In a historic move, lawmakers in Spain passed a transgender rights bill on Thursday permitting people above the age of 16 to change the gender on their ID card, legislation which has left the feminist movement and left-wing government of Spain divided.

The bill which received 188 votes in favour and 150 against as well as seven abstentions, will now go to the Senate, where if it remains unchanged, it will take the form of a law in weeks.

With this move, Spain will become one of the few countries in the world that permits transgender citizens to change their gender on the ID card with a simple declaration.&nbsp;

ALSO READ| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-divided-over-bill-that-allows-transgender-people-over-16-to-change-gender-in-id-545351">Spain divided over bill that allows transgender people over 16 to change gender in ID</a>

As per the draft bill, the procedure for changing the gender status on the national identity card of a person will be simplified, permitting people to simply file a request for a change on the basis of a simple statement.

After the request is submitted, the applicant needs to confirm the request three months later, after which it becomes valid.

However, the draft bill's text has ensued a bitter quarrel between LGBTQ equality campaigners and activists in the powerful feminist lobby of Spain.

The legislation regarding transgender rights is among the Podemos-held equality ministry's flagship projects. Podemos is Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist-led coalition's radical left-wing junior partner.&nbsp;

WATCH| Spain passes sexual, reproductive health law; abortion now free in public health clinics

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"At last this law depathologises trans lives and guarantees trans people's rights," Equality Minister Irene Montero stated while speaking in the parliament during debate on Wednesday.

"Trans women are women," the minister added, who has strongly advocated gender self-identification and has denounced any opposition as "transphobia".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

In a historic move, lawmakers in Spain passed a transgender rights bill on Thursday permitting people above the age of 16 to change the gender on their ID card, legislation which has left the feminist movement and left-wing government of Spain divided.

In a historic move, lawmakers in Spain passed a transgender rights bill on Thursday permitting people above the age of 16 to change the gender on their ID card, legislation which has left the feminist movement and left-wing government of Spain divided. The bill which received 188 votes in favour and 150 against as well as seven abstentions, will now go to the Senate, where if it remains unchanged, it will take the form of a law in weeks. With this move, Spain will become one of the few countries in the world that permits transgender citizens to change their gender on the ID card with a simple declaration. ALSO READ| Spain divided over bill that allows transgender people over 16 to change gender in ID As per the draft bill, the procedure for changing the gender status on the national identity card of a person will be simplified, permitting people to simply file a request for a change on the basis of a simple statement. After the request is submitted, the applicant needs to confirm the request three months later, after which it becomes valid. However, the draft bill's text has ensued a bitter quarrel between LGBTQ equality campaigners and activists in the powerful feminist lobby of Spain. The legislation regarding transgender rights is among the Podemos-held equality ministry's flagship projects. Podemos is Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist-led coalition's radical left-wing junior partner. WATCH| Spain passes sexual, reproductive health law; abortion now free in public health clinics "At last this law depathologises trans lives and guarantees trans people's rights," Equality Minister Irene Montero stated while speaking in the parliament during debate on Wednesday. "Trans women are women," the minister added, who has strongly advocated gender self-identification and has denounced any opposition as "transphobia". (With inputs from agencies)

Spain passes transgender rights bill, allowing people above 16 to change gender on ID

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin have long faced questions about their age and gender at a joint press conference at Auckland’s Government House.

Leaders of New Zealand and Finland hit back at reporter’s question on age and gender

Asserting that the Russian war on Ukraine is a “perfect example of toxic masculinity”, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Vladimir Putin&nbsp;would not have invaded Ukraine if he were a woman.

Terming the invasion as "crazy, macho", the UK prime minister called for "more women in positions of power".

Johnson's comments come during an interview with German media following the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau.

“If Putin was a woman, which he obviously isn’t, if he were, I really don’t think he would have embarked on a crazy, macho war of invasion and violence in the way that he has,” Johnson told broadcaster ZDF.

“If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it’s what he is doing in&nbsp;Ukraine.”

Johnson also said that G7 leaders "desperately" seek an end to the war in Ukraine and that there is "no deal available" currently.

He also described the summit as "incredible" as leaders "got closer and closer" to an agreement.

Johnson asserted that the West must support Ukraine militarily in order to get President Volodymyr Zelensky "in the best possible position" in negotiations with Russia "when talks eventually come".

Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to Russia’s attack on Ukraine which is going on for more than four months now.

On Monday, missiles struck a shopping mall with more than 1,000 people in the central city of Kremenchuk.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-has-become-a-terroristsays-zelensky-urges-un-to-expel-russia-492787" hreflang="en">Putin has become 'a terrorist,'says Zelensky, urges UN to expel Russia</a>

Incensed Zelensky accused Putin of becoming a “terrorist” and leading a “terrorist state”. He further urged Russia’s expulsion from the United Nations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-to-invite-finland-and-sweden-to-join-alliance-after-turkiye-lifts-objections-492760">Finland, Sweden set to become NATO members after Türkiye lifts objections</a>

During a virtual address to the UN security council, Zelensky urged the UN to establish an international tribunal to investigate “the actions of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil” and to hold the country accountable. “We need to act urgently to do everything to make Russia stop the killing spree,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Asserting that the Russian war on Ukraine is a “perfect example of toxic masculinity”, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he were a woman.

Asserting that the Russian war on Ukraine is a “perfect example of toxic masculinity”, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he were a woman. Terming the invasion as "crazy, macho", the UK prime minister called for "more women in positions of power". Johnson's comments come during an interview with German media following the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau. “If Putin was a woman, which he obviously isn’t, if he were, I really don’t think he would have embarked on a crazy, macho war of invasion and violence in the way that he has,” Johnson told broadcaster ZDF. “If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it’s what he is doing in Ukraine.” Johnson also said that G7 leaders "desperately" seek an end to the war in Ukraine and that there is "no deal available" currently. He also described the summit as "incredible" as leaders "got closer and closer" to an agreement. Johnson asserted that the West must support Ukraine militarily in order to get President Volodymyr Zelensky "in the best possible position" in negotiations with Russia "when talks eventually come". Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to Russia’s attack on Ukraine which is going on for more than four months now. On Monday, missiles struck a shopping mall with more than 1,000 people in the central city of Kremenchuk. Also read | Putin has become 'a terrorist,'says Zelensky, urges UN to expel Russia Incensed Zelensky accused Putin of becoming a “terrorist” and leading a “terrorist state”. He further urged Russia’s expulsion from the United Nations. Also read | Finland, Sweden set to become NATO members after Türkiye lifts objections During a virtual address to the UN security council, Zelensky urged the UN to establish an international tribunal to investigate “the actions of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil” and to hold the country accountable. “We need to act urgently to do everything to make Russia stop the killing spree,” he said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

If Putin was a woman, he wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine: UK PM Boris Johnson

Women worldwide are assigned more work than men. Women do more unpaid jobs than men. Women are paid 77 cents for every dollar given to men. This income inequality is called the gender pay gap. Every woman is a victim in this story. Listen in to Palki Sharma Upadhyay.

Gravitas Plus: Close the gender pay gap

A&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;judge on Friday blocked investigations into the parents of transgender minors, halting for the time being a controversial directive by the southern US state's governor.&nbsp;

"Victory," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;said on Twitter.&nbsp;

"A judge has blocked Gov. Greg Abbott and TexasDFPS's unlawful actions targeting essential medical care for transgender youth," it added, referring to the state's Department of Family and Protective Services.

Judge Amy Clark ruled Abbott's directive was unconstitutional, saying transgender minors and their parents would suffer "imminent and irreparable injury" if the directive was not halted, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-faces-flak-for-laughing-on-question-over-ukrainian-refugees-fate-461512">&nbsp;US Vice-President Kamala Harris faces flak for laughing on question over Ukrainian refugees’ fate</a>

Abbott issued the directive late last month to the DFPS to investigate instances of minors receiving gender-affirming medication and "sex change procedures," which he argued "constitute child abuse under existing&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;law."

Texas&nbsp;Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he would appeal the ruling on Friday.&nbsp;

"Democrat judge tries to halt legal and necessary investigations into those trying to abuse our kids through 'trans' surgeries and prescription drugs," he wrote on Twitter.

"I'm appealing. I'll win this fight to protect our&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;children."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-spy-agency-probes-sabotage-of-satellite-internet-during-russian-invasion-sources-461510">US spy agency probes sabotage of satellite internet during Russian invasion: Sources</a>

The ACLU and Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ rights organization, had already managed to suspend a probe into the parents of a 16-year-old transgender girl in early March, filing a lawsuit on behalf of the mother.&nbsp;

Shortly after Abbott's directive, the mother had been suspended by her employer, the DFPS, and visited by a state investigator who sought to learn whether her child was "currently transitioning from male to female,"&nbsp;court&nbsp;documents said.

US President Joe Biden has condemned Abbott for what he called a "cynical and dangerous campaign targeting transgender children and their parents."

Watch |&nbsp;UNSC Meet: Russia accuses US of backing bioweapons program

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Gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, much like participation by transgender athletes in sports competitions or the use of toilets according to their gender identity, is the subject of extensive debate in the United States, where many conservative states have moved to adopt restrictive regulations.

A Texas judge on Friday blocked investigations into the parents of transgender minors, halting for the time being a controversial directive by the southern US state's governor.

A Texas judge on Friday blocked investigations into the parents of transgender minors, halting for the time being a controversial directive by the southern US state's governor. "Victory," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Texas said on Twitter. "A judge has blocked Gov. Greg Abbott and TexasDFPS's unlawful actions targeting essential medical care for transgender youth," it added, referring to the state's Department of Family and Protective Services. Judge Amy Clark ruled Abbott's directive was unconstitutional, saying transgender minors and their parents would suffer "imminent and irreparable injury" if the directive was not halted, the Houston Chronicle reported. Also read | US Vice-President Kamala Harris faces flak for laughing on question over Ukrainian refugees’ fate Abbott issued the directive late last month to the DFPS to investigate instances of minors receiving gender-affirming medication and "sex change procedures," which he argued "constitute child abuse under existing Texas law." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he would appeal the ruling on Friday. "Democrat judge tries to halt legal and necessary investigations into those trying to abuse our kids through 'trans' surgeries and prescription drugs," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm appealing. I'll win this fight to protect our Texas children." Also read | US spy agency probes sabotage of satellite internet during Russian invasion: Sources The ACLU and Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ rights organization, had already managed to suspend a probe into the parents of a 16-year-old transgender girl in early March, filing a lawsuit on behalf of the mother. Shortly after Abbott's directive, the mother had been suspended by her employer, the DFPS, and visited by a state investigator who sought to learn whether her child was "currently transitioning from male to female," court documents said. US President Joe Biden has condemned Abbott for what he called a "cynical and dangerous campaign targeting transgender children and their parents." Watch | UNSC Meet: Russia accuses US of backing bioweapons program Gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, much like participation by transgender athletes in sports competitions or the use of toilets according to their gender identity, is the subject of extensive debate in the United States, where many conservative states have moved to adopt restrictive regulations.

Texas court suspends investigations of parents of transgender minors

A recent research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has revealed that women have experienced greater negative social and economic impacts of Covid than men. The ongoing pandemic possess a serious threat of reversing all the progress which has been made towards gender equality.

A massive gender gap was seen in employment and uncompensated labour. Globally, nearly 26 per cent of women reported a loss of work compared with 20 per cent of men in September 2021.&nbsp;

Not just this but women and girls were also more likely to drop out of school and more likely to report an increase in gender-based violence. Senior author Prof Emmanuela Gakidou, in a report by The Guardian, said, "This study provides the first comprehensive global evidence on gender disparities for a wide range of health-related, social and economic indicators throughout the pandemic."

“The evidence suggests that Covid-19 has tended to exacerbate previously existing social and economic disparities rather than create new inequalities."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anxiety-and-depression-cases-surged-by-over-25-due-to-covid-who-458266">Also read |&nbsp;Anxiety and depression cases surged by over 25% due to Covid: WHO</a>

As a part of the study, publicly available datasets were analysed from 193 countries. Surveys were taken from March 2020 to September 2021 on health and wellbeing during the pandemic.&nbsp;

It was then concluded that everywhere, women experienced higher rates of employment loss than men.&nbsp;

Dr Luisa Flor, the study’s co-lead author was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "Economic impacts have affected women more than men in some countries because they tend to be employed disproportionately in sectors harder-hit by Covid-19, such as the hospitality industry or as domestic workers."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally as Covid has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people.&nbsp;

During a scientific brief, the organisation revealed that there was a 25.6 per cent hike in cases of anxiety disorders all across the globe.&nbsp;

Here as well, women have been the worst affected.&nbsp;

There have been 374 million cases of anxiety disorders around the world in 2020. Out of these, nearly 76 million were new cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

A recent research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has revealed that women have experienced greater negative social and economic impacts of Covid than men.

A recent research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has revealed that women have experienced greater negative social and economic impacts of Covid than men. The ongoing pandemic possess a serious threat of reversing all the progress which has been made towards gender equality. A massive gender gap was seen in employment and uncompensated labour. Globally, nearly 26 per cent of women reported a loss of work compared with 20 per cent of men in September 2021. Not just this but women and girls were also more likely to drop out of school and more likely to report an increase in gender-based violence. Senior author Prof Emmanuela Gakidou, in a report by The Guardian, said, "This study provides the first comprehensive global evidence on gender disparities for a wide range of health-related, social and economic indicators throughout the pandemic." “The evidence suggests that Covid-19 has tended to exacerbate previously existing social and economic disparities rather than create new inequalities." Also read | Anxiety and depression cases surged by over 25% due to Covid: WHO As a part of the study, publicly available datasets were analysed from 193 countries. Surveys were taken from March 2020 to September 2021 on health and wellbeing during the pandemic. It was then concluded that everywhere, women experienced higher rates of employment loss than men. Dr Luisa Flor, the study’s co-lead author was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "Economic impacts have affected women more than men in some countries because they tend to be employed disproportionately in sectors harder-hit by Covid-19, such as the hospitality industry or as domestic workers." Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally as Covid has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people. During a scientific brief, the organisation revealed that there was a 25.6 per cent hike in cases of anxiety disorders all across the globe. Here as well, women have been the worst affected. There have been 374 million cases of anxiety disorders around the world in 2020. Out of these, nearly 76 million were new cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

This is how Covid could reverse all the progress made towards gender equality

People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from January&nbsp;1, putting the country at the forefront of Europe's gender self-identification movement.

Switzerland joins Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Norway as one of the few countries on the continent that allow a person to legally change gender without hormone therapy, medical diagnosis or further evaluation or bureaucratic steps.

Under the new rules written into Switzerland's civil code, anyone aged 16 and above who is not under legal guardianship will be able to adjust their gender and legal name by self-declaration at the civil registry office. Younger people and those under adult protection will require guardian consent.

This marks a change from the current set of regionally prescribed standards in Switzerland, which often require a certificate from a medical professional confirming an individual's transgender identity.

Some cantons - semi-autonomous regions in federal Switzerland - also require a person to undergo hormone treatment or anatomical transition in order to legally change gender, while, for a name change, proof could be required that the new name has already been unofficially in use for several years.

Switzerland, long known as socially conservative in the main, voted in September to legalise civil marriage.&nbsp;

With the new gender change rules, Switzerland joins just two dozen countries worldwide aiming to decouple gender choice from medical procedures.

While some other European nations including Denmark, Greece and France have removed the requirement of medical procedures, including sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or psychiatric evaluation, their rules require further steps or conditions.

People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from January 1, putting the country at the forefront of Europe's gender self-identification movement.

People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from January 1, putting the country at the forefront of Europe's gender self-identification movement. Switzerland joins Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Norway as one of the few countries on the continent that allow a person to legally change gender without hormone therapy, medical diagnosis or further evaluation or bureaucratic steps. Under the new rules written into Switzerland's civil code, anyone aged 16 and above who is not under legal guardianship will be able to adjust their gender and legal name by self-declaration at the civil registry office. Younger people and those under adult protection will require guardian consent. This marks a change from the current set of regionally prescribed standards in Switzerland, which often require a certificate from a medical professional confirming an individual's transgender identity. Some cantons - semi-autonomous regions in federal Switzerland - also require a person to undergo hormone treatment or anatomical transition in order to legally change gender, while, for a name change, proof could be required that the new name has already been unofficially in use for several years. Switzerland, long known as socially conservative in the main, voted in September to legalise civil marriage. With the new gender change rules, Switzerland joins just two dozen countries worldwide aiming to decouple gender choice from medical procedures. While some other European nations including Denmark, Greece and France have removed the requirement of medical procedures, including sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or psychiatric evaluation, their rules require further steps or conditions.

