| Dear reader. I hope you had a restful year-end break and are raring to go this new year. Expect big things for gender (some of them, very good). Exactly what? Read on… The Big Story Crystal ball gazing: the gender news we can expect  (Source: CNN) Pundits have already pointed out that 2024 is the biggest year for global elections in at least 64 countries, including India and the US. Close to half the planet’s population—950 million registered voters in just India—will vote this year. In Mexico, both leading contenders are women and, so, the country will inevitably get a woman head of state. In Bangladesh, which goes to the polls today, Sheikh Hasina is almost a sure shot winner. Will Nikki Haley become the first woman president of the US? Or will, courts permitting, Donald Trump succeed in a second bid? The former US president has already promised pressure groups like the conservative Moms for Liberty to “take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology to restore the timeless truth that God created two genders, male and female.” We can only keep our fingers crossed. Closer home in India, we can expect women’s increasing presence at the voting booth to impact manifestoes and electoral promises. In a make-or-break election and with the new women’s reservation law not coming into effect this election at least, one thing we will emphatically not see is parties fielding anywhere close to 33% of women candidates. So, don’t expect a dramatic increase in women MPs from the current 15.2% in the Lok Sabha. Whoever forms the new government, we will still remain way below the global average of the 26.5%. [To register to vote, click here: https://voters.eci.gov.in/] Medical breakthroughs with women in mind  (Source: Rand Corporation) After decades of chronic neglect and underfunding, women’s health is having its day. Yes, we’re still nowhere close to the sort of spending on conditions that affect men, we’re still conducting medical trials as if male is the default gender, and we’re still dealing with pain bias which routinely leads to misdiagnosis. Also, among women, privilege and income continues to pay a disproportionate role in healthcare outcomes. We will still need to see far more women in leadership roles. But, let’s not ignore the silver lining(s) in recent breakthroughs. For instance, morning sickness, which affects 80% of those who are pregnant (2% severely). New research published at the end of 2023, unearthed the culprit: A hormone GDF15 produced by the foetus. Women who have naturally low levels of this hormone tend to be more sensitive to its sudden arrival, ergo they feel sick. Now that we know the culprit, can we hope for a cure? Another big breakthrough last year spelt hope for the one in seven new mothers who experience postpartum depression. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved of a new postpartum depression drug called zuranolone, the first ever oral drug that specifically targets postpartum depression. The downside is the cost, $15,900 for the 14-day course, which puts it out of the reach for most. The second is the gap in maternal mental health care with insufficient screening, high costs and limited access to treatment – all of which are unlikely to be addressed in the near future. And the third is the continuing stigma around mental health, particularly when it concerns women. That will take more than a pill to fix. Finally, there’s been some real progress on the much-awaited male contraceptive pill. Trials are on. But the big question remains untested: Will men be prepared to make the switch? Courtroom battles Some old battles, left over from previous year, will continue. For instance, the fight for marriage equality by the LGBTQI community which the Supreme Court said was the job of Parliament and, so, beyond its jurisdiction. But the year ended with the top court at least agreeing to consider petitions that sought a reconsideration of its judgement. Nobody’s holding their breath but the door is still open. In July last year, chief justice DY Chandrachud also agreed to set up a three-judge bench and an early listing of petitions seeking to criminalise marital rape. You might remember that in May 2022 there was a split judgment by the Delhi high court where the judges could not agree on whether rape by a spouse should be criminalized or not. So, now it’s up to the Supreme Court to rule on marital rape. The court will also continue to hear cases asking for permission for abortion late into pregnancy, and rulings on this will continue to vary. For instance, in just this past week, the Kerala high court refused permission to a 12-year-old girl to abort a 34-week foetus that resulted out of rape by a sibling while the Delhi high court told a 29-week pregnant widow with depression that she could have an abortion. High bloody time The welcome and growing conversation on menstruation will continue to normalize what half the world’s population experiences. Issues such as menstrual leave for those who need it, hygiene, toilets, stigma will be debated in countries around the world. At the same time, crank up the volumne on a newer conversation, this one on menopause. On social media, more women in their 40s and 50s will be swapping stories on exercise, diet, hot flushes and sexuality (see, for example, here and here). In terms of policy and the workplace, awareness will increase on how menopause can extract a toll on productivity at a time when women might be at the peak of their careers—and what this might mean to workplaces. Menopause is definitely having a moment. Is it a movement yet? That might take a while coming, if you consider that 41% of medical schools globally don’t even have it on the curriculum. The unstoppable power of women’s sport  (Source: AFP) For the first time in its history, Paris 2024 will feature an even number of male and female athletes. So, three cheers to that. To those who still say ‘show me the money’, there’s more good news. Women’s elite sport will generate more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024, finds a Deloitte report. In case you’re wondering that is 300% higher than Deloitte’s previous valuation three years ago. But the money won’t be spread evenly. So, football, tennis and basketball will generate the big bucks in markets like North America and Europe with 33% of the forecasted total coming from FIFA Women’s World Cup and Women’s Tennis Association Tour. I have just one statistic for the dinosaurs who continue to claim that nobody wants to watch women play: The Women’s World Cup, which sold over 1,715,000 tickets in venues across New Zealand and Australia (for the finals between Spain and England, a record 75,784 people showed up to watch in Sydney). Off the field, expect athletes to continue speaking up against sexual harassment and abuse. They will be bolstered by their own courage and a remarkable sisterhood that has crossed borders, nationalities and language to offer solidarity. Tech and deepfakes British police are investigating the rape of a girl who is under the age of 16. What was she wearing? A virtual reality headset while playing an immersive game in the metaverse when her avatar was attacked by several others. So, not a real rape? Well, it’s complicated. Police investigating the crime say the girl experienced emotional and psychological trauma. Regardless of what happens next, the role of tech in enabling crimes against women will come into sharp focus. With Deepfake technology becoming cheaper and easier, everyone pays the price. But women will continue to be vulnerable to revenge porn or non-consensual deepfake porn. In India, a deepfake video of actress Rashmika Mandanna led to a lot of comment on the editorial pages of newspapers last year. But from Priyanka Chopra Jones to Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, Bollywood stars seem to make for easy pickings. With the growth of social media and a near obsession with celebrity culture this is one menace for which there are no easy solutions. | 
