News / Author / Lalita Panicker

Lalita Panicker

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

How to increase and retain more women in STEM

It is clear that to increase and retain more women in STEM, institutional the leadership in science needs to understand what might be going wrong and bring in diversity experts to correct gender imbalances.

The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) has come up with a report on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women in the STEM workforce throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This report captures the lived experiences of women and highlights that essential gains in equality may be lost if action is not taken now. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

opinion

Updated on Oct 30, 2021 06:59 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Gender equality: Why we must involve men

While many institutions engage women’s groups to hold workshops on women’s empowerment and rights, isn’t it time that men’s groups were also given a larger platform?

Showcasing and promoting the work of such organisations is important, and much can be learned from their experiences (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

opinion

Updated on Oct 16, 2021 08:13 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

The vulnerability of the boy child

Many cases involving boys are unreported and unaddressed, according to prominent NGOs working in the field

Boys are less likely to report that they have been violated either due to ignorance or fear of being considered weak (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Oct 02, 2021 07:37 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

The grim reality of women prisoners in India

There are several ways to help women prisoners — a liberal application of bail; easier access to legal help; special fast-track courts and rehabilitation facilities

According to the National Alliance on Prison Reforms, which deals with prisoner rights, the main problem is bail (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Sep 20, 2021 01:08 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Hear the voices of the women of Afghanistan

The world owes it to the thousands of women who have chosen to stay in Afghanistan, and those who have no choice but to stay, to use all the leverage it can to ensure that Afghan women don’t become just a footnote in the violent politics of the strife-torn country

Many women’s groups believe that the United Nations and other human rights organisations can push much harder on the issue (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Sep 04, 2021 06:40 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

India needs more women in the police

More women police personnel, proactive gender sensitisation across the force and the localities they work in, and taking policing out of the station to women, hold the key to a safer environment for women

There has been a 16% increase in women personnel entering the police force between 2019 and the beginning of 2020 (Santosh Kumar /Hindustan Times)

opinion

Updated on Aug 21, 2021 04:11 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Indian foreign policy needs more women

Whenever India has undertaken big foreign policy engagements, very often, women experts and diplomats are conspicuous by their absence

There is a misconception that women tend to veer away from what are described as hard issues of security and trade and focus on relatively soft issues

opinion

Published on Aug 07, 2021 06:16 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Needed: Gender inclusivity in the Indian armed forces

While many senior male Army officers say that, in principle, they are not against more women coming into the forces and even moving into combat roles, they cite several reasons why this is still impractical

In the 1.4-million-strong Indian Army, women constitute a minuscule 0.56%, while the corresponding figure is 1.08% in the Air Force and 6.5% in the Navy. (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Jul 24, 2021 08:17 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Caring for the vulnerable: Transgender persons

There has to be a concerted effort by state governments to set up camps for transpeople where they can at least be guided through the vaccination process.

Vashi based NGO with NMMC has managed to get transgender persons vaccinated at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, July 9. (HT PHOTO)

opinion

Published on Jul 10, 2021 08:06 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Across religions, include women in the clergy

There is potential in women priests from all religions becoming game-changers in gender inclusion. They must have a greater role in the rituals that govern all our lives from birth to death.

The importance of women priests in all religions cannot be overstated (Pardeep Pandit/HT Photo)

opinion

Updated on Jun 26, 2021 06:23 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Post-Covid-19, women and the green economy

Across the world, gender is becoming a significant factor in climate policies. Even as India has done well in recognising the climate crisis and working towards meeting its Paris obligations, it has been relatively slow in recognising the gender dimension of climate

Agriculture will remain a key sector in the post-pandemic phase (Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

opinion

Published on Jun 12, 2021 06:45 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Elderly women need better care and support

Elderly women need easy access to home health care, access to essentials preferably through home delivery, and above all compassion and care from their families and State systems

Though there was a realisation, well before the advent of the virus, that we have to plan for a geriatric population, this is not fully understood by either doctors or caregivers, few of whom have specialised in this field (Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

opinion

Published on May 29, 2021 07:43 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Address the needs of domestic workers

The government must set in motion steps to fast-track registration of domestic workers across the country so that it can keep track of them as they move to different geographies

With the advent of the virus, they were and still are viewed by employers as carriers of the virus, leading to substantial loss of employment for part-timers (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on May 15, 2021 06:54 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

In Covid times, caring for pregnant women

Given this dire situation, state governments have to give the care of pregnant women greater attention.s

Many pregnant women in India cannot go for check-ups as there is no transport to take them to health centres, especially in remote areas (Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)

opinion

Published on May 01, 2021 08:47 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Protect the rights of women migrant workers

The response from most states to these recommendations has been slow to non-existent. Many quarantine centres and shelters for migrant women are not safe, nor are they safe on the long road home where they have neither facilities nor physical security.

