Category: Power in Praxis

This post highlights our previous work with Power in Praxis.

Power in Praxis is a forum for amplifying work at the intersection of research & practice for sustainable development & gender equity.

The knowledge, resources and discussions that took place with the Power in Praxis group can be found in links below:

Research & Written by INES IM

In India, Rayka Zehtacbhi’s 2018 Oscar-winning documentary film Period. End of Sentence and Amit Virmani’s 2013 documentary film Menstrual Ma, both detailing the efforts of Indian entrepreneurs supplying and manufacturing low-cost sanitary pads for their respective communities, have generated buzz. Nepal’s menstruation problems, on the other hand, have recently come under worldwide scrutiny following the media-covered deaths of girls practicing Chaupadi.[1] Chaupadi is a practice in Nepal that forces women to spend 4-5 days in a shed extraneous to their homes while menstruating— deriving from the belief that menstruating women are untouchable.[2]
In between the release of the two films, in 2015, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (now the Ministry of Jal Shakti)[3] of India released the Menstrual Hygiene Management India: National Guidelines. The Guide detailed efforts for reform in India, focusing on how to improve the education, resources, and stigma in India on/around menstruation as a part of Swachh Barat, or the ‘Clean India’ initiative.[4] The Nepali government banned Chaupadi in 2015 and criminalized it in 2017 with fines and jail time.[5] This legislation and media suggests that people’s attitudes towards and the stigma around menstruation have been changing for the better. However, it is difficult to determine the actual effects of what the media and government have done. There could be a disparity between the world’s view of India and Nepal’s management of menstruation and the actual situations of the countries.
This paper aims to link Indian and Nepali government legislation to the individual experience and fill in the gaps of information that exist between the two. This paper also aims to cover more recent data, as most articles detailing menstrual taboos are from the late 90’s or early 2000’s.[6] And finally, this paper aims to hear personal narratives and views of women living in Nepal and India from their own words.

Literature Review
Menstrual management is clearly deemed as important for many reasons, but most broadly and basically in that, as said in the 2016 Menstrual Hygiene Matter resolution, “many [menstruation related] myths and social norms restrict women and girls’ levels of participation in society.”[7]
Almost all literature on poor menstrual management seems to recognize that in many underdeveloped countries, such as India and Nepal, tackling bias/stigma around menstruation is the main goal. The Maverick Collective 2017 stated Hindu beliefs and scriptures have influenced practices to deem “[menstruating] women “untouchable,” and prohibiting … [them] from inhabiting public space, socializing with others, and sharing food and water sources.”[8] According to the 2012 WaterAid Menstrual Hygiene Management resolution, Hinduism (practiced by approximately 80% of the population in India[9] and Nepal[10]) holds beliefs that bodily excrements, including menstrual blood, are pollution.[11] Thus, women in India and Nepal often suffer through cultural practices and beliefs such as Chaupadi (Nepal-specific), abstaining from religious activities, not being allowed to prepare food[12], not being allowed to touch running water[13], and a large number of other practices. A 2009 WATERAID report quoted a participant living in Dhading: “a woman is ritually impure during menstruation and anyone or anything she touches becomes impure as well.”[14]
Including the practices mentioned before, author Kothari, in a study in Japiur, India, described the negative practices to be divided into either the psychogenic category (i.e, the fear of menstrual blood), and sociogenic (“patriarchal social systems perceiving woman as impure or dirty”)[15]. This finding was supported in a 2001 Delhi study, where authors Garg, Sharma, and Sahay described the area’s understanding of menstruation to be the removal of dirty blood, or ganda khan— a belief that further supports the taboo of menstruation being a dirty, impure thing.[16] In general, menstruation seems to have a prevailing stigma of shame, and many areas seem to have negative perceptions of menstruation.[17]
Literature on the subject of menstruation has looked to tackle both the purveyors and implications of these cultural stigmas. One factor that seems to be present on both ends of the problem is education, or the lack thereof.
In both India and Nepal, there seems to be a severe lack in quality menstrual education in schools. According to the Maverick Collective study, “adolescent girls lack consistent access to education on sexual and reproductive health [in Nepal]”.[18] WaterAid cited that mothers and sisters seem to be the main source of education when it comes to menstruation in both India and Nepal[19] In many cases, as proven by studies in India, many girls seem to have their first education on menstruation after their menarche.[20] In addition, according to a 2012 WaterAid study, many girls are unaware about the biological function of menstruation.[21]
Lack of education is a huge problem for physical, health reasons, especially in rural or tribal contexts. According to a study in Gujarat, India, “lack of menstrual hygiene was found to result in adverse outcomes like reproductive tract infections. Better knowledge about menstrual hygiene reduced this risk.”[22] The current literature reflects that girls need adequate menstrual hygiene education so that they can manage their own menstruation in a clean, safe way.
Written works often gloss over the individual stories, needs, and cultural idiosyncrasies of specific groups of people in an effort to be all-encompassing. Specifics are reserved for the more urban areas of India and Nepal where the problems are less severe. Thus, the data from rural areas, where issues like Chaupadi (Nepal-specific) are more prevalent, is not in abundance.
Rather than detailing individual experiences, current literature seems to mainly be static and data-based. Because the implications of menstrual taboos are so personal, there is value in the personal narrative that isn’t being reflected in these studies.
It was extremely difficult to find relevant, recent literature on menstruation and menstrual health in India and Nepal. Studies on taboos in India were decades old, and general guidelines were also years behind. With the fast-paced and recent government legislation in India and Nepal correlating with Menstrual Hygiene Management, more recent literature is important for an accurate depiction of the narrative around menstruation.
Safe menstrual hygiene management is no small problem— almost all women menstruate every month. Nepal is a country with an estimated population of 29 million people— daily, 290,000 women in Nepal are menstruating.[23] India, on the other hand, has a population of around 1,296,834,042 as of July 2018,[24] with 649,574,719 members of that population being women as of 2018.[25] It is imperative that accurate, relevant information on such a large number of the global population is accessible.

Data and Methodology:
This paper primarily relies on document analysis based on secondary data research accompanied by personal interviews. Sources of documents include academic journals, public policy papers, government policy documents and literature on menstrual hygiene management as well as data from published documents of international organizations. Informal personal communication with professionals working in the sphere of young women’s education accompanied the secondary data for individual-level perspectives. While the sample size for personal communication is few, the conversation served as a means to understand the current status and practices of MHM from various levels. Limitations in the paper arose from inconsistent and scare data for specific figures in India and Nepal pertaining to recent and accurate data findings[HS1] .

