Out of over 1,000 applicants, just 155 finally managed to clear all the rounds of selection. A vigorous training has prepared them to do their job with confidence. (Credit: Abha Sharma\WFS)

Jaipur (Women’s Feature Service) – “Dousing the hungry flames is certainly not an easy task. It’s a test of one’s physical strength as well as courage and agility. But if one is determined, one can overcome any risks however daunting they may look,” says Sita Khatik, an officer with the fire department in the desert state of Rajasthan, India. Stationed in Jaipur, the state capital, she is one of the 155 female fire fighters recruited by the state government in March this year. Six from this first batch are serving in the city at present and they are simple, all smiles and, yes, armed with that tremendously daring spirit that makes them perfect of the job.

Copyright: DW/H. Sirat

Germany takes threats from militant Islamists seriously. Now German prosecutors have laid charges against a woman who took her daughters to Syria. Read more to find out which women’s themes made to the headlines this week.

“Fotolia/Kzenon “

Amidst our daily stress women in particular encounter difficulties combining work and leisure time. The enormous pressure to succeed at work has a serious impact on our lives because we do not really have enough time for hobbies, relaxation and sport. We come home tired and we just want to chill on the couch. The thought of getting up to go to our nearby gym for an aerobic course or other activities is just not on our minds.

But the question is just how women with exposure to high stress at work can play a visit to the gym? How can she make it happen so she can relax and enjoy the workouts?

In the following overview I want to give you some tips as to how you can do your workouts even during the week.

Bandana Rana, President of the Nepali non government organisation, Saathi, has reached out to footballers in the Himalayan nation in a bid to involve them in the struggle for gender justice. (Credit: Julie Lunde Lillesæter\PRIO

Talking about ‘real men’ and helping young men to discover their potential to contribute to a better societ is a challenge so Bandana Rana has roped in Nepal’s men in the struggle for gender justice. Having collaborated with the All Nepal Football Association, Rana, who is President of the Nepali non- government organisation, Saathi, has shown how footballers from around 500 clubs in the Himalayan nation can learn skills for societal team building. In a one-on-one with Anita Katyal she elaborateson  her work in Nepal and shares her experiences.

Copyright: “Sebastian Farmborough”

After spending three years in Saudi Arabia, English-born photographer Sebastian Farmborough felt he had to do something to change the country’s negative image in the West. He tells DW about the project that’s resulted.

(picture-alliance/dpa)

Here’s a round-up of women’s news that made it to the headlines. Did we miss
something? Let us know through your comments.

Asaro Mudmen. Legend has it that they were defeated by an enemy tribe and forced to flee into the Asaro river. The enemy saw them rise from the muddy banks covered in mud and thought they were spirits. People in PNG have strong connections with the spiritual world (picture-alliance/dpa)

News about atrocities against women in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was commonplace in the last few weeks. Women who have been accused of sorcery were either killed or forced to flee their homes. But this brutal violence against women is not new in PNG. In June 2014 UN rights adviser Signe Poulsen told DW in an interview that the PNG government had failed to protect the victims and bring the attackers to justice. In fact, over the past view years, women accused of being witches have been tortured or burnt in PNG.