Actor Smriti Kalra visited the Rajya Sabha and new Parliament in Delhi to celebrate the passing of Women Reservation Bill, and she calls it a moment of pride and honour. “It has been a long journey since 1996, when the bill was first presented and it was passed after several attempts.

As women become more involved in public life and break patriarchal control in the process, they also deal with the backlash of cultural, traditional and religious reaction. Various interpretations of Muslim law are promoted by different groups in the struggle over women's rights.

In a vast, multi-ethnic, multi-religious country like India, it is to be expected that we have several world-views operating at the same time in people's search for health and healing.

Reproductive Health Matters has until this issue of the journal focused almost exclusively on secular threats to women’s reproductive rights.

Cancer of the cervix is the most prevalent form of cancer in developing countries, and accounts for 25 to 50 per cent of all cancers occurring in Indian women.