Findings:
The 2017 Maverick Collective report in Nepal published that 83% of women in Nepal use cloth, and 15% actually use sanitary pads.[26] An interviewed international development professional providing education services to rural women of Nepal shared similar observations, stating that, as of 2019, most girls, even those living in urban areas, use cloths. However, she also stated that the Nepali government has recently been providing sanitary napkins for girls.
An article by the Guardian published that 88% of Indian women use ash, newspapers, and leaves during menstruation[27], and a corresponding journal by Shah et al published that 12% of Indian women use sanitary pads.[28] Overall, the main barrier for women when it came to using sanitary pads was that they were too expensive.[29] However, in the town of Mahabubnagar in the outskirts of Telangana State, one educator interviewed shared that, as of 2019, only very few women still use cloths (and those women are mostly isolated in rural areas). She also asserted that free sanitary pads (2 pads per girl) are being distributed in government schools.
A large factor contributing to poor menstrual hygiene management seems to be a lack of access to public, gender separated bathrooms. India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti boasts, at the time of writing this paper, that 99.83 percent of India to has access to public toilets, though whether those toilets are gender-separated is unclear.[30] The educator from Mahabubnagar asserted that separate bathrooms do not seem to be a priority for the government, though they were mandated in the 2015 Menstrual Hygiene Management guidelines. She stated that she had not seen changes in terms of gender separated toilets.
The education professional in Nepal stated that the Nepali government is taking efforts to construct toilets for girls. According to the Maverick collective report, in 2017, only 46% of Nepal had access to high quality sanitation facilities, and only 28% of schools had gender separated toilets.[31] The professional’s statement may represent some change.
Both interviewees supported data founding other papers on the state of menstrual education in their respective countries. The studies in Haryana and Jaipur reported that 68% and 92% of girls in the study weren’t aware of what menstruation was before their menarche, respectively.[32][33] The Indian educator asserted that, at least in her community, girls were seldom ever given education before their menarche— most of their came from their mothers after their first period. However, she asserted that she had seen Menstrual Hygiene Management education being implemented in districts— that education consisted of instruction on how to use pads, how to be hygienic, and just formal education on menstruation in general. Specifically, she had seen the topic of biological menstruation being taught to students, though the girls were separated from the boys.
As for reproduction, specifically, the Nepal contact asserted that in the hill and mountain areas of Nepal, the marriage and motherhood age was roughly 18-22, and in the plains areas, the age was 13-16 (illegal, young planned marriage is still being practice). The contact from India also asserted that women are being married early, illegally, in India.
The Nepali professional relayed that girls are usually taught about menstruation by their mothers. She asserted that schools in Nepal currently don’t have formal programs on menstruation. As an official of an NGO that supplies menstrual education for girls in Nepal, our contact works to educate girls and their mothers in non-formal, non government-affiliated classes on menstruation and reproductive health. However, she stated that there is discussion on endorsement and revision of school curriculums to include menstrual education.
Both contacts in Nepal and India somewhat corroborated assertions of negative cultural stigma around menstruation. Ms. Tahniyath disagreed that there are taboos around menstruation in India, but also noted that girls often feel uncomfortable speaking about menstruation due to a negative stigma. Ms. Joshi asserted that the cultural taboos in Nepal stemmed from Hindu beliefs in untouchability. She said that the negative stigma is most clearly seen in the practice of Chaupadi.
The contact in India mentioned that many girls and women stay at home from school or work to deal with their menstrual cycles. She even said that they cite ‘stomach pain’ as their reason for leaving, as the taboos are so prevalent that it would be embarrassing to mention menstruation. The contact in Nepal said that many girls do not go to school as a result of heavy bleeding during menstruation. Due to the poor facilities of school and lack of access to management materials, a lot of girls in Nepal find it more manageable to stay at home.
The Indian government has been making legislative strides to combat the problems with menstruation in India over the past couple of years with their Menstrual Hygiene Management India: National Guidelines.[34] In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s independence day speech in 2014, he said, quoted, that “[is the] dignity of women is not our collective responsibility?” and that “all schools in the country should have toilets with separate toilets for girls. Only then our daughters will not be compelled to leave school midway.”[35] The guideline details efforts to reform menstruation education, dissolve taboos, improve facilities, distribute sanitary napkins, provide disposal, and in general foster an atmosphere of support.[36] Smaller efforts have also been made— for instance, Maharashtra state implemented a plan to make menstrual hygiene education mandatory in schools, as well as educating parents on dissolving menstruation taboos in 2017.[37] The educational professional in India stated that she had not only heard of the government’s efforts, but had also seen results. Over the past years, she had seen the government sending doctors to schools, implementing education, raising awareness, and giving out pads. She also stated that the Indian government had begun publishing advertisements, articles, and films that involve menstruation, a step that she believes indicates a change in attitude— for the better.
Nepal’s main legislation efforts have been specifically against Chaupadi. As part of their 2017 criminalization of the practice, the government has torn down Chaupadi sheds and implemented fines— however, an article published by NPR detailed how government policy isn’t effective against long-held cultural beliefs.[38] The Nepal educator corroborated these findings: she asserted that the practice still continues, even after the ban as Chaupadi is a social practice. Because people believe it averts bad luck, many people are afraid of stopping so as to avoid ill towards their families. She added that the criminalization[HS2] has not been effective.
Notably, both contacts in India and Nepal said that there are serious health risks resulting from poor menstrual hygiene management in their respective countries. The Indian professional emphasized how women in India have recently been vocally expressing discomfort over irritations, infections, itching, and excess discharge. She stressed that suppression of discussion on menstruation issues have led to complications such as miscarriages. The Nepal educator said that Chaupadi practice has led to death for many women. She also noted that the criminalization of the practice has led to other, unsafe alternatives.

DISCUSSION
One surprising result of the data collection was to see how much positive change is occurring in Nepal and India. The lack of coverage on the effects of the Nepali and Indian government’s menstruation reform efforts projected the image that change was not occurring. However, both contacts in India and Nepal emphasized that they were seeing significant differences; however, long-lasting, systematic change would take time. For example, the educator in Nepal emphasized how, even with it outlawed, women in Nepal believing in the benefits of Chaupadi were inflicting the practice on themselves. The professional in India mentioned how she could not really think of any negative cultural practices against menstruation, an assertion that could be due to the practices being so deep rooted that they are unnoticeable as unusual to an Indian woman. It also points to regional, economic and spatial inequalities that exist in such a large country with varying population groups. In addition, the fact that menstrual education, if it is even being taught, is only being taught to women, further indicates how much farther reform has to go. Without education, people in Nepal and India will not know better against the taboos and Hindu beliefs of impurity associated with menstrual blood. The taboos bring a vicious cycle to menstrual education— affected adult figures don’t feel comfortable discussing the issue with minors, and thus generations of people remain scared and uneducated when it comes to menstruation.
Along those lines, it is interesting to see how non-government organizations are stepping up to educate women in Nepal where the government is not. The Nepal educator’s organization, World Education, offers courses on menstruation and reproductive health to mothers and daughters. It is programs like these that seem to be influencing conversation to change the Nepali government’s education system to include a reproductive health aspect.
One question that naturally arises is whether or not menstrual hygiene reform, when compared with other issues, is a priority for developing countries like India and Nepal. However, one has to realize that menstruation is an issue that affects the life of almost every woman. Education, work, and overall participation in every-day life are hindered by complications due to menstruation— without dealing with menstruation issues, women are systematically at another disadvantage against the men around them. And menstruation issues don’t only affect women; women being forced to stay home from work or school are thus hindered from contributing to the economy and their country.
In both countries, there doesn’t really seem to be menstrual education, formal or not, for younger girls (i.e. younger than menarche age). With menstrual and reproductive education (if any) and the average marriage and childbirth ages for girls happening in their late teens in India and Nepal, girls are being educated too late on reproduction. There seems to be a disparity with the importance of menstruation/reproductive education and the age at which it’s being taught.
On a positive note, menstruation reform is directly giving some women jobs. In Jharkhand, India, over 55,000 women have been trained as rani mistri (or female masons) to construct toilets under Swachh Barat. Their resulting financial freedom is an interesting plus to the already positive effects of the Swachh Barat initiative in general, and indicates a shift in power for women in some parts of India and a possible turning of the gender narrative.[39]
Finally, it is interesting to see, compared to the data from the studies referenced in this paper, how rapidly change is occurring. Swachh Barat’s progress is a perfect example of recent change in India; the interviewed professional contacts’ assertions of attitude and small policy changes happening in their respective countries are others. Menstruation is an incredibly personal, hard to encapsulate issue— but the attitudes, policies, and knowledge around it is constantly changing and evolving. It is clear to see from the data in this paper that things are improving, and only seem to be going up.

The Way Forward:
As in accordance with the purpose of this paper, the world has the right to know if the reforms in India and Nepal are working. It is important to make sure that the Indian and Nepali government continue their work to improve menstrual hygiene management in their respective countries and follow their proposed legislations and guides. Hopefully, the educational work being done by NGOs, especially in Nepal, will influence the government to change for the better.
More women in the government could significantly improve menstrual hygiene management in Nepal and India. Women officials could provide more empathy and understanding towards fellow menstruating women, especially because of the taboos and fear around menstruation (especially from men).
The governments in India and Nepal must increase access to sanitary napkins: namely, pads. Relatedly, more efforts should be made to have gender separated bathrooms and disposal facilities. These steps are outlined in global Menstrual Hygiene Management guides, and in the Indian National Guide, but true implementation of these reforms is paramount for the safety and hygiene of women in both countries.
The deep cultural stigma in Nepal and India is not only a main cause of poor attitude and practices towards menstrual hygiene, but also a main reason why reform, such as the banning and criminalization of Chaupadi in Nepal, is not effective. There is no room for true change to happen without the removal of cultural stigma. Although, of course, this will be difficult, the task really falls on educators (both governmental and independent) to teach the next generation against the menstrual taboo. Hopefully, in the long run, future generations of Nepali and Indian people, especially young women and men, will feel that the discussion of menstruation is a comfortable, safe, and healthy one to have.

