generation after us. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: India needs more women to contest elections

<p>A school in China which claims it teaches girls &quot;traditional virtues&quot; such as household chores and the value of &quot;talking less and working more&quot; has been shut down by Chinese authorities.</p>

<p>The education bureau said the institute violates socialist core values, say&nbsp;media reports.</p>

<p>Authorities have also urged to investigate further to find similar institutes.</p>

<p>There is also a video posted by news website Pear Video, in which lecturers of School of Traditional Culture&nbsp;can be seen, speaking against gender equality and making other sexist statements like not fighting back when being beaten and women not attempting a career but stay at the bottom level.</p>

<p>The school also urged women to unconditionally obey their fathers, husband and sons.</p>

<p>It also advised women against divorce and warns that a&nbsp;woman might die if she has sex with more than three men.</p>

<p>The school, Fushun School of Traditional Culture,&nbsp;was opened in 2011.</p>

<p>According to reports, in China, such institutes are rising since the past few years.</p>

<p>According to a Chinese daily, several employees of the institutes protested against its closure saying that the viral video was a misinterpretation of their work to promote traditional culture.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Authorities have also urged to investigate further to find similar institutes

A school in China which claims it teaches girls "traditional virtues" such as household chores and the value of "talking less and working more" has been shut down by Chinese authorities. The education bureau said the institute violates socialist core values, say media reports. Authorities have also urged to investigate further to find similar institutes. There is also a video posted by news website Pear Video, in which lecturers of School of Traditional Culture can be seen, speaking against gender equality and making other sexist statements like not fighting back when being beaten and women not attempting a career but stay at the bottom level. The school also urged women to unconditionally obey their fathers, husband and sons. It also advised women against divorce and warns that a woman might die if she has sex with more than three men. The school, Fushun School of Traditional Culture, was opened in 2011. According to reports, in China, such institutes are rising since the past few years. According to a Chinese daily, several employees of the institutes protested against its closure saying that the viral video was a misinterpretation of their work to promote traditional culture.

China school teaching girls 'obedience' closed

<p>Being an entrepreneur is tough. Being a woman entrepreneur is tougher. Not because the business issues get any more complex for them or because women are any less competent at managing teams or negotiations. It&rsquo;s because, on top of dealing with the sundry challenges, we also need to deal with, what should by right be a non-issue: Our gender, and the consequences thereof.</p>

<p>Here are 5 real questions that came my way as I started <a href="https://www.socialweaver.co/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Social Weaver</a> after 12 years with P&amp;G and Pepsico. These are the questions, I wish women entrepreneurs don&rsquo;t have to face in 2018.</p>

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<h5>Putting a gender or life stage as a descriptor for a profession or occupation does not add value and is plain ridiculous.</h5>
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<p><strong>How is it being a &lsquo;mumpreneur&#39;</strong></p>

<p>Pretty good. How is it being a doctor or a paparchitect? Do you enjoy being a singlepreneur? Putting a gender or life stage as a descriptor for a profession or occupation does not add value and is plain ridiculous. Men or women- people start businesses because they see a problem and because they believe they could make money solving that problem.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>How is your &lsquo;project&rsquo; coming along</strong></p>

<p>There exists this popular perception that anything started by women is somehow less serious, a border-line hobby or passion project that allows them to &lsquo;spend time constructively&rsquo; while the kids are at school. However, if what you have in front of you is a duly registered legal entity, providing employment and generating revenue, it&rsquo;s time you recognise that for what it is- a company is built with sweat and toil.</p>

<p><strong>You must be doing this because you have kids</strong></p>

<p>Actually, women entrepreneurs who are parents are doing this in spite of having kids. In spite of burgeoning emotional and physical demands. In spite of lack of sleep. In spite of having to juggle meetings and travel with school projects and doctor visits. Why would anyone go through all this anguish unless it is a meaningful and worthwhile pursuit?</p>

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<h5>The assumption being that women are more emotional and artistic and less likely to engage with topics related to engineering or operations.</h5>
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<p><strong>You won&rsquo;t understand, madam</strong></p>

<p>The classic mansplaining peaks when it comes to technical topics. The assumption being that women are more emotional and artistic and less likely to engage with topics related to engineering or operations. The plain truth is that women entrepreneurs are business people and would like to engage in any topic that shows them a path to better profit, revenue or productivity. Try it.</p>

<p><strong>So who&rsquo;s funding this-your husband?</strong></p>

<p>It is a <span style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> patronising and condescending question but apparently a legitimate one. Women-led companies made up 4.94 per cent of all VC deals in 2016 (<a href="http://fortune.com/2017/03/13/female-founders-venture-capital/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fortune</a>) and as an <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/06/male-and-female-entrepreneurs-get-asked-different-questions-by-vcs-and-it-affects-how-much-funding-they-get" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HBR</a> study showed, they actually get asked different questions by VCs. In general, men got questions about potential gains and women were asked questions about potential losses, by both male and female VCs.</p>

<p>There are no simple solutions to this, and the <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/09/the-comprehensive-case-for-investing-more-vc-money-in-women-led-startups" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> way forward</a> seems to be a combination of getting more women VCs; cutting out the unconscious bias (blind auditions) and evaluating the business on its merit vs the gender of the founder.</p>

<p>Being an entrepreneur is tough. With a change in mindset, recognition and elimination of bias and a better support system, the start-up network of investors and entrepreneurs can ensure that women-led businesses get a level playing field, with equal opportunity and equal scrutiny. It&rsquo;s just good economic sense!</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


With a change in mindset, recognition and elimination of bias and a better support system, women-led businesses will equal opportunity and scrutiny

