<p>As the sun rises over the Olifants river in the Kruger National Park, around 26&nbsp;women, clad in olive and khaki, step&nbsp;out of their huts to take on&nbsp;poachers. They patrol for miles every day, keeping the mighty rhinos, antelopes, cheetahs and wild dogs of South Africa out of&nbsp;harm&#39;s way. Far from the usual fragile, soft and fair-skinned image of women, these members of Africa&rsquo;s first all-women anti-poaching unit call themselves the Black Mambas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Named after the dreaded, venomous snake of sub-Saharan Africa, the 26&nbsp;women of the anti-poaching unit have been responsible for arresting six poachers, reduce snaring by 76 per cent and putting 5 poachers&#39; camps and 2 bush-meat kitchens out of action over&nbsp;the last two years.</p>

<p>It is well-known that African rhinos are an endangered species in South Africa but few are aware of the speed at which these animals are fast disappearing from the face of the earth. Since 2008, poachers have killed at least 5,940 rhinos. The crisis is spreading to the neighbouring countries of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, all of which have experienced&nbsp;an exponential increase in poaching. For Africa as a whole, the total number of rhinos poached during 2015 was the highest in two decades.&nbsp;And if poaching continues at this rate, we would see rhino deaths overtaking births in 2016-2018.&nbsp;This means&nbsp;rhinos will become&nbsp;extinct in the very near future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Much of the poaching can be attributed to the growing demand for rhino horns in Asian countries, mainly Vietnam and China. Though there is no scientific validation for its use, rhino horns are being used for ages to treat a wide range of conditions -&nbsp;from cancer to hangovers. The price that rhino horn fetches in the black market has also made it a coveted status symbol; people with wealth dish out a hefty amount to procure it. Its wide-ranging appeal as a decorative piece to medicinal usages has attracted the involvement of ruthless criminal syndicates which&nbsp;use high-tech equipment to track down and kill the animals. &nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Black Mambas are all local recruits. They come from economically disadvantaged communities, with big families and often they are the sole breadwinners.</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this violent, illegal and masculine world of the poacher, the Black Mambas are an aberration. They do not rely on guns and bullets as tactics to fight poaching. Rather, they take the route of nature conservationists, striving to create a strong bond and educate the local communities about the benefits of saving their natural heritage.</p>

<p>Any conservation effort would be incomplete and, more importantly, an imposition on the locals if it does not work towards including them. Transfrontier Africa, the organisation behind the Black Mambas, understands this adequately. Hence, the&nbsp;Black Mambas are all local recruits. They come from economically disadvantaged communities, with big families and often they are the sole breadwinners. Their vision for a poaching-free world coincides with a better future for their dear ones.</p>

<p>Black Mambas go through a rigorous six-week training programme, prior to being deployed with an existing unit where they gain&nbsp;experience. During the training period, they spend two weeks all by themselves, learning how to survive alone in the jungle and picking up the behavioural patterns of wild animals. Do they get&nbsp;scared? Yes, of course. Scared and shy. But as one of the trainers pointed out, &ldquo;they emerge a different person from the training.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The older and more established schools of conservationists have initially placed little worth on the capabilities of the Black Mamba team. But the women have not only fought the brutal onslaught on nature successfully, they have also taken steps to combat poverty and illiteracy,&nbsp;for instance, in the Maseke region. Integrating social and economic development programmes with the more focused goals of conservation is very crucial as poaching is inextricably linked to&nbsp;poverty which is rampant in the region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Poor and unemployed villagers, particularly the youths, are the constant target of the poaching teams. One of the team members point out, &ldquo;because of lack of education, locals think of the day and not of the future.&rdquo; Black Mambas, therefore, start&nbsp;early, focusing on&nbsp;children so that the little ones develop a positive and intimate connection with the Park and everything therein.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Fighting heavily armed, ruthless, global criminal syndicates with VHF and GPS transmitters and few specialist dogs does not sound like the ideal job to have</h5>
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<p>From far, we laud their work but can do little to reduce the dangers they face. And, the dangers are real. Fighting heavily armed, ruthless, global criminal syndicates with VHF and GPS transmitters and few specialist dogs does not sound like the ideal job to have. But these women are fearless. Leitah Mkhabela, a member of the Black Mamba rangers, said: &quot;I am not afraid, I know what I am doing and I know why I am doing it. If you see the poachers, you tell them not to try.&nbsp;Tell them we are here and it is they who are in danger.&quot;</p>

<p>In recognition of the work they have done in combating poaching and the courage they have shown to accomplish the goal, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have awarded&nbsp;Black Mamba with the Champion of the Earth Award in 2015. In presenting the award, the UNEP executive director Achim Steiner said, &quot;Their many successes are a result of their impressive courage and determination to make a difference in (to) their community. The Black Mambas are an inspiration not only locally, but across the world to all those working to eliminate the scourge of the illegal wildlife trade.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the dusk descends, Black Mambas go back to their families. The light of the bonfire melts into the fading light outside. These women are not in the war zone but they are fighters - one with care and commitments. They have taken up the cudgel to protect their hearth and the wild herds alike. In protecting the rhinos, they secure their family and, most importantly, find&nbsp;a purpose in life.</p>


26 women from disadvantaged backgrounds stand between poachers and endangered species in the African Savannahs

As the sun rises over the Olifants river in the Kruger National Park, around 26 women, clad in olive and khaki, step out of their huts to take on poachers. They patrol for miles every day, keeping the mighty rhinos, antelopes, cheetahs and wild dogs of South Africa out of harm's way. Far from the usual fragile, soft and fair-skinned image of women, these members of Africa’s first all-women anti-poaching unit call themselves the Black Mambas. Named after the dreaded, venomous snake of sub-Saharan Africa, the 26 women of the anti-poaching unit have been responsible for arresting six poachers, reduce snaring by 76 per cent and putting 5 poachers' camps and 2 bush-meat kitchens out of action over the last two years. It is well-known that African rhinos are an endangered species in South Africa but few are aware of the speed at which these animals are fast disappearing from the face of the earth. Since 2008, poachers have killed at least 5,940 rhinos. The crisis is spreading to the neighbouring countries of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, all of which have experienced an exponential increase in poaching. For Africa as a whole, the total number of rhinos poached during 2015 was the highest in two decades. And if poaching continues at this rate, we would see rhino deaths overtaking births in 2016-2018. This means rhinos will become extinct in the very near future. Much of the poaching can be attributed to the growing demand for rhino horns in Asian countries, mainly Vietnam and China. Though there is no scientific validation for its use, rhino horns are being used for ages to treat a wide range of conditions - from cancer to hangovers. The price that rhino horn fetches in the black market has also made it a coveted status symbol; people with wealth dish out a hefty amount to procure it. Its wide-ranging appeal as a decorative piece to medicinal usages has attracted the involvement of ruthless criminal syndicates which use high-tech equipment to track down and kill the animals. Black Mambas are all local recruits. They come from economically disadvantaged communities, with big families and often they are the sole breadwinners. × In this violent, illegal and masculine world of the poacher, the Black Mambas are an aberration. They do not rely on guns and bullets as tactics to fight poaching. Rather, they take the route of nature conservationists, striving to create a strong bond and educate the local communities about the benefits of saving their natural heritage. Any conservation effort would be incomplete and, more importantly, an imposition on the locals if it does not work towards including them. Transfrontier Africa, the organisation behind the Black Mambas, understands this adequately. Hence, the Black Mambas are all local recruits. They come from economically disadvantaged communities, with big families and often they are the sole breadwinners. Their vision for a poaching-free world coincides with a better future for their dear ones. Black Mambas go through a rigorous six-week training programme, prior to being deployed with an existing unit where they gain experience. During the training period, they spend two weeks all by themselves, learning how to survive alone in the jungle and picking up the behavioural patterns of wild animals. Do they get scared? Yes, of course. Scared and shy. But as one of the trainers pointed out, “they emerge a different person from the training.” The older and more established schools of conservationists have initially placed little worth on the capabilities of the Black Mamba team. But the women have not only fought the brutal onslaught on nature successfully, they have also taken steps to combat poverty and illiteracy, for instance, in the Maseke region. Integrating social and economic development programmes with the more focused goals of conservation is very crucial as poaching is inextricably linked to poverty which is rampant in the region. Poor and unemployed villagers, particularly the youths, are the constant target of the poaching teams. One of the team members point out, “because of lack of education, locals think of the day and not of the future.” Black Mambas, therefore, start early, focusing on children so that the little ones develop a positive and intimate connection with the Park and everything therein. Fighting heavily armed, ruthless, global criminal syndicates with VHF and GPS transmitters and few specialist dogs does not sound like the ideal job to have × From far, we laud their work but can do little to reduce the dangers they face. And, the dangers are real. Fighting heavily armed, ruthless, global criminal syndicates with VHF and GPS transmitters and few specialist dogs does not sound like the ideal job to have. But these women are fearless. Leitah Mkhabela, a member of the Black Mamba rangers, said: "I am not afraid, I know what I am doing and I know why I am doing it. If you see the poachers, you tell them not to try. Tell them we are here and it is they who are in danger." In recognition of the work they have done in combating poaching and the courage they have shown to accomplish the goal, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have awarded Black Mamba with the Champion of the Earth Award in 2015. In presenting the award, the UNEP executive director Achim Steiner said, "Their many successes are a result of their impressive courage and determination to make a difference in (to) their community. The Black Mambas are an inspiration not only locally, but across the world to all those working to eliminate the scourge of the illegal wildlife trade.” As the dusk descends, Black Mambas go back to their families. The light of the bonfire melts into the fading light outside. These women are not in the war zone but they are fighters - one with care and commitments. They have taken up the cudgel to protect their hearth and the wild herds alike. In protecting the rhinos, they secure their family and, most importantly, find a purpose in life.

