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- Convenors:
-
Yoko Fujikake
(Yokohama National University)
Sameera Maiti (University of Lucknow)
- Location:
- 202
- Start time:
- 15 May, 2014 at
Time zone: Asia/Tokyo
- Session slots:
- 3
Short Abstract:
The present panel aims at relating the three important concepts of empowerment, development & quality of life in the context of women, who are recognised universally as a disadvantaged group despite endeavours at international, national and local levels to provide them an equal position with men.
Long Abstract:
Just as beauty is not an area of reality but its aspect, so too is quality in relation to life. This is further asserted by the WHO which defines Quality of Life as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, personal beliefs, social relationships and their relationship to salient features of their environment." These statements indicate the importance and far reaching effects of QoL on an individual. The principles of humanity, equality and justice assume that individuals are entitled to enjoy and improve their existing QoL. But such uniformity of opportunity does not exist and that is why one speaks of 'empowering' the weaker sections and developing special policies to bring them at an equal footing with the national mainstream. Empowerment attempts to make a person 'powerful' enough to take one's own decisions and lead a life of equality and respect. Further, in seeking 'development' we seek happiness and better quality of life. Thus, the three concepts, viz., empowerment, QoL and development are closely interrelated and panel proposes to bring this interrelation in the context of women, for whom it is universally accepted fact that although they contribute equally in the society's activities, their role and contributions are hardly ever recognised or acknowledged.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Yixiao Xiang (Shandong Univeristy) Dong Isbister (University of Wisconsin-Platteville)
Paper short abstract:
This proposed study argues that in the context of urbanization, land loss, and land use regulations for the rural area in China, serving tourism as an alternative livelihood strategy has reshaped the rural women's life in terms of enhancing their well-being economically, socially, and psychologically.
Paper long abstract:
Urbanization, land loss, and land use regulations have made tourism services a livelihood alternative for many women in rural tourist destinations in China. The alternative has not only brought women in rural China unprecedented opportunities to participate in non-traditional economic activities but also incurred changes in their life.
The proposed study argues that rural tourism services, a livelihood alternative, have helped improve women's well-being in rural China. It uses women in two villages of the rural skirt of Jinan, China, as a specific case and employs livelihood and well-being theories to closely examine the implications of rural tourism development to the rural women's life .
Fieldwork will be conducted in the selected two villages. In addition to collecting and analyzing related documents and literature, data collecting methods will include questionnaire survey to help get an overall knowledge of women in the two villages, participatory observation, and semi-structured and unstructured interview to help get an in-depth understanding of the research subject. Methods triangulation will be employed in data presentation and interpretation.
The contribution of the study is expected in the following dimensions: 1) it is part of
a major interdisciplinary efforts between tourism and women's studies; 2) it fills the gap in both tourism and gender study literature by presenting knowledge and understanding of Chinese rural women's efforts of surviving in the changing context of urbanization, land loss, and livelihood means shift; and finally, 3) it contributes to the methodological exploration by applying research methods in geography to anthropology and gender themes.
Xiaoli Wang (Tsinghua University) Chao Zhang (Tsinghua University)
Paper short abstract:
With a feminist perspective, in the public administration domain, this paper constructs an interpretative framework of "gendered membership".
Paper long abstract:
In the process of China's rural community and land stock cooperation reform, the key is to identify villagers' "membership". While in practice, rural women's legal rights have often been expropriated, which not only harmed women's identify, physical and mental health, but also formed a strong obstacle for the country's New Urbanization Reform. With a feminist perspective, in the public administration domain, this paper constructs an interpretative framework of "gendered membership", including community boundary clarification, household registration system transformation and population migration, land policy evolvement and resource attribute, village self-governance and patriarchy traditional customs.
Yoko Fujikake (Yokohama National University)
Paper short abstract:
In emergency and reconstruction aid and in the field of BOP (Base of the pyramid) business ventures, aid insufficient attention is still being paid to gender considerations. For women’s empowerment, it is also necessary to consider gender mainstreaming in theses issue.
Paper long abstract:
In emergency and reconstruction aid and in the field of BOP (Base of the pyramid) business ventures, aid insufficient attention is still being paid to gender considerations. This is happening against the background of three factors: first, Gender and Development (GAD) policies have been depoliticized as they have been implemented in a top-down approach and institutionalized, with the same recurring in the GAD policies of other countries; second, assertion of "gender mainstreaming has been accomplished" has led to the scaling back of gender equality due to the distorted connection between the backlash faction in Japan and the institutionalization issues; third, and related to the second point, the perception that "gender mainstreaming has been accomplished" has precipitated budget cuts impacting GAD policies.
To overcome the above issues, the author advocates on distinguishing between GAD in a narrow sense and GAD in a broad sense. Even though in reality it is difficult to cleanly separate the two senses completely, misguided criticism can be avoided by distinguishing between them for the sake of convenience. This distinction is also helpful to highlight gender issues on site and facilitate concrete discussions for the practice of assistance.
There is a large discrepancy between the position that "gender has been mainstreamed" and the actual accomplishments of gender equity initiatives in the field. The Möbius strip connection between the tale of "accomplishment" and the argument of the pro-backlash people (Fujikake, 2011b) should not impede the advancement of people structurally relegated to subordinate roles in societies needing assistance. For women's empowerment, it is necessary to consider about Gender Mainstreaming in theses area.
Swati Akshay Sachdeva (Sikkim University) Winnie Bothe (Lund University)
Paper short abstract:
This research looks into how processes of traditionalizing Buddhism affects gender stigmatization within the monastic world in the Himalayan region. Concretely, it investigates the religious space for annies to take on a role as religious practitioners as well as position in the monastic hierarchy.
