Swati Mor
This has been a tough week for our society as we grapple with the virus again and face lock-downs. This week has been super motivating due to the exceptional work and achievements accomplished by women in sports. While a government has requested women to delay pregnancy due to the ongoing pandemic, let’s see how the week fared for women around the world:
1. Australian Writer Evie Wyld Won “Stella Prize 2021” for Her Novel ‘The Bass Rock’
Stella Prize was established in 2013 to celebrate fiction or non-fiction stories written by Australian woman writers. For this year, Evie Wyld was announced as the winner of “Stella Prize 2021” for her book ‘The Bass Rock’. This is Evie Wyld’s third novel. The book revolves around the stories of three women across four centuries and how with their individual choices they overcome the male domination in their lives.
2. Vanita Gupta Becomes the First Indian-American to Hold the Office of the Associate Attorney General
Vanita Gupta has become the first civil rights lawyer to hold one of the top three positions at the Department of Justice. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was born & raised in Philadelphia. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University while Juris Doctor from New York University.
3. Arundhati Choudhary Becomes the First World Champion From Rajasthan
https://www.instagram.com/p/COCXFo2pMxo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The brave girl from Kota district, Arundhati Choudhary has become the first world champion from Rajasthan. She is the first women boxer from Rajasthan to make her state and country proud by winning a gold medal at AIBA Youth World Boxing Championship. No doubt, this is just the stepping stone for Arundhati and for sure, she has miles to go.
4. Ashleigh Barty Enters the Stuttgart Quarterfinals
World number one Ashleigh Barty storms into the quarterfinals of the WTA clay-court tournament in Stuttgart. She managed to finish the game in just 24 minutes. She defeated Germany’s Laura Siegemund in straight-set 6-0, 7-5 by claiming an easy win in the second round of the tournament. No doubt, Barty wasted no time in claiming her place in the quarterfinals.
5. Indian Women Boxers Won 7 Gold Medals at Youth World Boxing Championship
India won 7 out of 7 gold medals at Youth World Boxing Championship and created a history in the field of boxing. All seven boxers ensured a perfect finish for India at Youth World Boxing Championship by winning gold in their respective category. Gitika won in the 48 kg category, Babyrojisana won in 51 kg, Poonam won in 58 kg, Vinka won in 61 kg, Arundhati won in 69 kg, Thokchom won in 75 kg and Alfiya Pathan won in 81 kg.
6. Indian Women’s Recurve Team Bags Gold Medal at Archery World Cup
In the Archery World Cup, Indian women’s recurve team including Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari won a gold medal in Guatemala yesterday. Indian trio shot 27 to edge out their Mexican rivals by one point and claim their first World Cup team gold after seven years. This is Deepika’s fifth World Cup stage event team gold medal. In another match, the Indian mixed recurve team of Atanu Das and Ankita Bhakat won the bronze medal after a 6-2 victory over USA.
7. Pliskova Will Face Ashleigh Barty in Stuttgart Quarterfinals
Germany’s Karolina Pliskova defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the WTA clay-court tournament. She defeated Jelena in a three-set battle 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, and this was not an easy match for Karolina Pliskova. In the quarterfinals, she will face world number one Ashleigh Barty.
8. Aditi Ashok Finishes T-39 at HUGEL Air Premia LA Open
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok has finished at tied-39 in the final round of HUGEL Air Premia LA Open. Aditi was in good position till the third round, but she slipped down the leaderboard to finish at a tied-39.
9. Brazil Asks Women to Delay Pregnancy if Possible:
Brazil is one of the worst-hit regions with the pandemic, and its health ministry has issued a statement urging women to postpone their pregnancy. Amid increasing outbreaks affecting young people, the region sees more people dying from COVID-19 than anywhere else in the world. Moreover, Hospitals are struggling to manage the outpouring of patients with the shortage of essential drugs and vaccines. The health ministry clarified that the recommendation is to manage the stress on the health care system while combating a more transmissible Brazilian variant known as P.1. The P.1. variant is not only gravely affecting women in their first trimester but also proving fatal for the younger citizens.
10. Women ‘Governed by Others’: UN Report
According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)’s State of World Population Report, the pandemic has worsened the plight of women taking control of their lives and has made more women prone to violence. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA executive director, addressed a press conference stating, “The fact that nearly half of women still cannot make their own decisions about whether or not to have sex, use contraception or seek healthcare, should outrage us all”. The report also found that girls and boys with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be subjected to sexual violence, with girls at a greater risk. To add to that, some 20 countries still follow irrational laws, where a man can escape criminal prosecution if he marries the woman or girl he has raped, while 43 countries do not acknowledge marital rape as a crime.
