Kalpana Sharma : Kalpana's Commentary
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Sep 08 2012
WOMEN AND SOCIETY
The way ahead for women
WOMEN AND SOCIETY : The way ahead for women
However imperfect, the National Commission for Women should not be disbanded. Instead, it needs to be debated and held accountable to its original mandate, writes writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Jun 27 2012
PUBLIC SAFETY
No space for women
PUBLIC SAFETY : No space for women
If women cannot step out of their homes and offices without the fear of being assaulted for no other reason than their gender, then clearly there is something very wrong, writes Kalpana Sharma.
Feb 13 2011
CHILD LABOUR LAWS
Lacunae and contradictions
CHILD LABOUR LAWS : Lacunae and contradictions
The survey of child labour in agriculture has helped to draw attention once again to many issues that must be addressed if every child is to have a meaningful right to education, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Oct 13 2010
MATERNAL DEATHS
Mis-counting mortality
MATERNAL DEATHS : Mis-counting mortality
A recent report by Human Rights Watch, No Tally of the Anguish provides a much-needed exposure of the real story behind averages and official data about maternal mortality, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Sep 10 2010
MATERNAL MORTALITY
Dying of indifference
MATERNAL MORTALITY : Dying of indifference
One woman dies every eight minutes due to complications arising due to pregnancy such as sepsis, haemorrhage or obstructed labour. These deaths could be avoided if there is timely medical intervention, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Aug 22 2010
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Fear in the city
SEXUAL HARASSMENT : Fear in the city
We now have data that establishes that due to the fear of violence and harassment many women do not have the autonomy to freely move in a variety of public spaces, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Jun 27 2010
WASTE PICKERS
Invisible environmentalists
WASTE PICKERS : Invisible environmentalists
They forage the city, collecting and sorting often hazardous waste when the city sleeps and by day they are gone. Most of them are women and we have no long-term policy in place that looks at their welfare or health, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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May 02 2010
MEDIA AND WOMEN
Twists, turns, dead-ends
MEDIA AND WOMEN : Twists, turns, dead-ends

The Sunanda episode leaves us with some hard questions, about the attitude of the media to women, about sexism and other hurdles that women face everyday at the workplace, writes Kalpana Sharma.

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Feb 14 2010
FEMALE ILLITERACY
Educating India
FEMALE ILLITERACY : Educating India
The Annual Status of Education Report, 2009 points out yet again that what stands between rural girls and a good education is often basic facilities like transport and proper toilets, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Dec 08 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Growing without a plan
SMALL TOWNS : Growing without a plan
Rajnandgaon's location along a national highway has helped it to grow. It is also not cash-strapped. But its problem is the absence of good governance, writes Kalpana Sharma.

Kalpana Sharma is an independent journalist, columnist and media consultant. She has been, until recently, Deputy Editor and Chief of Bureau of The Hindu in Mumbai. In over three decades as a full-time journalist, she has held senior positions in Himmat Weekly, Indian Express and the Times of India. Her special areas of interest are environmental and developmental issues. She writes a fortnightly column in The Hindu's Sunday Magazine section, The Other Half, that comments on contemporary issues from a gender perspective. She has also followed and commented on urban issues, especially in the context of Mumbai's development.

Kalpana Sharma is the author of Rediscovering Dharavi: Stories from Asia's Largest Slum (Penguin 2000) and has co-edited with Ammu Joseph Whose News? The Media and Women's Issues (Sage 1994, 2006) and Terror Counter-Terror: Women Speak Out (Kali for Women, 2003)