EXACERBATING CONDITIONS OF WOMEN DURING PANDEMIC

In the words of Mami Mizutori, “disaster amplifies the inequitable aspects of the world we live in”. Each day as it comes to a woman, she lives it, utilizes it and works in it to adequately serve her family; the only goal which she tries to accomplish, irrespective of her job or health. Playing every role flawlessly, fulfilling each responsibility smoothly and multitasking unsurpassably. The world is going through an unprecedented catastrophe which has paralyzed the current socio-economic, political and infrastructural needs difficult to be met. Unknowingly the pandemic has unleashed a number of subsequent ‘Gordian knots’ correspondingly diverting us to the worst.

The deeply entrenched patriarchy in various parts of the world has got a great opportunity to antagonise the society once again by coming into corporeality. The cases of domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, confinements on girl education, inaccessibility of girls to online tools and forceful pressure to do domestic chores are some of the problems which have touched the pinnacle of its existence. The GEM (Global Education Monitoring) Report 2020 by UNESCO states the non-supportive nature towards education during COVID-19 pandemic in 40% economically backward countries. The websites like PEER, have mentioned the continued existence of exploitation in terms of providing education to women. The oppressive social structures have made the online education least effective for girls to get themselves educated. The females are proven to be the worst affected group during this lockdown. The lacuna between the treatment for providing opportunities for educational exploration to only boys and depriving girls from it begins at a very early stage. This is reflected by the 14th ASER (Annual Status of Educational Report) conducted across 26 districts of 24 states has shown a drastic discrepancy in the rate at which the parents prefer to send boys to private school than girls. 56.8% of girls and only 50.4% of boys are sent to government school in contrast to the 43.2% of girls and 49.6% of boys are sent to private schools. The girls are preferably sent to government school while boys to private sector. However during lockdown the propensity to continue the pace of providing education to girls have been disrupted and another set issues are consequently rising like child marriages, pressure to do household chores or many a times inaccessibility to online tools. The report of UN mentions the vulnerability of child marriages to increase during the lockdowns by 4 million and total of about 13 million by the end of next decade. The RTE which mandates the persuasion of education for the age group of 6-14 has been proved to be unviable. 

The economy has experienced a swift slump which has brought turmoil to the lives of the people. According to the data of ILO (International Labour Organization) about 200 million jobs were lost in the initial months of the pandemic. The surge in poverty and economic inequality has resulted in a huge amount of school drop out of about 42%, conducted across few Asian countries by ‘Room to read’ which states that one out of every three girls is at the risk of drop out. These girls, mostly teen girls are forced to indulge themselves in domestic chores and the girls continuing their education are not able to dedicate the time essential for it. A paper under the name of “Whatever she may study, she can’t escape from washing dishes: Gender inequity in secondary education – evidence from a longitudinal study in India'' published under the ‘Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education’ states the amount of time spent by boys and girls respectively for doing domestic chores has about 17.7% gender gap. In the case of contemporary online classes it is evident in the accessibility of online tools and preferential treatment for the same. It is very saddening to know the results of the survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India that only 30% of Indian users are female. The most heinous fact about the Indian society of not allowing women to have access to mobile phones as it might lead to weakening of control of men over them. It is still prevalent in many parts of India like Phulwari village of Bihar. The lockdown has taken away jobs of many female workers too which has made it difficult for them to survive under their dominating partners who are exploiting them. Even if we are seeing a rise in the number of women as frontline workers, the remuneration given is not equal to that of men. Following this the rate of child marriage has simultaneously soared with an additional increase of about 4 million as warned by UN. Such scenario was earlier visible during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and 2008 financial crisis and ended in similar fate. 

Another important matter of urgent attention is escalation of cases of domestic violence. The reports of UNWOMEN states an upsurge of 243 million worldwide in any sort of violence done to women of age group 15 to 49 in a period of 12 months. In countries like France, the government has made arrangements in hotels for women victims of domestic violence .Apart from this, the women are forced to the facilitation of financial situations of the house even though simultaneously expected to organize household chores. British economists like James Meade and Richard Stone have stated the total value of unaccounted household chores which is equal to more than half of world GDP.  The women, however, have other threats too like the sudden uprising in human trafficking. This has been, since time immemorial, the worst form of exploitation a woman could go through. The human trafficking has increased due to the economic challenges chiefly. The landowners in rural areas are traced to be the huge regulators of such unethical actions. During these COVID times, online harassment against other forms of exploitation has spiked up by more than five times as per NCW (National Commission for Women) mentions. Many women are also facing reproductive threats as they are being abstained from obtaining the health facilities available. Their mental health is also a concern of great attention. 