Switzerland simplifies legal gender transition

2021 has been a year with lots of ups and downs. With the entire world trying to battle the deadly coronavirus, there are a few incidents that managed to divert people's attention.

2021 has been a year with lots of ups and downs. With the entire world trying to battle the deadly coronavirus, there are a few incidents that managed to divert people's attention. From making a major mistake on social media and listing baby on sale to using a real tiger at a gender reveal party. Here are few incidents from 2021 that surprised the netizens. Scroll below to see video and images. Back from dead? Woman who 'died' of coronavirus returns home after In January, people were surprised after an 85-year-old woman, who was thought to be ''dead'' by her family suddenly reappeared. The woman's family was told that she had passed away due to the deadly coronavirus. The hospital further told the family that she had been buried. However, after nine days, she reappeared. It was then concluded that there was a mix-up over names leading to confusion. Already scared on the roller coaster ride, teenager collides with a seagull Roller coaster rides can be extremely scary. The high speed and height can frighten any person. In a terrifying incident in July this year, a teenager who was screaming while sitting on a roller coaster was scared to death after a seagull landed on her chest. Frightening the netizens, the video of the incident went viral. Kiley Holman was celebrating her friend's 14th birthday on the SpringShot ride at Morey's Piers on the Jersey Shore when she was surprised by an unexpected visitor. WATCH: Seagull hits teen in the face as she rides roller coaster. https://t.co/WVytDiS3YW pic.twitter.com/cbVy2o1gLG — WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) July 22, 2021 × Tiger at a gender reveal party People in foreign countries follow a ritual of gender reveal parties. In such parties, the gender of an upcoming baby is revealed. People resort to many creative ways to do so. This couple from Dubai got way too creative when they used a real tiger to indicate the gender of their baby. Posted on Instagram, a video shows a tiger roaming on the beach next to the famed Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai. Around the tiger, there are a few balloons floating around. Curiously, the tiger makes a big leap, bursting a balloon that sends pink powder into the air, indicating that it is a girl. After the video went viral on the internet, the couple received a lot of criticism from the netizens. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carlotta (@carlotta.cavallari) × Man alive after surviving hours in a morgue freezer In a strange incident in November, a man managed to survive after spending a night in the morgue freezer. The man was declared dead after a road accident. At a private medical facility in Delhi, a doctor declared him dead upon arrival. After this, he was transported to a government hospital for a post-mortem. After being examined, there were no signs of life found. After the police were informed, his body was placed in the morgue freezer until his family arrived. It was only when one of his relatives noticed that he was moving, it was concluded that he is alive. A video went viral which show the relative saying, "He's not dead. How did this happen? Look, he's breathing." Here is the video. A 45-year-old man, who was declared 'dead' by doctors, was found alive despite spending a night in the freezer of a hospital morgue in #UP’s Moradabad#UttarPradesh #Moradabad pic.twitter.com/iLnTl6VWDi — Journalist Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) November 22, 2021 × Mom lists baby up for sale on Facebook by mistake Social media can sometimes be a tricky thing to understand. Few mistakes made online can never be taken back. In one such mistake, a young mom from Leeds listed her baby for sale accidentally on a local Facebook group. This happened when she was trying to put an image of her sofa for sale but instead, she somehow put an image of her son with a caption that said she needs it "gone today." She realised that she had uploaded the wrong image after people from all over Leeds commented on that post. Lucy, who is 20-years-old, had posted pictures of her brown sofa but she did not realise that she had also included a smiling image of his seven-months old baby boy Oscar. The incident left netizens in splits as the post gathered hilarious comments from the netizens. Vietnamese noodle seller summoned by police after this video went viral People were shocked after a noodle seller in Vietnam was called summoned by the police for a parody video of the very famous Salt Bae. Bui Tuan Lam shared a video where he can be seen imitating the chef. While it became a reason for laughter for many on the internet, Bui Tuan Lam had to face some serious consequences. However, it turned out that the incident had to do with much more than Salt Bae. Vietnam's Minister of Public had recently visited Salt Bae's restaurant in London. Post his visit, images of him having gold leaf encrusted steak went viral on social media. This steak costs USD 1960. When Bui Tuan Lam made this video it was seen as a way of mocking the minister. Here is the video which was shared. × Elderly man survives an attack by bear People were taken by surprise after there were reports of a 70-year-old hunter in France getting bitten by a bear. Animal's bite can be injurious and for a 70-year-old to be able to survive such an attack astonished many people. However, as per reports, arteries in the man's leg were severely damaged in the incident and he had to be transported to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Toulouse. In retaliation, the man managed to shoot the bear in the Seix region of Ariege, reported the officials. An investigation to analyse the circumstances of the accident is still ongoing.

From tiger at gender reveal party to a bear attack, here is a look at the top trending incidents of 2021

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern.&nbsp;The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights. The EU is determined and committed to continue to support the women and girls of Afghanistan and worldwide, sticking to our values and beliefs.&nbsp;

Together with human rights, freedom and democracy, equality represents one of the core values that make the European Union what it is. It enriches our societies and strengthens their resilience. Gender equality is a core part of peace, security, economic prosperity and sustainable development. Moreover, defending and promoting gender equality is required by the EU Treaties.&nbsp;

That is why working politically, operationally and financially to promote and safeguard progress on gender equality is a political priority and a key objective for the EU. The EU Gender Action Plan III and the new EU external action budget provide a roadmap for global action towards a gender-equal world. We work closely together with multilateral, regional and bilateral partners, including civil society organisations, to achieve those objectives. We still have a long way to go; there is no room for complacency. However, we are stronger together while many challenges remain.

In many countries, the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing gender inequalities across different areas: education, vocational training, health, security and safety, sexual and reproductive health and rights, decision-making, and economic opportunities.&nbsp;

The COVID-19 lockdowns have often seen an increase in gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, while women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services has been reduced. At the same time, a significant part of the care burden has fallen on women and girls. Workers in the informal economy and in low-skilled jobs (most of whom are women), migrants, and those belonging to minorities, have been more at risk and face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.&nbsp;

Moreover, school closures have exposed girls to an increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, child labour and forced marriage. The Malala Fund estimates that 20 million more girls risk dropping out of school, adding up to a total of 150 million girls – equivalent to a third of the EU population – without educational prospects.

According to a recent UN report, military spending in 2020 still outplaced the worldwide expenses on health, even in a year that was dominated by the corona pandemic. For a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to redouble our efforts to promote gender equality.&nbsp;

Now is the time to do more&nbsp;

This challenge requires a global response and needs to be tackled now, when we are building the future we wish for our children and grandchildren to grow up in a post-pandemic world that is more equal, more diverse, and where equal opportunities are a reality. We need to address the root causes of gender inequality and gender-based discrimination in order to achieve sustainable change.

The European Union and its members states, as well as the European financial institutions have stood with the women and girls of the world throughout the pandemic. As Team Europe, we have already mobilised €46 billion in support of over 130 partner countries, with a particular focus on women and youth.

Three examples as an illustration: In Nepal, we helped one million girls and boys continue their education through radio-based learning. In Togo, we supported the creation of a universal income scheme and the appointment of women to head new municipalities. Worldwide, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has helped 650,000 women and girls prevent or address violence against them, and educated 880,000 men and boys on positive masculinity, non-violent conflict resolution and parenting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Still, to meet the growing challenges, we need to do more and better. That is the purpose of the Gender Action Plan III. It promotes leadership and meaningful participation of women, girls and young people in political, economic, social and cultural life, as well as in all matters related to peace and security, worldwide.

We work to get human development back on track

We are now making this plan a reality with the help of the new €79.5 billion NDICI-Global Europe instrument that will support the EU’s external action for the next seven years.&nbsp;

Support for education and particularly girls’ education will have a central role. Just as we support education in emergencies, the EU has worked with partner countries throughout the pandemic to minimise its impact on learning and the well-being of children and to facilitate a safe return to school.&nbsp;

We already provide more than half of all global aid to education as Team Europe. But we will increase funding further, to promote gender equality through quality education at all levels. Our joint €1.7 billion pledge to the Global Partnership for Education in July – to transform education for girls and boys in up to 90 countries and territories – is part of this new beginning.&nbsp;

We are multiplying our efforts across the board, from supporting women and girls’ education and economic opportunities to improving their access to sexual and reproductive health services. By 2025, 85% of all the EU’s new external actions, across all sectors, will contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment.

This is now being finalised with our partner countries based on close consultation with civil society organisations, women's rights activists and youth.&nbsp;

We need to put human development back on track and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, leaving no woman or girl behind.&nbsp;

It is crucial that we get it right.

This article was written on the occasion of International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, which falls on November 25.

Authored by: Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP of the European Commission; Jutta Urpilainen, EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, and EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development from 24 Member States.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) &nbsp;&nbsp;

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern. The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights.

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern. The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights. The EU is determined and committed to continue to support the women and girls of Afghanistan and worldwide, sticking to our values and beliefs. Together with human rights, freedom and democracy, equality represents one of the core values that make the European Union what it is. It enriches our societies and strengthens their resilience. Gender equality is a core part of peace, security, economic prosperity and sustainable development. Moreover, defending and promoting gender equality is required by the EU Treaties. That is why working politically, operationally and financially to promote and safeguard progress on gender equality is a political priority and a key objective for the EU. The EU Gender Action Plan III and the new EU external action budget provide a roadmap for global action towards a gender-equal world. We work closely together with multilateral, regional and bilateral partners, including civil society organisations, to achieve those objectives. We still have a long way to go; there is no room for complacency. However, we are stronger together while many challenges remain. In many countries, the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing gender inequalities across different areas: education, vocational training, health, security and safety, sexual and reproductive health and rights, decision-making, and economic opportunities. The COVID-19 lockdowns have often seen an increase in gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, while women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services has been reduced. At the same time, a significant part of the care burden has fallen on women and girls. Workers in the informal economy and in low-skilled jobs (most of whom are women), migrants, and those belonging to minorities, have been more at risk and face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Moreover, school closures have exposed girls to an increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, child labour and forced marriage. The Malala Fund estimates that 20 million more girls risk dropping out of school, adding up to a total of 150 million girls – equivalent to a third of the EU population – without educational prospects. According to a recent UN report, military spending in 2020 still outplaced the worldwide expenses on health, even in a year that was dominated by the corona pandemic. For a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to redouble our efforts to promote gender equality. Now is the time to do more This challenge requires a global response and needs to be tackled now, when we are building the future we wish for our children and grandchildren to grow up in a post-pandemic world that is more equal, more diverse, and where equal opportunities are a reality. We need to address the root causes of gender inequality and gender-based discrimination in order to achieve sustainable change. The European Union and its members states, as well as the European financial institutions have stood with the women and girls of the world throughout the pandemic. As Team Europe, we have already mobilised €46 billion in support of over 130 partner countries, with a particular focus on women and youth. Three examples as an illustration: In Nepal, we helped one million girls and boys continue their education through radio-based learning. In Togo, we supported the creation of a universal income scheme and the appointment of women to head new municipalities. Worldwide, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has helped 650,000 women and girls prevent or address violence against them, and educated 880,000 men and boys on positive masculinity, non-violent conflict resolution and parenting. Still, to meet the growing challenges, we need to do more and better. That is the purpose of the Gender Action Plan III. It promotes leadership and meaningful participation of women, girls and young people in political, economic, social and cultural life, as well as in all matters related to peace and security, worldwide. We work to get human development back on track We are now making this plan a reality with the help of the new €79.5 billion NDICI-Global Europe instrument that will support the EU’s external action for the next seven years. Support for education and particularly girls’ education will have a central role. Just as we support education in emergencies, the EU has worked with partner countries throughout the pandemic to minimise its impact on learning and the well-being of children and to facilitate a safe return to school. We already provide more than half of all global aid to education as Team Europe. But we will increase funding further, to promote gender equality through quality education at all levels. Our joint €1.7 billion pledge to the Global Partnership for Education in July – to transform education for girls and boys in up to 90 countries and territories – is part of this new beginning. We are multiplying our efforts across the board, from supporting women and girls’ education and economic opportunities to improving their access to sexual and reproductive health services. By 2025, 85% of all the EU’s new external actions, across all sectors, will contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment. This is now being finalised with our partner countries based on close consultation with civil society organisations, women's rights activists and youth. We need to put human development back on track and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, leaving no woman or girl behind. It is crucial that we get it right. This article was written on the occasion of International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, which falls on November 25. Authored by: Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP of the European Commission; Jutta Urpilainen, EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, and EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development from 24 Member States. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Putting gender equality first 

The United States has issued its first-ever passport offering a third gender designation, 'X' for those who identify as intersex.

US issues first-ever passport with 'X' gender marker

Deputy Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan Alison Davidian has called for gender equality for long-term development and lasting peace in the country.

In her recent article Davidian said that gender equality is crucial for future development, lasting peace, and for creating a vibrant economy in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-syria-terrorists-actively-entering-afghanistan-vladimir-putin-420560">Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin&nbsp;</a>

Davidian has criticized the Taliban's all-men caretaker cabinet, the abolishment of the ministry of women, and not allowing Afghan women to work and get out of homes without a male parent in some provinces.

She has promised that the UN women will remain committed to not only advocating the rights of women and said that they have to be heard directly, reported Khaama Press.

The deputy representative has also expressed concern about one per cent of the overseas development assistance being given to Afghan women.

She said that the women's civil societies and organizations must be supported and be given a bigger share from international assistance.

"Violence against women by their intimate partners increased around the world including Afghanistan after COVID-19.

UN Women will work with partners to ensure the services are given to Afghan women to prevent violence," said Davidian's article.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ghanis-ex-bodyguard-ready-to-give-proof-of-ex-president-fleeing-with-bags-of-cash-419575">Ghani's ex-bodyguard ready to give proof of ex-president fleeing with bags of cash</a>

She also expressed concern about the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as half of the population is in need of assistance and two-thirds of the people do not know where their next meal comes from.

She has suggested that the only way to overcome the ongoing situation in Afghanistan is through the full participation of women in all spheres of society.

The statements come as women are still not going to works except for teachers and doctors. Girls are also not allowed to attend secondary, high schools, and universities reported Khaama Press.

Deputy Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan Alison Davidian has called for gender equality for long-term development and lasting peace in the country. In her recent article Davidian said that gender equality is crucial for future development, lasting peace, and for creating a vibrant economy in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

Deputy Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan Alison Davidian has called for gender equality for long-term development and lasting peace in the country. In her recent article Davidian said that gender equality is crucial for future development, lasting peace, and for creating a vibrant economy in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press. Also Read | Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin Davidian has criticized the Taliban's all-men caretaker cabinet, the abolishment of the ministry of women, and not allowing Afghan women to work and get out of homes without a male parent in some provinces. She has promised that the UN women will remain committed to not only advocating the rights of women and said that they have to be heard directly, reported Khaama Press. The deputy representative has also expressed concern about one per cent of the overseas development assistance being given to Afghan women. She said that the women's civil societies and organizations must be supported and be given a bigger share from international assistance. "Violence against women by their intimate partners increased around the world including Afghanistan after COVID-19. UN Women will work with partners to ensure the services are given to Afghan women to prevent violence," said Davidian's article. Also Read | Ghani's ex-bodyguard ready to give proof of ex-president fleeing with bags of cash She also expressed concern about the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as half of the population is in need of assistance and two-thirds of the people do not know where their next meal comes from. She has suggested that the only way to overcome the ongoing situation in Afghanistan is through the full participation of women in all spheres of society. The statements come as women are still not going to works except for teachers and doctors. Girls are also not allowed to attend secondary, high schools, and universities reported Khaama Press.

UN calls for gender equality for long-term development of Afghanistan

As per a new research, a failure to ensure that women have equal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion over the past decade. Also, this could mean an additional loss of $500 billion by 2025 if governments continue to not take an action.

