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Gender Perspective on Education and Peace |
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Dr. Vibhuti
Patel Abstract Peace of course can have two faces, two forms- Public and private. Peace in the community, go hand-in-hand with the peace in the family life. Hence the need to deal with domestic violence and women’s grievances. There may be an apparent stability and absence of conflict in situations of successful intense repression-beating, abuses, psychological torture wherein all dissent is brutally, immediately, and surgically suppressed. This is a condition in which only one group (men, in-laws, bully neighbours) dominates, in which women’s views and dignity is not allowed to exist. The other situation is one in which democracy and human rights reach their pinnacle in each and every core of the community and domestic lives. It is the condition in which there are always avenues of settlement of differences and disputes without a breakdown of the framework of mutual respect, recognition of the rights of the other, and belief in good faith of the ‘adversary’. It is the condition in which negotiations and persuasion are the methods of overcoming even major digressions in points of view. It is a condition in which people have the right to be different and where difference is not denied. It is also the state of affairs in which difference is not a cause of hierarchy, where the other is not the enemy or the lower or the higher being. The quest for peace is an eternal pursuit for human fulfillment. Peace or absence of antagonistic, violent, or destabilising conflict is essential for existence to become life, for survival to become human. Human beings can become human and humane only in conditions of peace. Creativity, spirituality, individual and collective achievements attain grandeur and glory only when there is peace. Qualities of compassion, forgiveness, love, sharing and universal solidarity become cherished and sought after virtuous attributes only when a community, society or nation is at peace – within and without. War on the other hand, internal or external, civil or military, declared or undeclared valorises bravery – the capacity to kill or be killed – the destruction of human life and accomplishments; it mocks compassion and conscience; it belittles refusal to erect artificial walls that divide human beings in the name of one identity or the other; it glorifies the destructive principle and devalues the principles of creation and life. The war mongers are invariably persons with few qualms of conscience, ever ready to eliminate and exterminate human life, emotions, thought, ideas, and achievements. In this context, for empowering harmony at the individual and community level, liberal humanism needs to be backed by solidarity, service and authority. Social activists like us have to organize and mobilize men, women and children to reiterate and reinforce the importance of secular values for a harmonious coexistence, to create pressure groups to condemn acts of violence and exclusion and to propagate actions and initiatives to promote peace and inclusion and to encourage, facilitate and establish similar networks/coalition of citizens to promote secular values, religious tolerance, democracy and human rights and accelerate women’s participation in secular movements striving for equality and justice. To resolve conflicts with words rather than swords. Introduction When faced with violence, women’s predicaments as survivors, as beneficiaries of violence & as peacemakers are extremely complex issues. Women’s complicity in perpetrating violence in case of female infanticide, female foeticide, dowry murders, during caste/communal/ ethnic violence and in the war-zones (Abu Grahib prison in Iraq) are widely documented. Thus, the belief that ‘women as inherently peace-lover’ is contested by the human rights movement. Women are also carriers of culture of violence. At the same time, 5000 years of patriarchal control over women’s sexuality fertility and labour makes mass of women victim of violence. Social discrimination against women results into systematic neglect of women’s health, from womb to tomb. Sexual assault, molestation, rape, sexual harassment at workplace, child sexual abuse, nuisance calls cause psychological disturbances among girls and women. The trauma of sexual violence sparks off tension and anxiety at a dangerous level. Their mental health problems are manifested in anxiety, fear, avoidance, guilt, loss of efficiency, lack of coordination, depression, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, relieving the traumatic incidents through memory, suicidal attempts, eating disorders, disturbed sleep patterns, fear of encountering such situation once again. It is found that women who undergo extreme sexual violence experience a loss of self and self-esteem following the shock inflicted on them. When there is a continuous period of traumatic stress, it becomes chronic, lessening the individual’s ability to do any kind of constructive work. Hence, this form of male violence towards women is an important issue that demands public attention. Women’s organisations have taken up this issue at a local, national and global level. Discourse on mental health of women in the family situation gained serious consideration in the context of campaign against violence against women. In domestic violence