06-18-2006, 11:12 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>What women want </b>
Shailaja Chandra
Pioneer.com
<b>More than reservation, Indian women need equal opportunities in educational and professional fields for their collective emancipation------ </b>When it comes to stereo-typing women, little has changed in the last five decades. In a recent television programme, a former Cabinet Secretary did all the talking (for men). The women participants had the satisfaction of reminding viewers that India has never had a woman Home Secretary, Finance Secretary, Defence Secretary, Comptroller and Auditor General, Central Vigilance Commissioner, Chief Election Commissioner or Cabinet Secretary.
Women are seen as lacking core experience, number-crunching ability, accessibility, flexibility and the capacity to think big, to name a few oft-repeated deficiencies. Type-casting them into softer areas starts from the beginning and seldom stops.
In I960, when I had just finished the senior Cambridge examination with flying colours, my preference was medicine. The reaction was typical: "Oh but that would be a very long and hard life. Why not just becomes a lecturer? It is a light job and you can spare time for the family."
I stood my ground until my brother, a product of a liberal education at St Stephen's College, sneered: "Oh I can just see you, Shailaja Dhume, Lady Doctor, in Lower Parel - a signboard hanging from the upper storey of a grocery shop seen only by double decker bus passengers."
The whole family burst out laughing. There and then whatever ambition I had to become a doctor was buried.
In the 1970s, I shared a car pool with another woman officer. On reaching office she spent hours on the telephone with her mother-in-law discussing domestic trivia. I asked her why she needed to indulge in this purposeless conversation. She told me frankly her husband's career was the couple's first priority and in order to keep him happy, his mother had to be kept in good humour. Predictably, the husband did rise in his career while hers soon stagnated. Strangely she did not seem to care.
Â
In the early 1980s, I was in the Ministry of Defence and was called by the Defence Secretary and told that I would occupy the position of Joint Secretary (Ordnance). That did not happen and I was told to leave the Ministry. I felt humiliated and demanded to be told what had happened. One of the reasons I came to know later was the apprehension that people would not even be able to ask me out for a drink! I was bundled off to an energy outfit and patronisingly advised to specialise in propagating smokeless chulhas, while my male colleagues strutted around spouting about electricity, petroleum and coal.
When my daughter finished her class 10 examination, my husband insisted that she must opt for mathematics up to class 12. Mother Superior of the Convent dismissed the request. I was told to change the child's school, if I wanted a combination of humanities and maths.
In the past, the UGC had wisely recommended: "Mathematics and science are important subjects and adequate preparation is essential to gain admission to significant courses at the University stage. Special efforts should, therefore, be made to encourage girls study mathematics and science at the secondary stage and special efforts should be made to prepare woman teachers of mathematics and science."
Today, of 20 women's colleges in Delhi University, only 11 offer science courses. Most, however, offer a professional bachelor's programme in elementary education. School teaching is still considered as the most suitable career for women.
The gap in educational and professional prospects between the sexes is a universal phenomenon. In the UK, the differences have been attributed to ''wrong choices made (by women) early in their careers... sliding into dead-end and part-time jobs after they have children, with serious consequences for their future career earning". Boys were found pursuing subjects that led to more lucrative careers. "Mother-hood" was found to be the fundamental reason for further widening the gap between men and women once they started their careers.
Much more important than reservation for women is the need to encourage and enable girls to study science and mathematics. Otherwise, like the raging controversy, which Larry Summers (president, Harvard University) sparked off, we may also end up questioning women's brainpower and their capacity to work 80-hour a week. Without giving a fair opportunity, how can one question their lack of innate ability to understand science and maths and proceed to close doors on them forever?
It is the same when it comes to the professions. Do we wail for wider opportunities to be opened for women and expand their career options; or, do we give them cynosure appointments to appear politically correct? When offered a gubernatorial assignment, former CEC TN Seshan is reported to have declined saying he wanted work, not a job. Whereas women are considered material to be made governors and chairpersons of organisations in charge of women and children's welfare, they are considered unfit to head organisations, including ministries involved in 'hard areas'.
<b>That is the change that women should seek to bring about, instead of dreaming that reservation in Parliament will make a lot of difference to their learning or earning power - much less their reputation for innate competence. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Excellent article.
I agree with her, woman avoid taking responsibility, those who does have to fight system, home, every single shoulder and itâs like daily battle or never ending sorry story. Once one gets out of state of mind to prove others life becomes easier and fight turns into excellent competition.
Reservation will not serve purpose; woman should take initiative and rise on its own. Itâs not a difficult task. Physically they may be weak but that can be overcome by using brain.
