I/III.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/06/08/narendra-modis-despite-being-a-woman-comment-gets-him-in-hot-water/
Narendra Modi’s ‘Despite Being a Woman’ Comment Gets Him in Hot Water
By Niharika Mandhana
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, talks to Bangladeshi
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, during a signing ceremony on June
6, 2015.
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most eloquent
politicians, put his foot in his mouth on Sunday – and social media
isn’t letting it slide.
At an event hosted by the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, Mr. Modi
said in Hindi, “I am happy to say that the prime minister of
Bangladesh, despite being a woman, is saying boldly that she has zero
tolerance toward terrorism.”
The statement triggered a flood of reactions on Twitter, criticizing
it as “sexist” and “chauvinistic,” accompanied by the hashtag
#despitebeingawoman.
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Mr. Modi’s record on women’s issues has been patchy. He made women’s
safety one of his key campaign promises in last year’s elections.
Since taking office, he has championed programs to boost education
opportunities for girls and made speeches to encourage women’s
participation in the work force. But he has come under fire from
activists for matters closer to home.
He left his wife shortly after the pair’s arranged marriage as
youngsters and has never returned to her. His attitude toward women
also came under the spotlight in 2013 when an investigation by Indian
news websites alleged security officials shadowed a young woman for
days at Mr. Modi’s behest when he was chief minister of Gujarat.
Indian media dubbed the controversy “Snoopgate.” Mr. Modi has not
commented in public about the allegations. His Bharatiya Janata Party
has denied the accusations, saying the woman’s father requested that
his daughter’s movements be monitored.
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in January
2009 and successive governments in Bangladesh have championed women’s
education, with dramatic results on human development in the country –
outpacing India on some key indicators.
For breaking news, features and analysis from India, click here and
follow WSJ India on Facebook.
Mr. Modi’s record on women’s issues has been patchy. He made women’s
safety one of his key campaign promises in last year’s elections.
Since taking office, he has championed programs to boost education
opportunities for girls and made speeches to encourage women’s
participation in the work force. But he has come under fire from
activists for matters closer to home.
He left his wife shortly after the pair’s arranged marriage as
youngsters and has never returned to her. His attitude toward women
also came under the spotlight in 2013 when an investigation by Indian
news websites alleged security officials shadowed a young woman for
days at Mr. Modi’s behest when he was chief minister of Gujarat.
Indian media dubbed the controversy “Snoopgate.” Mr. Modi has not
commented in public about the allegations. His Bharatiya Janata Party
has denied the accusations, saying the woman’s father requested that
his daughter’s movements be monitored.
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in January
2009 and successive governments in Bangladesh have championed women’s
education, with dramatic results on human development in the country –
outpacing India on some key indicators.
II/III.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-09/anger-in-india-over-modi-despite-being-a-woman-speech/6530900
#DespiteBeingAWoman: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's speech sets
off social media storm
Updated about 9 hours ago
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart
Sheikh Hasina
Photo: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) has come under fire
for comments he made about the Bangladeshi prime minister's (R) fight
against terrorism. (Reuters: Rafiquar Rahman)
Map: India
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has set off a social media storm
after praising his Bangladeshi counterpart for having the courage to
fight terrorism "despite being a woman".
Mr Modi complimented Sheikh Hasina during a two-day visit to
Bangladesh over the weekend, saying in Hindi it was "heartening that
the prime minister of Bangladesh, despite being a woman, is openly
saying that she has zero tolerance for terrorism".
The comment sparked a flurry of sarcastic comments, jokes and pictures
of successful Indian women on social media.
The #DespiteBeingAWoman Twitter hashtag was India's top trending topic
on Monday.
"Managed to wake up & eat breakfast #DespiteBeingAWoman," posted
Twitter user Swati Chaturvedi.
While scores poked fun at the Indian prime minister's gaffe, others
expressed anger, questioning whether Mr Modi meant women were
generally tolerant of terrorism.
Indian politicians, including some from Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata
Party, have come under fire in the past for sexist language.
But since storming to power in May last year, Mr Modi has sought to
position himself as a champion of women's rights, emphasising the
importance of toilets for poor and vulnerable women, education for
girls and the ending of female foeticide in India.