situations, predicament of women is determined by their position in power-relations vis-à-vis the rest of the family members. Many social work researches which attribute deviant behaviour of adolescent girls to their working mothers guilt trip women by narrowly focusing on single parameter and ignoring factors such as peer –pressure, media, overall standards of morality in our society and power relations in the nuclear/ joint family. Such researches are used by some counselors to cage women into domesticity and divert the attention from generation of genuine support system for developmental needs of the daughters of working mothers. Women’s rights organisations which are doing support work for women in distress have started giving due importance to counseling for peace building. The quest for peace is an eternal pursuit for human fulfilment. Peace or absence of antagonistic, violent, or destabilising conflict is essential for existence to become life, for survival to become human. Women as Survivors of Violence & Conflict Eyes raining, without mere control, Scruples hurt, thus dew drops roll. Lightened, piercing, still with grief, Forever, staring in disbelief. Hearts melting, defenses down, Afflicted feelings, all around. Timeless moments, of unending sorrow, Darkened scars, that none can borrow. Deep in hurdles, full with distress, Pleasures replaced, by pure sadness. Love's demise, of responsive pain, A day's repose, then it starts again. This poem by a survivor of violence & conflict, Ms. Lara Jesani portrays the pain and agony that every woman faced with domestic violence, communal/caste/ethnic violence and violence as a result of war. Peace Begins from Home…A Case Sturdy of Women’s Grievances Cell of Mohalla Committee Movement, Mumbai Mohalla Committee Movement (MCM) in Mumbai was formed with a firm understanding that the quest for peace is an eternal pursuit for human fulfilment. MCMs were formed in Mumbai to counter communal frenzy during Bombay riots in 1992-93. In the words of its founder member Julio Francis Ribeiro, “After the riots in Mumbai in 1992, a long term, interventionary and developmental solution was deemed necessary. The creation of Mohalla committees was one of the solutions proffered and their proliferation in various areas of Mumbai has made a measurable difference in the life of this metropolis. These committees were seen as simple, people-centred and appropriate mechanisms through which peoples’ participation in the peace process is highlighted.” MCM made a crucial contribution to restore peace and confidence among different communities. Moreover, it promoted developmental activities such as education, civic issues and programmes for youth and students. As MCM has a gender-sensitive approach and does not believe that ‘Women’s issues can wait’, it decided to focus on women- both in the community as well as in the domestic arena. Formation of Women’s Grievance Redressal Cell Women in the communities have been mainstays of the MCM. Women’s response to the proponents of ‘World Peace’ was ‘Peace begins from home’. Peace of course can have two faces, two forms- Public and private. Peace in the community, go hand-in-hand with the peace in the family life. Hence the need to deal with domestic violence and women’s grievances. There may be an apparent stability and absence of conflict in situations of successful intense repression-beating, abuses, psychological torture wherein all dissent is brutally, immediately, and surgically suppressed. This is a condition in which only one group (men, in-laws, bully neighbours) dominates, in which women’s views and dignity is not allowed to exist. The other situation is one in which democracy and human rights reach their pinnacle in each and every core of the community and domestic lives. It is the condition in which there are always avenues of settlement of differences and disputes without a breakdown of the framework of mutual respect, recognition of the rights of the other, and belief in good faith of the ‘adversary’. It is the condition in which negotiations and persuasion are the methods of overcoming even major digressions in points of view. It is a condition in which people have the right to be different and where difference is not denied. It is also the state of affairs in which difference is not a cause of hierarchy, where the other is not the enemy or the lower or the higher being. To create such condition, the MCM initiated a project- Women’s Grievance Redressal Cells (WGRC) in March 1997, first at the MIDC and on 2nd April 1998 in Andheri (E) to enable women of different communities to come together on a common platform. Distressing Condition of Women in the Community While working in the community, MCM activists realised that women were doubly oppressed, both socially and economically and hence needed an outlet to voice their grievances. Most of the women led submissive lives and suffered in silence. Ironically, even though communal harmony prevailed in the area, marital conflicts disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the families. Many of them had to face physical violence their personal lives. Even so they were apprehensive of lodging a complaint at the police station, either out of fear of society or due to fear of retaliation/ backlash from the family members, especially husbands. It was in this background that the members of MCM along with the police conceived the idea of WGRC in order to help women in distress. These Cells made the people aware of a common link between women and the community they live in. As a result, effective outreach programmes were developed and major extension activities were initiated to promote peace, communal harmony and constructive activities for area development. These Cells, being projects of MCM are working in collaboration with the local police and 3 NGOs function twice a week at the MIDC and Andheri (E) police stations. Awe inspiring experiences of these two Cells, motivated the members of MCM to start similar Cells in Bandra, Nagpada and Worli. Objectives of WGRC: 1. To work with individual women and men, families, groups and communities to create harmonious gender relations and to promote ethos of cultural pluralism. 