Rajasekarakumar Vadapoo

Jeppiaar Engineering College, Chennai on 07/25/2012

Questions

Are women equally represented in our society?

What are the reasons behind the underrepresentation of women in our Society?

From Women's perspective

Underrepresentation!

other than EQUAL Social, Work, Family, etc.

When Women got under representation ?

http://iransnews.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/the-incomplete-story-of-human-evolution/

When …..

Invention of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution about 11,000 years ago

Ancient Egypt (3100 B.C.) Egyptian women were the equal of men under the law they could own land, manage their own property and

represent themselves in court cases. She could divorce, initiate a lawsuit to recover the assets

of the household and win the case, which did not prevent her from remarrying

There was no dowry there were women in the highest office, (Pharaoh- Palace) It was not rare for women to gain the throne in Ancient

Egypt (Hatsepsut, Neferure, Cleopatra VII (69 BCE to 30 BCE), …)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Ancient_Egypt#Women.27s_legal_equality_with_men

Present situation

US- Media: TV & radio : 6% female1

Business: fortune 500 CEO’s : 3% female 2

Construction : 1.2 % in UK 3

IT : 28% EU, 8% India (2005),18% south africa5

6% full professors are women @ IISc 4

1 http://www.womensmediacenter.com/press/entry/wmc-calls-on-fcc-to-address-underrepresentation-of-women-people-of-color-me2 http://dowser.org/leveling-the-playing-field-supporting-the-underrepresented-women-in-social-entrepreneurship/ 3 http://www.nrlconstruction.co.uk/index.php/news/141-woman-still-under-represented-in-construction 4 http://nanopolitan.blogspot.in/2006/01/women-in-science-india.html http://anitaborg.org/files/womenhightechworld.pdf

http://trak.in/tags/business/2012/03/03/indian-women-gender-equality-infographic/

Why So Few?- Science, Techology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Catherin Hill, Christianne Corbett and Andresse St. Rose. AAUW, 2010. http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/upload/whysofew.pdf

Women Vs Men- USA in STEM

Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Catherin Hill, Christianne Corbett and Andresse St. Rose. AAUW, 2010. http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/upload/whysofew.pdf

Complementary to each other

STEM- India

http://www.ias.ac.in/womeninscience/INSA_1-17.pdf

STEM employment - India

http://www.ias.ac.in/womeninscience/INSA_1-17.pdf http://www.indiaonlinepages.com/population/india-current-population.html

47% women in India @2012

Present situation-Politics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_government

Politics….

1 http://www.american.edu/spa/wpi/upload/2012-Men-Rule-Report-web.pdf 2 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2112426/India-ranks-105th-world-womens-representation-politics.html 3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states

INDIA @ rank 105 in the world- July 2012.2

China @ 60 th Pakistan @ 52nd Bangladesh @ 65th Total no. of Countries in Earth: 207: 193- UN member, 1-observer, 13 disputed states) 3 (195: US state dept.-Taiwan)

1

Politics- In USA Politics: 112th congress @ 2011 : 84% Men & Women 16%

http://www.american.edu/spa/wpi/upload/2012-Men-Rule-Report-web.pdf

Reasons for the Underrepresention

Male domination- some people still hold on to those old ideals

religious and cultural fundamentalisms

Parents/family attitudes

Attitudes and perceptions of individuals

Lack of confidence

http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.in/2011/11/womens-empowerment-and-fair-trade.html

What are the problems Women face in workplace? Lack of Role Models

Career Paths

Tough Choices: key life stage: having children –No childcare or part-time residency positions provided by the institution.

A Boy’s Club

Women’s Health

Minority Women: Besides the issues of gender, minority women must also face casteism, racism and prejudice, even, research has shown, from other minority groups.

Fashion & Clothes- West Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century. France(August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971)

Book: Chanel and Her World by Edmonde Charles-Roux http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/003clothing.html

18 th century 15 th century

20 th century- 1960’s

21st century

Comfort to wear Made them relax

13 th century

Fashion & Clothes- Tamilnadu

Source: Thanjavur, British Library, wikipedia, tamil blogs

>1800 Rajarajan II & wife 1135- 1165

1870

2010 Re. 21 st Century 1990 ~ 1995

Change of Tamil letters by time!

