An initiative of the women, for the women, by the women! The summit will be first of its kind in the history of Women’s College Students’ Union (WCSU).

“The hand that rocks the cradle, the procreator, the mother of tomorrow, a woman shapes the destiny of civilization”. Talking about equality over a cup of coffee is no more a taboo. But its implementation is certainly opaque.

Our life and all of its associations, we’ll all agree, have a tendency to fall in a lull, pretty soon and pretty often. We’ll be productive a day, only for it to be followed by a week of idleness. We’ll have the most intellectually stimulating time for a while, only for it to be followed by a dwindle in all things intellectual the following days.

But the importance of spreading words to the world is always a concern. To spread such awareness and empower one another, Women’s College Students’ Union has taken an innovative and unprecedented step through organizing the Women Leadership Summit 2019.

Prior to this event, the fifth AMU Literary Festival highlighted the significance of Literature and Society; lectures by Nazia Erum (author), Sagarika Ghose (journalist) and many empowered women were conducive to look closely into the matter of women empowerment and we are here again with an amazing line-up of pertinent and refreshing discourse.

What women empowerment actually means is not deifying women, rather asking for equal rights and opportunities defying patriarchy. Women have so far been successful in raising their voice against gender inequality in the post-independence era, but there is still a long way to go till women no more seek validation from the male strata of society.

Equal political rights, economic rights, judicial strength are yet to be achieved completely. In this trying era that we’ve set foot in, we witness a dichotomy at play in regards to the status of women in this world; where one face of reality is the strewn bodies of women stripped off their consent and accord, violated to the core of their being-body and soul; beaten down to a pulp-physically, also their thoughts, their voices; grappling for an iota of confidence, and the flip side ushers us into a world of strong-headed women with their chin up and burning scaffolds of stereotypes to the ground and weakening the foundation of patriarchy in the society.

Women as social activists, presidents, artists, Olympians are a few to name, to believe in ourselves, spring into action and find our strengths, clamp the world in our “delicate” fists. It is likely to say that a woman does not become powerful and strong when she competes and defeats a man, it is anything but. She rises to power when she competes with her inhibitions, her shortcomings and strives to morph into a better and improved version of herself.

The summit will see women speakers from all over the country speaking on issues that matter and that need to be spoken of. The very first of its sort, boasting impressive palette of paramount and eminent female figures like Shyamolie Singh, Fatima Nafees, Teesta Setalvad, Vrinda Gover, Irena Akbar, Prof. Roop Rekha Verma and lastly Arundhati Roy.

This intriguing mix of unprecedented women leaders will grace the varsity from 26th till 28th of March. It will be an interaction with the empowered change makers of our society, getting a very close insight into their struggles, journey towards change and progress.

In this day and age of women, their stories would definitely strike a chord within all. This celebration of women power should not be missed for its unparalleled opportunity to be inspired, implored, to connect and engage with such exceptional leaders and open oneself to enlarge their worldview and percipience.

When we bring women together at events like these, women who are clearly advancing as leaders and women who have already achieved the desired shows that we are not alone. We get a chance to hear about the struggles of being a woman.

But to witness such a positive change where women are willing to communicate in order to help each other is definitely a lesson and motivation in itself. For the first in the history of AMU, Women’s college is here to paint a sky of limitless ambitions, requesting all to gather, get set and dream.

The post AMU: WCSU to organise Women Leadership Summit 2019 appeared first on Awaam India.

Ask young children what they want to be when they grow up and the chances are that scientific jobs such as astronaut and doctor will appear high on the list. But ask them to draw a scientist and they are more than twice as likely to draw a man than a woman. Children can form these kinds of biases from many sources. But perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised to see such an absence of women scientists in children’s drawings when the illustrations we show them are often just as bad.

Our study of imagery in children’s science books reveals that women are significantly underrepresented. In the physical sciences in particular, the pictures frequently fail to communicate women’s technical skills or knowledge. The imagery in these books gives the impression that science is a subject for men, and that careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are unrewarding for women.

Developmental theories explain that children learn gender expectations to help them to respond appropriately within their social environment. This influences their understanding of who they are and encourages them to behave in a way that is conventional for their gender.

