Educating Odia women will lead to development of the state by Alka Mohanty
janatavikas manch
Dear all,
Ms Alka Mohanty is a Hong Kong based expert on the education sector. Below is her write up on the education sector. Her photograph is also attached if some one wants to carry her write up for their publications.
Please offer your comments and suggestions.
Thanks & Regards,
Sai Prasan
JVM
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Educating Odia women will lead to development of the state
By Alka Mohanty
“Yatra Naryastu Pujyante , Ramante Tatra Devata.’’
---Manu Smriti.
“Where women verily are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, however, they are not honoured, there all sacred rites prove fruitless.”
But, Indian mythology further reflects the theme of supreme man. The ideal women of Indian mythology are paragons of virtue and wifely devotion. Sita, Savitri, Draupadi, Ahalya and others are portrayed as dutiful, truthful, chaste and self –sacrificing women who are completely devoted to their husbands – the sort of wife every Indian man looks for. The ideal wife gives up her comforts to please her husband.
Surprisingly, the image of long - suffering, obedient and faithful wife is reinforced by women. Mothers teach their daughters that the ultimate joy in life is to be married .A woman is expected to treat her husband like a god and put up with insult and indignity or the sake of his happiness. Women, a girl is told, are subservient to men and she must accept that situation if she is to be happy.
Most Women fall into the mould that society expects of them, which means that they do not work outside the home and therefore economically dependent on their husband. As a result, they endure all kinds of ill-treatment. But years of subjugation have taught Indian women to be survivors like Savitri, they personifies the clever and devoted wife. More so than the others of the pancha –satis, it is Savitri along Sita, who has been the role model for Indian women down the ages.
Women To-day:
Modern day Indian women put up with indignity and degradation from sheer economic necessity, Generally only slightly educated , not trained for any profession and taught from childhood that a husbands words is law, most find it easier to suffer than leave the security of the home to look for a job to support themselves and their children. But being a single woman in India — whether single from choice, divorcee, or widowhood is regarded as unnatural and often as bad luck and a disgrace to the family. This is still the prevailing attitude even though we have had a woman prime minister. But time are changing .
The Government has taken lots of pain to empower and educate the girl child. Because quality basic education for all is vital to society because it produces people who can contribute to the economic and social development that is required to eradicate poverty as well as empower and advance the women folk.
Status of Women Education in Odisha
Odisha is a society where the male is greatly revered. Therefore women, especially the young girls, get very little respect and standing in this country. The women of the household are required to prepare the meal for the men, who eat most of the food. Only after the males are finished eating, can the females eat. Typically the leftover food is meager, considering the families are poor and have little to begin with. This creates a major problem with malnutrition, especially for pregnant or nursing women. Very few women seek medical care while pregnant because it is thought of as a temporary condition. This is one main reason why India’s maternal and infant mortality rates are so high. Starting from birth, girls do not receive as much care and commitment from their parents and society as a boy would. For example a new baby girl would only be breast fed for a short period of time, barely supplying her with the nutrients she needs. This is so that the mother can get pregnant as soon as possible in hopes of a son the next time.
According to Indian constitution, women are legal citizens of the country and have equal rights with men (Indian Parliament). Because of lack of acceptance from the male dominant society, Indian women suffer immensely. Women are responsible for baring children, yet they are malnourished and in poor health. Women are also overworked in the field and complete the all of the domestic work. Most Indian women are uneducated. Although the country’s constitution says women have equal status to men, women are powerless and are mistreated inside and outside the home.
Even though the constitution guarantees free primary schooling to everyone up to 14 years of age (Indian Parliament), very few females attend school. Only about 39 percent of all women in India actually attend primary schools. There are several reasons why families choose not to educate their daughters. One reason is that parents get nothing in return for educating their daughters. Another reason is that all the females in a household have the responsibility of the housework. So even though education does not financially burden the family, it costs them the time she spends at school when she could be doing chores. In addition, even if a woman is educated, especially in the poorer regions, there is no hope for a job. Most jobs women perform are agricultural or domestic which do not require a formal education. Another reason girls are not educated is because families are required to provide a chaste daughter to the family of her future husband. With over two-thirds of teachers in India being men and students predominately male, putting daughters in school, where males surround them all day could pose a possible threat to their virginity.
Because women are not educated and cannot hold a prestigious job, they take on the most physically difficult and undesirable jobs. A typical day for a woman in an agricultural position lasts from 4 AM to 8 PM with only an hour break in the middle. Compared to a man’s day, which is from 5 AM to 10 AM and then from 3 PM to 5 PM. Most women are overworked with no maternity leave or special breaks for those who are pregnant. Plus women do the majority of the manual labor that uses a lot of energy compared to the men who do mostly machine operating. Even though women work twice as many hours as men, the men say that “women eat food and do nothing.” This is mainly because the work the women perform does not require a lot of skill and are smaller tasks.
Why we educate the girl child?
“If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a women you educate a family.’’
Education is used here to mean knowing through formal and informal means, what is right for the spirit, mind and body and acting upon this knowledge.
According to M.K Gandhi – “By education, I mean the all-round drawing out of a child in body , mind and spirit.”
Women in general are the newborn child’s primary caregivers in most societies. The paid nanny, the indulgent grand -mother or an older sister are most likely to watch over the child during its first three critical years .The first president of the United States, George Washington (1732-1799) said about his mother “All I owe to my mother .........I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”
The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian constitution in its preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and directive principles. The constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women.