How women are protecting wildlife in South Africa

<p>Sara Manca is a 28-year-old designer from Naples in Italy, who loves to draw. She started drawing cartoons at an early age and believes that this creative line of work has chosen her. For her, &ldquo;drawing is life&rdquo; and after having studied at Naples Academy of Art, she knew for sure &ldquo;her future lies in imagining cartoons and drawing them&rdquo;. She designs under the username of Blatterbury on DeviantArt.</p>

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<p>Sara Manca, Italian artist (WION)</p>
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<p>How do you identify yourself, I ask?</p>

<p>&ldquo;I like to introduce myself with a Pirandello&nbsp;quote: I&#39;m&nbsp;one, nobody and a hundred thousand.&rdquo;</p>

<p>A budding designer, Manca became famous for what she calls &ldquo;Disney Princesses as Belly Dancers&rdquo;. Even though several artists have given their own rendition to Disney&rsquo;s most loved characters--Manca&rsquo;s belly dancers have something unique about them--a different instrument, outfit and a unique style of belly dancing, for each princess.</p>

<p>How did she come up with this idea--of drawing princesses as belly dancers?</p>

<p>&ldquo;Disney Girls have been redesigned in so many ways in the past--and I always wished to try a design of my own. I am a belly dancer; I studied this discipline for the past 7 years, so I decided to merge art, belly dance and costume design. I learned how to sew thanks to cosplay and I&#39;m the one who projects and makes all dresses for my belly dance friends and me.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Much before drawing belly dancer princesses, she drew a lot of other characters. &ldquo;As a kid, I had a collection of Barbies and I liked them, but I was more attached to her horses. I had a pretty big collection of Barbie&#39;s horses and I loved every kind of toy that represented an animal. Cat, dog, rabbit, horse--I was pretty obsessed by animals. But my favorite toy was my imagination. I loved role play--maybe that&#39;s why I started with cosplay&rdquo;, adds Manca. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Everybody is inspired from someone or something, what was it for her? &nbsp;</p>

<p>Manca says, &ldquo;I get inspired from anything--books, movies, past works of artists. Alphonse Mucha, Glen Kean, Adam Hughes, Barbara Canepa, are my absolute favourites but I also follow a number of young and&nbsp;talented web artists such as Fedini, Valeria Favoccia, Orpheeline, Phobs, Tracy Butler, Mirka Andolfo. Every time I see their art, it inspires me.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On gender equality in her line of work in Italy,&nbsp;Manca says, &ldquo;In my field of work, many things have changed through the years. When I was a child, I remember only male artists designed comic books. But now, more number of women are getting featured in comic book&rsquo; credits. I am happy that sex doesn&#39;t matter anymore--the important thing is your&nbsp;aesthetic sense, imagination, sensibility and&nbsp;versatility.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Towards the end of the interview, she says, &ldquo;I want to share with the world my passion and my little knowledge. In belly dancers series when I choose a design, a style and a dress of each princess--I also add a description to explain where the dance styles came from.&nbsp;It&#39;s very important for me to let people know about this&nbsp;ancient and underestimated discipline.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>How&nbsp;Disney Princesses would look as&nbsp;Belly Dancers:</h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Belle has a shamadan to dance with. Using it is considered advanced, and is used in the zeffeh, or wedding procession. (WION)</p>
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<p>Rapunzel according to Manca is fit for Khaliji: traditional folkloric dance from the Persian Gulf. The form uses hair as the main element used to dance. Women let their long hair &ldquo;dance&rdquo; moving it from side to side, back and forth, in circle etc. (WION)</p>
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<p>For Pocahontas, Manca gives a tribal look to do the aboriginal dance. (WION)</p>
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<p>Ariel has double veils, Raqs Sharqi style. The veils are an extension of the Little Mermaid&#39;s body, creating a beautiful ripple effect around her waist. (WION)</p>
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<p>Esmerelda, the gypsy from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, is not one of the official princesses. Manca gives her a gypsy style dance, which she calls the &quot;classic&quot;. (WION)</p>
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<p>Baladi style goes perfectly with Jasmine, as according to Manca, it is the dance of beauty, strength, and art. (WION)</p>
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<p>Elsa has &quot;Isis wings&quot; an instrument used in belly dance. Isis is the ancient Egyptian goddess, mother of Horus. It has nothing in common with the Islamic jihadist militant group. (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>A brave princess, Merida has a sword to dance. It was used by the Ghawazee dancers of Egypt (group of female travelling dancers of the Dom people) who would entertain the Napoleonic troops. (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Aurora has fan veils, one of designer&#39;s favorite instruments. They express elegance but also pathos and the effect of the silk veils wrapping Aurora&#39;s figure is a perfect image. (WION)</p>
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<p>Manca is passionate about drawing, dancing and sewing. In the&nbsp;future, she wants to assemble her drawings in an art book and sell--and also do web comics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Merging art, belly dance and costume design--the designer reimagines 'Disney Princesses as Belly Dancers'