As per a new research, a failure to ensure that women have equal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion over the past decade. Also, this could mean an additional loss of $500 billion by 2025 if governments continue to not take an action. In 2020, governments in 32 countries, including India, Egypt and Nigeria, lost an estimated $126 billion in gross domestic product because women were unable to contribute to the digital economy. This highlights the digital gender gap, which is, the difference between the number of women and men who can access the internet. The report revealed that the digital gender gap cost $24 billion in lost tax revenues in 2020 This could have been invested in health, education and housing. The study, conducted by the World Wide Web Foundation and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), analysed 32 low and lower-middle-income countries, where the gender gap is often greatest. Also read | Capsule from 1765 containing air reveal facts about Antarctic ice It was concluded that a third of women were connected to the internet compared with almost half of men. The digital gender gap has barely improved since 2011 as it has dropped from 30.9 per cent to 30.4 per cent. Globally, men are 21 per cent more likely to be online than women, rising to 52 per cent in the least developed countries Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former executive director of UN Women and founder of the Umlambo Foundation was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "We will not achieve gender equality until we eliminate this digital gap that keeps so many women offline and away from the opportunities the internet provides.” Various factors contribute to this gap and prevent women from going online. This includes expensive handsets and data tariffs, social norms that discourage women and girls from being online, fears around privacy, safety, and security and a lack of money. Also read | Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies Catherine Adeya, director of research at the World Wide Web Foundation was quoted by The guardian saying, "As the internet becomes a more potent enabler for education, business, and community mobilisation, a failure to deliver access for all means failing to realise everyone’s potential to contribute.” Some governments have implemented specific policies to give women access to the internet. According to the A4AI’s 2020 Affordability report, more than 40 per cent of countries had no meaningful policies or programmes to expand women’s access to the internet.

Digital gender gap: Unequal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion

According to a new guideline, people can answer queries regarding their gender in Scotland’s 2022 census on the basis of how they identify themselves rather than as per the legal status, the body responsible for the survey has said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) issued guideline telling the people to answer the sex question according to how they self-identify and not on the basis of the details on their birth certificate or a gender recognition certificate, if they have. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Know how to stay happy and healthy in old age

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“If you are transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate. You do not need a gender recognition certificate (GRC),” it said. &nbsp;

“If you are non-binary or you are not sure how to answer, you could use the sex registered on your official documents, such as your passport,” it further said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-tools-as-cutlery-wild-cockatoos-extract-seeds-from-tropical-fruit-409990" hreflang="en">With tools as ‘cutlery’, wild cockatoos extract seeds from tropical fruit</a>

Without a formal legal process, a person’s sex can be altered on the passport. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the census also includes a voluntary question about transgender status or history for the first time, for those aged 16 or over. &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to a new guideline, people can answer queries regarding their gender in Scotland’s 2022 census on the basis of how they identify themselves rather than as per the legal status, the body responsible for the survey has said.

According to a new guideline, people can answer queries regarding their gender in Scotland’s 2022 census on the basis of how they identify themselves rather than as per the legal status, the body responsible for the survey has said. On Tuesday, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) issued guideline telling the people to answer the sex question according to how they self-identify and not on the basis of the details on their birth certificate or a gender recognition certificate, if they have. Watch: Know how to stay happy and healthy in old age × “If you are transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate. You do not need a gender recognition certificate (GRC),” it said. “If you are non-binary or you are not sure how to answer, you could use the sex registered on your official documents, such as your passport,” it further said. Also Read: With tools as ‘cutlery’, wild cockatoos extract seeds from tropical fruit Without a formal legal process, a person’s sex can be altered on the passport. Delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the census also includes a voluntary question about transgender status or history for the first time, for those aged 16 or over.

People can self-identify to answer gender queries in Scotland’s 2022 census

The ruling could not have been more clear.

One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome.

The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank.

Nothing has happened.

The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action.

FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings.

For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening.

“It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.”

Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory.

She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”

The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice.

Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations.

Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome.

She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court.

At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council.

Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal.

By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982.

At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight.

Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA.

After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective.

But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said.

Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25.

“If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.”

Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not.

Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.”

But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup.

The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS.

“Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA. The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome. The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank. Nothing has happened. The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action. FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings. For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening. “It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.” Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory. She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice. Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations. Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome. She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court. At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council. Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal. By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982. At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight. Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA. After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective. But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said. Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25. “If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.” Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not. Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.” But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup. The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS. “Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

A soccer official proved her discrimination case. No one was punished.

Marwa Alomari’s compassionate and patient style made her a popular English teacher, filling her classes in Irbid, Jordan, with eager students and her off hours with private tutoring.

A university graduate, she was paid up to $3,000 a month, far more than most fellow Jordanians.

But after she married an army officer and moved in with his family, he began to resent that she was paid more than he was. Even though she contributed to the household with both money and housework, he and his family discouraged her from working and the marriage nearly fell apart, she said.

“I became adamant that I wasn’t going to quit, but eventually I found no support and I just got tired and gave up,” said Alomari, 35. “I went back to cooking, cleaning, gossiping with women. And this wasn’t my ambition.”

Her story reflects what is happening across Jordan — a small Arab monarchy that has been a steadfast ally of Western countries — where women’s status in terms of labor force participation, health and politics has been regressing for years, even lagging behind more conservative countries in the region.

For the past 10 years, the country has sat near the bottom of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, which tracks gaps between women and men in employment, education, health and politics.

After big gains over the past three decades, more women than men in the country now graduate from university, and women also have higher literacy rates.

Despite that, 86% of women in the country are absent from the workforce, according to government figures and the latest Global Gender Gap Report. That is the highest rate in the world for a country not at war, according to the World Bank.

In contrast, Western Europe has moved the most toward gender parity and is continuing in that direction, followed by North America.

And the effects are felt far beyond economics.

“As long as women are absent from the labor market, they are absent from the public sphere,” said Asma Khader, the president of the nonprofit group Sisterhood is Global Institute in Jordan. “Top officials are afraid to impose decisions favoring women, because society is conservative. But I believe when there is real economic reform, women will become empowered and make demands.”

With its close ties to the West, an outspoken queen, and female members of parliament and police officers, Jordan has long had the image of a relatively progressive kingdom in a conservative neighborhood. But recently, some Gulf neighbors have seen an increasing number of female-led startups and changes in employment legislation that have led to growing opportunities for women.

In Jordan, the head of the household is usually defined as the husband, unless he is dead, missing or has lost his citizenship. This gives him sole guardianship over children, with authority over matters such as travel, citizenship and opening bank accounts. In Saudi Arabia, though, recent amendments allowed women to also be considered a “head of household,” at least in theory.

Traditional attitudes, discriminatory legislation, a lack of access to public transportation and pay disparities are hindering women’s advancement in Jordan.

Elections for the country’s 130-seat parliament in November were a testament to women’s shrinking role. Voter turnout was low, and female candidates lost starkly. Women did not take a single seat beyond the quota of 15 female legislators, compared with 20 in the previous parliament.

Sara Ababneh, an assistant professor of politics and international relations at the University of Jordan, said the problem went beyond elections.

“Sometimes we talk about women’s representation — we say that there should be more women ministers,” she said. “But we never talk about overall rights and real political empowerment.”

Recent World Bank research found that men in Jordan are paid as much as 40% more than women are for the same job in the private sector. In the public sector, the gap is 28%.

The disparity in employment — 53% of men are in the labor force compared with 14% of women — is nearly double that of nearby countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Traditional roles in Jordan are enshrined in laws that differentiate between women’s and men’s rights and responsibilities. There is no law prohibiting gender discrimination in the workplace. And while the country's constitution provides that “every worker shall receive wages commensurate with the quantity and quality of his work,” there is no right to equal pay for women and men.

For Muslims, who make up most of Jordan’s population of nearly 11 million, matters of marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance are governed by Shariah, or Islamic law, and adjudicated in Shariah courts rather than civil or military courts. Under Shariah law, for example, women can inherit property, but daughters receive half as much as sons.

And during the Arab Spring a decade ago, many women and human rights activists assailed a parliamentary committee for breaking its promise to include the word gender in the constitution’s Article 6, which is supposed to guarantee the equality of all Jordanians. It states, “There shall be no discrimination between Jordanians with regard to their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.”

Despite the obstacles, some women have managed to succeed professionally.

Jamileh Shetewi is by all accounts an exception among Jordanian women. She grew up in a one-room mud-walled home with her eight siblings and parents, and spent her childhood days picking tomatoes, eggplants and bananas in hot and shadeless farms with her four sisters.

The odds were stacked against her. She dropped out of school at age 17 and married at 18. As a young farmer from 1997 to 2002, she was paid $3 a day less than the men she worked alongside, and she had to cook for them on top of her job.

She decided to go back to school, and went on to earn a doctorate in archaeology. Today she heads the Department of Antiquities for the Jordan Valley region.

“Yes, I defied all expectations,” said Shetewi, 50. “I fought and shattered the culture of shame.” But without changing laws and perceptions, she said, most women will not be able to advance.

“I didn’t care what people had to say, and I told my husband, ‘I need your support to make our lives better,’” she said. “We aren’t the enemy. Do you think a country can reform and prosper without half its population?”

Marwa Alomari’s compassionate and patient style made her a popular English teacher, filling her classes in Irbid, Jordan, with eager students and her off hours with private tutoring.

Marwa Alomari’s compassionate and patient style made her a popular English teacher, filling her classes in Irbid, Jordan, with eager students and her off hours with private tutoring. A university graduate, she was paid up to $3,000 a month, far more than most fellow Jordanians. But after she married an army officer and moved in with his family, he began to resent that she was paid more than he was. Even though she contributed to the household with both money and housework, he and his family discouraged her from working and the marriage nearly fell apart, she said. “I became adamant that I wasn’t going to quit, but eventually I found no support and I just got tired and gave up,” said Alomari, 35. “I went back to cooking, cleaning, gossiping with women. And this wasn’t my ambition.” Her story reflects what is happening across Jordan — a small Arab monarchy that has been a steadfast ally of Western countries — where women’s status in terms of labor force participation, health and politics has been regressing for years, even lagging behind more conservative countries in the region. For the past 10 years, the country has sat near the bottom of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, which tracks gaps between women and men in employment, education, health and politics. After big gains over the past three decades, more women than men in the country now graduate from university, and women also have higher literacy rates. Despite that, 86% of women in the country are absent from the workforce, according to government figures and the latest Global Gender Gap Report. That is the highest rate in the world for a country not at war, according to the World Bank. In contrast, Western Europe has moved the most toward gender parity and is continuing in that direction, followed by North America. And the effects are felt far beyond economics. “As long as women are absent from the labor market, they are absent from the public sphere,” said Asma Khader, the president of the nonprofit group Sisterhood is Global Institute in Jordan. “Top officials are afraid to impose decisions favoring women, because society is conservative. But I believe when there is real economic reform, women will become empowered and make demands.” With its close ties to the West, an outspoken queen, and female members of parliament and police officers, Jordan has long had the image of a relatively progressive kingdom in a conservative neighborhood. But recently, some Gulf neighbors have seen an increasing number of female-led startups and changes in employment legislation that have led to growing opportunities for women. In Jordan, the head of the household is usually defined as the husband, unless he is dead, missing or has lost his citizenship. This gives him sole guardianship over children, with authority over matters such as travel, citizenship and opening bank accounts. In Saudi Arabia, though, recent amendments allowed women to also be considered a “head of household,” at least in theory. Traditional attitudes, discriminatory legislation, a lack of access to public transportation and pay disparities are hindering women’s advancement in Jordan. Elections for the country’s 130-seat parliament in November were a testament to women’s shrinking role. Voter turnout was low, and female candidates lost starkly. Women did not take a single seat beyond the quota of 15 female legislators, compared with 20 in the previous parliament. Sara Ababneh, an assistant professor of politics and international relations at the University of Jordan, said the problem went beyond elections. “Sometimes we talk about women’s representation — we say that there should be more women ministers,” she said. “But we never talk about overall rights and real political empowerment.” Recent World Bank research found that men in Jordan are paid as much as 40% more than women are for the same job in the private sector. In the public sector, the gap is 28%. The disparity in employment — 53% of men are in the labor force compared with 14% of women — is nearly double that of nearby countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Traditional roles in Jordan are enshrined in laws that differentiate between women’s and men’s rights and responsibilities. There is no law prohibiting gender discrimination in the workplace. And while the country's constitution provides that “every worker shall receive wages commensurate with the quantity and quality of his work,” there is no right to equal pay for women and men. For Muslims, who make up most of Jordan’s population of nearly 11 million, matters of marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance are governed by Shariah, or Islamic law, and adjudicated in Shariah courts rather than civil or military courts. Under Shariah law, for example, women can inherit property, but daughters receive half as much as sons. And during the Arab Spring a decade ago, many women and human rights activists assailed a parliamentary committee for breaking its promise to include the word gender in the constitution’s Article 6, which is supposed to guarantee the equality of all Jordanians. It states, “There shall be no discrimination between Jordanians with regard to their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.” Despite the obstacles, some women have managed to succeed professionally. Jamileh Shetewi is by all accounts an exception among Jordanian women. She grew up in a one-room mud-walled home with her eight siblings and parents, and spent her childhood days picking tomatoes, eggplants and bananas in hot and shadeless farms with her four sisters. The odds were stacked against her. She dropped out of school at age 17 and married at 18. As a young farmer from 1997 to 2002, she was paid $3 a day less than the men she worked alongside, and she had to cook for them on top of her job. She decided to go back to school, and went on to earn a doctorate in archaeology. Today she heads the Department of Antiquities for the Jordan Valley region. “Yes, I defied all expectations,” said Shetewi, 50. “I fought and shattered the culture of shame.” But without changing laws and perceptions, she said, most women will not be able to advance. “I didn’t care what people had to say, and I told my husband, ‘I need your support to make our lives better,’” she said. “We aren’t the enemy. Do you think a country can reform and prosper without half its population?”

Gender gap persists in Jordan’s work force

It was a February day so overcast that noon looked like dusk, and Frances McDormand felt a little rattled. She told me this as we ambled down the main street of the small coastal town where she lives, a modest, hidden place so far from Hollywood that studio searchlights would have a hard time finding it. Still, someone had managed.

Earlier that day, the phone rang at McDormand’s house, and while she didn’t recognize the man on the other end, he certainly knew who &lt;em&gt;she &lt;/em&gt;was. When the caller told her he was watching “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” the 2017 movie in which she plays an avenging mother named Mildred, McDormand realized she was on the phone with a fan who had tracked down her unlisted landline.

“It was the first creepy call I’ve gotten in 16 years here,” she told me. Though she hung up right away, McDormand now wondered what she might have asked him: “OK, what part were you watching? The scene where I threw the Molotov cocktail at the police station?”

Maybe the fan had hoped to speak with righteous Mildred, who harangues priests and cops and hurls fire bombs in the pursuit of justice. Instead, he reached Frances McDormand, a 63-year-old woman who chats up everybody she comes across in her small town, doesn’t like to think of herself as famous, and has won two Oscars.

This is the tricky thing about how persuasively McDormand embodies her characters: You think you know&lt;em&gt; her&lt;/em&gt; because you’re certain you know them. Whether it’s kindhearted Marge from “Fargo,” tetchy Olive from “Olive Kitteridge,” or bohemian Jane in “Laurel Canyon,” McDormand specializes in playing women with worldviews. You can tell right away what they like and don’t like, who they would be friendly with and who they can’t stand.

Since she rarely grants interviews, most people only see the real McDormand blazing an iconoclastic streak through televised awards shows, where she is barefaced instead of Botoxed and once wore her own jean jacket in lieu of borrowed couture. (In Hollywood, this mild noncompliance is tantamount to a declaration of war.) McDormand is highly skeptical of any ceremony where actors are done up like glamorous gladiators, and when her husband, filmmaker Joel Coen, was once asked to produce the Oscars alongside his brother, Ethan, McDormand suggested they set the telecast at Coney Island, which would have forced Hollywood glitterati to mingle with the freak show.

That irreverence is McDormand’s most endearing trait: On the day we met, she ducked into a liquor store to satisfy her craving for Fritos — “You know they’re gooood, right?” she teased — and before we sat together on a concrete wall by the coastline, McDormand clambered on top of it and used the length of her splayed body to measure a pandemic-appropriate distance between us. She makes a concerted effort not to treat herself like a precious movie star in the hopes that you won’t, either.

That’s why she lives where she lives and why, as she perched on the wall opposite me in an olive puffer jacket, she asked me not to divulge the name of her town. That morning’s phone call aside, “I get to live my more authentic self here,” she said, “and I don’t have to pretend to be anybody else.”

She nodded toward the beach, where a handful of people cavorted with their dogs and surfboards. “I don’t mind being&lt;em&gt; their&lt;/em&gt; movie star,” she said. “I’m just not going to be yours.”

STILL, THE LINE BETWEEN McDORMAND and her characters will only grow blurrier with the release of her intimate new film, “Nomadland.” In this sunset-dappled drama from the director Chloé Zhao, McDormand plays Fern, a widow who packs her things into a van and joins up with a tribe of older itinerant workers to spend their golden years working odd jobs all across the American West.

“Nomadland” would eventually require more from this private star than she is used to giving, but when McDormand first met with Zhao in early 2018, she was mostly curious what the up-and-coming director would think of her: “I was like, ‘Man, I just want to be relevant. Do you think I’m relevant?’”

