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.

…”There is a particular crisis for women—a vast confidence gap that separates the sexes. Compared with men, women don’t consider themselves as ready for promotions, they predict they’ll do worse on tests, and they generally underestimate their abilities.

India votes for a new parliament. Nepalese women are campaigning against harassment on the streets of Kathmandu. Indonesian women are well-represented in politics, but power does not mean that they get enough respect from society. Read more for women’s stories that made it to the headlines.

Afghan women wait outside a voter registration center in Ghazni, Afghanistan.

What do Afghan women think about the elections and how do women in India rate their representation in their country’s politics? Twitter trolls in India use sexist methods to silence women. Read on for more on women’s news.

20-year-old Hasina teaches street children in Mumbai. She has big plans for the future.

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.