Place: Nayakkar makal- Madurai

Fashion- Male in Tamilnadu @ 2012

Fashion- Male in Tamilnadu

http://pazhayathu.blogspot.in/2010/05/15-famines-under-british-rule-indians.html http://www.expatica.com/de/news/news_focus/Book-blames-Churchill-for-Indian-famine-that-killed-millions_98999.html http://sribharatamatamandir.org/word/?p=133

1943 1990 2010 Future

1877 chennai

1799

1003-1009 AD

RajaRaja cholan (985-1014) Kattabomman 1877

Women’s Fighting to wear sari in Tamilnadu: 1822-1859

Trividangore Govt. order dated 26, 1859 for allowing Women to Wear sari by covering their chest

http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/த ோள்_சீலைப்_த ோரோட்டம்

Women who restrain got death sentence Women fought for 37 years

1859

Timeline of Women’s right movement

http://jenmccleary.com/2010/11/womens-rights-timeline-2010/

S.K

Demonstrations!

Struggle of “First woman” in Tamilnadu

Dr. MuthuLakshmi Reddy (1886-1968), Pudukkotai. First (girl student admitted in Men’s college, Woman house

Surgeon, Woman Legislator in British India, Chairperson of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board, Woman Deputy President of the Legislative committee, Alderwoman of the Madras Corporation)

Struggle: At the onset of puberty she was obliged to leave school Application was not welcomed by the principal of the college,

based on sex. Maharaja of Pudukkottai, somehow ignored the objection and

admitted her in the college with scholarship Her Father suggested her to become a school teacher. She entered in to Madras Medical College. In 1912: house surgeon in the Government Hospital for

Women and Children in Chennai Married in 1914 @ age of 28, with Dr. D. T. Sandara Reddy on

the demand that he promised to "always respect her as an equal and never cross her wishes.“

They married in accordance with the 1872 Native Marriage Act

She went to England for higher studies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muthulakshmi_Reddi

Achievement & Reform work of Dr. Muthulaxmi reddy the President of the All-India Women`s Conference She led the agitation for municipal and legislative franchise for women. Started AWAI home for girl orphans She passed a resolution to establish a special hospital for women and children. She recommended systematic medical inspection of students in schools&

colleges. Bill for the suppression of brothels and immoral trafficking in women and

children Opened home for women & girls rescued from brothels Hostel for Muslim girls & Socially underrepresented girls (SC/ST) Recommended the minimum age for marriage: 21 /16 for boys/girls. Inspired by Gandhi & Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, fighted for the abolision of

Pottukattuthal[ப ோட்டுக்கட்டு ல்]/ thevathasi [த வ ோசி] and aided to ban it.

Open the Canser Research Institute at Adyar, 1952. editor of Roshini, an important journal of AIWC. Book: “My Experience as a Legislature” Award: Padma Bhushan, 1956.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muthulakshmi_Reddi http://www.facebook.com/tamizachi.Author http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/த வ ோசி _முலை Book: பெண் ஏன் அடிமையானாள்- ப ரியோர். (Why Women become Slave? by Periyar)

How other societies deal with it!

Government and social effort.

Action plan- recovering from drugs

Action Plan for Women's Empowerment. Paris, 2011 Millennia2015: V01 - Women, access to information and to knowledge V02 - Strengthening women capacities V03 - Women in situation of conflict and of war V04 - Women and new participative skills V05 - Climate, ecology and respect of the environment V06 - Change of attitudes about women V07 - Women, religion and obscurantism V08 - Women and eHealth: connected medical knowledge benefiting all V09 - Women, lifelong well-being and pro-activity V10 - Women, cultural and linguistic diversity V12 - Women and girls status, relations between women/men, girls/boys in

family and in society V13 - Women, ethics and sustainable development V14 - Women, poverty and strive for daily survival V16 - Women and girls, lifelong education and training V18 - Key position for women at all power and decision levels V19 - Wom

Why its important for guys?

Ur Parents

U r a Parent

What should women do!

Women should understand their own strength

Come out of their age old ideologies Work together with others who are already

IN Remember “ U HAVE TO FIGHT FOR

YOUR RIGHT” Nothing Comes Easy Right is the one “U HAVE TO EARN IT” Always Remember: “Men of quality respect

Women’s equality”

Believe Nothing, no matter Where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and Your own common sense - Buddha. எப்ப ோருள் யோர்யோர்வோய்க் தகட் ினும் அப்ப ோருள் பெய்ப்ப ோருள் கோண் ைிவு - குைள்423:அைிவுலடலெ

Some Blogs to read about Feminism in Tamil

http://www.facebook.com/tamizachi.Author

http://linguamadarasi.blogspot.in/

http://saavinudhadugal.blogspot.in/

Acknowledgement

Ms. Monika & Ms. Maduri Kala- Meeting arrangements.

Ms. Sridevi, Mr. Vijay and Mr. Balu- Fruitful discussions.

contact

abraja.v@gmail.com

Question to Women in the Audiance

What you expect from a person (Male)/Society for your uplift?