Over 1.6 Crore Sanitary Pads Sold at Subsidised Rates Under Asmita Yojana: Maharashtra Govt to HC
Hindustan Times - Mumbai, Maharashtra, 7/31/2020
The Maharashtra government on July 31, 2020 informed the Bombay High Court (HC) that over 1.6 crore sanitary pads have been sold at highly subsidised rates to adolescent girls and women across the state. In an affidavit filed on July 31, 2020, the government said that the Asmita Yojana has been implemented, since it was introduced in 2018, with the objective of ensuring accessibility of affordable sanitary pads across rural Maharashtra. The affidavit was submitted in reply to a public interest litigation (PIL), jointly filed by Nikita Gore and Vaishnavi Gholave. In the PIL, the petitioners sought proper implementation of the national guidelines for menstrual hygiene management issued by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2015.
Over 1.6 Crore Sanitary Pads Sold at Subsidised Rates Under Asmita Yojana: Maharashtra Govt to HC
Hindustan Times - Mumbai, Maharashtra, 7/31/2020
The Maharashtra government on July 31, 2020 informed the Bombay High Court (HC) that over 1.6 crore sanitary pads have been sold at highly subsidised rates to adolescent girls and women across the state. In an affidavit filed on July 31, 2020, the government said that the Asmita Yojana has been implemented, since it was introduced in 2018, with the objective of ensuring accessibility of affordable sanitary pads across rural Maharashtra. The affidavit was submitted in reply to a public interest litigation (PIL), jointly filed by Nikita Gore and Vaishnavi Gholave. In the PIL, the petitioners sought proper implementation of the national guidelines for menstrual hygiene management issued by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2015.
Mexico Supreme Court Rejects State's Bid to Decriminalise Abortion
BBC News, Mexico, 7/30/2020
Mexico's Supreme Court has rejected a landmark injunction on abortion rights across the country. The case revolved around an injunction granted in the eastern state of Veracruz, which would have effectively decriminalised termination in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In an article a week before the verdict, reproductive rights organisation GIRE said they hoped the court's decision would be a "historic opportunity" for pro-choice campaigners. But four out of the Supreme Court's five justices voted against upholding the injunction. Removing articles 149, 150 and 154 of the local Penal Code would have decriminalised abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, allowed terminations for health reasons, and gotten rid of the time limit on abortions in the case of rape.
IIT Gandhinagar Concluded First Ever Pan-India Workshop for Women in Computing
Telangana Today, India, 7/29/2020
A pan-India virtual workshop for women in computing, hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), was held from July 24 to 26, 2020. The workshop was co-organized by IITGN, ACM-W India Council (the Association for Computing Machinery's India Council on Women in Computing), and the ACM India Council, and was supported by Google and TCS. The workshop was aimed to help Indian women graduate students in the field of computing deal with various situations through their graduate years and beyond. The panellists guided the students in various aspects of their graduate careers, such as finding a research topic, honing their reading and writing skills, achieving work-life balance, opportunities beyond graduate school and much more.
India's First Mother-Child Vertical Transmission of Covid-19 Case in Pune
Livemint - Pune, Maharashtra, 7/28/2020
The Sassoon General Hospital in Maharashtra has claimed to have reported the country's first case of 'vertical transmission' of the coronavirus infection from a mother to her child through the placenta. Vertical transmission takes place when the foetus is in the uterus. If a pregnant woman is infected, the transmission of the virus takes place through the placenta – an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy and provides oxygen and nutrients to the foetus. Explaining the phenomena, Sassoon General Hospital's paediatrics department head Dr Aarti Kinikar told that when a person contracts the infection, it is mainly because of some contact with fomites. If the mother is infected, the baby can be infected post-natally because of breastfeeding or any other contacts.
Egypt Jails Five Women Influencers over TikTok Posts
Reuters - Cairo, Egypt, 7/27/2020
An Egyptian court has sentenced five female social media influencers to two years in jail each on charges of violating public morals. The ruling, which can be appealed, included a fine of 300,000 Egyptian Pounds ($18,750) for each defendant. Human rights activists and social media users launched a digital campaign in July, 2020 demanding Egyptian authorities to release the women, calling the arrests a “violation of freedom of opinion and expression”. Nehad Abu El Komsan, head of the Egyptian Center for Women Rights, said she had reservations over the phrase “violating family values and principles” but she viewed human trafficking and exploiting young girls for money as a “horrible crime”. “We have to differentiate between freedom of expression and using minors to generate money,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Representation of Women, Workers Drops in LG System
Dawn - Lahore, Pakistan, 7/26/2020
According to a report titled “The Punjab Local Govt Act 2019”, launched on July 25, 2020, the representation of women has reduced from 33 percent in 2001 to less than 10 per cent in the new Local Government system. The report was issued by the Women in Struggle for Empowerment (Wise) in Lahore. This decrease negates the government commitments under SDG - 5, its national policies and its action plans devised for the political empowerment of women. Salman Abid, Ideas Director, recommended that the ratio of women’s representation be set at a basic minimum of at least 33 percent at all LG tiers.
Methinee Chalothorn Named Thailand's First Female President of Supreme Court
The Star - Bangkok, Thailand, 7/25/2020
A senior woman judge, Methinee Chalothorn was on July 24, 2020 named Thailand's first female president of the Supreme Court. The 64-year-old Methinee, who started up her judicial career in 1981, was promoted from the post of a Vice President of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the panel also promoted two other women as judicial heads. Piyakul Boonpherm was promoted from the post of the chief justice of the Supreme Court's bankruptcy division to the post of the Appeals Court President. Nucharin Chanphraisri was promoted from the post of a Chief Justice in the Supreme Court to the post of the Chief of the Supreme Court's division in charge of lawsuits against politicians.
Women Seeking Help from Violence Almost Doubles in Mexico Lockdown
Thomson Reuters Foundation - Mexico City, Mexico, 7/24/2020
According to the country's largest network of shelters for victims of violence, the number of women and children seeking help at shelters against violence has surged by more than 80% in Mexico under the coronavirus lockdown. The National Network of Shelters, which includes about 69 refuges across Mexico, also said the number of calls and texts it had received about family or gender-based violence had risen by 55% between March and June compared to a year ago. The group stated, "Women in Mexico are facing two pandemics: COVID-19 and family violence." Reportedly, the National Network of Shelters said it had helped more than 20,000 people during the pandemic, an increase of 71% compared to the same period last year.
Social Justice Ministry Plans to Launch National Helpline for the Transgender Community
The New Indian Express - New Delhi, India, 7/23/2020
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is planning to launch a national helpline to offer legal, health and psychological support to members of the transgender community. Currently, the Ministry is running a temporary helpline to offer psychological support to members of the community which is likely to function till July 31, 2020. As part of running the national helpline, the Ministry will be empaneling doctors, counsellors and legal experts from across cities who would offer support to callers. The Ministry is planning to tie up with partner organisations to run the helpline. A ministry official said the helpline will be a comprehensive and cost-effective way to reach out to community members and help step up outreach for members of the transgender community.
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