Perhaps that’s a surprising admission for a woman who was then on the verge of winning her second Oscar, for “Three Billboards,” but McDormand had just entered her 60s and worried that good opportunities could prove harder to find. Even before that, most of her best-known roles had required some hustle to obtain, which is part of the reason McDormand has lately become a producer, too.

“Our industry is such an ageist industry,” Zhao told me by phone. “Someone like Frances McDormand who is just so authentically herself, who has not tried to erase those lines on her face or cover that up to fit into the industry — to me, she’ll be relevant forever.”

And it was exactly that authentic self that intrigued Zhao. In her previous films, “The Rider” and “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” Zhao had cast nonprofessionals and built character arcs for them that were inspired by their actual experiences. “Nomadland,” based on a nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder, would offer her the same opportunity: Real nomads from Bruder’s book, like Linda May and Swankie, were enticed to play pivotal supporting roles in the film.

But since Zhao wanted those women to simply be themselves in front of the camera, she decided that for the sake of coherence, McDormand would need to play a version of herself, too. “It’s very interesting, the layers of it,” Zhao said. “Fran is playing Fern, but even the name ‘Fern’ came from herself and who she thinks she might be if she hit the road.”

In fact, McDormand had long harbored a fantasy of turning her back on Hollywood, changing her name, and setting off in an RV upon reaching her 60s. “Chloé tapped into the truth of it,” McDormand said, “which was at different points of my life, I’ve said to my husband, ‘I can’t take this anymore, I’m dropping out.’”

“Nomadland” let McDormand play out that dream and a few others. Many of the people McDormand interacts with in the film had no idea she was a famous actress — they figured she was just another nomad, and spoke to her like a normal person in exactly the way that she craves.

In some ways, all that verisimilitude could be grueling, too — McDormand was surprised at how exhausted she would feel after long days of simply being present in front of the camera, reacting to the stories real people unspooled. Zhao also asked McDormand to put in actual hours at Fern’s odd jobs, like harvesting beets in Nebraska or working at a warehouse in California.

But the result is a performance that McDormand has never given before, one that has less to do with acting and more to do with simply &lt;em&gt;being&lt;/em&gt;. As Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang wrote in his “Nomadland” review, “McDormand doesn’t disappear into Fern; she’s revealed by Fern, and Fern is revealed by her.”

That sort of ineffable, hard-to-pin-down portrait was exactly Zhao’s intention. “I like to think that we have captured a great performance,” she said, “but also, an essence of Fran as well.”

Still, the director and her star sometimes disagreed on just how much of that essence to use. Details both large and small have been pulled directly from McDormand’s real life: Fern proudly shows off a set of plates that McDormand’s father bought her as a college graduation gift, and Zhao cast one of the actress’s oldest friends as Fern’s sister so the recriminations they air in the film could have a real weight.

But when Zhao floated the idea of finding a role in the film for McDormand’s son, Pedro, or suggested that Fern’s dead spouse, glimpsed only in a photograph, should be played by McDormand’s actual husband, Joel Coen, her lead drew a line in the sand. “I have to believe that it’s not just a documentary of me,” McDormand said. “I did create a character, just like I’ve created myself in 63 years, too.”

FOR MOST OF HER LIFE, McDormand has been fascinated by the formula through which one concocts a self-image. How much does it have to do with authenticity, and to what extent is it constructed by playing pretend?

“I would say probably fifth grade is the first time I can remember, ‘Oh, I know what they think I am, and I’m going to subvert it,’” she told me.

What they knew about McDormand then was that she was the adopted daughter of Vernon McDormand, a minister for the Disciples of Christ. That sort of role in that sort of family required a certain amount of public respectability, but as she got older, and an English teacher at McDormand’s school in Monessen, Pennsylvania, asked her to read the role of Lady Macbeth in a workshop, she found herself thrilled to leave propriety at the door.

“That was the hook,” McDormand said. “It was the power of being a really shy, slightly suspect seventh-grader who could stand in front of a group of people and keep their attention.” She loved, too, that Shakespeare’s female characters were as power-hungry as the men: “It’s like I used to say to Joel, ‘Why don’t you guys write better roles for women? In fact, why don’t you just write a role for men and then let me play it?’”

She had married Coen not long after making her screen debut in the 1984 noir “Blood Simple,” which he directed with Ethan. Twelve years later, the Coen brothers would give McDormand her signature role, one that could only be played by a woman: Marge, the chirpy, pregnant police chief in “Fargo.”

That film made her famous, a condition that McDormand considered a fire to be stomped out: After hiring a publicist, she almost immediately instructed him to turn down most requests.

“I made a very conscious effort not to do press and publicity for 10 years in what other people would think would be a very dangerous moment in a female actor’s career, but it paid off for exactly the reasons I wanted it to,” she said. “It gave me a mystery back to who I was, and then in the roles I performed, I could take an audience to a place where someone who sold watches or perfume and magazines couldn’t.”

To her, “Nomadland” is the culmination of that effort to keep herself unspoiled in the public eye. “That’s why it works,” she said. “That’s why Chloé could bear to even think of doing this with me, because of what I’ve created for years not just as an actor, but in my personal life.”

We traipsed back through town, and as we walked up a hill covered in overgrowth and eucalyptus trees, McDormand drew one final line: “So I’m going to pass my house, and then I’m going to leave you,” she said. She asked if I had dinner plans, and directed me to a farm stand I could stop by on the way home. “They’ve got gorgeous little gems and some good old arugula,” she said, “but no eggs right now because the chickens are all cold.”

As McDormand offered me kindly advice while standing in front of a felled eucalyptus trunk, I could have sworn I was talking to Fern, who is so practical and self-reliant. It reminded me of a story she had told me earlier: Not long ago, for the drive-in premiere of “Nomadland” in Pasadena, California, McDormand had decided to pull the van from the film out of storage. She thought it would be fun to sit in during the screening, but when she came face to face with the car she had lovingly named “Vanguard,” McDormand found herself overcome.

She had considered that van “the interior life of Fern, and therefore me,” she said, and to see Vanguard dirty and filled with junk after two years apart was almost too much to bear. An hour and a half into their reunion, Coen found McDormand still scrubbing the car, dripping sweat, insisting that she needed just a little more time with Vanguard. “I’m cleaning her,” McDormand told him. “I can’t let her go!”

It isn’t easy to move on when you’ve made something that requires so much of you. Before we parted ways, I asked McDormand how she felt after making “Nomadland.” I thought she scoffed at me, but she was laughing at the very idea.

“Well, at what point?” she said. “&lt;em&gt;Is&lt;/em&gt; it afterwards? I don’t know!” Then she shoved her hands into the pockets of her puffer jacket and disappeared into the eucalyptus grove, taking Fern with her.

It was a February day so overcast that noon looked like dusk, and Frances McDormand felt a little rattled. She told me this as we ambled down the main street of the small coastal town where she lives, a modest, hidden place so far from Hollywood that studio searchlights would have a hard time finding it.

It was a February day so overcast that noon looked like dusk, and Frances McDormand felt a little rattled. She told me this as we ambled down the main street of the small coastal town where she lives, a modest, hidden place so far from Hollywood that studio searchlights would have a hard time finding it. Still, someone had managed. Earlier that day, the phone rang at McDormand’s house, and while she didn’t recognize the man on the other end, he certainly knew who she was. When the caller told her he was watching “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” the 2017 movie in which she plays an avenging mother named Mildred, McDormand realized she was on the phone with a fan who had tracked down her unlisted landline. “It was the first creepy call I’ve gotten in 16 years here,” she told me. Though she hung up right away, McDormand now wondered what she might have asked him: “OK, what part were you watching? The scene where I threw the Molotov cocktail at the police station?” Maybe the fan had hoped to speak with righteous Mildred, who harangues priests and cops and hurls fire bombs in the pursuit of justice. Instead, he reached Frances McDormand, a 63-year-old woman who chats up everybody she comes across in her small town, doesn’t like to think of herself as famous, and has won two Oscars. This is the tricky thing about how persuasively McDormand embodies her characters: You think you know her because you’re certain you know them. Whether it’s kindhearted Marge from “Fargo,” tetchy Olive from “Olive Kitteridge,” or bohemian Jane in “Laurel Canyon,” McDormand specializes in playing women with worldviews. You can tell right away what they like and don’t like, who they would be friendly with and who they can’t stand. Since she rarely grants interviews, most people only see the real McDormand blazing an iconoclastic streak through televised awards shows, where she is barefaced instead of Botoxed and once wore her own jean jacket in lieu of borrowed couture. (In Hollywood, this mild noncompliance is tantamount to a declaration of war.) McDormand is highly skeptical of any ceremony where actors are done up like glamorous gladiators, and when her husband, filmmaker Joel Coen, was once asked to produce the Oscars alongside his brother, Ethan, McDormand suggested they set the telecast at Coney Island, which would have forced Hollywood glitterati to mingle with the freak show. That irreverence is McDormand’s most endearing trait: On the day we met, she ducked into a liquor store to satisfy her craving for Fritos — “You know they’re gooood, right?” she teased — and before we sat together on a concrete wall by the coastline, McDormand clambered on top of it and used the length of her splayed body to measure a pandemic-appropriate distance between us. She makes a concerted effort not to treat herself like a precious movie star in the hopes that you won’t, either. That’s why she lives where she lives and why, as she perched on the wall opposite me in an olive puffer jacket, she asked me not to divulge the name of her town. That morning’s phone call aside, “I get to live my more authentic self here,” she said, “and I don’t have to pretend to be anybody else.” She nodded toward the beach, where a handful of people cavorted with their dogs and surfboards. “I don’t mind being their movie star,” she said. “I’m just not going to be yours.” STILL, THE LINE BETWEEN McDORMAND and her characters will only grow blurrier with the release of her intimate new film, “Nomadland.” In this sunset-dappled drama from the director Chloé Zhao, McDormand plays Fern, a widow who packs her things into a van and joins up with a tribe of older itinerant workers to spend their golden years working odd jobs all across the American West. “Nomadland” would eventually require more from this private star than she is used to giving, but when McDormand first met with Zhao in early 2018, she was mostly curious what the up-and-coming director would think of her: “I was like, ‘Man, I just want to be relevant. Do you think I’m relevant?’” Perhaps that’s a surprising admission for a woman who was then on the verge of winning her second Oscar, for “Three Billboards,” but McDormand had just entered her 60s and worried that good opportunities could prove harder to find. Even before that, most of her best-known roles had required some hustle to obtain, which is part of the reason McDormand has lately become a producer, too. “Our industry is such an ageist industry,” Zhao told me by phone. “Someone like Frances McDormand who is just so authentically herself, who has not tried to erase those lines on her face or cover that up to fit into the industry — to me, she’ll be relevant forever.” And it was exactly that authentic self that intrigued Zhao. In her previous films, “The Rider” and “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” Zhao had cast nonprofessionals and built character arcs for them that were inspired by their actual experiences. “Nomadland,” based on a nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder, would offer her the same opportunity: Real nomads from Bruder’s book, like Linda May and Swankie, were enticed to play pivotal supporting roles in the film. But since Zhao wanted those women to simply be themselves in front of the camera, she decided that for the sake of coherence, McDormand would need to play a version of herself, too. “It’s very interesting, the layers of it,” Zhao said. “Fran is playing Fern, but even the name ‘Fern’ came from herself and who she thinks she might be if she hit the road.” In fact, McDormand had long harbored a fantasy of turning her back on Hollywood, changing her name, and setting off in an RV upon reaching her 60s. “Chloé tapped into the truth of it,” McDormand said, “which was at different points of my life, I’ve said to my husband, ‘I can’t take this anymore, I’m dropping out.’” “Nomadland” let McDormand play out that dream and a few others. Many of the people McDormand interacts with in the film had no idea she was a famous actress — they figured she was just another nomad, and spoke to her like a normal person in exactly the way that she craves. In some ways, all that verisimilitude could be grueling, too — McDormand was surprised at how exhausted she would feel after long days of simply being present in front of the camera, reacting to the stories real people unspooled. Zhao also asked McDormand to put in actual hours at Fern’s odd jobs, like harvesting beets in Nebraska or working at a warehouse in California. But the result is a performance that McDormand has never given before, one that has less to do with acting and more to do with simply being. As Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang wrote in his “Nomadland” review, “McDormand doesn’t disappear into Fern; she’s revealed by Fern, and Fern is revealed by her.” That sort of ineffable, hard-to-pin-down portrait was exactly Zhao’s intention. “I like to think that we have captured a great performance,” she said, “but also, an essence of Fran as well.” Still, the director and her star sometimes disagreed on just how much of that essence to use. Details both large and small have been pulled directly from McDormand’s real life: Fern proudly shows off a set of plates that McDormand’s father bought her as a college graduation gift, and Zhao cast one of the actress’s oldest friends as Fern’s sister so the recriminations they air in the film could have a real weight. But when Zhao floated the idea of finding a role in the film for McDormand’s son, Pedro, or suggested that Fern’s dead spouse, glimpsed only in a photograph, should be played by McDormand’s actual husband, Joel Coen, her lead drew a line in the sand. “I have to believe that it’s not just a documentary of me,” McDormand said. “I did create a character, just like I’ve created myself in 63 years, too.” FOR MOST OF HER LIFE, McDormand has been fascinated by the formula through which one concocts a self-image. How much does it have to do with authenticity, and to what extent is it constructed by playing pretend? “I would say probably fifth grade is the first time I can remember, ‘Oh, I know what they think I am, and I’m going to subvert it,’” she told me. What they knew about McDormand then was that she was the adopted daughter of Vernon McDormand, a minister for the Disciples of Christ. That sort of role in that sort of family required a certain amount of public respectability, but as she got older, and an English teacher at McDormand’s school in Monessen, Pennsylvania, asked her to read the role of Lady Macbeth in a workshop, she found herself thrilled to leave propriety at the door. “That was the hook,” McDormand said. “It was the power of being a really shy, slightly suspect seventh-grader who could stand in front of a group of people and keep their attention.” She loved, too, that Shakespeare’s female characters were as power-hungry as the men: “It’s like I used to say to Joel, ‘Why don’t you guys write better roles for women? In fact, why don’t you just write a role for men and then let me play it?’” She had married Coen not long after making her screen debut in the 1984 noir “Blood Simple,” which he directed with Ethan. Twelve years later, the Coen brothers would give McDormand her signature role, one that could only be played by a woman: Marge, the chirpy, pregnant police chief in “Fargo.” That film made her famous, a condition that McDormand considered a fire to be stomped out: After hiring a publicist, she almost immediately instructed him to turn down most requests. “I made a very conscious effort not to do press and publicity for 10 years in what other people would think would be a very dangerous moment in a female actor’s career, but it paid off for exactly the reasons I wanted it to,” she said. “It gave me a mystery back to who I was, and then in the roles I performed, I could take an audience to a place where someone who sold watches or perfume and magazines couldn’t.” To her, “Nomadland” is the culmination of that effort to keep herself unspoiled in the public eye. “That’s why it works,” she said. “That’s why Chloé could bear to even think of doing this with me, because of what I’ve created for years not just as an actor, but in my personal life.” We traipsed back through town, and as we walked up a hill covered in overgrowth and eucalyptus trees, McDormand drew one final line: “So I’m going to pass my house, and then I’m going to leave you,” she said. She asked if I had dinner plans, and directed me to a farm stand I could stop by on the way home. “They’ve got gorgeous little gems and some good old arugula,” she said, “but no eggs right now because the chickens are all cold.” As McDormand offered me kindly advice while standing in front of a felled eucalyptus trunk, I could have sworn I was talking to Fern, who is so practical and self-reliant. It reminded me of a story she had told me earlier: Not long ago, for the drive-in premiere of “Nomadland” in Pasadena, California, McDormand had decided to pull the van from the film out of storage. She thought it would be fun to sit in during the screening, but when she came face to face with the car she had lovingly named “Vanguard,” McDormand found herself overcome. She had considered that van “the interior life of Fern, and therefore me,” she said, and to see Vanguard dirty and filled with junk after two years apart was almost too much to bear. An hour and a half into their reunion, Coen found McDormand still scrubbing the car, dripping sweat, insisting that she needed just a little more time with Vanguard. “I’m cleaning her,” McDormand told him. “I can’t let her go!” It isn’t easy to move on when you’ve made something that requires so much of you. Before we parted ways, I asked McDormand how she felt after making “Nomadland.” I thought she scoffed at me, but she was laughing at the very idea. “Well, at what point?” she said. “Is it afterwards? I don’t know!” Then she shoved her hands into the pockets of her puffer jacket and disappeared into the eucalyptus grove, taking Fern with her.

