Dr Binni : International Women’s Day: Single women in India will continue to fight for their rights
Girls are seen as a burden in India. This was evident throughout my childhood, before I married at 16. When I was unable to have children people began to treat me differently
Today is International Women’s Day, when women achievements have been celebrated worldwide since 1911. Yet, while women in the UK are able to remain unmarried, follow high-flying careers, and move freely - all without prejudice or discrimination – many women in the world are still struggling for their basic rights and dignity. Indeed, recent discussions around the post-2015 agenda have highlighted the need for a stand-alone goal on inequality reduction, as it has become an increasingly pressing issue. It is for this reason that this day is especially important for women, as it gives them the opportunity to stand up and raise their voices.
For women in India, life can be tough. Violence against women is at its peak, and it rests firmly on gender-based discrimination from birth in education, health and freedom. They just don’t have the same opportunities as men, and they’re often not aware of their potential. Many are forbidden from leaving the periphery of their house without a male chaperone, or are forced to leave education to get married. And for those without a husband, life is a constant battle.
Yet, recent international furore surrounding the rape of a student on a Delhi bus encouraged women to stand up, allowing them to fight for change. Street protests in Delhi, and across the country, demanding an end to violence against women since the attack in December have changed the way many see women in India, and it’s this determination and empowerment that I’ve been campaigning for with ENSS (Association of Empowered Single Women Living Alone) since its creation in 2005.
In Indian society, girls are seen as a burden – they’re costly and will eventually go to live with another family. Growing up with three sisters and one brother, this was evident throughout my childhood, before I married at 16. I was lucky though, my uncle, who lived in London and really valued education, helped me to continue my schooling. This isn’t an option for most married women.
Sadly, when the time came, I was unable to have children. People began to treat me differently, saying I was incomplete. Being a childless woman in India is a hugely stigmatising experience, and I felt low, and very isolated. I wondered why God had given me such a horrible life. My husband and I decided to leave our hometown and set up home elsewhere in Jharkhand state, where I started afresh. I needed a new focus in my life, so was introduced by a friend to NBJK, an organisation that fought for people’s fundamental rights in Jharkhand and Bihar states. Immediately, my sorrow was replaced with a sense of purpose, and I put all my energy into helping empower people whose voices weren’t being heard.
In 1996, we set up SHARC, an organisation to empower single women in Jharkhand state and beyond. I learned about the problems faced by single women, and the isolating lives they lead in our patriarchal society. In contrast to the freedom and lack of judgement women can enjoy in British society, millions of women in India live with the stigma of being unmarried, widowed, or divorced. In India today, there are over 43 million widows over 18; over 22 million women over 18 who are divorced or separated; and more than 33 million unmarried or never married. Traditionally, these women are often refused rights to their own land, seen as undesirable by employers, and widows are repeatedly forced to remarry against their will.
Much later, in 2004, I met with a group in Rajasthan who had successfully lobbied for the rights of single women, and I was inspired. And following an event organised by them, where hundreds of single women came together to discuss their rights, ENSS was formed. ..
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/international-womens-day-single-women-in-india-will-continue-to-fight-for-their-rights-8522392.html
Seeing like a Feminist is a bold and wide-ranging book that reorders contemporary society.
For Nivedita Menon, feminism is not about a moment of final triumph over patriarchy but about the gradual transformation of the social field so decisively that old markers shift forever. From sexual harassment charges against international figures to the challenge that caste politics poses to feminism, from the ban on the veil in France to the attempt to impose skirts on international women badminton players, from queer politics to domestic servants' unions to the Pink Chaddi campaign, Menon deftly illustrates how feminism complicates the field irrevocably.
"Wonderfully engaging and perfectly lucid." - Tanika Sarkar
See also: A Rapist Culture
Resist patriarchal culture
Demand 50% reservation for women in public services & representative bodies
NB- Violence against women occurs across all religious communities & castes. That is why the politics produced by all patriarchal culture, of whichever hue, does not place the complete and unconditional equality of women anywhere in their agenda. That’s why they disrupt progressive legislation such as the Women’s Reservation Bill – some openly, some by deceit. (Study it carefully, it was introduced in 1996 and there is a visible cross-party design to stall it by every means possible, thus proving the need for women’s reservation. If the Congress, BJP & Left parties all agree on the Bill, why haven't they enacted it? They have an overwhelming majority. Are they using the ideal of consensus to block it because they don't like it themselves?) Political parties will invariably enter such agitations. They see such movements merely as an opportunity to say “we are with you, vote for us”. But surely that is not the point? Civic movements can try and ensure that parties enter as supporters, not by trying to take them over for their own ends. And political leaders should clarify their ideas on the oppressive culture that places women in a permanently degraded status & enables crimes such as rape and molestation. The complete equality of women is NOT part of any major religious tradition. Patriarchy is well-entrenched across the globe. Womens’ equality will be a major departure from ‘traditional’ culture, and we should not be afraid of recognising this fact. Therefore political leaders (who wish to fulfill the role of leadership) should stop citing ‘tradition’ as a source for their values. They should make clear what part of tradition they uphold and what they reject. What is the point of glorifying this or that religious or political tradition if it contains toxic ideas about women and about physical assaults on women? (See the extract from VD Savarkar below). Why weep tears over this rape case when your party protects rape-accused politicians? When your party leads the resistance to the most progressive piece of legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha in recent time - the Women’s Reservation Bill?
