Hello, hope you are having a great Sunday. This week we cover the new report by Pew Research Centre, the economic sanctions on Russia and events around the world.
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Break the Bias?
Every year on International Women’s day the tone of communication across brands transform to being holistic and broad. This year was no exception, with the hashtag #breakthebias companies ventured into the market but the ground reality is said to be less inclusive than the picture painted. In a report by Pew Research Centre, the perspective on Gender Roles in India has been highlighted. Find out more below.
Interesting data points from the report-
Home and Politics- More than 1 in 10 Indians feel that women make better political leaders than men but the things at Homefront change as men (67%) and women (61%) both feel that “a wife must always obey her husband”.
Who deserves the job?- Indian adults feel that men should get the jobs first when there is scarcity than women and 56% of Indians completely agree with this line of thought and 8 out of every 10 persons find it appropriate.
The line of thought- The report offers insight into the subtle shifts in perception and what an ideal household looks like.
Both men and women (54%) should earn in the family, there are people (43%) who still have this belief earning is an obligation for men.
94% of Indians believe that at least one son in the family is very important and 90 % believe at least one daughter should be a part of the family.
34% of adults feel that child care should be handled primarily by women.
The Geographical Divide- The report highlights that women in southern India have better socioeconomic outcomes than those in other parts of the country. The report emphasises that Tamilians are least likely to say that a wife must always obey her husband, however, they have a belief that women should primarily be the caretaker of children.
Perception of discrimination and violence- More people (76%) feel that violence against women is a concern, in comparison to communal violence is an issue (65%). The survey asked which of two options is important to improve the safety of women: teaching boys to respect all women or teaching young girls to behave ‘appropriately’. Roughly half of Indians said teaching boys to respect women is more important.
(Sources: The Wire, Pew Research Centre)
The most sanctioned country in the world
Russia has officially become the most sanctioned country in the world according to Castellum.ai, a global sanctions-tracking database, surpassing Iran, Syria and North Korea, as its invasion of Ukraine nears the third week.
Here, we analyse the impact of the economic sanctions on Russia and the world.
The Impact on Russia-
The Russian currency Ruble witnessed a downfall of 40 % due to the sanctions imposed by the West.
Western allies blocked Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. This will make it harder for Russia to transfer and get the payments for the imports and exports. As a result, the country will be forced to look inwards to sustain itself and the economy.
The tech-payment giants like Visa and Mastercard have both withdrawn their services from Russia, joining Apple, Airbnb, Boeing, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Paypal, PwC, Spotify and TikTok.
Russia's largest lender Sberbank quit the European market after coming under pressure from Western sanctions levelled against the state bank in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The Impact on the World-
Russia announced the export ban for more than 200 products after the sanctions imposed by other countries hit the Russian economy. The restrictions cover items ranging from medical equipment and agricultural machinery to railway cars and turbines. Russia also blocked the exports of grain to the European Economic Community until 31st August 2022.
The United Kingdom and European Union heavily rely on gas supplies from Russia and there are chances that President Vladimir Putin might use Russia's natural resources as a weapon against them by reducing supplies of gas to Europe.
Countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa already suffer from food insecurity. They rely on Russia’s and Ukraine’s supplies of wheat, corn, and vegetable oil. Experts analysed that there are chances that the conflict could increase food prices and global hunger.
(Sources: Bloomberg, NPR, Al Jazeera, Business Insider)
What else is happening?
A missile was fired accidentally from the Indian side into an area in Pakistan earlier this week. The Defence Ministry blamed the incident on a technical malfunction that was deeply regrettable.
China on 11th March 2022, imposed a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun. The covid cases crossed the 1000 mark this week for the first time since the early days of pandemic 2020.
Panama has declared that nature has the right to exist. This legislation will come into force in 2023 and it emphasises that the government needs to respect the rights of Panama’s ecosystems, including its tropical forests, rivers and mangroves, which should reflect in the future policies of the government.