<p>One of the world&#39;s biggest doll manufacturer brand, Barbie, introduced a new batch of dolls based on real-life women figures Tuesday, just a day ahead of International Women&#39;s Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As a mark of commemorating International Women&#39;s Day that is observed every year on March 8, Barbie introduced new dolls in two categories -- &#39;Inspiring Women&#39;&nbsp;and &#39;Sheroes&#39;. While the first, &#39;Inspiring Women&#39;&nbsp;dolls are historical figures, packed with educational information about the contributions that each woman&nbsp;made to society; the second set &#39;Sheroes&#39; features inspirational contemporary women that highlight real women who have broken boundaries in their field.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In honor of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWomensDay</a>, we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls.<br />
<br />
Join the conversation by sharing your role models using <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreRoleModels?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreRoleModels</a>. <a href="https://t.co/5oJnZywk7s">pic.twitter.com/5oJnZywk7s</a></p>
&mdash; Barbie (@Barbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie/status/971022728789598210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The new set of dolls by Barbie maker, Mattel comes after they conducted a survey of more than 8,000 mothers around the globe and found that 86% are worried about the kind of role models their daughters are exposed to.</p>

<p>In a press release,&nbsp;Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and general manager of Barbie said,&nbsp;&quot;Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real-life role models to remind them that they can be anything.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With 86% of US moms worried about the type of role models their daughters are exposed to, we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models in an effort to inspire more girls.<br />
<br />
Join us by sharing your role models using <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreRoleModels?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreRoleModels</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IWD2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IWD2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/FnEuBsDh23">pic.twitter.com/FnEuBsDh23</a></p>
&mdash; Barbie (@Barbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie/status/971113814157660161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The new set of dolls stand in tandem of Barbie brand&#39;s highest honour&nbsp;--&nbsp; one-of-a-kind doll made in a real woman&#39;s likeness.</p>

<p>Among some of the most notable additions, &#39;Inspiring Women&#39; includes&nbsp;Amelia Earhart (first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean), Frida Kahlo (renowned Mexican artist and activist),&nbsp;Katherine Johnson (a pioneer in mathematics who broke barriers of race and gender-- also a part of&nbsp;pool of women hired by NASA to work as human &quot;computers&quot; for the first US-manned flight into space).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The &#39;Sheroes&#39; includes&nbsp;<em>Wonder Woman</em>&nbsp;director Patty Jenkins,&nbsp;US snowboarder Chloe Kim, fashion designers, journalists, actresses and entrepreneurs. The women included in the series are from different parts of the world including&nbsp;the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Turkey, France, China, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Italy and Spain.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can&#39;t express how totally mind blowing and delightful it is to have your childhood favorite resemble you!! Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barbie</a>, for this incredible honor, and for celebrating all kinds of women, everywhere. What a great way to inspire the girls of tomorrow! <a href="https://t.co/X5FteJQltn">pic.twitter.com/X5FteJQltn</a></p>
&mdash; Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) <a href="https://twitter.com/PattyJenks/status/971109371353681926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ahh! Im so happy to be honored as a <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barbie</a> Shero alongside these incredible women! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWomensDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Barbie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Barbie</a> <a href="https://t.co/U0J7ajM0Sd">pic.twitter.com/U0J7ajM0Sd</a></p>
&mdash; Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/chloekimsnow/status/971103813435346945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Proud to partner with <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barbie</a> this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWomensDay</a> to show girls &ndash; YOU CAN BE ANYTHING!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ad</a> <a href="https://t.co/nMdT7jMK8L">pic.twitter.com/nMdT7jMK8L</a></p>
&mdash; Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicolaAdamsOBE/status/971072444361404416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The dolls will start to roll out to stores&nbsp;soon and are currently available for pre-sale on the official Barbie website.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


This is to inspire young girls to identify with real-life role models so that they can become whatever they want to be

