The Madras High Court here has issued a notice to the makers of Tamil actioner "Lingaa" on a writ petition filed by aspiring filmmaker K.R. Ravi Rathinam who accused them of stealing his script.

The petition, which was filed Wednesday, also named superstar Rajinikanth, director K.S. Ravi Kumar, script writer B. Ponkumar and producer Rockline Venkatesh.

Justice M. Venugopal, who issued the notice Wednesday, has listed the case to be heard by Nov 19.

Reminiscing the days spent together with filmmaker Ravi Chopra, who passed away Wednesday, Bollywood screen icon Amitabh Bachchan said he is "filled with grief and sorrow" on his "dear friend's" death.

"Ravi Chopra, my dear friend and director and producer passed away suddenly today (Wednesday), my son called to give me the news," Big B wrote in his official blog late Wednesday.

The veteran filmmaker, who was hospitalised in Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, passed away at around 3.30 p.m Wednesday. The 68-year-old had been reportedly suffering from a severe lung ailment since the last few years.

Son of legendary producer and director late B.R. Chopra and the nephew of late Yash Chopra, Ravi is remembered for his soulful storytelling in films like "The Burning Train", "Aaj Ki Awaz", and "Baabul", among others.

On TV, he directed epic dramas like "Mahabharat" and "Ramayan".

"Filled with grief and sorrow, and unable to find words that could possibly describe what I go through, it is difficult to imagine those days spent together..."

"What does one write on such occasions, silence is the best condolence...," an emotional Big B said.

Chopra's debut as a director happened with "Zameer" with Big B and veteran actress Saira Banu. Later on, the actor worked with him in "Baghban", "Baabul", "Bhoothnath" and "Bhoothnath Returns".

"It is the time in life when you do not make friends, but lose them," Bacchchan tweeted.

The 71-year-old star is in the city to shoot Shoojit Sircar's "Piku".

A judge has dismissed a petition challenging the exhibition of an Indian film in Pakistani cinemas, media reported Thursday.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court Wednesday held that if the petitioner had any objection to the screening of the Indian film "Haider", he should approach the censor board, the Daily Times reported.

A local resident, Iftikhar Ahmad petitioned that the film was against the ideology of Pakistan and the two-nation theory.

Besides, he said, the film was aimed at defaming the Pakistani Army.

He also said that the film has some objectionable scenes and exhibition of such a film should not be allowed.

He requested the court to declare the permission of exhibition as illegal.

Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar, who made his Bollywood debut in 2010 with "Tere Bin Laden" and is currently busy promoting his next venture "Kill Dil", says it's his dream to make a Pakistani film and he will soon go back to his home country to start the project.

"After 'Kill Dil', I will be going to Pakistan and will work on my dream project which will be a Pakistani film. It's my dream to make a Pakistani film," Ali told reporters.

"Through this film, I want to show to the world what Pakistani films are all about.
I will be writing, directing and acting in this film," he added.

Directed by Shaad Ali, "Kill Dil" also features Govinda, Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra among others.

Ali is hoping that the film will open doors for him as an action hero too.

"'Kill Dil' is an important film for me because I have been doing romantic films, but you will see me doing action in this film. I hope this film open doors for me and will be a turning point in my career," he said.

The film is set to release Friday.

Iconic Australian filmmaker Paul Cox, who survived cancer and underwent a liver transplant, the premise of his latest feature "Force Of Destiny", hoped the film would reach a wider audience and encourage people to become organ donors.

"Force of Destiny" stars "Lord of the Rings" fame actor David Wenham, Bollywood actress Shahana Goswami and National Award winner Seema Biswas.

Shot in parts of Kerala, the film received an early opening in the ongoing 20th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). It is scheduled to release sometime in spring next year, according to one of its producers, Anthony Jones.

"My experience may be bizarre to some but it was all horribly true to me. I was saved by a young man on Christmas day. A part of him lives inside me...the point is why shouldn't you be a donor? I certainly hope this film goes wider and makes them think," Cox told reporters here Wednesday.

Cox is the chair of the jury at the KIFF for the competitive segment on films by women directors.