[1] Danielle Preiss, “Banished To A ‘Menstrual Shed,’ A Teen In Nepal Is Bitten By A Snake And Dies,” Goats and Soda, July 10, 2017, Women & Girls, accessed August 24, 2019, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/07/10/536483652/banished-to-a-menstrual-shed-a-teen-in-nepal-is-bitten-by-a-snake-and-dies.
[2] Khagendra Dahal, “Nepalese Woman Dies after Banishment from House during Menstrual Period,” British Medical Journal 337, no. 7680 (November 22, 2008): 1194, https://www.jstor.org/stable/20511378.
[3] Press Trust of India, “Govt forms ‘Jal Shakti’ Ministry by merging Water Resources and Drinking Water Ministries,” Business Standard (India), May 31, 2019, accessed August 24, 2019, https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/govt-forms-jal-shakti-ministry-by-merging-water-resources-and-drinking-water-ministries-119053100711_1.html.
[4] Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Government of India, Menstrual Hygiene Management National Guidelines, by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, December 2015, accessed August 24, 2019, http://www.ungei.org/resources/files/pub_doc107.pdf.
[5] Danielle Preiss, “Law In Nepal Sets Penalties For Forcing A Woman Into A Menstrual Shed,” Goats and Soda, August 10, 2017, [Page #], accessed August 24, 2019, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/08/10/542585664/law-in-nepal-sets-penalties-for-forcing-a-woman-into-a-menstrual-shed.
[6] Suneela Garg, Nandini Sharma, and Ragini Sahay, “Socio-Cultural Aspects of Menstruation in an Urban Slum in Delhi, India,” Reproductive Health Matters 9, no. 17 (May 2001): https://www.jstor.org/stable/3776394.
[7] Sarah House, Thérèse Mahon, and Sue Cavill, Menstrual Hygiene Matters (WaterAid, 2012), 25, last modified 2012, accessed August 24, 2019, https://menstrualhygieneday.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Menstrual-hygiene-matters-low-resolution.pdf.
[8] Maverick Collective, “Menstrual Health and Hygeine Management in Nepal Scoping Review,” review, Maverick Collective, last modified June 20, 2017, accessed August 26, 2019, http://maverickcollective.org/menstrual-health-and-hygeine-management-in-nepal-scoping-review/.
[9] The World Factbook, “South Asia:: India,” in The World Factbook, by Central Intelligence Agency, last modified October 2, 2019, accessed October 14, 2019, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html.
[10] The World Factbook, “South Asia:: Nepal,” in The World Factbook, by Central Intelligence Agency, last modified October 2, 2019, accessed October 14, 2019, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html#field-anchor-people-and-society-religions.
[11] House, Mahon, and Cavill, Menstrual Hygiene, 26.
[12] WaterAid, Is Menstrual Hygiene and Management an Issue for Adolescent School Girls?, 1, March 2009, accessed October 14, 2019, https://sswm.info/sites/default/files/reference_attachments/WATERAID%202009%20Menstrual%20hygiene%20school%20adolesencegirls-nepal.pdf.
[13] Shruti Chopra and Krishnan Sharma, “The Development of Menstrual-related Beliefs and Behaviors During Adolescence in Semi Rural Haryana (India): A Conceptual and Empirical Formulation,” Anthropologie (1962-) 49, no. 2 (2011): 101, accessed August 24, 2019, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26272368.
[14] WaterAid, Is Menstrual, 10.
[15] Bela Kothari, “Perception about Menstruation: A Study of Rural Jaipur, Rajasthan,” Indian Anthropologist 40, no. 1 (Jan/June 2010): 45, accessed August 25, 2019, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41920109.
[16] Garg, Sharma, and Sahay, “Socio-Cultural Aspects,”.
[17] UNESCO, Puberty Education & Menstrual Hygiene Management (Paris, France: UNESCO, 2014), 10.
[18]Maverick Collective, “Menstrual Health,” review, Maverick Collective.
[19] WaterAid, Is Menstrual, 17.
[20] Kothari, “Perception about,” 47.
[21] House, Mahon, and Cavill, Menstrual Hygiene, 22.
[22] Sobha P. Shah et al., “Improving Quality of Life with New Menstrual Hygiene Practices Among Adolescent Tribal Girls in Rural Gujarat, India,” Reproductive Health Matters 21, no. 41 (May 2013): 205, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43288976.
[23] Maverick Collective, “Menstrual Health,” review, Maverick Collective.
[24] The World Factbook, “South Asia:”.
[25] The World Bank, “Population, female – India,” chart, The World Bank, 2019, accessed October 14, 2019, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.IN?locations=IN&view=chart.
[26] Maverick Collective, “Menstrual Health,” review, Maverick Collective.
[27] Lakshmi Sandhana, “India’s Women Given Low-cost Route to Sanitary Protection,” The Guardian, January 21, 2012, Women, accessed October 14, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/22/sanitary-towels-india-cheap-manufacture.
[28] Shah et al., “Improving Quality,” 205.
[29] Shah et al., “Improving Quality,” 213.
[30] https://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/IHHL.aspx
[31] Maverick Collective, “Menstrual Health,” review, Maverick Collective.
[32] Kothari, “Perception about,” 47.
[33] Chopra and Sharma, “The Development,” 95.
[34] Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Government of India, Menstrual Hygiene.
[35] Ann Schraufnagel, “India’s Need for School Toilets,” Pulitzer Center (Washington, DC), February 16, 2016, accessed August 26, 2019, https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/indias-need-school-toilets.
[36] Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Government of India, Menstrual Hygiene.
[37] Pallavi Smart, “Maharashtra Government Makes Menstrual Hygiene Mandatory in Schools,” Mid-Day (Maharashtra, India), November 1, 2017, accessed August 29, 2019, https://www.mid-day.com/articles/maharashtra-government-makes-menstrual-hygiene-mandatory-in-schools/18700182.
[38] Preiss, “Banished To A ‘Menstrual,” Women & Girls.
[39] Pratibha Singh, “How female toilet builders are taking on menstrual hygiene management in India,” Unicef: for every child (blog), entry posted May 28, 2019, accessed August 26, 2019, https://www.unicef.org/stories/how-female-toilet-builders-are-taking-menstrual-hygiene-management-india.

Jessica Kim

 

My module introduces two complementary topics: global citizenship and education for gender equality. Global citizenship means being aware of the wider world and our collective interdependencies and developing skills and cultural empathies to engage effectively with each other. Education for gender equality encourages people to reflect upon and ultimately change how they think, to build a healthier and more harmonious society today, and for the future.

 

Literature Review

World economies are churning faster and more quickly affecting global citizens in interdependent ways that policy makers call the impact of “galloping globalization.” In this digital revolution where people communicate and interact non-stop 24/7, it is even more urgent to examine what global citizenship means today (Aktas, Pitts, Richards, and Silova, 2017). And as important, how global citizens can work together to achieve progress in the indicators of gender equality outlined by the UN’s SDG’s by 2030 (Kim, and Grabowski, 2019; O’Dowd, 2019).

 

As the renowned educator John Dewey pointed out, “Education is not a preparation for life, it is life itself.” Teachers and students (including our families and larger communities) together shoulder joint responsibilities to learn and educate ourselves about how we impact the people on the planet with what we door not do. It is even more significant when we become aware of how widespread and deeply rooted the various forms of gender inequality can be. For instance, how women are more likely to be negatively affected by financial crises and the associated diminishment of social security measures; how women are disproportionately employed in sectors with low wage, status, and security; and, how women are significantly more vulnerable to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence (Peppin Vaughan, 2016).

 

Even more challenging to consider, and to unlearn, are perceived biases we have absorbed from growing up in different societies; with each society having its own ethnic preferences and cultural prejudices. The big challenge is, we must continue to unlearn unhealthy notions (Cho and Mosselson, 2018). To move towards learning constructive new ideas to improve the quality of life not only environmentally, but also emotionally and healthily, so we all get along peacefully to enrich our lives (Toh and Cawagas, 2017).We can do this only by collaborating successfully with practical and safe measures as global citizens. We need to cultivate world citizens who become increasingly aware, are caring, and feel empowered, in wanting to be responsible for our every action (DiCicco, 2016; Katzarska-Miller and Reysen, 2019).

 

Yet, we must also know we cannot have all the answers, all the time, and all at once (Misiaszek, 2016).We need to be open-minded to ask questions, especially hard questions. To research answers online, from discussing with our peers, neighbors and friends—even agreeing to disagree for the time being if needed, until answers present themselves (Hancock, 2017; Myers, 2016). These are some of the main reasons I have considered while developing this learning module on how we can promote global citizenship inside and outside the classroom. The bigger goal is for never-ending conversations to enlarge our world views as global citizens (VanderDussen Toukan, 2018).

 

Adopted in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) aim to achieve sustainability by 2030. It is imperative for everyone to show more appreciation and awareness of our surroundings and in paying attention to the wider world. To ask how: I, as an individual, and we, as a group, can build healthy communities locally and globally, to make lifetimes of impact. (Refer to Image 1.)

I developed the module from a student’s perspective; to consider creative and engaging ways to encourage them to understand these lesson plans they participate in with hands-on learning. This approach will facilitate their understanding and feeling the importance of what global sustainability and equality means individually and collaboratively in impacting larger groups and communities.

