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    Home / 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

    Empowering women by improving mobility access

    Women should be actively recruited as bus drivers, conductors, mechanics, and depot managers. Gender equality commitments must be embedded into the annual municipal transport budget. (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on Nov 8, 2026 00:45 IST

    Drought conditions require climate-resilient crops to address India’s nutrition gap

    A farmer walks on a lake that has dried up due to drought outside Beed, India (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
    governance
    Updated on Oct 26, 2026 09:00 IST

    In Bihar, women learn to demand health care

    Change is underway in Bihar, where women are at the forefront of seeking health care, no longer content to be passive beneficiaries. The now formidable combination of ASHA, ANM, and anganwadi teams is leading the charge on this. (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on Oct 25, 2026 00:45 IST

    When tech becomes a tool for gender violence

    For women, harm from online spaces can lead to restrictions, reputation loss, blame, moral judgement, mobility restrictions, blackmail, stalking, violence, and withdrawal from online spaces. (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on Sep 27, 2026 00:45 IST

    Poshan Maah 2026: Break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition

    Malnutrition
    public health
    Updated on Sep 25, 2026 11:17 IST

    A gender agenda for BRICS

    The first-ever BRICS Joint Women Ministerial Statement marked an important step towards advancing “women-led development,” identifying women’s economic autonomy and their full participation in development as collective BRICS priorities.
    opinion
    Updated on Sep 13, 2026 02:03 IST

    Better data can help fund effective gender initiatives

    Lack of data and information is not a uniquely Indian problem. In The Lords of Poverty, author Graham Hancock, once a UN employee, speaks of how misguided funding and aid, though well-intentioned, deliver little to no benefit to the end user.
    opinion
    Updated on Sep 6, 2026 01:03 IST

    A double burden for women in dengue season

    Almost 70% of community health workers are women who work at risk of contracting diseases themselves to deliver care. Yet, this labour is rarely acknowledged or paid adequately.
    opinion
    Updated on Aug 23, 2026 08:53 IST

    ‘Hospital is safe’: Fostering safe motherhood with institutional deliveries

    Where home delivery was once tradition, institutional delivery now has social acceptance.
    opinion
    Updated on Aug 9, 2026 02:19 IST

    Breastfeeding as the foundation for lifelong good health

    Breastfeeding
    public health
    Updated on Aug 1, 2026 10:43 IST

    Women are writing new rules for conservation

    The dual focus on ecology and capacity-building is groundbreaking.
    opinion
    Updated on Jul 26, 2026 02:04 IST

    The case for a law against marital rape

    A four-kilometre-long saree was embroidered with thousands of signatures supporting the removal of the marital rape exception.
    opinion
    Updated on Jul 12, 2026 01:06 IST

    Iron injection boost to maternal health in UP

    According to NFHS-5, nearly 57% of women aged 15–49 years in India are anaemic, while in Uttar Pradesh, more than half the women of reproductive age continue to suffer from the condition.
    opinion
    Updated on Jun 28, 2026 02:10 IST

    A worrying trend amidst UP women’s health gains

    Women need proper counselling and better communication to enable them to make informed choices. Private care may not always be the best option for everyone. (Getty Images)
    opinion
    Updated on Jun 13, 2026 14:10 IST

    India’s fight against dowry must continue

    The very idea of dowry suggests that a woman’s parents have to compensate her in-laws for taking her into their home. So, the in-laws feel emboldened to raise demands. Once the parents give in, the demands become blackmail, with the daughter as the hostage. (ANI)
    opinion
    Updated on May 30, 2026 16:17 IST

    Making the Capital’s EV policy women-friendly

    Delhi’s EV policy must increase women’s uptake of E2Ws by including an incremental higher purchase subsidy — on top of the general purchase subsidy — for the first 10,000 women with certain eligibility criteria. (Shutterstock)
    opinion
    Updated on May 16, 2026 13:38 IST

    The neglect of women’s health beyond fertility span

    The depth of women’s illness across the life course is still being uncovered. As India undergoes a demographic transition, it is essential to ensure both gender and age inclusion in health policies (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on May 2, 2026 16:05 IST

    Building an ecosystem for women entrepreneurs

    Globally, women-owned businesses account for a significant proportion of MSMEs. However, their presence declines sharply in export-intensive sectors, capital-heavy industries, and high-growth innovation ecosystems. (REUTERS)
    opinion
    Updated on Apr 4, 2026 16:21 IST

    Driving empowerment through a collective

    The Tamil-language documentary Auto Queens is an eye-opener. Set in Chennai, where only 0.5% of women are auto drivers, the film tells the story of two women drivers, Mohana, the visionary president of Tamil Nadu’s first women-led auto rickshaw collective. (Still from the film Auto Queens)
    opinion
    Updated on Mar 21, 2026 16:39 IST

    War brings more pain, hurt to women in Iran

    If this war does bring about regime change, it is highly unlikely that women will be in a better place. Their rights are not likely to be on top of the agenda of either the US or Israel. (AFP)
    opinion
    Updated on Mar 7, 2026 16:18 IST

    Nuh’s women get a voice against domestic violence

    A community radio is run by the locals, speaks to the community in its language, and allows women to share, even anonymously if needed (Mohd Imran/Radio Mewat)
    opinion
    Updated on Feb 22, 2026 14:55 IST

    Giving voice to sanitation advocacy through radio

    In Mohanpura, Santi Damor was struck by one reality above all: Despite having a toilet, no one in her new home used it. It had become a storeroom, while the family used the fields for toilet purposes. (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on Feb 7, 2026 17:27 IST

    Reporting India for the world and Bharat

    Mark Tully had a deep understanding of the Indian ethos and was empathetic to the people he spoke to. His journalism was informed by the vast array of people he interacted with on the ground. (AP)
    opinion
    Updated on Jan 27, 2026 00:54 IST

    Calling out patriarchy in rural Rajasthan

    Sachin Pilot, former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, says, “...I am proud that women, especially the younger generation, are holding their ground and pushing back on oppressive actions...” (ANI)
    opinion
    Updated on Jan 24, 2026 15:59 IST

    Looking at cancer care, through the gender lens

    The challenge is the uneven delivery of services, infrastructure gaps, low community uptake and low awareness. Moreover, oncologists and staff specialising in cancer care are also rarely available in rural areas. (HT Archive)
    opinion
    Updated on Jan 10, 2026 16:50 IST

    Lalita Panicker picks her favourite read of 2025

    Pankaj Mishra’s The World After Gaza (Juggernaut)
    books
    Updated on Dec 26, 2025 11:52 IST

    Addressing the gender gap in climate policies

    India must internalise the fact that women and girls face unique climate risks and disproportionate stress from natural disasters. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)
    opinion
    Updated on Dec 13, 2025 16:09 IST

    Women are rewriting the grammar of elections

    The surge in women’s vote share reflects socio-economic and cultural shifts, alongside regional dynamics that are transforming women’s political participation and influence. (@DM_Katihar X/ANI)
    opinion
    Updated on Nov 22, 2025 16:49 IST

    Peace building needs more women leading the talks

    For gender-sensitive peace building, women must acquire tools for facilitating dialogue, capacity building, and developing innovative pedagogies for peace. (@MEAIndia X/ANI)
    opinion
    Updated on Nov 8, 2025 16:36 IST

    Durgapur rape case: Don’t blame women for the violence they suffer

    Reactions like Banerjee’s only further restrict women to segregated public spaces, public transport, and different queues in public places. (PTI)
    opinion
    Updated on Oct 25, 2025 16:58 IST
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