Pictures of men and women in children’s science books contribute to these expectations by teaching them “rules” about the occupations suited to each gender. This encourages them to conform to prevailing gender career stereotypes. To counter this, female role models need to be visible in books to help develop girls’ interest in science as they get older, and overcome negative perceptions of female scientists

Where are all the women?

Our research analysed the children’s science picture books in two public libraries in England. First we counted the frequency of images of men, women, boys and girls within the 160 available books. Then we did a detailed visual analysis of two scientific professions: astronauts and doctors. In this subset of 26 books, we examined what the male and female astronauts and doctors were doing, wearing and holding in the pictures.

We found that, overall, children’s science books pictured males three times more often than females, reinforcing the stereotype that science is a man’s pursuit. The under-representation of females only worsened as the target age of the book increased. The women were generally depicted as passive, lower status and unskilled – or their presence was not acknowledged at all.

For example, one children’s book about space exploration shows what’s involved in a spacewalk. Along with pictures of astronauts in their white padded spacesuits, we are told: “Without a spacesuit an astronaut’s blood would boil and his body would blow apart.” The use of male pronouns suggests the person inside the spacesuits is male.

There is no mention of the 11 courageous women who have performed spacewalks, including astronaut Sunita Williams whose image is used in the montage. As Williams’s face is covered by her helmet and the text only mentions men, it would be easy for children to think that women don’t do spacewalks.

On the pages of another book, we do see a female astronaut, pictured floating inside a space station and smiling at the camera. The qualifications and experience required to get astronauts to this point are extensive. Places on NASA’s Astronaut training programme are highly competitive with thousands of applications each year. But in the book, the woman’s training, expertise and knowledge are not mentioned.

Instead, the picture caption reads: “In zero G, every day is a bad hair day.” Comments like this that focus on women’s looks fail to take their contributions seriously. What’s more, research shows that emphasising appearance in science role models can reduce school girls’ self-rated ability or make scientific jobs seem unobtainable to them.

Our study also found important differences between subject disciplines. In physics books, 87% of images were of men or boys, and in the few pictures where female astronauts were pictured, they were never shown driving shuttles, doing experiments or spacewalking. Books about biology, in contrast, did have an even balance of images of men and women – and female doctors are shown carrying out the same activities and having the same status as male doctors.

Why this matters

You might think that imagery isn’t important, that the messages in pictures or illustrations are trivial. A multi-billion pound advertising industry disagrees with you. Advertising rarely provides detailed arguments for products or services but this doesn’t make its messages less powerful. Instead, adverts rely on persuasion through peripheral cues, such as by exemplifying appealing lifestyles and using imagery depicting the rewards of status or respect.

In the same way, children’s books advertise career choices, and their imagery communicates what it means for men and women to be associated with these occupations. Women need to be present in children’s science books to demonstrate that all science subjects are fulfilling for girls.

Research shows that, even before children go to school, they have the idea that men are better at male-dominated professions. Given that girls as young as eight are often put off maths and science by teachers and parents, it is perhaps no surprise that only 20% of A-level students taking physics are female. Interviews with successful female scientists have shown that girls do seek out role models in science, but are often unable to find them.

As such, it’s vital that imagery in children’s books is given greater consideration. Book editors and illustrators need to make significant efforts to represent women as qualified, skillful and technically able. They need to be pictured actively engaging in scientific activities and using appropriate tools or equipment, not merely present as assistants or observers. Women also need to be represented in greater numbers so that girls can see female role models in STEM professions and see these careers as potentially rewarding.

Parents, teachers and librarians – along with authors, illustrators and publishers – should review their books for gendered messages. Question what the images are teaching children and ask what career aspirations the books might be igniting or quashing.

Dr Susan Wilbraham, Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology, University of Cumbria and Elizabeth Caldwell, Academic Skills Tutor, School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Huddersfield

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

The post Children’s books are adding to science’s gender problem appeared first on Awaam India.

I want to share a thought that has been on my mind for a while. We’re grateful for all the love and support that we have received for our cause. We get numerous messages from people across the country saying how proud they are, how much they are inspired by us and how much they love and adore us. In particular, I get messages from a lot of women who say how much it inspires them to see someone just like them in active public life.