What Frances McDormand would (and wouldn’t) give to 'Nomadland'

When questioned about crimes against women by wayward youth, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav once said, rather than condemning, that kids can commit mistakes.

On the other hand, our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi once said that we don’t ask our sons, when returning home at night, as to why they are late or where they have been, but daughters are grilled. These are two contrasting statements worth thinking about if we have to change the situation.

The brutality of the rape of our daughters&nbsp;Nirbhaya, Kathua and Hathras refuses to fade away from our minds. The pain is only deepening further with the number of cases increasing at an alarming rate and their brutality getting severe. &nbsp;

A heinous crime like rape is not only devastating to the victim but most damaging to the survivor as well as the community.&nbsp;

National Crimes Records Bureau 2019 data indicates India faces about 88 rapes every single day. The number is worrisome also because sexual abuse reported on minors and even infants is on the rise. &nbsp;

Even animals are not aggressive so the depraved human perpetrators need to be called devils and not insult animals. Rajasthan is in the top spot per lakh population with one of the highest reported numbers of rapes and sexual abuse.&nbsp;

The state administration cites ease of reporting to be one of the factors for the increased number of cases reported in comparison to states like Uttar Pradesh that recorded less reporting than previous years. &nbsp;

Number of reported crimes is not true portrayal of the problem as the conviction rate remains very low. Only 27 percent of cases got a conviction decree in the year 2018. Nearly three quarter of the total number of devils got away.

An important fact here is that the number of reported cases is just the tip of the iceberg, if we go by the findings of a study commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in the year 2007, one of the major findings is that 50 per cent of the abusers are persons known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility. &nbsp;

Moreover, politicisation of cases, threatening victims, blaming and shaming them and insensitive media coverage discourages rape survivors and victims' family to report the case.&nbsp;

Even with stringent laws, legal processes remain tedious and insensitive with advocates dealing with the abuse survivors as they interrogate criminals.&nbsp; 
Delay in justice and low conviction are dampeners for under-reporting or withdrawal from seeking justice.&nbsp;

Low social status of women and the caste dynamics clearly seems to favour the abusers and rape as a tool to re-establish their status by targetting vindictive actions on women. &nbsp;

Who can forget Bhanwari Devi’s case in Rajasthan about 25 years ago that lead to formulation of prevention against sexual harassment at workplace law.&nbsp;

Bhanwari Devi was 'taught a lesson' for preventing child marriage by the angry Gujjar community. Thus the crime of child marriage in the region also continued unabated. &nbsp;

The case stormed the nation but the caste dynamics strongly prevails and the unfortunate Harthras case not only reflects that we as a society have not changed a bit but the process also remains as complex as it was.&nbsp;

The discrimination faced by the victim's family is further fuelled by statements made by people in leadership and political positions. These statements often defend such acts by men and boys by blaming and shaming women for their quest for equality.

Kathua rape and murder of a minor led to nationwide protest and agitations eventually leading to formulation of stringent legislation. But even death penalty fails to curb the massive number of rapes in the country.&nbsp;

Harsh punishments like the death penalty also pose a risk of under-reporting if the abuser is from an influential family. The social construct and power dynamics are often in favour of supporting male members and influences the decisions hugely.&nbsp;

We really need to introspect deeply on where we as individuals and as a society are failing.&nbsp;

It is important to realise that the problem of abuse and rape is deep-rooted and relates closely to the status of women in society. Deteriorating child sex ratio, high percentage of girls dropping out of education, child marriage, teen pregnancies and more statistics that otherwise look comparatively benign tell a much greater story.

Evidently, all of these issues reflect a more serious situation among under-privileged scheduled tribes and castes, the communities that face high number of rapes and abuse.

Stringent legislation and its enforcement are no doubt the most important factors but it is equally important to assess how these laws are impacting the community. If so then legislations need to be re-visited in favour of safeguarding the survivors.&nbsp;

Hitting the issue early and at the right time is crucial, devising a robust sex education component in school education and sensitising our communities and particularly leaders to behave responsibly could have a long-lasting positive impact. &nbsp;

And not to forget that there are good examples from other countries that look at rape as the most heinous crime causing lifelong damage to a person. These countries have then worked effectively on penalties and solutions.

(The opinions expressed in this article are writers' own)

When questioned about crimes against women by wayward youth, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav once said, rather than condemning, that kids can commit mistakes.

When questioned about crimes against women by wayward youth, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav once said, rather than condemning, that kids can commit mistakes. On the other hand, our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi once said that we don’t ask our sons, when returning home at night, as to why they are late or where they have been, but daughters are grilled. These are two contrasting statements worth thinking about if we have to change the situation. The brutality of the rape of our daughters Nirbhaya, Kathua and Hathras refuses to fade away from our minds. The pain is only deepening further with the number of cases increasing at an alarming rate and their brutality getting severe. A heinous crime like rape is not only devastating to the victim but most damaging to the survivor as well as the community. National Crimes Records Bureau 2019 data indicates India faces about 88 rapes every single day. The number is worrisome also because sexual abuse reported on minors and even infants is on the rise. Even animals are not aggressive so the depraved human perpetrators need to be called devils and not insult animals. Rajasthan is in the top spot per lakh population with one of the highest reported numbers of rapes and sexual abuse. The state administration cites ease of reporting to be one of the factors for the increased number of cases reported in comparison to states like Uttar Pradesh that recorded less reporting than previous years. Number of reported crimes is not true portrayal of the problem as the conviction rate remains very low. Only 27 percent of cases got a conviction decree in the year 2018. Nearly three quarter of the total number of devils got away. An important fact here is that the number of reported cases is just the tip of the iceberg, if we go by the findings of a study commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in the year 2007, one of the major findings is that 50 per cent of the abusers are persons known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility. Moreover, politicisation of cases, threatening victims, blaming and shaming them and insensitive media coverage discourages rape survivors and victims' family to report the case. Even with stringent laws, legal processes remain tedious and insensitive with advocates dealing with the abuse survivors as they interrogate criminals. Delay in justice and low conviction are dampeners for under-reporting or withdrawal from seeking justice. Low social status of women and the caste dynamics clearly seems to favour the abusers and rape as a tool to re-establish their status by targetting vindictive actions on women. Who can forget Bhanwari Devi’s case in Rajasthan about 25 years ago that lead to formulation of prevention against sexual harassment at workplace law. Bhanwari Devi was 'taught a lesson' for preventing child marriage by the angry Gujjar community. Thus the crime of child marriage in the region also continued unabated. The case stormed the nation but the caste dynamics strongly prevails and the unfortunate Harthras case not only reflects that we as a society have not changed a bit but the process also remains as complex as it was. The discrimination faced by the victim's family is further fuelled by statements made by people in leadership and political positions. These statements often defend such acts by men and boys by blaming and shaming women for their quest for equality. Kathua rape and murder of a minor led to nationwide protest and agitations eventually leading to formulation of stringent legislation. But even death penalty fails to curb the massive number of rapes in the country. Harsh punishments like the death penalty also pose a risk of under-reporting if the abuser is from an influential family. The social construct and power dynamics are often in favour of supporting male members and influences the decisions hugely. We really need to introspect deeply on where we as individuals and as a society are failing. It is important to realise that the problem of abuse and rape is deep-rooted and relates closely to the status of women in society. Deteriorating child sex ratio, high percentage of girls dropping out of education, child marriage, teen pregnancies and more statistics that otherwise look comparatively benign tell a much greater story. Evidently, all of these issues reflect a more serious situation among under-privileged scheduled tribes and castes, the communities that face high number of rapes and abuse. Stringent legislation and its enforcement are no doubt the most important factors but it is equally important to assess how these laws are impacting the community. If so then legislations need to be re-visited in favour of safeguarding the survivors. Hitting the issue early and at the right time is crucial, devising a robust sex education component in school education and sensitising our communities and particularly leaders to behave responsibly could have a long-lasting positive impact. And not to forget that there are good examples from other countries that look at rape as the most heinous crime causing lifelong damage to a person. These countries have then worked effectively on penalties and solutions. (The opinions expressed in this article are writers' own)

Countering crimes against women effectively

In early 2020, Awa had just turned 15 years old when she heard that her marriage was being arranged. Escaping it seemed difficult, but Awa found the courage to defy her father’s decision. Her small village in Mali had a committee for the prevention of early marriage, and she took her case to them. This body of respected people presented Awa’s father with all the arguments against early marriage and managed to convince him. It is to help the cause of young girls like Awa that the European Union supports this committee and many other projects in this area around the world.

Our goal as EU is for everyone to have the same power to shape society and their own lives. We are putting it black on white in our third Gender Action Plan, adopted on 24 November calling for a gender-equal world. Now, due to the significant setback that COVID-19 has brought on the global work on equality and as we watch civil society organisations, including women’s and LGBTIQ organisations facing shrinking civic and democratic space, stepping up in building gender-equal world is more important than ever.

Awa’s story is similar to those of many girls around the world who manage to gain control over their lives and stand up to gender-based inequalities and discrimination. They have a voice, they drive change, and they have the European Union by their side to support. Because women’s rights are human rights and because gender equality is a non-negotiable value of the EU, a value which should be reflected in EU’s external action and in the design of all EU development programmes.

It is with EU support that Tufahah Amin, Aziza Al-Hassi and Amine Kashrouda developed an application for online education in Benghazi. And that the Gaziantep Women Platform was launched last year to help more women participate in Syria’s political process. It is in the framework of the EU supported Digital2Equal initiative for online platforms that 15,000 women in India will get training in hospitality skills and can improve their earnings.

The challenges to gender equality are as varied as the contexts in which they emerge and call for context-specific responses whether through multilateral fora, dialogues with partner countries to EU policy proposals or financing of concrete projects. Through our programmes on education, we aim to help more girls attend, learn and think of themselves as future drivers of change. We believe that education is also one of the most powerful ways of putting an end to isolation and abuse, for there is no exit option without economic self-sufficiency. We are embracing the notion of human security and integrating gender equality into our training programmes for EU crisis management operations, for example in the EUCAP Sahel Mali programme for internal security forces (EU Capacity Building Mission).&nbsp;

During the coronavirus pandemic the level of gender-based violence increased significantly and the EU partnered with the United Nations to offer shelters and helplines, and to give lifeline support to women’s grassroots organisations. The gender- and age-sensitive measures and mitigating the risks of gender-based violence are part of the DNA of our Team Europe global response to COVID-19. Yet beyond immediate action, we must remain aware of the challenges facing women in a shrinking labour market and shifting global economy. &nbsp;But challenges also bring opportunities. We celebrate the fact that women and girls are increasingly taking part in shaping global transformations, with new generations active in grassroots movements for a green and just transition, equal rights for all, democracy, and for peaceful and inclusive societies. Positive change is possible and the post-COVID-19 recovery must be an opportunity to address structural inequalities and build more inclusive societies. Underscoring women’s role in the green and digital transitions ahead is key.

Change is still needed. This year it is 25 years since the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights and 20 years since UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security were adopted. While progress has been achieved since, not a single country in the world is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. Not even Europe, as revealed by the European Institute for Gender Equality´s recent update of the gender equality index. Too many women still do not have access to resources, essential social services and equal power. The call for more action is therefore immediate.

The EU’s Gender Action Plan is not a paper exercise. It is a call for action, with concrete measures. &nbsp;We want to empower more women and girls, in all their diversity, to be economic, political, or environmental actors and leaders. We want to continue integrating Women, Peace and Security in the broader gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda. We want to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights and make gender-responsive leadership the norm in the EU institutions, leading by example. &nbsp;

We believe that gender equality deserves to be put at the heart of European policies. Not only because a gender-equal, fair and inclusive world means a more prosperous and safer world for all of us, but because we see gender equality is an objective in its own right and a mission for Europe, at home and abroad.&nbsp;

(Josep Borrell is High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Jutta Urpilainen is EU Commissioner for International Partnerships. The joint OpEd has been written exclusively for WION.)

In early 2020, Awa had just turned 15 years old when she heard that her marriage was being arranged. Escaping it seemed difficult, but Awa found the courage to defy her father’s decision.

In early 2020, Awa had just turned 15 years old when she heard that her marriage was being arranged. Escaping it seemed difficult, but Awa found the courage to defy her father’s decision. Her small village in Mali had a committee for the prevention of early marriage, and she took her case to them. This body of respected people presented Awa’s father with all the arguments against early marriage and managed to convince him. It is to help the cause of young girls like Awa that the European Union supports this committee and many other projects in this area around the world. Our goal as EU is for everyone to have the same power to shape society and their own lives. We are putting it black on white in our third Gender Action Plan, adopted on 24 November calling for a gender-equal world. Now, due to the significant setback that COVID-19 has brought on the global work on equality and as we watch civil society organisations, including women’s and LGBTIQ organisations facing shrinking civic and democratic space, stepping up in building gender-equal world is more important than ever. Awa’s story is similar to those of many girls around the world who manage to gain control over their lives and stand up to gender-based inequalities and discrimination. They have a voice, they drive change, and they have the European Union by their side to support. Because women’s rights are human rights and because gender equality is a non-negotiable value of the EU, a value which should be reflected in EU’s external action and in the design of all EU development programmes. It is with EU support that Tufahah Amin, Aziza Al-Hassi and Amine Kashrouda developed an application for online education in Benghazi. And that the Gaziantep Women Platform was launched last year to help more women participate in Syria’s political process. It is in the framework of the EU supported Digital2Equal initiative for online platforms that 15,000 women in India will get training in hospitality skills and can improve their earnings. The challenges to gender equality are as varied as the contexts in which they emerge and call for context-specific responses whether through multilateral fora, dialogues with partner countries to EU policy proposals or financing of concrete projects. Through our programmes on education, we aim to help more girls attend, learn and think of themselves as future drivers of change. We believe that education is also one of the most powerful ways of putting an end to isolation and abuse, for there is no exit option without economic self-sufficiency. We are embracing the notion of human security and integrating gender equality into our training programmes for EU crisis management operations, for example in the EUCAP Sahel Mali programme for internal security forces (EU Capacity Building Mission). During the coronavirus pandemic the level of gender-based violence increased significantly and the EU partnered with the United Nations to offer shelters and helplines, and to give lifeline support to women’s grassroots organisations. The gender- and age-sensitive measures and mitigating the risks of gender-based violence are part of the DNA of our Team Europe global response to COVID-19. Yet beyond immediate action, we must remain aware of the challenges facing women in a shrinking labour market and shifting global economy. But challenges also bring opportunities. We celebrate the fact that women and girls are increasingly taking part in shaping global transformations, with new generations active in grassroots movements for a green and just transition, equal rights for all, democracy, and for peaceful and inclusive societies. Positive change is possible and the post-COVID-19 recovery must be an opportunity to address structural inequalities and build more inclusive societies. Underscoring women’s role in the green and digital transitions ahead is key. Change is still needed. This year it is 25 years since the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights and 20 years since UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security were adopted. While progress has been achieved since, not a single country in the world is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. Not even Europe, as revealed by the European Institute for Gender Equality´s recent update of the gender equality index. Too many women still do not have access to resources, essential social services and equal power. The call for more action is therefore immediate. The EU’s Gender Action Plan is not a paper exercise. It is a call for action, with concrete measures. We want to empower more women and girls, in all their diversity, to be economic, political, or environmental actors and leaders. We want to continue integrating Women, Peace and Security in the broader gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda. We want to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights and make gender-responsive leadership the norm in the EU institutions, leading by example. We believe that gender equality deserves to be put at the heart of European policies. Not only because a gender-equal, fair and inclusive world means a more prosperous and safer world for all of us, but because we see gender equality is an objective in its own right and a mission for Europe, at home and abroad. (Josep Borrell is High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Jutta Urpilainen is EU Commissioner for International Partnerships. The joint OpEd has been written exclusively for WION.)

Towards a gender-equal world: A mission for all

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No&nbsp;1.

Polgar, the only woman to ever be ranked in the Top 10 or to play for the overall world championship, retired from competitive chess in 2014. Watching the series, which she described as an “incredible performance,” gave her a sense of déjà vu, particularly in the later episodes.

But there was one respect in which she could not identify with Beth’s experience: how the male competitors treated her.

“They were too nice to her,” Polgar said. When Polgar was proving herself and rising in the world rankings, the men often made disparaging comments about her ability and sometimes jokes, which they thought were funny but were actually hurtful, she said.

And no one ever resigned to her, as Shapkin did to Beth in Episode 7 by gallantly holding her hand near his lips.

“There were opponents who refused to shake hands,” she recalled. “There was one who hit his head on the board after he lost.”

