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Way ahead of their times

Gender empowerment is no longer a distant dream, yet we have many more miles to achieve, write SOMA BASU and S.S.KAVITHA

PHOTOS: K. GANESAN AND G. MOORTHY

EMPOWERED Jaya Kothai Pillai

Way back in the 70s, a group of young students with their teacher used to wait at the Anna bus stand every afternoon. Each day they spotted a group of vegetable vendors enquiring about different bus routes. An idea dawned on them. Why not "empower" these poor illiterate women?

Four decades ago, empowerment was a word perhaps less heard of or discussed. But people like Dr. Jaya Kothai Pillai, who really understood its meaning, meant serious business at a time when people cared less.

Maithreyi Krishnaraj

Jaya, a Professor in Education with Madurai Kamaraj University then, embarked upon this special project with her students.

"Since we had to wait for an hour to catch the next bus, we started our classroom from under the shed of the bus stand. We got roller blackboards, slates and pencils from the department and started teaching the group of 20 women how to read their bus numbers. This was followed by their names, name of their place, names of vegetables they sold, their rates, how much profit they made," recalled Jaya as yet another celebration of women's day rolled by on March 8.

Total empowerment

"Six women dropped out and at the end of six months, two of these women were empowered enough to seek bank loan and buy a vegetable cart on their own. That is what I term total empowerment where the woman has confidence, is self-reliant and lives life to her potential," beams Jaya.

Academician

An academician to the core with deep interest in education, literacy, women's development and psychology, Jaya who has studied, worked and travelled the world over and authored over a dozen books is currently serving as the Secretary General of All India Women's Conference headquartered in Delhi. She feels after decades of work, gender empowerment is no longer a distant dream. "But complete gender parity is perhaps an over-riding goal."

As victims of the cruel paradox - woman worshipped as the goddess of shakti and yet oppressed and abused - their emancipation lies only in participation, she stresses and asserts, "every individual has potential and should get ample opportunities to be able to live their potential fully."

Bane of programmes

But the bane of all our programmes has been the male attitude, inaccessibility to information and inequality, she rues.

Though Southern States are known to be faring better than their Northern counterparts in promoting women leadership, there is a flip side to it also. For instance Tamil Nadu is dubbed as a State for emulation for its gender mainstreaming since it has more than 33 per cent women leadership in Panchayati Raj institutions and also several top posts in statutory and non-statutory governmental committees are held by women.

But 60 per cent of the women in Tamil Nadu are anaemic. It ranks seventh in the country for crime and discrimination against women. Tamil Nadu tops among all Southern States in spousal violence. It is also infamous for female infanticide and foeticide along with rising incidence of HIV/AIDS.

Limping forward

"Gap is narrowing in many areas like education and literacy but in several other sectors women are just "limping forward" or lagging behind, says Dr.Jaya.

Though Self Help Groups have ushered in a silent revolution in economic empowerment, she feels empowerment is not just economic but a necessary link to social empowerment, which leads to a worthy image and finally political empowerment.

Endorses Dr. Anandavalli Mahadevan, Head, Department of Futurology MKU and past VC of Mother Teresa University, Kodaikanal. She and Dr.Jaya are currently working on a book called "Women's Futures" where they are trying to assess where the Indian woman is going.

"Though overall we seem to be progressing and in absolute numbers doing very well like enrolment of girl students in higher education is high. But there is a feminisation of both educational discipline and occupation.

Why don't we have more women bankers, managers, editors? When a woman makes it, it is considered extraordinary achievement whereas what we are trying to propagate for years is an equal treatment and opportunity for men and women," worries Dr.Mahadevan.

"The child sex ratio is a cause of concern as it is predicted that by 2020, there will be 25 million men in marriageable age group with no suitable matching girls as the society has brought upon early death for female babies," she enlists.

Social reconstruction

There is a need to increase the number of income generating activities for women. Precisely with this aim, Dr.Jaya is all set to start an AIWC Community College soon in Delhi, which will systematize all existing and new training courses. "Self assertion helps and self-worth is very important for one's growth," she reiterates.

For 75-year-old pioneer in gender studies, Maithreyi Krishnaraj, who was a professor, Women and Development, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, and professor and director, Research Centre for Women's Studies, Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University, feminism does not mean that women should be ahead of men.

"Rather, women's capabilities have to be recognised and they should be allowed to participate equally in social restructuring," she echoes.

She feels sad when people describe feminists as fighters who bring disharmony in the family.

"In fact, they are striving to bring in harmony and balance in society," she opines.

"Women should have a voice in public affairs, so that they are able to articulate the society they visualize as good for women, men and children, so that one particular gender does not pay the cost and the other gets the reward."

"Women's problems vary in each class. Middle class women have an opportunity to be part of the wider world and use their education whereas working class women toil and drain their energy in an unequally paid job. They are forced to work and often offered `less-skilled' job where there is no scope for betterment. Law is there for equal rights and pay, but is rarely practiced in reality," she laments.

Towards visibility

All the three women in their respective areas of women studies are trying to bring in a visibility about what women's issues are and their contribution to society.

What should be done to improve their lot. They are trying to address men to bring in attitudinal change in the society. However, all feel that women studies alone will not eliminate sexual stereotypes overnight to help students achieve self-definition, give them an altered view of the value of intellectual discipline.

Live contact with others makes a difference to students such as meeting the women achievers in different fields.

"Changes are bound to happen but at a slow pace, for it is not easy to eradicate centuries-old malignity," these achievers part with hope.

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