One of the world's biggest doll manufacturer brand, Barbie, introduced a new batch of dolls based on real-life women figures Tuesday, just a day ahead of International Women's Day. As a mark of commemorating International Women's Day that is observed every year on March 8, Barbie introduced new dolls in two categories -- 'Inspiring Women' and 'Sheroes'. While the first, 'Inspiring Women' dolls are historical figures, packed with educational information about the contributions that each woman made to society; the second set 'Sheroes' features inspirational contemporary women that highlight real women who have broken boundaries in their field. In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls. Join the conversation by sharing your role models using #MoreRoleModels. pic.twitter.com/5oJnZywk7s — Barbie (@Barbie) March 6, 2018 × The new set of dolls by Barbie maker, Mattel comes after they conducted a survey of more than 8,000 mothers around the globe and found that 86% are worried about the kind of role models their daughters are exposed to. In a press release, Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and general manager of Barbie said, "Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real-life role models to remind them that they can be anything." With 86% of US moms worried about the type of role models their daughters are exposed to, we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models in an effort to inspire more girls. Join us by sharing your role models using #MoreRoleModels. #IWD2018 pic.twitter.com/FnEuBsDh23 — Barbie (@Barbie) March 6, 2018 × The new set of dolls stand in tandem of Barbie brand's highest honour -- one-of-a-kind doll made in a real woman's likeness. Among some of the most notable additions, 'Inspiring Women' includes Amelia Earhart (first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean), Frida Kahlo (renowned Mexican artist and activist), Katherine Johnson (a pioneer in mathematics who broke barriers of race and gender-- also a part of pool of women hired by NASA to work as human "computers" for the first US-manned flight into space). The 'Sheroes' includes Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, US snowboarder Chloe Kim, fashion designers, journalists, actresses and entrepreneurs. The women included in the series are from different parts of the world including the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Turkey, France, China, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Italy and Spain. Can't express how totally mind blowing and delightful it is to have your childhood favorite resemble you!! Thank you @Barbie, for this incredible honor, and for celebrating all kinds of women, everywhere. What a great way to inspire the girls of tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/X5FteJQltn — Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) March 6, 2018 × Ahh! Im so happy to be honored as a @Barbie Shero alongside these incredible women! #InternationalWomensDay #Barbie pic.twitter.com/U0J7ajM0Sd — Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) March 6, 2018 × Proud to partner with @Barbie this #InternationalWomensDay to show girls – YOU CAN BE ANYTHING!#Ad pic.twitter.com/nMdT7jMK8L — Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) March 6, 2018 × The dolls will start to roll out to stores soon and are currently available for pre-sale on the official Barbie website.

Women's Day: Barbie honours real-life heroes Frida Kahlo, Patty Jenkins, Amelia Earhart & others

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their &quot;typically feminine traits&quot; during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women&#39;s Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality.</p>

<p>&quot;To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities,&quot; said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river.</p>

<p>&quot; I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages,&quot; said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men.&quot;</p>

<p>Russia&#39;s last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote.</p>

<p>Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite &quot;on behalf of all men&quot; for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a &quot;whore&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage.</p>

<p>Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital&#39;s major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers.</p>

<p>A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women&#39;s Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.</p>


March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women than stressing the need for gender equality

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their "typically feminine traits" during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women's Day. March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality. "To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities," said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river. " I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages," said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports. "Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men." Russia's last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday. He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite "on behalf of all men" for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a "whore". Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage. Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital's major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers. A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women's Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails 'advantages' of female bosses ahead of women's day

<p>Unwanted pregnancies continue to spell doom for women in India. Use of protection is still not widespread. Access to contraceptive devices still limited. And sometimes use of protection is just not a choice that the woman can make.</p>

<p>In most cases, in India, the decision to have a child or to say no to motherhood does not rest with the women, it is almost always the husband or any other member in authority who makes the choice. In the words of Dr Nilanchali Singh, author of a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, India&rsquo;s women do not enjoy &#39;reproductive autonomy&rsquo; as the Indian male exerts reproductive control in several ways. He might choose to not give money to the woman financially dependent on him to buy contraceptive, he might use excuses saying he forgot to buy contraceptive or he might simply refuse to honour the woman&rsquo;s request to use the contraceptive. All this leads to the recurrent pregnancies that are untimed and unwanted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>401 women were a part of Dr. Singh&rsquo;s study. Of which, 45.14 per cent women said that they could not use a condom because it was their husband&#39;s decision, while 38.4 per cent said that they faced forced sex at the hands of their husbands.</p>

