Some Arab Women Find Freedom in the Skies

December 22, 2008
Generation Faithful
 
By KATHERINE ZOEPF

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Marwa Abdel Aziz Fathi giggled self-consciously as she looked down at the new wing-shaped brooch on the left breast pocket of her crisp gray uniform, then around the room at the dozens of other Etihad flight attendants all chatting and eating canapés around her.

It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants. Downstairs are the cavernous classrooms where Ms. Fathi and other trainees rehearsed meal service plans in life-size mockups of planes and trained in the swimming pool, where they learned how to evacuate passengers in the event of an emergency landing over water.

Despite her obvious pride, Ms. Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here.

"I never in my life thought I'd work abroad," said Ms. Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements recruiting young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf. "My family thought I was crazy. But then some families don't let you leave at all."

A decade ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms. Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare. But just as young men from poor Arab nations flocked to the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so, sociologists say, though no official statistics are kept on how many.

Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way.

The dormitory here where the Etihad flight attendants live after training looks much like the city's many 1970s-style office blocks, its windows iridescent like gasoline on a puddle. But there are three security guards on the ground floor, a logbook for sign-ins and strict rules. Anyone who tries to sneak a man back to one of the simply furnished two-bedroom suites that the women share may be dismissed, even deported.

In the midst of an Islamic revival across the Arab world that is largely being led by young people, gulf states like Abu Dhabi — which offer freedoms and opportunities nearly unimaginable elsewhere in the Middle East — have become an unlikely place of refuge for some young Arab women. And many say that the experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their ambitions and their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of alienation from their home countries and their families.

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No Woman, No Power

Study places India in bottom 20 countries for gender equality

 We didn't need an international study to learn that this country treats its women badly. But a World Economic Forum (WEF) study measuring gender equality around the world has placed India 113th out of 130 countries, in the bottom 20, behind, shockingly, countries such as Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. The rankings, which were topped by Norway, are based on how much progress nations have made in the areas of jobs, education, politics and health as a measure of gender parity. While India has scored remarkably well in the area of political empowerment — owing, perhaps, to reservations for women in village panchayats — in the areas of economic participation and health and survival, Indian women are worse off than just about all of their counterparts.
    Particularly significant is the abysmal ranking India has achieved in the health and survival category. Ranking 128 out of the 130 countries surveyed, India manages to place ahead only of Azerbaijan and Armenia. One has only to examine the maternal mortality rate (calculated per 1,00,000 live births) to see where India has performed so dismally. This rate is 450, amongst the highest in the world, and evidence of just how limited access to quality health care is for women. An Indian woman can expect to live healthily for as long or even a year longer than a man. But given that in most parts of the world women outlive men by as much as 5-7 years, this is hardly as uplifting a statistic as it may seem.
    It is interesting that the WEF report measures the incidence of paternal versus maternal authority. Unsurprisingly, India is awarded the worst possible score on that account, cementing our reputation as an extremely patriarchal society. That such a score is warranted is indisputable in light of the so-called honour killings that still occur in our society. Sex ratios are the most skewed in favour of males in some of the richest parts of the country, proving that economic growth alone cannot result in better lives for Indian women.
    The authors of the report point out that a country's productivity, economy and health increase as the gender gap narrows. Investment in public health care and education are essential. Until we put more of our girl children in school — the female to male enrolment ratio in secondary education is a dismal 0.79 — we can forget about progress. As long as Indian society continues to regard women as essentially appendages to men in a patriarchal society, we will find it difficult to achieve the global power status to which we so aspire.

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women have learnt to talk tough and walk rough

Macho girls!

Assertive and hard as nails, women have learnt to talk tough and walk rough. Sudeshna Chatterjee reports on the won't-be-second sex

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

    EARLIER this year, at the passing out parade of a fresh batch of Mumbai's police commandos, the audience was struck by the skill and strength of women commandos who remained unperturbed as a motorbike loaded with four men sped over their stomach!
    Admirable! But, why just cops? Slowly, but surely, women in every sphere have come into their own in the last two decades. Assertive and authoritative, they're clear about their desires and drives; they talk tough and walk rough.
    Says entrepreneur Saujanya Shetty, "Women have become stronger and more vociferous. They have always been good managers and decision makers, but earlier these skills were largely relegated to the home. Their economic independence is changing equations, perspectives and outlooks of both men and women."
    This is reflected in changing workplace scenarios too. Sangeeta Singh, executive director, KPMG maintains her younger male employees are now more comfortable accepting her as boss.
    Anindya Mukerji, a corporate leadership coach, says "After the opening up of the economy, post 1991, you see more self-driven women entrepreneurs. New companies are less weighed down by the baggage of gender bias and women enjoy a more equal footing." It's no longer embarrassing if a woman is the breadwinner or, as in Singh's case, offers the necessary supplementary income. "Thanks to my wife Aporajita, who is an online art dealer, we could holiday in some of the world's most exotic locales. With my income alone, living the good life would not have been possible."
    The workplace also offers healthy indicators. One, women are getting more professional, even in government offices —once picked by women for being 'more flexible'. "More women today are willing to work late," says Basanti Roy, divisional secretary, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Mumbai. The other factor is that women are
increasingly seen marching into male bastions. In the credit card industry, they are manning the once all-male collection division, points out Mukerji. Actor-producer and BJP member Smriti Iraani observes more women are politically asserting themselves. Singh tells of women CAs coming from littleknown hamlets in Rajasthan. In early November, for the first time, about 200 young women were inducted into the Border Security Force (BSF) after a 36-week rigorous training, to patrol the Indo-Pak border.
    Media gives a fillip to a woman's tough image. In Don and Drona where actor Priyanka Chopra plays bodyguard, the camera zeroes in on her fighting acumen more than her svelte curves. Take commercials; whether it's the Hero Honda ad with the tagline, 'why should boys have all the fun?', Airtel promos, where educating the girl child gets a pat on the back; or teleserials like Radha Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi on NDTV Imagine, and Balika Vadhu on Colors, women are unapologetic about claiming their rightful due.
The power suits make a powerful statement. Appearances are changing. More working women are comfortable in trousers, jackets and business suits. While Singh maintains business suits are more to do with practicality, she points out that "Indian women want to follow a Western dress code as they want to keep it businesslike. The focus is on performance, particularly during international meets."
And, it's no longer men who have the muscles, women want them too! Fitness expert Leena Mogre maintains that in the last year alone, 40 per cent more women of all ages are showing keen interest in exercising their biceps and triceps. "Thanks to the Madonna influence, they want defined arms, something that was earlier only demanded by men," observes Mogre.
Women are choosing to be on top even in their sex lives, speaking openly about it, where earlier they had little to say. Sexologist Dr Raj Brahmbhatt has seen women change over the last three decades and maintains it is women who now fix up appointments. "The women are more upfront about their needs and problems; more informed and aware. In the last five years, 60 per cent of calls to me have been by women for problems faced by their partners and the queries focus more on pleasure," says Dr Brahmbhatt.
Singh observes, "Economic independence has made women feel more confident about their personal lives. Hence, they are taking more personal decisions or forming their own support networks. Similarly, a housing society is okay with renting out to single women. Today, it's okay to have an unmarried daughter who is 30; her education and career goals are as important as the son's."
Actor Shilpa Shetty, the first woman in her conservative community of Bunts to have entered films, agrees it's about taking control of your destiny. She says, "It's still the upbringing that counts. Parents are evolving and kids are more mature. They come so prepared about their futures." Woman power has come into its own.

