Had I been writing this piece  few days back, my topic would have been a little different. I would have written something on the lines of what an irony it is to celebrate the International Women’s Day in a country where a majority of women do not have access to education and live a life that is majorly governed by the norms of the society and how it is still a long way before we can celebrate the spirit of womanhood in its true sense; but only if I was writing that particular day.

Events in the past few days have forced me to take a re-look at the world around me, to understand that it is not about education, spreading awareness, and equal rights for women, guaranteeing them the dignity and the respect that they deserve. No… in a society where a girl amidst the crowd is shot dead in broad daylight by her stalker, where every day a girl is being raped in some part of the country and where some couples or the other are being killed in the name of ‘honour’, expecting a woman to get an equal footing is like asking a toddler to win a marathon.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

It is not about the dignity and empowerment. For the women living in the capital, it is about their basic survival. It is about taking a bus ride without being pushed around and touched everywhere. It is about working late at night without getting worried about how to get back home. It is about walking on the streets without getting to hear even a single derogatory remark about her. It is about being able to sleep at night without worrying about the same challenges to be faced the next day.

On the International Women’s Day, the virtual world was rife with messages acknowledging women as the backbone of the society.  Newspapers talked about great women achievers. TV programs paid tribute to the Naari Shakti (women empowerment). I am not undermining any of these efforts, but it is hard not to be left bemused seeing these superficial attempts. I am sorry to be a skeptic, but I am sure that the struggle will continue post March 8 as well.  Eve teasing would still be as rampant as it  was before, incidents of rape will continue to be a major part of the news and honour killing would continue to remain an accepted way of taking care of the “strayed” daughter.

In the crime capital of the country, the International Women’s Day proves to be the best opportunity for us to pause for a minute and retrospect.

Can we imagine a world without women? There would be no tears of joys, no dance in the rain, no hues of colour, no silly questions, no dumb answers, no unconditional love, no motherhood and definitely no to massage the vain male ego. If for you, the world seems a better place without women, go ahead…. With your deeds, question the existence of fair sex…. But if you want to see the world through the rainbow prism, do not wait for a Women’s Day to express your gratitude. Do it now. Give women the freedom to walk alone on the street, the courage to work late at night, the strength to be their own boss and the love to be who they are.

(Anubhooti is a  Special Correspondent (Feature) at BH. She can be reached at anubhooti@beyondheadlines.in)

New Delhi: Seventy-year-old Karibasamma, first euthanasia petitioner in Karnataka seeking euthanasia, sees hope in yesterday’s Supreme Court’s verdict, allowing what has come to be termed “passive euthanasia,” the withdrawal of life support to patients in a permanently vegetative state (PVS).

However, the verdict rejected outright “active euthanasia” or ending life through the administration of lethal substances and turned down the plea to allow Aruna Shanbaug, who has been in a vegetative state for 37 years, to die.

Karibasamma with her medicines (Photo - TOI)

Suffering from an acutely agonising slipped disc condition for many years, Karibasamma, who worked in various schools in the city for 33 years, wants a quick and painful death, which she thinks is her due. Diabetes has added frustration with life.

The former teacher with no family members caring for her, Karibasamma has been living in an old age home in Davanagere. Frustrated and suffering acute pain, Karibasamma filed a plea seeking mercy killing in the high court.

Karibasamma’s mercy killing case will come up for hearing on March 11 in the Karnataka High Court.

She told BeyondHeadlines that she felt hopeful after learning of the verdict in the Supreme Court in the case related to Aruna Shanbaug. She added that she did not need her family’s consent to end her life.

Seated in her little spartan room at Ananda Dhama, a home for senior citizens, Karibasamma is vocal about right to mercy death. “If I seek death because I cannot bear the pain, such death should not be considered suicide, but a dignified end,” she says.

“The doctors have no answer to my problem. There is no guarantee that surgery make me better. So there is only one way left,” the former teacher says. “I suffer the pain, not my family,” she said, hoping that the panel of doctors to be constituted would support her.