It is our impeccable fortune that we are able to read articles or probably write and continue our studies even during the worst; not forgetting the exposure of opportunity that we possess. It should be our prime duty to respect such a luxury and share our resources pro-bono and break the confrontations of factors leading to the rise of such crimes. It is highly appreciable if our opportunities can be utilized for the betterment of the whole society.

The article has been published by Pranjal Sharma, the best content writer of this website. Her articles are loved by people all around the world.

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE MARITIME COMMUNITY

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE MARITIME COMMUNITY

Harassment, Embarrassment, Disappointment, Maltreatment; all these were what Simbi faced not because she was an unexpected last child in her family of ten, but all because she was a girl. A girl child lonely and sadly treading the slippery path of womanhood.  Now, Simbi is a young woman but still, nothing has changed. However, while walking aimlessly down the street, she met Bimsi who introduced her to the concepts of Maritime community and Gender equality.

Bimsi told Simbi that according to the Cambridge English Dictionary, Maritime refers to activities connected with the sea. Then, Gender equality, the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), aims at empowering women and girls, who are being groomed to be women. This same goal has been receiving attention through the years and will continue to do so as according to an article by United Nations on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), more than a hundred countries have taken action to track budget allocations for gender equality. Girls and women are being educated and empowered to engage in more jobs so as to prevent them from being exploited or maltreated in any way hence, the need to empower women in the Maritime sector, which is conventionally seen as the world of men.

The very first way through which women can be empowered in the Maritime sector is through awareness and sensitization of the activities of the sector. Having established the meaning of the concepts, Bimsi informed Simbi of the activities that make up the Maritime sector. Referring to an article titled “Nigerian Maritime Industry” posted on January 17, 2019 on www.proshareng.com, she told her that the maritime industry includes all enterprises engaged in the business of designing, constructing, manufacturing, acquiring, operating, supplying, repairing and maintaining vessels; of managing and operating shipping lines, customs brokerage services, shipyards, dry docks, marine railways, marine repair shops, shipping and freight forwarding services and similar enterprises. Just like Bimsi did, the Maritime community should put efforts into publicizing the industry and what it entails. Women should also be enlightened on the opportunities that abound in the Maritime sector. There should be elaborate information on the activities of the Maritime community. Doing this will make people especially women aware of events in the industry thus bringing them a step closer to the world of Maritime just like Simbi. Simbi thus began her journey to the Maritime world.

Moving on, most women have the orientation that the Maritime sector is a place for men and this should be corrected. Only a few women, according to www.crewtoo.com, delve into Maritime affairs thus, to enable more women do so, their view of the Maritime industry as a man’s world should be corrected. Women should also be helped in changing their perception of themselves and things going on around them. They should be encouraged to view things in a positive way. This is because without women having the right orientation, educating them is similar to watering a plant planted on a rock. Women should also change the way they view themselves. Simbi was also affected with a bad orientation and it should be noted that if not for the encouraging words of Bimsi, Simbi would have given up her journey to the Maritime world. The Maritime sector should also join hands with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in helping to motivate women not to see themselves as subordinate to men. They should be taught to rise and take charge though in a positive way. It is no news that with the right orientation to working in the Maritime sector, women will be more than efficient.

Also, women should be encouraged to acquire quality education in the field of Maritime for Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” The future of the Maritime sector is as bright as a lark and education is the means through which women need to access it so as to be parties and contributors to the bright future of tomorrow. Women should be enlightened on the opportunities that abound in getting educated in line with Maritime; they should also be encouraged to put their all into making sure they get right and quality education. Bimsi did just this as she encouraged Simbi and made sure the latter acquired quality education in the field of Maritime. The Maritime sector should also make sure that scholarship opportunities are available for women like Simbi so as to encourage them in their pursuit of Maritime education.