Pump up the muscles!

Warrior princess: Priyanka Chopra

Strictly business!

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Women still being denied power worldwide: Report

Geneva: Women still lag far behind men in top political and decisionmaking roles, a waste of talent given that their access to education and healthcare is nearly equal, the World Economic Forum said on Wednesday.
    In its 2008 Global Gender Gap report, the think tank ranked Norway, Finland and Sweden as the countries with the greatest equality between the sexes, while Saudi Arabia, Chad and Yemen were the least equal.
    Averaging 130 national scores, the report found that girls and women have reached near-parity with their male peers in educational attainment, health and survival, in both rich and poor countries.
    But economically, in terms of workforce participation and earning opportunities, and politically, in terms of empowerment, the gap between the sexes remains large.
    "The world's women are nearly as educated and as healthy as men, but are nowhere to be found in terms of decision-making," said Saadia Zahidi of the WEF, a Swissbased think tank.
    "Given that women have almost closed the gap with men on health and education, it is a waste of their talents if they are not catching up in economics and politics," she said. The report uses UN and other data to weigh how evenly each country shares its resources and opportunities between men and women.
    The Nordic countries of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland once again took the first four places, with Norway the highest-ranking. China climbed 17 places from the previous year but still ranked just 57th.
    Outside the Nordic region, which traditionally scores well on measures of gender parity, New Zealand placed fifth, in part because of its female political empowerment including the tenure of Helen Clark as prime minister. The Philippines, whose president is a woman, followed in sixth place, and Ireland, the Netherlands, and Latvia placed eighth, ninth and tenth respectively. The US ranked 27th, ahead of its neighbour Canada for the first time since the gender gap report was launched three years ago.
    Trinidad, Argentina and Cuba were rated highest among Latin American and Caribbean countries, and Lesotho was the top-rated African state in gender parity. Muslim countries had some of the worst ratings with Yemen at the bottom of the list. AGENCIES

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Almas Dhrolia-Jiwani is being honoured with a Governor General's Caring Canadian Award

Resident honoured for dedication to humanitarian work     Almas Dhrolia-Jiwani is being honoured with a Governor General's Caring Canadian Award.             PRINT        Bookmark/Search this post with:     By: Dominik Kurek   September 30, 2008 09:29 AM - It was in 1979 when Almas Dhrolia-Jiwani immigrated to Canada from what was then Zaire and is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo.   Although in her teens, she soon became heavily involved in volunteer service. Fast forward to today, and Dhrolia-Jiwani is being honoured with a Governor General's Caring Canadian Award   The award presentation takes place tomorrow in Toronto. “We've been blessed with so much that the least we can do is share our time and knowledge to alleviate poverty and serve humanity," said the Mississauga resident. Among her extensive community service, Dhrolia-Jiwani assists newly-arrived Afghan refugees to settle in Canada. She has served as a director with the United Nations Development Fund for Women to empower women in developing countries. "Ambition and motivation are at the core of success for everyone, but especially for women living in difficult circumstances in the developing world," said Dhrolia-Jiwani. "If I can light the spark that gives them hope, courage and a will to make it, then I've succeeded." Dhrolia-Jiwani barely allows any time for herself. She dedicates her life to her family, her business, her community and volunteering with national and international organizations. Dhrolia-Jiwani said she considers the award to be a great honor. It will help make her work even more worthwhile, she said. "If I can be just a drop in the ocean to make a difference in this world, and to make life easier for the world's poor, then I'm happy â€" very happy," she said. The Caring Canadian Award was created in 1996 by former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. It is given to those who have served over a number of years and normally have not been recognized previously by a national or provincial honor.

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Allicin from Garlic Boosts Flow of Blood to Protect the Heart

By David Gutierrez

(Natural News) The chemical that causes garlic to give you bad breath may be the same one that protects your heart, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Allicin is produced when garlic is chopped, crushed or chewed. It further breaks down in the body into a variety of sulfur-containing compounds, some of which cause a strong odor typically associated with garlic breath. But hydrogen sulfide can also have a relaxing effect on blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and decreasing the risk of heart attacks. Lower blood pressure also allows the blood to carry more oxygen to the body's organs, improving overall health.

Researchers took blood vessels from rats and immersed them in a solution of crushed garlic juice. They observed a 72 percent reduction of tension in the blood vessels. In addition, red blood cells that were exposed to small quantities of crushed garlic juice were observed to start giving off hydrogen sulfide immediately. The researchers found that the chemical reaction causing the emission of hydrogen sulfide appeared to take place mostly on the surface of the cells.

"Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing," said lead researcher David Kraus. "Certainly in areas where garlic consumption is high, such as the Mediterranean and the Far East , there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease."

Garlic is also known for its anti-cancer abilities. Used topically, crushed garlic eats away cancer tumors on the skin. Used internally, garlic halts the growth of cancer tumors throughout the body, functioning as a natural, non-prescription "chemotherapy" agent that has no negative side effects.

Garlic is strongest in its raw state. The longer garlic is cooked, the more of its healing photochemical are destroyed. To use garlic medicinally, use small amounts of it raw, or cook it minimally.

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Bring in the women...

...When The Chips Are Down

 NOW the women are taking over. It's typical; the men make the mess and the women come in to clean it up." This paper's views? No, the view of a government official in Iceland! Reason? The government's decision to appoint two women, Elín Sigfúsdóttir and Birna Einarsdóttir, chief executives of New Landsbanki and New Glitnir, the nationalised banks created in the wake of a banking crisis that has brought Iceland to the verge of bankruptcy. The three largest banks with a loan portfolio of about $61 billion, about 12 times the size of the economy, have collapsed, forcing the government to step in and take over. According to a government minister, the appointments are an attempt to signal a new culture within the banking system, one that is a break from the bonus-driven cowboy culture that had become par for the course during the past few years.
    For those who think Iceland is an exception, think back to our own experience not so long ago with Indian Bank. When the bank went into the red, thanks to shady lending practices, eroding even its deposits, who did the government of the day turn to? In an industry overwhelmingly dominated by men, especially at the top, it turned to a woman, Ranjana Kumar, to set it right. She took over the problem-ridden bank at a time when not a senior male banker or bureaucrat from the finance ministry was willing to touch it with a barge pole. Slowly but surely, she nursed it back to health. If today Indian Bank still quotes above its issue price, it is in large part due to the efforts of a woman. This is not to argue that merely being a woman ensures success. What helped, in the case of Indian Bank and is likely to make a difference in Iceland, is that the job was entrusted to women with sound knowledge of the sector. While the Icelandic duo is from within the ranks of the failed banks, Ranjana Kumar was a career banker. But the bottom line is the same — when the chips are down, bring in the women!

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Help eliminate poverty – invest in women

When a woman prospers, a family prospers. When families prosper, communities prosper.

By Christine Grumm

from the October 17, 2008 edition

 San Francisco - Those familiar with the issue of poverty might know that although women perform two-thirds of the world's unpaid labor and grow more than half the world's food, they represent 70 percent of those living in poverty.

 

But what is just coming into focus is that women represent an underutilized resource in alleviating that poverty. When government and philanthropic dollars are invested in financially disadvantaged women, the potential impact is vast.

 

Research shows that investing in women's education and leadership in Africa can increase agricultural yields by more than 20 percent there. It is estimated that for every year beyond fourth grade that girls attend school, their wages rise 21 percent. And in 2001 the United Nations reported that eliminating gender inequality in Latin America would increase national output by 5 percent.

 

On top of that, evidence from micro-credit lending indicates that women have superior repayment rates, invest more productively, and are more risk-averse than men in similar situations.

 

Through programs administered by an international alliance of nongovernmental organizations known as the Women's Funding Network and by other international organizations including UNIFEM, experience illustrates the effectiveness of investing in women. These programs support training and better working conditions for women. They also build entrepreneurship and support asset-building and financial literacy for them.

A hallmark of this work – and key to its effectiveness – is empowering women living in poverty to help direct funding, and to take leadership in the programs it makes possible.

In Washington, programs funded by the Washington Area Women's Foundation have helped low-income women in and around the area collectively increase their assets by $17 million in 2-1/2 years.

 

Consider Christine Walker, a single mother and university student earning less than $35,000 annually. She watched her personal debt mount even as she pursued the degree that would lead to a better-paying job. Thanks to two programs funded by the foundation, Christine learned how to save $4,000 in just six months. This has made it possible for her to earn her degree in public policy without having to use her credit card to cover school expenses.

 

Another program supported by the Washington foundation enabled Sharan Mitchell, recently released from prison, to train in construction. Within three months she was helping to build Washington's new baseball stadium and earning a steady paycheck.

On the other side of the globe, a UNIFEM-supported program in Taiwan proved a lifeline for a domestic worker from the Philippines. The program was designed to educate domestic workers about savings. As part of the program, the participants formed a savings club. Eventually they pooled their $19,000 in collective savings and bought a rice mill. One of the participants managed the mill, which soon employed four full-time workers and another four part-time workers during harvest. This woman has risen from domestic worker to manager, benefiting her family and those around her through her new economic impact. And she and the women who invested with her in the rice mill are now owners of an asset that promises to grow in value.

 

Evidence, and examples from women like these around the world, is both convincing and compelling. When a woman prospers, a family prospers. When families prosper, communities prosper.

 

Friday is World Poverty Day. You can take a stand by signing a petition against poverty online at the UN-affiliated website standagainstpoverty.org. Those policymakers looking to make an impact and those who control philanthropic funds around the world should recognize that the financial empowerment of women around the world is, yes, a matter of women's rights. But it is also a powerful way to change whole societies. Investing in women is the way to a better world.

 

• Christine Grumm is president and CEO of the Women's Funding Network, a global alliance of grantmaking organizations directing social investments for women.