Being an entrepreneur is tough. Being a woman entrepreneur is tougher. Not because the business issues get any more complex for them or because women are any less competent at managing teams or negotiations. It’s because, on top of dealing with the sundry challenges, we also need to deal with, what should by right be a non-issue: Our gender, and the consequences thereof. Here are 5 real questions that came my way as I started Social Weaver after 12 years with P&G and Pepsico. These are the questions, I wish women entrepreneurs don’t have to face in 2018. Putting a gender or life stage as a descriptor for a profession or occupation does not add value and is plain ridiculous. × How is it being a ‘mumpreneur' Pretty good. How is it being a doctor or a paparchitect? Do you enjoy being a singlepreneur? Putting a gender or life stage as a descriptor for a profession or occupation does not add value and is plain ridiculous. Men or women- people start businesses because they see a problem and because they believe they could make money solving that problem. How is your ‘project’ coming along There exists this popular perception that anything started by women is somehow less serious, a border-line hobby or passion project that allows them to ‘spend time constructively’ while the kids are at school. However, if what you have in front of you is a duly registered legal entity, providing employment and generating revenue, it’s time you recognise that for what it is- a company is built with sweat and toil. You must be doing this because you have kids Actually, women entrepreneurs who are parents are doing this in spite of having kids. In spite of burgeoning emotional and physical demands. In spite of lack of sleep. In spite of having to juggle meetings and travel with school projects and doctor visits. Why would anyone go through all this anguish unless it is a meaningful and worthwhile pursuit? The assumption being that women are more emotional and artistic and less likely to engage with topics related to engineering or operations. × You won’t understand, madam The classic mansplaining peaks when it comes to technical topics. The assumption being that women are more emotional and artistic and less likely to engage with topics related to engineering or operations. The plain truth is that women entrepreneurs are business people and would like to engage in any topic that shows them a path to better profit, revenue or productivity. Try it. So who’s funding this-your husband? It is a patronising and condescending question but apparently a legitimate one. Women-led companies made up 4.94 per cent of all VC deals in 2016 (Fortune) and as an HBR study showed, they actually get asked different questions by VCs. In general, men got questions about potential gains and women were asked questions about potential losses, by both male and female VCs. There are no simple solutions to this, and the way forward seems to be a combination of getting more women VCs; cutting out the unconscious bias (blind auditions) and evaluating the business on its merit vs the gender of the founder. Being an entrepreneur is tough. With a change in mindset, recognition and elimination of bias and a better support system, the start-up network of investors and entrepreneurs can ensure that women-led businesses get a level playing field, with equal opportunity and equal scrutiny. It’s just good economic sense! (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: GES succeeds if we keep business first, gender last

<p>Is it the policy that should lead practice or vice-versa? No matter which comes first, the debate concerning violence against women calls for the concurrent implementation of policy with practice. The policy and practice alignment will lead to gender sensitisation and elimination of gender-based violence. The International Day for the elimination of violence against women falling on 25th November comes as a reminder to a country like India which still struggles to check violence against women.</p>

<p>If India is known for its women talent and workforce that has made the global headlines, the country is equally acknowledged for its discouraging figures for atrocities against women. The latest 2015 report of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) comes as a warning which records 32,7394 registered cases of crimes against women across the country. Equally shocking is the 24,379 number of complaints received by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in India during 2015-16.</p>

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<h5>A number of reasons such as social complexities, economic dependency, backward social standards and lack of vigilance to protect women interest could be prime reasons behind violence against women.</h5>
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<p>These numbers are embarrassing for India&rsquo;s global standing. A number of reasons such as social complexities, economic dependency, backward social standards and lack of vigilance to protect women interest could be prime reasons behind these cases. Besides, in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like India, discrimination against women, would be hard to completely wipe out. But does that mean that the 21st century India should not rise to the occasion to protect women and their interest which comprise almost half of India&rsquo;s total population?</p>

<p>India needs a national call characterised by practice plus policy coordination which must have uniformity to protect the interest of the women. The practice-policy coordination means wherein the policy and practice must drive concurrently to complement each other towards eliminating violence against women. Making only policy would not help India to address the violence against women.</p>

<p>In fact, in terms of policy initiatives, India has introduced a number of flagship policy programmes such as National Policy for Empowerment of Women (2001), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, SABLA, UJJAWALA Scheme, SWADHAR Greh which are designed around the objective of women empowerment and protecting the interests of women.</p>

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<h5>The country must realise that simply making policies will not be helpful to address violence against women.</h5>
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<p>Certain legislations such as Sexual harassment of women at workplace Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal Act 2013; Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 also forms part of the mechanism to combat any gender-based abuse. The issue of violence against women has been highlighted in international development agenda through Sustainable Development Goals.</p>

<p>However, the similar spirit of placing women at the core of national and international development agenda has not yet been translated into practice. When India has been implementing various schemes and policies for women empowerment and safety, the country must realise that simply making policies will not be helpful to address violence against women. Rather, the focus should be on how to make realise the importance of these policies before they are actually implemented. This calls for a national educational consciousness - be it at primary or higher education level- in the favour of women.</p>

<p>The national policies are no doubt effective but the same will yield faster and long-term results if these are not implemented in isolation. Instead, policies must be aligned with the day-to-day practices that may initially be deliberate and are more likely to leave a greater impact and sense of responsibility towards the cause. Both primary, as well as higher education, can create a favourable condition in this regard.</p>

<p>Indeed, a credible environment in favour of the women workforce is missing in India even though the international community looks at India as a country leading the path to its power. India does not lag behind in establishing parity between women and men, breaking the gender discrimination. Still, the country struggles from the psychosis of a deprived environment to effectively protect its women population. Sincere public awareness and effective primary and higher education concerning women and their interest can make a huge difference. The necessity of the time is to educate the public over protecting women&rsquo;s interest and rights which are fundamental to nation-building.</p>

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<h5>The role of education in uplifting the economic status of women and empowering them in terms of financial independence leading to their participation in decision making has been long established and accepted.</h5>
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<p>Instead of building this necessary public awareness, India is rather waiting for a time when policies are framed to add-on the practices and practices facilitate the implementation of policies to reach the last target. For this, it is important that India should realise the significance of education and importance of convergence between different public realms concerning education.</p>

<p>In fact, the role of education in uplifting the economic status of women and empowering them in terms of financial independence leading to their participation in decision making has been long established and accepted. However, economic development is just one part of what education can do in terms of women empowerment. It is important to perceive education as a life experience leading to beliefs formation and overall personality formation. Education, as such, can be utilised to bring into practice what forms the basis of policies regarding women safety and security.</p>