Not every woman has had negative experiences. Irina Krush, who won her eighth US&nbsp;Women’s Championship last month, said she felt as if the chess community and men in particular were supportive of her when she was an up-and-coming player. She said of the series, “The spirit of what they are showing conforms to my experience.”

Whether what happens to Beth is typical or not, the popularity of 'The Queen’s Gambit' has inspired anew a debate about inequality and sexism in chess and what, if anything, can be done about them.

Though chess would seem like one area where men and women should be able to compete on equal footing, historically, few women have been able to do so. Among the more than 1,700 regular grandmasters worldwide, only 37, including Polgar and Krush, are women. Currently, only one woman, Hou Yifan of China, ranks in the Top 100, at No&nbsp;88, and she has been playing infrequently, even before the pandemic.

The superiority of men in the game is so well established that the best female players have freely acknowledged it. In a recent issue of Mint, in an article titled 'Why Women Lose at Chess,' Koneru Humpy, an Indian player currently ranked No&nbsp;3 among women, said men are just better players. “It’s proven,” she said. “You have to accept it.”

The dearth of women at the top of the game is one reason that there are separate tournaments for women, including a world championship; the World Chess Federation even created titles for women, such as women grandmaster.

Having such institutionalized, second-class status might seem like a bad idea, but not according to Anastasiya Karlovich, a grandmaster who was the press officer for the World Chess Federation for several years. She said the women’s titles permit more female players to earn a living as professionals, thereby increasing their participation in the game.

Karlovich said the Netflix show has helped her indirectly: It has made the parents of her chess students look at her differently.

“They have more respect for me. They understand better the life of a player,” she said.

While some men have speculated that the reason there are so few top female players is because they are not wired for it — Kasparov once said that it is not in their nature — women think the overriding reason is cultural expectations and bias.

Krush said the cultural cleaving between boys and girls happens at a young age. Scrolling through lists of the top players in the United States who are 7, 8 and 9, Krush pointed out that there are only a handful of girls in the Top 10.

That creates and reinforces another problem that discourages women’s participation: too few social contacts. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time U.S. women’s champion who has written two books about women in chess ('Chess Bitch' and 'Play Like a Girl!') and is the women’s program director at the US Chess Federation, said teenage girls tend to stop playing chess because there are so few of them and they want the social support. That Beth is a loner is likely an important reason she does not quit playing in tournaments.

Of 74,000 members in total, the US Chess Federation said it has about 10,500 female members. Shahade wants to increase that number, as well as their participation. To that end, she and the federation started an online chess club in April to keep female players engaged during the pandemic. In the last few weeks, there have been between 80 and 140 participants, with quite a few older players. The last meeting also had a special guest: Kasparov, who has become a big booster of women’s chess since his retirement from competition in 2005. He was also a consultant on the Netflix series.

To keep the momentum going, Shahade is launching a new online group called the “Madwoman’s Book Club.” The title refers to a pejorative name used for the queen in the 15th and 16th centuries after it became the most powerful piece on the board. The first meeting, this Friday, already has 100 people signed up.

The subject of the discussion should come as no surprise: 'The Queen’s Gambit'&nbsp;by Walter Tevis, the book on which the Netflix series is based. 
&nbsp;

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No 1.

Judit Polgar might be the one woman in the world who knows how Beth, the heroine of the hit Netflix series 'The Queen’s Gambit,' really feels. Like Beth, Polgar, who is from Hungary, stood out during her career because she regularly beat the world’s top players, including Garry Kasparov, in 2002, when he was ranked No 1. Polgar, the only woman to ever be ranked in the Top 10 or to play for the overall world championship, retired from competitive chess in 2014. Watching the series, which she described as an “incredible performance,” gave her a sense of déjà vu, particularly in the later episodes. But there was one respect in which she could not identify with Beth’s experience: how the male competitors treated her. “They were too nice to her,” Polgar said. When Polgar was proving herself and rising in the world rankings, the men often made disparaging comments about her ability and sometimes jokes, which they thought were funny but were actually hurtful, she said. And no one ever resigned to her, as Shapkin did to Beth in Episode 7 by gallantly holding her hand near his lips. “There were opponents who refused to shake hands,” she recalled. “There was one who hit his head on the board after he lost.” Not every woman has had negative experiences. Irina Krush, who won her eighth US Women’s Championship last month, said she felt as if the chess community and men in particular were supportive of her when she was an up-and-coming player. She said of the series, “The spirit of what they are showing conforms to my experience.” Whether what happens to Beth is typical or not, the popularity of 'The Queen’s Gambit' has inspired anew a debate about inequality and sexism in chess and what, if anything, can be done about them. Though chess would seem like one area where men and women should be able to compete on equal footing, historically, few women have been able to do so. Among the more than 1,700 regular grandmasters worldwide, only 37, including Polgar and Krush, are women. Currently, only one woman, Hou Yifan of China, ranks in the Top 100, at No 88, and she has been playing infrequently, even before the pandemic. The superiority of men in the game is so well established that the best female players have freely acknowledged it. In a recent issue of Mint, in an article titled 'Why Women Lose at Chess,' Koneru Humpy, an Indian player currently ranked No 3 among women, said men are just better players. “It’s proven,” she said. “You have to accept it.” The dearth of women at the top of the game is one reason that there are separate tournaments for women, including a world championship; the World Chess Federation even created titles for women, such as women grandmaster. Having such institutionalized, second-class status might seem like a bad idea, but not according to Anastasiya Karlovich, a grandmaster who was the press officer for the World Chess Federation for several years. She said the women’s titles permit more female players to earn a living as professionals, thereby increasing their participation in the game. Karlovich said the Netflix show has helped her indirectly: It has made the parents of her chess students look at her differently. “They have more respect for me. They understand better the life of a player,” she said. While some men have speculated that the reason there are so few top female players is because they are not wired for it — Kasparov once said that it is not in their nature — women think the overriding reason is cultural expectations and bias. Krush said the cultural cleaving between boys and girls happens at a young age. Scrolling through lists of the top players in the United States who are 7, 8 and 9, Krush pointed out that there are only a handful of girls in the Top 10. That creates and reinforces another problem that discourages women’s participation: too few social contacts. Jennifer Shahade, a two-time U.S. women’s champion who has written two books about women in chess ('Chess Bitch' and 'Play Like a Girl!') and is the women’s program director at the US Chess Federation, said teenage girls tend to stop playing chess because there are so few of them and they want the social support. That Beth is a loner is likely an important reason she does not quit playing in tournaments. Of 74,000 members in total, the US Chess Federation said it has about 10,500 female members. Shahade wants to increase that number, as well as their participation. To that end, she and the federation started an online chess club in April to keep female players engaged during the pandemic. In the last few weeks, there have been between 80 and 140 participants, with quite a few older players. The last meeting also had a special guest: Kasparov, who has become a big booster of women’s chess since his retirement from competition in 2005. He was also a consultant on the Netflix series. To keep the momentum going, Shahade is launching a new online group called the “Madwoman’s Book Club.” The title refers to a pejorative name used for the queen in the 15th and 16th centuries after it became the most powerful piece on the board. The first meeting, this Friday, already has 100 people signed up. The subject of the discussion should come as no surprise: 'The Queen’s Gambit' by Walter Tevis, the book on which the Netflix series is based.

How 'The Queen's Gambit' started a new debate about sexism in chess

Mark Bryan is an American, but he currently lives in Germany and is a robotic engineer. He lives his life like every other person, except that he challenges gender stereotypes every day.

Mark Bryan is an American, but he currently lives in Germany and is a robotic engineer. He lives his life like every other person, except that he challenges gender stereotypes every day. Married for eleven years, Mark gets full support from his wife, and much often, she makes suggestions on what he should wear. Interestingly, Mark’s daughter sometimes wishes to borrow his shoes are they are really stunning and classic. In a conversation to WION, Mark emphasized that people should be comfortable in whatever clothes they want to wear. Binding styles into gender is a bit of injustice to people who want to enjoy styling without any limitation or questions on their sexual orientation. Here are the excerpts of the interview: WION: Tell us something about your family and your profession? MARK BRYAN: I’m a 61-year-old American living in Germany. I’m a mechanical engineer and I work for a Robotic Company. I’ve been married for eleven years. I have three children, they all live in states. View this post on Instagram Working these 5” heels. Sorry for taking so long since last upload. This was back in June. The way all of you followers have responded has blown me away. Thanks . @lostink.official @landsend @tagheuer @underarmour. A post shared by Mark Bryan (@markbryan911) on Oct 28, 2020 at 9:50am PDT × View this post on Instagram Decided to wear some boots today and a longer skirt. It’s not cold today, but very cool. Worked at home this morning and now going into the office to meet with my 2nd shift group. I am just a normal, happily married, straight guy that loves Porsche’s, beautiful women, and likes to incorporate a skirt and heels into his daily wardrobe. Clothes and shoes should have no gender. #meninskirts #markinhighheels #clotheshavenogender #maninheels #maninhighheels #socialdistancing #maninskirt #skirtsformen #heelsformen A post shared by Mark Bryan (@markbryan911) on Oct 1, 2020 at 3:13am PDT × WION: What inspired you to wear heels and a skirt? MARK BRYAN: I’ve been in the business corporate environment for almost 35 years and I’ve always had to wear a suit and a tie. It just got very boring, especially in the last 5 years. I’m wearing black, I’m wearing navy blue, I’m wearing brown, I’m wearing grey. Those were the only colour choices we have in suits and stuff and also we just have a pair of brown shoes and a pair of black shoes. It was the same thing every day for the last 35 years. It kind of clicked on me one time when I was out trying to buy a new pair of black shoes to wear at the office, I passed through the women department and I was like okay, there are some nice colours out there which look very interesting. I thought that okay, I think I’ll just start wearing high heels and started wearing little more colours and stuff like that. I started wearing high heels with pants, I wore high heels that matched my shirt for the day. But, there still was black pants or white pants. And then some colleagues joked around and said, someday you’ll start wearing a skirt. So, that’s how the skirt came into it. I went out, picked a skirt tried it on and thought, ok the skirt doesn’t look too bad. And that’s basically how I started wearing a skirt with heels, which is 3 years back from now. WION: When did it all start for you? MARK BRYAN: It was about 40 years ago when I was in college. It was a girlfriend, we were living together. She was of the same height that I was. I am 6feet, she was 6feet and she loved wearing high heels, which made her taller than me, so I wasn’t too happy about that, so she said that you’re gonna start wearing high heels too. As a man, I have very small feet, we had the same size foot, so I can wear her shoes, that’s how it all started with me wearing high heels. WION: Do you think clothes have any gender? MARK BRYAN: I think clothes should have no gender. With all the people that follow me on Instagram, I get a lot of responses on my pictures, and I get a lot of response from people that are excited that I’m doing this coz it opens other people’s eyes or it gives them the strength to choose what they want to wear. Not just men wearing women clothes but also women wearing men clothes. I was surprised by the number of women who responded saying that we’re so happy that you’re doing this. I’m a woman but I like to wear men clothes but sometimes I’m scared to go out, coz people will think I’m a lesbian. Same things I get from men, they’ll say, hey, I’m glad that you’re doing this. You’re opening everybody’s eyes, you’re giving hopes to people to do different things. I’m a man and I want to wear women clothes but I’m scared to go out coz I’ll be called out a gay. In a way, I think I’m helping people to think that it is okay to dress with what you feel more comfortable in. What a person wears should not dictate his or her sexual orientation. I’m a straight man, but I wear a skirt and high heels. That doesn’t make me any less of a man. WION: Carrying heels is a difficult job. How difficult for it for you to get used to it and be so graceful? MARK BRYAN: I’ve got very strong legs and I’ve got very strong ankles, I’ve hardly had any ankles problem or leg problem as such. I think that’s one of the reasons why I can wear heels fairly comfortably. Of course, the higher heels I choose the more pressure it puts on my feet and I do have discomfort at times when I’m standing for too long or I have walked too long, especially with the higher like 5-inch heel, then I do have a little bit of soreness and stuff, typically like if I behind my desk or working on the computer, I’ll kick off the heels underneath the desk and massage my feet with the tennis ball. WION: How does your family view this decision of yours? What about your wife and daughter, do they come up with suggestions to help you style up with the right choices? MARK BRYAN: last night I posted a picture on Instagram with me modelling a pair of shoes that one of my sponsors had given me to try on, for me to try post on my Instagram account. My wife says, Mark, you haven’t shown them very well. You could have done some twirls to show the backs. So yes, she is supportive about it and one of my daughters is always asking that Dad I want to borrow your shoes, but unfortunately, we have different size and I know she can never wear my shoes, but I think she jokes around as fun with asking me to borrow my shoes. WION: Do you ever feel uncomfortable in heels and skirt? Any incident that you remember where people around you made it awkward for you? MARK BRYAN: I’m kind of at the age where I don’t care what the people think. So, I’ve been called a lot worst things, I’ve been called a lot of worse. I’ve had no one, other than people face to face calling me names. The only negative things I come across is people posting negative stuff on my Instagram account on pictures. Those things I just leave them there, I just ignore them. Most of the times when I’m out in public, I try to make contact with everyone that comes across to me coz that’s the way I am, but men will look at me and go back to looking or ignore the eye contact. But, women when they make eye contact, they smile, some will wink at me, some will give a thumbs up. I’ve had people approaching me. Women approach me with compliments, saying I love your shoes, where did you get them, I love your skirt, you look so good. If a man approached me typically they ask, how do you not break your ankles wearing those shoes. Most of the times it is a question on how I do it or either compliment. WION: What are your favourite style to wear and your fav style of heels? MARK BRYAN: My favourite ones are the 5inch stilettos heels. Not because they’re my fav but I think they look the best. They make your legs, the muscle definitions stand out. They also make you stand a little more upright making your posture a little better. For comfort, 3 and a half inches stilettos heel or 4-5 block heel is more comfortable. WION: How many pair of shoes do you have? MARK BRYAN: I have probably a little over 50 pairs of shoes. WION: Your fascination for skirt and heels comes at a time when women are rejecting heels. What are your views on that? MARK BRYAN: the reason why women reject heels is that they are uncomfortable and I agree with the fact that women should not be forced to wear high heels when they don’t want to wear them. Some companies require women to wear high heels, I don’t think that’s right, I think you should be allowed to wear what you want to wear. I want to wear high heels if a woman doesn’t want to wear high heels that her right not to wear high heels. If a woman wants to wear high heels, she should be allowed to wear high heels. Clothing should not have any limitations. Of course, there’s got to be some limitations, some dress code, that’s probably I don’t wear platform shoes, I don’t even have a platform shoe. I think, if women are saying they refuse to wear a high heel, I think that’s because they have it in their job description or it’s their dress code, I think that’s wrong. I think they should have a choice to wear them or not to wear them. WION: Any advice to men who would like to take up the style? Any style tips for them? MARK BRYAN: Naturally, start with a lower heel to get used to it. And then once you decide to go out in public, I suggest you have confidence in yourself. You got to be confident in yourself, you’ve got to be strong inside, saying that I’m not going to be afraid because I think that people can pick up on that. If you go out there and you’re afraid, people will pick up on that. Because your kind of coward and people sense that you’re weak and when they are that you’re weak they’re like predators. That’s when you invite the attacks to come because they feel that you’re weak and they’re gonna abuse that weakness. But if you show that you’re confident and strong people just leave you alone.

'Clothes have no gender': Dad of 3 wears heels and skirts everyday

Have you heard about Gender reveal parties? They are in trend. And as the name suggests, it is a party that involves revealing the gender of an unborn baby. The concept took off sometime around 2008. And today, gender reveal parties have become commonplace

But there is something really worrying about how these gender reveal parties are shaping out.

A Syrian couple recently spent as much as USD 100,000 on gender reveal party of their baby. What did they do with that kind of money?

Project the child's gender onto the Burj Khalifa in Dubai!

The couple are social media influencers with over 7 million followers on Youtube and over 2 million followers on Instagram

And they saw nothing wrong in splurging this much on a grand celebration.

Here's an alternative viewpoint.&nbsp;

Imagine the kind of use this money could have been put to back in the couple's home country Syria. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Remember, Syria is a war-torn country.&nbsp;

According to one estimate, 9.3 million Syrians go to sleep hungry. 
&nbsp; 
2 million others are at risk of meeting a similar fate.

There is nothing wrong to share joy over your yet-to-born child.

But what we are talking about here are limits.

Several netizens have pointed at the sheer waste of money. One Twitter user called it disgusting and shameful. Someone else called the celebrations to be exaggerated. 
&nbsp; 
Another Twitter user from Syria dropped a political bomb. She said that the couple belongs to a political family.