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Breakthrough: Protein that helps people hear found

London: A protein in the inner ear helps people differentiate between sounds and understand speech, French researchers reported in a finding that could help treat the hard of hearing.
   The study also helps explain why some people have difficulty hearing in crowded restaurants or other noisy places, said Paul Avan, a researcher at the University of Auvergne, France. "This won't help cure deafness but will help diagnose why some people have hearing problems, especially in noisy places," Avan, who worked on the study, said.
   The study, which used genetically engineered mice, looked at the part of the inner ear called the cochlea, which contains two types of sensory cells to detect sounds.
   Scientists often study mice because of the biological similarities between the animals and humans. Until now people had thought that structures called ion channels found in the cells — which work like a microphone to transform sound into electrical messages — were mainly responsible for distorting sound in the ear.
   Distortion is important because it allows people to pick out the correct sounds from a mixture of noises, such as it be competing conversations at a cocktail party.
   But the researchers showed how a protein called stereocilin was keeping sensory cells intact and allowing the inner ear to properly distort sounds. The findings could help doctors fit certain people with special hearing aids that eliminate noise from certain directions.
   "Until now it was thought that if the ion channels worked everything would be okay," Avan said. "We show that this is not the case. Sensitivity will be good but that does nothing if you don't understand anything if it is noisy around you." REUTERS

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THE NO-NONSENSE CEO

PRUDENT GLEANINGS FROM SHIKHA SHARMA

As a young girl, Shikha Sharma was never treated as one at home. Maybe, this helped her succeed in a field which used to be a male bastion

Shubham Mukherjee & Shailesh Dobhal

SHE reached the venue of our meeting good 15 minutes ahead of the appointed hour, alone, without the customary corporate hangers-on, a rarity for a busy Indian CEO. But with a disciplined army kid upbringing and a father who would "be unhappy if I came second in the class," Shikha Sharma has never known pampering, at least not the sort that comes with being a first-born, a girl or a CEO now. "Being the first child, I bore all the expectations of my father. He never treated me as a girl. I was supposed to do as well as my (younger) brothers. The pressure was equal on all the three children," reminisces Sharma, MD & CEO, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, as we settled down for lunch at the trendy Indian eatery Masala Art in the capital's Taj Palace hotel.
    This was supposed to be a no-work, informal get-to-know the person behind the job kinda interaction, but then given the current context of the US-manufactured global financial crisis, we couldn't resist the temptation of asking how she read the scenario where such venerable names like AIG and Lehman Brothers are falling like ninepins. "Some very foolish things have been done, like throwing basic caution to the winds. A contagion spreads and you have a disaster all around. I think what should happen now is that some of that cowboy behaviour will have to stop. People have to go back to the basics of risk management and much tighter inter-regulator coordination."
    A ICICI lifer, Sharma joined when it was still just a development financial institution, back in 1980 straight out of IIM-Ahmedabad. "I was clear that I wanted to be in finance, as I was good at maths and quantitative (stuff). Actually, at school I was best at physics and wanted to be a physics researcher." As it turned out, a bureaucrat uncle of Sharma's guided her towards Economics at Lady Shriram College, as he said that physics wouldn't land her a job.
    "I hadn't even heard of IIM before I went into my BA. Somewhere in the middle I decided that I was either going to go to the IIMs or get married. I was not going to do anything else." It turned out, she also met her would-be husband, Sanjaya Sharma there as he's her batchmate at IIM-A class of 1980.
Three-year mindset
Being a soldier's daughter, Sharma changed seven schools in as many cities, finally finishing at Loreto Convent, Delhi. "Looking back, I realise I have this three-year mindset for everything." Though she has stuck to her first employer for 28 years now, Sharma says she's somehow had three-year stints in various ICICI departments — project finance, corporate planning, retail finance and securities. But she seems to have broken that three-year rule with life insurance, where she has been the head since inception in 2000. "Well yes, but even here, I have looked at the business in three-year cycles," she avers. "So probably a three-year cycle is (hardwired) in my brain."
    Sharma says that the two big things ICICI Pru's focusing on in the current three-year period are health and the rural market. "Rural is a little bit of an extension for business but it requires a different delivery so we are working on the technology and processes. Health is pretty much a white canvas. What is the right model for India? Is it advice? Is it wellness? That's the thing that consumes me and excites me (currently). The organisation needs to come up with something quickly,"says Sharma, almost in soliloquy.
    What's the secret of successful 'women of ICICI', once dubbed the 'petticoat brigade' by Mumbai's chauvinistic banking fraternity, as a two-year old article in the Fortune magazine put it? "One, ICICI never discriminated between men and women managers. And it always had an open culture," says Sharma, adding that even though the organisation was sensitive and accommodating of women managers' family priorities, the workload was the same for everyone. As a woman if you take a break, at ICICI "your job waits for you when you come back. I think women value that a lot. The guys valued that a lot less so they got attracted (out of ICICI) as the pay scales got higher (in the industry), but women stayed back."
    So this women-friendly culture explains her long innings at ICICI. But the moot point was if she knew she was going to go so far in a male-dominated financial world when she began as an ICICI trainee in 1980... "It was the background that I was from. It was like today you are in this school so you do your best, tomorrow you don't where you will be," says Sharma, coming back to her threeyear conditioning. "And honestly, the desire to be at the top existed at the time I joined. Lalita (Gupte, ICICI Bank's former joint MD) was the high profile lady in the projects department. And she was quite well established, well known, a kind of role model."
Letting go
Shikha and Sanjaya (currently CEO of Tata Interactive Systems) got married in 1982. "Five years after my marriage I conceived. But unfortunately, the doctor said (due to some complication) we had to abort it. Those two-three days were very traumatic. It was a big milestone in my life." It was the same when she left I-sec, a ICICI-JP Morgan joint venture she helped start in 1992. "Some of my best friends were made there. But once I left, for two years I never visited the I-Sec office. It was just like giving up the baby. It taught me the trauma of living life. It helped me (learn to) give up. Thereafter, giving up has been very easy," says Sharma. "That created a (sense of) detachment for me that while I am here I am fully committed, the moment I walk out, it's all over. Those two (events) were the defining things for me."
    Family remains Sharma's pivot in life. Whenever she travels within India for work, Sharma tries to keep it a day-trip, so that she can get back to be with the kids — a son, an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon, and daughter studying in class XII at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai. "My daughter is really talented at singing. My husband's mother was an outstanding singer and she wanted the kids to learn too. After she died, I hunted for a music teacher. I knew they would not sit down and learn classical music so I decided to sit with them and learn classical music, but my primary motivation was to (help initiate) them into it."
    Sharma says that now classical music has become almost meditation for her, and her migraine attacks have reduced dramatically ever since she took up music seven years ago. A seafood freak, Sharma keeps in shape doing cardio and little bit of weight training at the gym three/four times a week. "Once a year family holidays, and specially driving and non-hotel stays excite me. Now we are planning to leave the kids and go to Angkor Vat in Cambodia."
    We wondered whether like her father, whether she also expects her children to top their class...There was nothing three-year about her reply, though. "The environment has changed a lot now. There are plenty of opportunities," she says. "So we genuinely want them to pursue whatever they want to so that they excel in that. They have to earn on their own. We'll fund their education, but they are not getting any inheritance from their parents!"

