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sSc SOCIAL STUDY CIRCLE di (ESTD 1982) www.dalitindia.com ssc@dalitindia.com *********************************************************************** |
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Guest Paper*
WEAKNESSES OF
ECONOMIC PROGRAMMES
for
the Weaker Sections, especially Women
Who does not
want Economic Programmes, whether Development Oriented or not?
If an
Economic Programme is to be Development Oriented, and actually Lead to good Development, then it must Properly Carefully
and Meticulously be Planned. That means,
and the pre-requisite is that, the Planners are sincere knowledgeable
hardworking had grassroots experiences, realising the actual conditions on the
ground, knew the aspirations of the people, and were really empathetic to them.
WEAKER
SECTIONS
This Nation
is full of Weaker Sections, who are deprived neglected marginalised exploited
oppressed and suppressed. Nearly 90% of
the People of this Nation are.
Nearly
80% of the People of this Country are the Weaker Sections, mainly living in
Rural Settings.
There are
more than 26% of People who are SC&ST Dalits, to
be found at the bottom of the Society, in every sphere of Social Political
Educational Employment Economic Cultural Activities of Life.
More than
8% of the Population in the Country today are Tribals. Mostly they Live in
far remote distant inaccessible geographically isolated areas of
Except
for a few Plain Tribes of mixed People, the Tribals
are Racially Different, with different Anthropological
Features. They have different Colours,
hair face and body structure, different food habits, work ethics, life styles,
marriage and cultural rituals. Hence
they are recognised even from the distant, and are shunned by the rest of the
Society. The Society is already decided,
even before they are in and come nearby.
Hence the Tribals, can not easily come
socially closer to the others in public, as the SC Dalits
can often do in Schools Playgrounds Markets and Offices or other Public
Places. This Tribals
can not, and hence generally they have No Choice stand No Chance to survive
equally and be acceptable to others with all and full dignities.
Nearly
18% of the People in the Country today are the SC Dalits. They are generally segregated socially, and
in location of their habitats homes and residences.
But, Thanks to Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar, his struggles and movements for their education
growth welfare and integration in the society, and the equally rich and
extensive contributions of Christianity, the Missionaries and their Activities;
many of the SC Dalits in the Country, particularly
the educated and employed ones, now are at par with others when in the public
spheres, like schools offices etc as long as their Castes, Origins and
Antecedents are not made known.
Most Importantly, SC Dalits have fairly well established Political Leaders, and
well experienced acceptable Officials who provide some sort of Political Social
Cultural Leaderships when required, or at least Emergencies.
Then we have many Marginalised and
Neglected Minorities. They form about
15% of the Population in the Country today.
Sadly many of them are not even Recognised as
the Weaker Sections of the Society.
We also have many Other Backward
Classes of People.
We then have Workers, particularly
those in the Rural Agricultural Sector, and the Urban Unorganised Sectors, the
Domestic Workers etc.
WOMEN THE
WEAKEST OF THE WEAKER SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY
Finally
we get to the nearly 50% of the Society – the Women.
The Women
generally have been reduced, to be the Weaker Section of the Society. That is so all over the World. That even though they are
nearly 50% of humanity, and sometimes more than 50% in some Societies. And so the Women have
become the most significant and important Weaker Section of the Society.
Women
have been pushed to a Secondary Status, almost all over the World. Reserved for them are the many background
roles, submerged tasks, insignificant responsibilities and considerations. That is so, and they come only after the men
and boys, even in the matter of providing them with food and health care,
though Nature had biologically made them very complex, carry more tasks, bear
lots of burdens, and take more moral social economic cultural filial family and
final responsibilities. They are
responsible for cooking food, making food available, procure get and arrange
water, take care of young children at home, nurse sick children, and overall
child rearing.
Even
otherwise, foolish Men out of Love and with Emotions, or to please and impress their
equally foolish Women, have in a literary manner composed many couplets,
written sonnets and songs etc in praise of women comparing them with flowers
fragrance and even wine. And someone had
even said that the Women are the frail ones in the Society.
And it was said –
Frailty, thy Name is Woman!
Women are no doubt the better half of humanity,
conscience keepers, upholders of the family traditions honour and culture. They are so until they turn into the bitter half
in the life of a man, like the Milk turns sour
Women come in different Roles. As the Mothers sisters
wives and as daughters. Also as Daughters-in-Law, Sisters-in-Law and
Mothers-in-Law.
Sometimes all combined at once at the same time. Hence they have different demands on
them. So are their responses and roles,
at anytime in their lives. They are
House Keepers, Cooks, Nurses and so on.