Sara Manca is a 28-year-old designer from Naples in Italy, who loves to draw. She started drawing cartoons at an early age and believes that this creative line of work has chosen her. For her, “drawing is life” and after having studied at Naples Academy of Art, she knew for sure “her future lies in imagining cartoons and drawing them”. She designs under the username of Blatterbury on DeviantArt. Sara Manca, Italian artist (WION) × How do you identify yourself, I ask? “I like to introduce myself with a Pirandello quote: I'm one, nobody and a hundred thousand.” A budding designer, Manca became famous for what she calls “Disney Princesses as Belly Dancers”. Even though several artists have given their own rendition to Disney’s most loved characters--Manca’s belly dancers have something unique about them--a different instrument, outfit and a unique style of belly dancing, for each princess. How did she come up with this idea--of drawing princesses as belly dancers? “Disney Girls have been redesigned in so many ways in the past--and I always wished to try a design of my own. I am a belly dancer; I studied this discipline for the past 7 years, so I decided to merge art, belly dance and costume design. I learned how to sew thanks to cosplay and I'm the one who projects and makes all dresses for my belly dance friends and me.” Much before drawing belly dancer princesses, she drew a lot of other characters. “As a kid, I had a collection of Barbies and I liked them, but I was more attached to her horses. I had a pretty big collection of Barbie's horses and I loved every kind of toy that represented an animal. Cat, dog, rabbit, horse--I was pretty obsessed by animals. But my favorite toy was my imagination. I loved role play--maybe that's why I started with cosplay”, adds Manca. Everybody is inspired from someone or something, what was it for her? Manca says, “I get inspired from anything--books, movies, past works of artists. Alphonse Mucha, Glen Kean, Adam Hughes, Barbara Canepa, are my absolute favourites but I also follow a number of young and talented web artists such as Fedini, Valeria Favoccia, Orpheeline, Phobs, Tracy Butler, Mirka Andolfo. Every time I see their art, it inspires me.” On gender equality in her line of work in Italy, Manca says, “In my field of work, many things have changed through the years. When I was a child, I remember only male artists designed comic books. But now, more number of women are getting featured in comic book’ credits. I am happy that sex doesn't matter anymore--the important thing is your aesthetic sense, imagination, sensibility and versatility.” Towards the end of the interview, she says, “I want to share with the world my passion and my little knowledge. In belly dancers series when I choose a design, a style and a dress of each princess--I also add a description to explain where the dance styles came from. It's very important for me to let people know about this ancient and underestimated discipline.” How Disney Princesses would look as Belly Dancers: Belle has a shamadan to dance with. Using it is considered advanced, and is used in the zeffeh, or wedding procession. (WION) × Rapunzel according to Manca is fit for Khaliji: traditional folkloric dance from the Persian Gulf. The form uses hair as the main element used to dance. Women let their long hair “dance” moving it from side to side, back and forth, in circle etc. (WION) × For Pocahontas, Manca gives a tribal look to do the aboriginal dance. (WION) × Ariel has double veils, Raqs Sharqi style. The veils are an extension of the Little Mermaid's body, creating a beautiful ripple effect around her waist. (WION) × Esmerelda, the gypsy from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, is not one of the official princesses. Manca gives her a gypsy style dance, which she calls the "classic". (WION) × Baladi style goes perfectly with Jasmine, as according to Manca, it is the dance of beauty, strength, and art. (WION) × Elsa has "Isis wings" an instrument used in belly dance. Isis is the ancient Egyptian goddess, mother of Horus. It has nothing in common with the Islamic jihadist militant group. (WION) × A brave princess, Merida has a sword to dance. It was used by the Ghawazee dancers of Egypt (group of female travelling dancers of the Dom people) who would entertain the Napoleonic troops. (WION) × Aurora has fan veils, one of designer's favorite instruments. They express elegance but also pathos and the effect of the silk veils wrapping Aurora's figure is a perfect image. (WION) × Manca is passionate about drawing, dancing and sewing. In the future, she wants to assemble her drawings in an art book and sell--and also do web comics. (WION)

International Women's Day: In conversation with Sara Manca

<p>The &quot;Fearless Girl&quot; statue in New York City, whose face-off with Wall Street&#39;s &quot;Charging Bull&quot; won her legions of fans in just three weeks, will hold her ground for at least another 11 months.</p>

<p>The 50-inch (127 centimetre) bronze statue of a defiant girl with fists on hips was installed to mark International Women&#39;s Day on March 8 under a lease due to end April 2. The two statues stand on a patch of cobble stone in the financial district near Bowling Green.</p>

<p>After at least two petitions, generous press attention and ebullient interest on social media, the attraction for tourists and locals will keep its place at least through the end of February 2018.</p>

<p>&quot;She has clearly struck a nerve,&quot; said US&nbsp;Rep. Carolyn Maloney on Monday as she stood on the steps of City Hall with other women politicians to announce the statue&#39;s extended stay.</p>

<p>Maloney, a New York Democrat, said the bronze girl was a testament to the power of art in society. It was created by artist Kristen Visbal and commissioned by asset manager State Street Global Advisors as part of a campaign to increase gender diversity in business.</p>

<p>&quot;She has really, really become a meaningful part of the community of New York,&quot; Maloney said. &quot;Everyone sees their own dreams and aspirations in the strength of this little girl.&quot;</p>

<p>Supporters now aim to convince New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to let &quot;Fearless Girl&quot; permanently stare down &quot;Charging Bull,&quot; which its creator said was meant to show US&nbsp;economic strength but also symbolises all things Wall Street and all things male.</p>

<p>&quot;The importance of empowering women is not temporary, and it&#39;s not something that can last for 11 months,&quot; New York City Public Advocate Letitia James said. &quot;It something that needs to be made permanent.&quot;</p>

<p>But &quot;Fearless Girl&quot; has opponents, among them Arturo Di Modica, who sculpted &quot;Charging Bull&quot; and dropped it in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the middle of the night in December 1989.</p>

<p>&quot;That is not a symbol! That&#39;s an advertising trick,&quot; he told the financial news website MarketWatch last week.</p>

<p>The gender diversity campaign by State Street Global Advisors, a subsidiary of State Street Corp, aims to highlight the need for more women on corporate boards. Twenty-five per cent of the largest 3,000 US&nbsp;companies have no female directors, the company noted on its website.</p>


Installed on International Women's Day, the statue was created as part of a campaign to increase gender diversity in business

The "Fearless Girl" statue in New York City, whose face-off with Wall Street's "Charging Bull" won her legions of fans in just three weeks, will hold her ground for at least another 11 months. The 50-inch (127 centimetre) bronze statue of a defiant girl with fists on hips was installed to mark International Women's Day on March 8 under a lease due to end April 2. The two statues stand on a patch of cobble stone in the financial district near Bowling Green. After at least two petitions, generous press attention and ebullient interest on social media, the attraction for tourists and locals will keep its place at least through the end of February 2018. "She has clearly struck a nerve," said US Rep. Carolyn Maloney on Monday as she stood on the steps of City Hall with other women politicians to announce the statue's extended stay. Maloney, a New York Democrat, said the bronze girl was a testament to the power of art in society. It was created by artist Kristen Visbal and commissioned by asset manager State Street Global Advisors as part of a campaign to increase gender diversity in business. "She has really, really become a meaningful part of the community of New York," Maloney said. "Everyone sees their own dreams and aspirations in the strength of this little girl." Supporters now aim to convince New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to let "Fearless Girl" permanently stare down "Charging Bull," which its creator said was meant to show US economic strength but also symbolises all things Wall Street and all things male. "The importance of empowering women is not temporary, and it's not something that can last for 11 months," New York City Public Advocate Letitia James said. "It something that needs to be made permanent." But "Fearless Girl" has opponents, among them Arturo Di Modica, who sculpted "Charging Bull" and dropped it in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the middle of the night in December 1989. "That is not a symbol! That's an advertising trick," he told the financial news website MarketWatch last week. The gender diversity campaign by State Street Global Advisors, a subsidiary of State Street Corp, aims to highlight the need for more women on corporate boards. Twenty-five per cent of the largest 3,000 US companies have no female directors, the company noted on its website.

'Fearless Girl' extends face-off with Wall Street's 'Charging Bull'

<p>Thousands of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets of New York and Washington to criticse Donald Trump&#39;s policies towards women on International Women&#39;s Day.</p>

<p>Some 2,000 demonstrators, many of them wearing red, massed outside Central Park in New York, two blocks from Trump Tower, to rail against the current president&#39;s discriminatory attitude towards women.</p>

<p>Both the cities were awash with red tops or bandana or coats while others wore the pink &quot;pussy hats&quot; that has come to symbolise women&#39;s anti-Trump protests in the US.</p>

<p>Some women also decided to skip work and their daily pay to participate in the event, which has snowballed not just in the other parts of America but also across the world, according to Reuters.</p>

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<p>From the podium, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and a range of other community activists exhorted demonstrators to &quot;keep resisting&quot; and &quot;keep motivated.&quot; Another New York rally is scheduled Wednesday night.</p>

<p>Arielle Datz, who works in publishing, said she took the day off -- dubbed &quot;Day Without a Woman&quot; -- to take part in the demonstration and described the speeches as &quot;very inspiring.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We hope it won&#39;t be four years... but we will keep it up as long as we have to,&quot; she told AFP in reference to Trump&#39;s four-year term.</p>

<p>Many men also were protesting, such as Corey Ford, who closed his small venture capital firm to take to the streets.</p>

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<p>&quot;Fifty per cent of our team, eight employees, and 50 per cent of the CEOs of our companies are women,&quot; he said. &quot;This is a women&#39;s demo, anti-Trump is part of it but it&#39;s not all of it.&quot;</p>

<p>Guardian reported that around 10 protesters were arrested by the police in New York.</p>

<p>In Washington at Lafayette Park across from the White House, many of the several hundred demonstrators carried signs decrying Trump&#39;s order&nbsp;blocking US aid to foreign nonprofits that provide or actively promote abortions.</p>