 

For global citizenship, I focused the module on helping students experience the wider world and diversities within community using physically and visually engaging activities. One of the most important elements of global citizenship is identity of self, and how self relates to various shades and forms of diversity. To show various cultures existing harmoniously in different countries, activities include appreciating ethnic music and dance that entertain, and also inspire them to appreciate other international cultures. (Refer to Image 2.)

 

Another approach encourages students to build their own arguments about different parts of the world. Teachers would show videos of traditional events such as Chinese New Year or Día de Muertos celebrations. After viewing them, students will be asked to share their thoughts. Such as writing down questions of what they discover from individually researching online resources. Furthermore, integrating offline and online research motivates independent research skills through drawing up students’ curiosity. (Refer to Image 2.)

Another engaging activity is role play; students will be given scripts with characters from around the world. By acting out ethnically diverse personas, students would gain and insights regarding global citizenship. Role play activities also enhances effective communication and in valuing diversity, other key elements of global citizenship. (Refer to Image 3.)

In another activity, students act as judges to try cases, to learn another critical characteristic of global citizenship: social justice and equity. They will be introduced to try cases based on discrimination such as gender identity, race, age, disability, marital status, religion, social class. They will be encouraged to freely share their judgement and participate in open debates with their classmates. This will encourage students to become confident in their abilities to manage complex and uncertain information, along with thinking about positive and innovative ways to take informed and reflective action. (Refer to Image 4.)

Having been pinpointed by the UN as priorities in the 2030 Sustainable Agenda, concern for women’s empowerment and commitment to gender equality are crucial components for education in global sustainable development (Miotto et al., 2019). Addressing issues relevant to gender equality through education is particularly important because stereotypical norms about how men and women should behave can be reinforced via school curriculums, methods of teaching, and instructor behavior (Peppin Vaughan, 2016). Two points are vital when approaching this topic. First, gender must be understood as a social construct that shapes expectations and ideas about men and women and the power relations between them, rather than as a matter of mere biology. Second, it is vital to encourage students to recognize that “unequal gender relations and gendered preconceptions” hurt not only women and girls, but men and boys as well (Miotto et al., 2019).

 

This lesson starts with a screening or reading of scenes that depict typical, commonplace situations with gendered elements that people, both adults and children, experience. Examples could include common interactions and discussions that occur throughout the day at locations including the classroom, home, office, and cyberspace. Students will be given ample time to digest and form their own opinions about what is happening in each situation. Special care should be taken to ensure that examples depicting how men and boys can be harmed by unequal gendered relations are included.

 

Afterwards, students will be asked to share their thoughts and opinions about what they observed from the scenes. Teachers will join the discussion to point out the inequalities and gendered preconceptions and ideas present in each scene, then link them with the students’ observations. This discussion will enable them to recognize how prevalent gendered preconceptions and unequal power relations between genders are in our society. It will also contribute to students realizing how gender inequality negatively affects everyone.

Thereafter, teachers will describe how the inequalities and gendered norms discussed previously are reflected in the broader context of global sustainable development statistics. Teachers introduce Goal 5 of the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), its specific targets, and relevant information. Teachers will utilize structured discussions and debates on consequences when these targets aren’t achieved. The crucial teaching focus here is to show the global, sometimes horrific ramifications of the gender inequalities discussed beforehand, and how the SDGs are relevant to eradicating them. Teachers would go through a pizza thinking process, commonly used in writing essays, which starts from asking very basic questions to more detailed, deeper thought driving questions. For instance, teachers start discussions with questions such as “How was the girl expected to behave in this situation?” and progress to “What are the consequences of gendered norms and opinions in society?” to provoke deeper thinking about gendered preconceptions and unequal power relations between men and women. This encourages students to think about the greater consequences of gender inequality. (Refer to Image 5.)

Teachers introduce information about specific examples of gender inequality that sustainable development goals are aiming to eradicate, and how widespread they still are. For instance, teachers can talk about how “49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence” and “husbands can legally prevent their wives from working” in 18 countries (United Nations, n.d., p. 5). Drawing from the theory of cascading domino effects, teachers will next discuss how such gender inequality can be harmful to democracy, economic growth, public health and safety, and the community around the world (S. Klasen, 2002; Stephan Klasen & Lamanna, 2009). Teachers can further explain how such consequences all go against achieving other SDGs, too. Teachers may use pictures and photographs to form a consequence wheel; to ask students “how” and “why” in prompting independent curiosity and research skills.

 

In discovering the prevalence and consequences of gendered attitudes, students will hopefully take steps towards promoting gender equality, global citizenship, and sustainable development. Students, future leaders of this world, will contribute as individuals and as members of groups to make societies better and healthier places in which everyone, regardless of culture or gender, can live harmoniously and peacefully together. Being a global citizen means moving forward, for everyone to accept, and take conscious action, in making our increasingly interconnected world more pleasant and safe to inhabit.

References

Aktas, F., Pitts, K., Richards, J. C., & Silova, I. (2017). Institutionalizing global citizenship: A critical analysis of higher education programs and curricula. Journal of Studies in International Education,21(1), 65-80. doi:10.1177/1028315316669815

Bamber, P. (ed.) (2019).Teacher Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: Critical Perspectives on Values, Curriculum and Assessment. Routledge.

Cho, H. S., & Mosselson, J. (2018). Neoliberal practices amidst social justice orientations: global citizenship education in South Korea. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education,48(6), 861-878. doi:10.1080/03057925.2017.1364154

DiCicco, M. C. (2016). Global citizenship education within a context of accountability and 21st century skills: The case of Olympus High School. Education Policy Analysis Archives,24, 1-26. doi:10.14507/epaa.24.2364

Goren, H., & Yemini, M. (2017). Global citizenship education redefined–A systematic review of empirical studies on global citizenship education. International Journal of Educational Research,82, 170-183. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.004

Haigh, M. (2016). Fostering Global Citizenship–tree planting as a connective practice. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(4), 509-530. doi:10.1080/03098265.2016.1150438

Hancock, R. E. (2017). Global citizenship education: Emancipatory practice in a New York preschool. Journal of Research in Childhood Education,31(4), 571-580. doi:10.1080/02568543.2017.1346731

Katzarska-Miller, I., & Reysen, S. (2019). Educating for Global Citizenship: Lessons from psychology. Childhood Education,95(6), 24-33. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.701749

Kim, J., & Grabowski, C. (2019). Learning Global Citizenship through UN Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://teachingsocialstudies.org/2019/01/04/learning-global-citizenship-through-un-sustainable-development-goals/

Klasen, S. (2002). Low Schooling for Girls, Slower Growth for All? Cross-Country Evidence on the Effect of Gender Inequality in Education on Economic Development. The World Bank Economic Review, 16(3), 345–373. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhf004

Klasen, Stephan, & Lamanna, F. (2009). The Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth: New Evidence for a Panel of Countries. Feminist Economics, 15(3), 91–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/13545700902893106

Miotto, G., Polo López, M., & Rom Rodríguez, J. (2019). Gender Equality and UN Sustainable Development Goals: Priorities and Correlations in the Top Business Schools’ Communication and Legitimation Strategies. Sustainability, 11(2), 302. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020302

Misiaszek, G. W. (2016). Ecopedagogy as an element of citizenship education: The dialectic of global/local spheres of citizenship and critical environmental pedagogies. International Review of Education, 62(5), 587-607. doi:10.1007/s11159-016-9587-0

Myers, J. P. (2016). Charting a democratic course for global citizenship education: Research directions and current challenges. Education Policy Analysis Archives,24, 1-19. doi:10.14507/epaa_24.2174

O’Dowd, R. (2019). A transnational model of virtual exchange for global citizenship education. Language Teaching, 1-14.

Oikonomidoy, E. (2016). Critical Cosmopolitan Educational Research: grounded and potentially transformational. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 14(4), 466-476. doi:10.1080/14767724.2015.1069734

Peppin Vaughan, R. (2016). Gender equality and education in the sustainable development goals (ED/GEMR/MRT/2016/P1/7 REV.; 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report). https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245574

Stoner, L., Kerr, Z. Y., & Ward, D. S. (2018). Now is not the time for isolationism: integrating global citizenship into higher education for the good of global health. Journal of global health, 8(2). doi:10.7189/jogh.08.020301

Toh, S. H., & Cawagas, V. (2017). Building a culture of peace through global citizenship education: An enriched approach to peace education. Childhood Education, 93(6), 533-537. Doi:10.1080/00094056.2017.1398570

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

VanderDussen Toukan, E. (2018). Educating citizens of ‘the global’: Mapping textual constructs of

UNESCO’s global citizenship education 2012–2015. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 13(1), 51-64. doi:10.1177/1746197917700909

LINKS

http://www.ideas-forum.org.uk/about-us/global-citizenship

https://teachingsocialstudies.org/2019/01/04/learning-global-citizenship-through-un-sustainable-development-goals/

http://news.trust.org/(Thomson Reuters Foundation News)

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/5-facts-about-extreme-poverty-everyone-should-know/

 

By Dr. Nidhi Thakur

About five months back I visited the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Center, in Mahbubnagar, in one of the newly carved out South-Indian states of Telangana. Having contributed to the development of some parts of the study material for the center, through consultation with the Center for Sustainable Development at Earth Institute Columbia University, I was understandably very eager to interact with the students on the field. And indeed, the experience was every bit I had hoped for, and more.

