1st Jan 2015

Women need to thrive, not just survive

Iran doesnt recognize feminist organisations. Russia has a problem with sex education. In India, everyone is reluctant to acknowledge sexual rights for women. Only six countries in the Asian Pacific region have development national action plans on women, peace and security. The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and the Declaration and Platform for Action set the global standard for promoting womens issues. A significant change in the last 10 years has been the increasing focus on involving men as partners in gender equality. The MenEngage programme and the HeforShe movement are some of the initiatives by UN Women to rope in men to speak up against violence and be partners. In the Asia Pacific region - For every hundred employed men, there are only 62 employed women The average wage gap is 10 to 30 per cent, and Women are concentrated in low-paid, low-status and low-skilled work. The child sex ratio is one of the highest in the world. Women hold less than 10 cent of seats in Parliament.

Rohingya, a persecuted ethnic minority from Burma

2nd Jan

NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog

The essence of effective governance is defined to include pro-people agenda, citizens participation, all-round women empowerment, equality of opportunity to the youth and transparency. Inclusiveness with special attention to the socially and economically disadvantaged sections and minorities is also included in the scheme of effective governance.

The role of Government as a player in the industrial and service sectors is proposed to be reduced. Instead, Government has to focus on enabling legislation.

Future national policies must incorporate Non-Resident Indian communitys strength in order to broaden their participation in the new India beyond just their financial support.

3rd Jan

Tribes Report

Sixty per cent of the forest area in the country is in tribal area. Three States Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand account for 70 per cent of Indias coal reserves, 80 per cent of its high-grade iron ore, 60 per cent of its bauxite 100 per cent of its chromite reserves. Forty per cent of those displaced by dams are tribal peoples.