<p>&quot;Donald Trump has got to go!&quot; and &quot;This is what democracy looks like!&quot; the crowd chanted.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Susanne Lowen, a 55-year-old baker, decried the president&#39;s plan to link foreign aid to a prohibition against disseminating information on birth control as &quot;cruel and immoral.&quot;</p>

<p>Plenty of anger was also directed at other Trump administration policies.</p>

<p>Sheila Collins choked on her words when she tried to explain the many reasons she was protesting, ranging from Trump&#39;s refusal to release his tax returns to controversial statements by cabinet officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.</p>

<p>&quot;Every day I wake up thinking, &#39;this can&#39;t be real,&#39;&quot; said the 40-year-old marketing director with a sign that read &quot;Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Vote.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;They are doing things to undermine our democracy,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>As the crowd streamed into Lafayette Park, knots of demonstrators broke off and paused to take selfies with the White House as a backdrop.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police officers clad in black, several on bicycles, discreetly eyed the crowd from a distance.</p>

<p>For demonstrator Tess Thapalia, 20, the main issue was what she described as &quot;reproductive justice.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;These are our bodies and we decide what to do with them. For anyone else to say what to do with them is truly shameful,&quot; said Thapalia, a college student from New York.</p>

<p>Hundreds of women also descended on the Utah State Capitol, urging lawmakers to come out and speak to them, the Guardian reported.</p>

<p><strong>IWD march across the world</strong></p>

<p>Women in other parts of the world also gathered on International Women&#39;s Day to demand equal pay.</p>

<p>In Brazil, hundreds of people slammed the government&#39;s new policies for being unfriendly to poor&nbsp;and rural women.</p>

<p>The demonstrators said the pension reforms and raising the retirement age of women would make it family farmers, who produce 70 per cent of the country&#39;s nutritional needs, would find it harder to stay on their land, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>Women across Poland also demanded equal rights in their everyday lives. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Similar demonstrations have been reported from Australia, the Philippines, Switzerland, Japan and Indonesia.</p>

<p>In Australia, women demanded abortion to be decriminalised in states such as New South Wales and Queensland.</p>

<p>In Spain, around 40,000 protesters took to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday to call for an end to domestic violence.</p>

<p>Gathered in the central square, the protesters carried posters reading &quot;Justice&quot; and &quot;We are not all here&quot; -- in reference to victims of violence who have lost their lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Gender violence must end, equality must be attained and the &#39;glass ceiling&#39; for women in business broken,&quot; Marta Garcia, a protester at the Madrid rally, told AFP.</p>

<p>In the last three months of 2016 there were 38,402 reports of domestic violence, marking a 14 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to figures provided by a watchdog group.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


The one-day protest, which will take place in 50 countries, will demand pay parity, chastise Trump's anti-women stance, among others

Thousands of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets of New York and Washington to criticse Donald Trump's policies towards women on International Women's Day. Some 2,000 demonstrators, many of them wearing red, massed outside Central Park in New York, two blocks from Trump Tower, to rail against the current president's discriminatory attitude towards women. Both the cities were awash with red tops or bandana or coats while others wore the pink "pussy hats" that has come to symbolise women's anti-Trump protests in the US. Some women also decided to skip work and their daily pay to participate in the event, which has snowballed not just in the other parts of America but also across the world, according to Reuters. × From the podium, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and a range of other community activists exhorted demonstrators to "keep resisting" and "keep motivated." Another New York rally is scheduled Wednesday night. Arielle Datz, who works in publishing, said she took the day off -- dubbed "Day Without a Woman" -- to take part in the demonstration and described the speeches as "very inspiring." "We hope it won't be four years... but we will keep it up as long as we have to," she told AFP in reference to Trump's four-year term. Many men also were protesting, such as Corey Ford, who closed his small venture capital firm to take to the streets. × "Fifty per cent of our team, eight employees, and 50 per cent of the CEOs of our companies are women," he said. "This is a women's demo, anti-Trump is part of it but it's not all of it." Guardian reported that around 10 protesters were arrested by the police in New York. In Washington at Lafayette Park across from the White House, many of the several hundred demonstrators carried signs decrying Trump's order blocking US aid to foreign nonprofits that provide or actively promote abortions. "Donald Trump has got to go!" and "This is what democracy looks like!" the crowd chanted. × Susanne Lowen, a 55-year-old baker, decried the president's plan to link foreign aid to a prohibition against disseminating information on birth control as "cruel and immoral." Plenty of anger was also directed at other Trump administration policies. Sheila Collins choked on her words when she tried to explain the many reasons she was protesting, ranging from Trump's refusal to release his tax returns to controversial statements by cabinet officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. "Every day I wake up thinking, 'this can't be real,'" said the 40-year-old marketing director with a sign that read "Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Vote." "They are doing things to undermine our democracy," she said. As the crowd streamed into Lafayette Park, knots of demonstrators broke off and paused to take selfies with the White House as a backdrop. × Police officers clad in black, several on bicycles, discreetly eyed the crowd from a distance. For demonstrator Tess Thapalia, 20, the main issue was what she described as "reproductive justice." "These are our bodies and we decide what to do with them. For anyone else to say what to do with them is truly shameful," said Thapalia, a college student from New York. Hundreds of women also descended on the Utah State Capitol, urging lawmakers to come out and speak to them, the Guardian reported. IWD march across the world Women in other parts of the world also gathered on International Women's Day to demand equal pay. In Brazil, hundreds of people slammed the government's new policies for being unfriendly to poor and rural women. The demonstrators said the pension reforms and raising the retirement age of women would make it family farmers, who produce 70 per cent of the country's nutritional needs, would find it harder to stay on their land, Reuters reported. Women across Poland also demanded equal rights in their everyday lives. Similar demonstrations have been reported from Australia, the Philippines, Switzerland, Japan and Indonesia. In Australia, women demanded abortion to be decriminalised in states such as New South Wales and Queensland. In Spain, around 40,000 protesters took to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday to call for an end to domestic violence. Gathered in the central square, the protesters carried posters reading "Justice" and "We are not all here" -- in reference to victims of violence who have lost their lives. "Gender violence must end, equality must be attained and the 'glass ceiling' for women in business broken," Marta Garcia, a protester at the Madrid rally, told AFP. In the last three months of 2016 there were 38,402 reports of domestic violence, marking a 14 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to figures provided by a watchdog group. (WION with inputs from agencies)

International Women's Day 2017: Thousands take part in anti-Trump protests

<p>On the eve of International Women&#39;s Day, the remarkable Wall Street bull saw something stand in its way - a little bronzed girl fearlessly staring upon gender inequality.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">State Street Global Advisors just put a statue of a defiant girl in front of the Wall Street bull ??love it so much ?? <a href="https://t.co/LI6VuE6TAA">https://t.co/LI6VuE6TAA</a> <a href="https://t.co/F7xHfHrC25">pic.twitter.com/F7xHfHrC25</a></p>
&mdash; Molly Rose ?? (@mollyrose_esq) <a href="https://twitter.com/mollyrose_esq/status/839321163939655682">March 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The statue carved with&nbsp;confrontational&nbsp;body language and expressions was installed to raise voice against industry&rsquo;s gender inclusivity, lack of equal pay for women and issues with diversity.</p>

<p>&quot;A lot of people talk about gender diversity, but we really felt we had to take it to a broader level,&quot; said Anne McNally, whose firm is an investment management subsidiary of State Street Corp.</p>

<p>Several&nbsp;American women boycotted work on International Women&#39;s Day on March 8 which led cancellation of classes in some schools.</p>

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<p>A woman poses next to a statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York (Reuters)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women who could not afford to miss work wore red and limited their shopping to female-owned businesses to express their solidarity.</p>

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<p>The statue carved with a confrontational body language and expressions was installed to raise voice against industry&rsquo;s gender inclusivity, lack of equal pay for women and issues with diversity. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>Although women have made notable progress in the recent times, State Street states that one out of every four of the companies that make up the Russell 3000 Index have no female members on their panel.</p>