Women, from class 12 onwards, sometimes even simple housewives, are highly encouraged to attend the center for three-month courses, to learn basic computer literacy and various other life-skills. The entire course is free of cost, and all it requires is for students to demonstrate sincerity in attendance and an eagerness to engage. None of these were lacking in the women who primarily belong to underprivileged and uneducated families. The ICT Center seemed like the right crack in their dark shell to let light in. It is hoped that through the exposure to education and information at the center, the women would feel more empowered to pursue higher interests of education or financial independence.

What stands out for me, till date, is the look that I had forgotten, in my almost two decades of staying on the Western Hemisphere. A look of naivete that comes from being inexperienced, underexposed, small in age and economically weak. I saw that in many, if not all women there. Yes, they were excited to be learning new things at the Center, but they were also unsure of how their sliver of enlightenment reconciles with their station in life. They are, after all, women. And if being a woman in India is perilous enough, being a woman from a poorer section of the society can only be more so.

That look has haunted me, and as though to shake me from my first-world stupor, last week, India is sent rocking, by yet another brutal rape-murder, this time in the city limits of Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana, and an hour and a half car-ride from Mahbubnagar!

That India has infamously earned the title of the ‘Most Dangerous’ Place in the civilized world to be a woman, is not just shameful, but also sad. Crimes from female infanticide, sexual harassment, acid-attacks, dowry deaths, rapes and marital rapes are only on the rise. A rape occurs almost every 20 minutes somewhere in India. In a 24 hour cycle, that is a staggering 72 females violated. And those are just the officially reported numbers! Several cases go unreported due to a devious mix of many reasons, including societal taboos around rape, and lack of judicial support for the victims.

Females of all ages are under threat! Minors as young as two years old are victims of such crimes. Since women who are raped represent nothing in common except their gender, rape in India is clearly not a crime of a caste, or a class, or a religion. Rape in India is a crime by men against women. It is misogyny at its worst, and as perverse as it gets, for the nature of the annihilation of the female is becoming more horrible with each crime.

While this is the time to halt an average Indian male on his tracks, and look him in the eye to question him, on his mind-set, and that of other men in his circle, it is also the time to give all out superpowers to centers like this one, where a self-driven set of women from a vulnerable section of the society gather to be granted the gift of upliftment. This captive audience is the exact student body that needs to be empowered with most importantly, the ability for self-advocacy.

The women need to be taught basic English fluency and computer literacy, but also their basic right to speak to men about why crime against women is not just not right but also is economically, demographically and sociologically harmful for men also. The women need to be taught the ability to discuss misogyny with family and friends of all genders, especially in the light of the new high-profile Rape case. They need to be able to come back with a reply, when people say that the recent rape victim was ‘calling’ for trouble by traveling at 8pm in the night. The reply is simple, and every woman, at the ICT Center and otherwise, should memorize it: 8pm is evil because of the evil minds of the perpetrators, just like 8 am or 6 pm or 4 am! Men CANNOT be allowed to declare sun-down as their hour of unbridled lust.

Women at the ICT Center, were the first I thought of when the recent rape case came to light, because of the geography. However, I realize that women all over India, need to talk to men about why crime against women is on the rise, because the solution, if any, has to come collectively. The first step to this cross-gender conversation is empowerment of the self. No being shy, no being coy, no being pretty nor kind. Just straight up and ready to talk. I am very sure that the self-advocacy unit of the ICT Center in India especially, will continue to focus on this. This is particularly required, since crimes such as the recent ones, and in close geography, can be highly threatening and demoralizing, for those who belong to the neighborhood. Looks like there is a lot of work to be done, continuously.

We are thrilled to share the experiences and voices of our ICT Center trainees.

 

The ICT Center Model developed by Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) and Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (i4SD), which envisioned bringing digital skills, solar energy and potential future employment for women under one roof, has become a reality.

 

On December 18th, 2018, ICT Women’s Center in Mahabubnagar District of Telangana State in India opened for its first classes managed and led by Srinivas Akula and Navatha Kanike. The Center for Sustainable Development’s education team- Radhika Iyengar, Haein Shin and Tara Stafford Ocansey- set the curriculum framework, with Joaquin Aviles Lopez offering infrastructure support.

 

Now, a year later (by the end of 2019), we will have around 300 trainees who successfully completed the program!

 

The Center offers training on English, computer, financial/business and life skills. Our trainees shared their experiences in the video below:

https://youtu.be/B28X9BDGrR4

Author: Celine Chung is an amazing artist and photographer and is interested in issues relating to women’s rights

Abstract

The issue of women’s rights, education, and power is prevalent in many of the world’s changing societies. In a case study of two architectural monuments in Bhopal, India, the influence of the Begum women on the Shaukat Mahal and the Gohar Mahal are considered. Through learning the history of these monuments, a group of local Bhopal women grew to understand their culture and history in a new light. This research discusses how women’s history and accomplishments have been erased or rewritten, particularly by the Indian government, and how that erasure affects the attitudes and self-understanding of women in Bhopal today. Literature and statistics on sexual assault in India and a photo novella project from Peru are also considered in terms of literacy, education, and empowerment among women. Ultimately, historical and cultural materials need to include women’s narratives as well as men’s.

In Bhopal, there once stood a ruling female empire that today’s women can only dream of. The under-studied history of the Begums not only makes up a significant part in the city’s history and development, but the history also features female leadership, something that Bhopal and many parts of the nation historically lack. Regardless, evidence of such history still stands in Bhopal today, in part in the form of local architecture.

In 1742, Yar Mohammad Khan, the Nawab, or governor, of Bhopal, died, leaving behind his wife, Mamola Bai (1715–1795). Since the couple did not have children, Mamola became the de facto ruler of Bhopal. Mamola was revered during her 50-year reign. According to legend, when Mamola became ill, saint Shah Ali Shah gave Mamola 10 years of his life so that she would be able to continue leading the city. Soon after the ritual, the saint passed away. The island burial ground of Shah Ali Shah is now a pilgrimage site.

 

In 1785, Salvador Bourbon, a French royal, came to Manji Mamola when the Bhopal government was searching for allies to counter British forces. Mamola was known for her keen political insight and, after gauging the kind of influence the British had, immediately befriended Salvador. She also bestowed him the position of General in the Bhopal State Army and gifted him land so that he would remain in the Bhopal State. However, not everyone was pleased with Salvador’s presence in Bhopal. Thus, Mamola gave Salvador a Muslim name, Inaya Masih. In doing so, Mamola was able to pacify orthodox Pathans by suggesting that Salvador would adapt to Muslim ways of life. Salvador and his cousin Pedro later became leading figures of the Bhopal court. For generations, the Bourbon family served the Bhopal state.

 

During his time in Bhopal, Salvador was well known as a highly educated member of the state and as an honorable, warm-hearted person. A Hindu woman came to Salvador to save her son from being killed by Diwan Chote Khan, his father. Salvador willingly took the child in and gave him a new name: Balthazar Bourbon, or his Muslim name, Shahzad Masih. Balthazar’s son, Sebastian Bourbon, became Prime Minister to Begums of Bhopal (Iyengar, 2018).

 

Soon after the Bourbons were introduced to Bhopal’s royal court, Qudsia Begum would establish a strong line of constructive female rulers. After the death of her husband, Qudsia Begum became the ruler of Bhopal; for the next 107 years, the political power of the city rested in the four generations of Begum women leaders (Khan, 2000). After she was appointed ruler, Qudsia began the construction of the Shaukat Mahal. The Bourbon family contributed to its design; thus, there is a heavy French influence in the architecture. The Shaukat Mahal was first built as Balthazar Bourbon’s palace. Sebastian Bourbon’s wife, Madan Dulhan, lived in women’s wing of the palace, also known as Zeenat Mahal. The Bourbon and Begum families continued to have the most work done to the women’s wing.