<p>Hence, it is important that the agenda of sensitisation on issues related to genders such as violence and abuse should be introduced at an early age, at the primary education level. There is no better way to start a national practice in doing this than in public and private schools and higher education institutions for bringing about the desired attitudinal change.</p>

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<h5>Issues concerning women and their protection should, therefore, become an integral part of our learning process in schools and colleges.</h5>
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<p>This is especially relevant when the Right to Education Act, 2009 talks about bringing all children to school, compulsorily completes elementary level education and help them to learn the basics of livelihood. The role of classroom interaction, whether in schools or colleges or universities, is not limited to exchange of textbook knowledge, but it creates an environment where students learn beyond textbooks.</p>

<p>Issues concerning women and their protection should, therefore, become an integral part of our learning process in schools and colleges. This learning is important in fixing the values and ideas that will lead to eliminating bias against women and will lead to acknowledging women&rsquo;s place in society as an equal human-being. Besides, a national agenda on women safety focusing on education practices as a mean to promote equality needs to be implemented across the country.</p>

<p>In addition to all these, numerous policies will not bring in the desired results if implemented in isolation. These have to be embedded in the social reality and day-to-day practices especially in various educational institutions, both formal and non-formal such as adult learning centres. In a federal practice, both the Centre and the States are responsible for planning and implementing education-related legislation, schemes and policies giving States flexibility to implement the policies as per their requirement. Value-based education relating to women must be a universal national practice in India no matter how the Centre and States work.</p>

<p>Rather, a national call on adopting practices for eliminating violence against women and implementing policies for women empowerment have to supersede the debate of centre-state and be executed uniformly all over. India does not have to choose between policy and practice, it needs a national perspective that may be implemented universally in which policy and practices go hand in hand.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)</em></p>


A national agenda on women safety focusing on education practices as a mean to promote equality needs to be implemented across the country

Is it the policy that should lead practice or vice-versa? No matter which comes first, the debate concerning violence against women calls for the concurrent implementation of policy with practice. The policy and practice alignment will lead to gender sensitisation and elimination of gender-based violence. The International Day for the elimination of violence against women falling on 25th November comes as a reminder to a country like India which still struggles to check violence against women. If India is known for its women talent and workforce that has made the global headlines, the country is equally acknowledged for its discouraging figures for atrocities against women. The latest 2015 report of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) comes as a warning which records 32,7394 registered cases of crimes against women across the country. Equally shocking is the 24,379 number of complaints received by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in India during 2015-16. A number of reasons such as social complexities, economic dependency, backward social standards and lack of vigilance to protect women interest could be prime reasons behind violence against women. × These numbers are embarrassing for India’s global standing. A number of reasons such as social complexities, economic dependency, backward social standards and lack of vigilance to protect women interest could be prime reasons behind these cases. Besides, in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like India, discrimination against women, would be hard to completely wipe out. But does that mean that the 21st century India should not rise to the occasion to protect women and their interest which comprise almost half of India’s total population? India needs a national call characterised by practice plus policy coordination which must have uniformity to protect the interest of the women. The practice-policy coordination means wherein the policy and practice must drive concurrently to complement each other towards eliminating violence against women. Making only policy would not help India to address the violence against women. In fact, in terms of policy initiatives, India has introduced a number of flagship policy programmes such as National Policy for Empowerment of Women (2001), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, SABLA, UJJAWALA Scheme, SWADHAR Greh which are designed around the objective of women empowerment and protecting the interests of women. The country must realise that simply making policies will not be helpful to address violence against women. × Certain legislations such as Sexual harassment of women at workplace Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal Act 2013; Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 also forms part of the mechanism to combat any gender-based abuse. The issue of violence against women has been highlighted in international development agenda through Sustainable Development Goals. However, the similar spirit of placing women at the core of national and international development agenda has not yet been translated into practice. When India has been implementing various schemes and policies for women empowerment and safety, the country must realise that simply making policies will not be helpful to address violence against women. Rather, the focus should be on how to make realise the importance of these policies before they are actually implemented. This calls for a national educational consciousness - be it at primary or higher education level- in the favour of women. The national policies are no doubt effective but the same will yield faster and long-term results if these are not implemented in isolation. Instead, policies must be aligned with the day-to-day practices that may initially be deliberate and are more likely to leave a greater impact and sense of responsibility towards the cause. Both primary, as well as higher education, can create a favourable condition in this regard. Indeed, a credible environment in favour of the women workforce is missing in India even though the international community looks at India as a country leading the path to its power. India does not lag behind in establishing parity between women and men, breaking the gender discrimination. Still, the country struggles from the psychosis of a deprived environment to effectively protect its women population. Sincere public awareness and effective primary and higher education concerning women and their interest can make a huge difference. The necessity of the time is to educate the public over protecting women’s interest and rights which are fundamental to nation-building. The role of education in uplifting the economic status of women and empowering them in terms of financial independence leading to their participation in decision making has been long established and accepted. × Instead of building this necessary public awareness, India is rather waiting for a time when policies are framed to add-on the practices and practices facilitate the implementation of policies to reach the last target. For this, it is important that India should realise the significance of education and importance of convergence between different public realms concerning education. In fact, the role of education in uplifting the economic status of women and empowering them in terms of financial independence leading to their participation in decision making has been long established and accepted. However, economic development is just one part of what education can do in terms of women empowerment. It is important to perceive education as a life experience leading to beliefs formation and overall personality formation. Education, as such, can be utilised to bring into practice what forms the basis of policies regarding women safety and security. Hence, it is important that the agenda of sensitisation on issues related to genders such as violence and abuse should be introduced at an early age, at the primary education level. There is no better way to start a national practice in doing this than in public and private schools and higher education institutions for bringing about the desired attitudinal change. Issues concerning women and their protection should, therefore, become an integral part of our learning process in schools and colleges. × This is especially relevant when the Right to Education Act, 2009 talks about bringing all children to school, compulsorily completes elementary level education and help them to learn the basics of livelihood. The role of classroom interaction, whether in schools or colleges or universities, is not limited to exchange of textbook knowledge, but it creates an environment where students learn beyond textbooks. Issues concerning women and their protection should, therefore, become an integral part of our learning process in schools and colleges. This learning is important in fixing the values and ideas that will lead to eliminating bias against women and will lead to acknowledging women’s place in society as an equal human-being. Besides, a national agenda on women safety focusing on education practices as a mean to promote equality needs to be implemented across the country. In addition to all these, numerous policies will not bring in the desired results if implemented in isolation. These have to be embedded in the social reality and day-to-day practices especially in various educational institutions, both formal and non-formal such as adult learning centres. In a federal practice, both the Centre and the States are responsible for planning and implementing education-related legislation, schemes and policies giving States flexibility to implement the policies as per their requirement. Value-based education relating to women must be a universal national practice in India no matter how the Centre and States work. Rather, a national call on adopting practices for eliminating violence against women and implementing policies for women empowerment have to supersede the debate of centre-state and be executed uniformly all over. India does not have to choose between policy and practice, it needs a national perspective that may be implemented universally in which policy and practices go hand in hand. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: Violence against women has to stop. But how?

