5th Int’l Women’s Trade Expo 2021 from Thursday
My Republica - Kathmandu, Nepal, 8/31/2021
The 5th International Women’s Trade Expo is scheduled to start on September 2, 2021. The expo, which is being organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) virtually, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Speaking at a press conference to inform about the five-day expo, FWEAN President Reeta Simha said the fair would prove to be a cornerstone in promoting and marketing the products produced by women in the national and international markets. Stating that women entrepreneurs were struggling to save and rehabilitate and revive their businesses due to the pandemic, she claimed that the fair will help them face the challenges in marketing their products.
Women Allowed to Study but No Co-Education in Afghanistan: Taliban Acting Education Minister
India Today, Afghanistan, 8/30/2021
Afghan women will be allowed to study at university but there would be a ban on co-ed classes under their rule, the Taliban's acting higher education minister said. "The... people of Afghanistan will continue their higher education in the light of Sharia law in safety without being in a mixed male and female environment," Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Taliban's acting minister for higher education said at a meeting with elders. The group has pledged to respect progress made in women's rights, but only according to their strict interpretation of Islamic law. No women were present at the meeting in Kabul.
Transgender Passengers Get Separate Toilets at Delhi Metro
Outlook, India, 8/29/2021
With a view to make metro accessible for transgender passengers, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has allowed them to use toilets which were till now meant only for commuters with disabilities. Transgender commuters who wish to use gender-segregated toilets as per their self-identified gender can also continue to do so, they said. To guide transgenders people to these toilets, bilingual signages (English and Hindi both), along with symbols for both categories - 'Persons with Disability' and 'Transgender Persons' - have been installed adjacent to these toilets. The provisions of section 22 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, mandates adequate welfare measures for transgender persons at all public buildings including public toilet facilities.
Sanem: 1% rise in Women Employment Can Cause 0.31% Economic Growth
Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh, 8/29/2021
As per the study titled "Role of Women’s Economic Empowerment in Bangladesh Economy" by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem) and World Vision Bangladesh (WVB), a 1% increase in women employment can effectively increase economic growth by 0.31%. The study followed the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to identify whether women’s economic participation has any long-term relationship with the GDP growth. The study did not find any significant relationship between GDP growth and women or men’s employment in the short run. It also mentioned that women’s contribution to the national economy is much lower than it could be due to their low participation in the labour market.
Sexual Crimes Rising Due to Misuse of Mobile Phones: Pakistan PM
ANI - Islamabad, Pakistan, 8/27/2021
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan recently claimed that sexual crimes were rising in the country due to misuse of mobile phones. Khan’s remarks have drawn massive criticism on social media. Twitter users have slammed him for not blaming the real culprits for sexual violence. One user wrote, “They’ll blame everything under the sun except the culprits.” Khan added that ‘such incidents’ were happening as children were not being guided properly. “In the past, the respect the women were getting in our country was nowhere to be seen in the world. In the West, women did not get that respect which they use to get here,” he said.
Dalit Authors, Mahasweta Devi Removed from English Syllabus, DU Comes Under Fire
The Indian Express - New Delhi, India, 8/26/2021
Delhi University has been criticised by the Academic Council (AC) after it removed renowned author Mahasweta Devi’s short story, ‘Draupadi’ and two Dalit authors - Bama and Sukhartharini - from the English syllabus. 15 AC members submitted a dissent note against the Oversight Committee (OC) and its functioning. ‘Draupadi’ has been taught by the University of Delhi since 1999 owing to its seminal academic value, the AC members said. “The Oversight Committee has always shown a prejudice against the representation of Dalits, tribals, women and sexual minorities as evident in its concerted efforts to remove all such voices from the syllabus,” AC members added.
HC Asks Delhi Government to Respond to Plea to Ban Sex-Selective Surgeries on Intersex Infants, Kids
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 8/25/2021
The Delhi high court on August 25, 2021 sought a response from Delhi government and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on a petition seeking to declare a ban on medically unnecessary sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants and children except in cases of life-threatening situations. The petition filed by NGO, Srishti Madurai Educational Research Foundation, said the sex-selective surgeries in early infancy or childhood have a long-lasting drastic psychological impact on intersex people and deters them from seeking medical attention in adulthood. The petitioner sought direction from the government to frame a detailed policy or guidelines specifying the conditions when medical surgery on intersex infants and children can be performed.
Researcher, Author Dr. Gail Omvedt Passes Away at 81
The Indian Express - Pune, Maharashtra, 8/25/2021
Academician Dr. Gail Omvedt passed away on August 25, 2021 at the age of 81. Omvedt, an American-born Indian scholar, co-founded Shramik Mukti Dal with her husband and activist Bharat Patankar. She authored books on Dalit politics, women’s struggles and the anti-caste movement. Dr. Gail Omvedt was a prolific writer and a powerful social scientist who brought to the fore Phule-Ambedkar’s legacy in the context of rising social movements in the post-emergency period, said Dr. Vibhuti Patel, Vice President of Indian Association for Women’s Studies. The Dalit Intellectual Collective in a statement said that Dr. Omvedt did not let feminists forget that caste and class must be spoken of, along with gender at all times.
Australia Evacuates More Than 50 Afghan Women Athletes and Dependents - ABC
Reuters - Canberra, Australia, 8/24/2021
Australia evacuated more than 50 women Afghan athletes and their dependents after lobbying by prominent figures from the sporting world on August 24, 2021. FIFPRO, the worldwide association for professional footballers that has also been heavily involved in efforts to get the athletes out, confirmed the group evacuation without giving numbers. Khalida Popal, a former Afghan women’s team captain now living in Denmark, hailed this an important victory. “The women footballers have been brave and strong in a moment of crisis and we hope they will have a better life outside Afghanistan,” she said. Nikki Dryden, who swam for Canada at two Olympic games, worked with an Australian lawyer to complete the visa application for the athletes, who included two Afghan Paralympians.
Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan Criticised Over Female Footballers Comments
BBC, Tanzania, 8/23/2021
Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been condemned for describing the country’s women footballers as having “flat chests” and being unattractive for marriage. Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female head of state, made the remarks while hosting Tanzania’s under-23 men’s football team at State House in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam. She said that while women footballers were making the East African country proud by winning trophies, some did not stand a chance of getting married because of the way they looked. President Samia became president in March, 2021 when she replaced John Magufuli, who was criticised for enforcing a ban on girls who were pregnant, or mothers, going to school.
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