Namita Bhandare writes on gender and other social issues and has 25 years of experience in journalism. She has edited books and features in a documentary on sexual violence. She tweets as @namitabhandare
Articles by Namita Bhandare
At the most gender equal Olympics, women to watch
The most gender equal Olympics gets going in Paris five days from now. Not every woman will return home with a medal, but some through sheer grit are winners.
Published on Jul 21, 2024 08:15 AM IST
A lost opportunity for a forward-looking civil code
Perhaps Uttarakhand’s UCC greatest flaw, when it kicks in by October, is that it infantilises adult women and seeks to curb their independence.
Updated on Jul 19, 2024 09:02 PM IST
Of ghosts, Shah Bano, and the dignity of women
A Supreme Court judgment reaffirming the right of Muslim women to seek maintenance
Published on Jul 14, 2024 08:15 AM IST
Public vigilantism is alive and shockingly well in West Bengal—& other parts
A series of alarming incidents of public vigilantism—the instant meting out of justice to suspected criminals—is not limited to West Bengal.
Published on Jul 07, 2024 08:20 AM IST
Flaws in BNS reflect regressive thinking
The BNS was an opportunity to showcase a modern nation and acknowledge social change. Instead, a much-needed decolonising project has failed to escape a regressive mindset.
Updated on Jul 05, 2024 09:07 PM IST
Dying for love: The shame of modern India
A spike in ‘honour’ killings in Haryana—three reported in the past month—sent me to Hisar to understand how and why parents in modern India continue to kill.
Published on Jun 30, 2024 08:20 AM IST
Male feminist allies: Why every woman needs one
Baba was my feminist ally, the sort of man every woman should have in her corner. Someone who believes in her, thinks twice before questioning her decisions, and remains her most enthusiastic cheerleader.
Updated on Jun 21, 2024 08:59 PM IST
Meet the MP: Geniben the giant killer
In Delhi to attend a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, Geniben Thakor aka ‘the giant killer’, the only opposition candidate to win a seat in Gujarat.
Updated on Jun 16, 2024 01:05 PM IST
Meet the MP: Iqra Munawwar Hasan
I spoke to Iqra Hasan, one of only 27 Muslim women ever to make it to Parliament, about her plans for Kairana, putting her PhD on hold.
Published on Jun 09, 2024 08:30 AM IST
Missing women MPs in the new Lok Sabha
Despite remaining largely a boys’ club, a new generation of young and feisty women are set to enter Parliament
Published on Jun 07, 2024 10:07 PM IST
General Elections 2024: Through a gender lens darkly
I’m thinking about what the 2024 general elections tells us about attitudes to gender and violence against women.
Published on Jun 02, 2024 02:30 PM IST
Misbehaviour, misogyny and muddying the waters
Did Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide, Bibhav Kumar assault Swati Maliwal as she has claimed?
Updated on May 19, 2024 02:48 PM IST
Women voters lead the fight against misogyny
The exclusion of women is one part of the problem. The other is the inclusion and patronage of men accused of serious gender crimes, including rape.
Published on May 10, 2024 11:41 PM IST
Everybody loves women. Especially when they’re out voting
Women are now a force that no political party can afford to ignore. How did this come about and what are parties doing to win their vote? Read on…
Published on Apr 28, 2024 06:13 PM IST
Read food labels, junk false health-gain claims
The revelation that Nestle allegedly adds sugar to its various Cerelac cereals by a Swiss NGO and the International Baby Food Action Network has sparked a storm
Published on Apr 26, 2024 10:10 PM IST
Women are suing governments for failing to protect their right to life
Two recent court judgments, one by the Supreme Court and one by a human rights court in Strasbourg have set precedents for new climate litigation.
Updated on Apr 14, 2024 07:33 PM IST
The missing link in political empowerment of women
If 2024 tells us one thing about sharing power then it is this: The men won’t give it up until they have to. Women will just have to wait.
Published on Apr 12, 2024 11:00 PM IST
The time of their lives: For some women age is just a number
Life expectancy is up finds a new Lancet report. But for some women, it’s not just about living longer but also living better…
Published on Apr 07, 2024 10:53 AM IST
The good wife: A lesson from India’s courts
A family court’s observation this past week that applying sindoor, or vermillion, is the ‘religious duty’ of a married woman…
Updated on Apr 01, 2024 10:16 AM IST
The mood has changed, misogynists better behave
Political parties now recognise women's power as voters. It is then up to them to signal their displeasure and intolerance for verbal abuse.
Published on Mar 29, 2024 11:38 PM IST
Ee sala cup namdu: How WPL is a gamechanger for girls and sport
If ever proof of possibility was needed, it was provided by WPL 2024. Its success is a pivotal moment that will inspire a countless girls to just play.
Published on Mar 24, 2024 08:46 PM IST
The world has gone bonkers over the ‘disappearance’ of Kate Middleton
Speculation about the ‘missing’ future queen of England tells us a lot about our obsession with curating the perfect image. Read on…
Published on Mar 17, 2024 10:46 AM IST
Where have all the women gone? A film offers answers
In Laapataa Ladies, the brides are making their own journeys, gradually spreading their wings and discovering parts of themselves they have never known
Published on Mar 15, 2024 09:56 PM IST
India, we have a rape problem. What are we doing about it?
Distressing news of the gang-rape of a tourist in Dumka, Jharkhand has led to a discussion on India’s ‘image problem’…
Updated on Mar 10, 2024 02:51 PM IST
Remembering the life and work of Minnette de Silva
Minnette de Silva was born in 1918, a year before her more famous compatriot, Geoffrey Bawa—though her practice precedes him by a decade.
Published on Mar 03, 2024 07:00 AM IST
When there will be no need for a Women’s Day
What are we celebrating on March 8, International Women’s Day?
Published on Mar 02, 2024 01:03 AM IST
Globally, young women are becoming more liberal than men, but what about India?
There is evidence globally of a growing gender divide on ideological lines. In the past decade, young women are becoming more liberal. What about India?
Updated on Feb 18, 2024 09:29 AM IST
In modern India, falling in love can be a radical act
A new TV series tells us that the act of falling in love can be radical
Published on Feb 16, 2024 10:17 PM IST
More than gender justice, Uttarakhand’s UCC is about moral policing
A uniform legal marriageable age, 18 for women and 21 for men, now applies to all.
Published on Feb 11, 2024 11:03 AM IST
Gender budget: Government spending hits highest ever in 2024
This year, the total allocation under the gender budget stands at ₹three lakh crore, which is almost 6.5% of the total expenditure.
Updated on Feb 04, 2024 12:24 PM IST