Advocate Pramila Nesargi, who has been arguing Karibasamma’s case, said, “I will bring to the notice of the judge the orders of the Supreme Court and seek the constitution of a panel of doctors.” Nesargi said that the panel would serve as a permanent committee and the first case it would look into would be Karibasamma’s.

In the last hearing of this case in September 2010, the high court directed the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) to give free treatment to Karibasamma for four weeks and submit a report. The Nimhans report suggested that Karibasamma undergo an operation. “In the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict, those reports will hold no value,” Nesargi said.

We invited girls and women to pen their thoughts on the occasion. Here is a selection –

Nilakshi Sharma (student): We should ask for the reason of declining sex ratio of girls over boys, reasons for the atrocities against women and reasons for their sexual harassment. It is high time for women to wake up and fight against this discrimination. International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for women. In different regions, the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements. This day is also called as anti-sexiest day, which no discrimination against female. So after knowing the real meaning of Women’s Day, we should celebrate this day to spread the awareness against this discrimination, which the women have to face at home, in educational institutes or in society in general.

(Photo: www.thehindu.com)

Priyanka Kapil (student): The most beautiful creature God made on the earth is female who are filled with lots of emotions, feelings and courage and the who can give birth to child. International Women’s Day is meant, according to me, to encourage women, be they home maker or professional.

Chaitanya Janker (student): Why is there an International Women’s Day? Why not International Men’s Day?  Because we know that our society is male dominated, and many people do not even know that something like International Women’s Day exists. We keep on blaming men that they do not treat women equal to them. However, in reality, women themselves are not aware of their rights. We are taught that men and women are equal but in practice, it is not witnessed. If women want themselves to be treated equally, we need to rise and speak up for our rights.

We don’t need a Women’s Day. We would perhaps need a Men’s Day. A day to create awareness about the various duties, qualities and functions that they should perform. A day where they really own up to being men. Here are some pointers to what men could do to make a successful Men’s Day. May be a time will come in the future when a Men’s Day would be a part of the yearly calendar.

Here are some pointers for us to know that we now “officially” need a Men’s Day. (Loosely translate- “when kingdom comes”).

As today we are surrounded by all sorts of reservations, quotas and other mathematical devices, which eliminate equal opportunities. Here also are three broad categories

General:

• A day where perhaps there were there would only be 10 men travelling in a bus full of women.
• Then maybe they would rise up to the occasion and ask for “reserved seat.”
• Also they would have to carry pepper sprays.
• Take self defence classes.

Husbands (These actions are listed in order of their impact the last having the most)

• When Husbands start doing their own laundry-(underwear, dirty linen, curtains – The Works )
• Maybe have some semblance to hygiene – and cleaned their apartment, before it was declared a public health hazard.
• Hung the wet towel instead of throwing it on the floor.
• Maybe served breakfast in bed (its stretching it a bit, but why not, let’s be optimistic)
• They were being appreciative – of all other species who are perhaps not the alpha male
• Forgot the beer and the boys and the game on TV- and took the wife out for some fine dining and wine.
• When women stopped faking IT .(that’s code RED).

Young Men/Boys:

• Ordered coffee first for the date, then themselves.
• Opened doors, windows and then beer cans for the lady! Not to forget -  pull chairs for them
• Remembers the flowers/candy/wine – in accordance with days- birthdays/anniversaries /valentines… etc.
• When they stop checking out the girl across the bar, while still talking to the one with whom he is on a date with.
• The “hot girl” in the gym stopped being called from her nick name “hot bod” instead everyone used her real name.
• When they just stopped being bad.
• When the Girl Next door won the cute guy, and not the Cheer leader.
• Plain English- When Betty got Archie and not Veronica.

Till then let’s sport the pink ribbons. Let’s do the marches, and the speeches and the pledges. Get the discounts. Garner support. And otherwise just hope for the D day!! Men’s Day… To be or not to be!!!

