Civil society

The UN report, issued on January 13, finds that sexual violence was “part of a deliberate, widespread, and systemic pattern of violations” by state security forces, and “may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Though illegal for nearly five decades, bonded labour in India remains a stark and shameful reality for countless men, women, and children.

The study, based on 26 environmental, technological, socio-economic and institutional indicators, concludes that resilience to climate stress varies sharply across regions – demanding tailored interventions rather than one-size-fits-all policymaking.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2025 ranked as one of the three warmest years on record, underscoring the relentless grip of human-driven climate change even amid natural cooling influences.

Pakistan's experience reflects a broader paradox: pioneering legal frameworks coexist with entrenched prejudice, religious pushback, and international aid disruptions.

Late at night at the Khamarbari intersection, groups of nearly 40 displaced individuals –including many children – huddle around small fires made from burning scraps of wood and paper. The flickering flames offer fleeting warmth against the biting chill, but the bare pavement beneath them provides no cushion or protection. Children in thin, filthy sweaters shiver as they chat or try to sleep, their bodies pressed together for shared heat.

Opening the hearings, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President of the Court, outlined a detailed schedule that includes two rounds of pleadings by Gambia and Myanmar, as well as closed sessions to hear testimony from witnesses called by the applicant State.

Health minister Sudha Gautam, a senior gynaecologist herself, is positioned to drive change. Experts urge her to prioritise regulation, monitoring, and awareness campaigns.