Maya, I'm afraid you made this statement( though at a particular juncture and in an attempt to clarify your point that the majority of uneducated poor women are too preoccupied with saving themselves from the brutality within and outside their homes to be able to think of what gender and sexuality mean): "They don't even know what gender and sexuality mean. They jsut want some way first, to save themselves from the brutality that they face from men inside or outside house. So first the gradual changing steps still would have to be fllowed."
This could indeed, convey a mood of saying like "they don't understand as we do". The intention of my post however,is not just to point out this. Apart from acknowledging the need to draw strength from and lend more strength to such initiatives as pennkodathi, will the fighters for women's cause in Kerala continue to keep their silence about demand for equal citizenship? If you were suggesting that struggle for equality doesn't find a place even in the wildest imaginations of the most oppressed and poor women as it occurs in the case of so called liberated women, I like to counter it, because it is just the other way round. Let democratically minded people in one voice demand to the Women's Commission, custodians of law and order , law makers, courts , protectionist-minded political parties, media and few NGOs working on women front: Stop Propagating the Biggest Lie That Safety of Woman Lies In Restricting Her Civic Freedoms. Stop Adding Insult to Injury. Regards, Venu. On Mar 7, 11:07 pm, Maya <maya.sssmgu2...@gmail.com> wrote: > Did I make a notion of ' they dont understand' mood in the mail? ! When I > read the earlier mail by ranju I thought my explanation for such programs is > clear though not all may agree with it.But here it becomes as if accusing > for being part of "modern" ways of perpetuating violence by sympatrhising > etc! Or, may be I dont understand this mail ! > > But I agree- 'the struggles of women not exposed to feminist thought also > should be considered and respectd and will give strenght to women;s > movemnt...' Still we have to note, I think, those personal struggles which > are just momentary for solving one`s own problem without any feminist view > (or politics?, may be not necessary) would any time become contradictory. > Or was this statement pointing out the women`s struggles in the > marxist/maoist/ religious/the like of social movements? ! > > On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:28 AM, ranju radha <ranjura...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > venuattan, > > > i was not refering to ur mail. rather making a general statement in the > > context of maya's mail. > > this sympathy and love for the marginalised has been the hallmark of > > "modern" ways of perpetuating violence. (look at the State/Party/Womens > > commsn/etc all love the marginalised..) > > reference to pink came bz of the way feminist movemnt was guided recetnly > > as per NORM > > and the normative silence towards incidents where identity of some Other > > women were attcked > > just wanted to point out that the struggles of women not exposed to > > feminist thought also should be considered and respectd > > and will give strenght to women;s movemnt... > > > On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 9:34 AM, venukm <kmvenuan...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> An error corrected: > >> Y chromozome is only 1/5 th of the X > >> On Mar 7, 8:53 am, venukm <kmvenuan...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > But it's not bad to work toward feminizing the human..Masculine in the > >> > biological angle is only a modification of the X to somewhat inferior Y > >> > (about half the size of the stronger X, according to scientists) ,only > >> > for the purpose of propagating the race. If you don't want to > >> > propagate the race for some good, forget Y and think of the > >> > desirability of X. > >> > Sreeni, I would say that all other divisions of masculine and feminine > >> > are socially constructed and certainly need to be challenged . Esp > >> > after the crashing in of queer theory by Judith Butler in the gender > >> > discourse,the entire orientation has changed .According to > >> > Butler,there is only very small difference between the so called > >> > male,female and the trans when we consider both from a biological and > >> > social perspective. Therefore, there is absolutely no point in our > >> > disproportionate celebrations of masculine and feminie. > >> > So, de-gendering (feminizing, in a sense) is not only desirable, but > >> > it is also vitally needed for maintaining any hope for the future of > >> > the human race. It simply helps curing the tendency of gendered humans > >> > to gravitate to power and violence. > > >> > On Mar 7, 8:00 am, "sreenivas v.p" <sreenivas_...@yahoo.co.in> wrote: > > >> > > Hi Maya , > >> > > Any forms of feminism that discard the ideas of "masculinity " and > >> "femininity " > >> > > is rubbish . Gender equality cannot be applied if we ignor the basic > >> needs of men and women with respect to their sexuality . I think feminists, > >> to a certain extent has contaminated the womanly qualities . > >> > > and i dont think you are fighting for equality . What you want is > >> feminisation of the world . > >> > > regards > >> > > sreenivas > > >> > > --- On Fri, 6/3/09, Maya <maya.sssmgu2...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > From: Maya <maya.sssmgu2...@gmail.com> > >> > > Subject: [GreenYouth] Re: March-8-Interntional Women` Day > >> > > To: greenyouth@googlegroups.com > >> > > Date: Friday, 6 March, 2009, 10:43 PM > > >> > > This is a program to speak out the limitations of WC and the drawbacks > >> of existing law nd order , as far as I could understand. I participate as I > >> think there is space to bring out the issues of patriarchy, gender and > >> sexuality too gradually. Or I think feminist activists should try to make > >> such a space in such programs. > > >> > > On Fri, Mar 6, 2009 at 9:49 PM, venukm <kmvenuan...