(Ektaa Malik is special correspondent (feature) at BeyondHeadlines. She can be reached at ektaa@beyondheadlines.in)

I woke up this morning tagged in an interesting post by a friend on Facebook. It was called “Be careful with a woman like me” by Brooke Axtel. An hour later, I get requested on the same forum (FB chat) to write a piece on the occasion of International Women’s Day (does my red bra strap has anything to do with it, I wonder?). Another couple of hours pass when I read a shared post by another friend again on Facebook tantalizingly titled “Indian men lead in sexual violence, worst on gender equality” (The Times of India).
It is interesting to see the titles of both posts – in conjunction. “Be careful with a woman like me” – “Indian men lead in sexual violence, worst on gender equality” or maybe “Indian men lead to sexual violence, worst on gender equality” – “Be careful with a woman like me.”

Is one symptomatic of the other or feeding off one another mutually? The questions are disturbing as these are dangerous consequences one way or another. Any report on the sexual violence against women in India is followed by a treatise on how sexual repression in the society at large leads to it. The other is of course the patriarchal nature of the society. No doubt, it does but is that all? Or perhaps, there is a larger problem all of us are over looking? I do not know the right answer, but I do think that if there was more respect and less contempt, the world would be a slightly less evil world.

While tomorrow’s newspapers will be full of celebratory articles on the modern woman and the pathbreaking ground she has covered, somewhere some girl will be getting raped, some woman being beaten up and some unborn female foetus being killed.

Frankly, the gory headline of The Times of India did not make me shudder much. Didn’t we already know that? After 6 years in Delhi, I could have vouched for it without any survey.

(Niha Masih is a Journalist working with Tehelka.)

We are what we believe in” goes a saying. But what if our belief is incorrect? Or rather misunderstood and misinterpreted! Feminism is a belief in equality of the sexes – social, political and economic. It is a movement; a commitment to women’s equal rights. If I say, “I am a feminist,” I mean I am non-sexist. It is a concept grounded in the belief that women are oppressed, disadvantaged and marginalised. And their oppression is illegitimate and unjustified. As feminists, we do not demand men to become like women or vice-versa. Feminism is not about placing women higher than men or flaunting superiority. It is about rights – basic, inherent and human rights.

To understand it better and practice it, it is significant to first sensitize both males and females to help them develop an understanding of “gender” and “sex.” At the heart of feminism is this sensitivity. And this does not just mean (man) streaming women but also challenging patriarchy and acknowledging women’s issues. People who are offended at the mere expression of the term do not understand it. Those who call themselves “anti-feminists” need to understand. The onus of training them lies with us even as we shout out loud our feminist slogan “Personal is Political.”

(Aasma Fayaz is a Delhi based Social worker.)

AAKHIR SCENE KYA HAI (At last, what is the scene):

As March 8 comes, we all gear up to celebrate International Women’s Day. However, there have been two such minor incidents that have a kind of multilayered meanings. It has not been a long time when former Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss had said publicly that the number of alcohol consuming youth, including girls, was growing rapidly. What he actually meant was that liquor-taking girls and boys were against the so-called Indian culture. Probably, this societal pressure was the real force behind the urge of that girl who asked me if I could arrange some liquor for her. When I was thinking of giving her a lecture against drinking, she came up with the reason behind her strange wish. She simply said, “I am done with my studies in this town, and now I am returning to my home town. I want to taste this thing before I would be caught again in that cultural net.”

This reason had a lot of meanings as this had come from an empowered girl in terms of studies and family background. Further, when her boyfriend came to know about her wish, he scolded her badly and also threatened to leave her. It was a completely different matter that he was not a teetotaler. When she asked about her personal freedom, he almost slapped her. When the girl finally understood the tense situation, she surrendered and they again became the happy couple.

Second incident had another woman in the middle. This single lady has recently got the chance of directing a telefilm produced by Door Darshan. On the very first day, she had a fight with her sound person because he was not listening to her commands. The stubborn sound recordist kept doing the same till she complained about it to the responsible authorities. When both of them patched up, she asked about the sound person’s weird behavior. The recordist answered in jolly mood that “madam jee jaise gaadi chalana auraton ke bas ki baat nahi hai, waise hi technical kaam bhi unke bas ka nahi hota hai” (dear ma’am, technical works are not easy for women in the same way as it is most difficult for them to drive a car).