The government’s draft National Policy on Migrant Workers has largely overlooked the specific needs and concerns of migrant women (REUTERS)

opinion

Published on Apr 17, 2021 06:23 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Seeking support, denying representation

f parties want the support of women voters, then they owe it to women to create enabling conditions for them to progress through the political system and have a say in political decision-making

Yet, the scenario at the local government level is very different in all these states, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where women are coming to the fore and bridging the gender gap (REUTERS)

opinion

Published on Apr 03, 2021 07:36 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

End the silence on the abuse of the male child

It is silence that emboldens the perpetrator. Boys have to be told by trusted adult figures that admitting to abuse is not a sign of weakness or taken to mean that they were complicit. It is time to end the silence on the abuse of the male child.

The male child who has suffered sexual abuse may end up with psychological problems, trauma, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, and a tendency towards violence. We rarely speak of these issues, even though they have a bearing on male violence against women in later life. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

opinion

Published on Mar 20, 2021 05:53 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Can Covid-19 open doors for working women?

The Start-up India and Skill India schemes should target women much more aggressively now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose words have proved transformational in many areas, should use his popular radio broadcast, Mann ki Baat, to emphasis the need to get women back into the workforce and make the workplace more conducive to those already in it.

Women labourers work at a site under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Ajmer, 2020 (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Mar 07, 2021 08:17 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Incentivise health workers on the ground

Even if the remuneration is called an honorarium rather than a salary, state governments must now consider providing Asha workers with the job security that other medical professionals get

During the pandemic, many were given a very short period of training on how to handle the deadly virus and its aftermath (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Feb 21, 2021 07:14 AM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Make public transport safe for women

Public spaces and transport should be a major focus so that women are able to fully participate in the workforce without any fear of violence

There has been an earlier suggestion that cities should promote the presence of hawkers in public areas as this would ensure greater street activity and, thus, improve safety for women on their way to and from home. (Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times)

opinion

Updated on Feb 07, 2021 06:44 AM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Focusing on women with disabilities

Government schemes, which have been a lifeline for so many women in these trying times, must be responsive to the needs of women with disabilities. For a start, the government could use its robust grassroots systems with its health workers to create awareness in families about the need to not compromise on health and education for women with disabilities.

In India, many women in general and those with disabilities in particular have to face poverty, poor health conditions, little or no income, lower education levels and isolation. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Jan 24, 2021 06:25 AM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Agri-reforms must focus on women farmers

Women have been part of the agrarian crisis for a very long time, though largely overlooked. Women farmers need access to all aspects of the sector from technical training and pricing to marketing and finances

The pandemic has left women farmers even more economically vulnerable, and added the burden of caring for out-of-school children and the sick and elderly. Covid-19 has also decreased remittances to women farmers left at home. With more migrants coming home, there is also greater demand on the land, putting the tenuous hold of women on land in greater jeopardy. (Getty Images)

opinion

Published on Jan 09, 2021 08:41 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Covid-19 has led to a rise in child marriages

With so much uncertainty about when schools will reopen, there is every likelihood of girls not returning to school and this increases the danger of their being married early. Without the safety net of schools, the girl child being forced into marriage is cut off from any possible communication with a teacher or counselor.

columns

Updated on Dec 26, 2020 07:59 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

For women, Mumbai holds a promise

A chapter “Gender, Special Groups and Social Equity” in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s revised Draft Development Plan, 2034 focuses on how to make the commercial capital friendlier for women in several crucial ways

The skill development centres are proposed to be in prominent areas next to busy markets, railway stations or other public institutions so that women do not have to navigate lonely and unsafe passages while on their way to these centres(Satish Bate/HT Photo)

columns

Updated on Dec 12, 2020 09:28 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

Focusing on mental health of young people

Mental health issues manifest themselves in many ways, from insomnia to eating disorders to emotional swings to self-harming, all of which can be treated given the right interventions

Social distancing and isolation have pushed the young from poor families even more to the margins than before(Shutterstock)

columns

Updated on Nov 28, 2020 10:23 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

Strengthen the NCW to effect real change | Opinion

The NCW should be an organisation which can step up to the plate and fulfil its mandate, but that does not seem likely given its current composition

While Sharma deserves criticism, past chairpersons of this organisation have been unimpressive, to say the least.(HT PHOTO)

columns

Published on Oct 31, 2020 09:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

Confront the mental health challenge | Opinion

There are several ways to reach out to women at risk in this time, and this is a time when they need the most support

