7
An epic struggle against sexual harassment
English_Xinhua 2005-08-29 09:49:26
BEIJING, Aug. 29 --Zhang is a telephone operator in a chemical factory. In the small town she lives in, her job is seen as admirable.
She has a harmonious family life with a 3-year-old son.
But Zhang finds herself getting increasingly annoyed these days with the advances of one of the deputy factory managers in charge of her department.
At first, he casually patted her on the shoulder and held her hands. Then he insisted on kissing her and even asked for sex.
The 50-year-old man, who has two grown-up children, threatened to have her transferred to the workshop to do the dirtiest and most dangerous work if she refused him.
Zhang telephoned the Maple Women's Psychological Counselling Centre in Beijing for help.
Since 1992, staff and volunteers at the centre have received countless calls from women telling similar stories.
"These are clear cases of sexual harassment," said Wang Xingjuan, the centre's founder and president of the centre's council.
In fact, of the calls the centre received between 1992 and 2004, half of the complaints of sexual harassment were directed at bosses or colleagues.
"This illustrates the urgent need to protect women from sexual harassment," Wang said.
Zhang and other victims at last have far more than a glimmer of hope.
The Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, passed the amendment to the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women (Women's Law) yesterday.
The amended Women's Law will take effect on December 1 this year.
Article 40 of the draft amendment stipulates that sexually harassing women is illegal and punishable by law.
An odyssey
Wang Xingjuan and her colleagues have worked hard for more than a decade to get this article in the country's legislation.
When Wang opened China's first telephone hotline in September 1992 to offer women psychological assistance, volunteers began hearing complaints of this nature.
One researcher who analyzed 40 cases found that sexual harassment happened more often in the workplace with half of the perpetrators being bosses, colleagues and friends.
In October the same year the Women's Law took effect, but it made no stipulation on sexual harassment.
Wang and her colleagues began to raise the issue with legal experts.
In 1995, Tang Can, an associated researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published the country's first report on sexual harassment in China. She based her study on interviews with 169 women migrant workers.
Her study showed that 36.8 per cent of the women interviewed encountered sexual harassment in the workplace. Tang's research was criticized for probing into a topic still considered a social taboo, even though the Hong Kong news media picked up her study.
Despite the setback, Wang and her colleagues at the Maple centre discussed the issue at the international NGO forum during the United Nation's Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September the same year.
They drew attention from NGO participants from abroad.
But Wang said that at the time, sexual harassment was considered to be too minor a problem to warrant social, legal and government attention.
In 1998, Chen Kuizun, an NPC deputy from Jiangxi Province, raised the issue at the annual session of the NPC in proposed legislation concerning the draft Law of Licensed Doctors.
On March 4, 1999, Chen united 32 other NPC deputies and submitted the similar proposal "About Drafting the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law of the People's Republic of China" to the NPC.
The two proposals attracted tremendous media attention, but they did not bring any changes to the law.
But women's rights activists and women's NGOs such as Wang's centre and legal experts pushed hard to get the clause into draft amendments of various laws, particularly the Women's Law. The draft was revised several times.
They succeeded and the NPC started deliberating in June this year.
The passage of the amended Women's Law signals a major step China is taking to ensure women's human rights and gender equality.
"It helps to change a situation where there was no legal base to tackle sexual harassment," said Yang Dawen, law professor with Renmin University and vice-chairman of the China Society of Family and Marriage.
Still a long way to go
But a lot more work should be done to create a legal and social environment in which sexual harassment will be curbed and punished by law.
Wang Xingjuan said the issue was not merely a matter for women, and that men were victims too. Thirty-six per cent of phone calls to her centre from 1992 to 2004 were about female bosses harassing male employees.
Anti-sexual harassment should be written into relevant laws.
Professor Yang Dawen was more specific and said other laws should also be adjusted to keep up with the amended Women's Law.
For example, articles forbidding sexual harassment at workplaces or in schools and hospitals should be included in the Labour Law, the Teachers' Law and the Doctors' Law, Yang said.
How to enforce the law also needs careful work, Wang said.
Women's organizations are not law enforcement organs, and she suggested a special committee be set up to deal with sexual harassment cases.
Debate goes on
Despite the passage of the anti-sexual harassment article, debates will go on about what sexual harassment is.
Professor Wu Changzheng from the China University of Political Science and Law, also leader of an experts' group of the drafted amendment of Women's Law and Family Law, developed her own definition of sexual harassment.
She said sexual harassment was "obscene behaviour that is harmful, coercive and sexually provocative. This includes touching, embracing and kissing."