I also get messages from a lot of men saying that they would want their daughters and other women to be like me. At times, when we are visiting someone’s house, especially in smaller towns, the men will even go to the extent of telling their daughters that they must be like me, or even using me as an example to berate his wife for being concerned only with clothes or weddings, and “not taking up the cause of the community”.

Often enough, in these households, the women are performing all the traditional gender-assigned roles: bringing roti after roti while we eat or staying in the kitchen throughout the visit, while we relish the food made by them. I often have to step into the kitchen in order to talk to the women who are too shy or overawed to even talk to me, let alone talk to the gathering! Needless to say, this is more a feature of Muslim homes where the hospitality is amazing, but the gender-segregation is shocking.

Growing up in Kashmir, I wasn’t used to this, and I often thought that segregation is a myth. However, interacting with Muslim families across the country has convinced me that segregation is real and thriving. Now, these same families who look up to me as a leader would never want their own women in the role that I’m in. Or, in other cases, they would want them to be as “committed to the cause of the community“ as I am, but would never think of what it entails.

Leadership, for men, is a black box. A woman has to decide, at every step, what she should and shouldn’t do. Going to a riot-affected area for a 3-day visit? Going to a late-night TV show? Going to work? Taking a cab late night? Being the only woman on a political tour? Travelling alone across state and national boundaries? Should I? Shouldn’t I?

Since women leaders do not mostly talk about these things, women leadership is a mystery, a black box, some kind of rocket science to most. Now, it is clear that our community cannot progress until/unless women are equally empowered and allowed to develop and grow. Just like our country cannot progress without the development and growth of every section and every community. But the question is: will the community allow women to do everything that is required to lead?

It is difficult to lead. It is doubly difficult for women to lead, because we have to make calculations about clothes/stalkers/appearances/monthly period, etc. that men do not have to make. Women leaders need additional support from their families, they need additional freedom of mobility and freedom from traditional gender roles.

Now, gentlemen, while you admire women leaders who are already making a mark, please understand that you need to develop and empower women in your own family who are capable of leading. Not only are they NOT supported by their families, they even have to face social boycott if they decide to speak up – case in point being Ishrat Jahan who fought against the practice of triple talaq!

This advice is also for non-Muslim men who admire my leadership. Now, I have left behind a lucrative career because I have experienced oppression first-hand. Most of you would not let your daughters take up activism because – well, that is something that women from “good families” (elite or upper-caste Hindu families) do not do. Only jholawallahs like us should do that.

So, gentlemen, when I get messages of admiration from you, it feels great, but if you show up for a protest or a political meeting without your wife or daughter or sister, there’s slight condescension in your admiration.

In India, since Independence, the number of women Parliamentarians has never been more than 10-12% – this is not an accident. It is a result of these structural barriers to women’s participation in public life. Also, if women are not treated as equals in society, violence against women will thrive. So, don’t get surprised when women are raped, abused and harassed – it is a result of inequality in power and NOTHING ELSE.

I’m not going to paint you a rosy picture – activism is difficult and, unless you don’t sacrifice enough, you cannot be in leadership positions. Not only is the sacrifice involved personal, your family also makes a lot of sacrifices to accommodate your unusual lifestyle and needs. If you want more women to lead, share in the household work, share the burden of child-rearing, cook, clean and assist your partner, plan your family according to her goals.

If women are not urgently empowered and represented in positions of leadership, don’t expect your daughters and sisters to be safe from sexual violence or gender-based violence. The power imbalance between men and women is highly unnatural, skewed and perverted. In such an environment, we’ll always have oppression of women and sexual violence. Hope this makes sense. Peace out!

This is a facebook post that appeared on the timeline of Shehla Rashid.

The post Will the Community allow Women to do everything that is required to Lead? appeared first on Awaam India.

 

Arrest the killers of Gauri Lankesh

New Delhi, 5th Sept. 2017: ANHAD is deeply anguished at the assassination of Gauri Lankesh, noted journalist and intrepid activist. We condemn in the strongest terms possible this act of cowardice by her killers who wish to spread fear and suppress dissent. ANHAD will not let this shock dampen our intent to fight the forces that she took on.

