Gender and Sexuality

When Power Forgets Consent: How a public act by the Bihar Chief Minister derailed a doctor’s career

Outrage widens after CM Nitish Kumar pulls down Muslim woman doctor’s hijab at appointment ceremony; FIRs filed, media barred, national leaders condemn act

The cost of being a Dalit: Rapes, murders, and public humiliation plague communities across the states

Across several states, a troubling pattern of violence and discrimination against Dalits persists—ranging from severe crimes like the sexual assault of minors in Uttar Pradesh to acts of public humiliation, such as attacks on wedding processions and the denial of cremation rights. With victims often facing police inaction and systemic barriers, a crucial question arises: how can the constitutional promise of equality be realised for India’s most vulnerable communities, and what will ensure accountability for these persistent atrocities?

Same sex marriage not legalised, but couples can form a family: Madras HC

In an expansive order, a division bench of the Madras High Court also court observed that the concept of "family" has to be understood expansively and marriage is not the sole mode to start a family. The court also pulled up the police in Vellore district for showing insensitivity and being non-responsive to the complaints by the petitioner

One woman against a thousand superstitions, Birubala Rabha’s battle against the superstition of ‘Witch-Hunting’

Though this pioneering feminist activist breathed her last on May 13, 2024, her work with the Thakurvilla Mahila Samiti and Missiom Birubala has been recognized internationally and May 13 has been declared Anti-Superstition Day in Assam

Rape is aggression, domination, consent must be instant specific, not dictated by morality tests: Bombay High Court

In a landmark judgement delivered on May 6, Maksud Gaffur Sheikh v. State of Maharashtra, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC reaffirmed the legal sanctity of continuing and specific consent and rejected character assassination of survivors/victims in rape trials

Nainital on communal edge after 75-year-old Muslim man booked for alleged rape of minor girl

Communal tensions flare in Haldwani, Nainital after a 75-year-old Muslim man is booked for alleged rape of a minor, a BJP leader and right-wings’ ultimatum targeting Muslim-run businesses sparks communal tensions in the state, leading to attacks on shops, staff, and a mosque, while police inaction persists despite video evidence, and no FIR is filed against the perpetrators of the violence and assault

Beed to Delhi: Lawyer beaten in Maharashtra, judge threatened in Delhi—what the path for justice means for women practioners in today’s India

From a brutal assault in rural Maharashtra to death threats in a Delhi courtroom, the message is chillingly clear: women who uphold the law are not safe

Extremists assaulted Muslim woman; hijab stripped of in broad daylight in Bengaluru and Muzaffarnagar

Two shocking incidents of moral policing and harassment involving members of the Muslim community emerged this week. In Muzaffarnagar, a Muslim woman was assaulted and forcibly stripped of her hijab, while in Bengaluru, a young woman was harassed for being in an interfaith relationship with a Hindu man. Both incidents, captured on video, highlight a disturbing rise in intolerance and moral policing, particularly targeting interfaith relationships

When Courts Fail Survivors: How patriarchy shapes justice in sexual offence against women cases

The Supreme Court critiques multiple High Court judgments for perpetuating misogynistic notions and trivialising sexual violence and child trafficking through legally flawed and insensitive reasoning

Women in remote villages mobilise to check fast spread of alcoholism

Due to a combination of factors, there has been...

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When Power Forgets Consent: How a public act by the Bihar Chief Minister derailed a doctor’s career

Outrage widens after CM Nitish Kumar pulls down Muslim woman doctor’s hijab at appointment ceremony; FIRs filed, media barred, national leaders condemn act

West Bengal Draft Electoral List: Over 58 lakh names deleted under SIR exercise, urban seats & Hindi speakers see higher voter deletions

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