"It can also be verbal or facial expressions hinting sexual desire or exposing sexual organs to flirt.
"Such behaviour infringes on the other party's human dignity and humiliates her or him."
Professor Yang took the view that the definition should also include relations involving employer and employee, guardians or even foster care.
A detailed explanation will strengthen the power to implement the law, Professor Yang said, adding that it is necessary to stipulate age limits for perpetrators (over 16 or 18 years old).
As the definition is not included in the amendment, it will be put into a judicial explanation of the law, Yang said. Enditem
(Source: China Daily)
From India, Ahmadabad
English_Xinhua 2005-08-29 09:49:26
BEIJING, Aug. 29 --Zhang is a telephone operator in a chemical factory. In the small town she lives in, her job is seen as admirable.
She has a harmonious family life with a 3-year-old son.
But Zhang finds herself getting increasingly annoyed these days with the advances of one of the deputy factory managers in charge of her department.
At first, he casually patted her on the shoulder and held her hands. Then he insisted on kissing her and even asked for sex.
The 50-year-old man, who has two grown-up children, threatened to have her transferred to the workshop to do the dirtiest and most dangerous work if she refused him.
Zhang telephoned the Maple Women's Psychological Counselling Centre in Beijing for help.
Since 1992, staff and volunteers at the centre have received countless calls from women telling similar stories.
"These are clear cases of sexual harassment," said Wang Xingjuan, the centre's founder and president of the centre's council.
In fact, of the calls the centre received between 1992 and 2004, half of the complaints of sexual harassment were directed at bosses or colleagues.
"This illustrates the urgent need to protect women from sexual harassment," Wang said.
Zhang and other victims at last have far more than a glimmer of hope.
The Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, passed the amendment to the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women (Women's Law) yesterday.
The amended Women's Law will take effect on December 1 this year.
Article 40 of the draft amendment stipulates that sexually harassing women is illegal and punishable by law.
An odyssey
Wang Xingjuan and her colleagues have worked hard for more than a decade to get this article in the country's legislation.
When Wang opened China's first telephone hotline in September 1992 to offer women psychological assistance, volunteers began hearing complaints of this nature.
One researcher who analyzed 40 cases found that sexual harassment happened more often in the workplace with half of the perpetrators being bosses, colleagues and friends.
In October the same year the Women's Law took effect, but it made no stipulation on sexual harassment.
Wang and her colleagues began to raise the issue with legal experts.
In 1995, Tang Can, an associated researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published the country's first report on sexual harassment in China. She based her study on interviews with 169 women migrant workers.
Her study showed that 36.8 per cent of the women interviewed encountered sexual harassment in the workplace. Tang's research was criticized for probing into a topic still considered a social taboo, even though the Hong Kong news media picked up her study.
Despite the setback, Wang and her colleagues at the Maple centre discussed the issue at the international NGO forum during the United Nation's Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September the same year.
They drew attention from NGO participants from abroad.
But Wang said that at the time, sexual harassment was considered to be too minor a problem to warrant social, legal and government attention.
In 1998, Chen Kuizun, an NPC deputy from Jiangxi Province, raised the issue at the annual session of the NPC in proposed legislation concerning the draft Law of Licensed Doctors.
On March 4, 1999, Chen united 32 other NPC deputies and submitted the similar proposal "About Drafting the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law of the People's Republic of China" to the NPC.
The two proposals attracted tremendous media attention, but they did not bring any changes to the law.
But women's rights activists and women's NGOs such as Wang's centre and legal experts pushed hard to get the clause into draft amendments of various laws, particularly the Women's Law. The draft was revised several times.
They succeeded and the NPC started deliberating in June this year.
The passage of the amended Women's Law signals a major step China is taking to ensure women's human rights and gender equality.
"It helps to change a situation where there was no legal base to tackle sexual harassment," said Yang Dawen, law professor with Renmin University and vice-chairman of the China Society of Family and Marriage.
Still a long way to go
But a lot more work should be done to create a legal and social environment in which sexual harassment will be curbed and punished by law.
Wang Xingjuan said the issue was not merely a matter for women, and that men were victims too. Thirty-six per cent of phone calls to her centre from 1992 to 2004 were about female bosses harassing male employees.
Anti-sexual harassment should be written into relevant laws.
Professor Yang Dawen was more specific and said other laws should also be adjusted to keep up with the amended Women's Law.
For example, articles forbidding sexual harassment at workplaces or in schools and hospitals should be included in the Labour Law, the Teachers' Law and the Doctors' Law, Yang said.
How to enforce the law also needs careful work, Wang said.