Due to its distinct Indo-French architecture, the Shaukat Mahal stood out from the Mughal-style architecture of the buildings that surrounded it. A well-known example of a Mughal-style building is the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The Taj Mahal is famous for its majestic white domes and arched entrances, both typical features of Mughal buildings. Furthermore, Mughal architecture usually has one central corner. The Shaukat Mahal, on the other hand, has two. The arches are also more triangular in shape, evidencing French Romanesque style. Several fleur de lis engravings can be found on the buildings of the Shaukat Mahal, especially on the Zeenat Mahal. The symbol, which served as the royal coat of arms of the Bhopal royal family, was used by French monarchs since the 12th century and can also represent the Holy Trinity in the Catholic Church (Ostlund, 2019). Additionally, there are chapel-like structures perched on the roofs of the buildings. These structures served as a symbol of the Catholic church within a ruling Muslim community. The planning that went into the Shaukat proved to not only be stylistic, but also strategic. Past the gate and in the middle of a small courtyard is a triangular fountain. The Bourbons and Begums used this fountain as a cooling system for relief from the city’s heat. There is also a secret tunnel that leads to the Upper Lake. The tunnel is used as an emergency escape route for women living in the Zeenat Mahal. However, the women would also use the tunnel to leave the building unnoticed and go for a swim.

 

Two streets across from the Shaukat Mahal and right beside the Upper Lake stands the Gohar Mahal. Although now used for tourism, exhibitions, cultural events, and fairs, the Gohar Mahal was built in 1820 by Nazar Muhammad Khan, the Nawab of Bhopal at the time, for his wife, Qudsia Begum. The building got its name from Qudsia’s birth name, Gohar Ara Begum. The Gohar Mahal acted as a residential and working place with no separate or designated parts for men and women (as the female ruler at the time of building, Qudsia did not see the need for divide). During the latter half of her life, Qudsia Begum lived in the Gohar Mahal while her daughter, Sikander Begum, ruled Bhopal.

 

The architecture of the Gohar Mahal contains Hindu and Mughal influences. The structure is three stories tall, and its entrance faces southeast. The positioning of the entrance follows Vastu Shastra, a traditional Hindu form of architecture that incorporates intense planning and science rather than superstition in order to help produce the best home (Prasad). The use of mud to put pieces of the buildings together is native to South India, and the building’s faded red exterior also speaks to Mughal influence. Lastly, one of the Gohar Mahal’s defining characteristics is its large courtyard. The purpose of this courtyard was to provide natural light and air exchange throughout the entire palace. A small fountain in the courtyard also created a cooling system similar to that of the Shaukat Mahal.

 

Although Bhopal has such significant and symbolic architecture relating to the lives and history of women, some women who live in Bhopal for almost their whole lives do not learn about it. During summer 2019, a few members of Mahashakti Seva Kendra (MSK) were brought to see the Shaukat Mahal and Gohar Mahal. MSK is an all-women’s organization that was built to empower victims of a massive gas leak at Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant in December 1984 that killed over 20,000 people. Even after the incident, over half a million people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other harmful chemicals. Since 1992, MSK’s founder and president, Indira Iyengar, has been working to support these families affected by the tragic gas leak. MSK has developed non-chemical based natural dye products and has used its profits to assist the affected families. By providing programs that teach their women how to make certain textiles and products and offering employment, MSK thus trains women on how to develop a sense of agency and independence in their lives (Mskonline.org).

 

The women bubbled with excitement on the day of their visit to the Shaukat Mahal and Gohar Mahal. The small field trip was the first time that they ventured into the city without their sons and husbands. At the Shaukat Mahal, a man walked out of one of the buildings and into the courtyard. He welcomed the women to the Shaukat Mahal and began to share the history of the place in English. During his speech, the man claimed to be one of the descendants of the ruling class of Bhopal that lived in the Shaukat Mahal. He emphasized the role of women in Bhopal’s and the building’s history. However, when he began to translate the history into Hindi for the women to understand, something was off. The women later explained that the man began to joke that, similar to how the Begum women ruled diligently over the city, his wife rules over him, always telling him what to do. For the women, this attitude was strange. After all, in Bhopal, women barely have any agency; today, they have little power compared to the Begums of the 18th century. From that moment on, the women began to doubt the guide’s credibility.

 

The guide noted another thing: the Shaukat Mahal is falling apart. The building is now considered private property and therefore is ineligible for any funding for restoration. The former palace now houses living quarters, a restaurant, and an inn. The Shaukat Mahal is over 180 years old and represents women’s history and capability in Bhopal. Unfortunately, the crumbling buildings may have limited time before they decay into rubble.

 

Upon learning of the details and the kind of planning that went into the construction of the Shaukat Mahal and Gohar Mahal, the MSK women were pleasantly surprised by the attention given to the royal women and by the ingenious of Qudsia Begum and the rest of the royal family. Though these women were previously unfamiliar with the Shaukat Mahal, they knew of the Gohar Mahal because of the exhibitions it hosts.

 

Regardless of the time they had resided in Bhopal, the women were unaware of the rich history of their city. They also shared that the children that get to attend school do not learn about Bhopal’s powerful female rulers and buildings, either. The once-powerful rulers were absent from public education. In India, the federal government oversees the education of the country’s children, including the content of textbooks. The government can also use this power to manipulate information. In 2017, the history on the Mughal empire, a Muslim empire which ruled India for over two centuries, was changed and nearly deleted from many textbooks (“Mughals disappearing”). The Mughal empire is remarkable for several reasons, from its legacy in literature to its great architectural structures; this empire includes both the Shaukat Mahal and the Gohar Mahal. Yet in the state of Madhya Pradesh (of which Bhopal is the capital), officials altered the history of the Sino-Indian War. This war between Chinese and Indian armies ended in Indian defeat, with a loss of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers and a drop in the nation’s morale. However, the new textbooks claim otherwise: “What famously came to be known as Sino-India war of 1962 was won by India against China” (Menon, 2017). Textbooks with this incomplete history are used in several Madhya Pradesh schools affiliated with the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) of the government of India. The state itself is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is also the party of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thus, as the historical facts of the Gohar Mahal and Shaukat Mahal were deleted from school materials, children had no way to know learn the truth.

 

Although once ruled by powerful women, India is recorded as the most dangerous country for women due to sexual violence in 2011 and 2018 (Goldsmith & Beresford, 2018). After the gang rape of eight-year old Asifa in 2012, a wave of protests against violence towards women took over India’s cities. Women in India have been victims of all kinds of assault for many years, and they are not always safe in their homes: 95 percent of rapists across all reported cases have been family members (Narayan, 2018).

 

In a society governed by patriarchy and violence, it is no surprise that there is little to no mention of the Begum women in many school curriculums. In fact, many women in India do not even have access to an education at all. Although the constitution of India claims to provide equal rights for men and women, women lag far behind men at all levels of opportunity. One of the major factors that impact women negatively is poverty—30 percent of people in India live below the poverty line, and women make up 70 percent of that population. Regarding sex crimes, the literacy of women is related to the rate of reporting. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an Indian government agency, “there exists a positive correlation between the female literacy rate of a state and reported cases of rapes per 100,000, indicative that women are more likely to report crimes with higher levels of education” (Bandyopadhyay, 2018).

 

There exists a strong correlation between education, empowerment, and subsequent action. More importantly, countless forms of art that have empowered women to take action regarding the problems in their community. An example that combines art, empowerment, and research is the photo novella. Photo novella involves research in which the research subjects are asked to take photographs relating to the topic of research. The process may include photo interviewing, photo eliciting, reflexive photography, and photo-voice.[1]Photo novella may encourage participants to engage in critical thinking and reflection. The images become data when the participants begin to discuss their perspectives on the photos taken (Burke & Evans, 2011).

 

One example of a successful photo novella project is a 1984 empowerment project based in Peru by the Asociación Perú-Mujer. The organization aimed to encourage illiterate and semi-literate rural women to participate in local health and family planning initiatives in ways that better protected their own health interests. The researchers handed out four different kinds of booklets consisting of a series of simple line drawings with descriptive text that depicted the lives and problems of families in the community; the booklets were designed as coloring books, and each type targeted a different area of the country. The booklets covered the burdensome underbellies of family life: unemployment, living costs, alcoholic partners, domestic violence, housework, and decision making, just to name a few. Despite the distress sparked by these booklets, the participants were able to begin a discussion because they were all so familiar with the problems. The project was also the first time many of the women had access to coloring and reading materials.

