The Career Break That Often Becomes Permanent In March 2026, the Periodic Labour Force Survey’s annual report recorded the Worker Population Ratio for Indian women aged 15 and above at 38.8 per cent. For men, the same figure was 76.6 per cent. Among women not in the labour force, 44.4 per cent cited child care…
CROSSING THE ANTIM PAG There is a moment at the National Defence Academy that every cadet remembers for life. It is called the Antim Pag (the last step). You walk across the Khetarpal Parade Ground, past the Quarterdeck, and out of the academy as a commissioned officer. In June 2026, for the first time in…
Menopause is one of the most ignored health issues for women nowadays. Despite millions going through uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, memory problems, and achy joints, lots struggle to get the right help. Because of stigma, lack of awareness, and healthcare shortcomings, tons of women face this big life change solo. Sunita Sharma,…
The pledge directs $40 million to maternal mental health in Africa and $10 million to close the menopause care gap across the United States. Philanthropist Melinda French Gates announced Thursday a $215 million commitment to women’s health through her organisation Pivotal, covering contraceptive access, maternal care, and a notable new push into menopause treatment in…
India’s Budget speech is a carefully choreographed event. Numbers go up, schemes get named, and ministers applaud. But a quieter story plays out months later, in documents called Revised Estimates. This is where the real spending decisions happen. In 2025-26, two of India’s most critical welfare schemes for women and children were slashed significantly at…
Picture the scene: a woman with a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Madras, sitting in a modest room in Kanchipuram back in 2002, her mind turning over the problem of child labour. At first glance, the leap is almost surreal. You’ve got atomic particles on one side, rural kids out of school…
This story is about Gul Panag. The woman who decided that visibility, if used correctly, is not a privilege. It is a responsibility. There is a particular kind of public figures who uses attention the way most people use money carefully with intent, and never on themselves alone. Gul Panag has been that kind of…
Shanta Toofani (1929-2011) was an unusual social worker, activist and educator. She completed her schooling at the age of 34, while running a household single-handedly and bringing up seven children. Having educated herself despite all odds, she was committed to educating others, with fierce love. For several decades this tiny woman stood tall, teaching children…
A recent NITI Aayog report reveals a painful reality inside India’s government schools: millions of children still study without electricity, proper toilets, or enough teachers. For many students, especially girls, school is no longer just a place of learning, but a daily struggle for dignity, safety, and the chance to stay. Every morning, millions of…
The Scale of the Shift India is in the midst of a demographic transition. Within the next five years, for the first time in human history, the number of Indian women aged 40 -55 years will exceed the number in peak childbearing age of 20-35 years. More adult women will be in a non-reproductive phase…
