Mercy is all set to pamper herself on Women’s Day

There is a proverb which says “Men build houses, women build homes.” No person will disagree. But today’s women do not just make homes; they walk hand in hand with their male counterparts professionally and also manage their homes and families. Debarati Mukherjee spoke to women from her city and asked them how they were celebrating Women’s Day.

Young female protestors at Shahbag shout slogans. A poster of Jahanara Imam can be seen in the background
Copyright: The Daily Star

Women in Bangladesh are a force to be reckoned with. It all began 42 years ago when Jahanara Imam’s elder son, Shafi Imam Rumi, joined the Mukti Bahini (pro- Bangladeshi independence group) and fought against Pakistan’s army. During the entire nine months of the war of liberation. Jahanara wrote what she felt and saw in her diary. This went on to become one of the most important publications about the war. It was called ‘Ekatturer Dinguli’ or ‘Of blood and fire.’

Egalcops has been conceived as an online system where women can lodge complaints against harassment. The founder, Deepanshu Tripathi, believes that women would be more comfortable putting in their complaints online rather than going to a police station in India.

Tavleen Singh is an Indian columnist, political reporter and writer. Her latest book ‘Durbar’ is a memoir of her career as a journalist during the time Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were the prime ministers of India. She gives us an insight into the workings of the world’s largest democracy through her travels and the people she met. 

While the Indian government was celebrating its 64^th Republic Day with pomp and grandeur, most young Indians were thinking that Republic day has lost its sense. The reason, they say, is that laws have not been revamped and do not ensure to justice for the victims of social crimes. Using social media as a platform to voice their protests and demands, the youth ofIndia has unified in one spirit and is  showcasing its demands all across the country.

Evan Grae Davis’s new film entitled It’s a Girl has been a great success since its launch in September 2012. The film has hit a nerve amongst those in India and China advocating dignity and equality for women. Indeed the film has become part of a campaign on Twitter and Facebook which has “gone viral” – to use the language of social media networks. Meanwhile, the film has been screened for lawmakers in Europe and is enjoying great success with universities and NGOs in the battle to end gendercide. WomenTalkOnline’s reporter Roma Rajpal had the opportunity to speak to director Evan Grae Davis.