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Importance of respecting and protecting our women

RADHAKRISHNAN PILLAI

 Bhishma, the warrior hero of Mahabharata, had once advised Yudhishtira: "A society that does not respect women will perish." It was this lack of respect towards the fairer sex that caused the two great wars in our Hindu epics – the 18-day battle in Mahabharata itself after Draupati was humiliated in front of all men and, in Ramayana, the war in Lanka when Sita was kidnapped and taken there by Ravana.
    Even Chanakya refers to the priority women should enjoy in any emergency:
"From a dangerous situation he should move away with effort, after removing the womenflock" (7.5.46).
    In other words, even when one has to run away from a disaster or a dangerous situation – he should do so only after rescuing women. You may ask: Where is the need for such lessons when there's so much gender equality?
    Well, ask your own female friends and relatives whether they think equality has come in totally, or harassment towards them has ended completely.
    Base your own decision on their answer. And if you believe a change in mindsets is a must, read on to see how we can respect and protect women in our daily lives:
1) IN OUR WORK PLACES
Today, the number of working women has increased in all areas. Be it in the field of business, education or civil services.
    All of us have to interact with women. Remember that men and women think differently. It's a basic psychological difference.
    When men and women work on a common project together, they bring in different perspectives. Now if you are the boss, see to it that there is a gender mix in every project. If you are just an employee, inculcate not only a respect towards women but also a receptiveness to their point of views.
2) AT OUR HOMES
While a house is incomplete without a lady, the women in our family also have talents that need to be given wings.
    Identify it and give freedom to explore – whether it's our daughter, wife, sister or mother.
3) AS A NATION
Even though women have proved themselves in every field, we still have a long way to go. Just look at the amount female infanticides still taking place, a low girl literacy, prevailing practice of dowry, etc.
    No social work can be complete till women are empowered. We refer to our country as "Mother India", but hardly allow her to have any daughters.
    Swami Vivekananda had rightly said: "Educate the girl child and the nation will awaken."
(The author is a 'strategic management' trainer and consultant, and is the Director of SPM Foundation, the vision of which is to bring back ancient Indian knowledge in modern day applications. He can be emailed at rchanakyapillai@spmfoundation.in)

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[Ways2Insurance] Now, register for a free terrorism cover

For full article Click Here 

MUMBAI: IN the wake of rising terrorist threats across the country, click2insure.in — a portal launched by Optima Insurance Brokers in alliance with New India Assurance Company, a leading public sector non-life insurance provider — is offering a terrorism cover free of cost. 

   

Eddie Izzard  - "Never put a sock in a toaster."

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Posted By Ways2live to Ways2Insurance at 9/09/2008 07:43:00 PM

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Akbar Jiwani
9867700066
9323500008
Clifford Stoll  - "The Internet is a telephone system that's gotten uppity."

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NGOs come together, launch directory for women in distress

Mumbai: Alarmed at the increasing levels of crimes against women, NGOs have launched an exhaustive resource directory that lists the contact details of 75 women helplines in the city. Titled '1298 Women's Resource Directory', the detailed guide was released by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in the presence of Mumbai sheriff Dr Indu Shahani, Dial 1298 For Ambulance CEO Shweta Mangal and Nandita Shah of the NGO Akshara at the HR College in Churchgate on Tuesday. 

    The directory, which will be available in English and Marathi, can be obtained free of cost from Times Response offices across the city and by calling 1298, which is a helpline for women. 
    According to the statistics available with the national crime records bureau, every hour 18 women face violence, harassment and sexual abuse. 
    Dr Shahani said that the directory is an effort to provide easy access to information and assistance to women in distress. "We have received more than 3,000 calls since the helpline started in January. While most of the callers are educated women, we hope to reach out to the uneducated from the lower strata of the society,'' she said. 
    "Domestic violence is not restricted to the poor, it is common among the upper classes too. Women are the backbone of our society. If we see a woman being abused, we must report the incident so that appropriate action can be taken,'' said Tendulkar. 
    On calling 1298, also an ambulance number that can be accessed from a mobile phone as well as land line, women are directed to relevant NGOs which counsel and provide assistance. In case a women needs assistance immediately, the call is diverted to 103, which is the police helpline number. On an average, the helpline receives 20 to 22 calls each day. 
    The NGOs are listed under nine categories based on their location and the primary service they provide. These categories are: support for women in distress, counselling services, short stay homes/women hostels, legal support groups, health support groups, support groups for de-addiction, information and advocacy groups, support for senior citizens and helpline for children. The directory has been compiled by 1298 and Akshara and is supported by the police helpline.

BATTING FOR WOMEN: Sachin Tendulkar and Mumbai sheriff Indu Shahani at the launch of 1298 Women's Resource Directory

Marcel Marceau  - "Never get a mime talking. He won't stop."

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Fixing ‘antiques’ - Mind Your Body

Fixing 'antiques' - Mind Your Body, The Straits Times (Thursday, 14 August 2008)

Dr Reshma Merchant, 37, is a consultant geriatrician in the Department of Medicine at National University Hospital. She tells SAMANTHA ENG why she finds working with old people intellectually stimulating

Last year, Dr Reshma bagged the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence given out by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. — LIM SIN THAI/THE STRAITS TIMES

I decided to specialise in geriatrics because…

I began to enjoy geriatrics when I was a medical officer in Britain. I found it an intellectually stimulating specialisation and allows me to deal with complex patients.

I liked it too because it is person-specific instead of site-specific, allowing me to address patients as a whole.