It is well-known that Gauri Lankesh had consistently opposed right-wing forces, despite the threats and court cases she had to face. As the editor of ‘Lankesh Patrike’, a Kannada weekly, she had continued to raise her voice against communalism and casteism.

As a leading voice against majoritarian and undemocratic politics and one that fearlessly stood for the freedom of expression in India, her passing away is a severe shock for those dedicated to a secular and just India. Her death is yet another reminder of how grim the situation is and the urgent need for peaceful resistance.

We demand immediate arrest of those behind the assassination.

In solidarity,
Amrita Nandy, Ovais Sultan Khan

 

ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy)
C5, Basement, Nizamuddin West, Delhi – 110013
Tel: 011-41670722
Email: [email protected]

The post ANHAD: Arrest the killers of Gauri Lankesh appeared first on Awaam India.

रसोईघर में

सारा काम समेटती रहती थीं

और पिता की थपकियाँ

मुझे सुलाने की

नाकाम कोशिशें करती थीं

तब मेरी आँखों में नींद

नदारद नहीं होती थी माँ

लेकिन अपने पास तुम्हारे होने के

एहसास के बग़ैर

कैसे सो जाती मैं?

तुम्हारे उन गरम हाथों के

अपने माथे पर

स्पर्श के बग़ैर

कैसे सो जाती मैं?

बस तुम्हारे रसोईघर से कमरे में

आ जाने भर की देरी थी माँ।

तुम्हें कभी बताया तो नहीं मैंने

लेकिन आज सोचती हूँ

उन नींद भरी आँखों में

इंतज़ार की आस लिए जो

बचपन की तमाम रातें गुज़ारी मैंने

क्या वो मुझे तुम्हारी ज़िन्दगी की थकन,

कमज़ोर हो गयी आँखें,

जोड़ों का दर्द,

दिन-रात खटते रहने पर भी

कभी न खतम होने वाले काम को भी

बेहद सलीके से

निपटा देने के हुनर को

समझ पाने की सलाहियत दे पायेंगी?

तुम्हारे ब्याह के बाद के जीवन के

भीतर तक भेद देने वाले

अध्यायों  को पढ़कर भी

तुम्हारी तरह मुस्करा कर

सब दर गुज़र कर देने की

हिम्मत आ पायेगी मुझमें?

किस क़दर अँधेरे को ओढ़कर

ज़िम्मेदारियों का ताज पहन

अपने हिस्से से खुशियाँ बीनकर

कहीं और रख आयीं तुम।

अब एक ही सवाल रह गया है-

इस मायूसी और

दर्द में गुथी हुई ज़िन्दगी में

पैरों तले जन्नत लिए

कैसे फिरती हो माँ,

बताओ न।

उज़्मा सरवत ‘बीनिश’ अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम विश्विद्यालय में मनोविज्ञान में स्नातक कर रही हैं. वह विश्विद्यालय के “यूनिवर्सिटी डिबेटिंग एंड लिटरेरी क्लब” की सदस्य हैं.

The post [कविता] पैरों तले जन्नत | उज़मा सरवत appeared first on Awaam India.

.

स्पन्दन में चिर निस्पन्द बसा

क्रन्दन में आहत विश्व हँसा

नयनों में दीपक से जलते,

पलकों में निर्झारिणी मचली!

.

.

मेरा पग-पग संगीत भरा

श्वासों से स्वप्न-पराग झरा

नभ के नव रंग बुनते दुकूल

छाया में मलय-बयार पली।

.

.

मैं क्षितिज-भृकुटि पर घिर धूमिल

चिन्ता का भार बनी अविरल

रज-कण पर जल-कण हो बरसी,

नव जीवन-अंकुर बन निकली!

.

.

पथ को न मलिन करता आना

पथ-चिह्न न दे जाता जाना;

सुधि मेरे आगन की जग में

सुख की सिहरन हो अन्त खिली!

.

.

विस्तृत नभ का कोई कोना

मेरा न कभी अपना होना,

परिचय इतना, इतिहास यही-

उमड़ी कल थी, मिट आज चली!

