To be banned or not?
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 introduced in the parliament proposes a ban on commercial surrogacy. Shoma Chatterji finds out if this will help in checking exploitation of women.
THE NEWS IN PROPORTION
26 May 2017
Laws : Gender Laws and Policy
COMMERCIAL SURROGACY
To be banned or not?
To be banned or not?
GENDER RIGHTS
Sex workers turn paralegal volunteers
An innovative project in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is helping sex workers empower themselves, by training them as paralegal volunteers. A confident community is fighting exploitation, standing up and being counted, reports Ramesh Menon.
RIGHTS FOR UNWED MOTHERS
Are we celebrating too much too soon?
Can a ruling from the Supreme Court change the socio-cultural and psychological ramifications of unwed motherhood in India? Shoma A Chatterji probes deeper to find out the social and sociological impact of the ruling on the family.
WOMEN'S MOVEMENT & RIGHTS
Veteran Voices: Detailing Indian Women’s Struggles
Decades of struggle and innumerable sacrifices are involved in the long history of women's movement in India. Deepti Priya Mehrotra speaks to some of the exemplary leaders who recall the history of women’s movement and their role in it. 
SEX WORKER REALITIES
Workers, not beggars
Recent incidents, where sex workers were detained by the police and subsequently forced into a state shelter for beggars, are symptomatic of the continuous harassment faced by them and a basic lack of understanding of their realities. Pushpa Achanta elaborates.
PATRIARCHY AND MASCULINITY
A Man Cannot Tolerate Failure
The age-old notions of patriarchy and masculinity, which suppress and disempower women, have an equally damaging effect on men’s behaviour and psyche, leaving them ill-equipped to handle failure. Rimjhim Jain reports.
GENDER LAW
Pro-life or pro-women’s rights?
Bijayalaxmi Nanda tracks some of the most prominent debates surrounding two critical legislations, dealing with gender-biased sex selection and abortion respectively, and highlights the commonalities in recommendations made by the apparently contradictory camps.
RELIGION & JUSTICE
Muslim women fight patriarchal Sharia laws
Several women’s groups are now fighting the age-old gender bias perpetuated by Sharia law and finding ways to help Muslim women who have suffered due to its patriarchal dispensations. Pushpa Achanta reports on some of these, including one which proposes a codification of such law, reinterpreted.
POWERS OF THE NCW
Why an abused employee feels let down by the judiciary
A recent HC ruling on the powers of the National Commission for Women, in regard to a case involving sexual harassment at the workplace, could have significant implications for gender justice in the long term. Revathi Siva Kumar looks at the facts of the case and the debate that it has stirred up. 
RE-READING SEC 498A
Should our anti-dowry law shield husbands too?
The court decision prohibiting immediate arrests upon complaints of dowry harassment under IPC Section 498A meets the need for safeguards against false charges and enjoys the support of many, including a budding filmmaker. But does it come at a greater risk to genuine victims? Shoma Chatterji explores.
PREVENTING RAPE
Are we just blind persons feeling an elephant?
Every case of sexual violence that becomes a cause celebre gives rise to earnest calls for action which often yield some results. But limited, quick-fix solutions that do not address the underlying causes of this deep-rooted problem have clearly not worked, writes Ammu Joseph in the first of a two-part article examining the many layers of the issue.
TACKLING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
A law to help women, but who is enforcing it?
Passed in 2005, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act could have been an effective tool to ensure redress for victims of domestic abuse. But an understaffed implementation body has made it yet another selective and often toothless piece of legislation, finds Puja Awasthi.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE
Digging deeper into the law
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 aims to create safer workplaces for women in particular. However, as Anagha Sarpotdar points out, without deeper discussion and interpretation of its provisions, prevention of abuse at workplaces may remain a pipe dream.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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