During his battle with cancer, the director of award-winning ventures like "Lonely Hearts", "Man of Flowers" and "My First Wife" penned a memoir "Tales from the Cancer Ward".

The film "draws heavily" from it but goes on a bit further as well.

"We have to think colourblind. Maybe my donor was Indian, Black or from any other region or community. I do not know. I am filled with gratitude. But today we are all red. We will bleed more if we do not think differently about others," Cox noted.

Born in Holland and settled in Australia, Cox is one of Australia's most prolific filmmakers with 46 features, shorts and documentaries to his name.

Having incorporated a lot of Indian elements in his latest film, Cox observed Indian music is "very fulfilling".

"I think India's national anthem by Rabindranath Tagore should be spread. It is a beautiful piece of music," said the director.

Cox has had a long association with India and particularly Kolkata.

"I am glad they haven't pulled down the old buildings like they have in other parts of the world and replaced them with glass cages," said Cox.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui proved his mantle with critically acclaimed movies like "Miss Lovely" and "The Lunchbox" but the actor seems to have made a transition to commercial cinema with movies like "Kick". However, he says the transition is a conscious decision to support his small films.

"The decision to do commercial cinema this year was a deliberate one to help my small budget films - the movies which have not yet released," said the actor who was in the capital for an event.

Nawazuddin will be seen in a string of commercial movies like "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", "Farzi" and "Badlapur".

"There are about three or four movies which are still awaiting release like 'Dekh Indian Circus', 'Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa' and 'Haramkhor'," said the 40-year-old.

The actor may have come to commercial cinema, but script and role still plays an important role for him before opting for a film.

"I pick my next film on the basis of script and director. A good script with a bad director can destroy the film while, on the other hand, a good director with an average script can do wonders to the film. I also focus on my character as I strive to do a role that challenges me," he said.

Actor Anupam Kher, who has been applauded for his crossover projects like "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger" and "Silver Linings Playbook", says India is not being sold as a shooting destination.

“I think we are not selling India as a shooting destination. Foreigners are coming to India to shoot crowded areas of Kolkata, shoot in Mumbai slums or to capture the beauty of Kerala beaches. But I think India has much more than all this,” said the actor.

"The Shaukeens” actor was in the national capital for a conclave about Indian cinema. Anupam also stressed on how shooting of Indian films in other countries made them emerge as travelling destinations.

“Many countries like Georgia and Mauritius have understood that our shooting has made them popular as destinations. There's a train named after late filmmaker Yash Chopra in Switzerland. When we can go and make them so popular, I think it's time we had some serious discussion about the issue with film industry people,” he said.

With abundant cultural diversity in India, the actor feels India is “gold mine yet to be explored”.

"The country needs to work on its infrastructure and subsidies to attract filmmakers from abroad to come and shoot in India. Indian film industry people are going to Italy or some other country as cultural ministries are calling them...I don't know how many producers and makers are being invited to India,” said the 59-year-old actor.

However, the actor also showed faith in the present government of India.

“I have an optimistic state of mind about it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about tourism. I think change will come soon,” he said.

Jaipur girl Koyal Rana, who will represent India at Miss World 2014 in London next month, says she is anxiously waiting for the opportunity and is working hard to get the crown back to India.

“I have been waiting for this day ever since I won the Miss India title. I am tremendously excited to represent my country at such a respectable platform," the 21-year-old said in a statement.

"This opportunity will allow me accomplish all that I dreamt of. I have my eyes focused on the crown and will give it my best to get the crown back,” she added.

Koyal is leaving for London Saturday to compete with contestants from over 120 countries at the international pageant, that will take place Dec 14.

It was in the year 2000 when Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra won the Miss world title for India.

In the age of trends like selfies and social networking that are a rage among the youth, words like "genius" and "classics" are being used so rampantly and easily that the real meaning of classics has been lost, veteran actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar said here Thursday.

The "Chitchor" and "Gol Maal" actor said the meaning of classics needs to be reassessed in the current scenario.

"We tend to have lost the real meaning of classics. We use these words so rampantly and so easily. Let us not use these terms so very easily because we really want to re-check, re-assess and understand the meaning, see if the meaning applies to it today," Palekar said at a discussion during the ongoing 20th Kolkata International Film Fest.