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > I didn't mean that one or other doesn't understand those questions . > >> > > On the contrary, I wanted to raise a few questions about the > >> > > calculative silence ,or rather, > >> > > the conspiracy of silence of the opinion makers including prominent > >> > > fighters for women's cause. > >> > > In spite of having fought many a successful battle on the issue of > >> > > peedanam for nearly two and a half decades, > >> > > the fighters for women's rights cause here in Kerala do not want to > >> > > address > >> > > the core question;ie, the issue of gender justice vis a vis full > >> > > citizenship, > >> > > This is esp true in the context of sexuality and autonomy over body. > >> > > I'm sure Maya has not missed the advertisement by the WC, issued in > >> > > service of women as tips for their protection against violence. > >> > > It is mainly addressed to the middle class women and women who have > >> > > access to the internet, mobile phone and the 'outlandish' concepts of > >> > > fashion and beauty. It warns against women falling prey to > >> > > globalization. > >> > > It virtually ignores the plight of the women Maya had been referring > >> > > to, who are in fact much more exposed to outright violence and rape > >> > > within and outside the family in their day to day lives...In many > >> > > cases they are mercilessly thrown in the hands of racketeers by their > >> > > own relatives and yet it is they who they are warned against 'misuse' > >> > > of mobile phones and the internet. > >> > > If my understanding is correct, it is not the poor girls/ women who > >> > > are"misusing".It would be more accurate to say that in the course of > >> > > genuine use of these gadgets, there are chances of being victimized > >> > > through the misuse by gangsters. In that sense, even while > >> > > legitimately seeking entertainment and pleasure through the cyber > >> > > world, one has reasons to be warned. Girls wearing genes, visiting > >> > > pub, using the internet ,using mobile phones themselves need not be > >> > > the causes of peedanam. On the contrary, what the cultural elite > >> > > advices the ill-educated or semi literate girls is to shun these as > >> > > pitfalls created by the forces of globalization . Again, authenticity > >> > > to express as individuals is arbitrarily denied to these category of > >> > > women. > >> > > It is embarrassing that the chair persons of the state and the > >> > > central commissions for women have gone on record > >> > > denigrating questions of sexuality as central to the problem of > >> > > peedanam. > >> > > Unfortunately, despite her understanding of the issue in right > >> > > perspective, Maya argues that majority of women are yet not > >> > > enlightened enough to express as individuals sans wifes/daughters/ > >> > > sisters, as persons with rights to citizenship! > >> > > This is the crux of the issue. Written law is one thing and the > >> > > unwritten law of the society and family is another. > >> > > I didn't want to belittle the importance of struggles and campaigns > >> > > like pennkodathi. > >> > > But I was only trying to whether they would ever be able to guide or > >> > > lead the women on the lines of defending their rights for sexuality > >> > > beyond the bounds of patriarchy. It is not just about pragmatism but > >> > > politics and gender justice. Do you (Maya) mean to say that the time > >> > > has not yet come to talk patriarchy?If yes, I beg to disagree. > >> > > Regards, > >> > > Venu. > > >> > > On 5 Mar, 22:03, Maya <maya.sssmgu2...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > > I do understand these questions. And I know all the sentences nthis > >> notice > >> > > > were not good a all ( to be frank, it was not mine anyway, though I > >> do > >> > > > support in the program. ) And some of the feminists (including me) > >> have > >> > > > raised such questions and have discussed it even long back. But, I > >> think we > >> > > > have to see some realities. > >> > > > Having autonomy over own bodies and not being labelled as victims - > >> are > >> > > > meant for *already liberated women*.( > >> educated/employed//upper-middle > >> > > > class/ideological/political/social -individual women and groups of > >> them) > >> > > > Women who are never exposed to the feminist thought are many in > >> Kerala ( > >> > > > India in general, I would say). And among women from that large > >> category , > >> > > > there are many who literally suffer ' peedanam' as a vidhi. And they > >> cry out > >> > > > just because their bodies are injured and because they are afraid of > >> loosing > >> > > > life. They do file cases and fail and sometimes become helpless with > >> their > >> > > > superstitions and stigma etc. > >> > > > I dont think time has changed that much taht we should only do talk > >> to them > >> > > > about being " active individuals/ collectivities > >> > > > fighting , challenging the male regime of gender and sexuality on > >> the > >> > > > one hand, and demanding progressive reforms in education about sex > >> and > >> > > > reproduction on the other". > >> > > > They dont even know what gender and sexuality mean. They jsut want > >> some way > >> > > > first, to save themselves from the brutality that they face from men > >> inside > >> > > > or outside house. So first the gradual changing steps still would > >> have to be > >> > > > fllowed. > >> > > > Socially yes, it is high time to break the patriarchal family and > >> social > >> > > > system. But In the short time of twenty years, the women`s rights > >> has > >> > > > not fully enterd into the grass root level of society and major life > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