Women are, mostly the biggest Emotional Sinks, at
home. But oftentimes, no one bothers
about the Women’s Emotions, but only place and make more and more Demands on
them. Hence,
whatever be the cost pain or inconvenience, the Women have to provide her love
and care, starting from motherly love and care, sisterly and so on. Hence Women, are
often bundles of Nerves and knotted up Emotions. Therefore, Women need more love leisure rest
and time of their own, to reflect, get composed and recoup themselves. These are the ones which normally are not
available, or are not given, or not allowed to many women in their lives.
Women in different forms
Women are in different forms. They come in different forms.
Indian Women does not always mean,
a Sari Clad Traditional Indian Women. Nor are they only the Salwar Kammez North Indian, or Skirt and
Top Goan, Mangalorian, Coastal
Bombay or North-Eastern ones. They could
be Modern, Working Business Executives or Lawyers, Police Military and Flying
Pilots or Playing Sports Women.
Women come in all Ages and Mental or Emotional
Maturities with different Requirements Needs Aspirations. They start as infants, baby
girls, girl children, playful girls, innocent girls, school kids, school
graduates, college undergraduates, graduate students, PG Students, Professional
Students, Research Scholars, and Teachers in Schools, Lecturers and
Professors. So on so
forth.
Women are often neglected, as they have come into the
family from somewhere else.
Or that they will go away to some other house and to someone else’s
family. That is of crucial significance.
Hence
all the Planning and Development, at least in the Rural Areas, must be Women
Centric, Girl Children Specific, and their Needs and Aspirations Oriented.
Does
this Happen? Invariably Not!
WOMEN AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Any good Planning and Development must logically and
naturally be for the Weaker Sections like Women. They must be, and start with the Weaker
Sections, keeping the Weaker Sections in mind, and for the good and Development
of the Weaker Sections.
But that requires lots of thinking, good ideas, and long struggles. And we really don’t have thinkers, concerned
people, with empathetic minds and genuine hearts, who can think about the poor,
helpless and Weaker Sections, and Plan for all their Development. Whereas, the easiest of all
Development Programmes, especially the Economic Development Programmes to make
money profits and progress.
It is
like saving energy. That requires lot of
research efforts and time. But on the
other hand energy can be saved by dimming the light, reducing the bulbs and
completely switching them off. Similarly
if the Weaker Sections can not be Developed, they can
be dimmed, neglected, or simply reduced neglected or even eliminated. Hence many quick Economic Development
Programmes can be launched forgetting and neglecting the Weaker Sections, or
even have Economic Development Programmes that are based on exploiting the
Weaker Sections. That means all the
Weaker Sections, including the Women are affected, and the Development Impacts
the Women adversely, or neglects the Women skirting them and avoiding all their
problems needs and aspirations.
Principles
of Gender Equality and Women’s Rights are enshrined in Indian Constitution,
right in the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and also the
various Directive Principles. The
Constitution not only Grants Equality to Women, but also Empowers the State to
conceive plan adopt and launch many Measures of Empowerment, positive and
specific growth oriented Development Programmes and Schemes in Favour of Women.
Within the framework of a Democratic Polity, our Laws,
Development Policies, Plans, Programmes and many Schemes, Aimed at Women’s
Advancement in different Spheres.
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 National Commission for Women was set up
by an Act of Parliament in 1990, to Safeguard the
Rights and Legal Entitlements of Women. The 73rd and 74th Amendments 1992 to
the Constitution of India have provided for Reservation of Seats in the Local
Bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for Women,
laying a strong foundation for their participation in decision making right
from the local Rural Panchayat and Urban Municipal
and Corporation Levels.
India has
also ratified various International Conventions and Human Rights Instruments,
committing to secure Equal Rights of Women.
Key among them is the ratification of the Convention on Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – CEDAW in
1993.
The Mexico Plan of Action 1975,
the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies 1985, the Beijing Declaration as well as
the Platform for Action 1995, and the Outcome Document adopted by the UNGA
Session on Gender Equality and Development & Peace for the 21st Century –
the Further actions and initiatives to
implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, have been
unreservedly endorsed by India for appropriate follow up.
Women’s
Movements in the Country, with a number of Non-Government Organisations, with
or without grass-roots presence, have often focussed on women’s concerns. They have contributed in inspiring
initiatives for the empowerment of women.
Still there exists a large gap between the goals enunciated in the
Constitution, Legislation, Policies, Plans, Programmes, and related mechanisms
on the one hand, and the situational ground realities of the Status of Women in
India, on the other. This has been
analyzed extensively in the Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in
Gender
Disparity manifests itself in various forms, the most obvious being the trend of
continuously declining female ratio in the population in the last few decades.