<p>According to a research paper published in The Lancet Global Health medical journal on 11th&nbsp;December 2017, half of the total 48.1 million pregnancies in India in 2015 were unintended. The study added that India&#39;s abortion rate is 47 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, which is similar to rates in Pakistan (50), Nepal (42) and Bangladesh (39).<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Lack of awareness is the reason why the rate of unwanted- pregnancy is so high in the country. Women are not equipped to address family planning need. If women had the required education and access to contraceptives, the rate of unwanted pregnancies could be reduced significantly.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Sad but true, medical abortion has become a proxy contraceptive for married women who belong to socially and economically less privileged households.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Unwanted pregnancies necessitate termination of the foetus. Research shows most women prefer to terminate their pregnancies in the privacy of their homes, away from the social glare. Without the supervision of medical experts, termination of pregnancies at home becomes a risky affair, endangering the lives of mothers.</p>

<p>Women largely rely on pills to terminate their pregnancies. India recorded a sale of 11 million units of popular abortion medicines, mifepristone, and misoprostol, as stated in June 2016&nbsp;report&nbsp;of&nbsp;Lancet, a global medical journal. In rural India, women prefer to take pills than being shamed in the hospital by health officials who still treat unwanted pregnancy as a taboo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The disparity in the recorded and estimated abortion figures was calculated taking into account that medicine sales are proof that women are aborting foetuses at home. More often than not mothers are forced to abort the foetus if the family comes to know that woman is about to give birth to a girl child. This is why India&rsquo;s gender ratio in 2011 was 940 females for 1000 males.</p>

<p>&nbsp;If pregnancy terminating pills are taken repeatedly there can be complications, such as severe abdominal or back pain, heavy bleeding with clotting, cramps, fever, vomiting, nausea, foul-smelling discharge, perforation, and injury.</p>

<p>According to the 2012&nbsp;study&nbsp;in Madhya Pradesh, published in the&nbsp;International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, induced-abortion-related complications are common for women who attempt to terminate their pregnancies at home, unaided.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Those who cannot get access to the abortion pills resort to quacks, thereby, putting their lives at greater risk.</p>

<p>Also, sometimes, pills don&rsquo;t manage to completely abort the foetus and makes surgical intervention necessary. According to WHO, 2 to 5% of Indian women require surgical intervention to resolve an incomplete abortion, terminate a continuing pregnancy, or control bleeding.</p>

<p>The rate of incomplete abortions has increased significantly in the last five years, stressing on the increase in unsuccessful medical abortion attempts made at homes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The legalisation of surgical abortion that came with the advent of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in 1971 is, thus, a blessing for Indian women.</p>

<p>Only if more contraception options were made available and our women would be more aware and empowered, this problem would have never arisen in the first place.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Indian women must know that there are five state-provisioned contraceptive methods that they can opt for to avoid untimed pregnancies. Condoms, combined oral pills, intrauterine devices, male and female sterilisation are the ones that have been talked about for some time now. The latest to be added to the list is an injectable contraceptive. In March 2016, Haryana became the first state to implement this new government initiative.</p>

<p>Despite these different protection methods being made available, ours is a country of teeming millions and one that reports an extremely high rate of unwanted pregnancies and abortion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It has been observed that most men are embarrassed to buy a condom and they also have a perception that condoms are for non-marital sex only. Social marketing of condoms was a strategy that was, thus, designed to tackle the inhibitions and taboos that were associated with condoms. The word &lsquo;pleasure&rsquo; was also introduced in condom advertisements to encourage men to use condoms.</p>

<p>Unwanted pregnancy decreases among women who have received higher education, have access to media and enjoy decision making powers in their household. This knowledge can come handy in identifying the most vulnerable group and, thus, chart prevention strategies and reproductive health programmes as per the target population&rsquo;s need.</p>

<p>Protected sex is the need of the hour. Let us address it. Together, let us save unprivileged women from sufferance. And to all the men who think they own their women let us tell them &ldquo;no ovary, no opinion&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


Unwanted pregnancies continue to spell doom for women in India. Use of protection is still not widespread and sometimes use of protection is just not a choice that the woman can make.