KAHAANI  KAL  KI (Tomorrow’s story):

Obviously, the time has changed and so has the thought pattern of the society, but it is still very early to give any judgmental comment about the personal freedom enjoyed by women. In 1869, British MP John Stuart Mill was the first person in Parliament to call for women’s right to vote. On September 19, 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Women in other countries did not enjoy this equality and campaigned for justice for many years. In 1910, a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin presented the idea of International Women’s Day. She proposed that there should be a celebration every year and in every country on the same day – Women’s Day – to press for their demands. The conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties and working women’s clubs, including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin’s suggestion with unanimous approval, and this resulted into the International Women’s Day. The very first International Women’s Day was celebrated the following year by Clara Zetkin on March 19 (not March 8). This particular date was chosen because March 19 of the 1848 revolution, the Prussian king recognized for the first time the strength of the armed people and gave way before the threat of a proletarian uprising. Among the many promises he had made, which could not be fulfilled, was granting women the right to vote. For fun, one may say that the beginning was actually based on a failure. The reflection of Prussian King’s failure is visible in the deeds of the boyfriend and the sound recordist, where they are struggling with different levels of prejudices. It is true that there is nothing new in these examples, but the striking feature is that it is all happening right under the nose of Parliament in our capital, leave aside the conditions in countryside.

MARKET BHI TO HAI (Market is also there):

The newspapers (not TV news channels), which are supposed to be the caretaker of individual and fundamental rights, are completely devoid of new ideas to promote International Women’s Day. All they are doing is asking for public opinions about this celebration. At most, they will feature some lady CEOs, without looking into their personal profiles. Capitalism-promoting companies like Hindustan Lever Limited or other beauty products players are better than these media houses as they are at least creating this sense of self awareness. It is true that they are ultimately interested in selling their products but still because of this one fact, their sin could be overlooked. Last year’s hit media campaign “GHANTI BAJAO” would be an important thing to mention here. In that anti-domestic violence campaign, the absences of ladies were very conspicuous like the protection of women is the responsibility of their male counterparts only. This shows the moderate feudal mindsets. However, this would be a success if the point is taken by the social forces. It seems very difficult because Khap Panchayats (a system of social administration and organization in the republics of Northwestern Indian states such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) and other cultural groups are working without any fear. We should also not forget people like retired Inspector General of Police Shambhu Pratap Singh Rathore (S.P.S. Rathore) or Vikash Yadav who are helping them in creating a sort of favourable condition to flex their muscles. If we go by the current judicial process, we will find that these cases are also giving impetus to chauvinistic ideas because they present powerful people in a different light where everything seems to be at their disposal. Ultimately, these cases present victimized women as soft targets. One question will rise that how we should spread awareness then. We are living in an information age where we can regulate the flow of information. We will have to become a little choosy as message sender and will have to focus on that part more where the public anger is clearly visible.

KANOON KE HAATH (Reach of legislation):

The discussion will be very inadequate if we miss POWDV Act, 2005 – The Protection of women from the Domestic Violence Act also known as Domestic Violence Act or DV Act. The act was brought into force in October2006, and it defines women who have suffered from violence in domestic relationship as aggrieved persons. Also, it clearly aims to protect them. In the third year of the DV Act implementation, practitioners and professionals have started either to criticize or comment on its practice or to assail on its misuse. Generally, women know nothing about the DV Act before consulting service providers. Some decide to file the DV case because husbands have filed divorce petition beforehand; therefore, women take the DV Act as a tool to protect them from being kicked out from their families. Nearly every woman with experience in court has found it such a long process to get the executive order (report by an activist Pin-Hsien Wu). It is a common consensus among activists that this act has not provided much relief despite its entire elaborated rule book. The prime reason behind this is simply the unwillingness of women to fight for the justice. For sheer argument, one can question that they are ignorant towards their legal rights. It is absolutely correct but at the same time, it is our failure as a collective society that we have not made them aware about these obvious rights even after hundred years of the 1st International Women’s Day.

