A FEW WISPS OF HAIRT
The morality police arrested Mahsa Amini, who also went by the name Jina, on September 13 for a violation of Iran’s strict hijab laws. Some hair was visible under her headscarf. Three days later she died in hospital, allegedly from being beaten in custody.

Sex ratio is perhaps one of the most important sociodemographic indices which reflect the socio-economic and cultural ethos of a country, more so with reference to the status of its women.

The report traces the contours of violence against women and girls in the country today, only to stress upon the need for quality and accessible shelter schemes and homes.

The high female infant mortality rates (Miller, 1985), the practice of female infanticide (Krishnaswamy, 1988), the neglect of female children with regard to access to health services, nutrition (Sen and Sengupta 1983) and education (Mankekar, 1985), and the sexual abuse of girls (Bhalerao, 1985)

We live in an era of paradoxes and contradictions - the reality was never so multifaceted, the issues never so complex. Everything around us seems to be melting and unfortunately the new forms acquired by the congealing of the molten mass leaves us little to rejoice at.