THE NEWS IN
PROPORTION
17 February 2020
17 February 2020
MATRILINEAL TRIBES
Lessons from tribals on surviving and thriving
Lessons from tribals on surviving and thriving
An ancient matrilineal tribe of northeast India has a thriving culture and an increasing population, while a similarly ancient Dravidian matrilineal tribe is in danger of vanishing. Linda Chhakchhuak reports on what the Dravidian tribe can learn from the northeastern tribe to revive its culture and population.
SEX WORKERS' LIVES
Where dignity is the first and most pressing needWhile debates over legalisation of sex work and rehabilitation of women in the trade continue without much tangible impact, sex workers themselves carry on the fight to win legitimacy, safety and social security. Pushpa Achanta brings us some voices from the twilight zone.
TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION
India’s “third gender” enters poll fray with new hopeIn a first, the Lok Sabha Election this year has at least four candidates from the transgender community, traditionally one of the most under-represented groups in the electorate as well as political leadership. Prabhu Mallikarjunan looks at their participation this year, as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
GENDER JUSTICE
Rape laws have changed, but what about the judiciary?Laws addressing sexual violence may have changed in India, but with judicial response mired in scepticism and age-old attitudes towards rape survivors, there is little hope for justice. In conversation with Pamela Philipose, noted lawyer Vrinda Grover exposes the contradictions in the legal system.
WOMEN IN POLITICS
Whose dynasty is it anyway?If 34 per cent of current parliamentarians have family ties and all those under 30 years are hereditary MPs, the concern over women alone leveraging family connections in politics seems misplaced. As the Women's Reservation Bill awaits yet another round of consideration, Ammu Joseph wonders if women politicians can and do make a difference.
ONLINE ABUSE OF WOMEN
Why trolls have it so easyThreats of rape, kidnap and stripping have become commonplace against women on the Internet. Is it because of the limits of law itself or the fact that very few women seek legal recourse in such matters? Vaishnavi Vittal explores.
GENDER JUSTICE
Anti-rape law: Can India get it right?As Parliament prepares to pass new anti-rape legislation on the basis of the government-promulgated ordinance, Padmalatha Ravi discusses recommendations of the seminal report by the Committee that underlines the need for law that is better conceived.
PROPERTY RIGHTS
Rightfully hersThe proposed Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill is a policy move in the right direction - to acknowledge the critical role women play in building and maintaining a household's assets, write Hema Swaminathan, Suchitra Yegnanarayan and Rahul Lahoti.
PRS LEGISLATIVE BRIEF
One-third of the lawmakersAfter decades of delay and debate, are political parties finally about to enact higher representation for women in the legislatures? Kaushiki Sanyal presents a legislative brief on the proposed Constitutional Amendment.
COHABITATION VS. MARRIAGE
Living-in: Shades of greyA Supreme Court ruling putting live-in relationships on par with marriages raises difficult questions. Will it pit one woman's right to legal protection against another's? Does it overlook bigamy? Shoma Chatterji reports.
LEGISLATION
Regulating domestic workThe Domestic Worker's Bill, if passed, will be an important step toward securing the rights of a large chunk of the unorganised workforce. But as with all laws, the real test of this legislation will be in its implementation, writes Anuja Agrawal.
VICTIMISED AGAIN
Rapist to victim: will you marry me?Dilution or outright waiver of punishment if a rapist offers to marry his victim is an extra-legal step, one that is not written into law anywhere. But it continues to be entertained because the internalisation of stigmatisation is wide-spread, and even the victims believe it. Shoma Chatterji reports.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT
A mirage, in the guise of a law'Protection' is a two-edged weapon. The very fact that this is the principal focus of the Act for women within marriage or out-of-marriage relationships only reinforces the view that women, by and large, are vulnerable to all kinds of violence in their relationships with men, writes Shoma Chatterji.
India Together offers an excellent forum for people from diverse fields of expertise to present their views, share their experiences and raise questions about where our country and society are headed in the future.
Amitabha Basu
- Retired Scientist
- National Physical
- Laboratory
- India Together reader
India Together
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From Aug 2013, published with support from Oorvani Foundation, a champion of public-funded media for the new India.
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