 

The results were overwhelmingly positive. After the experiment, the women reported a greater sense of self-worth. In fact, many used their newly earned sense of confidence to work together and take action in the community. They replaced an incompetent town doctor, helped to move health clinicas closer to homes, and worked to support women living in violent family settings (Wang & Burris, 1994).

 

Some researchers attribute the success of Perú-Mujer to good use of feminist theory: “Feminist research view women as authorities on their own lives; it enables them to construct their own knowledge about women according to their criteria as women, and to empower themselves through knowledge making” (Wang & Burris, 174). Women must be the focus and source of action. Thus, power must be organized into different kinds. The article targets three different types: the power to (affirmative power, ability to do things), the power with (the ability to work with others toward a common goal), and the power over (the ability to influence or to direct other people or the environment). According to Wang and Burris, “Photo novella attempts to create the conditions in which women can further develop power to, power with, and power over, in order to effect positive changes for health in their individual lives, and in their communities” (174). The positive feedback of photo novella is evidence of the importance of art education and engagement in local institutions in improving the quality of life of not only the women in the community, but also the entire community itself.

 

The efforts to teach the women of MSK on Bhopal’s local architecture relate to the Perú-Mujer photo novella research because both demonstrate forms of thoughtful education projects that have empowered women to take action in their communities. Upon learning about the Shaukat Mahal and Gohar Mahal, the women of MSK were inspired to educate a promising and conscious younger generation that can sustain their city’s significance on a national and global scale. The protofeminist history of the architecture has pushed these women to develop into critical and active members of society. History is flexible not because it can be manipulated, but because there is always room available to include the narratives of those who have not always received the spotlight.

The women of MSK were amazed with the architecture of Gohar Mahal and Shaukat Mahal. They were unaware of how the construction worked, and that the buildings were physically made. As the guide explained how the buildings were constructed with specific details about each structure, a new perspective opened to some women. One element that was especially interesting, yet surprising to some women, was how some women were in charge of the building process. The idea that women are capable and able to conduct something major became a new concept to the MSK women.

 

The history of the two architectures continues to appeal to women in MSK, as usually they are told how things are done by their husbands. The husband will tell the wife where everything should be, even the toilet. For example, one member of MSK was absent from the visit, as she had to aid her husband in building their house.

 

Previously, architecture and buildings did not have much meaning to the women at MSK. Rather than holding symbolic significance, buildings and structures were simply rooms of various sizes and functions. Even if the women had wanted to spend more time to understand why a building was made or what was the meaning behind it, they did not have the resources. Next time they have the opportunity to visit Gohar Mahal and Shaukat Mahal, the women of MSK may look at them with fresh eyes and see what more there is about the history of the place. They now know more of the symbolic meanings and history of the two buildings.

 

Though the Shaukat Mahal was in bad shape, neither the government nor the people who lived there cared when it was falling apart. Nobody knew the history, thus they could not put any value towards it. Nobody could value or support the heritage. However, the women of MSK now consider it an important part of their culture. They want to go back with their children and introduce the next generation to the culture of their city. In the past, they could not explain this magnificent culture to their children, as they did not know either. However, now that they have access to the knowledge about these historical locations, they wish to share it.

 

Now, with the knowledge they have, these women want the history of these structures to be integrated into textbooks so that children can learn about the past. Only big leaders of big cities are mentioned in history books; rarely are those in small places, and small palaces are never mentioned. Outside sources for history and other information are hard to access for women and children in Bhopal, thus it is difficult to build understanding. As no one knows the true history, cultivating interest in these places is a challenge.

 

Although major cities in India continue to fight for women’s rights, India remains a country with one of the lowest track records for women’s rights. This is more severe in smaller cities such as Bhopal. Ironically, in the past, strong and independent women ruled over the palace of Bhopal, yet today, women have no power. The historical events are hidden by the government, so few people really know about the past. To educate and empower the women of Bhopal, as well as in many other minor cities in India, access to accurate materials for education is vital.

 

References

Bandyopadhyay, S. (2018, May 8). A closer look at statistics on sexual violence in India. The

Wire. Retrieved July 2019 from https://thewire.in/society/a-closer-look-at-statistics-on-sexual-violence-in-india

Burke, D., & Evans, J. (2011, June 1). Embracing the creative: The role of photo novella in

qualitative nursing research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods,10(2), 164-77.

doi: 10.1177/160940691101000205

Goldsmith, B., & Beresford, M. (2018, June 18). Poll ranks India the world’s most dangerous

country for women. The Guardian. Retrieved September 2019 from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/jun/28/poll-ranks-india-most-dangerous-country-for-women

Iyengar, I. (2018). The Bourbons and Begums of Bhopal: The forgotten history. New Delhi,

India: Niyogi Books.

Khan, S. M. (2000). The Begums of Bhopal: A history of the princely state of Bhopal. London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 71.

Menon, H. C. (2017, August 16). In the version of history in India’s new textbooks, China lost

1962 and Gandhi wasn’t murdered. Quartz India. Retrieved July 2019 from https://qz.com/india/1054692/in-the-version-of-history-found-in-indias-new-textbooks-china-lost-1962-and-gandhi-wasnt-murdered/

MSK, and Iyengar. “Our Story: The Tragedy & The Mission.” MSK Online, MSK,

https://www.mskonline.org/our-story.

Mughals disappearing from textbooks across the country as history seems subject to change.

(2017, August 7). Firstpost. Retrieved July 2019 from https://www.firstpost.com/india/mughals-disappearing-from-textbooks-across-the-country-as-history-seems-subject-to-change-3903053.html

Narayan, D. (2018, April 27). India’s abuse of women is the biggest human rights violation on

earth. The Guardian. Retrieved July 2019 from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/27/india-abuse-women-human-rights-rape-girls

Ostlund, C. (2019, May 4). Hidden meanings, symbols and facts about our fleur de lis cufflinks.

Wimbledon Cufflink Company. Retrieved July 2019 from https://wimbledoncufflinks.com/blogs/news/hidden-meanings-symbols-and-facts-about-our-fleur-de-lis-cufflinks

Prasad, R. Vaastu Shastra. Vaastu International. Retrieved July 2019 from

http://www.vaastuinternational.com/vaastushastra.html

Wang, C. & Burris, M.A. (1994). Empowerment through photo novella: Portraits of

participation. Health Education Quarterly, 21(Summer), 171-86. Retrieved July 2019 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.906.6918&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Examples of empowerment for women in India

• Gender and women empowerment approaches: Interventions through PRIs and SCOs in Northern India (article)

○ PRI: Panchayati Raj Institutions

○ CSO: civil society organizations are organisations not owned or run by the government and include all organizations involved in development interventions.

○ After WWII, world-level institutions of development such as the World Bank (WB), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nation Development Program (UNCO, 2012) began to promote institution building

○ How the meaning and use of the term “gender” has been debated

■ The article states that the origin of the term gender may have been in the 1970s by American and English feminists. The World Bank considers gender a socio-economic variable, and the FAO defines gender as a relationship between men and women in both a physical and perceptual sense. The article argues that the point of debate is to help make the term represent men and women on an equal level. Regardless, world institutions agree that the role of women is often subdued due to social norms.

■ Either husbands or in laws are identified as village representatives by the community. Women were only present in documents, not in person

Women in Politics and Schooling Investments (article)

○ The Indian constitution gives a lot of political power to the 28 states and 7 Union Territories

○ Many politicians originate from elite, upper-caste families

■ Regardless, women representation on state and national level remains low

Conclusion

Transcript

Celine: What do you remember from the buildings that we saw two days ago?

Pooja: On the main gate [of Shaukat Mahal] there were some iron things, and at the main gate, the year the building was made was written. There was something on the walls that they did not understand. [At Gohar Mahal] there were statues of turtles and elephants. They keep talking about what they saw inside. … So the queen sits inside the thing and people pick it up from both sides.

Celine: Did you ever hear of these two palaces before we went?

Women: No

Pooja: They haven’t heard of Shaukat Mahal, but they heard of Gohar Mahal because of the exhibitions that are held there.

[After the presentation]

Celine: After learning not only about the history but also the innovative structure, how do you feel about [the Shoukat Mahal and Gohar Mahal]?

[Women clap]

Pooja: I was telling them that my grandmother is a Bourbon. They liked the whole idea of how smart those people were with the construction. Earlier, we did not know that. We thought the buildings were just made. There was so much thought put into making the buildings, and that was something really new for us.

Celine: And it is also interesting, because usually women are not in charge of the building process. One of the female ruling Begums would always be in charge of the people on how to make it.

Pooja: In today’s times, the husband will tell you where the toilet be and the husband takes charge. One of the girls is not coming to work because she is getting her house built, so they want to see how she is getting it done.

Celine: Do you now consider these two buildings a big part of your culture?

