Dear Harish: Thanks for that wonderful mail. It's really good to have the 'algorithm' to tackle this issue. I am particularly happy about voice chat, because this can help VI girls in two ways.
You have mentioned counseling. One other thing is to get expert help on self-defence. I told this group about Reshma Sharma, a blackbelt in Karate and who is actively conducting self defence programmes for women. We can invite her and have a session on the web about selfdefence for the benefit of VI girls. Similarly, we can gather experts on women rights, including women police officers to talk to VI girls and let them know how best they can protect themselves or what immediate legal aid available for them. Yes, again, as an insider, I would second what Harish has said: unless the issue is very serious we can not engage the media. Even if we do so, refrain from citing individual examples or insist the original name of the concerned individual should be concealed and photo opportunity be denied. This would help protecting them. Subramani -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Harish Kotian Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 8:37 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) Hi Smriti May I summarise from the issue you have raised: 1 The inititiative should come from girls 2 Sex education should be fascilitated 3 Martial arts should be encouraged. Now I would raise 2 more Issues / suggestions: 1 Councelling: A councelling service can be very effective in handling the situation. There would be 2 streams of councelling here: A Legal councelling B Psycological councelling. I can suggest 2 mechanisims here: a) NGO's have a councellor / fascillitator. This can also be done on an individual level, or have a service like Technical help that NAB Delhi has rescently started. B)Voice chat rooms: There is a site called www.for-the-people.com. They have a chat room called "Women in distress". Here one can talk it out and seek sharing and caring interaction. Now, there could be language and cultural issues which may not be fully relevant in our situation. In this connection I can offer a dedicated voice chat room for our Indian folks. If that you feel would be relevant, please get in touch with me on my contact info at the bottom of this mail. I'll arrange for the rest. c) An e-group on this topic can also be thought of. 2 Reaching media: In the course of this deliberation, it was suggested that we approach media to highlight this issue. In my personal opinion this will be deteramental for the 3 reasons. a) I have discussed this issue with a good number of blind women. They have said that In general sexual abuse is much less compared with able bodied women. This may be attributed to the Indian mind set. This mind set is to our favour and we better let it remain this way. If many reports show up in the media, then an opinion would be formed that this is rampant and there is nothing wrong for one to indulge in it. b) the possibility of a blind girl who desires to get married, we know her prospects are not very bright. Adverse publicity would only make her possibilities more difficult. c) Parents would resort to disuading their blind wards from going out for education, job and persuing careers. This will be the greatest disservice to blind girls. In conclusion, I am not advocating for not going to the media. However, one should make: a) make an asesment on the severity of the problem, b) Make a cost benefit analysis considering the pros and cons of it. Harish Contact info: E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell: +91 9440875914 LL: (040) 23408510 ----- Original Message ----- From: "smriti singh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 10:18 PM Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) >I agree with Tara Sir in most of the matters. But I do > not believe that without NGOS or without support of > state one movement cannot survive. For this also we > need support from our friends and masses who are > employed. They can invest little amount of fund for > this type of movements. Because they themselves belong > to this category so it is their duty to help within > category weaker section. Now I would like to remind it > is not necessary that woman should be only faminist. > Man can also talk about woman's rights. So I do not > believe any man from this group should be shut up, > with your cooperation we can empower our visually > challenged women. > One thing I would like to remind investing fund does > not mean you should go one NGO or you should give fund > to person like me. But it is necessary if any of us > could help with your earning one visually challenged > girl then they will feel empower and with such support > they also can raise their voice against that > particular institution and in the society and > whichever NGO or organization you are part of you > should raise your voice that they should make sex > education compulsory in that place. By this, visually > challenged girls would know from what they have to > protect themselves and how they have to protect > themselves. > With regard > > --- Taraprakash <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Let us try to answer some of them. >> >> 1. Can the sexual harassment of women in general and >> visually impaired women >> in particular be comprehended in isolation from the >> larger structural and >> cultural variations such as caste, class, gender, >> race, the state and other >> forms of social communities? >> >> answer. >> Not really. However, since the blind women is a very >> small minority in the >> vast multitude, with some issues not effecting their >> sighted counterparts, >> there has to be an independent consideration for >> this problem. >> Long back we have entered the age of smaller >> narratives, today there is not >> one grand truth, there are several small truths/ >> narratives. There is not >> one universal feminism there are several branches. >> The way western style >> feminism cannot and should not subsume the issues >> facing the women from >> east, the blind