After the Second World War, International Woman’s Day remained a Communist holiday until around 1967 because it had Lenin’s contribution. According to a story, it was revived in the United States by a group of women at the University of Illinois, Chicago, which included daughters of the US Communists who remembered having heard of this holiday. Since then, it has become the occasion for a new sense of female consciousness and a new sense of feminist internationalism. In India, in addition to boasting about some Bedis and Vyas’s, there is not much to offer actually. Occasionally, there are few Mirzas and Merricoms pop up, but where is the sense of international feminism. For this, the contemporary society needs more Nisha Sharma and Ameena Begum (girls who returned their would be husbands from mundap, covered structure with pillars temporarily erected for the purpose of a Hindu or Jain wedding).

And yes, please do not forget that some of these brave girls are still unmarried, thanks to their popularity. In case, if you think that the condition is presented in an exaggerated manner or the matter is not so serious, here is some of the normal statistics, which is based on the 2001 census reports.

*According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India reported 3,2481 murders, 19,348 rapes, 7,618 dowry deaths and 3,6617 molestation cases in 2006. (Remember, this is 2011).

*Number of cases where conviction took place: 1830 (real cases).

*Cases that are acquitted or discharged (Total): 3598 (false cases)

*Total cases disposed = 5428 (real + false cases)

*Total cases pending in the beginning of the year: 29,713

Now take a look at women’s health condition in India:

* 56 % of the adolescent girls are suffering from chronic Anemia.

* Almost 79,000 women are suffering from cervical cancer only, leave aside total cancer patients.

* 3% rise in reports of breast cancer.

* Nearly, 76 % women are suffering from one or the other deficiency diseases.

(Data based on the reports of National Family Health Survey, 2006)

Last but not least, the educational condition of w women

*Out of 304 million completely illiterate Indian population, almost 221 millions are women.

* Female literacy rate is meager 53.63 %, while male literacy stands at 75.26 %.

* 27% children are having education in private schools and out of them, only 8% are girls.

Believing that stats are only a tool of building the argument, let us again come to our actual concerns. Why there is the need to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 every year. Answer is very simple; if we as human beings are suffering from so many problems, we will have to be united against each evil. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity for communities to recognise and celebrate local women’s achievements and the contribution they continue to make in their respective areas. To put it right one may use Virginia Woolf’s statement — Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magical and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size. Thus the ultimate aim is to give women the place they deserve without taking any pity or showing particular sort of sympathy.

PAISE  KI  TAAQAT (Power of wealth):

Projections indicate that by 2050, the world’s population will stand at around 9.2 billion, up from around 6.7 billion at present. The vast majority of this hike will be in the developing world. In developed world countries, populations may start tapering off after 2025. It seems likely that this explosion in population in the developing world will do nothing to address the fact that per capita wealth is massively skewed towards the developed world. Using the World Bank data for 2000, the average per capital wealth in the top 10 wealthiest countries is a staggering 170 times greater than the average in the bottom ten. If this will be the overall scenario, how come one can assume that we will be able to provide women their due right in the absence of adequate money. Basically, what we are talking about is the women’s economic freedom.

The new Structural Adjustment Programmes facilitated by the Indian Government to usher in globalisation in our traditional economy will reach the expected goal only if the process of globalisation is backed by properly planned national policies in a conducive social and economic environment. Globalisation is a double edged process as far as women are concerned. On one hand, a majority of women in India and other developing countries find themselves stripped off the benefit of social security and government’s protection of labour rights while on the other; there are possibilities of better education facilities and opportunities at the transnational sense, which are very attractive to the privileged few. However, it is necessary to understand that effective development requires full integration of women in the development process as agents of change as well as beneficiaries because Indian women can be utilized as development resources in many ways. The reason behind this motive is crystal clear that India is a hugely populated country and thus, it has a great number of untrained female workers who can be used as skillful workers with proper training. Therefore, the foremost thing we need in this 100th year of International Women’s Day is proper programming for professional courses specially designed for women.