Pooja: Now next time when they go, they want to take their children and introduce them to the culture of their city. We didn’t know and we didn’t tell our children. But now they want to take all of their children there and explain things to them.

Celine: Did you ever think that architecture was important? Did this change the way you look at any building?

Pooja: There are very small, small rooms inside the buildings, and they want to spend more time and understand why it was made and what was the meaning behind them. Next time, they want to visit these places again to look at them with fresh eyes and see what else there is about the place.

Celine: For the Shaukat Mahal, not only does the government not care, but when it was discovered that the place was falling apart, not a lot of people who lived there cared either.

Pooja: So nobody knew about the history. If people tell or if it is in school, then we would know about the history. Since nobody cared about the place, nobody valued or supported heritage. That was one of the main things. Another thing is that we are so busy in our own day-to-day things that we have no inclination. And even if we knew, one person cannot do anything, and who is going to form that group?

Celine: What I think is that, whoever is in power gets to decide what kind of history the people know; there is always a different person in power, and it is usually not the women who get to decide. But the thing is, even just noting art a little bit, it really helps your brain to help analyze things better and you can notice things better. You can see the world with different eyes.

Pooja: They want [the information] to be integrated in the history books also so that their children also learn. We only learn about the big leaders in the history books, and small places and small palaces are never mentioned. We don’t get all the sources to get to know this. There is no place where we can go and understand. Nobody wants to help and explain the places. They are talking about the guide you mentioned at Shaukat Mahal. He was saying that he was very scared of his wife. And the moment he said that, they knew that he was lying, because nobody is scared of wives. He said things like, “My wife tells me to do things. She tells me to sit down. She tells me to stand.” They knew that whatever he said was all wrong. It is never like that in Indian households.

 

[1]Photo voice is a process by which people can identify, represent and enhance their community through a specific photographic technique. Images are used to generate questions to members of a community and implicitly push these members to reach some sort of solution (Wang and Burris, 1997).

As India charges forward as an economic, technological and political powerhouse, it’s important that strides are also made to ensure that its success isn’t limited to only half of the population. It’s important to understand how the fundamental tenet of who we are today and where will go as a community, is based on the figures and stories that started it. Oftentimes it is necessary to draw on cultural and historical figures interred deeply in our culture, in order to move forward. With Navratri around the corner, we must take this time to reflect on our history and mythology as a guide for resolving the present day issues our society faces.

Navratri is the celebration of Ma Durga, her different forms, and her fight against the demon king Mahishasura. Ma Durga has been regarded as “the Shakti” or the energy and power behind the force of good which Hindus celebrate. She wields weapons like a chakra, Vishnu’s discus, and bows and arrows, as they are symbolic of her strength. Her name “Durga” means “the invincible” as she represents endless intelligence and power. Hindus have revered her as the Divine self within themselves and prayed to her for her blessings on each new endeavor they go forth with.

 

As Navratri promulgates a period of devotion to the female warrior Goddess, this begs the question —if we worship female deities and pray to depictions of strong, powerful women, then why are women in modern-day society often treated unequally?

These questions are often times lost among the structural barriers created in order to speed growth and development. Cultures across the world use archaic frameworks as a crutch so as not to disturb the status quo, especially when devoting money, time and effort, to compound on previous successes and to compete. But we must also recognize that our female counterparts become further disadvantaged as the fruits of economic success often do not trickle down nor include them.

 

This Navratri, as we continue to move forward, we must take time to contemplate in our history and mythology which can guide us towards a deeper understanding of resolving the externalities our society faces. We ought to contemplate and reflect on bolstering the status of women across the world by embracing the powerful stories of Ma Durga.

 

https://tinyurl.com/StoryChatter-MaDurga

 

Vikram Mahendru, Co-Founder StoryChatter.com

During the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week, the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) of the Earth Institute, Columbia University partnered with various schools and organizations to discuss topics surrounding gender, as well as data usage for sustainable development goals, as a side conversation to Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s International Conference on Sustainable Development.

 

On the gender front, CSD partnered with Barnard College’s She’s The First chapter co-hosted Gender in Culture, Cities and Communities.

 

On data usage, CSD partnered with School of Public and International Affairs (SIPA)’s Master of Public Administration in Development Practice (Development Practice Seminar Series) and SIPA’s Pan-African Network – to co-host an event on data usage for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation in Kaduna State of Nigeria.

 

We are honored to share reflections and perspectives from Commissioner Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa (Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure of Kaduna State, Nigeria) on the gender landscape in her state through her personal and professional experiences, as well as her sharing on the data usage for SDGs.

 

She is the first woman to be appointed to her current Commissioner role in Kaduna State. With a development practitioner background, she has previously served as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, as well as for Rural and Community Development of Kaduna State.

 

She coordinated and designed the delivery of Kaduna Rural Development Program, and has worked as an Education Specialist and Deputy Programme Director for the Earth Institute at Columbia University on the Nigeria MDG Scape up Programe based in Abuja.

 

Thank you Commissioner for your ongoing collaboration and support for our ideas and discussions!

 

Please CLICK HERE for the video of her interview on gender.

 

Please CLICK HERE for the video of her interview on data usage.

 

Updated: Sep 18, 2019

Description

Through lived experiences, we know the following statement to be true:

“Gender equality is not just the concern of half of the world’s population; it is a human right, a concern for us all, because no society can develop – economically, politically, or socially – when half of its population is marginalized.” (Robinson, Figueres & Mohammed, 2015)

This event aims to celebrate individuals and organizations who keep the mission to support women and men in their daily endeavors while reflecting on the gaps that persist in their endeavors. Speakers and panelists will discuss gender equality from culture, cities and communities lens, to shed light on efforts for advancement and representation of women as well as ideas and discussions on what factos need to be further considered going forward.

Speakers & Panelists:

Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, Deputy Governor, Kaduna State, Nigeria

 

Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa, Commissioner of the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure, Kaduna State, Nigeria

 

Mark Greene, Senior Editor of The Good Men Project, author of The Little #MeToo Book for Men

 

Nidhi Thakur, Professor of Kean University

 

Ines Im, Student at Brearley School, research on women’s health Brandon Lee, Student, research on sports & gender

 

Join us and share your ideas, reflections and questions!

Use this link to Register for the event.

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gender-in-culture-cities-communities-practicing-sdgs-tickets-65532568677

#APA #GenderIssues#Migration #SDG’S

 

I had the privilege of attending the UN’s psychology conference on Gender issues. Mental well being is at the heart of the Sustainable development goals in the United Nations. Psychology can show us a new perspective or understanding about gender issues. It is embedded with the inner foundation of our society. Mental health and inner well being is at the heart of sustainable goals. This article is about migration and how it impacts women.

There are over 258 million migrants around the world today, and more than 50 per cent are women and girls. The experience of migration differs significantly for women and men, girls and boys: every aspect of migration, from those who remain behind, to the decision to migrate, transiting across borders, to settling in the country of destination, is influenced deeply by gender considerations, including the discrimination that they may face.

The remittances sent by women migrant workers improve the livelihood and health of their families and strengthen economies. Many of the women who are immigrants just want to earn a dignified living and fend for their children.

 

The migrant women around us have diverse faces, dreams and realities, and help sustain our economies, homes and communities. Every sixth domestic worker in the world is an international migrant, with women making up 73.4 per cent of international migrant domestic workers. With half of the estimated 260 million migrants worldwide being women, it is critical that the implementation of the Global Compact effectively includes their voices and addresses their needs and priorities.

 

Women are more vulnerable during migration. They feel displaced and uprooted and likely so. They are leaving their country and a part of their identity behind. It is therefore crucial to understand how gender interacts with migration and to respond accordingly. I strongly think that not only women even men have to adapt to such a transformation.

 

The irony is that displacement might actually empower women. Let’s take an example of a immigrant from an orthodox conservative country. If she migrates into a culture that is broad minded, that is more accepting than her home culture she would potentially, be empowered. And not only her, even her children would be living it up to their fullest potential. Migration can provide immense opportunities and benefits not only for the migrants themselves and their families, but also for the countries of origin, transit and destination. As the first intergovernmentally negotiated agreement to cover all dimensions of international migration, the Global Compact for Migration builds upon the commitments made by governments in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants.

 

Author Bio

Tara Seth has  successfully completed her M.A. in Psychological Counseling at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York in May 2018. She is a writer for the “Page community” as well as Power in Praxis. She currently teaches in a bilingual school and is a student, an Aspiring Actor at New York Film Academy. She strongly beliefs and advocates gender empowerment and makes an active effort to propagate this belief. #GenderEmpowerment #WomensRights