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Magazine
In a man's world
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The changing roles and images of women in society were the focus of the Round Table of Women Achievers, writes V. GANGADHAR.
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Juggling her multifarious roles ...
THE conference hall at Mumbai's Shanmukhananda Hall was overflowing and the programme had to be shifted to the huge main auditorium. No one expected the Round Table of Women Achievers discussing the role of women for a developed India (Indian Women in 2020) to attract so many people.
As distinguished women from different fields, Sivasankari (novelist and humanist), Capt. Saudamini Deshmukh (India's first woman commercial pilot, and currently deputy general manager of Indian Airlines), Nawaz Modi, Professor of Political Science and Civics in Mumbai University, Akhila Srinivas (Shriram Investments Ltd., Chennai) and Satya Saran (Editor, Femina) discussed various topics, the audience was treated to exciting revelations on the working of the women's mind.
The comments were hard hitting but more appealing were the personal references and anecdotes. They began with the issue of opportunities. When Sivasankari began writing 35 years ago, readers believed that men normally wrote under a female name, particularly on man-woman relationships! "I had a hard time establishing my identity," she explained.
Saudamini Deshmukh said she was warmly received in Indian Airlines and people were always helpful. Akhila Srinivas, who joined Shriram Investments as executive trainee found gender no problem in an environment conducive to growth. As a woman, she had to balance her home demands with office work but an understanding husband was immensely helpful. For Satya Saran, time management was crucial. Home and office affairs had to be compartmentalised. In the traditional women's job of teaching, Nawaz Modi, often found she was expected to play a low-key role. How important was self-confidence to a woman's career? Sivasankari pointed out even educated women withstood torture and ill treatment from their husbands. "Can poor women ever discover confidence in our society?" she asked and mentioned an incident where a poor woman lost one child in a flood because she was busy salvaging some leftover rice without which the family would have starved.
"Women have a long way to go," said Nawaz Modi, who was disturbed by the declining woman-man ratio. Even educated women misused science and technology to get rid of the unwanted female foetus, she pointed out.
How essential was man in a woman's world? "For heaven's sake, men are not our enemies," snapped Sivasankari. "We are not their competitors and many women achieve success with the help and understanding of their husbands, brothers and fathers."
For Saudamini Deshmukh, life would be ideal when men and women were equal partners. Akhila Srinivas explained that her success was due to help from her husband and family.
For Satya Saran, being available to children was a must. When her son returned from school, he called her at the office and was reassured by her voice. At the same time, children must realise and adjust to the fact that working mothers have a life of their own.
Women's image and roles were certainly changing in society. Nawaz Modi found more girls in all the university courses and they did not drop out after marriage. The girls had clear views on their future and were usually way ahead of boys in performances.
Sivasankari was happy that the traditional image of widows was changing. The evils of the dowry system were more visible now, she pointed out. "But there is still a long way to go," warned the writer. Quoting instances about change in women's image from rural life, Satya Saran narrated the story of a rural midwife. After successfully delivering the child in an upper caste family, the woman was given tea in a broken cup reserved for the lower castes. But the newborn's father protested against such treatment.
Narrating the benefits derived by poor women from the Shri Ram trust, Akhila Srinivas, said that more than 4,500 women in 122 villages were freed from the clutches of village moneylenders and settled in profitable occupations. She regretted that while the women worked hard and acquired a new image, most husbands, who had only seasonal jobs, wasted their time. "This picture will change only with education," she said.
Turning personal, Sivasankari urged women not to wallow in self-pity while facing personal losses. "When my husband died 18 years back, I felt lost and the family members added to my misery. But I found solace in writing and dealing with the problems of juvenile junkies."
Finally, the women achievers described what kept them going. For Nawaz Modi it was the quest for excellence. Akhila Srinivas said that social work and her association with street children kept her going. As the women got up, an enthralled audience cheered.
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