The anti-ESG backlash is weakening accountability systems and cutting funding for gender-focused programmes globally. As ESG rollbacks and aid reductions grow, women are disproportionately bearing the impact, slowing progress on equality. Trump-era ESG rollbacks and global aid cuts are hitting gender programmes hardest. The UN has the numbers. The corporate sector is looking the other…
India Skills 2025–26 ended in Greater Noida with UP winning seven medals, but only two were women, exposing a clear gender gap in vocational training. The results highlight deeper structural inequality in Skill India, where women remain underrepresented in high-value technical trades. India’s largest skill competition closed in Greater Noida on April 2. UP won…
India’s water crisis disproportionately burdens women, who spend millions of hours daily fetching water, reinforcing gender inequality. Despite massive CSR spending, corporate efforts largely ignore this social dimension and fail to reduce women’s time poverty. The Number Nobody Quotes in a Boardroom Two hundred and fifty million hours. Every single day. That is the collective…
At CSW70, a historic 37–1 vote preserved women’s rights at the UN, but it exposed growing global divisions and coordinated challenges to gender equality. While seen as a win, the outcome reflects a shift where defending existing rights is replacing real progress. The Vote That Shouldn’t Have Happened On March 9, 2026, inside the UN…
Ruchi Kalra built OfBusiness and Oxyzo into profitable, scalable businesses by focusing on financial discipline and real industry needs. Her leadership is redefining women’s role in India’s capital-intensive startup ecosystem. In an ecosystem that often celebrates speed over substance, Ruchi Kalra built patiently. She did not chase visibility. She chased viability. As the co-founder of…
India’s women empowerment narrative is strong in policy and rhetoric, but real outcomes remain unequal due to flawed system design, data gaps, and ignored structural constraints like unpaid care work. True empowerment requires redesigning policies around evidence, accountability, and women’s lived realities—not just participation or intent. India speaks the language of women’s empowerment fluently. does…
Shabana Azmi exemplifies how art and activism can work together, using her influence to drive women’s empowerment, child rights, and grassroots social change. Her lifelong philanthropy reflects a deep belief that privilege and creativity must serve society, creating lasting impact beyond the screen. Despite five National Film Awards for Best Actress, over fifty years of…
Shahjahan Begum was a fearless grassroots activist who transformed personal tragedy into a lifelong mission to fight violence against women and empower marginalized girls through education and collective action. Shahjahan Begum (1942-2013) is a leading figure in the Indian women’s movement. From her working-class neighbourhood, she spoke up, calling out violence and abuse, rampant within…
India’s Gender Budget 2026–27 shows modest growth and improved reporting, but remains largely welfare-focused with limited impact on structural gender inequalities. A lack of outcome-based accountability, weak care economy reforms, and fiscal volatility continue to constrain meaningful progress toward gender equity. Persistent gender discrepancies in political representation, education, health, and labour markets coexist with India’s…
The G20 Social Summit in Brasilia is pushing for a “Universal Care Floor” to formally recognize unpaid care work. This policy could transform millions of caregivers—especially women—by integrating them into social protection systems and redefining how societies value care. Take a moment to think, about the first person who woke up in your home today….