The man's father is the head of US-backed Syrian Opposition. We have not been able to independently verify this claim. But if it is true, then some serious questions need to be posed to political elites in Syria and the US

Speaking of US, you must have heard about the California wildfires. The same one that has gutted 2.2. million acres of land.&nbsp;

Did you know that a gender reveal party is responsible for it? That's where the fire started.

There is nothing wrong in celebrating the gender of an unborn child. Especially if you can afford it economically and socially.

In India, for example, it is not even an option as the gender of the child is not revealed over fears of infanticide.

But if you are in a country where there aren't social taboos and fears, you are well within your rights to celebrate.

The only question is, how far should you take things&nbsp;

 
This woman is said to have come up with the idea of gender reveal parties.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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&nbsp;

In her post on Facebook, she claims she has mixed feelings about her contribution to this culture.

Check out couple of lines from her post.

'Who cares what gender the baby is? I did at the time because we didn't live in 2019 and didn't know what we know now...PLOT TWIST, the world's first gender-reveal party baby is a girl who wears suits!'

Hope this gets you thinking&nbsp;

Have you heard about Gender reveal parties? They are in trend. And as the name suggests, it is a party that involves revealing the gender of an unborn baby. The concept took off sometime around 2008.

Have you heard about Gender reveal parties? They are in trend. And as the name suggests, it is a party that involves revealing the gender of an unborn baby. The concept took off sometime around 2008. And today, gender reveal parties have become commonplace But there is something really worrying about how these gender reveal parties are shaping out. A Syrian couple recently spent as much as USD 100,000 on gender reveal party of their baby. What did they do with that kind of money? Project the child's gender onto the Burj Khalifa in Dubai! The couple are social media influencers with over 7 million followers on Youtube and over 2 million followers on Instagram And they saw nothing wrong in splurging this much on a grand celebration. Here's an alternative viewpoint. Imagine the kind of use this money could have been put to back in the couple's home country Syria. Remember, Syria is a war-torn country. According to one estimate, 9.3 million Syrians go to sleep hungry. 2 million others are at risk of meeting a similar fate. There is nothing wrong to share joy over your yet-to-born child. But what we are talking about here are limits. Several netizens have pointed at the sheer waste of money. One Twitter user called it disgusting and shameful. Someone else called the celebrations to be exaggerated. Another Twitter user from Syria dropped a political bomb. She said that the couple belongs to a political family. The man's father is the head of US-backed Syrian Opposition. We have not been able to independently verify this claim. But if it is true, then some serious questions need to be posed to political elites in Syria and the US Speaking of US, you must have heard about the California wildfires. The same one that has gutted 2.2. million acres of land. Did you know that a gender reveal party is responsible for it? That's where the fire started. There is nothing wrong in celebrating the gender of an unborn child. Especially if you can afford it economically and socially. In India, for example, it is not even an option as the gender of the child is not revealed over fears of infanticide. But if you are in a country where there aren't social taboos and fears, you are well within your rights to celebrate. The only question is, how far should you take things This woman is said to have come up with the idea of gender reveal parties. × In her post on Facebook, she claims she has mixed feelings about her contribution to this culture. Check out couple of lines from her post. 'Who cares what gender the baby is? I did at the time because we didn't live in 2019 and didn't know what we know now...PLOT TWIST, the world's first gender-reveal party baby is a girl who wears suits!' Hope this gets you thinking

This gender reveal party cost USD 100,000

Germany adopted a national strategy on Wednesday to promote gender equality for the first time in its history, aiming to put an end to years of sluggish progress on equal rights and treatment for women. 
 
The strategy sets out goals for all government departments, including closing the gender pay gap and better representation for women in business and politics, Families Minister Franziska Giffey said. 
 
"This is the first equality strategy in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany that has been coordinated and agreed across all departments," Giffey said, describing the strategy as a "milestone". 
 
The plan includes a focus on work-life balance and the fact that women are more likely to work part-time or not at all because of family commitments.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/entertainment/halle-berry-not-playing-transgender-character-in-upcoming-film-after-criticism-311381" hreflang="en">Halle Berry not playing transgender character in upcoming film after criticism</a> 
 
It also focuses on increasing the number of women in management positions, including in the civil service, and on better representation in politics. 
 
The ruling conservative CDU party has this week already shown movement on the issue, with party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announcing new binding quotas that will see women filling at least 50 percent of senior positions at a local level by 2025.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/germany-vows-to-beef-up-finance-watchdog-after-wirecard-drama-310919" hreflang="en">Germany vows to beef up finance watchdog after Wirecard drama</a> 
 
The government is also working on a strategy to increase the number of women on executive boards so that an existing 30 percent quota will apply to 600 companies instead of 105 currently, Giffey said.

Below European average 
Despite being led by a female chancellor, Germany sits below the European average when it comes to equality between men and women, according to a 2019 index from the European Institute for Gender Equality. 
 
Women earn an average 20 percent less than men and occupy only around 15 percent of executive board positions. 
 
Representation of women in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, is currently at its lowest for 20 years, and more than 90 percent of local mayors are male, Giffey said. 
 
Historically, gender equality was a particular sticking point in the former West Germany, where women still needed permission from their husbands to work until 1977.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/germany-becomes-first-major-nation-to-phase-out-coal-and-nuclear-311058" hreflang="en">Germany becomes first major nation to phase out coal and nuclear</a> 
 
Shortly before reunification, just over half of women in West Germany were employed in the workforce, compared with 91 percent of women in communist East Germany. 
 
The coronavirus crisis has only exacerbated gender disparities, according to some observers. 
 
"It is quite obvious that women have borne the main burden in families," judge Elke Buedenbender, the wife of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said in an interview with the Funke media group in June. 
 
"It seems to me that in the time of coronavirus, women have been more prepared to fall back into traditional roles than men have to take a step back from their careers," she said.

Germany adopted a national strategy on Wednesday to promote gender equality for the first time in its history, aiming to put an end to years of sluggish progress on equal rights and treatment for women.

Germany adopted a national strategy on Wednesday to promote gender equality for the first time in its history, aiming to put an end to years of sluggish progress on equal rights and treatment for women. The strategy sets out goals for all government departments, including closing the gender pay gap and better representation for women in business and politics, Families Minister Franziska Giffey said. "This is the first equality strategy in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany that has been coordinated and agreed across all departments," Giffey said, describing the strategy as a "milestone". The plan includes a focus on work-life balance and the fact that women are more likely to work part-time or not at all because of family commitments. Also read: Halle Berry not playing transgender character in upcoming film after criticism It also focuses on increasing the number of women in management positions, including in the civil service, and on better representation in politics. The ruling conservative CDU party has this week already shown movement on the issue, with party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announcing new binding quotas that will see women filling at least 50 percent of senior positions at a local level by 2025. Also read: Germany vows to beef up finance watchdog after Wirecard drama The government is also working on a strategy to increase the number of women on executive boards so that an existing 30 percent quota will apply to 600 companies instead of 105 currently, Giffey said. Below European average Despite being led by a female chancellor, Germany sits below the European average when it comes to equality between men and women, according to a 2019 index from the European Institute for Gender Equality. Women earn an average 20 percent less than men and occupy only around 15 percent of executive board positions. Representation of women in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, is currently at its lowest for 20 years, and more than 90 percent of local mayors are male, Giffey said. Historically, gender equality was a particular sticking point in the former West Germany, where women still needed permission from their husbands to work until 1977. Also read: Germany becomes first major nation to phase out coal and nuclear Shortly before reunification, just over half of women in West Germany were employed in the workforce, compared with 91 percent of women in communist East Germany. The coronavirus crisis has only exacerbated gender disparities, according to some observers. "It is quite obvious that women have borne the main burden in families," judge Elke Buedenbender, the wife of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said in an interview with the Funke media group in June. "It seems to me that in the time of coronavirus, women have been more prepared to fall back into traditional roles than men have to take a step back from their careers," she said.

Germany unveils plan to boost gender equality

In my work as a gender and communications specialist I have met &ndash; and in some cases professionally advised &ndash; female ministers, legislators, mayors, community leaders and judges across the world, from the Dominican Republic and Honduras to the Netherlands and Sweden.

I&rsquo;m Argentinean, so the struggles described to me by Latin American female leaders, who confront inter-party resistance and media double standards on a daily basis, are familiar ones. Our region&rsquo;s gender gap is a disheartening 30%; Guatemala and Paraguay are among the world&rsquo;s least gender-equal places.

I have been surprised, however, to hear that women in northern Europe &ndash; the most gender-equal region in the world &ndash; report the same grievances. While researching my latest book on women in power, I interviewed 18 female politicians in Sweden and The Netherlands, certain that their experience in public service would starkly contrast that of their Latin American peers.

After all, in those countries, women already occupy 40% of political positions &ndash; and they didn&rsquo;t need a quota system to do it. Only in a gender-equal paradise could that happen, right?

Sadly not.

The women I interviewed varied in age and ideological background. Some were already retired and others were engaged as EU parliamentarians, congresspeople, government ministers, judges and congressional commission presidents.&nbsp;

It turns out that although women in Sweden and the Netherlands have achieved near parity in national parliaments, they nonetheless share many challenges. Every person interviewed &ndash; conservative, progressive, junior or senior &ndash; felt that women still had a long way to go to achieve substantive equality.

&ldquo;When we talk about involvement of women in politics,&rdquo; one Dutch interviewee said, &ldquo;it is not just a matter of numbers, but &hellip; also of their position to exert influence. How many of them are in &lsquo;hard core&rsquo; areas like budget, for example, and really have visibility?&rdquo;

In other words, equality is not just numeric.

In the Netherlands, since the 1970s &ldquo;gender mainstreaming&rdquo; effort, the idea of gender equality is so firmly instilled that citizens won&rsquo;t vote for parties whose candidate lists aren&rsquo;t roughly gender-equal, ensuring women get on the ticket. The EU first began to legislate equal pay and equal rights for women in 1979, pressuring member states to adopt such laws nationally. So a top-down cultural shift has been underway for decades.

All the women I spoke to agreed that this has helped, but only to a degree. Women are still under-represented in ministries and decisive parliamentary commissions: among developed-world nations, only 17% of government ministers are women. It&rsquo;s also meaningful that in Spain only 9% of male ministers do not have children, while 45% of female ministers do not.

Neither Sweden nor the Netherlands has yet seen a female head of state &ndash; something that, for example, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Costa Rica have all achieved.&nbsp;

We&rsquo;ve still got a long way to go

So even in the world&rsquo;s most egalitarian countries, the debate on women&rsquo;s rights continues.

&ldquo;There are still many stereotypes that exert influence, especially on domestic task divisions,&rdquo; one Dutch parliamentarian said. Yes, even Western European women confront the &ldquo;can she have it all?&rdquo; dilemma.

Another woman, an EU parliamentarian, told me:

When I became Member of Parliament, [the media] asked me how I managed to combine my work as a politician with motherhood or family life. Before we had kids, my husband had two jobs &hellip; He gave up one to take care of the household and our children. After eight years, he became Alderman of Amsterdam, &hellip; and then everybody turned to me and asked what I would do now. I answered &lsquo;well, I have the same job, he is the one who has a new one, so ask him.&rsquo;

Of course, in Northern Europe as in the rest of the world, stereotypes and double-standards still influence media coverage of women. Women said journalists made numerous comments about their hair or clothing, or about looking exhausted after a late-night session (men were celebrated for their stamina).

One woman with experience as both an EU parliamentarian and government minister, recounted this anecdote:

A photo journalist came to me and said &lsquo;Madam, you have always the same suit on&rsquo;. I said &lsquo;Yes, that&rsquo;s not a problem for me, is it a problem for you?&rsquo; And he answered that in fact it was &hellip; because it gave the impression that photographs were always the same one. I always wore a brooch, so I told him, &lsquo;Ok, I will give you something new: I will change the brooches.&rsquo;&nbsp;

Women make the road

The women interviewed shared recommendations for fixing these inequalities &ndash; again, political affiliation made no difference in these policy recommendations.

Every woman commented on the need to address gender bias in early childhood education. One congresswoman who suggested working with young boys and girls to raise awareness of gender stereotypes also commented that teachers at preschools and schools must be trained in equality as well. And indeed, some Scandanavian nations are, controversially, already mandating gender-neutral reading (goodbye, Snow White).

Although defying gender roles is everyone&rsquo;s job, women have a decisive part to play. Each and every woman I interviewed, regardless of age or political position, agreed that mentorship was key to her success. Women with more experience offered advice to those with less, and gave them strength to keep fighting.

At a collective level, too, these powerful women agreed that women&rsquo;s movements and women&rsquo;s organisations, both within civil society and inside political parties, are fundamental to the continued struggle for political inclusion. Such groups offer women &ldquo;a place where women meet [and] fight for their causes&rdquo;, one interview subject said.&nbsp;

When Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau introduced his new cabinet, comprised of 15 men and 15 women, after his 2015 election victory, a reporter asked why it was important for him to have a gender-equal cabinet.

Trudeau&rsquo;s answer was, &ldquo;Because it&rsquo;s 2015.&rdquo;

But it&rsquo;s 2017 now, and I can&rsquo;t seem to find gender paradise &ndash; only more women struggling for it. Maybe in 2018?

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Even in egalitarian Europe, female politicians must battle gender stereotypes, biased media coverage, and entrenched power.

In my work as a gender and communications specialist I have met – and in some cases professionally advised – female ministers, legislators, mayors, community leaders and judges across the world, from the Dominican Republic and Honduras to the Netherlands and Sweden. I’m Argentinean, so the struggles described to me by Latin American female leaders, who confront inter-party resistance and media double standards on a daily basis, are familiar ones. Our region’s gender gap is a disheartening 30%; Guatemala and Paraguay are among the world’s least gender-equal places. I have been surprised, however, to hear that women in northern Europe – the most gender-equal region in the world – report the same grievances. While researching my latest book on women in power, I interviewed 18 female politicians in Sweden and The Netherlands, certain that their experience in public service would starkly contrast that of their Latin American peers. After all, in those countries, women already occupy 40% of political positions – and they didn’t need a quota system to do it. Only in a gender-equal paradise could that happen, right? Sadly not. The women I interviewed varied in age and ideological background. Some were already retired and others were engaged as EU parliamentarians, congresspeople, government ministers, judges and congressional commission presidents. It turns out that although women in Sweden and the Netherlands have achieved near parity in national parliaments, they nonetheless share many challenges. Every person interviewed – conservative, progressive, junior or senior – felt that women still had a long way to go to achieve substantive equality. “When we talk about involvement of women in politics,” one Dutch interviewee said, “it is not just a matter of numbers, but … also of their position to exert influence. How many of them are in ‘hard core’ areas like budget, for example, and really have visibility?” In other words, equality is not just numeric. In the Netherlands, since the 1970s “gender mainstreaming” effort, the idea of gender equality is so firmly instilled that citizens won’t vote for parties whose candidate lists aren’t roughly gender-equal, ensuring women get on the ticket. The EU first began to legislate equal pay and equal rights for women in 1979, pressuring member states to adopt such laws nationally. So a top-down cultural shift has been underway for decades. All the women I spoke to agreed that this has helped, but only to a degree. Women are still under-represented in ministries and decisive parliamentary commissions: among developed-world nations, only 17% of government ministers are women. It’s also meaningful that in Spain only 9% of male ministers do not have children, while 45% of female ministers do not. Neither Sweden nor the Netherlands has yet seen a female head of state – something that, for example, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Costa Rica have all achieved. We’ve still got a long way to go So even in the world’s most egalitarian countries, the debate on women’s rights continues. “There are still many stereotypes that exert influence, especially on domestic task divisions,” one Dutch parliamentarian said. Yes, even Western European women confront the “can she have it all?” dilemma. Another woman, an EU parliamentarian, told me: When I became Member of Parliament, [the media] asked me how I managed to combine my work as a politician with motherhood or family life. Before we had kids, my husband had two jobs … He gave up one to take care of the household and our children. After eight years, he became Alderman of Amsterdam, … and then everybody turned to me and asked what I would do now. I answered ‘well, I have the same job, he is the one who has a new one, so ask him.’ Of course, in Northern Europe as in the rest of the world, stereotypes and double-standards still influence media coverage of women. Women said journalists made numerous comments about their hair or clothing, or about looking exhausted after a late-night session (men were celebrated for their stamina). One woman with experience as both an EU parliamentarian and government minister, recounted this anecdote: A photo journalist came to me and said ‘Madam, you have always the same suit on’. I said ‘Yes, that’s not a problem for me, is it a problem for you?’ And he answered that in fact it was … because it gave the impression that photographs were always the same one. I always wore a brooch, so I told him, ‘Ok, I will give you something new: I will change the brooches.’ Women make the road The women interviewed shared recommendations for fixing these inequalities – again, political affiliation made no difference in these policy recommendations. Every woman commented on the need to address gender bias in early childhood education. One congresswoman who suggested working with young boys and girls to raise awareness of gender stereotypes also commented that teachers at preschools and schools must be trained in equality as well. And indeed, some Scandanavian nations are, controversially, already mandating gender-neutral reading (goodbye, Snow White). Although defying gender roles is everyone’s job, women have a decisive part to play. Each and every woman I interviewed, regardless of age or political position, agreed that mentorship was key to her success. Women with more experience offered advice to those with less, and gave them strength to keep fighting. At a collective level, too, these powerful women agreed that women’s movements and women’s organisations, both within civil society and inside political parties, are fundamental to the continued struggle for political inclusion. Such groups offer women “a place where women meet [and] fight for their causes”, one interview subject said. When Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau introduced his new cabinet, comprised of 15 men and 15 women, after his 2015 election victory, a reporter asked why it was important for him to have a gender-equal cabinet. Trudeau’s answer was, “Because it’s 2015.” But it’s 2017 now, and I can’t seem to find gender paradise – only more women struggling for it. Maybe in 2018? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: In politics, gender equality can't really come only from numbers

The direct and indirect costs of having children can be high and, in many societies, women most often shoulder these costs.