Women's organizations are not law enforcement organs, and she suggested a special committee be set up to deal with sexual harassment cases.
Debate goes on
Despite the passage of the anti-sexual harassment article, debates will go on about what sexual harassment is.
Professor Wu Changzheng from the China University of Political Science and Law, also leader of an experts' group of the drafted amendment of Women's Law and Family Law, developed her own definition of sexual harassment.
She said sexual harassment was "obscene behaviour that is harmful, coercive and sexually provocative. This includes touching, embracing and kissing."
"It can also be verbal or facial expressions hinting sexual desire or exposing sexual organs to flirt.
"Such behaviour infringes on the other party's human dignity and humiliates her or him."
Professor Yang took the view that the definition should also include relations involving employer and employee, guardians or even foster care.
A detailed explanation will strengthen the power to implement the law, Professor Yang said, adding that it is necessary to stipulate age limits for perpetrators (over 16 or 18 years old).
As the definition is not included in the amendment, it will be put into a judicial explanation of the law, Yang said. Enditem
(Source: China Daily)
From India, Ahmadabad
MUMBAI: "Women in the IITs are an endangered species," quips second year chemical engineering student Sonal Gahelot.
It's the third day of the Mood Indigo festival on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Magician P C Sorcar performs to a packed convocation hall audience.
His act consists mainly of sawing women in half, but in the climax, Sorcar's wife saws him in half. IIT students, the magician says to cheers at show's end, are "the real magicians. You are the future of this country".
If IITians are the country's future, then it's a gender-skewed future. Women students in IIT Mumbai are a tiny percentage.
"There are 34 girls and over 500 boys in our year," says first year civil engineering student Vidushi Jain. IIT girls, conspicuous as the minority, tend however to be among the more socially confident students.
For instance, in the 'core group' or top committee of Mood Indigo, three of the 35 third year girls are members, whereas the remaining 18 men rep
resent a population of more than 500.
That confidence is necessary since the handful of girls find themselves the cynosure of a lot of male eyes. "It can be painful," admits second year chemical engineering student Vartika Bansal.
"The entire first semester goes in reading and deleting anonymous mail and missed calls," she says. "Oh god, those mails," sighs another second year student, Shiksha Mantri.
The IIT campus at Mood-I time has a deceptively normal male-female ratio. But most of the girls wandering around are not, in fact, IIT students, as the male IITians like to point out.
"The guys get really excited, they point to girls from colleges elsewhere and tell us, 'Yeh hoti hain babes'," says Mantri with a laugh. Adds Gahelot, "Guys don't call us females, they call us non-males.
They say there are males and non-males here." The teasing is almost completely light-hearted, say female IITians. But still, the attention can be
overwhelming at first.
"IIT men suck—they can be pretty desperate," says one second year student. "They hit on you all the time and try to approach you, especially on Yahoo Messenger."
Instant messaging is one of the favourite pastimes on the broadband-enabled campus and, say IIT girls, most male IITians are happier chatting to a girl online than trying to make conversation face-to-face.
But the women can come to enjoy their rarity value at times. As one female IITian says, pointing to the parking space outside the women's hostel, "That's for boyfriends' bikes."
Don't IIT girls need bikes to get around the sprawling campus? "The girls have drivers for that," she says with a smile.
From India, Ahmadabad
It's the third day of the Mood Indigo festival on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Magician P C Sorcar performs to a packed convocation hall audience.
His act consists mainly of sawing women in half, but in the climax, Sorcar's wife saws him in half. IIT students, the magician says to cheers at show's end, are "the real magicians. You are the future of this country".
If IITians are the country's future, then it's a gender-skewed future. Women students in IIT Mumbai are a tiny percentage.
"There are 34 girls and over 500 boys in our year," says first year civil engineering student Vidushi Jain. IIT girls, conspicuous as the minority, tend however to be among the more socially confident students.
For instance, in the 'core group' or top committee of Mood Indigo, three of the 35 third year girls are members, whereas the remaining 18 men rep
resent a population of more than 500.
That confidence is necessary since the handful of girls find themselves the cynosure of a lot of male eyes. "It can be painful," admits second year chemical engineering student Vartika Bansal.
"The entire first semester goes in reading and deleting anonymous mail and missed calls," she says. "Oh god, those mails," sighs another second year student, Shiksha Mantri.
The IIT campus at Mood-I time has a deceptively normal male-female ratio. But most of the girls wandering around are not, in fact, IIT students, as the male IITians like to point out.
"The guys get really excited, they point to girls from colleges elsewhere and tell us, 'Yeh hoti hain babes'," says Mantri with a laugh. Adds Gahelot, "Guys don't call us females, they call us non-males.