2. To give the women a listening ear and to take cognisance of the offences perpetrated on them. 3. To coordinate with the police in cases of crimes against women. 4. To conduct training programmes/workshops for women as well as the family members on wide range of issues and themes concerning multicultural existence, developmental problems and skill and capacity enhancing projects. 5. To network with women’s organisations and other like-minded organisations for collaborative work. 6. To facilitate and mediate out of court settlements and if needed, to organise legal services for women at affordable rates. Approach of the WGRC: As the thrust of the Cell is on mediation and reconciliation, all the concerned parties are invited to the Cell and given a fair chance to voice their grievances against each other. Some of the meetings can be very time consuming. However in some cases, redressal process is shorter and cases quickly get resolved. Due to consistent activities of MCM in the community, the Women’s Cell could get easily established and legitimised as many women who approached the Cell were also the members of MCM and attended MCM meetings regularly in their respective beats. The following examples delineate the processual dimension of WGRC’s intervention: A. Easing of tension between Hafeeza Shaikh and Vimal Pawar (MIDC) For several years, Hafeeza and Vimal were at loggerheads. Even thought their fights revolved around issues such as garbage and drainage, their anger and hatred towards each other was immense. Both had lodged complaints and counter complaints against each other at the police station. But to no avail, the animosity between the two continued to prevail. Finally, the duty officer at the police station asked them to visit WGRC. On visiting the WGRC, both complained bitterly against each other. While Vimal blamed Hafeeza of witchcraft, Hafeeza blamed Vimal for provoking the fights and instigating the neighbours against her. It was evident that both did not want reconciliation. It was a Herculean task for the members of the Cell to bridge the gap between the two as they belonged to two different communities. However, after a continuous dialogue with them at the end of the third session, both agreed to bury the past and forgive each other. The Cell members were jubilant as they were able to resolve the problem that existed for many years and most importantly they were able to bring about peace in the area, especially since Hafeeza’s was the only family from the minority community living in a majority dominated area. B. Reformed Swami and relieved Vasanthi (Andheri) Vasanthi, a young girl, married C. Swamy in 2003. However, on the very next day of her marriage, her husband demanded money to set up his business. She was shattered. In order to keep her marriage intact, she borrowed a small amount of money from her father and gave it to her husband. Still he continued to harass her mentally and physically for more money. Moreover, he forcibly took her gold ornaments and sold them for a large amount of money. Torture by her husband was so her unbearable that she left her matrimonial home to live with her parents. Her parents felt so cheated by their son-in-law that they decided not to send Vasanthi back and decided to call of the marriage. It was at this point in time that distraught Vasanthi approached the Cell and related her woes to the members. Vasanthi’s husband was subsequently called to the Cell and there was a major showdown between the spouses. The members made uphill effort to seek reconciliation between them. But it was only after the second session that Vasanthi’s husband agreed to return the money and jewels and do a service job. After the third meeting both the spouses agreed to give their marriage a try and Vasanthi returned to her husband. They are in touch with WGRC and the Cell members have found that Swamy has changed for better. Nature of Grievances 1. Marital conflicts (wife-beating, extra-marital relationships, alcoholism, unemployment, financial constraints) 2. Problems concerning in-laws 3. Disputes with neighbours 4. Conflicts with kith & kin 5. Sexual problems (impotency, violent sexual encounter, pervasive and lustful behaviour) 6. Love affairs resulting into elopement & marriage 7. Divorce, desertion, maintenance, illegal second marriages Legal Intervention The cases that could not be resolved through negotiation were either referred to the family court at Bandra or to individual lawyers. Some women filed their petitions in the family court for maintenance and divorce while others sought the help of their lawyers in connection with illegal marriages, child custody and dowry demands made