In a recent research study, we measured the gender-specific economic impact of parenthood in Germany. Our finding: mothers may end up with less accrued wealth than women without children.

German men, who are comparable in other characteristics such as education and age, on the other hand, show similar amounts of personal wealth regardless of whether they have children.

Mothers accrue less wealth

The research, which was conducted in Germany, looked at 28,650 individuals to assess women&rsquo;s personal wealth over the course of a decade, from 2002 to 2012. For the purposes of our study, personal wealth refers to all economic assets that subjects own solely as well as their individual share of assets jointly owned with somebody else.

We found that each year after a woman&rsquo;s first child is born, she accrues only about 98 cents for each &euro;1 of wealth that childless women gain. This small difference adds up over time. After being a mother for 50 years, a mother&rsquo;s personal wealth is roughly 60% lower than for a German woman who does not have children, everything else remaining equal.&nbsp;

This gap in capital is largely related to employment. German mothers accumulate less wealth because they are likely to stop paid work to care for their young children and, as children get older, return to work part-time.

Without full-time employment, women have less income to put into savings. Employment gaps may also reduce long-term earning potential because career advancement becomes less likely.

According to our study, women&rsquo;s male partners do not appear to fully compensate for these losses in wealth by sharing financial resources within the couple.&nbsp;

The loss in personal wealth is greater the younger a woman is when she becomes a mother. The difference may be due to the fact that career interruptions early in one&rsquo;s working life are especially harmful.

Mothers additionally accrue less wealth if they are unmarried when they give birth; a difference that holds for both single mothers and those living with their partners. This finding suggests that married fathers may be more willing to compensate for their spouses&rsquo; income losses, and that married mothers and fathers are more likely to share their incomes.

By middle life (ages 40 to 60), mothers and fathers show the greatest discrepancy in wealth (see above graph). By older age, these inequalities decrease.&nbsp;

Why wealth differences matter

The reduced wealth of mothers as compared to fathers and to women without children has many important implications.

Financial assets and savings are resources that can be tapped to weather rainy days, independent of current income. Wealth can also be passed on to the next generation or invested in education and, thereby, affect the well-being of children.

For a woman living with a more wealthy partner, having little wealth may seem less important. But, as we know, couples do not always fully share their wealth.

And, in any case, inequalities in personal wealth within the same household also hurt women. German women reported lower subjective well-being if they had less wealth than their partners, and studies from Ecuador and Ghana have shown that the risk of intimate partner violence increases when women&rsquo;s personal capital is less than that of their partners. Although we do not know whether those findings would apply in Germany or other countries.

Finally, economic inequality between mothers and fathers can affect children. When mothers have relatively more resources, the well-being of children is improved. If couples separate, gender inequalities within couples may ultimately contribute to inequalities between ex-partners.&nbsp;

International differences

Our research examined the wealth consequences of parenthood in Germany, where women have achieved equal status compared to men in many respects. Nonetheless, a traditional division of labour, where men are the main breadwinners, still dominates here.

Other research, though based on less adequate data, has also found a wealth gap between genders in the United States. Complementary evidence on income inequalities between mothers and fathers have additionally been found in many countries around the world, including China, Japan, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

Gender-based wealth inequality as a result of parenthood may be weaker in more egalitarian societies, such as Sweden.

Wealth inequalities between mothers and fathers &ndash; and, more generally, between women and men, even within married couples &ndash; are stronger in countries in which women and men do not have equal legal status.

In Ghana, for example, where women&rsquo;s contributions to marital assets are not recognised, married women own only about 20% of household assets. Similar inequality exists in some parts of India.

By contrast, in Ecuador, where women&rsquo;s legal status is more equal to men&rsquo;s, wealth inequalities within married couples are negligible.&nbsp;

Economic well-being of women and men

The finding that, in relatively gender-equal Germany, women end up with less personal wealth after becoming mothers as compared to both childless women and to men suggests the need for a proactive government response.

Currently, ambiguous policies continue to hinder female employment. One approach for tackling mothers&rsquo; economic disadvantages is to encourage maternal full-time employment, for instance, by providing better access to childcare.

Recent policy reforms in Germany toward this goal may decrease disadvantages in the future. But wealth accumulation is a slow process, and these changes will take time to have any effect.

In the meantime, mothers will continue to struggle to save up for that rainy day.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The economic costs of having children are more often shouldered by women, so mothers tend to accumulate less capital over time.

The direct and indirect costs of having children can be high and, in many societies, women most often shoulder these costs. In a recent research study, we measured the gender-specific economic impact of parenthood in Germany. Our finding: mothers may end up with less accrued wealth than women without children. German men, who are comparable in other characteristics such as education and age, on the other hand, show similar amounts of personal wealth regardless of whether they have children. Mothers accrue less wealth The research, which was conducted in Germany, looked at 28,650 individuals to assess women’s personal wealth over the course of a decade, from 2002 to 2012. For the purposes of our study, personal wealth refers to all economic assets that subjects own solely as well as their individual share of assets jointly owned with somebody else. We found that each year after a woman’s first child is born, she accrues only about 98 cents for each €1 of wealth that childless women gain. This small difference adds up over time. After being a mother for 50 years, a mother’s personal wealth is roughly 60% lower than for a German woman who does not have children, everything else remaining equal. This gap in capital is largely related to employment. German mothers accumulate less wealth because they are likely to stop paid work to care for their young children and, as children get older, return to work part-time. Without full-time employment, women have less income to put into savings. Employment gaps may also reduce long-term earning potential because career advancement becomes less likely. According to our study, women’s male partners do not appear to fully compensate for these losses in wealth by sharing financial resources within the couple. The loss in personal wealth is greater the younger a woman is when she becomes a mother. The difference may be due to the fact that career interruptions early in one’s working life are especially harmful. Mothers additionally accrue less wealth if they are unmarried when they give birth; a difference that holds for both single mothers and those living with their partners. This finding suggests that married fathers may be more willing to compensate for their spouses’ income losses, and that married mothers and fathers are more likely to share their incomes. By middle life (ages 40 to 60), mothers and fathers show the greatest discrepancy in wealth (see above graph). By older age, these inequalities decrease. Why wealth differences matter The reduced wealth of mothers as compared to fathers and to women without children has many important implications. Financial assets and savings are resources that can be tapped to weather rainy days, independent of current income. Wealth can also be passed on to the next generation or invested in education and, thereby, affect the well-being of children. For a woman living with a more wealthy partner, having little wealth may seem less important. But, as we know, couples do not always fully share their wealth. And, in any case, inequalities in personal wealth within the same household also hurt women. German women reported lower subjective well-being if they had less wealth than their partners, and studies from Ecuador and Ghana have shown that the risk of intimate partner violence increases when women’s personal capital is less than that of their partners. Although we do not know whether those findings would apply in Germany or other countries. Finally, economic inequality between mothers and fathers can affect children. When mothers have relatively more resources, the well-being of children is improved. If couples separate, gender inequalities within couples may ultimately contribute to inequalities between ex-partners. International differences Our research examined the wealth consequences of parenthood in Germany, where women have achieved equal status compared to men in many respects. Nonetheless, a traditional division of labour, where men are the main breadwinners, still dominates here. Other research, though based on less adequate data, has also found a wealth gap between genders in the United States. Complementary evidence on income inequalities between mothers and fathers have additionally been found in many countries around the world, including China, Japan, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Gender-based wealth inequality as a result of parenthood may be weaker in more egalitarian societies, such as Sweden. Wealth inequalities between mothers and fathers – and, more generally, between women and men, even within married couples – are stronger in countries in which women and men do not have equal legal status. In Ghana, for example, where women’s contributions to marital assets are not recognised, married women own only about 20% of household assets. Similar inequality exists in some parts of India. By contrast, in Ecuador, where women’s legal status is more equal to men’s, wealth inequalities within married couples are negligible. Economic well-being of women and men The finding that, in relatively gender-equal Germany, women end up with less personal wealth after becoming mothers as compared to both childless women and to men suggests the need for a proactive government response. Currently, ambiguous policies continue to hinder female employment. One approach for tackling mothers’ economic disadvantages is to encourage maternal full-time employment, for instance, by providing better access to childcare. Recent policy reforms in Germany toward this goal may decrease disadvantages in the future. But wealth accumulation is a slow process, and these changes will take time to have any effect. In the meantime, mothers will continue to struggle to save up for that rainy day. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why mothers are less wealthy than women without children

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s move to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000 has caused much chaos in the country, some have also called it a strong move to put an end to the circulation of black money.

Along with the farmers, the poor and the common man, one community which has been at the receiving end is the transgenders across the country. They were only&nbsp;recognised as a third gender last year following a ruling by the Supreme Court of India.

Most transgenders in India do not have bank accounts or even a formal identification card, owing to which most of the money they own is in cash. The source&nbsp;of income for most in the community is begging and dancing at weddings and other social gatherings. Some even take up sex work to make ends meet. All of these earnings are in cash.

The demonetisation move has thus hit them hard.

A few transgenders residing in south Delhi&#39;s Okhla tell&nbsp;WION that they have been staying at home all day for the past two weeks since no one pays them any cash now.

Surraiya, who makes a living by dancing at weddings, says, &quot;Weddings are either being rescheduled or the expenditure is being cut down. In the last 15 days, I have not been able to find any work. So I took to begging but there too, people are not giving us any money.&rdquo;

Another member of the community tells us that they follow a guru-chela (teacher-disciple) tradition. &ldquo;The savings are passed on from one generation to another in cash. We do not depend upon the banking sector as most of us have never had bank accounts until last year,&rdquo; says Laila, 36.

The ones into sex work too are seeing a sharp decline in the number of customers since most of the payment happened in the denomination of Rs 500 and 1,000.

Sweety (name changed) waits on a south Delhi road but to her dismay, she has hardly had two customers in the last couple&nbsp;of weeks. She would otherwise have two customers every night on an average and would return home with around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 &nbsp;every morning.

&ldquo;Our trade has collapsed completely. Nobody is willing to spend money on us. We are running out of options to sustain ourselves,&rdquo; says Sweety.

Those of us who have visited banks to get the notes exchanged&nbsp;were discriminated against.

&ldquo;The women do not let us stand in their queue&nbsp;while the men pass lewd remarks. There is no separate line for us,&rdquo; says Sweety&#39;s friend.

Activist&nbsp;Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, chairperson of Astitva, an organisation working for the cause of transgenders, has written to the Prime Minister seeking help for the community.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Laxmi writes, &ldquo;Most of the community is uneducated and has never been part of the mainstream society. They have been living lives seeking alms and blessings by singing and dancing at weddings, child births and other auspicious occasions. All transactions made are in cash and we never had any bank account.

&quot;The decision by the government is welcome and we appreciate&nbsp;the efforts of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi jee. But the Hijra&ndash;Kinnar community is extremely affected by this and we ask for the government&#39;s help.&rdquo;

Meanwhile, most from the community are queuing up to cash exchangers who give them Rs 350 in exchange for an old Rs 500 note.

(WION)

Without an official identity card and no bank accounts, most of the money the community owns is in cash

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000 has caused much chaos in the country, some have also called it a strong move to put an end to the circulation of black money. Along with the farmers, the poor and the common man, one community which has been at the receiving end is the transgenders across the country. They were only recognised as a third gender last year following a ruling by the Supreme Court of India. Most transgenders in India do not have bank accounts or even a formal identification card, owing to which most of the money they own is in cash. The source of income for most in the community is begging and dancing at weddings and other social gatherings. Some even take up sex work to make ends meet. All of these earnings are in cash. The demonetisation move has thus hit them hard. A few transgenders residing in south Delhi's Okhla tell WION that they have been staying at home all day for the past two weeks since no one pays them any cash now. Surraiya, who makes a living by dancing at weddings, says, "Weddings are either being rescheduled or the expenditure is being cut down. In the last 15 days, I have not been able to find any work. So I took to begging but there too, people are not giving us any money.” Another member of the community tells us that they follow a guru-chela (teacher-disciple) tradition. “The savings are passed on from one generation to another in cash. We do not depend upon the banking sector as most of us have never had bank accounts until last year,” says Laila, 36. The ones into sex work too are seeing a sharp decline in the number of customers since most of the payment happened in the denomination of Rs 500 and 1,000. Sweety (name changed) waits on a south Delhi road but to her dismay, she has hardly had two customers in the last couple of weeks. She would otherwise have two customers every night on an average and would return home with around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 every morning. “Our trade has collapsed completely. Nobody is willing to spend money on us. We are running out of options to sustain ourselves,” says Sweety. Those of us who have visited banks to get the notes exchanged were discriminated against. “The women do not let us stand in their queue while the men pass lewd remarks. There is no separate line for us,” says Sweety's friend. Activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, chairperson of Astitva, an organisation working for the cause of transgenders, has written to the Prime Minister seeking help for the community. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Laxmi writes, “Most of the community is uneducated and has never been part of the mainstream society. They have been living lives seeking alms and blessings by singing and dancing at weddings, child births and other auspicious occasions. All transactions made are in cash and we never had any bank account. "The decision by the government is welcome and we appreciate the efforts of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi jee. But the Hijra–Kinnar community is extremely affected by this and we ask for the government's help.” Meanwhile, most from the community are queuing up to cash exchangers who give them Rs 350 in exchange for an old Rs 500 note. (WION)

India:Transgenders hit hard by demonetisation move

Two women will soon be the first female soldiers to undergo training to become members of the Green Berets, the US Army&#39;s special forces, the military said on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are the first two women who have been selected for special forces assessment&quot; following the elimination of the ban on women in combat roles, said Major Melody Faulkenberry, a spokeswoman for the United States Army John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.&nbsp; 
 
She did not give additional details about the candidates. President Barack Obama&#39;s administration decided in 2013 that all combat positions should be open to women by 2016, including the infantry and special operations forces.&nbsp;The Marines had requested some exemptions, but these were overruled by defence secretary Ashton Carter. 
 
Two female Marines were assigned to frontline infantry roles in May, though it will take some time before they are placed in their new roles. 
 
Rules stipulate that a female &quot;leadership cadre&quot; needs to be established in their units at least three months beforehand. 
 
Although women warriors have frequently found themselves in combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, they had previously been barred from joining frontline combat roles. 
 
Currently, women account for 15.6 per cent of the 1.34 million active duty personnel in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. 
 
(AFP)

Two women have been selected to undergo training to become members of this elite force

Two women will soon be the first female soldiers to undergo training to become members of the Green Berets, the US Army's special forces, the military said on Monday. "They are the first two women who have been selected for special forces assessment" following the elimination of the ban on women in combat roles, said Major Melody Faulkenberry, a spokeswoman for the United States Army John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. She did not give additional details about the candidates. President Barack Obama's administration decided in 2013 that all combat positions should be open to women by 2016, including the infantry and special operations forces. The Marines had requested some exemptions, but these were overruled by defence secretary Ashton Carter. Two female Marines were assigned to frontline infantry roles in May, though it will take some time before they are placed in their new roles. Rules stipulate that a female "leadership cadre" needs to be established in their units at least three months beforehand. Although women warriors have frequently found themselves in combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, they had previously been barred from joining frontline combat roles. Currently, women account for 15.6 per cent of the 1.34 million active duty personnel in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. (AFP)

US Army to accept first female Green Berets

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