<p>&quot;Today, we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards, and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action,&quot; State Street Global Advisors CEO Ron O&#39;Hanley said in a statement.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Love this. McCann drop a statue of a &quot;Fearless Girl&quot; next to Wall Street&#39;s Charging Bull. Hope it becomes permanent. <a href="https://t.co/FAOg2UIndD">https://t.co/FAOg2UIndD</a> <a href="https://t.co/BkySVe3X9Z">pic.twitter.com/BkySVe3X9Z</a></p>
&mdash; Musa Tariq (@MusaTariq) <a href="https://twitter.com/MusaTariq/status/839157313386721282">March 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Created by artist Kristen Visbal, the girl statue showed up in a manner similar to how artist Arturo Di Modica&rsquo;s bronze bull was installed overnight in front of the New York Stock Exchange in 1989. It was later made a permanent installation in the financial district, in response to public support.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The statue carved with?confrontational?body language was installed to raise voice against industry?s gender inequality

On the eve of International Women's Day, the remarkable Wall Street bull saw something stand in its way - a little bronzed girl fearlessly staring upon gender inequality. State Street Global Advisors just put a statue of a defiant girl in front of the Wall Street bull ??love it so much ?? https://t.co/LI6VuE6TAA pic.twitter.com/F7xHfHrC25 — Molly Rose ?? (@mollyrose_esq) March 8, 2017 × The statue carved with confrontational body language and expressions was installed to raise voice against industry’s gender inclusivity, lack of equal pay for women and issues with diversity. "A lot of people talk about gender diversity, but we really felt we had to take it to a broader level," said Anne McNally, whose firm is an investment management subsidiary of State Street Corp. Several American women boycotted work on International Women's Day on March 8 which led cancellation of classes in some schools. A woman poses next to a statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York (Reuters) × Women who could not afford to miss work wore red and limited their shopping to female-owned businesses to express their solidarity. The statue carved with a confrontational body language and expressions was installed to raise voice against industry’s gender inclusivity, lack of equal pay for women and issues with diversity. (Reuters) × Although women have made notable progress in the recent times, State Street states that one out of every four of the companies that make up the Russell 3000 Index have no female members on their panel. "Today, we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards, and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action," State Street Global Advisors CEO Ron O'Hanley said in a statement. Love this. McCann drop a statue of a "Fearless Girl" next to Wall Street's Charging Bull. Hope it becomes permanent. https://t.co/FAOg2UIndD pic.twitter.com/BkySVe3X9Z — Musa Tariq (@MusaTariq) March 7, 2017 × Created by artist Kristen Visbal, the girl statue showed up in a manner similar to how artist Arturo Di Modica’s bronze bull was installed overnight in front of the New York Stock Exchange in 1989. It was later made a permanent installation in the financial district, in response to public support. (WION)

Wall Street bull meets 'fearless girl' on International Women's Day

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Employment makes a woman financially independent and also empowers her. At least, ideally, that is how it should be. More often than not, her income becomes meaningful for the family as she allots the resources for more productive uses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women&#39;s employment is not simply about the work but involves the workplace too. Various conventions and legislations both at the international level and the national level intend to provide enabling work environment for the women employees. The resolute efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) towards providing the benchmark of &lsquo;decent work&rsquo; and various other crucial labour welfare directives are commendable. In consonance with the global standard, India has ratified several ILO conventions and the government&#39;s efforts to translate them into action are reflected in various labour welfare legislations.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Besides education and skill, age, fertility, cultural and normative practices regulate women&rsquo;s decision to participate in the labour market</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The factors affecting female participation in the labour market are more diverse and complex than her male counterpart. Besides education and skill, age, fertility, cultural and normative practices regulate women&rsquo;s decision to participate in the labour market.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, less than one-third of the women participate in the labour market. This is in contrast to the global average of 52 per cent. A number of South Asian countries show a perplexing trend of female labour force participation. For instance, while in India there has been gradual decline (except 2004 -05) in the women&rsquo;s labour force participation, Bangladesh has performed reasonably well, as have Nepal (79.4 per cent) and Maldives (54 per cent). Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka has shown a steady increase.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Female Work Participation (FWPR) rate in India has declined from 28.5 per cent in 1987-88 to 21.9 per cent in (2011-12). Though 2004-05 witnessed a significant rise in FWPR (marginally less than 30 per cent), the growth has&nbsp;not been sustainable. Scholars indicate, globalisation is a major factor behind increasing female participation which prompts the question: why is female work participation declining despite overall economic growth?&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some scholars attribute proliferation of educational opportunities to be the&nbsp;reason behind females missing from employment. But this only partially explains declining FWPR because the decline in work participation has been witnessed across all age categories. The recession in 2008 could be a probable reason for the declining FWPR too. However, this fact falls short as an explanation if we include the performance of other South Asian countries. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Women with elementary education seem to be particularly missing from the labour force as they mostly perform the duties of unpaid caregivers</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women with elementary education seem to be particularly missing from the labour force as they mostly perform the duties of unpaid caregivers. Apart from the care economy, a substantial proportion of the female workers contribute as unpaid family labour in domestic enterprises, more so in rural India. Perceptions about paid labour and unpaid household work are also undergoing profound changes and ceaseless efforts are being made to assess the value of care economy and at least give some recognition to the traditional caregivers of the society.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Manufacturing and construction sectors have emerged as two important sectors of employment generation. Feminisation of the low skill jobs in these two sectors has become a regular feature. Most of these workers are informally employed. Even in globalised giants like the garment export sector, majority of the artisans and tailors are informally employed. Tweaking of various labour welfare legislations and gross misappropriation of data has become a dominant feature. Within the garment industries in the National Capital Region, informal forms of employment are thriving. It is believed that globalisation puts a premium on skill. However, a closer look at the labour market arrangements and work conditions do not resonate this faith.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>In the garment export sector, majority of the artisans and tailors are informally employed (WION)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government needs to be sensitive about the implementation of various schemes and policies. The &lsquo;Sumangali&rsquo; scheme in Tamil Nadu, which have been traditionally employing girl child in the textile industry, glaringly testifies the gap between the rhetoric and the reality. Various export lanes (SEZs) across the country are replete with such bondage situations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A case study of 90 women workers in Delhi-NCR revealed that only 3 female workers among&nbsp;them got maternity benefits. Maternity benefits form a crucial part of female employment as the most productive years of a woman worker is also her reproductive years. The recent amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, though laudable, has limited coverage as it keeps the remaining 95 per cent of the population who are engaged in the informal sector outside the safety net.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The informal economy represents a huge sector in our country&rsquo;s employment scenario supporting around 95 per cent of the jobs created. Besides earning less, informal workers are also more vulnerable to violations of basic human rights, particularly those related to reasonable working conditions and work safety. With little job security and limited access to safety nets, most of the informally employed remain extremely vulnerable to setbacks, such as illnesses and loss of income.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not surprisingly, a strong correlation exists between informality and poverty in India. Evidence strongly suggests women have the poorest access and control over resources. Though the wage gaps between male and female workers are declining, other improvements at work also need to be ensured to realise the potential of the nation. ILO&rsquo;s decent work directives, and even the best of various central and state legislations, are of little use if the workers are unaware of their rights and role in the economy. Therefore, knowledge about legal rights is a crucial step towards facilitating the environment for &lsquo;decent&rsquo; work. Participation of various stakeholders like civil society, trade unions and NGOs would prove to be beneficial in this respect. A nation can never flourish with half of her labour force remaining unnourished and underutilised.</p>


Tweaking of various labour welfare legislations and gross misappropriation of data has become a dominant feature in India

