Boss Ladies of Digital South Asia
With the number of social media users expected to touch six billion in 2027, a new, dynamic market is emerging. South Asian women entrepreneurs are here to reach that whole new world of consumers as they break the stereotypes and patriarchal norms. Anum Hanif, Lubna Jerar Naqvi, Shreya Pareek and Zeba Warsi report from across the border
Go solo, woman, see the world
Today more and more Indian women are choosing to undertake journeys travelling solo, ignoring the incredulous question, ‘Are you travelling alone?’ Debayani Bose gives a lowdown on this new trend
Afghanistan: Taliban launch female-staffed security unit to disperse women's protests
Kabul: The Taliban have established a public security unit made up of female employees who will presumably disperse protesting women in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday.
Married and dating
Shackled to unhappy marriages or insipid sex life, many educated women in India are opting to explore new relationships with help of dating Apps. Ritusmita Biswas reports on the trend of women shedding inhibition and swiping right on Tinder, Bumble et al.
High on heels, low on freedom
Should women, in this age, be forced to wear high heels, however uncomfortable it may be, citing corporate culture? The jury is out following a protest campaign by women in Japan recently. What is the view in India with a high number of women working in the corporate sector today? Madhumita Mookerji probes
Touch the sun
Kolkata-born Indian American astrophysicist Madhulika Guhathakurta has been fascinated by the stars from a young age. Presently working at NASA she leads many signature programmes, particularly researches on the sun. She speaks to SPAN magazine writer Natasa Milas about her passion
Challenging the waves
Age is no bar for Sucheta Jadhav who at 50 has done a trans-Atlantic crossing recently. Based in Goa where she has a day job that helps to pursue her passion, she has learnt sailing in the last two years. This is her own story, told first hand
She climbs to conquer
Aparna Kumar becomes the first Indian woman to conquer world's 8th highest peak Manaslu in Nepal. Vincent Van Ross listens to the exciting journey of the IPS officer and mother of two who earlier scaled Mt. Everest
Escape from Terror
The Fortnight on Elimination of Violence Against Women, mandated by a UN declaration, begins on 25 November and ends onInternational Human Rights Day, 10 December. Violence against women still continues worldwide, including India, but women are also fighting back, reports Aninnya Sarkar
Internet cosplays, webcamming on the rise
Sex has always been a part of the web, be it internet pornographic sites or sites providing users with voyeuristic opportunities. However, of late, users have moved on from being the conventional mute watcher for a more interactive role. Models too have benefited from this. Thus allowing webcamming and cosplays to flourish. Sudipto Maity reports
She is having a baby
Many women in America or other western countries are choosing out-of-hospital childbirth, much to the dismay of insurance companies. In less developed countries such as India, out-of-hospital births are usually not a choice but a necessity. But even in that country, some upper-class women are joining the natural birth trend. Elizabeth Cassidy, Sarah Wynn and Aninnya Sarkar report from USA and India. Multimedia by Rachel Thomas
Internet Saathi: A friend in need
The Internet has become a part of life for a huge section of Indian population. However, its use is largely confined to urban or semi-urban areas. The Internet Saathi programme is different. It teaches rural women to use and benefit from the Internet, writes New York based Michael Gallant
A publishing company run entirely by women
Though the publishing industry is dominated by men, there is one leading publishing company in India run entirely by young women.
The sanitary man
Twinkle Khanna, columnist and writer, and Akshay Kumars wife, is producing Padman, as a first venture of her new production house. It is based on the true story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a man who has revolutionised the stigma teenage girls and women have to go through during the menstruation period. Shoma Chatterji reports on the celluloid versions of the man every woman adores
Sen and Sensibility
Aparna Sens new film Sonata, will be releasing any time now. It is adapted from an English play by noted Marathi playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar in 2000 whose plays and writings have been made into films. Sonata makes a strong point about female bonding between and among women where language, culture, education and region do not count. Shoma A. Chatterji gives a ring-side view into her work
In the Phogat tradition
Ritu Phogat, the third of the now famous Phogat sisters, has set her eyes on the coveted Olympics Gold and training under her hard taskmaster father. Shabina Akhtar in conversation with the young wrestler
Say hello to the witches!
As the Harry Potter books are getting introduced in the new school syllabus in India, Surangama Guha Roy takes a look at the women characters in the series and the authors portrayal of them
Indian minor trafficked for sex, attends school for the first time
Hers is a disturbing story of being trafficked, raped and forced into prostitution at the tender age of eight. But at the end of the tunnel there is a ray of hope for Sakshi as she attends school for the first time after her rescue by an NGO. Liza Gomes reports on the plight of child sex workers from Kolkata
Going the distance
Long distance marriages are getting more common these days in urban India. But those women who quit their jobs to be with their spouses also face criticism from certain sections of society considering the act anti-Feminist. Surangama Guha takes look at both sides of the coin
Our focus now is on spreading literacy: Shyamashree Sen
Shyamashree Sen wrote herself into the history books earlier this month, when she became the only second female District Governor of Rotary International District 3291 in Kolkata. In a chat with IBNS correspondent Supriyo Hazra, Sen opens up about her post and the plan she has in store. Excerpts:
Boredom drove me to open my own company: Chaity Ghosh
Boredom drove her to seek unchartered territory as she left her well salaried job to start her own event management company and thus Phreedom 4ever was formed. Chaity Ghosh has headed the health insurance sector, followed by the financial sector and entertainment business. The entrepreneur's next endeavor is film production. IBNS correspondent Sudipto Maity finds out what keeps her ticking.
'We campaign to abolish triple-talaaq'
Zakia Soman, the co-founder of Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), which now has over 70,000 members, is a gritty woman standing behind women qazis of Jaipur and for empowerment of Muslim women with a model nikahnama. She is spearheading a silent social revolution in the backward Muslim community to stand up against injustice and patriarchy. Rajasthan Post/TWF correspondent Rekha Pal speaks to her in Jaipur
A big jump worth taking
Moving from academia to starting her own business on urban transport solutions was a hard decision for Anvita Arora but it has been a rewarding experience. California based independent journalist Steve Fox reports
Safety net
After the Uber rape case a few months ago in New Delhi, do women feel safe travelling in on-demand cabs alone late evening or night? Many are wary. However, post- incident, the private cab companies went back to the drawing board to beef up their security aspects. Madhumita Mookerjee explores
Tweeting for a cause
Much has been said about social media like the Twitter as an attention grabbing tool. But in todays fast moving communication era it is also being used for serious causes like fighting gender violence, writes SPAN writer Carrie Loewenthal Massey
Silence is death
Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal is the grand dame of English theatre in India. Yet, she stepped into theatre almost by accident. Recently in Kolkata to take part in the second Solo Arts Fiesta, she spoke to TWF correspondent Shoma A. Chatterji about her journey
Top Headlines
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