They say there are males and non-males here." The teasing is almost completely light-hearted, say female IITians. But still, the attention can be
overwhelming at first.
"IIT men suck—they can be pretty desperate," says one second year student. "They hit on you all the time and try to approach you, especially on Yahoo Messenger."
Instant messaging is one of the favourite pastimes on the broadband-enabled campus and, say IIT girls, most male IITians are happier chatting to a girl online than trying to make conversation face-to-face.
But the women can come to enjoy their rarity value at times. As one female IITian says, pointing to the parking space outside the women's hostel, "That's for boyfriends' bikes."
Don't IIT girls need bikes to get around the sprawling campus? "The girls have drivers for that," she says with a smile.
From India, Ahmadabad
Women's Empowerment
Yojana
The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its
Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles.
The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the
State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women.
From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards there has been a marked shift
in the approach to women's issues from welfare to development. In recent years,
the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining
the status of women.
The Eighth Plan (1992-97), with human development as its major focus, renewed
the emphasis on development of women. It sought to ensure that benefits of
development from different sectors do not by-pass women. It aimed at implementing
special programmes to complement the general development programmes and ensure
the flow of benefits to women from other development sectors to enable women to function as equal partners and participants in the development process.
The Ninth Plan (1997-2002) made two significant changes in the conceptual strategy of planning for women.
First, 'Empowerment of Women' became one of nine primary objectives of the Ninth Plan. Second, the Plan attempted 'convergence of existing services' available in both women-specific and women-related sectors.
From India, Ahmadabad
Yojana
The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its
Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles.
The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the
State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women.
From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards there has been a marked shift
in the approach to women's issues from welfare to development. In recent years,
the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining
the status of women.
The Eighth Plan (1992-97), with human development as its major focus, renewed
the emphasis on development of women. It sought to ensure that benefits of
development from different sectors do not by-pass women. It aimed at implementing
special programmes to complement the general development programmes and ensure
the flow of benefits to women from other development sectors to enable women to function as equal partners and participants in the development process.
The Ninth Plan (1997-2002) made two significant changes in the conceptual strategy of planning for women.
First, 'Empowerment of Women' became one of nine primary objectives of the Ninth Plan. Second, the Plan attempted 'convergence of existing services' available in both women-specific and women-related sectors.
From India, Ahmadabad
Glass ceiling
1) The term glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a person within the hierarchy of an
organization is limited. This limitation is normally based upon some form of discrimination, most
commonly being sexism.
This situation is referred to as a "ceiling" as there is a limitation blocking upward advancement, and "glass"
(transparent) because the limitation is not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten and unofficial
policy. The "glass ceiling" is distinguished from formal barriers to advancement, such as education or
experience requirements.
The term is often credited as having been originally coined by Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt in
the March 24, 1986 edition of the Wall Street Journal.
The term is most often used to refer to women's access to upper management. Empirical evidence for this
pattern in the U.S. is pervasive.[1] This term is also extended to other groups, including racial or ethnic
minorities or based upon the age of employees.
2) According to the US Department of Labor, a 'glass ceiling' is "an artificial barrier based on attitudinal or
organizational bias that prevents qualified women and other minorities7 from advancing upward in their
organization into senior management level positions.” The concept of 'glass ceiling' surfaced in the US in
the late 1970s. A glass ceiling was not a barrier to an individual as such, but a barrier to women and other
minorities as a group. Initially, one of the main reasons cited for the existence of a glass ceiling was that
women did not have the required experience and skills to reach the top management.
They were restricted to clerical and other support services jobs. The reason seemed to be true, as in the late
1970s and early 1980s, very few women had proper college education and fewer had management degrees.
50
A survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal in 1986 revealed that the highest-ranking women in most
industries were in non-operating areas such as personnel, public relations and finance. These functional
specializations rarely led to top management positions
From India, Ahmadabad
1) The term glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a person within the hierarchy of an
organization is limited. This limitation is normally based upon some form of discrimination, most
commonly being sexism.
This situation is referred to as a "ceiling" as there is a limitation blocking upward advancement, and "glass"
(transparent) because the limitation is not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten and unofficial
policy. The "glass ceiling" is distinguished from formal barriers to advancement, such as education or
experience requirements.
The term is often credited as having been originally coined by Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt in
the March 24, 1986 edition of the Wall Street Journal.
The term is most often used to refer to women's access to upper management. Empirical evidence for this
pattern in the U.S. is pervasive.[1] This term is also extended to other groups, including racial or ethnic
minorities or based upon the age of employees.