Employment makes a woman financially independent and also empowers her. At least, ideally, that is how it should be. More often than not, her income becomes meaningful for the family as she allots the resources for more productive uses. Women's employment is not simply about the work but involves the workplace too. Various conventions and legislations both at the international level and the national level intend to provide enabling work environment for the women employees. The resolute efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) towards providing the benchmark of ‘decent work’ and various other crucial labour welfare directives are commendable. In consonance with the global standard, India has ratified several ILO conventions and the government's efforts to translate them into action are reflected in various labour welfare legislations. Besides education and skill, age, fertility, cultural and normative practices regulate women’s decision to participate in the labour market × The factors affecting female participation in the labour market are more diverse and complex than her male counterpart. Besides education and skill, age, fertility, cultural and normative practices regulate women’s decision to participate in the labour market. In the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, less than one-third of the women participate in the labour market. This is in contrast to the global average of 52 per cent. A number of South Asian countries show a perplexing trend of female labour force participation. For instance, while in India there has been gradual decline (except 2004 -05) in the women’s labour force participation, Bangladesh has performed reasonably well, as have Nepal (79.4 per cent) and Maldives (54 per cent). Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka has shown a steady increase. Female Work Participation (FWPR) rate in India has declined from 28.5 per cent in 1987-88 to 21.9 per cent in (2011-12). Though 2004-05 witnessed a significant rise in FWPR (marginally less than 30 per cent), the growth has not been sustainable. Scholars indicate, globalisation is a major factor behind increasing female participation which prompts the question: why is female work participation declining despite overall economic growth? Some scholars attribute proliferation of educational opportunities to be the reason behind females missing from employment. But this only partially explains declining FWPR because the decline in work participation has been witnessed across all age categories. The recession in 2008 could be a probable reason for the declining FWPR too. However, this fact falls short as an explanation if we include the performance of other South Asian countries. Women with elementary education seem to be particularly missing from the labour force as they mostly perform the duties of unpaid caregivers × Women with elementary education seem to be particularly missing from the labour force as they mostly perform the duties of unpaid caregivers. Apart from the care economy, a substantial proportion of the female workers contribute as unpaid family labour in domestic enterprises, more so in rural India. Perceptions about paid labour and unpaid household work are also undergoing profound changes and ceaseless efforts are being made to assess the value of care economy and at least give some recognition to the traditional caregivers of the society. Manufacturing and construction sectors have emerged as two important sectors of employment generation. Feminisation of the low skill jobs in these two sectors has become a regular feature. Most of these workers are informally employed. Even in globalised giants like the garment export sector, majority of the artisans and tailors are informally employed. Tweaking of various labour welfare legislations and gross misappropriation of data has become a dominant feature. Within the garment industries in the National Capital Region, informal forms of employment are thriving. It is believed that globalisation puts a premium on skill. However, a closer look at the labour market arrangements and work conditions do not resonate this faith. In the garment export sector, majority of the artisans and tailors are informally employed (WION) × The government needs to be sensitive about the implementation of various schemes and policies. The ‘Sumangali’ scheme in Tamil Nadu, which have been traditionally employing girl child in the textile industry, glaringly testifies the gap between the rhetoric and the reality. Various export lanes (SEZs) across the country are replete with such bondage situations. A case study of 90 women workers in Delhi-NCR revealed that only 3 female workers among them got maternity benefits. Maternity benefits form a crucial part of female employment as the most productive years of a woman worker is also her reproductive years. The recent amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, though laudable, has limited coverage as it keeps the remaining 95 per cent of the population who are engaged in the informal sector outside the safety net. The informal economy represents a huge sector in our country’s employment scenario supporting around 95 per cent of the jobs created. Besides earning less, informal workers are also more vulnerable to violations of basic human rights, particularly those related to reasonable working conditions and work safety. With little job security and limited access to safety nets, most of the informally employed remain extremely vulnerable to setbacks, such as illnesses and loss of income. Not surprisingly, a strong correlation exists between informality and poverty in India. Evidence strongly suggests women have the poorest access and control over resources. Though the wage gaps between male and female workers are declining, other improvements at work also need to be ensured to realise the potential of the nation. ILO’s decent work directives, and even the best of various central and state legislations, are of little use if the workers are unaware of their rights and role in the economy. Therefore, knowledge about legal rights is a crucial step towards facilitating the environment for ‘decent’ work. Participation of various stakeholders like civil society, trade unions and NGOs would prove to be beneficial in this respect. A nation can never flourish with half of her labour force remaining unnourished and underutilised.

International Women's Day: The female workers in the nation's garment factories

<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe height="610" scrolling="no" src="https://shijithpk.github.io/womens_interactive_first/homepage.html" style="width:360px;height:610px;border:none;overflow:hidden;" width="360"></iframe></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Sources, data and code for this interactive available <a href="https://github.com/shijithpk/womens_interactive_first">here</a>.</em></p>


What should the government focus on when it comes to female health in India? Find out with this interactive

Sources, data and code for this interactive available here.

International Women's Day: What diseases hurt Indian women the most?

<p>By: Rini Bankhwal, co-founder of <a href="https://www.enbloc.in/" target="_blank">En bloc</a></p>

<p>India is&nbsp;the world&rsquo;s largest democracy, but&nbsp;ranks among&nbsp;the lowest in women representation at top levels of corporations.</p>

<p>According to a Grant Thornton poll, almost 34 per cent of businesses surveyed have&nbsp;no women representation in senior positions, while 34 per cent have no women at all.&nbsp;Oh, and only nine per cent&nbsp;of startup founders are&nbsp;women.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women in urban environments&nbsp;tend to have more access&nbsp;than their rural counterparts in&nbsp;education, hygiene and&nbsp;sanitation,&nbsp;and nutrition. But whether a woman is in&nbsp;the city or the town,&nbsp;the ground is&nbsp;far from level with men. Systemic inequality in the workplace&nbsp;leads to other individual problems:&nbsp;Lack of self belief, losing&nbsp;momentum after maternity, societal pressure and limited growth opportunities.</p>

<p>So we spoke to six extraordinary women who have defied the statistics, to understand how they broke through and&nbsp;challenged&nbsp;the status quo to become a great leader. Their replies hit closer to home than the numbers.</p>

<p><strong>#1&nbsp;Anjali Batra, Founder, Food Talk India</strong></p>

<p>Food Talk India is one of India&#39;s largest digital food communities that brings together people with a passion for Food.</p>

<p>On what keeps her going</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s very important to have the right support system, someone who can hold you through the hard journey of entrepreneurship and who can keep you stable through the downs and humble through the ups of working on your own. I think I&rsquo;ve been really, really lucky to have a great family who supported me through all of this. In fact, in many ways, they pushed me into doing what I&rsquo;m doing today.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>#2 Nandita Abraham, Pearl Academy of Fashion CEO</strong></p>

<p>Pearl Academy is a premium higher education institute in India, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in design, fashion and business.</p>

<p>On being the only &quot;saree&quot;&nbsp;(and not a suit) on the board:</p>

<p>I come from a family of very strong women and while growing up there was always a push to be the best of what one can be. So I imbibed that while growing up. Pearl Academy is full of a lot of strong, ambitious women but somewhere there is a block about a woman wanting to be the President or the CEO. I was lucky to have mentors, even male mentors, who helped me push the envelope.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>#3 Rashmi Virmani, Fashion Choreographer &amp; Producer, The Ramp</strong></p>

<p>With a legacy spanning more than two decades, The Ramp delivers services of an in-house modelling agency, talent booking &amp; creative set designing, to create memorable fashion events.</p>

<p>On challenging the status quo and balancing career &amp; family:</p>

<p>When I started, no one understood why an Economics (Hons) student would want to get into fashion choreography &amp; show direction, and setup a modellig agency! It was a very different career choice, but it was just so important to me, it was something that was my calling, I think. Over the years, The Ramp was formed and I must say that marriage, children, it was all very important and I never put one over the other. Why do I have to choose because I&rsquo;m a woman? I choose to do both. I was very lucky that my husband was very supportive- he has been my buddy through the years!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>#4 Shweta Jain, India Head, William Grant &amp; Sons</strong></p>

<p>William Grant &amp; Sons Limited is an independent, family-owned company distilling some of the world&rsquo;s leading Scotch whisky brands and other selected premium spirits.</p>

<p>On making the right choices &amp; leading by example:</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s absolutely fine to make a choice between continuing to run and slowing down. It&rsquo;s absolutely fine that you don&rsquo;t want to run at that pace and instead of doing multiple things;&nbsp;Raising children, working, earning in a very time-pressure kind of a job, you choose to pursue your other self-interests. But if you chose to run, you must lead by example. So, reaching office at 8 am&nbsp;or choosing to reply to a mail at 12:30 am, is a choice that a leader must demonstrate.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>#5 Carol Singh, Founder of Antidote</strong></p>

<p>Antidote is a range of functional beverages such as cold-pressed, organic juices &amp; almond milk, that provide easy, on-the-go nutrition.</p>