Closely related to acquiring quality education is the need to acquire training in the field of Maritime. Trainings should be organized by the Maritime organizations in order to improve women’s knowledge of the Maritime industry, its nooks and crannies. During these trainings, women should be exposed to the other things they need to know with respect to Maritime. Experienced persons in the field of Maritime should be employed to train them thoroughly. The fees of these trainings should also be subsidized if not free for the likes of Simbi. Likewise, the Maritime community should put all efforts into this training so that at the end of the day, efficient and knowledgeable women would be produced.

In addition, women can be empowered in the Maritime sector by the changing of the orientation of the companies themselves. Companies should not discriminate against women during employment processes. They should not set apart jobs for women because they think that is where they can fit into rather, women should be allowed to try their hands at numerous jobs. They should not rate men higher than women for when Simbi was narrating her experience during her job interview and later her work experience to Bimsi, she kept on hammering on the point that, in her workplace, men were rated higher and respected far more than the women who were even fewer in number.

In conclusion, there are a lot of opportunities in the Maritime sector thus; women such as Simbi should be given the opportunity to maximize these numerous opportunities to their full potentials. Doing the above will go a long way in improving the number of women in the Maritime community. Encouraging women to get involved in the Maritime sector will go a long way in building the confidence of women in the society. Encouraging women to delve into the affairs of the Maritime community will go a long way in putting a stop to discrimination against women. Encouraging women’s involvement in the world of Maritime will go a very long way in improving gender equality.

(This article has been sent by Akinsola Oluwademilade Oluwafemi, a women rights activist.)

ILLITERACY IN AFRICA - BLACK DEATH!

About 800 thousand children dropout from school every day. The shocking number of illiterates in the world are just the mere result of our lukewarm approach towards global needs. Sub- Sahara region is one of the major areas of population which is in the darkness of illiteracy. Increasing crime rates, conflicts and violence are clear result of lack of educated citizens and leaders who could possibly resolve such situation to aspire the nations to reach greater heights. Opportunities are much needed to  people in Africa who are not even given the basic right to education.

Government is the nerve of any county. Many Saharan government like that of Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa have high rates of corruption resulting in the down growth of these nations.

Moreover, economic opportunities available to the people of Africa are way to less for successful implementations of initiatives. Unemployment and poverty are major factors of illiteracy. Government programs reach very less population to have high rate of success.

In addition to this, Covid 19 has worsen the situation for these students. Pandemic has either destroyed or slowed down the functioning of many institution. Educational sectors are among the many to see a downfall both in economic aspect as well as in the social aspect. Being developing regions, gadgets and technology is merely available to these children. This has collapsed the educational framework of the region.

Not to mention, the high amount of adult illiteracy is spreading so spontaneously. When we talk about education we only tend to concentrate on schools and children and often neglect the grown-up adults which forms 50% of our population. Statistics show that educated parents are more likely to send their children to school. Adult education provides them a chance to reframe their lives and break out of social evils like poverty. Educated population question many outdated ideas of society and demands for newer and efficient ones. This can give boost to a country’s economy as they are the major producers and consumers.

Furthermore, Women and especially girl child are not allowed to go to schools and considered a liability in different parts of the world. Education facilities are restricted to only male population and even if girls enrol, the facilities offered by the schools in terms of sanitation and needs are too low, for being the main reason of many girl dropouts. The academic results show their interest in learning, yet they remain the most neglected part of society. As the famous African proverb goes: If you educate a man, you educate an individual and if you educate a woman, you educate a nation, is baseless if our social laws barn women from gaining education.

So, what can we do to increase literacy levels in Sub- Saharan Africa?

Implementing Subsidy programs can increase growth opportunities for people in various parts of these countries. Utilization of maximum resources both natural and human with proper strategies and plans can help in long run. Inclusion of basic technology can be done to tackle illiteracy in remote areas.

In order to tackle the issue of illiteracy providing creative and quality solutions are need of the hour. This includes firstly, encouraging outreach efforts into disadvantaged communities by creating public and private outreach efforts to go into these communities in order to identify high-risk households.

 Secondly, connecting people through literacy services they may need to be able to find a path out of their disadvantage situation. Using incentives to attract children and parents to overcome negative attitudes towards education. This could include incorporating a vocational component to schooling that would improve household income prospects.

