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Home / Author / Lalita Panicker

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

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.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Updated on Jan 27, 2026 24:54 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)

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)

Updated on Jan 10, 2026 16:50 IST

Lalita Panicker picks her favourite read of 2025

Pankaj Mishra’s The World After Gaza (Juggernaut)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Updated on Oct 25, 2025 16:58 IST

Elderly women in India need focussed interventions

While women live longer than men, they suffer from more morbidities and mobility issues. Patriarchy ensures that elderly women, especially widows, do not have access to proper nutrition either due to negligence or financial constraints. (HT Archive)

Updated on Oct 11, 2025 15:59 IST

Making farm sector equitable for women

Women are instrumental in harvesting, weeding, sowing, threshing, moving agricultural produce and dealing with livestock. (HT Archive)

Updated on Sep 27, 2025 15:38 IST

Impact of floods on women’s health care

Women should be allowed to express their own needs before drawing up programmes to deal with their health issues during natural calamities like floods (HT Photo)

Updated on Sep 13, 2025 15:25 IST

Empowering young women to enter higher education

Since the 1950s, the government has launched numerous initiatives with the primary goal of enhancing educational opportunities for women. (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Aug 16, 2025 15:25 IST

Trans-rights and the need for a nurturing ecosystem

It was only when Dr. Jency became an assistant professor that she got recognition for her hard work. “I am a professor first and a transgender after,” she says. (ANI)

Updated on Aug 2, 2025 16:42 IST

The gains of curbing anaemia in women

While women are biologically more vulnerable to anaemia during menstruation and pregnancy, their elevated risk is largely shaped by social and systemic disadvantages. (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Jul 19, 2025 17:59 IST

Art on his sleeve: As Krishen Khanna turns 100, an exclusive Wknd interview

(HT Photo)

Updated on Jul 12, 2025 08:34 IST

India must push Taliban on upholding women’s rights

The Taliban perceive women as a major danger to their concept of an ideal State (AFP)

Updated on Jun 21, 2025 12:59 IST

Seaweed farming: A path to empowering women

From innovative food businesses creating high-protein seaweed crackers to award-winning biodegradable plastic, full-stack tech solutions to a legacy company cultivating important species of seaweed — the industry is replete with examples of women with big entrepreneurial ambitions (Wikipedia)

Updated on Jun 7, 2025 13:23 IST

Sensitising youth on gender through films

These films are a way youth can connect over common patterns of gender-related issues that we find in India and the neighbouring regions

Updated on May 17, 2025 13:47 IST

In Bihar, women script a tale of empowerment with goat rearing

In Bihar, women script a tale of empowerment with goat rearing

Updated on Apr 26, 2025 15:14 IST

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