Political parties in India, even those vociferously supporting reservation for women in parliament, have failed to put up, on average, even one woman for every 10 males contesting India’s 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.

On April 24, 2014, an eight-storied garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, leading to the death of more than one thousand people.

Amnesty International has issued a damning appraisal of working conditions for foreign nationals brought to Qatar as domestic labor.

Image: Daily Star

An Indian judge believes that rape investigations in India use archaic practices. Nepal is now “exporting” people, men and women who leave for foreign countries in the hope of finding better jobs. Women members of parliament in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are developing new programmes to empower women and Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team is making its debut against West Indies. Read on for more on women’s news.

Women Talk Online blogger Aziza Ahmed wasn’t yet born when Bangladesh gained independence after the bloody Liberation War against Pakistan. But the stories she heard convinced her that nothing but death will do for those convicted of war crimes.

We hope you had a wonderful transition into the new year and we wish you all the very best for 2014! The new year has started on a pretty unhealthy note for women. To know more and to check which themes made it to the headlines, click on this post.

A young girl in India resists her rapist, bombs in Pakistan’s Peshawar ruin Christmas for several locals, India and US seem to be inching towards a solution after a debate over an Indian diplomat’s treatment. Read more to know about the latest in women’s news.