2) According to the US Department of Labor, a 'glass ceiling' is "an artificial barrier based on attitudinal or
organizational bias that prevents qualified women and other minorities7 from advancing upward in their
organization into senior management level positions.” The concept of 'glass ceiling' surfaced in the US in
the late 1970s. A glass ceiling was not a barrier to an individual as such, but a barrier to women and other
minorities as a group. Initially, one of the main reasons cited for the existence of a glass ceiling was that
women did not have the required experience and skills to reach the top management.
They were restricted to clerical and other support services jobs. The reason seemed to be true, as in the late
1970s and early 1980s, very few women had proper college education and fewer had management degrees.
50
A survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal in 1986 revealed that the highest-ranking women in most
industries were in non-operating areas such as personnel, public relations and finance. These functional
specializations rarely led to top management positions
From India, Ahmadabad
Team Leaders:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences Media Lab/ Mumbai
Anjali Monteiro, Shilpa Phadke
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/281/=kpj.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG][IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/282/=am.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG][IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/283/=sp.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG]The Centre for Media & Cultural Studies, (CMCS) is an independent centre of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, engaged in media teaching, production, research & dissemination. A unique feature of the Centre is the close linkage between the technical & academic areas of its work. The work of the Centre straddles both realms, thus facilitating a synergy between research, teaching & production, all of which are informed by a keen sense of connection with local subaltern cultures of resistance & invention.
Team members:
Antonia Hasle / London UK/
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/284/=ah_pic_l.jpg?size=bestfit&width=115&height=115[/IMG]Antonia is London based, and comes from a background in the advertising and entertainment industries. She has been independently researching and documenting informal architectural and economic development, alongside systems, chaos, and organic processes in design, art and architecture since 2006.
Exploring how potential crossovers between organic urban development and technological opportunities can be economically successful, she is concerned with the importance of maintaining cultural sensitivity, and dynamism, in a new global context.
Antonia is currently working with Celine Condorelli (Support Structure) and Andreas Lang (Public Works), organising 'Initiative & Institution'; an exhibition, publication and series of events 'seeking to negotiate the possibilities of spatial/architectural/artistic endeavour for political positioning.'
Pooja Das Sarkar / Mumbai India/
The workshop is a thoughtful and creative attempt and I would love to be a part of it and assist it to achieve its aims in any capacity. My skills include the ability to be a part of a group and work together creatively - two heads are better than one and nothing beats actions as a result of stimulating discussion. My interests include development and media - using media and communication for development.
Susannah Still / New York City USA/
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/File:./Susannah_still.jpg&contextid=432&action=thumb[/IMG]I am an urban planning graduate student at New YorkUniversity/place /> specializing in transportation, infrastructure and environment. I grew up in Columbia Missouriand did my undergraduate studies in German and History at the Universityof Michiganand spent time as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Austria. I have never been to India or even Asia but look forward to the challenge presented in Dharavi and the opportunity to learn and contribute during this workshop.
Rika Chaudhry / Mumbai India
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/287/=rika_%281%29.jpg?size=bestfit&width=128&height=13 9[/IMG]As an Architect my interests are more inclined towards housing and urban developments, disaster mitigation and rehabilitation.
Making livelihood documentary movies is a passion that I have followed during and after my college years. The making of these movies have taught me how to interact with people of various sections of society and more importantly how to approach a difficult subject creatively and differently.
Working in Tamil Nadu after the Tsunami has opened my eyes to a lot of harsh realities, most not very pleasant. This has reinforced my ambition to collaborate all my interests and strengths so that i maybe able to contribute back and help make a difference in a creative and effective manner.
The workshop is offering a unique way of looking at the prevailing situations, and I think it is a great opportunity for people from varied backgrounds to come together to brainstorm and produce creative outputs.
Purvi Shetty / Bangalore India
A keen interest in cultural diversity and lifestyles is what has made me apply for this workshop. I am an MBA graduate, just out of college, with no prior experience with urban design or planning. However I m very interested in the area of Social development and Welfare. I could use my management skills as a platform to direct the multiplicity of ideas and thoughts. This will be an entirely new learning experience for me and I m hoping to be able to contribute in some way.
Retrieved from "Team TISS: What Women Want - Dharavi, Mumbai"
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From India, Ahmadabad
Tata Institute of Social Sciences Media Lab/ Mumbai
Anjali Monteiro, Shilpa Phadke
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/281/=kpj.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG][IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/282/=am.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG][IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/283/=sp.gif?size=bestfit&width=90&height=110[/IMG]The Centre for Media & Cultural Studies, (CMCS) is an independent centre of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, engaged in media teaching, production, research & dissemination. A unique feature of the Centre is the close linkage between the technical & academic areas of its work. The work of the Centre straddles both realms, thus facilitating a synergy between research, teaching & production, all of which are informed by a keen sense of connection with local subaltern cultures of resistance & invention.