<p>On being the dark horse:</p>

<p>I think a lot of organisations, while working with women, don&rsquo;t see them as competition. Prejudices like, &quot;oh she&rsquo;s married&quot;&nbsp;or &quot;she&rsquo;s is going to get married and drop out of the race&quot;, sort of creep in! And I must say, it&#39;s great, because being a dark horse is a great thing!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>#6 Christina Macgillivray, Founder of&nbsp;Mummy Daddy Productions</strong></p>

<p>Mummy Daddy Productions is a boutique production house in New Delhi that conceptualises and executes branded video content for an online audience.</p>

<p>On making a mark in a male-oriented profession in a foreign country:</p>

<p>So, video and cinema is a very male-dominated profession behind the camera. I think less than five per cent&nbsp;of cinematographers and directors are women. So I&rsquo;ve learnt to be tough, relentless, very physical and creative at the same time. I fell in love with India more than any other place, so I knew I wanted to be here. Starting a business in a culture that is totally different from my own was extremely challenging, but hey, I wouldn&rsquo;t trade the challenges because they made the victories look even more glorious.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Statistics about women in the workplace don't tell the full story, so we interviewed these female leaders for some personal perspectives

By: Rini Bankhwal, co-founder of En bloc India is the world’s largest democracy, but ranks among the lowest in women representation at top levels of corporations. According to a Grant Thornton poll, almost 34 per cent of businesses surveyed have no women representation in senior positions, while 34 per cent have no women at all. Oh, and only nine per cent of startup founders are women. Women in urban environments tend to have more access than their rural counterparts in education, hygiene and sanitation, and nutrition. But whether a woman is in the city or the town, the ground is far from level with men. Systemic inequality in the workplace leads to other individual problems: Lack of self belief, losing momentum after maternity, societal pressure and limited growth opportunities. So we spoke to six extraordinary women who have defied the statistics, to understand how they broke through and challenged the status quo to become a great leader. Their replies hit closer to home than the numbers. #1 Anjali Batra, Founder, Food Talk India Food Talk India is one of India's largest digital food communities that brings together people with a passion for Food. On what keeps her going It’s very important to have the right support system, someone who can hold you through the hard journey of entrepreneurship and who can keep you stable through the downs and humble through the ups of working on your own. I think I’ve been really, really lucky to have a great family who supported me through all of this. In fact, in many ways, they pushed me into doing what I’m doing today. #2 Nandita Abraham, Pearl Academy of Fashion CEO Pearl Academy is a premium higher education institute in India, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in design, fashion and business. On being the only "saree" (and not a suit) on the board: I come from a family of very strong women and while growing up there was always a push to be the best of what one can be. So I imbibed that while growing up. Pearl Academy is full of a lot of strong, ambitious women but somewhere there is a block about a woman wanting to be the President or the CEO. I was lucky to have mentors, even male mentors, who helped me push the envelope. #3 Rashmi Virmani, Fashion Choreographer & Producer, The Ramp With a legacy spanning more than two decades, The Ramp delivers services of an in-house modelling agency, talent booking & creative set designing, to create memorable fashion events. On challenging the status quo and balancing career & family: When I started, no one understood why an Economics (Hons) student would want to get into fashion choreography & show direction, and setup a modellig agency! It was a very different career choice, but it was just so important to me, it was something that was my calling, I think. Over the years, The Ramp was formed and I must say that marriage, children, it was all very important and I never put one over the other. Why do I have to choose because I’m a woman? I choose to do both. I was very lucky that my husband was very supportive- he has been my buddy through the years! #4 Shweta Jain, India Head, William Grant & Sons William Grant & Sons Limited is an independent, family-owned company distilling some of the world’s leading Scotch whisky brands and other selected premium spirits. On making the right choices & leading by example: It’s absolutely fine to make a choice between continuing to run and slowing down. It’s absolutely fine that you don’t want to run at that pace and instead of doing multiple things; Raising children, working, earning in a very time-pressure kind of a job, you choose to pursue your other self-interests. But if you chose to run, you must lead by example. So, reaching office at 8 am or choosing to reply to a mail at 12:30 am, is a choice that a leader must demonstrate. #5 Carol Singh, Founder of Antidote Antidote is a range of functional beverages such as cold-pressed, organic juices & almond milk, that provide easy, on-the-go nutrition. On being the dark horse: I think a lot of organisations, while working with women, don’t see them as competition. Prejudices like, "oh she’s married" or "she’s is going to get married and drop out of the race", sort of creep in! And I must say, it's great, because being a dark horse is a great thing! #6 Christina Macgillivray, Founder of Mummy Daddy Productions Mummy Daddy Productions is a boutique production house in New Delhi that conceptualises and executes branded video content for an online audience. On making a mark in a male-oriented profession in a foreign country: So, video and cinema is a very male-dominated profession behind the camera. I think less than five per cent of cinematographers and directors are women. So I’ve learnt to be tough, relentless, very physical and creative at the same time. I fell in love with India more than any other place, so I knew I wanted to be here. Starting a business in a culture that is totally different from my own was extremely challenging, but hey, I wouldn’t trade the challenges because they made the victories look even more glorious. (WION)

International Women's Day: Watch 6 incredible women tell how they became corporate leaders

<p>The gender gap in the tech sector is widely known. While tech firms have been striving to hire more women, the current numbers show that companies are still lagging to maintain gender equality in their workforce. On International Women&rsquo;s Day, we bring you data to highlight where the world&rsquo;s top 10 tech companies including Apple, Samsung and Microsoft, stand in their pursuit of gender parity.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="2943" scrolling="no" src="//e.infogr.am/employee_workforcediversity?src=embed" style="border:none;" title="GENDER WORKFORCE DISPARITY" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<div style="padding:8px 0;font-family:Arial!important;font-size:13px!important;line-height:15px!important;text-align:center;border-top:1px solid #dadada;margin:0 30px"><a href="https://infogr.am/employee_workforcediversity" rel="nofollow" style="color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;" target="_blank">GENDER WORKFORCE DISPARITY</a><br />
<a href="https://infogr.am" rel="nofollow" style="color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;" target="_blank">Create your own infographics</a></div>


Current numbers show that tech companies are lagging to maintain gender equality in their workforce

The gender gap in the tech sector is widely known. While tech firms have been striving to hire more women, the current numbers show that companies are still lagging to maintain gender equality in their workforce. On International Women’s Day, we bring you data to highlight where the world’s top 10 tech companies including Apple, Samsung and Microsoft, stand in their pursuit of gender parity. GENDER WORKFORCE DISPARITY Create your own infographics

International Women's Day: This infographic highlights gender workforce gap in top 10 tech firms

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jodie Underhill came to India in December 2008 as a tourist and then volunteered at the Tibetan Children&rsquo;s Village in Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The apalling situation of&nbsp;garbage piling was something that bothered her every single day. In April 2009, she decided to do something about it and eventually, Waste Warriors happened. The vision is &#39;A healthier India with improved living standards and a better quality of life where waste workers are valued and respected for their work&#39;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What motivated you to stay back in India and start Waste Warriors?</strong></p>

<p>I travelled to many countries during my twenties and India was the country I liked the least due to (the presence of)&nbsp;garbage everywhere. I never imagined for a minute that I would return here, let alone stay! I didn&rsquo;t come to India with the intention of starting an NGO, I just started clean-up drives after feeling so sad at seeing garbage everywhere. That led to educating children, installing dustbins and starting a door-to-door waste collection service. Registering (the NGO) was &nbsp;natural. We then started doing waste management events, doing more and more projects, employing more staff, expanding to Dehradun and Corbett Tiger Reserve and, now, (we) employ 60 people.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What was it about Mcleodganj and&nbsp;Triund that you decided to start your operation there?</strong></p>

<p>I travelled from the South of India to the North over a two-month period and I saw garbage absolutely everywhere and the train journeys were particularly heartbreaking. Himachal was my final destination and I couldn&rsquo;t take it any longer.&nbsp;I felt like I just had to do something. Anyone who&nbsp;has been to Triund knows why I started the project there, it&rsquo;s a very special and magical place. The first thing I saw when I reached there was the beauty of the mountain range. Then I looked over the edge and saw the entire place was littered. We not only cleaned the place but also gave bags to the shops and guest houses and asked them to stop burning and dumping their waste, we promised to come back in a week and collect it. We did just that and this was the start of the weekly waste collection service. It took about a year of cleaning every week to clear the litter down the slopes at Triund.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ww1-20170306100941.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>&#39;Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a really fabulous job&#39; (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Why do you think people throw their waste and leftovers when they visit a place. Is it a habit or they don&#39;t care about the environment or is there another reason?</strong></p>