Palekar is a member of the jury at the KIFF for the competitive segment on films by women directors.

Debating on what defines a classic, Palekar said one must consider the ways of expression used by youngsters.

As examples, he cited selfies as being "contrary to the whole process of creativity" as these forms of expressions mostly revolve around one person.

"As I am trying to understand the language, the idiom today...selfies etc., I find it is more or less about 'my dialogue with myself'. I am not at all trying to communicate with the third entity called audience. It is basically 'I am very happy talking about myself'."

"This is contrary to the whole process of creativity that we understood. I am not saying that as a criticism," pointed out Palekar.

According to the "Paheli" maker, people usually jump to Shakespeare and Charlie Chaplin when talking about classics. This stops the process of analysing what makes a classic relevant in modern times.

"How do we define a classic? The moment we talk of classics, in literature we jump to Shakespeare, in cinema we jump to Charlie Chaplin. These were geniuses."

"The disadvantage in doing that is, instead of checking the content or what really makes a classic and a classic that is relevant today, and trying to analyse that... we have risked stopping the discussion or stopping the process of re-checking," Palekar explained.

Remember getting transported to a fantasy land with movies like "Jajantaram Mamantaram", "Karamati Coat" and "Chhota Chetan"? Sadly, the whimsical world of children has vanished as Bollywood is now focusing more on real life and inspirational stories, say experts.

"Movies like 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' are more appreciated now. Schools also recommend to students to watch such kind of movies. Parents also tend to take their kids to movies like these," Sanjay Ghai, chief operating officer, Mukta Arts, told IANS.

"Hum Tum" fame director Kunal Kohli tried to explore the realms of the genre with "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" in 2008. It had popular names like Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, but couldn't create fireworks at the box office. He says failure stops filmmakers from making such movies.

"Sadly, we are not making children's films and the ones made aren't box office hits so the cycle continues of not making them. Hope the trend changes," said Kohli.

While there are less movies with wands and potions, films highlighting children's issues and problems are still made.

If "Taare Zameen Par" emphasised on academic pressure on children, "Stanley Ka Dabba" delved into the life of a child who works in a restaurant.

And now, big names are also roped in to give a push to such films.

"Children's movies don't have a commercial angle. Hence, big stars are roped in to gain momentum in the market. For instance, 'Bhoothnath' was a children's movie, but it gained popularity because of Amitabh Bachchan," distributor Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines told IANS.

The reason behind the lack of popularity, as Shravan Kumar, CEO of Children's Film Society India which organises National Children Film Festival, puts it is because "exhibitors are not very open to give space to any film which is not star-based".

"We need to facilitate the process where exhibitors understand that there is an audience for such a movie. We need to remove the disconnect between the distributors and exhibitors in bringing out the content," Kumar said.

"Unless we make it available through normal market mechanism which is the theatre, it will not attract attention as a value based product," he added.

He also blames the distribution mechanism.

"Children movies are often small budget. Distribution is a costly exercise and many can't afford it," he said.

Kumar is also in favour of using technology to promote the genre.

"It is not necessary that we go through the traditional medium. We have started putting our movies on YouTube and are in talks with some mobile platforms as well," Kumar said.

Political change in Myanmar was "superficial" and the government was averse to films that rake up social and political issues, Burmese filmmaker The Maw Naing said here Thursday.

Maw Naing recently made his feature film debut with "The Monk" and prefers to swim against the tide.

It is one of the few features shot by a Burmese director in the neighbouring country - formerly known as Burma - in the last decade.

Also a poet, performance artist and painter, Maw Naing said there were two kinds of movies that are made in his country -- either love stories or comedies.

"The Burmese government doesn't support my kind of films because they talk about the problems of common man. I like telling stories centred on social or political issues. If the government is saying that they are changing, then why don't they allow my films?

"The media reports that there is change but change is superficial. It has not touched the common man," Maw Naing told reporters here at the ongoing 20th Kolkata International Film Fest.

Screened as part of the fest's 'Asian Select' segment, "The Monk" showcases the dilemma of a monk who has to choose between a religious life (monkhood) or opt for a secular one.