Team members:
Antonia Hasle / London UK/
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/284/=ah_pic_l.jpg?size=bestfit&width=115&height=115[/IMG]Antonia is London based, and comes from a background in the advertising and entertainment industries. She has been independently researching and documenting informal architectural and economic development, alongside systems, chaos, and organic processes in design, art and architecture since 2006.
Exploring how potential crossovers between organic urban development and technological opportunities can be economically successful, she is concerned with the importance of maintaining cultural sensitivity, and dynamism, in a new global context.
Antonia is currently working with Celine Condorelli (Support Structure) and Andreas Lang (Public Works), organising 'Initiative & Institution'; an exhibition, publication and series of events 'seeking to negotiate the possibilities of spatial/architectural/artistic endeavour for political positioning.'
Pooja Das Sarkar / Mumbai India/
The workshop is a thoughtful and creative attempt and I would love to be a part of it and assist it to achieve its aims in any capacity. My skills include the ability to be a part of a group and work together creatively - two heads are better than one and nothing beats actions as a result of stimulating discussion. My interests include development and media - using media and communication for development.
Susannah Still / New York City USA/
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/File:./Susannah_still.jpg&contextid=432&action=thumb[/IMG]I am an urban planning graduate student at New YorkUniversity/place /> specializing in transportation, infrastructure and environment. I grew up in Columbia Missouriand did my undergraduate studies in German and History at the Universityof Michiganand spent time as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Austria. I have never been to India or even Asia but look forward to the challenge presented in Dharavi and the opportunity to learn and contribute during this workshop.
Rika Chaudhry / Mumbai India
[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/@api/deki/files/287/=rika_%281%29.jpg?size=bestfit&width=128&height=13 9[/IMG]As an Architect my interests are more inclined towards housing and urban developments, disaster mitigation and rehabilitation.
Making livelihood documentary movies is a passion that I have followed during and after my college years. The making of these movies have taught me how to interact with people of various sections of society and more importantly how to approach a difficult subject creatively and differently.
Working in Tamil Nadu after the Tsunami has opened my eyes to a lot of harsh realities, most not very pleasant. This has reinforced my ambition to collaborate all my interests and strengths so that i maybe able to contribute back and help make a difference in a creative and effective manner.
The workshop is offering a unique way of looking at the prevailing situations, and I think it is a great opportunity for people from varied backgrounds to come together to brainstorm and produce creative outputs.
Purvi Shetty / Bangalore India
A keen interest in cultural diversity and lifestyles is what has made me apply for this workshop. I am an MBA graduate, just out of college, with no prior experience with urban design or planning. However I m very interested in the area of Social development and Welfare. I could use my management skills as a platform to direct the multiplicity of ideas and thoughts. This will be an entirely new learning experience for me and I m hoping to be able to contribute in some way.
Retrieved from "Team TISS: What Women Want - Dharavi, Mumbai"
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[IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/skins/common/icons/icon-trans.gif[/IMG]Attach file or image
FileSizeDateAttached by [IMG]http://www.dharavi.org/skins/common/icons/icon-trans.gif[/IMG]womenfishmengames_source.mp4 Women Fish, Men Games source
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From India, Ahmadabad
Women constitute a significant part of the work force of India but they lag behind
men in terms of level and quality of employment. The Census of India (2001) has
registered 25.60 per cent of female population as workers numbering 127.22 million
in absolute terms out of a total female population of 496 million. The majority of
women workers are employed in the rural areas. Amongst rural women workers, 87
per cent are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators. Amongst the women
workers in the urban areas, 80 per cent are employed in unorganized sectors like
household industries, petty trades and services building and construction, etc. The
employment of women in the organized sector (both public and private sectors) as on
31.03.2002, was about 4.935 million. This constitutes of 17.8 per cent of the total
organised sector employment in the country. The distribution of women employees
in major industries reveals that community, social and personal services sectors
continued to absorb the majority of women employees. The lowest employment of
women was noticed in electricity, gas and water sectors. In factory and plantation
establishments women workers constituted, 10%, and 5% respectively of the total
workers in 2000. In mine establishment, women workers constitute 5% of the total
work workers in 2000. The main focus of the policies of the Government with regard
to women labour has been to remove the handicaps under which they work, to
strengthen their bargaining capacity, to improve their wages and working conditions,
to enhance their skills and to open up better employment opportunities for them.