<p>Most people are not even aware that they are littering, they just naturally drop their packet when they finish eating. When asked why they litter, people often respond with &ldquo;My one little piece of trash doesn&rsquo;t make a difference&rdquo;. Sadly they don&rsquo;t realise that those small pieces accumulate and it&rsquo;s the reason that India has such a massive garbage problem. People have become so used to seeing garbage everywhere that they have become desensitised to the issue. However, when the same people go to the West, they use the dustbins, they don&rsquo;t spit or urinate in public, they become more responsible, thinking before they act. The same can be done here in India with a bit of effort.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>How has the local government supported Waste Warriors and what more can they do?</strong></p>

<p>I hate answering this question as I always feel that if I tell the truth, it will jeopardise the future of our organisation.&nbsp;But the fact of the matter is that there has been little help from the government. We have made a decision to employ someone for government liaison in&nbsp;future as it&rsquo;s a tricky and&nbsp;delicate matter but one&nbsp;of utmost importance. The models we have can only be replicated on&nbsp;large&nbsp;scale if we work with the local administration. I have invested so much time and effort&nbsp;but have had no success. We were so excited when the chief minister of Himachal said he would help to save our Dharamsala project. But five weeks down,&nbsp;no help has come. We are still relying on public donations.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What has been the really challenging and also the most satisfying aspect of running Waste Warriors?</strong></p>

<p>The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness and change their mindsets towards waste. The most satisfying part is watching the organisation grow, seeing our staff blossom, hearing from people whose lives we have impacted and seeing nature the way it&rsquo;s supposed to be &ndash; garbage free. We love working with kids too as it doesn&rsquo;t take them long to grasp how important our work is and how they as individuals have the power to make a difference. I know that one day, many of them will grow up and be in positions of power and will make decisions and run their businesses in a way that can benefit their environment and the health of the people around them.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ww3-20170306101147.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>How are women contributing to the&nbsp;cause?</strong></p>

<p>We employ 60 people and 23 of those are women. Minakshi Pandey,&nbsp;head of the Corbett project, is a force to be reckoned with and we have strong female leaders in project management, finance, education and administration too. Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a fabulous job. We work with a number of girls&#39; schools here in Dehradun and women make&nbsp;up around 50 per cent of our volunteer base.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What can we do to protect nature from the garbage menace?</strong></p>

<p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Don&#39;t&nbsp;litter, not even a sweet wrapper, a cigarette butt or the corner of your chip packet! Speak to people who litter and try and encourage them to think responsibly too.</p>

<p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Carry a bag for your garbage and do some karma yoga and pick up what other people have dropped.</p>

<p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Never, ever buy or accept Styrofoam, yeah it&rsquo;s cheap and it weighs virtually nothing but it&rsquo;s non-recyclable and never decomposes. If that&rsquo;s all the chaiwalla has it&rsquo;s better to not have a chai. Speak to people that use it and explain how harmful it is for the environment.</p>

<p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Do not use disposable plastic or paper plates and cups, request reusable ones that can be washed and re-used. When hiking carry your own reusable plate and a cup, it&rsquo;s easy!</p>

<p>5. &nbsp; &nbsp; Reduce plastic by re-filling your own water bottle wherever possible.</p>

<p>6. &nbsp; &nbsp; Most of the snack items you buy from shops come in non-recyclable packaging so try and reduce your junk food intake.&nbsp;</p>


'I travelled to many countries...and India was the country I liked the least due to the garbage everywhere', says Jodie Underhill

Jodie Underhill came to India in December 2008 as a tourist and then volunteered at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The apalling situation of garbage piling was something that bothered her every single day. In April 2009, she decided to do something about it and eventually, Waste Warriors happened. The vision is 'A healthier India with improved living standards and a better quality of life where waste workers are valued and respected for their work'. What motivated you to stay back in India and start Waste Warriors? I travelled to many countries during my twenties and India was the country I liked the least due to (the presence of) garbage everywhere. I never imagined for a minute that I would return here, let alone stay! I didn’t come to India with the intention of starting an NGO, I just started clean-up drives after feeling so sad at seeing garbage everywhere. That led to educating children, installing dustbins and starting a door-to-door waste collection service. Registering (the NGO) was natural. We then started doing waste management events, doing more and more projects, employing more staff, expanding to Dehradun and Corbett Tiger Reserve and, now, (we) employ 60 people. What was it about Mcleodganj and Triund that you decided to start your operation there? I travelled from the South of India to the North over a two-month period and I saw garbage absolutely everywhere and the train journeys were particularly heartbreaking. Himachal was my final destination and I couldn’t take it any longer. I felt like I just had to do something. Anyone who has been to Triund knows why I started the project there, it’s a very special and magical place. The first thing I saw when I reached there was the beauty of the mountain range. Then I looked over the edge and saw the entire place was littered. We not only cleaned the place but also gave bags to the shops and guest houses and asked them to stop burning and dumping their waste, we promised to come back in a week and collect it. We did just that and this was the start of the weekly waste collection service. It took about a year of cleaning every week to clear the litter down the slopes at Triund. 'Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a really fabulous job' (Others) × Why do you think people throw their waste and leftovers when they visit a place. Is it a habit or they don't care about the environment or is there another reason? Most people are not even aware that they are littering, they just naturally drop their packet when they finish eating. When asked why they litter, people often respond with “My one little piece of trash doesn’t make a difference”. Sadly they don’t realise that those small pieces accumulate and it’s the reason that India has such a massive garbage problem. People have become so used to seeing garbage everywhere that they have become desensitised to the issue. However, when the same people go to the West, they use the dustbins, they don’t spit or urinate in public, they become more responsible, thinking before they act. The same can be done here in India with a bit of effort. How has the local government supported Waste Warriors and what more can they do? I hate answering this question as I always feel that if I tell the truth, it will jeopardise the future of our organisation. But the fact of the matter is that there has been little help from the government. We have made a decision to employ someone for government liaison in future as it’s a tricky and delicate matter but one of utmost importance. The models we have can only be replicated on large scale if we work with the local administration. I have invested so much time and effort but have had no success. We were so excited when the chief minister of Himachal said he would help to save our Dharamsala project. But five weeks down, no help has come. We are still relying on public donations. What has been the really challenging and also the most satisfying aspect of running Waste Warriors? The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness and change their mindsets towards waste. The most satisfying part is watching the organisation grow, seeing our staff blossom, hearing from people whose lives we have impacted and seeing nature the way it’s supposed to be – garbage free. We love working with kids too as it doesn’t take them long to grasp how important our work is and how they as individuals have the power to make a difference. I know that one day, many of them will grow up and be in positions of power and will make decisions and run their businesses in a way that can benefit their environment and the health of the people around them. The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness (Others) × How are women contributing to the cause? We employ 60 people and 23 of those are women. Minakshi Pandey, head of the Corbett project, is a force to be reckoned with and we have strong female leaders in project management, finance, education and administration too. Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a fabulous job. We work with a number of girls' schools here in Dehradun and women make up around 50 per cent of our volunteer base. What can we do to protect nature from the garbage menace? 1. Don't litter, not even a sweet wrapper, a cigarette butt or the corner of your chip packet! Speak to people who litter and try and encourage them to think responsibly too. 2. Carry a bag for your garbage and do some karma yoga and pick up what other people have dropped. 3. Never, ever buy or accept Styrofoam, yeah it’s cheap and it weighs virtually nothing but it’s non-recyclable and never decomposes. If that’s all the chaiwalla has it’s better to not have a chai. Speak to people that use it and explain how harmful it is for the environment. 4. Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Do not use disposable plastic or paper plates and cups, request reusable ones that can be washed and re-used. When hiking carry your own reusable plate and a cup, it’s easy! 5. Reduce plastic by re-filling your own water bottle wherever possible. 6. Most of the snack items you buy from shops come in non-recyclable packaging so try and reduce your junk food intake.

International Women's Day: India's waste warriors clean hiking trails and forests