Even as cross-border shelling intensifies in Kashmir, women and girls stay away from bunkers where sexual assault is prevalent. While the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan has long been disputed, conflict along the de facto border has escalated in recent months. When alarms sound, many people rush to privately owned community bunkers. However, some […]
Women at the Forefront of Protests in India Over Citizenship Laws
Women are some of the most vehement opponents of two new laws in India that endanger the citizenship rights of groups such as Muslims, impoverished women, lower castes, and LGBTQ people. Enacted in December 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act accelerates the process to obtain Indian citizenship for undocumented refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The […]
Legal Abortion Upper Limit Raised to 24 Weeks in India
The Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which will raise the upper limit for abortion to 24 weeks from 20. Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that this was passed as “here was the demand from section of women, doctors and […]
Women Lead Protests in India Over Islamophobic Law
Women are leading the charge with protests against India’s new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which provides a path for citizenship for many “persecuted minorities” – but specifically leaves out Muslims as one of those minorities. People are upset that India, an officially secular nation, is singling out Muslim people and not providing them the same […]
More Women are becoming Sharia Judges in India
Women are now being trained as “qazis,” or Islamic judges who rule over marriage, divorce, and other relationship issues in India, allowing Indian brides to find justice within the Muslim community. The female qazis, unlike male qazis, listen to both individuals that are involved in the relationship and provide women information regarding their legal rights. […]
US Embassies fly Pride Flag Despite Denial from Trump Administration
Monday, Mike Pence came out in support of the Trump administration’s decision to repudiate U.S. embassies’ for flying the pride flag, making nationalist claims that only one flag can fly, after U.S Embassies in Vienna, India, and South Korea all flew the pride in celebration of the LGBTQ community, despite previous denial from Trump Administration, […]
India Congress Spokesperson Quits Over Male Inappropriate Conduct
Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Congressional Spokesperson for India’s UPCC Party, has resigned from her position. Chaturvedi stated in a message on Twitter that this was a result of misbehavior by workers as well as a lack of regard for her within the party ranks. The UPCC Party recently reinstated multiple workers who Chaturvedi claims “misbehaved” toward […]
Court Rules TikTok Video App No Longer Permitted in India
The TikTok App has been removed from Indian Google and Apple Stores this week, as a result of a state court ruling. The app was determined to be exposing children to inappropriate content. The Indian Supreme Court Tuesday allowed for the lower court ruling on blocking Tik Tok downloads to stand. The state court of […]
Indian Political Party Nominates 41 Percent Female Candidates
The Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) is attempting to rectify India’s poor representation of women in their lawmaking bodies by nominating 41 percent women candidates for races in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. Despite women making up almost half of India’s 900 million voters, women make up only 11 percent of members in […]
India Supreme Court Considering Allowing Women into Mosques
India’s Supreme Court is now considering a case to allow women into mosques. Currently, most mosques in India do not allow women in at all or have a separate entrance for women to worship in a segregated area. Individuals began a petition to allow women into mosques, arguing that women were allowed to do so […]
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FMF Supported Documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” Wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary
The documentary short, “Period. End of Sentence.”, which tells the story of women in a small village outside Delhi, India who are leading a quiet revolution against the deeply rooted stigma surrounding menstruation, won an Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject on Sunday night at the 91st Academy Awards.
Pope Admits Reports of Clerics Sexually Abusing Nuns
During a trip to the Middle East, Pope Francis admitted that some clerics were sexually abusing nuns, stating that the sexual abuse of nuns has been an ongoing problem that the church is working on and that many clerics have been suspended. In two weeks, Pope Francis will be hosting a gathering of bishops and […]
Indian Women Continue Their Struggle to Access Temples
Last week, around five million Indian women formed the “Women’s Wall” in the southern state of Kerala to draw attention to their continued fight to have equal access to religious sites. The five million woman wall stretched 620 kilometers or 385 miles across Kerala, India.
A Win for India’s Women’s Rights Movement
Today India’s Supreme Court ruled the religious practice of “triple talaq,” which allows men to divorce their wives by simply repeating the word “divorce” three times, unconstitutional.
India’s Only Newspaper Run Entirely by Women Goes Digital
India’s only newspaper produced exclusively by women, Khabar Lahariya (New Waves), continues to break down barriers by going digital, posting video reports and instant updates on WhatsApp and Facebook.
Retaliation Gang Rape in India amid Widespread Sexual Violence
A 21-year-old student in India is recovering after she was abducted, drugged and raped by five men, two of whom are currently out on bail awaiting trial for gang raping the same woman in 2013.
Transgender Woman Elected Mayor in India
On Sunday, independent candidate Madhu Kinnar was elected mayor over Mahaveer Guruji of the popular Bharatiya Janata Party by more than 4,500 votes.
Over 50 Women Hospitalized and 12 Dead in India After Botched Mass Sterilization at Government-Run Camp
Although four health officials, including one man who received an award last year for having performed 50,000 sterilization procedures, have been suspended, the Indian government denies claims of negligence.
‘Revenge Rape’ in India Leads to Three Arrests
A man in eastern India was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl this week in “retaliation” for the girl’s brother having allegedly sexually assaulted a woman.
Brutal Assault and Death of Teenage Girl Spark Protests in India
Protests have erupted in India after a 16-year-old girl was gang raped in two separate attacks and fatally set on fire. Via Shutterstock The girl was first assaulted in late October by more than six men near her home in Madhyagram town, near Calcutta. She went to the police the next day to report it, and […]