Unwanted pregnancies continue to spell doom for women in India. Use of protection is still not widespread. Access to contraceptive devices still limited. And sometimes use of protection is just not a choice that the woman can make. In most cases, in India, the decision to have a child or to say no to motherhood does not rest with the women, it is almost always the husband or any other member in authority who makes the choice. In the words of Dr Nilanchali Singh, author of a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, India’s women do not enjoy 'reproductive autonomy’ as the Indian male exerts reproductive control in several ways. He might choose to not give money to the woman financially dependent on him to buy contraceptive, he might use excuses saying he forgot to buy contraceptive or he might simply refuse to honour the woman’s request to use the contraceptive. All this leads to the recurrent pregnancies that are untimed and unwanted. 401 women were a part of Dr. Singh’s study. Of which, 45.14 per cent women said that they could not use a condom because it was their husband's decision, while 38.4 per cent said that they faced forced sex at the hands of their husbands. According to a research paper published in The Lancet Global Health medical journal on 11th December 2017, half of the total 48.1 million pregnancies in India in 2015 were unintended. The study added that India's abortion rate is 47 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, which is similar to rates in Pakistan (50), Nepal (42) and Bangladesh (39). Lack of awareness is the reason why the rate of unwanted- pregnancy is so high in the country. Women are not equipped to address family planning need. If women had the required education and access to contraceptives, the rate of unwanted pregnancies could be reduced significantly. Sad but true, medical abortion has become a proxy contraceptive for married women who belong to socially and economically less privileged households. Unwanted pregnancies necessitate termination of the foetus. Research shows most women prefer to terminate their pregnancies in the privacy of their homes, away from the social glare. Without the supervision of medical experts, termination of pregnancies at home becomes a risky affair, endangering the lives of mothers. Women largely rely on pills to terminate their pregnancies. India recorded a sale of 11 million units of popular abortion medicines, mifepristone, and misoprostol, as stated in June 2016 report of Lancet, a global medical journal. In rural India, women prefer to take pills than being shamed in the hospital by health officials who still treat unwanted pregnancy as a taboo. The disparity in the recorded and estimated abortion figures was calculated taking into account that medicine sales are proof that women are aborting foetuses at home. More often than not mothers are forced to abort the foetus if the family comes to know that woman is about to give birth to a girl child. This is why India’s gender ratio in 2011 was 940 females for 1000 males. If pregnancy terminating pills are taken repeatedly there can be complications, such as severe abdominal or back pain, heavy bleeding with clotting, cramps, fever, vomiting, nausea, foul-smelling discharge, perforation, and injury. According to the 2012 study in Madhya Pradesh, published in the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, induced-abortion-related complications are common for women who attempt to terminate their pregnancies at home, unaided. Those who cannot get access to the abortion pills resort to quacks, thereby, putting their lives at greater risk. Also, sometimes, pills don’t manage to completely abort the foetus and makes surgical intervention necessary. According to WHO, 2 to 5% of Indian women require surgical intervention to resolve an incomplete abortion, terminate a continuing pregnancy, or control bleeding. The rate of incomplete abortions has increased significantly in the last five years, stressing on the increase in unsuccessful medical abortion attempts made at homes. The legalisation of surgical abortion that came with the advent of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in 1971 is, thus, a blessing for Indian women. Only if more contraception options were made available and our women would be more aware and empowered, this problem would have never arisen in the first place. Indian women must know that there are five state-provisioned contraceptive methods that they can opt for to avoid untimed pregnancies. Condoms, combined oral pills, intrauterine devices, male and female sterilisation are the ones that have been talked about for some time now. The latest to be added to the list is an injectable contraceptive. In March 2016, Haryana became the first state to implement this new government initiative. Despite these different protection methods being made available, ours is a country of teeming millions and one that reports an extremely high rate of unwanted pregnancies and abortion. It has been observed that most men are embarrassed to buy a condom and they also have a perception that condoms are for non-marital sex only. Social marketing of condoms was a strategy that was, thus, designed to tackle the inhibitions and taboos that were associated with condoms. The word ‘pleasure’ was also introduced in condom advertisements to encourage men to use condoms. Unwanted pregnancy decreases among women who have received higher education, have access to media and enjoy decision making powers in their household. This knowledge can come handy in identifying the most vulnerable group and, thus, chart prevention strategies and reproductive health programmes as per the target population’s need. Protected sex is the need of the hour. Let us address it. Together, let us save unprivileged women from sufferance. And to all the men who think they own their women let us tell them “no ovary, no opinion” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Women still not empowered to stop forced pregnancies

