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South Asia | India | Business

Meet Captain Monica Khanna, who safely landed SpiceJet flight after engine fire

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Captain Monica Khanna’s quick-thinking saved the lives of around 185 passengers on board the SpiceJet flight that caught fire shortly after takeoff on Sunday. The Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight safely returned to Patna after cabin crew noticed sparks flying out of the left engine of the aircraft and alerted the pilots. Captain Monica Khanna – the pilot in-charge – acted calmly and took control of the situation. After consulting with First Officer Balpreet Singh Bhatia, she switched off the affected engine and landed the ‘overweight’ aircraft skillfully in Patna.
South Asia | Afghanistan | Culture

The Taliban orders women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public

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Taliban officials announced that women and girls would be expected to stay home, and if they were to venture out, to cover in all-encompassing loose clothing that only reveals their eyes – preferably, a burka. The restrictions on women's movement and dress are the harshest that the Taliban have announced since they came to power in August. It suggested the increasing dominance of the group's hard-line leaders, who appear to be behind the extended ban on most women and girls attending secondary school. Saturday's announcement seemed to confirm the fears of many Afghans that the Taliban
South Asia | Afghanistan | Activism

The activists leading efforts for women’s rights at Afghan talks

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Jamila Afghani, a prominent women's rights activist, was getting ready to address a peace dialogue attended by Afghan leaders and Taliban representatives in Doha, when she got the news of an attack back home. Sponsored by Qatar and Germany, the two-day talks in Doha are attended by Taliban representatives and about 50 Afghan politicians and activists, including 10 female delegates. Afghani said many young female Afghans were pinning their hopes on her and other women delegates to continue talks with the Taliban on women's rights in the country. "The meeting is a good start, w
South Asia | India | Career

Between domestic chores and agricultural work, rural Indian women have no time for child-rearing

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Working in agriculture-related jobs brings financial freedom to Indian women, but it comes at a cost. Intense work leads to stress and compromises in care responsibilities towards children and also affects the women’s own health, according to recent research published by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). “Women’s work in agriculture seems to have a negative effect on household nutrition through two pathways: lack of adequate time for care work in peak agricultural seasons and seasonal energy with consequent losses in body weight,” the study notes. “Recognition of women
South Asia | Afghanistan | Culture

Taliban assurance of ‘women’s rights’ has big caveat

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An agreement by the Taliban to respect women's rights may seem like a breakthrough, but activists have questioned how the hardline Islamists - notorious for stomping on freedoms - will interpret the careful wording. A historic meeting between Afghan representatives and the Taliban concluded late on Monday with the longtime foes issuing a joint statement, including a reference to women's rights. Participants at the Doha summit agreed that "assuring women rights in political, social, economic, educational, cultural affairs as per (and) within the Islamic framework of Islamic values", i
South Asia | India | Career

Women are bringing solar energy to thousands of Indian villages

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India is trying to bring electricity to hundreds of millions of its citizens who live off the grid. And it's trying to ensure that the power comes from clean and renewable sources. Frontier Markets is helping to achieve both those goals in the Western desert state of Rajasthan, selling solar-powered products to hundreds of villages. The company is thriving by turning its customers into salespeople. The company employs women to sell products like lamps, stoves, and even TVs that run on solar power through a program called Solar Sahelis (Solar Friends). Each woman is in charge of sell
South Asia | Australia | Culture

‘Hear us, see us’: a plea to the UN for Indigenous women

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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner has used a speech to the UN in Geneva to demand the federal government take action on the rising rates of Aboriginal women in jail. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women represent 2% of Australia’s female population but make up 34% of all women in prison, June Oscar told the Human Rights Council on Friday. “The root cause is that Indigenous women continue to experience disproportionate levels of trauma and intersecting forms of discrimination which cut across lines of race, gender and socioeconomic status,”
South Asia | Singapore | Law

First woman detained for radicalism in singapore released with restrictions

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Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, the first woman detained for radicalism under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Singapore, has been released. In a press release on Tuesday (Jun 25), the Ministry of Home Affairs said Izzah, now 24, was released from detention with restrictions when her Order of Detention (OD) expired in June. She was among four Singaporean ISA detainees who had "shown good progress in their rehabilitation", said MHA, and had been "assessed to no longer pose a security threat that require preventive detention". Izzah, a former infant-care assistant with the PAP Commun
South Asia | Australia | Sports

Australia celebrates ‘greatest day’ in women’s sport

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It has been described by many as the greatest day in Australian women's sporting history. Australians woke up on Monday to a cascade of achievements from the nation's female athletes in tennis, golf, surfing and rowing. First, surfer Sally Fitzgibbons cut a monster wave at the Rio Pro to cruise to the world number one ranking in surfing. A few hours later, French Open tennis champion Ashleigh Barty won her third tournament of the year - meaning she will become Australia's first world number one in 16 years. Celebratory news bulletins in the morning were interrupted by more milestones.
South Asia | Afghanistan | Culture

Kabul’s Women Find Power and Liberation in the City’s Vibrant Cafes

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On some days, life as a young woman in Kabul can feel suffocating for Hadis Lessani Delijam, a 17-year-old high school senior. Once, a man on the street harangued her for her makeup and western clothes; they are shameful, he bellowed. A middle-aged woman cursed her for strolling and chatting with a young man. “She called me things that are so terrible I can’t repeat them,” Delijam says. For solace, Delijam retreats to an unlikely venue – the humble coffee shop. “This is the only place where I can relax and feel free, even if it’s only for a few hours,” Delijam said recen
South Asia | Australia | Business

50 years after Australia’s historic ‘equal pay’ decision, the legacy of ‘women’s work’ remain

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June 19, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Australia’s industrial relations system endorsing the principle of “equal pay for equal work”. Yet, five decades on, a gender pay gap remains. The 1969 decision was a breakthrough, but also highlighted the problem of putting principle into practice, given a legacy of past decisions being based on clear notions of “male” and “female” jobs. While various factors contribute to the overall gender pay gap, about 30% is due to gender concentrations by industry and occupation.
South Asia | Pakistan | Crimes

Pakistani officials claim women trafficked into prostitution in China after marriage

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Faisalabad, Pakistan—With waves of arrests, Pakistani investigators are trying to unravel trafficking networks that convince impoverished Pakistanis to marry off their daughters to Chinese men for cash and they say evidence is growing that many of the women and girls are sold into prostitution once in China. At least two dozen Chinese nationals and dozens of their Pakistani partners have been arrested in recent weeks in raids by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency. Pakistani government officials, however, have ordered police to remain quiet about the extent of the networks, fearing it
South Asia | India | Politics

Women in politics: some prominent faces in the 17th Lok Sabha you should know

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India has sent 78 women lawmakers to the 17th Lok Sabha - the highest ever - and while there are veterans like Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi, there are also celebrities Hema Malini.  The Lower House will also see new faces such as Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty being part of the law-making process this term. Here are some significant faces you should definitely know about.
South Asia | Nepal | Culture

Why It’s So Hard To Stop Women From Sleeping In A Menstrual Shed

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Every year in Nepal, women die while sleeping in a shed outside their home because they are on their period. The cause of death is often smoke inhalation from lighting a fire to stay warm. The practice, called chaupadi, is linked to Hindu beliefs around religious purity and the idea that menstruation is spiritually polluting. In much of the country, this means that a woman who is menstruating will avoid temples, prayer rooms and kitchens — places important to keep pure in the Hindu religion. In parts of the remote west, an extreme version means nights sleeping outside in a hut or she

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