In such a situation of tension, women are bound to suffer a variety of mental challenges, ranging from depression to anxiety to a feeling of worthlessness(Satish Bate/HT Photo)

columns

Updated on Oct 17, 2020 08:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

We need women in the manufacturing sector

The government must make more women aware of job opportunities in this sector and emphasise that most companies engaged in manufacturing and heavy industries, by and large, do not compromise on the safety and health of their employees

We need to showcase these and highlight the experiences of women in these fields(Shutterstock)

columns

Updated on Oct 03, 2020 07:04 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

Creating a new work ecosystem for women

The government has the road map all drawn up. It has to now actively push women by providing information about the gaps in demand and supply, provide the skilling required and create an enabling environment for easy finances

With the focus on boosting domestic capabilities, women should be brought to the centre of a new ecosystem(PTI)

columns

Updated on Sep 20, 2020 05:43 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByLalita Panicker

Design a safety net for poor urban women

Perhaps one way would be to first create a database and consider some form of cash incentive to at least tide them over at a time when the cost of food, medicines and other necessities has gone up.

The devastation wreaked by Covid-19 has hurt people across India in numerous ways. While there has been much talk of safety net schemes and programmes for the rural poor, the same cannot be said for the urban poor.(Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

columns

Published on Sep 05, 2020 08:00 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Lalita Panicker

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.

It is clear that to increase and retain more women in STEM, institutional the leadership in science needs to understand what might be going wrong and bring in diversity experts to correct gender imbalances.

While many institutions engage women’s groups to hold workshops on women’s empowerment and rights, isn’t it time that men’s groups were also given a larger platform?

Many cases involving boys are unreported and unaddressed, according to prominent NGOs working in the field

There are several ways to help women prisoners — a liberal application of bail; easier access to legal help; special fast-track courts and rehabilitation facilities

The world owes it to the thousands of women who have chosen to stay in Afghanistan, and those who have no choice but to stay, to use all the leverage it can to ensure that Afghan women don’t become just a footnote in the violent politics of the strife-torn country

More women police personnel, proactive gender sensitisation across the force and the localities they work in, and taking policing out of the station to women, hold the key to a safer environment for women

Whenever India has undertaken big foreign policy engagements, very often, women experts and diplomats are conspicuous by their absence

While many senior male Army officers say that, in principle, they are not against more women coming into the forces and even moving into combat roles, they cite several reasons why this is still impractical

There has to be a concerted effort by state governments to set up camps for transpeople where they can at least be guided through the vaccination process.

There is potential in women priests from all religions becoming game-changers in gender inclusion. They must have a greater role in the rituals that govern all our lives from birth to death.

Across the world, gender is becoming a significant factor in climate policies. Even as India has done well in recognising the climate crisis and working towards meeting its Paris obligations, it has been relatively slow in recognising the gender dimension of climate

Elderly women need easy access to home health care, access to essentials preferably through home delivery, and above all compassion and care from their families and State systems

The government must set in motion steps to fast-track registration of domestic workers across the country so that it can keep track of them as they move to different geographies

Given this dire situation, state governments have to give the care of pregnant women greater attention.s

The response from most states to these recommendations has been slow to non-existent. Many quarantine centres and shelters for migrant women are not safe, nor are they safe on the long road home where they have neither facilities nor physical security.

f parties want the support of women voters, then they owe it to women to create enabling conditions for them to progress through the political system and have a say in political decision-making

It is silence that emboldens the perpetrator. Boys have to be told by trusted adult figures that admitting to abuse is not a sign of weakness or taken to mean that they were complicit. It is time to end the silence on the abuse of the male child.

Even if the remuneration is called an honorarium rather than a salary, state governments must now consider providing Asha workers with the job security that other medical professionals get

Public spaces and transport should be a major focus so that women are able to fully participate in the workforce without any fear of violence

Women have been part of the agrarian crisis for a very long time, though largely overlooked. Women farmers need access to all aspects of the sector from technical training and pricing to marketing and finances

A chapter “Gender, Special Groups and Social Equity” in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s revised Draft Development Plan, 2034 focuses on how to make the commercial capital friendlier for women in several crucial ways

Mental health issues manifest themselves in many ways, from insomnia to eating disorders to emotional swings to self-harming, all of which can be treated given the right interventions

The NCW should be an organisation which can step up to the plate and fulfil its mandate, but that does not seem likely given its current composition

There are several ways to reach out to women at risk in this time, and this is a time when they need the most support

The government must make more women aware of job opportunities in this sector and emphasise that most companies engaged in manufacturing and heavy industries, by and large, do not compromise on the safety and health of their employees

The government has the road map all drawn up. It has to now actively push women by providing information about the gaps in demand and supply, provide the skilling required and create an enabling environment for easy finances

Perhaps one way would be to first create a database and consider some form of cash incentive to at least tide them over at a time when the cost of food, medicines and other necessities has gone up.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like