The film is a Burmese-Czech collaborative effort and was shot on location in a village near Kunchankone and also in Yangon in 2012. It opened the 49th Karlovy Vary Film Festival this year, one of the most prestigious European film fests.

"The government doesn't allow the shooting of low budget independent films that highlight issues of society," said Maw Naing, who attended the Yangon Film School and later studied directing at FAMU in Prague, Czech Republic.

A fan of Indian independent cinema, the director, who forayed into filmmaking with documentaries, said audiences in his country equate Indian cinema with Bollywood.

"We would like to see more independent cinema from India. People in Burma think Indian films are only about Bollywood. They like Bollywood films," he said.

Filmmaker Prabhu Solomon, who describes his upcoming Tamil romantic-drama "Kayal" as a "sound film", said it was Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" that inspired him to use Dolby Atmos sound technology.

"Kayal", a romantic disaster story set against the backdrop of 2004 tsunami, has been natively mixed in Atmos.

"I first heard and experienced Atmos when I watched 'Life of Pi'. The use of sound in the ocean scenes amazed me. Sound plays a very important role in 'Kayal', especially in the last 30 minutes of the film where there'll be hardly any dialogues," Solomon told IANS.

Prabhu says the 64 channels in Atmos will enhance the tsunami effect in cinemas.

"It will be an exclusive sound film, which will showcase how sound experience can take a film or story to the next level," he said.

"Kayal", which is slated for release Dec 26, will be Prabhu's tribute to the 2004 tsunami on its 10th anniversary.

The film, which was shot in Kanyakumari, Jaisalmer and Ladakh, features newcomers Chandran and Anandhi in the lead.

Film: "Garm Hawa"; Cast: Balraj Sahni, Sahukat Azmi, Gita Siddharth, Farooq Shaikh;Directed by: M. S. Sathyu; Rating: *****

Very few Indian films have had the enduring impact of M S Sathyu's "Garm Hawa". This is the kind of rare cinema that serves the very core purpose of art. And now this tale of imperishable resonance comes to us in a restored digitally mastered avatar.

It stimulates the heart, stirs the soul, lifts the spirit and pricks the conscience. Dealing with Muslim pride and Islamic isolation during times of the stress and separation of the Partition, the relevance of "Garm Hawa" resonates to this day.

M S Sathyu's "Garm Hawa" brought in furious winds of change in Hindi cinema and its approach and attitude to the theme of Muslim isolation in pre-Partition India. Though it is set in Agra just after the division of India into two separate countries, "Garm Hawa", which re-released on Children's Day Friday, doesn't focus on the riots and bloodshed that followed the decisive moment in history.

Sathyu's film, brilliantly written by Kaifi Azmi and Shama Zaidi, seeks to pin down the violence that the community experienced from within their own hearts and souls. That sense of agonised isolation when history seems to have betrayed a whole community and its people comes vividly alive in "Garm Hawa" as Salim Mirza (Balraj Sahni) watches his family torn apart as one by one they all leave, most of them across the border and a beloved daughter for the other world.

Heartbreak is a constant in the narration. But the sound of the broken heart is muffled in the aggressive voices of politicians and religious leaders seeking to establish their own self-interest in a nation that desperately needed selfless leaders in the post-Gandhian era.

"Garam Hawa" is as real as Indian cinema gets. The crowded mohallas and gallis of Agra are shot in documentary style. But the characters don't seem to occupy that dispassionate space that documentaries are known to nurture.

We are without fuss taken into the world of Mirza's family. We learn soon enough that Ameena (Geeta Siddharth) is the apple of Salim Mirza's eyes. Co-writer Kaifi Azmi drew liberally from his own gentle and sensitive relationship with his daughter Shabana Azmi. And Balraj Sahni, that actor-extraordinaire who didn't seem to be acting at all, drew from his own relationship with daughter Shabnam who, like Ameena in the film, committed suicide.

"Garm Hawa" is many things at the same time. It's an evocative mirror of a people who chose to stay on when the land was divided. The film is also a love story. It is the intense tragic story of Ameena's two aborted relationships, first with her cousin Kazim(Jamal Hashmi) , her childhood sweetheart who's stolen away by Pakistan, and then her ardent suitor Shamshad(Jalal Agha) who leaves the country promising to return but never does. The second betrayal kills Ameena.