<p>In Malia taluka of Junagadh district in Gujarat, a differently-abled woman was given the rights to her late father&rsquo;s land, which an uncle was trying to usurp; a woman from a minority community got a share in her husband&rsquo;s property after he forced her to leave the house, and she can now send their two children to school while the husband is on the run; another woman filed divorce proceedings against an adulterous husband and was assured of a monetary compensation, a house in Rajkot, and police protection.</p>

<p>These victories in a cluster of villages in Malia (also referred to as Maliya in some government records) have been won due to the efforts of a group of women to fight pervasive gender injustice. They have formed a Nyaya Samiti &ndash; a justice committee &ndash; to address cases of domestic violence and other vulnerabilities under a larger federation called the Maliya Mahila Manch. &nbsp;The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme was involved in its formation. Started in 2006, the Manch is a federation of 75 self-help groups consisting of 1,186 women from 56 villages. Its various committees include the Nyaya Samiti, a Swasth Samiti, a Sikhshan Samiti and a Vayvati Samiti &ndash; working on issues of justice, health, education, law and liaison with the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Nyaya Samiti has five members, all women in their 40 and 50s, working for the rights of women. (Others)</p>
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<p>The Nyaya Samiti has five members from different social and caste segments &ndash; Hiraben Parmar, Halimben Lakha, Geetaben Nemavat, Kanchanben Khanpara and Jayaben Khorasa. &nbsp;All the women, in their 40 and 50s, were part of the self-help groups for about five years before the federation collectively selected them as committee members.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the Samiti came together, its members were given information about judicial proceedings by a government legal advisor at the Junagadh district court. Thus equipped, they began handling complaints and cases. This they do in part by sending legal notices to the accused. Two members, Hiraben and Kanchanben, have some education, and draft the notices on the Manch&rsquo;s letterhead. Over time, by handling several cases, all five have become familiar with the relevant laws, and the lawyer- advisor also pitches in sometimes.</p>

<p>The verdicts are processed and delivered in a village &lsquo;court&rsquo; on the 14th of every month. The court is a site given to them by the gram panchayat in Bhanduri village.</p>

<p>&ldquo;A victim can file a case by giving 25 rupees as processing fee,&rdquo; Hiraben says. &ldquo;We send a notice to the accused and give a tentative date for the proceedings. We have faced a lot of problems [including] death threats. But when you try to do something good then courage follows automatically.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The committee listens to both sides and gives a verdict that can be acceptable to both. They have no official status and their methods are based on persuasion, mediation and taking the discussion to the larger community &ndash; sometimes, these discussions stretch across an entire day or even more than a day.</p>

<p>If, as has often happened, an accused resists the &lsquo;judgement&rsquo;, the committee has to enforce it with the support of the police or refer the case to the district court. If a case is successfully resolved, the &lsquo;client&rsquo; pays Rs. 500 to the Samiti as processing fee. The client also pays for expenses such as travel to the police station or the court. The Rs. 500 goes to the Samiti&rsquo;s account and covers minor expenses or the costs of those complainants who cannot afford to pay anything.</p>

<p>Various stories speak of the remarkable ability of the Samiti to fight for justice. &ldquo;In one of our cases, a husband [a well-off construction contractor] was cheating on his wife,&rdquo; Hamilben recalls. &ldquo;On being questioned about his infidelity, he started beating his wife frequently, and left her and their two children to fend for themselves.&rdquo; A previous client persuaded the woman to seek help from the Nyaya Samiti. She was initially afraid to do so, fearful that it might escalate the beating &ndash; but then she came to the Samiti.</p>

<p>A summons was sent to the man. He refused to show up and instead targeted the Samiti members. &ldquo;He would come with his goons to our office and threaten us, and pelt stones at our houses during the night. We were initially scared, but the police supported us,&rdquo; Hiraben says.</p>