<p>In a yet another historic, &ldquo;game changer&rdquo; move, Saudi Arabia has allowed its women citizens to enter the sports stadium. Women&rsquo;s entry was banned in all stadiums but with this move, from the early next year i.e. 2018 women will attend sporting events in the city of Riyadh, Jeddah and the eastern city of Dammam. However, women must be accompanied by a male guardian according to the Wilaya or guardianship system. Under this system, every woman is subject to a legal male guardian, father, husband or son, whose permission is required for her to marry, get divorced, travel abroad, open a bank account, get employment, or undergo medical surgery.</p>

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<h5>Image change is the need of the hour for Saudi rulers especially the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as it will help to show his skills of being a capable ruler to world leaders.</h5>
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<p>However, the pace at which the positive, gender friendly moves are happening is questionable. The State, in fact, is making alliances with women only for the purpose of fulfilling its interests - both internal and external. Alliance with women would help Saudi in externally change its position in the global scenario from a regressive to a forward-looking state. Women and their portrayal as veiled, unveiled, modern, westernise is often used to depict a distinct political identity and give a message globally.</p>

<p>Image change is the need of the hour for Saudi rulers, especially the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as it will help to show his skills of being a capable ruler to world leaders. Its a crucial moment as Saudi needs global investments under its plan &nbsp;National Transformation Plan 2020 and &ldquo;Saudi Vision 2030&rdquo;- a plan for social and economic reform as the kingdom prepares for a post-oil era.</p>

<p>A few weeks back, Saudi lifted the ban on women driving. Women will be able to drive from June 2018. However, internally, Saudi needs women in the workforce. Women earn more than half of college and graduate degrees but only comprise 20 per cent of the workforce. This move will encourage women to participate in the development of economy and families will not have to employ drivers which will save a lot of money as drivers will not be able to send money to their home countries which will strengthen the balance of payment.</p>

<p>These gender friendly moves have nothing to do with women empowerment but are one of the means to strengthen and consolidate power in Saudi as cracking in the system has started.</p>

<p>With the decrease in the oil prices, subsidies are being cut and sales tax is introduced. People have lived with cheap petrol, without taxes, and free water and electricity throughout in Saudi are now finding it difficult. Moreover, 70 per cent of the Saudi population is young and under thirty years.</p>

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<h5>The real change will happen when Saudi will have citizens participation, where they will play an important role in running the state, when human rights abuses will stop and freedom of speech will be encouraged, women lives will not be governed by guardianship system.</h5>
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<p>Most of this young population are foreign educated thanks to various scholarship programmes run by the Saudi Government. They demand a more open society where both the sexes can mix freely. Means of entertainment are being encouraged as Saudi population spends huge amounts on holidays abroad. With the opening of the society, this money can be saved which will help the Saudi economy.</p>

<p>Changes are taking place, the religious police the Mutawa, who mission is to &quot;prevent vice and promote virtue&quot; is less active on the street. However, the real change will happen when Saudi will have citizens participation, where they will play an important role in running the state, when human rights abuses will stop and freedom of speech will be encouraged, women lives will not be governed by guardianship system.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Citizen partnership and gender equality will help Saudi Arabia to develop as a modern country

In a yet another historic, “game changer” move, Saudi Arabia has allowed its women citizens to enter the sports stadium. Women’s entry was banned in all stadiums but with this move, from the early next year i.e. 2018 women will attend sporting events in the city of Riyadh, Jeddah and the eastern city of Dammam. However, women must be accompanied by a male guardian according to the Wilaya or guardianship system. Under this system, every woman is subject to a legal male guardian, father, husband or son, whose permission is required for her to marry, get divorced, travel abroad, open a bank account, get employment, or undergo medical surgery. Image change is the need of the hour for Saudi rulers especially the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as it will help to show his skills of being a capable ruler to world leaders. × However, the pace at which the positive, gender friendly moves are happening is questionable. The State, in fact, is making alliances with women only for the purpose of fulfilling its interests - both internal and external. Alliance with women would help Saudi in externally change its position in the global scenario from a regressive to a forward-looking state. Women and their portrayal as veiled, unveiled, modern, westernise is often used to depict a distinct political identity and give a message globally. Image change is the need of the hour for Saudi rulers, especially the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as it will help to show his skills of being a capable ruler to world leaders. Its a crucial moment as Saudi needs global investments under its plan National Transformation Plan 2020 and “Saudi Vision 2030”- a plan for social and economic reform as the kingdom prepares for a post-oil era. A few weeks back, Saudi lifted the ban on women driving. Women will be able to drive from June 2018. However, internally, Saudi needs women in the workforce. Women earn more than half of college and graduate degrees but only comprise 20 per cent of the workforce. This move will encourage women to participate in the development of economy and families will not have to employ drivers which will save a lot of money as drivers will not be able to send money to their home countries which will strengthen the balance of payment. These gender friendly moves have nothing to do with women empowerment but are one of the means to strengthen and consolidate power in Saudi as cracking in the system has started. With the decrease in the oil prices, subsidies are being cut and sales tax is introduced. People have lived with cheap petrol, without taxes, and free water and electricity throughout in Saudi are now finding it difficult. Moreover, 70 per cent of the Saudi population is young and under thirty years. The real change will happen when Saudi will have citizens participation, where they will play an important role in running the state, when human rights abuses will stop and freedom of speech will be encouraged, women lives will not be governed by guardianship system. × Most of this young population are foreign educated thanks to various scholarship programmes run by the Saudi Government. They demand a more open society where both the sexes can mix freely. Means of entertainment are being encouraged as Saudi population spends huge amounts on holidays abroad. With the opening of the society, this money can be saved which will help the Saudi economy. Changes are taking place, the religious police the Mutawa, who mission is to "prevent vice and promote virtue" is less active on the street. However, the real change will happen when Saudi will have citizens participation, where they will play an important role in running the state, when human rights abuses will stop and freedom of speech will be encouraged, women lives will not be governed by guardianship system.