A separate cell, namely, Women Labour Cell is functioning in the Ministry of
Labour and Employment to address these problems. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961,
and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, are the two protective and anti-exploitative
legislations, which have been enacted to protect and safeguard the interest of women
workers at the workplaces. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 stipulates payment of
equal remuneration to men and women workers for same and similar nature of work.
The Act also prohibits any gender discrimination in recruitment and service
conditions. Under the Act, a Committee has been set up at the Centre, to advise the
Government on providing increasing employment opportunities for women and
generally reviewing the steps taken for effective implementation of the Act. The State
Governments and Union Territory Administrations have also set up similar
Committees. The Central Advisory Committee at the National level and the Advisory
Committees at the State level along with competent authorities; oversee the process of
implementation of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
Further, the Women Cell in the Ministry is also administering a Grant-in-Aid
Scheme for the welfare of women labour. This Scheme is implemented through
voluntary organizations that are provided grants-in-aid for running projects for
awareness generation among women workers with a view to educate them about
their rights, women related schemes and programmes, etc. being implemented by
Central/State Government. With a view to having a more focused approach on the
subject in the 10th Plan, an enhanced outlay of Rs.225 lakh has been earmarked for
the Scheme.
The Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgement dated 13.08.1997, in the
matter of Visakha and others Versus the State of Rajasthan and others, laid down
detailed guidelines/norms for prevention of sexual harassment of women workers at work-places. These guidelines have the force of law under Article 141 of the
Constitution.
The Government has taken up a number of initiatives to give effect to the
guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. These include circulation of the guidelines
for action as indicated therein to all Secretaries to the Government of India/Chief
Secretaries of the State Governments/Union Territories, Heads of Central Public Sector
Undertakings and employees/employers organisations. Conduct Rules application
to Government employees and officers of All India Services have been amended to
incorporate the Supreme Court guidelines. To make the guidelines applicable to
employees in the private sector, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act,
1946 has also been amended suitably.
From India, Ahmadabad
men in terms of level and quality of employment. The Census of India (2001) has
registered 25.60 per cent of female population as workers numbering 127.22 million
in absolute terms out of a total female population of 496 million. The majority of
women workers are employed in the rural areas. Amongst rural women workers, 87
per cent are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators. Amongst the women
workers in the urban areas, 80 per cent are employed in unorganized sectors like
household industries, petty trades and services building and construction, etc. The
employment of women in the organized sector (both public and private sectors) as on
31.03.2002, was about 4.935 million. This constitutes of 17.8 per cent of the total
organised sector employment in the country. The distribution of women employees
in major industries reveals that community, social and personal services sectors
continued to absorb the majority of women employees. The lowest employment of
women was noticed in electricity, gas and water sectors. In factory and plantation
establishments women workers constituted, 10%, and 5% respectively of the total
workers in 2000. In mine establishment, women workers constitute 5% of the total
work workers in 2000. The main focus of the policies of the Government with regard
to women labour has been to remove the handicaps under which they work, to
strengthen their bargaining capacity, to improve their wages and working conditions,
to enhance their skills and to open up better employment opportunities for them.
A separate cell, namely, Women Labour Cell is functioning in the Ministry of
Labour and Employment to address these problems. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961,
and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, are the two protective and anti-exploitative
legislations, which have been enacted to protect and safeguard the interest of women
workers at the workplaces. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 stipulates payment of
equal remuneration to men and women workers for same and similar nature of work.
The Act also prohibits any gender discrimination in recruitment and service
conditions. Under the Act, a Committee has been set up at the Centre, to advise the
Government on providing increasing employment opportunities for women and
generally reviewing the steps taken for effective implementation of the Act. The State
Governments and Union Territory Administrations have also set up similar
Committees. The Central Advisory Committee at the National level and the Advisory
Committees at the State level along with competent authorities; oversee the process of
implementation of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
Further, the Women Cell in the Ministry is also administering a Grant-in-Aid
Scheme for the welfare of women labour. This Scheme is implemented through
voluntary organizations that are provided grants-in-aid for running projects for
awareness generation among women workers with a view to educate them about
their rights, women related schemes and programmes, etc. being implemented by
Central/State Government. With a view to having a more focused approach on the
subject in the 10th Plan, an enhanced outlay of Rs.225 lakh has been earmarked for
the Scheme.
The Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgement dated 13.08.1997, in the
matter of Visakha and others Versus the State of Rajasthan and others, laid down
detailed guidelines/norms for prevention of sexual harassment of women workers at work-places. These guidelines have the force of law under Article 141 of the
Constitution.
