A small piece of good news from India on the subject of women:
COUPLES in the western Indian state of Gujarat have added a promise to avoid “female foeticide” to their wedding vows amid growing concern about the effects of selective abortion on the balance between the sexes.
… The decision of the Patels, influential in Gujarat’s diamond industry, to publicise the new vows was remarkable. The state now has only 878 girls aged six and under for every 1,000 boys.
Economic theory would suggest that shortage should push up the “value” of girls – perhaps this effect is showing, at least a little. And most importantly, that might lead in them being treated better.
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A lovely internet fairy tale, except it is real: a 62-year-old Sussex grandmother starts an internet giant.
JacquieLawson.com, which is gearing up for Valentine’s Day, is the market leader in online greetings cards. Lawson spends weeks designing each card.
Their gentle humour and musical backing have proved so popular that, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, Jacquie Lawson.com had 22.7 million visitors in December, more than double that of its closest rival, AmericanGreetings.com. The success has turned Lawson into a millionaire several times over.
Confess I’ve never heard of it, but then it is not really my sort of thing … Anyway, good on her!
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