Marya
Welcome back to this week’s top stories concerning women. Women have been subjected to the worst of the atrocities and even barred from doing basic activities like men but their diligence and undying spirit for equality and life continue making their voices heard and creating a difference.
While we have a racism incident against Indians in Texas, we have a women’s solidarity movement in Finland on the other hand. Let’s enlighten ourselves with this week’s top stories concerning women.
1. In Texas, four Indian-American women were assaulted and racially abused.
A Mexican-American woman racially assaulted and smacked four Indian-American ladies in the U.S. state of Texas, telling them to “go back to India” and that they were “ruining” America. Esmeralda Upton was taken into custody by Plano Police Detectives on Thursday afternoon. She is being jailed on a $10,000 total bond after being charged with assault, bodily harm, and making terroristic threats. The incident happened on August 24, 2022, at night in a Dallas, Texas, parking lot. The woman, who has since been detained, is shown in the video claiming to be of Mexican American descent while abusing several Indian Americans.
2. “Gender equality for a sustainable tomorrow” is the theme of Women’s Equality Day.
Every year on August 26 in the US, Women’s Equality Day is observed to honour American women who have won the right to vote under the country’s constitution. The ‘Nineteenth Amendment,’ which granted women equal voting rights in the US constitution in 1920, is celebrated on this day. Women’s Equality Day this year will focus on “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” “On Women’s Equality Day, we recognize the campaign for universal suffrage that led to the 19th Amendment, celebrate the advancement of women over time, and renew our commitment to achieving gender equity and defending women’s rights,” the White House declared in a proclamation on August 25.
3. Making history, Antim Panghal becomes India’s first-ever U-20 World Wrestling Champion
Antim 🇮🇳 with a historic 🥇 for India
The 17-year-old became the country first-ever U20 world champ in women’s wrestling at #WrestleSofia pic.twitter.com/YML41jkdDt
— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) August 19, 2022
Antim Panghal, at 17 years old, made history by being the first Indian woman wrestler to ever take home a gold medal from the Under 20 Wrestling World Championships. This is the first time an Indian girl has placed first in the competition’s 34-year history, according to The Times Of India. Panghal, who is from the town of Bhagana in Haryana, defeated Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva 8-0 to win the women’s 53kg title at the World Championships, which are taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria.
4. FIFA lifts the embargo, and the U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 will proceed as scheduled.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was suspended by FIFA earlier this month as a result of improper third-party involvement. FIFA overturned the ban on Friday. In a statement, FIFA stated that the decision was made after the international governing body received confirmation that the AIFF administration had regained complete control of the organization’s day-to-day operations and that the committee of administrators that had been established to assume the duties of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated. It went on to say that FIFA and the AFC will keep an eye on the issue and would help the AIFF hold its elections on schedule. Due to FIFA’s judgment, India will now be able to host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which is slated to run from October 11 to October 30.
5. The Rajasthan government would pay for women’s distance learning.
The cost reimbursement for women who enrol in distance learning institutes has been approved by Rajasthan’s chief minister, Ashok Gehlot. The ladies will now be “able to construct their future by continuing their studies,” the government stated when it made the announcement. “The “Girls Distance Education Scheme” has been put in place in the state by the Chief Minister as a result. A total of 36,300 women and girls would receive benefits from the program each year thanks to the sanctioned funding of Rs 14.83 crore “It was stated in a release. The program will connect women who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to attend college or university regularly with higher education through distant learning.
6. Women submit videos of themselves dancing in support of the Finnish PM, sparking the movement “Solidarity With Sanna.”
When in Scandinavia – party like #SannaMarin 😎#solidaritywithsanna #CopenhagenPride 🌈 pic.twitter.com/FRi6te34mw
— Hanna Lis (@hanna_lisowa) August 21, 2022
After a video of Sanna Marin partying with her pals appeared on social media, she received criticism. The opposition seized the chance to disparage her as well, and some even requested that she submit to a drug test. In support of the Finnish PM, women from all over the world have recently started posting videos of themselves dancing and having a good time on Twitter. Since then, the hashtag “Solidarity With Sanna” has gained popularity.
7. Iranian Women allowed to watch a Football match after 40 years
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, women have not officially attended a domestic league football game in Iran, according to state media. The estimated attendance at the game on Thursday night at Azadi Stadium in Tehran was 500. Under the Shia Muslim administration, women have practically been banned from domestic games where males are playing because of ecclesiastical disfavour. According to several Iranian blogs, the decision to allow women into the game on Thursday was made after the Iranian government received a letter from Fifa, the organization that oversees football, urging them to allow more women into stadiums. Women are not allowed in games, which is against international football regulations.
8. Bilkis Bano Case: SC demands government answer and considers remission’s reasoning
The Supreme Court consented on August 25 to examine a petition challenging the remission of the 11 gang-rape and murder convictions in the Bilkis Bano case, which is a fresh development in the case. The issue Justice Rastogi posed to the petitioner’s attorney, which is highlighted by LiveLaw, is “Merely because the deed was awful, is it sufficient to declare remission is wrong.” The Gujarat Government has also been given notice by the bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana to submit its answer in the case, and it will be brought up for hearing once more in two weeks.
9. More Muslim women are choosing the khhula, or “instant divorce,” as an option
More Muslim marriages end with khhula, the woman’s unalienable right to an immediate divorce, than with the instant triple talaq, which was abolished by a Supreme Court decision in 2017, or with talaq-e-hassan, a divorce requested by the male, as is often believed. The majority of divorce cases are filed via the khhula technique, according to data from the Imarat-e-Darul Shariah’s Qaza or Islamic arbitration centres. A rising number of women are choosing to dissolve their marriages through khhula. In contrast to talaq, which the man issues, in the case of khhula, the woman initiates the divorce and gives up her Mehr (money given or transferred to the woman at the time of marriage) at the time of such a divorce. Khhula can be performed orally or through the “Khhulnama,” a written document. It has the same impact as an immediate divorce. She cannot ask for the Mehr if it was not paid to her when she decided to choose khula because the marriage has been annulled at her request.