The Government has taken up a number of initiatives to give effect to the
guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. These include circulation of the guidelines
for action as indicated therein to all Secretaries to the Government of India/Chief
Secretaries of the State Governments/Union Territories, Heads of Central Public Sector
Undertakings and employees/employers organisations. Conduct Rules application
to Government employees and officers of All India Services have been amended to
incorporate the Supreme Court guidelines. To make the guidelines applicable to
employees in the private sector, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act,
1946 has also been amended suitably.
From India, Ahmadabad
ITC : Women's Empowerment : Let's put India first <link updated to site home> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google )
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
STRATEGIES FOR EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, DEVELOPMENT <link updated to site home> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google )
From India, Ahmadabad
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
STRATEGIES FOR EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, DEVELOPMENT <link updated to site home> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google )
From India, Ahmadabad
Men, Women And Struggles “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” - Indira Gandhi
From India, Ahmadabad
From India, Ahmadabad
London, Dec 3 (ANI): Is the girl of your dreams playing hard to get? Well, don't panic, for there's a possibility that she's testing how helpful you will be in bringing up a child, at least that's what a new study says.
The study by a team of biologists and mathematicians at the University of Bristol, found that women in general play hard to get in order to determine how helpful a potential mate will be in raising a child.
The researchers worked out the theory from extensive studies of mating birds.
In their opinion, the researchers think that the female of any species makes use of this technique so that men can prove themselves more worthy than their rivals.
However, the theory works only when there are a large number of males to choose from and where there is a mixture of different types of men. The theory becomes redundant in cultures where all men are caring or all men are uncaring.
Professor John McNamara, co-author of the paper, reached to all the above conclusions after he had put all the available data into a mathematical model.
He said that coyness and helpfulness tend to encourage each other, but still there are some males who have learned to cheat.
"The more coy females are, the more helpful men will be; and the more men around, the more coy women are," The Telegraph quoted him as saying.
He added: "This only works if there is a mixture of helpful and unhelpful men. If men are all the same the less effective this strategy will be. In the real world it seems females use coyness to select men by seeing how the male behaves in the different situations.
"Eventually she will decide 'I am going to have a child with this male' or 'I am going to reject him and find a better one'. Of course there are men who have mastered the ability of conning women into thinking they are helpful."
In fact, he also claimed that the research could pave the way for a model that could work out the optimal amount of coyness for a woman to use in choosing a male.
According to the research, in many animal species, females will benefit if they can secure their mate's help in raising their young.
The study added: "We predict that a high degree of coyness should be associated with a high encounter rate during mate search, with an intermediate rate of information gain during mate inspection and with an intermediate dependence of reproduction on male help. Strongly biased sex ratios, however, preclude coyness."
McNamara said that the study was also based on the female being able to make the choice of mate, which was not always the case in all species.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (ANI)
From India, Ahmadabad
The study by a team of biologists and mathematicians at the University of Bristol, found that women in general play hard to get in order to determine how helpful a potential mate will be in raising a child.
The researchers worked out the theory from extensive studies of mating birds.
In their opinion, the researchers think that the female of any species makes use of this technique so that men can prove themselves more worthy than their rivals.
However, the theory works only when there are a large number of males to choose from and where there is a mixture of different types of men. The theory becomes redundant in cultures where all men are caring or all men are uncaring.
Professor John McNamara, co-author of the paper, reached to all the above conclusions after he had put all the available data into a mathematical model.
He said that coyness and helpfulness tend to encourage each other, but still there are some males who have learned to cheat.
"The more coy females are, the more helpful men will be; and the more men around, the more coy women are," The Telegraph quoted him as saying.
He added: "This only works if there is a mixture of helpful and unhelpful men. If men are all the same the less effective this strategy will be. In the real world it seems females use coyness to select men by seeing how the male behaves in the different situations.
"Eventually she will decide 'I am going to have a child with this male' or 'I am going to reject him and find a better one'. Of course there are men who have mastered the ability of conning women into thinking they are helpful."
In fact, he also claimed that the research could pave the way for a model that could work out the optimal amount of coyness for a woman to use in choosing a male.
According to the research, in many animal species, females will benefit if they can secure their mate's help in raising their young.
The study added: "We predict that a high degree of coyness should be associated with a high encounter rate during mate search, with an intermediate rate of information gain during mate inspection and with an intermediate dependence of reproduction on male help. Strongly biased sex ratios, however, preclude coyness."
McNamara said that the study was also based on the female being able to make the choice of mate, which was not always the case in all species.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (ANI)
From India, Ahmadabad
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