Most importantly, it is a very special privilege to be able to help patients at their most vulnerable.

Jane Wagner  - "The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool."

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Why women in corporate world keep short hair?

Mayawati More Pictures NEW DELHI: In the world of fairy tales, princess Rapunzel may have used the power of her long tresses to meet her prince charming, but today's powerful women seem to prefer keeping their hair short, mostly. In the latest list of 100 most powerful women in the world, compiled by US business magazine Forbes, close to two-third of them have short hair, including the Indian debutant Mayawati — Bahujan Samaj Party president and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Among those with short hair, Mayawati has company in names like German chancellor Angela Merkel, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's head Sheila Blair and Pepsico's Indian origin chief Indra Nooyi — the three most powerful in the world. Other such famous personalities, who are short on hair but long on power list, include American senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, US first lady Laura Bush and 82-year Queen Elizabeth II of UK. In addition, the likes of health insurance major Wellpoint chief Angela Braly and Cynthia Carroll of mining giant Anglo-American have also opted for cropped-hair look. In the top-ten of the 100 most powerful list itself, as many as nine have short hair, while nearly 75 have tresses falling up to or above shoulders. However, presence of such a large number of short-hair women on the list might just be coincidental, as the measure of power has noting to do with tresses for this list. The US magazine has measured "power" as a composite of public profile, calculated using press mentions, and financial heft. Those with long hair in the Forbes list include Argentina President Cristina Fernandez, Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon, Australian mining firm Hancock Prospecting's chairman Georgina Rinehart, Rite Aid CEO May Sammons and Casablanca Stock Exchange director General Hynd Bouhia. Besides, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, India's Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and Biocon CEO Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have hair touching to their shoulders. The hair-length could not be ascertained for a few like Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust and Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, as either their pictures were not available or the head was covered on their photographs on Forbes website. Generally, people associate long hair with beauty, as shown by most film actresses preferring such look, while many believe that some prefer to keep them short just for the sake of convenience. As long hair requires more maintenance, the women in corporate world and politics seem to prefer it short. As per a German fairy tale, a prince was riding through a forest when he heard long-haired Rapunzel singing from her tower room, where she was kept captive by a witch. Finding no way to reach her, the price asked Rapunzel to let her hair down from the window of her room, climbed up on her tresses and asked her to marry him. However, the power of Rapunzel's long hair proved short-lived as witch cut it short after finding about the prince.

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Angela Merkel tops Forbes list of powerful women

Angela Merkel. More

NEW YORK: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the world's most powerful woman for the third straight year, topping Forbes magazine's 2008 list of the top 100 women based on their career, economic impact and media coverage.

Sheila Bair, who chairs the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp that insures bank deposits, debuts at No. 2 due to her increased prominence amid a stumbling US economy. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is the only other government official in the top 10, although she dropped three spots from last year to No. 7 as the Bush administration prepares to leave office in January after the US election in November.

The rest of the top 10 is made up of the chief executives of PepsiCo, WellPoint, Anglo American, Kraft Foods, Temasek Holdings, Areva and Xerox. "It's inspiring to look at what some of these women have done and to listen to some of their life stories," Chana Schoenberger, Forbes' associate editor, said in an interview.

There are 54 business executives and 23 politicians on the list, with media personalities and heads of non-profit organizations rounding out the top 100. Forbes said 45 percent of the women are based outside the United States. One third of the women are new to the list, including Argentina's first popularly elected president Cristina Fernandez and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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"A lot of the women who dropped off the list this year were for job-related reasons," Schoenberger said. "In some cases it's simply a matter of the woman still has a powerful position but other women are relatively more powerful and pushed her down and off the list." Among the women to drop off the list this year are Zoe Cruz, former president of Morgan Stanley, Patricia Russo, former head of Alcatel Lucent and Meg Whitman, who stepped down as eBay's chief executive.

Democratic US senator and former presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton dropped three spots to No. 28 but gained the most media attention of any woman on the list this year. "Certainly had she been the Democratic nominee that probably would have catapulted her higher," said Schoenberger.

"She's still an incredibly powerful force, she's way more powerful than any other female senator." Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representatives, came in at No. 35, French Minister for Economy, Finance and Employment Christine Lagarde nabbed No. 14, Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress Party, is ranked No. 21, and Queen Rania of Jordan is No. 96. Gail Kelly, head of Australian bank Westpac, lands at No. 11 as Westpac is making a $15.6 billion takeover of St George Bank in Australia's biggest-ever bank deal. Yahoo President Susan Decker is No. 50 and talk show host Oprah Winfrey comes in at No. 36.

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Change in attitude towards women's education welcomed

PESHAWAR: Change in attitude towards women's education welcomed

PESHAWAR: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah on Tuesday welcomed a change in the behaviour of people who are demanding education for their daughters.

"The story in the NWFP is similar to that of the other provinces where social taboos confined women to their traditional roles. We are enlightened people, but how many of us allow our womenfolk to participate in decision-making other than bringing up children. Now, the winds of change are blowing across the NWFP, people are demanding education for their children," he said at a reception.

The function was organized to mark the preview screening of a documentary on mountain women Taller than the Mountains arranged by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme at a hotel here.

Based on the hardships women face in the northern region of Pakistan, the 22-minute documentary goes to show how things are changing for them for better as Stephen F. Rasmussen, the general manager of AKRSP, remarked: "We have seen a lot of change in the past 20 years. Many of these changes have been positive".

The governor emphasized the need for an effective participation of women in decision making, especially about the socio-economic uplift activities. He said that by ignoring more than 50 per cent of the country's population, the country could not bring about any real change.

The reception was held to mark the "International Year of Mountains" and was attended among others by US Ambassador Nancy Powell and US Consul Angy Brien. Earlier, the AKRSP general manager said his organization was engaged in the social activities for the last two decades and added that the AKRSP would continue to contribute in capacity building of people at the village level, encouraging women participation through organized communities.

Law and order:The governor on Tuesday reaffirmed the government's intention to root out the criminal elements and smash their hideouts at all costs.