Thirdly, developing tutoring and reading for fun programs for slow learners to help them keep up with their peers and to overcome lack of engagement in reading. Also, encouraging families and modifying societies mindset by conducting programs and initiatives at a ground level can increase the numbers of girl child in school.

Fourthly, Adult literacy centers can be opened in many remote areas. Around 2,500 literacy centers have been opened by National Commission for Human Development – a support organization of the Ministry of Education. As adult literacy enables people to pave better ways to the future and build strong blocks for the nation.

These solutions are applicable in almost all scenarios and can pave to remove illiteracy from root. It has touched various social components and provided effective ways to tackle this issue in the most cost-efficient way. Hence, has great potential in future.

Africa remains the root of human civilization. So, we must together combat illiteracy from Africa and the world as whole for a safer and better future.

(This article has been sent by Poornima Nair, a resident of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.)

Pakistan stole Lakshadweep Islands from India - Know How?

Out here in the Indian Ocean, there is a lot of emptiness. But if you scan long enough….you will see something right here. Between The Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. You’ll see a cluster of incredibly remote bits of land, Hardly peeking out of the ocean. This is the Lakshadweep Archipelago, spread over 36 islands. Half a thousand kilometres from any landmass. And today this chain of archipelago belongs to The Republic of India. But in the year 1947, the newly created nation of Pakistan out of Indian Subcontinent tried to steal these tropical Islands from India. 

Before we start Lets look in the history of the Indian Subcontinent. And how the Race to this archipelago began at first place. After WW2, the UN had been founded and one of the first things that it undertook. Was decolonizing the map basically getting all these empires to wind down their rule over their colonies. So the British started leaving much of its territory abroad downsizing its empire. So, when the British left India, British divided India into the dominion of India and a separate dominion of Pakistan for Muslims. But the British also created the third dominion, the dominion of 565 princely States. And these 565 princely states were given the option either to join the dominion of India or dominion of Pakistan. And these create a race between the two countries to merge these states,such as Jammu and Kashmir, Patiala, Jodhpur, kalad, Bhopal, Hyderabad so on. Such one of the state was the islands of Lakshadweep. And in between these races of annexation, The Lakshadweep Islands lies in the Arabian Sea just north of the Maldives. The History of the Lakshadweep and the ethnicity of its populace are closely linked to the neighboring regions of Kerala and the Maldives. This gives the Islands a unique character and according to two-nation theory, it had more likelyhood of becoming part of pakistan. Hence, the newly formed Government of Pakistan, the Liaquat Ali Khan administration did try to make this remote and tropical archipelago a southern extension of Pakistan in the Indian Ocean. The exact dates are not confirmed but sometimes at the end of August 1947, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan ordered the Royal Pakistan Navy to send a warship to Lakshadweep south from Karachi. The distance between Karachi and the islands are 1,726 kilometers, a couple of days’ sailing. And on reaching Lakshadweep, the Pakistan Navy would raise the Pakistani flag to annex the islands and set up an airport to establish a connection between Lakshadweep and Karachi. So, the Royal navy of Pakistan left the port of Karachi for The Islands of Lakshadweep. And in the mind of Pakistani leaders these will be a quick and easy victory.And New Delhi will not be able to do anything for these islands. Hence, the race for Lakshadweep began. Mean While in New Delhi. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Deputy Prime Minister of independent India in charge of Home as well as States Ministry. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who got the Intel regarding Pakistan Navy left Karachi Port and the warship was heading for South in the Indian Ocean.So on getting this information Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel got worried about these Pakistani warships. But Soon he Realized that they were heading for Lakshadweep islands. And because of the partition of India, The India army was not completely reorganized and the army was 2000 km north of the islands. Seeing the situation of gravity,Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had sent an SOS message to Mudaliar brothers to convey the collector of Travancore (Today’s Kerala) to instruct the police officials and the employees to go to Lakshadweep with whatever arms were with them. His instruction was to take possession of the islands 500km west to the border and hoist the Indian national flag there. “If the police forces have no firearms with them, they can take lathis with them but somehow take possession of the area.” So once the information reached to Kochi, Kerala from New Delhi. The two Indian Policemen went on a boat to Lakshadweep, to complete their mission. They knew that they were going against an armed, Pakistani Warship and Pakistani navy was just a hundred kilometers away from Lakshadweep. Once, The two Indian Policemen reached the island's capital, they were looking for the Pakistani presence on the island, seeing no presence of Pakistani on the island of Kavaratti. The Indian policemen raced from the beaches to Kavaratti’s port to hoist the Indian tricolour.  And the race to the archipelago was over! And India won the Race. But now the question was can these two Indian Policemen will be able to defend themselves against the armed Pakistani Warship over the horizon. Answer was NO! So how these two Indian policemen were able to save Lakshadweep from Pakistani navy? Soon after the flag-raising ceremony, they found a warship with Pakistan flag and Pakistani Marking sailing towards Lakshadweep with the intention to take over the Muslim majority the area in the Arabian Sea. But the Pakistani dream to capture Lakshadweep was shattered after they watch the Indian National Flag and as the Pakistani Captain of the warship feared the heavy presence of Indian Navy and Indian Army and in order to avoid an armed conflict. Pakistani Warship preferred to take a U-turn and sail back to Karachi home base empty-handed. And for the promptness in the action on the Indian side. Either wise the strategic area of Lakshadweep must have been part of Pakistan forever. And this was the story of how Pakistan tried to steal Indian Islands.