Saudi crown prince is not for women empowerment but image change

<p>In 1992, the enactment of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments by the Government provided for one-third representation of women at the village, district and block levels. This was a huge success and acted as a catalyst for transformative social change at the grassroots.</p>

<p>Thereafter, the women&rsquo;s reservation bill was first tabled in the Lok Sabha in 1996 which proposed to similarly reserve one-third seats in the national parliament and state assemblies for women. The reserved constituencies were to be chosen by a draw of lots and each constituency was to be reserved for women representatives once during every three general elections (15 years). There is also a provision for sub-reservation of one-third seats for SC and ST candidates within this quota.</p>

<p>The bill has had a long and turbulent history spanning two decades. Notable initial concerns related to the form of the bill (reservation of sub-categories) and the reluctance of elected representatives to relinquish power in a constituency which they had carefully nurtured, in case it came under the &lsquo;reserved&rsquo; category that term.</p>

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<h5>Large numbers of women go out to vote nowadays yet their own chances to be allotted tickets are quite low.</h5>
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<p>After thorough scrutiny and adjustments by parliamentary committees, the bill has been tabled more than once, but its passage has been repeatedly stalled. Shamefully, it was even torn up in parliament on one occasion. An underlying patriarchal bias which does not deem women as deserving or competent, combined with a reluctance of current representatives to share power with women has prevented it from seeing the light of day. Despite setbacks, the women&rsquo;s movement kept the pressure alive by organising public rallies, including a trans-India train journey to generate awareness for the bill. Their persistent efforts led to the bill being passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010. The bill now awaits tabling and passage in the Lok Sabha. Thereafter, it also needs ratification in at least half the state legislatures.</p>

<p>Almost all political leaders have expressed their verbal support for the bill. Its introduction is keenly awaited. The bill is very important, symbolically and practically. Foremost, it is a testimony to the sheer grit and perseverance of Indian women. The women&rsquo;s movement supporting this bill has been rock steady in its determination over a span of twenty long years to leave a richer legacy for women in the coming generations. Activists have faced several hurdles. Some of these stem from the very name itself.</p>

<p>&lsquo;Reservation&rsquo; is a misnomer as the bill is a fair attempt to have adequate parliamentary representation for fifty percent of the population in the country. In the absence of transparent or merit-based allocation of tickets by political parties, the bill seeks constitutional guarantees to ensure allotment of one-third tickets to women; they have to win the election to obtain the seat. Many self-respecting women have had to suffer the ignominy of being seen to be asking for favours when they are actually staking a claim to what is rightfully theirs in a democracy. With vision and foresight, these women advocate that increasing the number of women legislators would help many more gender issues to be highlighted and be resolved faster.</p>

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<h5>Women&#39;s Reservation Bill will put India in the forefront of the global movement towards achieving gender equality.</h5>
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<p>This bill, if passed, will put India in the forefront of the global movement towards achieving gender equality. What a refreshing change for a country which has had a dismal track record in areas like maternal mortality, gender equality indices, women&rsquo;s empowerment and so on! Despite making a name for itself in scientific, literary and other fields, the gender-related inequities and prevalence of social evils have always dragged down the image of the country.<br />
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link! India, though a signatory to gender rights treaties such as Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), has so far not held itself to the requisite international standards.</p>

<p>The advocacy surrounding this bill has brought about tremendous social change and awareness over the years among women. It has encouraged women to explore leadership avenues with greater interest and is pulling them out of the ingrained mindset that &lsquo;a woman&rsquo;s place is only in her home&#39; thus helping them realise their full potential. Women now feel confident about serving their country at the highest levels of decision-making.</p>

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<h5>With vision and foresight, these women advocate that increasing the number of women legislators would help many more gender issues to be highlighted and be resolved faster.</h5>
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<p>The need for the passage of this bill has also drawn civil society groups into the ambit of women&rsquo;s issues, a trend of collaborative partnerships that had begun with Jyoti&rsquo;s horrific gang rape in 2012. Today an all India national alliance for the passage of the women&rsquo;s reservation bill exists which started out with seven NGO&rsquo;s as &lsquo;founding mothers&rsquo; and now has hundreds of NGO&rsquo;s interlinked on this issue.</p>

<p>Passage of this bill would enable women to start reaping the rewards of their hard work. Currently, women perform over 70 per cent of the unpaid but critical work like producing food and nurturing families etc. but have little say in their own lives whether it be governance (a mere 11 per cent representation in the parliament), control over their own bodies and choices as well as ownership of property. Similarly, large numbers of women go out to vote nowadays yet their own chances to be allotted tickets are quite low.</p>

<p>An example of gender equality set at the highest levels would have high visibility and percolate down into the daily lives of the citizens. Social programmes run by the government would get a boost. As Swami Vivekananda put it, it would lead to &lsquo;uplift of women and awakening of the masses&rsquo;, which he deemed imperative for the country&rsquo;s progress.</p>

<p>The bill must be passed soon. This will ensure that women&rsquo;s long drawn struggle to find a place in the political sphere will gain momentum. We look forward to women forging ahead and scripting a new and more significant path for themselves and the country.</p>


With absolute majority in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, NDA government must not delay the Women's Reservation Bill