In his first Independence Day speech last August, he addressed the
issue of rising sexual assaults on women and called on parents to
raise their sons properly.
swati chaturvedi @bainjal
Managed to wake up & eat breakfast #DespiteBeingAWoman
9:49 AM - 8 Jun 2015
43 43 Retweets
48
Sammy Radford @sammysthinkings
Managed to get a train in my own today #DespiteBeingAWoman
11:58 PM - 8 Jun 2015
Retweets
indianhistorypics @IndiaHistorypic
1890s :: Cornelia Sorabji, in 1889 became first woman to read law at
Oxford University #DespiteBeingAWoman
9:57 PM - 8 Jun 2015
183 183 Retweets
150
Ash @eyshah1
We survive somehow? #DespiteBeingAWoman
1:30 AM - 9 Jun 2015
Retweets
1
Abhijeet @abhic4ever
#DespiteBeingAWoman
9:42 AM - 8 Jun 2015
4 4 Retweets
1
Shannon Yang @shannonyangsky
#DespiteBeingAWoman I manage to be equal to men! Wow impressive huh?
12:31 AM - 9 Jun 2015
>From other news sites:
The Sydney Morning Herald: India's Modi draws flak for "despite
being a woman" comment about Bangladeshi PM
Washington Post: India's Narendra Modi meant to praise
Bangladesh's female Prime Minister. But it was viewed as an insult to
all women.
Huffington Post: Indian PM Narendra Modi Blasted On Twitter Over
Sexist Remark
India Today: Modi's #DespiteBeingAWoman remark a rage on Twitter
Times of India: Sheikh Hasina and I think alike, PM Modi says
III.
https://in.news.yahoo.com/modi-draws-flak-despite-being-woman-bangladeshi-pm-105939633.html
Modi draws flak for 'despite being a woman' comment about Bangladeshi PM
ReutersBy By Nita Bhalla | Reuters – 7 hours ago
By Nita Bhalla
NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has sparked outrage after he praised his Bangladeshi counterpart for
her courage to fight terrorism "despite being a woman", triggering an
avalanche of criticism on social media site Twitter.
#DespiteBeingAWoman was one of the top trends on the micro blogging
site on Monday, with users expressing anger at what they said was a
bigoted and sexist remark and posting pictures of famous female
scientists, politicians and athletes.
Twinkle Khanna
✔
@mrsfunnybones
Hahaha-No #DespiteBeingAWoman for us-secretly we are all men-just
carefully shave our moustaches off every morning:)
https://twitter.com/deepaltrevedie/status/607775707347845120 …
Modi, who was on a two-day official visit to neighbouring Bangladesh,
on Sunday told an audience at Dhaka University that Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina showed that she was committed to ending terrorism which
has plagued both South Asian nations.
Rajdeep Sardesai
✔
@sardesairajdeep
I should be feeling better today. If a prime minister can be trolled,
who are ordinary citizens like me? #DespiteBeingAWoman
3:20 PM - 8 Jun 2015
"The world has still not found a solution on how to tackle terrorism.
Even the U.N. is not in a position to provide guidance," said Modi.
"I am happy that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, despite being a
woman, is openly saying that she has zero tolerance for terrorism. I
would like to congratulate Sheikh Hasina for her courage to deal with
terrorism with zero tolerance," he added.
Priyanka Chaturvedi
✔
@priyankac19
Two power women #DespiteBeingAWoman
https://twitter.com/indiahistorypic/status/607827060896075776 …
2:15 PM - 8 Jun 2015
Twitter users went into a frenzy early on Monday as Modi's comments
were picked up by local media, with many taking pot-shots at the
Indian leader's remark.
"How can you even say or think #despitebeingawoman when your own
country had a great female PM way before most first world countries!
Shame!" tweeted a Mumbai-based fashion blogger from the twitter handle
@Fashionopolis.
"Mentality of Men's supremacy remains in the mind of Men always to
show down the woman with words like #DespiteBeingAWoman," tweeted user
Panchal under the handle @NotNewToAny1.
Gayatri Jayaraman @Gayatri__J
ok. off to work. after cooking sending kid to school to write big
story and run errands. like every other woman i know
#despitebeingawoman
Some users chose sarcasm to make their point.
"ok. off to work. after cooking sending kid to school to write big
story and run errands. like every other woman i know
#despitebeingawoman," tweeted Gayatri Jayaraman, senior editor at
India Today.
Users also posted images of successful women - from former Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
to civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks and education activist Malala
Yousafzai to physicist Marie Curie - under the hashtag
#DespiteBeingAWoman.
(Reporting by Nita Bhalla, Editing by Ros Russell, Please credit the
Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters,
that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption
and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
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