UNHRC DRAFT RESOLUTION (SOUTH SUDAN)

                                                                    RESOLUTION 1.1

Committee- United Nations Human Rights Council
Sponsors- Switzerland, Italy, USA, Mexico
Signatories- Syria, Mexico, Austria, Russia, Turkey, Jordan, South Sudan, Sudan, U.K., India, Yemen, Nepal, Bhutan, SriLanka, Myanmar, Australia, Canada, Brazil
Agenda- Deliberation on Human Rights in South Sudan

United Nations Human Rights Council,
Acknowledging the problems
Recognizing the increased risks faced by refugee women and girls including sexual violence on account of being a female.
Further recognizing the need to address the various problems faced by South Sudanese women in terms of sexual rights and sanitation,

1. Calls Upon local and international media companies to help raise awareness on the situation in South Sudan by means such as but not limited to,

a. TV Advertisements,

i. These will occur daily at least 6 times minimum, yet can be repeated more times to the discretion of the TV companies,

b. Billboards,

c. Social Media, i. Influencers can be either paid to inform the general public or can act on their own accord;

2. Calls Upon the oil importer nations to support the production of oil;

3. Emphasizing on the importance of drinking water polluted due to oil extraction

4. Ensuring waste is not dumped in water bodies;

5. Requests to place a moratorium on reckless executions of innocent people in front of their families;

6. Recommends the setting up of Technical and Vocation Education and Training (TVET) programs;

7. Establishes the South Sudanese Emergency Committee (SSEC) which-
a. Records data on issues in South Sudan,

b. Implements policies that can help to fight the issues it collects data,

c. It will have 4 operating bodies in different parts of Africa, 1 in the West of Africa, on in the South, one in South Sudan and one in the East,

d. Meet every 6 months discussing things such as but not limited to-
i. The data they collected
ii. Which policies should be struck off, which amended and which should be added;

8. Requests health campaigns to be held in cooperation and the supervision of World Health Organization;

9. Further Requests all the developed nations to provide support in terms of money for the re-settlement of schools and industries;

10. Reaffirming the importance of education with the corporation of UNESCO and UNICEF;

11. Encourages the allocation of sufficient financial and human resources for the implementation of policies and programs related to refugees;

12. Recommends having seminars for parents and their children to attend at school regarding the situation in South Sudan and how they can act in their daily lives;

13. Recommends South Sudan to foster economic independence for women refugees; and

14. Urges to take some concrete steps for the identification of military workers and rebel groups who have been responsible for spreading sexual violence.

THE IDEA OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT -- GOOD OR BAD

 

Well, I come into this debate with a slightly different perspective. I am against capital punishment because it reeks of vengeance or revenge, which is unworthy of civilized society. Capital punishment does not have a place in a civilized society. Firstly, because the delegate thinks, while punishing a murder or a terrorist, the state is reduced to that level of the terrorist. Executing a person because he was involved in a crime is just an I-for-I philosophy. Secondly, we all try to make the criminal justice system as accurate as possible and make sure that the person who is convicted is guilty. Sometimes, the criminal justice system gets it wrong and if we have capital punishment we can never put that right. According to Amnesty International, more than 160 prisoners sent to death row in the USA have later been exonerated or released from death row on grounds of innocence. Mostly, we see that the shreds of evidence are tainted and discredited. This tells us why capital punishment is not a perfect way to punish people. And for those who think that capital punishment serves as deterrence for the society, I ask them is deterrence about killing innocent people? Because we have worldwide examples of how innocent people were lawfully hanged particularly in the countries where absolute monarchy and dictatorship or totalitarianism is still in practice. Innocent peoples can go to death and there’s no comeback. When you take life when a life has been taken, you don’t call that justice. Taking somebody’s freedom and executing them from society is revenge, not justice.                         