Finally , in a bizarre evocation of Agatha Christie's "And Then There None", Salim is left in India with only his wife and younger son, the rebellious Sikandar(Farouq Shaikh) who refuses to leave India for "greener pastures"(read: Pakistan).

The film ends on a note of heart-wrenching optimism when Salim Mirza changes his mind at the last minute about leaving the country.

Balraj Sahni as Salim Mirza gives what many film experts consider the one single-most flawless performance in the history of Hindi cinema. He gets into the skin of his character and inhabits the inner-most recesses of Salim Mirza's soul. You really don't see Balraj Sahni on the screen. You see this Muslim patriarch of a disintegrating family who never stops believing his God even when He seems busy elsewhere.

"Garm Hawa" is not just a cinematic experience. It is much more. It is a treatise on life's most precious emotions. Unfiltered, raw and still hurting.

With the country celebraing Children's Day Friday, some of the renowned Indian filmmakers, who have worked with child artists in the past, recalls their favourite films based on kids and also their favourite songs.

Nagesh Kukunoor: My favourite children's film is Shekhar Kapoor's "Masoom". And my favourite children's song is "Lakdi ki kaathi" from the same film.

Nila Madhab Panda: My favourite children's film is Vishal Bhardwaj's "Makdee" and favourite song is "Lakdi ki kathi" in "Masoom".

Amole Gupte: "Finding Nemo" is the most inspirational film and the best children's song is the Kishore Kumar rendered "Jeevan se na haar oh jeene wale" from "Door Ka Rahi".

Sanjay Leela Bhansali: My favourite children's film is Gulzar Saab's "Kitaab" and my favourite children's song "Haath jodke nanha baalak bole Darshan do baba bhole" from the mythological "Har Har Mahadev". Lataji sang the song flawlessly in a little boy's voice."

Nitesh Tiwari: My favourite children's film is Majid Majidi's "Children Of Heaven" and favourite children's song is "Lakdi ki kaathi" from "Masoom".

Known as legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray's photographer, veteran lensman Nemai Ghosh acknowledged the icon's inspiration was the reason his images were so "lively".

Ghosh revisited the days spent with the famous storyteller during the launch of his black and white photo book 'Kolkata' that commemorates the city, its various facets and the people who have given it the distinct identity.

"Manik Da (Satyajit Ray) had always inspired and indulged me to click photographs, otherwise they wouldn't be as lively as they are," said Ghosh at the launch here.

The prolific photographer was associated with Ray for almost 25 years.

The book showcases the bustling metropolis, formerly known as Calcutta, through the lens of the ace photographer who has captured images from the mass political gathering of the 1960s to moments in present day Kolkata.

The release was organized by Harper Collins Publishers India and Kolkata Literary Meet at The Calcutta Club Wednesday. Director Sujoy Ghosh was in conversation with the artist.

When quizzed on his craft, Ghosh said he is more of an intuitive photographer and prefers candids.

"You have to have the picture in your mind to frame it. I click with my intuition and so I prefer clicking candid," Ghosh said, adding he is more comfortable clicking pictures in black and white.

"It fascinates me," he said.

The tome has a foreword penned by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and text written by noted author Shankarlal Bhattacharya.

According to Bhattacharya, Ray once said "Nemai is my gospel with the camera".

Film "Liar's Dice" starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui is India's official Oscar entry for the best foreign language film category but the actor says the filmmakers don't have funds to screen the movie at the academy awards on a very grand scale.

“The movie is a small budget movie. We need to screen the movie on a big scale there, but we don't have the money and are searching for support,” said the actor, who was in the national capital for an event recently.

The film revolves around Kamala who lives in the remote village of Chitkul on the Kinnaur-Tibet border and sets off on a journey with her three-year-old daughter and a pet goat to find her husband, Harud, who had left to take up a construction job five months ago.

The actor asserts that they are searching for support for the Geetu Mohandas directorial.

“We are talking to industry people and are optimistic that we will get support,” said “The Lunchbox” actor.

He also insisted that small films need to be promoted well to arouse the public's interest in them.