<p>The determined Samiti women persisted with the case and sent three more summons. When the man still did not turn up, they again approached the police and he was compelled to appear for the judicial proceedings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Samiti tries to take an unprejudiced view. Both sides are given the space to come together and speak. After the hearing, each side is given different options to consider, especially regarding their children. In the case of the contractor, after detailed discussions, the Samiti asked him to give one of his houses in Rajkot and Rs. 2.5 lakhs to his wife after they were divorced.</p>

<p>But it is often difficult for the Samiti to ensure compliance. Hiraben says, &ldquo;In this same case, we took the woman to her house in Rajkot, broke open the lock that her husband had put on it and informed him. The man arrived in the village that night and mercilessly beat his wife. She managed to escape with the children and called me. I requested the sub-inspector of Rajkot to intervene.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Working on such issues has been an uphill journey for the women on the Samiti. They have had to overcome resistance even from their own families. Their years of self-help group work, which included bringing government schemes to the village, gave them an initial boost and credibility. And over time, their success in settling disputes, in reconciling families or resolving other problems, has given them wider credibility and acceptance.</p>

<p>Hiraben belongs to a socially-backward caste and lives on the village&rsquo;s periphery, but her work on the Samiti has earned her respect and repute in her own community as well as among other villagers. &ldquo;The cases we resolve act as moral support to other victims of violence. Our clients persuade other women and give them the courage to stand up against the tyranny of a male-dominated society. Isn&rsquo;t this a form of empowerment &ndash; to speak up against what is wrong?&rdquo; she asks, with pride.</p>

<p>The Samiti has resolved 32 cases so far. Such has been the success that families that have migrated to Rajkot, Una, Jamnagar and even Pune are now approaching the Samiti. The district court is supportive; in one instance, the judge, Hiraben recalls, admonished the appellant and said, &ldquo;Why would you want to waste your money here? Go see the federation [the Maliya Mahila Manch].&rdquo; It says a lot about these extraordinary women and their efforts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This <a href="rel=" target="blank">article</a> was originally published in <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


In Junagadh district, village women have formed a committee to fight against gender injustice, and their success is drawing queries from other districts and states.