Social stereotyping and violence at the domestic and societal levels are some
of the other manifestations. Discrimination against girl children, adolescent
girls and women persists in parts of the Country. Gender Inequalities are related to social and
economic structures, based on informal norms, formal practices, and social
values.
Access of Women, those belonging
to the Weaker Sections like the SCs&STs/OBCs/Minorities,
who mostly live in the rural areas and in the informal, unorganized sector – to
Education, Health and Productive Resources etc are inadequate. Therefore, they
are basically forced to remain marginalized, poor and socially excluded.
Aims
Objectives and Goals of Govt Policies for Women
The stated Aims of the Govts Policies for Women are to bring about the
Advancement, Development and Empowerment of Women. The Aims Objectives and Goals therefore
include –
1)
Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies
for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential
2)
The de-jure
and de-facto enjoyment of all human
rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres
– political, economic, social, cultural and civil
3)
Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social,
political and economic life of the nation
4)
Equal Access to Women to health care, quality education at all levels,
career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational
health and safety, social security and public office etc.
5)
Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women
6)
Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active
participation and involvement of both men and women.
7)
Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process.
8)
Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women
and the girl child; and
9)
Building and strengthening partnerships with civil society, particularly
women’s organizations.
The Govts, to Achieve all their stated, planned Aims Objectives
and Policies for Women; and for the Advancement, Development and Empowerment of
Women, have made many detailed Provisions under –
1)
Policy Prescriptions
2)
Judicial Legal Systems
3)
Decision Making
4)
Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in the Development Process
5)
Economic Empowerment of Women
6)
Poverty Eradication
7)
Micro Credit
8)
Women and Economy
9)
Dangers and Opportunities of Globalization
10) Women in Agriculture
11) Women and Industry
12) Support Services
13) Social Empowerment of
Women
14) Education
15) Health
16) Nutrition
17) Drinking Water and
Sanitation
18) Housing and Shelter
19) Environment
20) Science and Technology
21) Women in Difficult
Circumstances
22) Violence against women
23) Rights of the Girl
Child
In spite of
all these, Women, especially those in the Rural Areas suffer; remain helpless,
most harassed, very backward, illiterate and most of the time helpless and
dependant.
Added to
these, come the Problems and big Dangers of PIG –
Privatisation, Industrialisation and Globalisation.
These not only marginalize the Women always and invariably, but often
also seek to Fix Prices on them for various Attributes Looks and Values. These also affect and change the Community,
Economy, Environmental Conditions, Moral and Social Values.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND WOMEN
Any and all good Economic Development Programmes must
logically and naturally be for the Weaker Sections, keeping the Weaker Sections
at the Centre, and for the good and Development of the Weaker Sections. At least majority of our
Planning and EDP must be like that. But
who has that heart mind and Concern for the Weaker Sections? And for the Women?
Whenever we talk of the Development of Women, the
logical Question that arises then is Which Women?
·
Women in what Stages of Life and Age?
·
Which Class and Caste of Women?
·
Women of Which Social Status?
·
Women of What Background?
·
Women of What Level?
Development Needs and Priorities must naturally vary
and change, depending upon the Women – Type of
Women, and the Stages in which they are.
Hence Planning and Development must and will have to be Caste Specific,
Class Oriented and vary with time situation locale area and age.
The Women, go through different Stages in
their Lives, as –
Girl Child
Female
Foetus in Mother’s Womb,
Infant
Girl,
Suckling
Female Child,
Playful
Girl Child,
Young
Girl,
Student Girls
Girls in
Schools
Girl in
Nursery Class,
Girl in
Primary School,
Girl in
Secondary School,
Girl
Student in High School,
Girl
Student in Higher Secondary School,
Girls in
Colleges
Girl
Student in Junior College,
Girl
Student in
Girls
and Women in Higher Studies
Girls
and Women in PG Colleges
Girls
and Women in MPhil and PhD Programmes
Girls
and Women in Research
Girls
and Women in
Girls
and Women in Training
Adolescent and matured grown up Girls
Marriageable
Girls
Unmarried
Women
Married Girls and Women
Expectant
Mothers
Nursing
Mothers
Working
Mothers
Single
Mothers
Working Women
Working
Girls in Families
Working
Girls away from Families
Working
Married Women
Working
Single Women
Single Separated and Widowed Women
Orphan
Women
Unmarried
Women
Support-less
Women
Separated
Women
Widowed
Women
Geriatric Women
Old
Women in Families
Old and
single Women
Old
helpless Women
Women in Difficult Situations
Poor
Mothers
Underage
Mothers
Unmarried
Mothers
Young
Widowed Mothers
And so
on
Planning Programmes Provisions and the Personnel for
their Administration, Training of the Administrators and Management of the
Programmes and Schemes have to be distinct and different in each case.