In 1992, the enactment of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments by the Government provided for one-third representation of women at the village, district and block levels. This was a huge success and acted as a catalyst for transformative social change at the grassroots. Thereafter, the women’s reservation bill was first tabled in the Lok Sabha in 1996 which proposed to similarly reserve one-third seats in the national parliament and state assemblies for women. The reserved constituencies were to be chosen by a draw of lots and each constituency was to be reserved for women representatives once during every three general elections (15 years). There is also a provision for sub-reservation of one-third seats for SC and ST candidates within this quota. The bill has had a long and turbulent history spanning two decades. Notable initial concerns related to the form of the bill (reservation of sub-categories) and the reluctance of elected representatives to relinquish power in a constituency which they had carefully nurtured, in case it came under the ‘reserved’ category that term. Large numbers of women go out to vote nowadays yet their own chances to be allotted tickets are quite low. × After thorough scrutiny and adjustments by parliamentary committees, the bill has been tabled more than once, but its passage has been repeatedly stalled. Shamefully, it was even torn up in parliament on one occasion. An underlying patriarchal bias which does not deem women as deserving or competent, combined with a reluctance of current representatives to share power with women has prevented it from seeing the light of day. Despite setbacks, the women’s movement kept the pressure alive by organising public rallies, including a trans-India train journey to generate awareness for the bill. Their persistent efforts led to the bill being passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010. The bill now awaits tabling and passage in the Lok Sabha. Thereafter, it also needs ratification in at least half the state legislatures. Almost all political leaders have expressed their verbal support for the bill. Its introduction is keenly awaited. The bill is very important, symbolically and practically. Foremost, it is a testimony to the sheer grit and perseverance of Indian women. The women’s movement supporting this bill has been rock steady in its determination over a span of twenty long years to leave a richer legacy for women in the coming generations. Activists have faced several hurdles. Some of these stem from the very name itself. ‘Reservation’ is a misnomer as the bill is a fair attempt to have adequate parliamentary representation for fifty percent of the population in the country. In the absence of transparent or merit-based allocation of tickets by political parties, the bill seeks constitutional guarantees to ensure allotment of one-third tickets to women; they have to win the election to obtain the seat. Many self-respecting women have had to suffer the ignominy of being seen to be asking for favours when they are actually staking a claim to what is rightfully theirs in a democracy. With vision and foresight, these women advocate that increasing the number of women legislators would help many more gender issues to be highlighted and be resolved faster. Women's Reservation Bill will put India in the forefront of the global movement towards achieving gender equality. × This bill, if passed, will put India in the forefront of the global movement towards achieving gender equality. What a refreshing change for a country which has had a dismal track record in areas like maternal mortality, gender equality indices, women’s empowerment and so on! Despite making a name for itself in scientific, literary and other fields, the gender-related inequities and prevalence of social evils have always dragged down the image of the country. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link! India, though a signatory to gender rights treaties such as Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), has so far not held itself to the requisite international standards. The advocacy surrounding this bill has brought about tremendous social change and awareness over the years among women. It has encouraged women to explore leadership avenues with greater interest and is pulling them out of the ingrained mindset that ‘a woman’s place is only in her home' thus helping them realise their full potential. Women now feel confident about serving their country at the highest levels of decision-making. With vision and foresight, these women advocate that increasing the number of women legislators would help many more gender issues to be highlighted and be resolved faster. × The need for the passage of this bill has also drawn civil society groups into the ambit of women’s issues, a trend of collaborative partnerships that had begun with Jyoti’s horrific gang rape in 2012. Today an all India national alliance for the passage of the women’s reservation bill exists which started out with seven NGO’s as ‘founding mothers’ and now has hundreds of NGO’s interlinked on this issue. Passage of this bill would enable women to start reaping the rewards of their hard work. Currently, women perform over 70 per cent of the unpaid but critical work like producing food and nurturing families etc. but have little say in their own lives whether it be governance (a mere 11 per cent representation in the parliament), control over their own bodies and choices as well as ownership of property. Similarly, large numbers of women go out to vote nowadays yet their own chances to be allotted tickets are quite low. An example of gender equality set at the highest levels would have high visibility and percolate down into the daily lives of the citizens. Social programmes run by the government would get a boost. As Swami Vivekananda put it, it would lead to ‘uplift of women and awakening of the masses’, which he deemed imperative for the country’s progress. The bill must be passed soon. This will ensure that women’s long drawn struggle to find a place in the political sphere will gain momentum. We look forward to women forging ahead and scripting a new and more significant path for themselves and the country.

Women's Reservation Bill: 21 years of dramatic journey

<p>Rahul Gandhi gave his second address in the US on Wednesday morning, making jobs the central focus of his talk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gandhi was speaking at Princeton University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The &quot;central question&quot;, he said, is how does India give its people jobs?&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">Also read: Rahul Gandhi, in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-in-us-makes-no-holds-barred-attack-on-pm-modi-20102" target="_blank">, makes no-holds-barred attack on PM Modi</a></p>

<p>He added that if India, as a modern country, is unable to give its people jobs, then it is difficult to give them vision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today,&quot; said Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gandhi added that &quot;unemployment is one of the major threats to the growth of the nation&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Central ques is how India gives its ppl jobs.If you,as a modern country,are unable to give them jobs,it&#39;s difficult to give them vision: RG</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910340979546243072">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Everyday nearly 30,000 new youngsters come into job market. 450 jobs are being provided today: Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in US <a href="https://t.co/m4zZ9fEMVT">pic.twitter.com/m4zZ9fEMVT</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910341275974619139">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He compared India with China, saying India was falling behind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We need to realise that China is moving ahead with tremendous power. And we have to work in accordance with that,&quot; said Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, &quot;China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;What does that vision look like? What kind of cooperation do we have between the two nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well. China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?: Rahul Gandhi</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910339294199533568">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What does that vision look like? What kind of coopn do we have b/w the 2 nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to: RG <a href="https://t.co/BdKXYOnLwL">pic.twitter.com/BdKXYOnLwL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910339518439608320">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He also talked about polarisation, saying it was one of India&#39;s central challenges.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">One of the the central challenges in India is the politics of polarisation: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in New Jersey. <a href="https://t.co/OhIXC9XUCz">pic.twitter.com/OhIXC9XUCz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910338840778248193">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>And added that not enough was being done for gender equality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Make-in-India programme, instead of targeting big business, should focus on promoting small businesses.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM Modi&#39;s Make-in-India programme instead of targeting large business should concentrate on promoting small businesses: Rahul Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/WP30LFu4yh">pic.twitter.com/WP30LFu4yh</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910337799722721280">September 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


'Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today,' said Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi gave his second address in the US on Wednesday morning, making jobs the central focus of his talk. Gandhi was speaking at Princeton University. The "central question", he said, is how does India give its people jobs? Also read: Rahul Gandhi, in US, makes no-holds-barred attack on PM Modi He added that if India, as a modern country, is unable to give its people jobs, then it is difficult to give them vision. "Everyday nearly 30,000 youngsters come into (the) job market. 450 jobs are being provided today," said Gandhi. Gandhi added that "unemployment is one of the major threats to the growth of the nation". Central ques is how India gives its ppl jobs.If you,as a modern country,are unable to give them jobs,it's difficult to give them vision: RG — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × Everyday nearly 30,000 new youngsters come into job market. 450 jobs are being provided today: Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in US pic.twitter.com/m4zZ9fEMVT — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × He compared India with China, saying India was falling behind. "We need to realise that China is moving ahead with tremendous power. And we have to work in accordance with that," said Gandhi. "We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well," he said. He added, "China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?" "What does that vision look like? What kind of cooperation do we have between the two nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to," he said. We have to compete with China and we are not doing that well. China has a very clear vision. Does India have a similar vision?: Rahul Gandhi — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × What does that vision look like? What kind of coopn do we have b/w the 2 nations? These are fundamental ques we are looking forward to: RG pic.twitter.com/BdKXYOnLwL — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × He also talked about polarisation, saying it was one of India's central challenges. One of the the central challenges in India is the politics of polarisation: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi at Princeton University in New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/OhIXC9XUCz — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 × And added that not enough was being done for gender equality. And he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make-in-India programme, instead of targeting big business, should focus on promoting small businesses. PM Modi's Make-in-India programme instead of targeting large business should concentrate on promoting small businesses: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/WP30LFu4yh — ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2017 ×

Rahul Gandhi in US: Central question is how does India give its people jobs??

<p>More than two weeks after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Indian government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against the practice of triple talaq, that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives with the utterance of word &#39;talaq&#39; (divorce), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government could not allow lives of Muslim women to be destroyed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is the responsibility of the government, and the people of the country, to give justice to Muslim women under the (India) Constitution,&quot; Indian daily DNA quoted him as saying. Modi was addressing a rally in Mahoba, a district in the impoverished Bundelkhand region of northern Uttar Pradesh state.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The debate should be between Muslims who want reforms and those who do not want reforms.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also requested the people not to politicise the issue. &nbsp;&quot;I request (the) people who participate in TV debates not to make women rights into Muslim-Hindu issue. Women&#39;s right is a development issue. Let&rsquo;s take proper measures to give equal rights to women as well.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in its affidavit filed on October 7, India&#39;s ministry of law and justice had referred to the constitutional principles such as gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries to drive home the point that the practice of triple talaq and polygamy needed to be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The law panel&#39;s move was significant as the Supreme Court had recently said it would prefer a wider debate, in public as well as in court, before taking a decision on the constitutional validity of &#39;triple talaq&#39;, which many complain is abused by Muslim men to arbitrarily divorce their wives.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from DNA)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian Prime Minister asked people to not to 'politicise and turn a women's rights issue it into a Hindu-Muslim issue'

More than two weeks after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Indian government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against the practice of triple talaq, that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives with the utterance of word 'talaq' (divorce), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government could not allow lives of Muslim women to be destroyed. "It is the responsibility of the government, and the people of the country, to give justice to Muslim women under the (India) Constitution," Indian daily DNA quoted him as saying. Modi was addressing a rally in Mahoba, a district in the impoverished Bundelkhand region of northern Uttar Pradesh state. "The debate should be between Muslims who want reforms and those who do not want reforms." Modi also requested the people not to politicise the issue. "I request (the) people who participate in TV debates not to make women rights into Muslim-Hindu issue. Women's right is a development issue. Let’s take proper measures to give equal rights to women as well." Earlier in its affidavit filed on October 7, India's ministry of law and justice had referred to the constitutional principles such as gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries to drive home the point that the practice of triple talaq and polygamy needed to be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court. The law panel's move was significant as the Supreme Court had recently said it would prefer a wider debate, in public as well as in court, before taking a decision on the constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', which many complain is abused by Muslim men to arbitrarily divorce their wives. (WION with inputs from DNA)

Triple talaq destroying lives of Muslim women, says Indian PM Narendra Modi?

<p>Last week, a night patrol team of Delhi Police received a call about a baby lying in a plastic bag under the Munirka flyover in the RK Puram locality of the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The policemen&nbsp;reached the spot, not far from the Munirka bus stop where a 23-year-old paramedical student was gangraped on the fateful night of December 16 in 2012. The incident had sent shockwaves across India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The baby was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by Somnath Paruthi, the station house officer (SHO) of the RK Puram police station and his team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The doctors at AIIMS told Paruthi&nbsp;that she was only two days old. Upon examination, they affirmed the baby girl was healthy with no injuries or infection.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Paruthi and his team bought her formula food, some warm clothes and made sure three of their women colleagues&nbsp;were on duty at the neo-natal intensive care unit. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Delhi police found her wrapped in a plastic bag under the Munrika flyover. She was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital and was declared healthy by doctors. The police named her &#39;Swadha&#39; or &#39;divine approval&#39;. (WION)</p>
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<p><strong>&#39;Divine approval&#39;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The chance spotting of the baby and her miraculous survival on a Delhi pavement prompted the Delhi police to name her &#39;Swadha&#39;, which means &#39;divine approval&#39; in Sanskrit. But in medico-legal parlance, Swadha is referred to as &quot;baby unknown&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even as the police have registered a case and are trying to trace the baby&#39;s family, the doctors and nurses looking after Swadha treat her as one of their own. The nurses dote on her, feeding her formula food with a vessel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We receive four to five cases of abandoned infants every year,&quot; says Vinod Paul, head of the pediatrics department at AIIMS.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re happy to look after them,&quot; he adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The western Indian state of Maharashtra has seen the highest number of cases of abandonment of newborn babies. A total of 1,093 cases were registered between 2011 and 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Preference for sons in many Indian families means that most of the abandoned newborns are girls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Official statistics reveal that a large number of orphaned children are waiting for homes. In 2015, only 3,011 such children were adopted by Indian parents, according to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, police are getting calls from couples hoping to adopt Swadha. AIIMS will subsequently hand over the baby to the child welfare committee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re the bridge between police and a home for Swadha,&quot; says Dr Paul.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Delhi Police are receiving calls from couples hoping to adopt the baby. She was found abandoned in a plastic bag