"There is no going back in the campaign against criminal elements," he told a meeting that reviewed the law and order situation in the province.

The Political Agent of Khyber Agency informed the meeting about the clean-up operation being carried out in the area under his jurisdiction.

The governor said that those involved in kidnapping for ransom would not only be nabbed but also awarded exemplary punishment.

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Women power all the way!

Women from all walks of life gathered under Kaanchan Adhikari's roof on Tuesday evening. What for you ask? Well, the enterprising lady decided to have a party to celebrate women power and everyone from politicians to Bollywood to socialites were seen enjoying themselves to the hilt here!
    A huge cake with 'Women Power Zindabad' icing on it was ceremonially cut to a thunderous applause. And once the pleasantries were exchanged, it was time to hit the dance floor! It was indeed a pleasant surprise to see Jaywantiben Mehta shake a leg. Rajlaxmi Bhosale, Mayor of Pune specially came to Mumbai to celebrate women power. Also seen was yesteryear actress Jayshree T whose performance on Kajra Re was widely appreciated. Poonam Dhillon and Sonali Kulkarni also made their presence felt here.
    The evergreen Bhagyashree looked radiant, set for a second innings in Bollywood we hear. Deepshhikha, former Mayor Nirmala Sawant Prabhavalkar, Deepa Awchat were also amongst the special invitees for the evening. Also seen were Kishori Shahane, Manali Vengsarkar, Renu Bhandarkar, Vaishali Sawant, Mrinal Kulkarni and many others. Mayor Shubha Raul also took time off her busy schedule to attend this special party. Chef Nilesh Limaye was the only man to be invited to an otherwise all womens' party. Some guys are just plain lucky we guess!

Shubha Raul with Rajlaxmi Bhonsle

Kanchan Adhikari with Jaywantiben Mehta

Kishori Shahane

Jayshree T

Varsha Tawde with Bharti Lavhekar

Bhagyashree and (above) Sonali Kulkarni

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FIVE WOMEN –ONE VOICE

ON THE OCCASION OF OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY, TODAY'S LIBERATED WOMEN SPEAK THEIR HEARTS OUT TO MEGHANA KURUP ON THE ROLE INDEPENDENCE PLAYS IN THEIR LIVES

Meet Mandeep Maitra, Country Head (HR), HDFC Bank. She worked in MNCs for the initial part of her career, before moving over to an Indian private sector bank as a youngest Head of HR, nine years back. Today, she has broken the glass ceiling to be the only woman to be appointed as part of the bank's top brass. Born into a Sikh family and later married to a Bengali Brahmin, Mandeep says, "I was fortunate to be born in a family which was very liberal in its views regarding education, religion and traditions. This shaped my personality and the choices I made in my life." Like Mandeep there are so many women out there
    – successful and those who are seeking the path of
    success – for whom the significance of independence
    takes on a whole new meaning.
    Come to think of it, over the years, the significance of the word 'independence' for women has evolved. Earlier, an Indian women's world revolved around the home and the hearth alone. Looking after their family and being the homemaker was the default choice presented to them. Slowly but steadily, women found freedom in tiny decisions such as pursuing their studies, learning to find their voice and gaining approval from their near and dear ones before setting out to do what they aspired to do. And now there is today's 'Gen Y' women, who have finally come into their own and are ready to face the consequences of making their own choices.
    Today's surging economy has created new jobs. In turn it has prompted young women professionals to leave home and live on their own terms. This has gradually paved the way for the traditional society to accept new freedoms for women. For enterprising Nadia Chauhan Kurup, Director (marketing), Parle Agro, the concept of independence cannot change. "However, its interpretation has always been and will always be relative. Decades ago, independence to woman could've meant having the right to vote. Today, independence is about having an opinion, voicing it, and being a leader," she declares.
    In the span of her two-decade long career, Mandeep has seen the changing outlook of people towards the concept of independence. She observes, "Since my childhood and now my career, I've seen a lot of change all around. I think for one there are a lot more opportunities for everyone. There is respect for personal choices, far more acceptance and tolerance to diversity, and boundaries of caste, creed, language and religion is blurred amongst today's generation. There is freedom in expressing views and opinions, and an openness and liberal mindset in accepting different socio-political and cultural ideologies."
    But as the path to freedom from the earlier interpretations of freedom is not an easy one, women are tackling new uncertainties and new choices. The changes are most apparent in the lives of women who have found a foothold for themselves and who are for
the most part middle-class, college-educated professionals exploring jobs that simply did not exist a generation ago.
    Ask I A Kundan, Collector (city), Mumbai, about the role of women and their importance in help breaking the stereotypical norms. She says, "Today's woman dons many hats – a mother, wife, sister and daughter. She is also juggling another one – that of a modern woman. With all the challenges thrown her way, she has indeed emerged much stronger than men and her ability to strike a balance between home and work bears testimony to this fact."
    Believing in the concept of striking a perfect balance, Dr Sujaya Banerjee, Chief Learning Officer, Essar, says, "In the good old days, women seldom had a goal as to what to do in life. Their goals depended upon validation from the people close to them. Earlier, permissions – from parents, husbands, family – mattered more than it does today." Going on to explain the current scenario, Dr Sujaya says, "In the present scenario, it is the emancipated 'Gen Y' women who are coming into their own, to aspire and achieve their goals in life irrespective of what others feel. Today, women have the courage and drive to be go-getters and are ready to brave the consequences of their choices."
    Women are finally finding their voice, and what power the voice has! Shaina N C, fashion designer and politician emphatically says, "The biggest empowerment for women in India today is the freedom of expression we get. There are exclusive women's rights and a judicial system in place not just to protect women from dowry abuse, domestic violence, but other gender issues as well. Take for instance the issue of abortion. Earlier no one would have brought the matter of a right to have an abortion in court, but now women are finding their voices and have no qualms in expressing it out loud."
    And then, there is the flip side. "Freedom does have its negative impacts too. In the current scenario, the patience levels of people have reduced. The more the freedom the more responsibility it brings. It is a test of times and it is the price you have to pay for being free spirited." But looking at the positive side, she adds, "The positives outweigh the negatives in the matter of independence." On the same lines, Dr Sujaya feels, "Independence does not mean mindless freedom; it has to be enjoyed within the framework of responsibility. The more independence you enjoy, the more responsible you should be. This in turn shows how much in touch you are with yourself internally."
    When you are perfectly in tune with yourself, independence takes on a whole new meaning. Each individual has their own interpretation of freedom. For Dr Sujaya, independence means doing what she loves. "It is all about being able to actualise and live your life on your own terms as you have only one life to live," she feels. For Mandeep, independence means the freedom to follow her personal and professional dreams. "It means emancipation for women in every sense of the term. It means freedom to make choices on your own and not just live with those that are thrust upon you because of your gender, economic and financial situation etc," says Mandeep.
    Summing it all up, Nadia feels, "I could be a hundred things to a hundred different people. I could be a daughter, a wife, a sister, a friend or a colleague. But beyond all, if I can be myself, that's independence."