In Malia taluka of Junagadh district in Gujarat, a differently-abled woman was given the rights to her late father’s land, which an uncle was trying to usurp; a woman from a minority community got a share in her husband’s property after he forced her to leave the house, and she can now send their two children to school while the husband is on the run; another woman filed divorce proceedings against an adulterous husband and was assured of a monetary compensation, a house in Rajkot, and police protection. These victories in a cluster of villages in Malia (also referred to as Maliya in some government records) have been won due to the efforts of a group of women to fight pervasive gender injustice. They have formed a Nyaya Samiti – a justice committee – to address cases of domestic violence and other vulnerabilities under a larger federation called the Maliya Mahila Manch. The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme was involved in its formation. Started in 2006, the Manch is a federation of 75 self-help groups consisting of 1,186 women from 56 villages. Its various committees include the Nyaya Samiti, a Swasth Samiti, a Sikhshan Samiti and a Vayvati Samiti – working on issues of justice, health, education, law and liaison with the government. The Nyaya Samiti has five members, all women in their 40 and 50s, working for the rights of women. (Others) × The Nyaya Samiti has five members from different social and caste segments – Hiraben Parmar, Halimben Lakha, Geetaben Nemavat, Kanchanben Khanpara and Jayaben Khorasa. All the women, in their 40 and 50s, were part of the self-help groups for about five years before the federation collectively selected them as committee members. When the Samiti came together, its members were given information about judicial proceedings by a government legal advisor at the Junagadh district court. Thus equipped, they began handling complaints and cases. This they do in part by sending legal notices to the accused. Two members, Hiraben and Kanchanben, have some education, and draft the notices on the Manch’s letterhead. Over time, by handling several cases, all five have become familiar with the relevant laws, and the lawyer- advisor also pitches in sometimes. The verdicts are processed and delivered in a village ‘court’ on the 14th of every month. The court is a site given to them by the gram panchayat in Bhanduri village. “A victim can file a case by giving 25 rupees as processing fee,” Hiraben says. “We send a notice to the accused and give a tentative date for the proceedings. We have faced a lot of problems [including] death threats. But when you try to do something good then courage follows automatically.” The committee listens to both sides and gives a verdict that can be acceptable to both. They have no official status and their methods are based on persuasion, mediation and taking the discussion to the larger community – sometimes, these discussions stretch across an entire day or even more than a day. If, as has often happened, an accused resists the ‘judgement’, the committee has to enforce it with the support of the police or refer the case to the district court. If a case is successfully resolved, the ‘client’ pays Rs. 500 to the Samiti as processing fee. The client also pays for expenses such as travel to the police station or the court. The Rs. 500 goes to the Samiti’s account and covers minor expenses or the costs of those complainants who cannot afford to pay anything. Various stories speak of the remarkable ability of the Samiti to fight for justice. “In one of our cases, a husband [a well-off construction contractor] was cheating on his wife,” Hamilben recalls. “On being questioned about his infidelity, he started beating his wife frequently, and left her and their two children to fend for themselves.” A previous client persuaded the woman to seek help from the Nyaya Samiti. She was initially afraid to do so, fearful that it might escalate the beating – but then she came to the Samiti. A summons was sent to the man. He refused to show up and instead targeted the Samiti members. “He would come with his goons to our office and threaten us, and pelt stones at our houses during the night. We were initially scared, but the police supported us,” Hiraben says. The determined Samiti women persisted with the case and sent three more summons. When the man still did not turn up, they again approached the police and he was compelled to appear for the judicial proceedings. The Samiti tries to take an unprejudiced view. Both sides are given the space to come together and speak. After the hearing, each side is given different options to consider, especially regarding their children. In the case of the contractor, after detailed discussions, the Samiti asked him to give one of his houses in Rajkot and Rs. 2.5 lakhs to his wife after they were divorced. But it is often difficult for the Samiti to ensure compliance. Hiraben says, “In this same case, we took the woman to her house in Rajkot, broke open the lock that her husband had put on it and informed him. The man arrived in the village that night and mercilessly beat his wife. She managed to escape with the children and called me. I requested the sub-inspector of Rajkot to intervene.” Working on such issues has been an uphill journey for the women on the Samiti. They have had to overcome resistance even from their own families. Their years of self-help group work, which included bringing government schemes to the village, gave them an initial boost and credibility. And over time, their success in settling disputes, in reconciling families or resolving other problems, has given them wider credibility and acceptance. Hiraben belongs to a socially-backward caste and lives on the village’s periphery, but her work on the Samiti has earned her respect and repute in her own community as well as among other villagers. “The cases we resolve act as moral support to other victims of violence. Our clients persuade other women and give them the courage to stand up against the tyranny of a male-dominated society. Isn’t this a form of empowerment – to speak up against what is wrong?” she asks, with pride. The Samiti has resolved 32 cases so far. Such has been the success that families that have migrated to Rajkot, Una, Jamnagar and even Pune are now approaching the Samiti. The district court is supportive; in one instance, the judge, Hiraben recalls, admonished the appellant and said, “Why would you want to waste your money here? Go see the federation [the Maliya Mahila Manch].” It says a lot about these extraordinary women and their efforts. This article was originally published in People's Archive of Rural India (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: A league of extraordinary women in Gujarat

<p>The direct and indirect costs of having children can be high and, in many societies, women most often shoulder these costs.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Mothers accrue less wealth</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p><strong>Why wealth differences matter</strong></p>

<p>The reduced wealth of mothers as compared to fathers and to women without children has many important implications.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p><strong>International differences</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Gender-based wealth inequality as a result of parenthood may be weaker in more egalitarian societies, such as Sweden.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p><strong>Economic</strong><strong> well-being of women and men</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>In the meantime, mothers will continue to struggle to save up for that rainy day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


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

<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>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>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 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>&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>

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<p>&#39;Half of our Corbett Waste Worker team are women and they are doing a really fabulous job&#39; (Others)</p>
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<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>

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<p>The biggest challenges are raising funds, trying to work with the government and encouraging people to appreciate the importance of cleanliness (Others)</p>
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<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

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