Last week, a night patrol team of Delhi Police received a call about a baby lying in a plastic bag under the Munirka flyover in the RK Puram locality of the city. The policemen reached the spot, not far from the Munirka bus stop where a 23-year-old paramedical student was gangraped on the fateful night of December 16 in 2012. The incident had sent shockwaves across India. The baby was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by Somnath Paruthi, the station house officer (SHO) of the RK Puram police station and his team. The doctors at AIIMS told Paruthi that she was only two days old. Upon examination, they affirmed the baby girl was healthy with no injuries or infection. Paruthi and his team bought her formula food, some warm clothes and made sure three of their women colleagues were on duty at the neo-natal intensive care unit. The Delhi police found her wrapped in a plastic bag under the Munrika flyover. She was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital and was declared healthy by doctors. The police named her 'Swadha' or 'divine approval'. (WION) × 'Divine approval' The chance spotting of the baby and her miraculous survival on a Delhi pavement prompted the Delhi police to name her 'Swadha', which means 'divine approval' in Sanskrit. But in medico-legal parlance, Swadha is referred to as "baby unknown". Even as the police have registered a case and are trying to trace the baby's family, the doctors and nurses looking after Swadha treat her as one of their own. The nurses dote on her, feeding her formula food with a vessel. "We receive four to five cases of abandoned infants every year," says Vinod Paul, head of the pediatrics department at AIIMS. "We're happy to look after them," he adds. The western Indian state of Maharashtra has seen the highest number of cases of abandonment of newborn babies. A total of 1,093 cases were registered between 2011 and 2015. Preference for sons in many Indian families means that most of the abandoned newborns are girls. Official statistics reveal that a large number of orphaned children are waiting for homes. In 2015, only 3,011 such children were adopted by Indian parents, according to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Meanwhile, police are getting calls from couples hoping to adopt Swadha. AIIMS will subsequently hand over the baby to the child welfare committee. "We're the bridge between police and a home for Swadha," says Dr Paul. (WION)

India: Abandoned baby girl in Delhi gets new lease of life

<p>At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on &#39;Advancement of Women&#39;, on Monday urged that it should be ensured&nbsp;that women are not&nbsp;treated as &#39;followers&#39; or merely &#39;beneficiaries&#39;, but as &#39;leaders&#39;, &#39;contributors&#39; and &#39;agents of change&#39;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where&nbsp;she highlighted the country&rsquo;s &quot;efforts towards achieving gender equality&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement also noted that the country&#39;s inclusive education policy guarantees that &quot;all girls have equal access to education&quot;, while the Employment Act guarantees that &quot;men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the&nbsp;board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite the the country&#39;s achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to &quot;achieve a&nbsp;world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights&quot;. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, &ldquo;which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country&#39;s history&rdquo;, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives&rsquo; Constitution.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind,&quot; the statement by the delegation reads.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)&nbsp;</p>


A Maldives delegation at UN General Assembly highlighted that women should be looked upon as 'agents of change'

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on 'Advancement of Women', on Monday urged that it should be ensured that women are not treated as 'followers' or merely 'beneficiaries', but as 'leaders', 'contributors' and 'agents of change'. The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where she highlighted the country’s "efforts towards achieving gender equality". “Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.” The statement also noted that the country's inclusive education policy guarantees that "all girls have equal access to education", while the Employment Act guarantees that "men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work". "The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting." Despite the the country's achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to "achieve a world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights". The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, “which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country's history”, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives’ Constitution. "Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind," the statement by the delegation reads. (WION)

Maldives highlights efforts to achieve gender equality at UN

Sweden is planning to fine listed companies which fail to allot 40 per cent of board seats to women, its government said.<br />
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The Scandinavian nation is trying to frame a law that will ensure increased representation of women in board committees.<br />
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Thirty two per cent of board seats are occupied by women in Sweden at the momnet.<br />
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If the law is approved, the government can fine companies ranging&nbsp;between 250,000 and five million kronor ($29,400-$590,000, 26,200-520,000 euros), depending on the company&#39;s size.<br />
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Sweden has been at the forefront of gender equality in both public and private workplaces. But there is a gender disparity in boardrooms across the country, although it fares much better than other European countries.<br />
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&quot;It&#39;s as much a question of competitiveness as of equality. Sweden has to be able to use all its skills,&quot; Industry Minister Makael Damberg told AFP.&nbsp;<br />
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The government is planning to implement the law by 2019.&nbsp;<br />
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Non-listed companies and firms that have less than&nbsp;250 employees and an annual worldwide turnover of less than 50 million euros will be exempted from the law.&nbsp;<br />
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(WION with inputs from AFP)

Listed companies have been to told to fill 40 per cent of their board seats with women, or else be fined

Sweden is planning to fine listed companies which fail to allot 40 per cent of board seats to women, its government said. The Scandinavian nation is trying to frame a law that will ensure increased representation of women in board committees. Thirty two per cent of board seats are occupied by women in Sweden at the momnet. If the law is approved, the government can fine companies ranging between 250,000 and five million kronor ($29,400-$590,000, 26,200-520,000 euros), depending on the company's size. Sweden has been at the forefront of gender equality in both public and private workplaces. But there is a gender disparity in boardrooms across the country, although it fares much better than other European countries. "It's as much a question of competitiveness as of equality. Sweden has to be able to use all its skills," Industry Minister Makael Damberg told AFP. The government is planning to implement the law by 2019. Non-listed companies and firms that have less than 250 employees and an annual worldwide turnover of less than 50 million euros will be exempted from the law. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Sweden plans to strengthen women's representation in boardrooms

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