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The woman in your life...very well expressed...

 Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry her with these facts as well.

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as
you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system
that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as
much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family ,name

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook
food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more,
and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother,
a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as
to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than  you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply
Because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important,
relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some
                   and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

But not many guys understand this......

Appreciate Women

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Scour.com invite from Akbar Jiwani

Hey,

Did you hear about Scour? It is the next gen search engine with
Google/Yahoo/MSN results and user comments all on one page. Best of all we
get paid for using it by earning points with every search, comment and vote.
The points are redeemable for Visa gift cards! It's like earning credit card
or airline points just for searching! Hit the link below to join for free
and we will both get points!

http://scour.com/invite/ways2earn/

I know you'll like it!

- Akbar Jiwani

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EIGHT LIES OF A MOTHER

This story begins when I was a child: I was born poor. Often we hadn't enough to eat. Whenever we had some food, Mother often gave me her portion of rice. While she was transferring her rice into my bowl, she would say 'Eat this rice, son! I'm not hungry.'
This was Mother's First Lie.

As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near our house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had caught just two fish, she would make fish soup. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat the what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten, My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave the other fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said, 'Eat this fish, son! I don't really like fish.'  
This was Mother's Second Lie.

Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match Factory to bring home some used matchboxes, which she filled with fresh matchsticks. This helped her get some money to cover our needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes by candlelight. So I said, 'Mother, go to sleep; it's late: you can continue working tomorrow morning.' Mother smiled and said 'Go to sleep, son! I'm not tired.'  
This was Mother's Third Lie.

When I had to sit my Final Examination, Mother accompanied me. After dawn, Mother waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran to meet her..  Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love, Seeing Mother covered with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said 'Drink, son! I'm not thirsty!'.  
This was Mother's Fourth Lie.

After Father's death, Mother had to play the role of a single parent. She held on to her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated.  We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived near my house came to help us solve our problems big and small.  Our other neighbors saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarry saying 'I don't need love.' 
This was Mother's Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my studies and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and  even sent the money back to me. She said, 'I have enough money.'  
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

I continued my part-time studies for my Master's Degree.  Funded by the American Corporation for which I worked, I succeeded in my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son; she said to me 'I'm not used to  high living.'  
That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home to visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said, 'Don't cry, son!  I'm not in pain.'  
That was Mother's Eighth Lie.

Telling me this, her eighth lie, she died.  YES, MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL!   M - O - T - H - E - R

'M'        is for the Million things she gave me, 
'O'        means Only that she's growing old, 
'T'        is for the Tears she shed to save me, 
'H'        is for her Heart of  gold, 
'E'        is for her Eyes with love-light shining in them, 
'R'        means Right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together,  they spell 'MOTHER' a word that means the world to me.

For those of you who are lucky to be still blessed with your Mom's presence on Earth, this story is beautiful. For those who aren't so blessed, this is even more beautiful. 

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Mission Teach Mom

Mission Teach Mom

Teens Transform A Rough Chandigarh Neighbourhood

Supriya Bhardwaj | TNN

Their parents could not write their names or take part in parent-teacher meetings. Embarrassed and unhappy, a group of nine to 15-year-old girls from the slums of Bapu Dham in Chandigarh decided they needed to do something about it. Little did they know that what began as an attempt to educate family members would turn into a mission to spread literacy.
    These 20 girls soon transformed into teachers in a colony that is infamous for drunken brawls, drug cartels, illicit liquor and prostitution. What started with 100-odd "students" ,has now become a class of 1,600.
    "We knew there was an urgent need to educate the people here. We approached a local NGO, Yuvsatta for help. The result has been heart-warming," says 13-year-old Baby, one of the children in the mission.
    The hard work has paid off. Now, Baby's mother Jai Kumari, 35, can not only sign her name but can also read names of medicines on labels — both in Hindi and English. "When my daughter began teaching me, I used to feel awkward. But she has made me proud of myself. And I love reading," she says.
    The girls, who are now hailed in their colony, have improvised along the way. When blackboards were not available, they used bits of paper as teaching tools, calling the initiative 'Playway Adult Literacy Programme'.
    "When we first began teaching people here, we focused on the women, who were invariably victims of abuse. But we changed our agenda and made it more inclusive after my father, who is a labourer, wanted to know why men were being left out. After all, the aim is to teach more people so that no one remains illiterate," says Renu, 13, another girl in the teaching group.
    For 15-year-old Ramavati, educating her father brought an unexpected dividend. He postponed plans to get her married and instead asked her to continue with her studies. "My father can now read signboards and names of streets," she says, beaming. "He says he could only become an autorickshaw driver as he was not educated that he should now do more." The programme has been replicated in colony number 5, another city slum.
    "It's amazing what these girls have achieved in such a short while," said Pramod Sharma, co-ordinator, Yuvsatta. "I am sure they will change the face of their colony. And with it, lives of the people."
    As Krishen Ram, a student and motorcycle repairman says: "It certainly feels good to be able to read and write."

FAMILY FIRST: Daughters teach their mothers the alphabet in Chandigarh

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