Rape is a violent crime and must be punished as such. The culture behind rape, the habits that encourage it must be identified and confronted – but that culture includes concepts such as ‘honour’ & ‘living corpse’ etc. The politics of the communalists (whether Hindu, Muslim or Sikh etc) is a patriarchal politics of machismo & male pride. So is the politics of MS Yadav, who has determinedly stalled the WR Bill for a decade and a half. All these combinations are fundamentally conservative and anti-democratic in their attachment to the patriarchal system – which, to my mind, is the bulwark of capitalism and militarism.
Today is International Women’s Day, when women achievements have been celebrated worldwide since 1911. Yet, while women in the UK are able to remain unmarried, follow high-flying careers, and move freely - all without prejudice or discrimination – many women in the world are still struggling for their basic rights and dignity. Indeed, recent discussions around the post-2015 agenda have highlighted the need for a stand-alone goal on inequality reduction, as it has become an increasingly pressing issue. It is for this reason that this day is especially important for women, as it gives them the opportunity to stand up and raise their voices.
For women in India, life can be tough. Violence against women is at its peak, and it rests firmly on gender-based discrimination from birth in education, health and freedom. They just don’t have the same opportunities as men, and they’re often not aware of their potential. Many are forbidden from leaving the periphery of their house without a male chaperone, or are forced to leave education to get married. And for those without a husband, life is a constant battle.
Yet, recent international furore surrounding the rape of a student on a Delhi bus encouraged women to stand up, allowing them to fight for change. Street protests in Delhi, and across the country, demanding an end to violence against women since the attack in December have changed the way many see women in India, and it’s this determination and empowerment that I’ve been campaigning for with ENSS (Association of Empowered Single Women Living Alone) since its creation in 2005.
In Indian society, girls are seen as a burden – they’re costly and will eventually go to live with another family. Growing up with three sisters and one brother, this was evident throughout my childhood, before I married at 16. I was lucky though, my uncle, who lived in London and really valued education, helped me to continue my schooling. This isn’t an option for most married women.
Sadly, when the time came, I was unable to have children. People began to treat me differently, saying I was incomplete. Being a childless woman in India is a hugely stigmatising experience, and I felt low, and very isolated. I wondered why God had given me such a horrible life. My husband and I decided to leave our hometown and set up home elsewhere in Jharkhand state, where I started afresh. I needed a new focus in my life, so was introduced by a friend to NBJK, an organisation that fought for people’s fundamental rights in Jharkhand and Bihar states. Immediately, my sorrow was replaced with a sense of purpose, and I put all my energy into helping empower people whose voices weren’t being heard.
In 1996, we set up SHARC, an organisation to empower single women in Jharkhand state and beyond. I learned about the problems faced by single women, and the isolating lives they lead in our patriarchal society. In contrast to the freedom and lack of judgement women can enjoy in British society, millions of women in India live with the stigma of being unmarried, widowed, or divorced. In India today, there are over 43 million widows over 18; over 22 million women over 18 who are divorced or separated; and more than 33 million unmarried or never married. Traditionally, these women are often refused rights to their own land, seen as undesirable by employers, and widows are repeatedly forced to remarry against their will.
Much later, in 2004, I met with a group in Rajasthan who had successfully lobbied for the rights of single women, and I was inspired. And following an event organised by them, where hundreds of single women came together to discuss their rights, ENSS was formed. ..
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/international-womens-day-single-women-in-india-will-continue-to-fight-for-their-rights-8522392.html
Seeing like a Feminist is a bold and wide-ranging book that reorders contemporary society.
For Nivedita Menon, feminism is not about a moment of final triumph over patriarchy but about the gradual transformation of the social field so decisively that old markers shift forever. From sexual harassment charges against international figures to the challenge that caste politics poses to feminism, from the ban on the veil in France to the attempt to impose skirts on international women badminton players, from queer politics to domestic servants' unions to the Pink Chaddi campaign, Menon deftly illustrates how feminism complicates the field irrevocably.