women in India can and should start >> a separate discourse. A >> feminist discourse not lead by the award seeking >> recognition hungry elite >> group but by the ones at the grass root level. >> >> 2. Should we reduce the gender discrimination within >> the visually impaired >> community to the existing dominant social attitude >> that considers man and >> woman as the two opposing categories? >> Answer. >> That is not possible. The two opposing categories >> are the victim and the >> predator (can even can be replaced with have's and >> have not's). In some >> cases, the exploitation of the women can even be >> happening under the >> supervision of women themselves. >> 3. While talking about various institutions for the >> visually impaired women >> it is absolutely essential to ask the question: What >> kind of institutions >> are available for women and who controls them? >> Answer. >> Who controls them is a bigger and more important >> question. If an >> organization is controlled by a pleasure seeking or >> money minded person, >> there are possibilities of ugly dealings. To >> actually find about the >> person/s who control them may be quite difficult >> sometimes. >> >> 4. Should the awareness campaign be confined only to >> the sensitization of >> women? Isn't it essential to realize the fact that >> it is men in general and >> visually impaired men in particular need to be told >> that women are not just >> the readily available sexual objects, rather they >> are also active human >> beings who deserve a meaningful and respectable >> human life with dignity? >> Answer. >> Both. However, more often it is the men who need to >> be sensitized. >> Complicity of some women in such shady stuff cannot >> be ruled out, however, >> the ultimate beneficiary is a male. >> >> 5. Shouldn't it be necessary to extend any such >> awareness campaign beyond a >> few handful of English speaking audience? >> >> Answer. >> It really is. That is where the limitation of the >> computer technology comes. >> It cannot be done by Access India, however, it can >> be done by Access >> Indians. >> >> 6. Can such awareness campaigns be materialized >> without the support of >> certain institutions like the state, advocacy >> groups, NGOs, and activist >> movements? >> Answer. >> I have made my views on this clear in an earlier >> mail. Without them you can >> have a report of academic interest, nothing more >> than that. >> Now a question from me. Can men be a voice for blind >> women? My answer is no. >> so I must shut up. >> Regards >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Vetrivel Murugan Adhimoolam" >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 8:46 PM >> Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) >> >> >> > Hi Smriti and others, >> > >> > I thought that Smriti's response in it's >> encapsulated form was >> > self-clarificatory in many ways. Although I have >> not expressed my views on >> > this so for, I have been paying close attention to >> the views of the list >> > on >> > this topic and being a male researcher specialized >> in Gender I have the >> > following views. I would like to list them in the >> form of some questions >> > so >> > as to make them thought provoking. >> > >> > 1. Can the sexual harassment of women in general >> and visually impaired >> > women >> > in particular be comprehended in isolation from >> the larger structural and >> > cultural variations such as caste, class, gender, >> race, the state and >> > other >> > forms of social communities? >> > >> > 2. Should we reduce the gender discrimination >> within the visually impaired >> > community to the existing dominant social attitude >> that considers man and >> > woman as the two opposing categories? >> > >> > 3. While talking about various institutions for >> the visually impaired >> > women >> > it is absolutely essential to ask the question: >> What kind of institutions >> > are available for women and who controls them? >> > >> > 4. Should the awareness campaign be confined only >> to the sensitization of >> > women? Isn't it essential to realize the fact that >> it is men in general >> > and >> > visually impaired men in particular need to be >> told that women are not >> > just >> > the readily available sexual objects, rather they >> are also active human >> > beings who deserve a meaningful and respectable >> human life with dignity? >> > >> > 5. Shouldn't it be necessary to extend any such >> awareness campaign beyond >> > a >> > few handful of English speaking audience? >> > >> > 6. Can such awareness campaigns be materialized >> without the support of >> > certain institutions like the state, advocacy >> groups, NGOs, and activist >> > movements? >> > >> > I think that we need to address these questions in >> order to put things in >> > perspective. >> > >> > Vetri. >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "smriti singh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > To: <[email protected]> >> > Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 2:24 AM >> > Subject: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) >> > >> > >> >> Dear list members, >> >> >> >> I don't have regular access to internet, >> otherwise I >> >> would have participated fully in the discussion. >> >> Anyway, here are my quick comments on all the >> >> responses: >> >> >> >> To begin with, I feel that not much replies have >> come >> >> on the basic issue I raised. I am actually >> talking >> >> about institutions who keep visually challenged >> girls. >> >> Either they have schools for them, or they >> provide >> > === message truncated === > > > Smriti Singh > Programme: M. Phil (English Literature) > Room # 03 > Sabarmati Hostel > Jawaharlal Nehru University > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ ____________ > Have a burning question? > Go to www.Answers.yahoo.com and get answers from real people who know. > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i n > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. 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