.

The post मैं नीर भरी दुख की बदली ! | महादेवी वर्मा appeared first on Awaam India.

Students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) organised a solidarity march as a part of the global “One Billion Rising Revolution.” The march commenced from the Maulana Azad Library’s canteen and came to a halt at the University gate, Bab-e-Syed.

The One Billion Rising Revolution (OBR) was started in 2012 as a part of the V-Day Movement. This movement was an initiative of Eve Ensler who started it as a protest against rape and sexual violence against women. The “Billion” in the name refers to the statistics given by the United Nations (UN), according to which one in three women are raped or beaten in their lifetime, or about one billion.

The OBR is coordinated in South Asia by Kamla Bhasin. Approximately a number of one hundred and fifty students of Aligarh Muslim University participated in the march.

“Throughout the world every year on the 14th of February since 2012, men and women rise up and campaign to their government and the media to end gender violence which includes exploitation, rape and harassment. This year, we students at AMU took this initiative and along with the teachers organized the one billion rising movement to show our solidarity in support of ending sexual violence.” Kaneez Fizza, PhD Economics scholar at AMU, said.

The march began at the historic Maulana Azad Library’s canteen, where students of the University gave speeches and recited poems in the support of women’s rights, both self-composed and from the pens of luminaries such as Maya Angelo.

---

The One Billion Rising Revolution (OBR) was started in 2012 as a part of the V-Day Movement. The “Billion” in the name refers to the statistics given by the United Nations (UN), according to which one in three women are raped or beaten in their lifetime, or about one billion.

---

“On this day of love, we tried extending love and solidarity to all women who’ve been a victim of harassment, injustice, patriarchy and even denied basic human rights. OBR is to empower and appreciate all such women across the globe. We marched today to tell them that we are united with them.” Hiba Kakul, a student of MBA, said. Another PhD scholar Lubna Irfan said “I was a part of this movement because I wish to be a part of a world where women won’t be limited because of the fear of violence and harassment to them. This march was a part of a global movement and we at Aligarh wanted to register our presence and create a sense of awareness.”

The group of youngsters with zeal marched down the road to the famous Baab-e-Syed, holding aloft placards and shouting slogans, and once at the majestic gate, more students recited their poems.

“I believe that we shouldn’t shut our fellow students up in hostels under the excuse of safety. I believe that women should be treated like people and not cattle to be put back in the farm at dusk. It is important to have a dialogue relating to these issues.” Omar Khursheed a student at Aligarh Muslim University said.

Photo: Facebook

A large crowed from the Women’s College also turned up. Marking that the times are indeed changing and girls are coming out of their comfort zone to make a point of their own and take a stand. Zahra Sherwani, a student of Psychology (hon.) at Women’s College said “The exploitation of women is harrowingly rampant. If we want to retain the label of humanity, we need to come together to address this palpable issue. This march embodies our spirit to strive for emancipation of women.”

After a few songs and speeches, the march returned to the library, to reminisce about a few hours spent fighting the forces that have spent the better part of its century of existence stifling women within the university.

“This event was a reminder to the male section of our society. We have to take a stand for women, not only outside our homes but also inside them.” Mohammad Anas, a student of English Literature said.

---

The post March for ‘One Billion Rising Revolution’ at AMU appeared first on Awaam India.

The post शर्मसार कर देने वाली घटनाएं | तल्हा मन्नान खान appeared first on Awaam India.

James Garrison in October last of this year wrote Muhammad was A Feminist, a bold piece on HuffPost. Comparing various founders of world religions, Garrison puts, ‘Muhammad was easily the most radical and empowering in his treatment of women. Arguably he was history’s first feminist’.

Muraden Gharibon ki bar lanay wala

Museebat mein ghairon kay kaam aanay wala

Woh apnay paraye ka gham khanay wala

The post Revisiting Prophet Muhammad’s Quest for Empowered Women | Naved Ashrafi appeared first on Awaam India.

Snowy Rahi | December 02, 2016

The post [AMU] ‘The rules will be revised’, says Provost of Girls’ Hostel appeared first on Awaam India.