Goal and Objectives of National policy for the empowerment of Women (2001)
The goal of this Policy is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. The Policy will be widely disseminated so as to encourage active participation of all stakeholders for achieving its goals. Specifically, the objectives of this Policy include
(i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential
(ii) The de-jure and de-facto enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres – political, economic, social, cultural and civil
(iii) Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political and economic life of the nation
(iv) Equal access to women to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public office etc.
(v) Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women
(vi) Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women.
(vii) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process.
(viii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and the girl child; and
(ix) Building and strengthening partnerships with civil society, particularly women’s organizations
In addition to policy and planning for women/girls by the Indian Government, the involvement of voluntary organizations as well as institutions dealing with education , training, and research will be ensured in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and programmes affecting women. Towards this end, they will be provided with appropriate support related to resources and capacity building and facilitated to participate actively in the process of empowerment of women was mentioned in the policy.
Role of School for Empowering Girls :
1) School is the miniature of society. It plays a vital role to empower the girls of villages as well as cities. I give the small example, though it has no connection with it. Cubs learn in playing. Lions and lionesses help them to learn in playful way and when the cubs grow become best hunters to survive. So as girls blossoms in a caring and playful environment. They should encourage to learn things in play way method and to do painting, singing, dancing with their curriculum.
2) Govt.should bear the all expenses of studying and boarding & lodging, medical check –ups,uniforms, toiletries, sanitary and books expenses that parents could be willing to spend on their sons but not often on their daughters.(In backward classes).
3) Residential schools should be established in the remote villages where female literacy is below the national average and gender gaps are large and at the same time provide jobs to the singles, needy women in that hostel as cook, helper, sweeper or supervisor as per their qualification. These schools should help the adult illiterate in the evening time.
4) The Hostel should be safe sound with modern amenities so that the environment of hostel enables them to break away from the traditional inferiority status at home and complete the primary education at least till 8th or 10th
5) The Teacher should inculcate a sense of confidence in the normally shy girls, that can truly empower themselves. Should encourage them to ride bicycle or bike to become more independent .
6) Teacher should teach them in school about the fertility age, gender equality, and ratio of boy and girls in the present condition.
Moreover, we know that education for girl yields numerous other social benefits, including later marriages, reduced fertility rates, better nourished and healthier children and families, is fewer child birth- related deaths, and greater opportunities and life choices for women.
Women must be honoured and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands and brother-in-laws who desire great and good future. Allow them to do their work in all fields as they are good performer. All should ready for stringent punishment for crime like rape and dowry torture. Male chauvinism is the biggest blockade in the progress in the progress path of women. Men should not treat them as slaves but as life partner. Women should be respected with greater care as they are better performer in all fields except physical strength.
A safe and secure environment for all women and helping them with wings to fly and achieve their dreams in all fields is my call.
“None may exists without a woman”
`Change is coming slowly but surely in the land of Odisha .............’
The author is a Hong Kong based expert on the education sector.
Manoj Padhi
I have couple of observations here..
- A high school is 100 meter away from my home in Berhampur. Would I send my kid to there ? of course a 'No'.
- We need to develop a process by which parents should be able to know the ratings of a nearby school. A good school produces a good employee, a good citizen which would lead to a handsome/decent job; a bad school produces unemployment and a bunch of rowdies.
- no one is born as a rowdy or anti-social element from mothers womb. There is no substitute for good Schools and parental supervision whether it is a boy or a girl.
- in developed countries like USA, schools are administrated by elected representatives of the city; in India it is state. The salary of teachers comes from the property tax. e.g. one pays between $4000- $7000 per year property tax, if he owns a single family home irrespective of number of kids. More number of people in a city == more tax income == more number of schools == at least couple of elementary schools in your neighborhood. Those schools are rated as Exemplary or Recognized. In State of Texas School Performances are reported by TEA http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html
- That means, you can find out - to what kind of school your kid would be going ?. if the rating of a school is downgraded by TEA, the principal would be under pressure along with the top Educational Executive of the district reporting to mayor. A city often hires a proven school reformer for failing schools at an annual salary of @ $300,000 where as an average teacher salary is around $50,000 per year.
So, even if you will make residential schools, under Government management - won't help. Any thing tat Government does can never be efficient. Compare that with your Common Wealth Game Vs JayPee groups recent Formulae 1 games.
So, why doesn't the Government want to put pressure on school inspectors and headmasters by implementing a rating system.
Again the Low IQ of the Chief Minister..
There are common sense solutions for every issue. But if there is no brain to interpret - the information are useless.
In short - the 'should be' written in the article although desirable but would never be a part of Government's agenda.
If parents are poor - kids are bound to go to failed schools and would suffer until .. when - no one would predict..
The crime rates would go up.
thanks
Manoj Padhi
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Manoj Padhi
Chand Barik
Jai Odisha Wing Commander (Retd) Gora Chand Barik, Vice President, 'Samrudhha Odisha' Plot No: 173/174, Cuttack Road, Budheswari Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751006 Cell: +91-9437485588,Landline: 0674-2575858 mailto: gcb...@yahoo.co.in
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:18:01 -0500
Subject: Re: OTN: Educating Odia women will lead to development of the state by Alka Mohanty
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