"Wonderfully engaging and perfectly lucid." - Tanika Sarkar
See also: A Rapist Culture
Resist patriarchal culture
Demand 50% reservation for women in public services & representative bodies
NB- Violence against women occurs across all religious communities & castes. That is why the politics produced by all patriarchal culture, of whichever hue, does not place the complete and unconditional equality of women anywhere in their agenda. That’s why they disrupt progressive legislation such as the Women’s Reservation Bill – some openly, some by deceit. (Study it carefully, it was introduced in 1996 and there is a visible cross-party design to stall it by every means possible, thus proving the need for women’s reservation. If the Congress, BJP & Left parties all agree on the Bill, why haven't they enacted it? They have an overwhelming majority. Are they using the ideal of consensus to block it because they don't like it themselves?) Political parties will invariably enter such agitations. They see such movements merely as an opportunity to say “we are with you, vote for us”. But surely that is not the point? Civic movements can try and ensure that parties enter as supporters, not by trying to take them over for their own ends. And political leaders should clarify their ideas on the oppressive culture that places women in a permanently degraded status & enables crimes such as rape and molestation. The complete equality of women is NOT part of any major religious tradition. Patriarchy is well-entrenched across the globe. Womens’ equality will be a major departure from ‘traditional’ culture, and we should not be afraid of recognising this fact. Therefore political leaders (who wish to fulfill the role of leadership) should stop citing ‘tradition’ as a source for their values. They should make clear what part of tradition they uphold and what they reject. What is the point of glorifying this or that religious or political tradition if it contains toxic ideas about women and about physical assaults on women? (See the extract from VD Savarkar below). Why weep tears over this rape case when your party protects rape-accused politicians? When your party leads the resistance to the most progressive piece of legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha in recent time - the Women’s Reservation Bill?
Parties merely appear to lead, in actual fact they are reduced to following only their instinct towards power. Hence they cater to some of the worst instincts of their support base – most of these instincts are part & parcel of machismo culture. The only way to force them to do anything different and positive is to create an unstoppable force of public opinion, so that all parties feel obliged to ‘go with the flow’ or risk isolation. Otherwise it’s remains in their interest (and that of the establishment) to dismiss democratic agitations and/or to push them towards a narrow focus. This is what happens when there is violence, and also when masses of people call for ‘death’ without understanding that even extreme penalties for crimes can only be handed out if and when the criminal justice system functions efficiently and without built-in bias against women. Law by itself can achieve little if the people entrusted with implementing it and interpreting it are disinterested or unreliable. (A recent SC judgement reduced a sentence of a rapist-killer on the ground that he was drunk. How pathetic! now anyone caught driving under the influence of alcohol can say, I was drunk, so please reduce my sentence. They did the same thing in the Staines judgement, where the SC Bench argued that since the murders of Staines and his children were committed in a spirit of communal animus, somehow this reduced the gravity of the crime.)
The assaults on women are taking place and continue to take place in every corner of the country. Only a prolonged & multi-faceted campaign can push back the tide of violence. It will take many years. But institutional changes such as statutory reservation for women in the services (including, immediately, the police) & representative assemblies are an important starting point. Such reservations at the panchayat level have already had positive social and administrative effects. If a broad coalition arguing for this begins campaigning well before the next elections, parties will be forced to take a clear position on the Bill. Those who shout slogans calling for Hindu unity, Muslim unity or the unity of this or that caste-combine will never call for women’s unity. They can never dream of a democratic alliance based upon unconditional equality of the sexes. Such a programme would signify a sea-change in the socio-economic structure, and transform social life beyond recognition. Any political group that does not call for such equality (and spell out exactly what that means - in the work-place, in politics and in representative institutions) can be marked as basically undemocratic, no matter how progressive it claims to be.
Women of all classes, communities and castes face oppression and violent intimidation. Is this not a basis for a different and much-needed politics of cross-gender human equality and freedom from fear and intimidation? Would not such a politics have a democratic effect upon society? South Asia has produced much talk of communal identity. Communal politics has driven society to the brink of destruction and catastrophe. Why cannot the identity of women be taken to be a substantial basis for combination and solidarity? Does it make sense for people to keep describing rape victims as ‘living corpses’ (refer Sushma Swaraj's speech in Parliament) as if women who are raped must forgo the chance of recovery and must not aspire to a happy life? Why do the political agitators place so much store by ‘honour’?
Rape is a violent crime and must be punished as such. The culture behind rape, the habits that encourage it must be identified and confronted – but that culture includes concepts such as ‘honour’ & ‘living corpse’ etc. The politics of the communalists (whether Hindu, Muslim or Sikh etc) is a patriarchal politics of machismo & male pride. So is the politics of MS Yadav, who has determinedly stalled the WR Bill for a decade and a half. All these combinations are fundamentally conservative and anti-democratic in their attachment to the patriarchal system – which, to my mind, is the bulwark of capitalism and militarism.