The Schemes Programmes and Planning for
Girls and Women of Different Social Statuses must also be different, especially
for the –
Women in Primitive Communities Living and Struggling door Survival – The Women in these Communities are food Gatherers, Hunters, or engaged
in Primitive Agricultural Practices, or Jhum Cultivation and Collection of Minor Forest Produces,
and in selling them outside their habitats, in nearby settled hamlets. Here the Women are full and equal partners in
life struggling for survival, hand in hand and fighting shoulder to shoulder, burdened
with the additional problems of producing caring nursing and development of
their children.
Women in Rural Settings – They are mostly simple
agricultural families, with the Women working along with or alongside or in parallel
to produce more or sharing in the struggles of agricultural production etc for
food and living.
Women of Educated Families from Rural Settings etc which have Regularly
Employed Earning Members –
In these and similar Families, Girls and Women with some or even good
Education, tend to settle down as Honourable Ladies enjoying their lives, or
lording over other young family members, maids servants and employers, or at
the most coaching the youngsters and children in the family, preparing them for
schools and life outside, managing the finances of the family, or if the family
is engaged in some small businesses, looking after the same from home, or
occasionally dropping in at the business places.
Women with some Education, from the Rural Settings etc which have No
Regularly Employed or Earning Members –
Educated Girls and Women from these Families, take up some regular Jobs in
nearby Towns, Taluk Head Quarters etc to earn for the Family. They carry the burden of earning and running
the Families.
Women of Educated Families from Urban Areas – The Educated Girls and Women in Urban Areas want to make full use of
their Education. Hence they take up
invariably regular employment in Govt, Schools, Hospitals etc, or take up some
regular Work in Private Sector, Industries, Business Centres and so on.
The Problems and Needs of the Women vary depending
upon which Women, where they come from, where they are placed and what
situations they are. Hence Planning
Execution and Management of Programmes and Schemes for the Development of Women
have to be different in different settings.
Planning
for all Women Centrally from
We Can Hope
Now we
can only hope that, Planning right at the grassroots levels from Villages, Blocks, Districts onwards in
the Panchayats
would help and go a long way, provided the Panchayats really turn up to democratic, the
functionaries reasonable and tolerable, and the people fully take interest and
participate as equal interested members.
Programmes and Schemes for Women of either Urban Areas
or Rural Settings have to vary, and must always be Caste Class Age Area and Job
Specific.
Worries
The Major
Worry now Comes from the Environmental Changes and
Resultant Food Shortages, which affect Nations Societies and People.
When Nation and Society is Affected by our Activities,
and when the Country Changes, when the Environment of the World is also Impacted adversely, all of them surely and definitely Impact
us Human beings adversely. So does the now increasing Food Shortages, affect us very badly. All of us can Escape
some of these problems, somehow for sometime.
Some of us can do Escape for some more time. But all of us definitely can’t Escape all Times. So also our Women.
And invariably they will be affected much more seriously.
There may be sure some Escape Routes for Some, from all the rising Food Prices and acute Food
Shortages. But there are No Escapes from
Environmental Damages.
How all will be a Woman Impacted and Affected?
What
will Happen to our Women? How will they Suffer?
How are
they already Suffering, due to Environmental Effects,
which are the Direct Results of Wrong Developments, and Faulty Plannings?
There must be many Indices, Tell-Tale Signs, and clear
Visual Things that can indicate these, warn us and awaken us.
What a normal Life should be?
Are our Women Leading a
These
are the Touchstones. Check Yourselves, Observe Yourselves. Find Yourselves. You will have the answers ready, always
before Yourselves.
Please Think, Look around, Observe and Find Out. Then Tell Us, Tell Others, and Do Something
About It.
Thursday, the 28th
August 2008 –
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* A
Paper Presented in the Training Course on Women’s Rights, 23rd to 29th
August 2008, organised by the Indian Social
Institute Lodi Road.
** The
first Director, from 1992 to 1996, of Dr Ambedkar
Foundation, set up by the Govt of India, during the Centenary Celebration of
Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar –
to honour the Founder of Modern Buddhism in
Deep Regrets of the writer, for the not so Satisfactory a Paper that does
not do any Justice to such an Important Topic, as it had been prepared with
hardly two days in hand. He could be Contacted or Addressed in writing, by
Name, C/o the Legal Department/ Cell, Indian Social Institute, 10,
Institutional Area,
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