Lalita Panicker leads the opinion section at Hindustan Times. Over a 33-year career, she has specialised in gender issues, reproductive health, child rights, politics and social engineering.
Articles by Lalita Panicker
In Bihar, women script a tale of empowerment with goat rearing
Project Mesha has led to para-veterinary services for goats becoming a key pathway for women’s economic and social empowerment
Published on Apr 26, 2025 08:44 PM IST
On-demand transport no easy gig for women
Women face numerous obstacles, heightened risk of sexual harassment and violence at the hands of both customers and colleagues being the primary one
Published on Apr 12, 2025 09:12 PM IST
Women entrepreneurship in India needs nurturing
Women trying to set up their own businesses face multiple challenges. They lack financial literacy and proper documentation to secure credit
Published on Mar 29, 2025 08:09 PM IST
A women’s front to boost green energy
The Skill India programme could focus more on imparting women with the wherewithal to integrate with the green workforce
Published on Mar 15, 2025 06:31 PM IST
Safer cities hold the key to women’s well-being
Addressing violence against women necessitates a multifaceted approach that integrates grassroots mobilisation with decentralised governance, underpinned by suitable institutional arrangements and system strengthening
Updated on Mar 01, 2025 07:15 PM IST
Making gender count in procurement policy
Women-led businesses face significant barriers in procurement, receiving only 1.2% of opportunities in India. Structural inequalities hinder their growth.
Updated on Feb 15, 2025 08:05 PM IST
Budget as instrument for women’s empowerment
The lack of gender-segregated data must be rectified especially for the marginalised sections of society
Published on Jan 18, 2025 08:15 PM IST
Gaza women’s long wait for deliverance
Women on the frontlines of peace work continue to raise their voices against the impunity of unbridled power and senseless violence
Updated on Jan 04, 2025 08:24 PM IST
Lalita Panicker picks her favourite read of 2024
Death and all its attendant horrors loom large over the book even as we come to grips with the protagonist, Cyrus Shams, an Iranian-American whose melancholy nature is compounded by his profound sense of loss
Published on Dec 27, 2024 03:37 PM IST
Fight gender-based violence at the roots
Violence against women is not just domestic and sexual violence, but also a symptom of the larger oppression of women and gender inequality
Published on Dec 21, 2024 07:56 PM IST
Redesign POSH law for the informal sector
The committees need to be differently constituted involving local social organisations.
Updated on Nov 30, 2024 07:51 PM IST
What air pollution does to women in India
There is little awareness that women are differently and dangerously affected by air pollution. The government should factor this into its policies and schemes
Updated on Nov 10, 2024 10:37 AM IST
Fix maternity care before calling for more children
Every expectant mother deserves respectful and compassionate care throughout the maternity process.
Published on Oct 26, 2024 08:35 PM IST
How influencers can help defeat toxic masculinity
In today’s digital landscape, micro-influencers with smaller, yet highly engaged audiences, often drive significant impact, particularly in grassroots communities. Their regional relevance and relatability enable them to forge meaningful connections and inspire change
Updated on Oct 12, 2024 08:14 PM IST
Redefining role of men in family planning scenario
Planned and delayed pregnancies give couples the ability to build a stronger economic foundation before taking on the expenses, and in the case of women, restrictions, associated with raising a family
Published on Sep 28, 2024 09:19 PM IST
Men, masculinity and gender justice for all
Challenging patriarchal mindsets cannot succeed without involving men in the mix to redraw notions of gender roles and stereotypes
Published on Sep 14, 2024 08:59 PM IST
Economic opportunity key to inclusion of transgenders
Despite the government setting up shelters and framing pension and health insurance schemes, the transgender community is still largely on the peripheries when it comes to equal opportunities in the job market.
Published on Aug 24, 2024 09:10 PM IST
A blockchain boon for women’s health
A pilot project will give women control and access to their own documentation and enable them to demand the benefits that are owed to them
Published on Aug 10, 2024 09:09 PM IST
WASHing away the climate crisis risks
Given the vulnerabilities faced by women due to the climate crisis, localised adaptation strategies, enhancing infrastructure resilience, and ensuring community awareness and consensus must be prioritised.
Published on Jul 27, 2024 09:22 PM IST
Parties must fulfil poll promises to women
A lot has been done, to the credit of all parties, but a lot more needs to be done and women cannot be relegated to being just valuable voters at election time.
Published on Jul 06, 2024 09:31 PM IST
A pink auto route to empowering women
The pink e-autos initiative could be replicated across India. It will tick several boxes, empowerment of women, getting more women into the labour force, contributing to a cleaner environment and breaking gender stereotypes about what work a woman can or cannot do
Published on Jun 22, 2024 09:01 PM IST
Mediation matters: A need for more women
The new government must eliminate institutional barriers for women mediators. A key step is ensuring adequate funding and training.
Published on Jun 08, 2024 11:45 PM IST
State needs to address the plight of domestic workers
It is hard to understand why more effort is not being made to make it easier for women to stay in the workforce.
Published on May 25, 2024 10:00 PM IST
How SHGs influence women voters in India
As women realise that power at the grassroots can affect power structures all the way up to Parliament, greater empowerment is sure to follow.
Published on May 11, 2024 10:00 PM IST
In the shadow of war, Gaza women battle on
While the world waits for a political resolution to the crisis, more attention must be given to how the crisis in Gaza has impacted gender relations.
Published on Apr 27, 2024 10:08 PM IST
In parched cities, water brings women closer
Embracing innovative solutions to strengthen water quality testing, and embrace circular water economy principles can build resilience in water governance.
Published on Apr 06, 2024 08:12 PM IST
Women are leading the fight against TB
Awareness and early treatment are even more vital given that women and girls make up nearly one million of the estimated 2.8 million TB cases in India each year
Published on Mar 23, 2024 09:13 PM IST
The continuing battle for bread and peace
We should remember that the fight for a woman’s right to nutritious food is a fight for a future where the promise of bread and peace is fulfilled for all.
Published on Mar 09, 2024 10:04 PM IST
Manipur women face trauma in relief camps
In many camps, there are 200 women to one toilet in most camps and often only open spaces for bathrooms
Updated on Feb 26, 2024 11:10 AM IST
View family planning through a gender lens
Building capacity among health workers, addressing intersectionality, and implementing innovative solutions can improve access to family planning services
Published on Feb 10, 2024 09:50 PM IST