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Good morning. I was horrified to read this week about a newborn baby girl who was discovered buried alive in a shallow grave in northern India. The police have not speculated on the motives, but India's gender ratio is one of the most imbalanced in the world. Women are often discriminated against socially, and girls are often seen as a financial burden. We might hear this and feel a sense of moral superiority. But we would be wrong to do so. Only this week, official UK figures show hate crimes recorded by police are at a record high - up 10% on last year. Online social media has fuelled this rise in hate. The volume of racism, misogyny and other forms of hate behind a veil of anonymity is shocking. Women suffer greatly from online abuse. They are not the only ones of course, but many strong assertive women who speak their mind have to deal with this abuse on a daily basis, which can adversely affect their mental well-being and physical safety. As a female academic with a public profile, I have myself suffered a fair share of bullying, misogyny and threats online, including from some male members of my own community who consistently oppose me putting forward alternative, evidence-based arguments against existing held views. It is no surprise then that such behaviour can cause women to disengage from their online activities and withdraw from debates altogether. The result is a form of censorship due to a rejection of the legitimacy of the views of women. The Sikh Gurus started a revolution in medieval Indian society and encouraged societal reforms to give women equal status. The practice of women self-immolating on their husbands funeral pyres was banned, women were no longer to be viewed as second-class citizens and a third of the bishoprics during the early Sikh period were female preachers. The collective Sikh prayer of the Ardas starts with a recollection of the Almighty, but uniquely amongst world religions Sikh scripture uses female terminology for God rather than the male. In my view, the aim of this was to ensure that the primacy of women in society is never forgotten. Sadly, despite the massive strides made on gender equality, the idea of strong, independent women prepared to speak their minds and challenge male-dominated narratives is still a problem in some sections of my community and society as a whole. We all need to call out misogyny where we see it, and shine a light on the darkest recesses of our communities. By standing up to such behaviour it will empower women to dismantle these attitudes, not through hate, but with courage and reason.