------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------- George Pinto wrote:
No, all things being equal it would be superficial. However, women have not had things equal, theyhave been and continue to be marginalized either legally or in practice. This discrimination starts in the home, continues in schools and the workplace. Institutions discriminate in theirpractices like the White House which has never had a woman or non-white President. The entire system is set up for a white male to be elected. And so on.... So when a woman gets to the top it is still a rarity and is to be celebrated. Notwithstanding their brilliance, their gender is to be noted too on these very rare occasions. Btw, there is only 1 woman out of 40 MLAs in Goa, de facto and prima facie evidence of a system stacked against and discriminating against women. A truly egalitarian structure would be closer to 50-50%, reflecting the general population. Regards, George .................................. When I was in Paro-Bhutan to facilitate and document an International Conference of mountain women the world over, we came across what I then thought was unique to Bhutan. The women ran all the small businesses...from grocery shops to tavernas...and the 'room boys' were actually girls. However, when the business upscaled to become a departmental store or a hotel, the men took over. Back in India, we see 33 % reservations for women at the Panchayat, Municipality and Zilla Panchayat level BUT at the the State Legislative Assembly and Parliament level [even in the nominated membership of the Rajya Sabha or Senate], it is mostly a man's world. We have Indian women heading MNC conglomerates and even going on space missions. We have had a lady Prime Minister in Indira Gandhi and Chief Ministers from Shashikala Kakodkar to Jayalalitha to Uma Bharati and now to Vasundhara Raje and Mayawati, yet somewhere in the back of our MCP minds we think that women are not capable. Pratibha Patil Shekhawat has impecable credentials: 23 years of MLA, including 15 years as Minister and 5 years as Leader of Opposition; 5 years of Rajya Sabha MP including 2 years as Deputy Chairperson [next post after Vice-President of India, held by only one other woman, Najma Heptullah]; member of the Lok Sabha and now 2 years plus as a Governor in a BJP ruled state where she has had the courage to return an 'anti-conversion' back to the legislative Assembly and is now monitoring with a massive Gujjar uprising in the state, with socio-political implications for the entire Hindi-speaking Indo-Gangetic plains. Yet, hardly anyone has heard of her...or criticism of her functioning. Being a wife of a Rajasthani Shekhawat, she takes the air out of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's caste appeal. Being a Maharastrian, Marathi-speaking Patil, she gets the natural support of the Shiv Sena and NCP. Being the first woman with striking distance of the President's post since Najma Heptullah, she is a threat to BJP's stand on Women's Reservation Bill. If M.Karunanidhi is the one who first thought of her, than she has the Southern comfort, too. The Congress, DMK and the Leftists cannot be wrong....even if they are not the ultra Right like the BJP. Viva India. Miguel