Condition of Indian woman is far better than western woman.
Shailaja Chandra
Pioneer.com
<b>More than reservation, Indian women need equal opportunities in educational and professional fields for their collective emancipation------ </b>When it comes to stereo-typing women, little has changed in the last five decades. In a recent television programme, a former Cabinet Secretary did all the talking (for men). The women participants had the satisfaction of reminding viewers that India has never had a woman Home Secretary, Finance Secretary, Defence Secretary, Comptroller and Auditor General, Central Vigilance Commissioner, Chief Election Commissioner or Cabinet Secretary.
Women are seen as lacking core experience, number-crunching ability, accessibility, flexibility and the capacity to think big, to name a few oft-repeated deficiencies. Type-casting them into softer areas starts from the beginning and seldom stops.
In I960, when I had just finished the senior Cambridge examination with flying colours, my preference was medicine. The reaction was typical: "Oh but that would be a very long and hard life. Why not just becomes a lecturer? It is a light job and you can spare time for the family."
I stood my ground until my brother, a product of a liberal education at St Stephen's College, sneered: "Oh I can just see you, Shailaja Dhume, Lady Doctor, in Lower Parel - a signboard hanging from the upper storey of a grocery shop seen only by double decker bus passengers."
The whole family burst out laughing. There and then whatever ambition I had to become a doctor was buried.
In the 1970s, I shared a car pool with another woman officer. On reaching office she spent hours on the telephone with her mother-in-law discussing domestic trivia. I asked her why she needed to indulge in this purposeless conversation. She told me frankly her husband's career was the couple's first priority and in order to keep him happy, his mother had to be kept in good humour. Predictably, the husband did rise in his career while hers soon stagnated. Strangely she did not seem to care.
Â
In the early 1980s, I was in the Ministry of Defence and was called by the Defence Secretary and told that I would occupy the position of Joint Secretary (Ordnance). That did not happen and I was told to leave the Ministry. I felt humiliated and demanded to be told what had happened. One of the reasons I came to know later was the apprehension that people would not even be able to ask me out for a drink! I was bundled off to an energy outfit and patronisingly advised to specialise in propagating smokeless chulhas, while my male colleagues strutted around spouting about electricity, petroleum and coal.
When my daughter finished her class 10 examination, my husband insisted that she must opt for mathematics up to class 12. Mother Superior of the Convent dismissed the request. I was told to change the child's school, if I wanted a combination of humanities and maths.
In the past, the UGC had wisely recommended: "Mathematics and science are important subjects and adequate preparation is essential to gain admission to significant courses at the University stage. Special efforts should, therefore, be made to encourage girls study mathematics and science at the secondary stage and special efforts should be made to prepare woman teachers of mathematics and science."
Today, of 20 women's colleges in Delhi University, only 11 offer science courses. Most, however, offer a professional bachelor's programme in elementary education. School teaching is still considered as the most suitable career for women.
The gap in educational and professional prospects between the sexes is a universal phenomenon. In the UK, the differences have been attributed to ''wrong choices made (by women) early in their careers... sliding into dead-end and part-time jobs after they have children, with serious consequences for their future career earning". Boys were found pursuing subjects that led to more lucrative careers. "Mother-hood" was found to be the fundamental reason for further widening the gap between men and women once they started their careers.
Much more important than reservation for women is the need to encourage and enable girls to study science and mathematics. Otherwise, like the raging controversy, which Larry Summers (president, Harvard University) sparked off, we may also end up questioning women's brainpower and their capacity to work 80-hour a week. Without giving a fair opportunity, how can one question their lack of innate ability to understand science and maths and proceed to close doors on them forever?
It is the same when it comes to the professions. Do we wail for wider opportunities to be opened for women and expand their career options; or, do we give them cynosure appointments to appear politically correct? When offered a gubernatorial assignment, former CEC TN Seshan is reported to have declined saying he wanted work, not a job. Whereas women are considered material to be made governors and chairpersons of organisations in charge of women and children's welfare, they are considered unfit to head organisations, including ministries involved in 'hard areas'.
<b>That is the change that women should seek to bring about, instead of dreaming that reservation in Parliament will make a lot of difference to their learning or earning power - much less their reputation for innate competence. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Excellent article.
I agree with her, woman avoid taking responsibility, those who does have to fight system, home, every single shoulder and itâs like daily battle or never ending sorry story. Once one gets out of state of mind to prove others life becomes easier and fight turns into excellent competition.
Reservation will not serve purpose; woman should take initiative and rise on its own. Itâs not a difficult task. Physically they may be weak but that can be overcome by using brain.
Condition of Indian woman is far better than western woman.