Paper long abstract:
Buddhism is often promulgated as an egalitarian and gender neutral religion by mainstream Buddhist scholars. It is commonly believed that gender divisions had little importance during the time of the Buddha, who was known to view women as equally important to religious practice as men. As such, during the time of its origin Buddhist culture and practices did not seem to relegate women to a religiously inferior status relative to men. However, what is found in everyday contemporary practise, is that Buddhism, like other religions, for instance Hinduism, also has strong patriarchal connotations. Gender hierarchies within Buddhism have a broader cultural impact upon the social attitudes of women. However, a feminist dialogue between members of Buddhist communities across the globe puts forward a new agenda. They encourage critical reflection upon the unequal and oppressive gender hierarchies within Buddhist tradition and also within Buddhist societies themselves. This dialogue in particular highlights how a traditionalised idea of Buddhism tends to place the annies in a position of inferiority. A review of the literature on Himalayan annies of Sikkim and Bhutan reveals that very little has been written on their role in monastic culture and their position in the monastic hierarchy. This research will look into how processes of traditionalizing Buddhism affects gender stigmatization within the monastic world in the himalayan region. Concretely, it investigates the religious space for annies to take on a role as religious practitioners as well as position in the monastic hierarchy.
Saroj Arora (LBS National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie)
Paper short abstract:
Women constitute half of the world's population and produce between 60 to 80 per cent of the food in developing countries but they are frequently denied the right to own and inherit property.
Paper long abstract:
Gender discrimination in land ownership in productive assets such as land can be seen all over the world. This has a direct bearing on women's status and places them at disadvantaged situation in terms of securing a place to live and maintaining resources for their livelihood. One of the significant reasons for this was found gender unequal laws/policies and also the prevailing socio-cultural value system. In practice, few women own productive resources, even fewer effectively control it. Women own less than 10 per cent of the world's property. The UN Research Institute for Social Development mentions that there has been considerable progresses post 1990s in making formal laws pertaining to landed property more gender equitable. Many developing countries have enacted laws, framed policies and amended constitutions to guarantee rights of women on an equitable basis. In order to empower women economically, some of the Indian states have initiated a scheme of providing concession in the stamp duty including registration fee to women registering property in their name. The programme is based on the basic premise that ownership of productive resources by women would make them socially and economically secured, reduce the chances of domestic violence and enable them n their empowerment. The paper is an attempt to see the impact of the Scheme in the empowerment of women in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Richa Chowdhary (University of Delhi)
Paper short abstract:
This paper will focus on those dimensions of women's life which are related to a learning disability of their children. How to cope up to lead to extend empowerment within themselves towards the need. An understanding of this problem is a must, so that they can live their life as normal as others.
Paper long abstract:
A study was conducted on urban mothers of Gaziabad City to assess their level of awareness regarding cause, treatment, and remediation of learning disability. The result revealed majority of women/ mothers had very little knowledge about this kind of disability.
Today it has become one of the most challenging fields in special education. It has become imperative to empower mothers regarding this hidden disability as mother being main, primary caretaker of the child, so. if they become empowered by skills and special characteristics of this illness then at least they can identify warning signs for early detections of the problem.
But unfortunately their unawareness of the right methodology in the treatment of such children keeps them away from providing possible assistance. Primary detection also leads to development of effective early intervention strategies that in turn improve the child's chances of future education successes, with less requirement of special training education services in coming life (years) of child and also give boost in his/her self esteem too.
So in results we can easily make out the importance of early diagnosis to take preventions and knowledge about this kind of disability in children for their better future prospects. And we have to recognize this area as prioritized area of prevention and treatment for any child and mother who is suffering from this situation and also there is a need to take up this challenge and EMPOWER care taker mothers on different aspect of disability.
Diwakar Singh Rajput (Dr H S Gour Central University India)
Paper short abstract:
Keywords: Women's Empowerment, Human Resource, Education, Vocational Training, Human Rights, Social Awareness, Rural and Tribal Livelihood, Women Entrepreneurship, Community Development through Polytechnic (CDTP), Self Help Group (SHG), Sustainable Rural Development
Paper long abstract:
The present study has been undertaken to find out the relationship between Entrepreneurship, Vocational Training, Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Rural Development. Women learn about new techniques for skill development through education, training and awareness. They take the various ways of awareness, action and equality. This is a good exercise for Rural Development as well as Women's Empowerment.
The main findings of the study are that the education, training, awareness and active participation are the major ways for socio-economic and political empowerment. Women learn more by the participation in SHGs, CDTP and other skill devilment training programmes. They learn how to read and write and how to communicate. Entrepreneurship and Vocational Training programs are very helpful in the way of Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Rural Development.
Dr Bhawna (L.b.s P.g College,mugalsarai.)
Paper short abstract:
We are on the threshold of the 21st century; India has witnessed a drastic change in women’s empowerment. However Indian women have to go a long way in attaining gender equality and justice. For the survival of democratic policies, the participation and political awareness of women is essential.
Paper long abstract:
The present paper deals with the political awareness among Gond women as it lead the way to women's empowerment. There are many studies on cultural, social and economic fields but the political awareness among Gond tribal women is not included in most of the studies. For this purpose, I have selected 100 Gond women from Mandla District (M.P) and 10 Gond women for case study.
Objectives-
To determine -
1. The level of political participation in Panchayat, State Assembly and Parliament.
2. The influence of personal, social and economic factors.
3. Women empowerment through political awareness and participation.
4. The impact of 73rd Indian Constitution amendment.
The paper comes up with important suggestions for the women empowerment that political parties should motivate, educate and mobilize the Gond women to participate in Panchayat Raj, State Assembly and Parliament and make them aware of their responsibilities towards nation as they actively participated in Chutka movement.
If Gond women come out of their shell to participate in politics and share the power, they will have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts in order to be recognized and make their presence felt.