GAON KI GORI VS SEHAR KI CHORI (Rural Girls vs Urban Girls):

“The fastest way to change the society is to mobilize the women of the world.” — Charles Malik. Unfortunately, despite all hue and cries, women are not totally integrated as a distinct entity. Rural and urban divide is certainly there in terms of everything, be it fashion or education. Urban women have same kind of ignorance towards their rural fellows as male have. Urban elite social workers treat rural women as some medieval species. They may have their own logistics behind doing so, but what we should not forget is that it is rural women’s arena, which needs to be taken top priority simply due to the fact that it consists around 35 % of whole Indian population. We also have to be very specific in our planning because rural people are rapidly coming into the clutches of capitalistic forces. E.g. nowadays, it is a common trend to send at least a dozen Dove soaps and two big bottles of Garnier hair colours with the new bridegroom in Mithilanchal of Bihar State. These companies have taken women into confidence through their strategic promotion of real women softness and so called celebration of true womanhood. Although we are not dealing mainly with totalitarian economic forces, still there is a need to device a counter strategy to make every woman aware about their original self. Obviously, an individual should possess the rights about his or her looks. But if this will become the last desire, it will become extremely difficult to get their support for a collective social achievement. The message should be loud and clear that women are not only meant for their divine beauties. Therefore, even after so many years, International Women’s Day needs to be presented in a new light as a thread of strength.

(Courtesy: Times of India)

Now it becomes the responsibility of urban elite social workers to tell their rural counterparts about the correct use of money. The inverted pyramid structure of economy should be focused more sharply to provide better facilities for self help groups, rural banking and small cottage industries. This is needed to come from an urban woman as they can gesture as role models for rural women. Hope, the next International Women’s Day will bring it into existence.

TOH AAKHIR KAREIN  KYA (Then what should we do?):

Microfinance has evolved over the past quarter century across India into various operating forms and to a varying degree of success. One such form of microfinance has been the development of the self-help movement. Based on the concept of “self-help,” small groups of women have formed groups of 10 to 12 women and operate a savings-first business model, whereby the member’s savings are used to fund loans. The results from these self-help groups (SHGs) are promising and have become a focus of intense examination as it is proving to be an effective method of poverty reduction. Cumulatively, 1.6 million SHGs have been bank-linked with cumulative loans of Rs 69 billion. In 2004-05 alone, almost 800,000 SHGs were bank-linked. The policy environment in India has been extremely supportive for the growth of the microfinance sector in India. Thus there is this need to exploit the situation in order to give women the economic power and International Women’s Day can work as a platform to discuss about the financial policies.

Although there are some community radio stations run by women are trying their best, but they need to promote the common agenda with more ferocity. And in this way, the 100 years of International Women’s Day can act as their launching pad.

The International Women’s Day is going to give us a common stage for feminist thinking where the discussion about the Women Reservation Bill is inevitable. Activists should be ready to use this time to exert more pressure on the government and to critique those thinkers who are against this bill. Hundred years is not less time and one needs to accept this fact that as a group force, feminists are only moderately successful. However, not everything is finished, thus all that is needed to be done is to use the legacy of last hundred years to decorate the forthcoming time.

“In our culture, being a woman means being a mother and the guardian of the ‘home fire’ – in this sense I am 100 per cent a woman. Only my home fire is much bigger than normal, and I feel responsible not only for my home, but also for the family.” This was the reaction of Rosa Shayahmetova, head of Red Cross in Kyrgyzstan, when she was asked about her responsibility as a woman. We need to manufacture more Rosas to celebrate 125th International Women’s Day with much more sense of triumph (don’t worry; we have 25 years to achieve it).

Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.” — Clare Boothe Luce.

(Write to Rohit at vatsbirpuria@gmail.com)