Out of nearly 230 cadets* in the Indian Army, 70 were women, and one of them received the highest honor after she completed training.

Divya Ajith Kumar, 21, received the Sword of Honor on September 19, 2010, for exceptional performance during 49 weeks of training.

“She has come out on top in the overall merit list. She has outsmarted all others,” said Officer Traning Academy spokesman Major R. K. Choudhary. “The curriculum consists of 25 subjects. It includes academics, weapons training, tests of endurance, obstacles, drill, and cross-country.”

Divya, the daughter of a Chennai* businessman, planned on becoming a civil servant (someone who works for the Indian government). Her plans changed when she joined the National Cadet Corps.

Divya’s father, Ajith Kumar, is among her supporters.

“She won many awards in the academy during the course. But she didn’t expect to win the Sword of Honor. It is a nice feeling,” he said.

The Indian Army started recruiting female officers in 1992. But even though Divya received the Sword of Honor, women are still not allowed to participate in combat. Instead, they can go into fields like engineering, the army education corps, signals and intelligence when their training is done.

What do you think of Divya receiving the highest honor that cadets can get, but still not being able to serve in combat?

Do you think that a woman receiving this award could lead to women also being admitted to combat units? Do you think women should be allowed to fight in the army?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Megan

New Moon Intern

*Cadet – A student at a military school who is training to be an officer.

*Chennai – the capital city of the Indian state of Tabil Nadu

What would you do to save four million children?  That’s how many children were saved in 2009. And according to American researchers who conducted the study, it’s all because more young women got an education.

According to this research, the death rate for children under 5 years old dropped by nearly 10 percent for every extra year of education that women had.

“Investments in education pay off” by providing better health in the future, said the study’s lead author, Emmanuela Gakidou.

That’s because educated women are more likely to make better decisions involving health, hygiene, nutrition, and parenting.

This study has convinced some people that we need to pay more attention to education. But others argue that the researchers did not consider other important factors that impact the child death rate.

“Education is not much good if the health facilities and infrastructure* don’t exist,” said Philip Stevens, a senior fellow at the International Policy Network. “If a country is massively misgoverned, like Sierra Leone, no amount of education is going to put bread on the table for children.”

What do you think? Could education be the answer to women making better decisions when it comes to their own health and the health of their children? Or is that just part of it? What else might be involved? And how can we make sure women get what they need to raise healthy children?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Megan

New Moon Intern

*Infrastructure – The basic systems of a country’s or community’s population, like roads, electricity, water, sewage, etc.

Years ago, it was extremely rare for anyone to have a computer or a cell phone. They were a lot different than they look now- cell phones were bulkier and only had the function of calling; while computers were usually found only in colleges. They couldn’t nearly do the amount of things they can today. But there is a price to these new and fun devices, and I don’t mean money. In modern times, computers and phones have introduced a new threat to children, teens, and even some adults all over the world- a threat called cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is the form of technological bullying. It can happen in a text or online, it can be from a stranger or a best friend, and it can happen to anyone. The reason it’s so common is because many people find it easier to use technology to bully instead of real life- people say it’s a lot simpler to text or type something to someone than to say it to the person’s face. But cyberbullying is equally bad- maybe even worse. Examples of cyberbullying include threatening, put downs, name calling, or really anything that can influence how someone feels or acts. Cyberbullying does horrible things- it can take someone’s mind away from their school work and activities, make them turn their backs on their friends and family, or turn them depressed and gloomy.

I’ll give you an example. Let’s say one day after school, Emily logs onto her email. She’s surprised when she receives one from an unknown sender, but reads it anyway. It’s a threat about her friend Crystal, saying if she didn’t stop spending too much time with her, she’d pay. Emily is scared and can’t eat dinner that night. Her parents keep asking her what’s wrong, but she shrugs and says it’s nothing. The next day at school, she gets a text that repeats the email. Now she’s truly terrified, but she still keeps it in. Afterschool at volleyball practice, she misses every shot, which is completely unlike her. Her coach pulls her aside and asks if everything’s okay, but she lies and says she just has a lot of homework that night, and a test to study for. As time goes on, Emily gets bad grades, ends up getting kicked off the volleyball team, and loses her friends.

Cyberbullying in all forms is completely wrong. If you or someone you know is experiencing cyberbullying, tell an adult you trust immediately. Even one small thing can suddenly turn into something huge, and should be reported right away. This is just what Emily should have done.

CYBERBULLYING FACTS-

• Most cyberbullying occurs in online chat rooms
• Girls are twice as likely to be victims of cyberbullying than boys
• The common age range for cyberbullying is 10-17
• 21% of kids have received mean emails
• 35% of kids have been threatened online

Please leave your comments below.

Thank you!

Kati, GEB Member

More and more women are working in jobs that only men worked in before. One of these jobs is as a sports reporter. Recently, some New York Jets players made catcalls and inappropriate comments to a female TV sports reporter when she went to interview them in their locker room.

In response to this, the N.F.L. (National Football League) sent a message to all 32 teams in the league saying that the New York Jets’ behavior was wrong, and that players should always act professionally when dealing with women in the sports industry.

Roger Goodell, commissioner of the N.F.L., says there is a rule that allows female and male reporters to have equal access to players’ locker rooms for interviews. But he adds, “The issue for us, like all organizations, is proper conduct in the workplace, whether it is dealing with the media, co-workers, fans, or others. It is our responsibility to provide a professional setting for members of the news media and other business associates that work with our teams and the league.”

But it can be especially difficult for female reporters to work with male players because of restrictions on women’s access to the locker rooms.

Some N.F.L. executives say the limited access is to protect reporters and players from inappropriate situations, but that assumes that neither the players nor reporters are able to act in a professional manner during interviews.

While the locker room is a personal setting for the players when they shower and get dressed after the games, some organizations have found a way to allow female and male reporters to have equal access, while still giving players their privacy.

The W.N.B.A. (Women’s National Basketball Association) has a “cooling off” period for its players after the game, followed by a 30-minute period where the locker room is open to the press. After this, the players can get showered and dressed in private.

Should the N.F.L. take the same actions so all reporters have equal access to the players?

What do you think of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Megan, New Moon Intern

Growing up, some girls and women feel bad about their bodies when their bra-sizes don’t “measure up.” But that’s changing!

There is a new movement for girls and women out there who are embracing their small bra-sizes, and rejecting padded bras and other treatments to make their breasts look bigger, along with the pressures of having an hourglass figure.

According to Ellen Shing, who owns a boutique that caters to girls and women with small bra cup sizes (size A or smaller), most of her customers are really proud of what they’ve got.

“[They] don’t want to supersize themselves,” she says, “[They] are happy with their bodies … It’s a misconception still that you want to be bigger if you’re smaller.”

Elisabeth Dale, an author of a book about this topic, says that there has been “a huge surge in Web sites and online retailers that specialize in smaller bra sizes in a very empowering way.”

She says that instead of pushing a message that girls and women with smaller bra sizes need more and aren’t good enough, they are empowered to love what they have and how they look.

“They are like, ‘The way you are is perfect, and here’s how I can help you.’”

For girls and women who feel self-conscious about their bra size, or feel pressure that “bigger is better,” loving how you look no matter what size is what’s really important.

How do you feel about this new movement of loving your body? Have you ever felt pressured to look a certain way? What are some ways you’ve found to feel good about yourself? How can we help others feel beautiful for who they are?

Leave your comments below!

Love,

Luna

P.S.

For more information about how girls feel about body image, and to share your feelings, please visit our Body & Feelings page!