Women Series

Winds of change blow in Uttar Pradesh's Nat Purwa village where prostitution is tradition, source of income for families

With a population of around 5,000, located 72 km from Lucknow, Nat Purwa in Uttar Pradesh has a long history of prostitution. it is a hereditary occupation, passed down for generations.

Sluggish disposal of cases, inadequate legal aid system: How the Indian judiciary repeatedly fails women

Data with the NCRB shows that the disposal rate of crimes against women in courts is just 11.2 percent; out of 13,42,060 cases filed, 12,04,786 are still pending.

Online rape threats, abuse and vicious attacks: The price that Indian women in politics pay for being opinionated

As the country hopes for a more gender-balanced political participation, the vitriolic hate spewed against women politicians becomes a major deterrent.

Lack of familial and govt support in Jammu and Kashmir drives oppressed women to suicide

The women's commission in Jammu and Kashmir receives nearly 10 daily complaints from women who live in despair after being abandoned by their husbands and families.

In Meerut, 'Thali Gang' on prowl for sexual predators: Group clangs attention to perpetrators to ensure women's safety

Members of the Thali Gang in Meerut bang spoons against steel plates outside the homes of sex offenders to draw attention to their crime and ensure action.

Sexual harassment an everyday affair at work for Punjab's Dalit women, humiliation part of the job

Punjab is known for its rich cultural heritage and lifestyle, but the condition of Dalit women in several parts of the state is not common knowledge.

300% jump in violent against women under Mehbooba Mufti rule: 1st woman CM's 'crocodile tears' for elections only, say activists

Known as the "messiah of women", Mehbooba Mufti was the beacon of hope for the women of Jammu and Kashmir when she took oath as the first woman chief minister of the violence-ridden state. But after the end of her two-year-long spell, the women in the state are among the most disappointed lot.

Tribe in Chhattisgarh subjects pregnant women to solitary confinement: Prejudice disguised as custom

That’s a tradition a tribe living in the jungles of central India's Chhattisgarh state follows to “protect” the health of the mother to be.

Tiger prawns collected by women of the Sundarbans are a global delicacy, but collectors remain a neglected lot

The women who collect tiger prawn seedlings in the Sundarbans risk health hazards as well as their lives because of the threat of crocodiles and tigers.

Women and their struggles: Excessive focus on sexual crimes ignores everyday iniquities and indignities they face

The latest National Crime Records Bureau statistics show an 83% increase in crimes against women, with as many as 39 cases reported every hour across the country. There are several thousand more instances that go unreported. And yet, such felonious acts represent only a limited view of the manner in which women in this country must face brutality. In this series of reported pieces, Firstpost examines those societal forces that, while beyond the ambit of law, have the same deleterious effect on women as criminal acts.