When we take a look of the reports from South-Asian nations like India, we see that the number of cases related to abhorrent crimes like Rape is going up. Now, this is happening in a country which is one of 55 nations in the world who retains capital punishment. This means that the death penalty does not deter the crimes. On the other hand, the countries where capital punishment has been suspended, crime rates are relatively loess. In countries like North Korea, Taiwan and Thailand people are shot. In the US, lethal injection, gas inhalation & electrocution are used. And in many Middle East and the Arab Nations, the person is beheaded. These acts are themselves a crime against humanity and therefore, capital punishment of all forms must be abolished. Capital Punishment only creates terror in the minds of people. Moreover, it has been used to suppress minorities. Capital punishment is widely being used as a political tool for example, Iran and Sudan use the death penalty to punish political opponents. In China, people are sentenced to death if they speak against the so called democratic govt. Capital punishment violates the right to life and is prohibited under the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“The death penalty is a symptom of a culture of violence, not a solution to it.”

 

Death penalty does not act as an effective deterrent more than other severe punishments, in particular the main reason to why people are deterred from committing very serious crime is the risk and the chance that they will be caught, that they will be facing justice. So, enhancing the security, the certainty that people will face justice is the best way to stop crimes. The whole philosophy of abolition of criminal justice is based on the assumption that the people that deserve punishment have a chance to better themselves and that is possible with long imprisonment terms but it’s not possible with death penalty. I am for the death penalty for the terrorist who hurts the sovereignty and integrity of my country. A terrorist, who does not have a caste, creed or religion and is mercilessly killing people must be given death penalty.

Questions for authorities:-

 ( Afghanistan ) According to Article 23 of your constitution life is the gift of God as well as the natural right of human beings. Why does Afghanistan still retains capital punishment?

( China ) :- China executes more people than all other countries combined. Every year more than 1000 people are executed in China  and these executions are carried out by lethal injection or gun shot. Is it to create some sort of terror in the minds of people because people are generally not able to protest against the govt.?

 ( Germany ) When Hitler were in power, millions of innocent gypsies were killed in gas chambers and the current condition of Gypsies is also a matter of serious concern.  What is the delegate’s stance on this point? Does Germany accept its fault?

 ( Belarus ) All European countries except Belarus have abolished the death penalty in line with the European Convention on Human Rights. Why is death penalty still legal in Belarus?

( Italy ) During fascism in Italy, when Benitto Mussollini was in power, by constitution ammendments and enactment of Rocco code, capital punishment was used to suppress innocent people and 100s of people were sentenced to death. What is the delegate’s stance on the same and will Italy ever except its fault?

 (Saudi Arabia ):- Saudi Arabia punishes people by beheading the person with sword. Don’t you think, this itself is a crime against humanity?

( Latvia ) What was the main reason behind Republic of Latvia punishing people by shooting them at night when Mr. Guntis Ulmanis was in power?

( Iran ) The use of the death penalty for crimes committed by people younger than 18 is prohibited under international human rights law, yet Iran still sentence death and execute juvenile defendants. What is your stance on this point? (for boys as young as 15 and girls as young as 9.)

As per Amnesty International, capital punishment is used as a political tool in Iran?

 ( India ) As per section 3(clause 2) of SC/ST act, there is a mandatory death sentence if an innocent member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe is convicted and is executed on the basis of false and fabricated evidence given by a non-SC/ST person. Do you think that such laws which protect only 30% people should continue in this era of equality? Don’t you agree with the point that lower caste people are more vulnerable to capital punishment?

 ( Canada ) In an interview given to Canadian Media, former PM of Canada, Stephen Harpher affirmed his support to capital punishment by saying, “Capital Punishment is appropriate.”