“Small films need to be promoted more. People are scared to put their money on such films and the drawback of it is that the films don't reach people,” he said.

Bollywood stars like Anupam Kher, Bipasha Basu and Madhur Bhandarkar are all in a mood to celebrate childhood on Children’s Day Friday.

Here’s what they tweeted:

Bipasha Basu: Happy Children's Day! The most innocent and sweet smiles of lil children give u so much happiness. Hope...

Satish Kaushik: Let us celebrate Chilhood.. The best phase of everybody's life. happy children's day.

Shruti Seth: Happy Children's Day to the beautiful future. Let's truly try and make everyday happy for our kids.

Manoj Bajpayee: Happy children's day to all the children and a child inside everyone.

Madhur Bhandarkar: If you ever want to experience pure, unconditional love, look into the eyes of a child. Happy Children's Day.

Tisca Chopra: To all the little Taaras Zameen Par & those of us who have keep the child inside alive.. happy children's day!

Rohit Roy: Happy children's day to the child within U.

Anupam Kher: If you want your children to be honest, kind, compassionate & truthful - BE HONEST, KIND, COMPASSIONATE & TRUTHFUL. Happy Children's Day.

Hansal Mehta: Happy Children everyday!

Farooque Sheikh's acting has captivated the audience again with the re-release of his debut film "Garm Hawa" Friday. In a video, the late actor says "any list of Indian classic movies is incomplete without the film" that was intially released in 1974.

"The list of Indian classics is incomplete without the mention of 'Garm Hawa'," the actor is seen saying in the clip.

Starring Dinanath Zutshi and Balraj Sahni in the lead roles of the two Mirza brothers, "Garm Hawa" is the story of the Mirza family at the time of the Partition in 1947.

M.S. Sathyu's National Award winning movie "Garm Hawa", which was India's entry for the Academy Awards in the best foreign film, has re-released across theatres in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad.

The actor, who died following a cardiac arrest while he was on a vacation in Dubai last year, is also seen appreciating the narration of the film by the director in the video.

"The story of the film is so heart-warming aur 'jazbaat ko jod ne wali hai' (emotionally connecting) and the way the story is narrated is so simple, decent and honest," the actor states in the video.

The film has been digitally restored by Indikino Edutainment.

Bollywood singer and Bengali actor Babul Supriyo has been inducted as the minister of state for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation in the Narendra Modi government, but the new responsibilty won't stop him from following his passion for singing.

According to Supriyo, the prime minister himself encourages his singing.

“Modiji himself inspired me to carry on with my singing. Music is to me what a charger is to a mobile. Besides, at the moment I’m a very happy man. Therefore, I’ll be able to sing much better than before. So who knows, this could be a new beginning for me as a singer," said the newly appointed minister.

At the same time, Babul is aware that his new role as a BJP minister imposes certain curbs in his activities.

“There are a few modalities involved in my new job, and my ministerial berth will surely bring in some constraints. I won’t be able to perform at live shows any more," he said.

He is reconciled to the restraints now imposed on his life as an entertainer.

“I know I won’t be able to dance on stage anymore. But nothing should come in the way of my studio recordings. I’m sure I’ll be able to balance out my role as a singer and a responsible cabinet minister, and I’ll be able to abide by all the necessary rules and the protocol that I’m expected to follow," he said.

Farhan Akhtar is the first man to be appointed as UN Women’s South Asia Goodwill Ambassador and the actor-filmmaker, who has been vocal about crimes against women, gives credit to his fans for giving him the "energy” to stay on this path.

The versatile star has represented the voice of numerous concerned men on the important issue of gender equality and violence against women and girls in India through his Men Against Rape and Discrimination (MARD) campaign.

After the announcement of his appointment, he was flooded with good wishes on Twitter.

“Thank you to all sending their love re the @UN_Women announcement. It is with your support that I've had the energy to stay on this path,” he tweeted Friday.

UN Women is the United Nations organisation dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Farhan will dedicate his efforts as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia towards the empowerment of women and girls, and will serve as an advocate for UN Women’s newly launched HeForShe initiative in advocating for gender equality and women’s empowerment.