by their husbands. An advocate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) also helped with her legal expertise at the Cell at MIDC. Teamwork between the Police and WGRC Members In all the Cells, the police constables are a part of the team. Their presence helps WGRC to get a better insight on the problems faced by numerous women and moreover it gives an opportunity to empathise with the victims in need of help. The police also play an important role by visiting the home of the victim and inviting the spouse to the Cell for mediation. Follow-Up Work WGRC visits the homes where the conflict is of a serious nature so as to assess the prevailing situation. If the relationship continues to be strained, the spouses are once again invited to the Cell for further mediation. Empowerment of Women through Human Rights Education WGRC believes that public education is the major tool to women’s empowerment. Hence, it organised five workshops on gender sensitisation at Bandra-Kurla police station for the police personnel of the west region. The team from the legal aid cell of justice and peace commission conducted sessions on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, laws related to women and crimes against women. The five-day workshop provided legal training to three hundred police personnel that included constables, sub inspectors, inspectors and assistant commissioners of police. Even women police took active part in the workshop that was divided into a lecture, a group exercise and a slide show. WGRC has also organised workshop on women and health, counselling, legal provisions, communication skills and unlearning communalism through creative methods of role-play, storytelling, group exercises, street plays, screening of films, vocational training programmes, haldi kumkum samaroha, rangoli and poster competitions and teaching precautions like first aid, fire extinguishing skills. Commemoration of International Women’s Day 8 March, International Women’s day, that symbolises solidarity, sisterhood and strength of women, has been a focal point for women from all five Cells to meet at one place and get a feeling of empowerment. For the past seven years, the Cell has been celebrating this day with vigour an enthusiasm reflected in singing of group song, experience sharing, presentation of annual progress report, speeches of dignitaries and children’s stage shows. These events have instilled a feeling of confidence and leadership qualities in women. Pre-emptive measures Knitting Communities together has been the most effective tactic for preventing communal conflagration. In 2002, after the communal carnage in Gujarat, there was a lot of tension in the community. Women Grievance Redressal Cell (WGRC) worked with the police and held meetings all across the city through the MCM. WGRC also participated in the MCM-organised painting competitions, cultural programmes on communal harmony, sports like volley ball, gymnastics and athletics, table tennis and ‘cricket for peace’ as friendly and healthy competitions to inculcate a spirit of recreation to counter cut-throatism and promote peace making. After these programmes, many participants have expressed their feelings, ‘Until now we were very scared and prejudiced about the police and did not feel we could approach them. But these past few days have helped us to overcome this.’ Study Rooms The other strategy implemented by the Mohalla Committees has been in the setting up of study rooms, as in many slum colonies young students do not have a quiet space where they can study. Often many of them need help with their studies. By using the classrooms of local municipal schools, which are free and unused in the evenings, the Mohalla Committees have been able to provide a much-needed service to their communities. Twelve steps (1997-2009) to Women’s Empowerment During the last twelve years of its existence, WGRC, has played an important role in cementing the bonds between communities, spouses, neighbours and enlightened the youth. It is an acknowledged fact that WGRC has played a useful role in forging a meaningful relationship between individuals in the family and also expanded the meaning of family that encompasses the whole community. At the time of communal tension (at times of religious festivals, release of controversial films depicting inter-religious love marriage, during ongoing unsecular episodes happening elsewhere) both police and the Cell members play a proactive role and display courage of conviction to diffuse the tension. This has been possible due to the close and constant co-operation between the police and the Mohalla Committees. The work of MCM has been successful only in areas where police officers have taken personal interest and have ensured that the right kind of people are inducted in the Committee. After seven years of functioning of the WGRC, both the communities and the police have realised that the process requires constant vigilance and evaluation. WGRC member are torchbearers of women’s dignity, bodily integrity and gender-justice. Activities of WGRC have brought women’s issues on the agenda of MCM. Now, members in the community accept that women’s rights are human rights. This experience of MCM needs to be replicated throughout the nation. Women as Beneficiaries of Peace Process Women are the main beneficiaries of peace process as it allows them freedom of movement and ensures their active participation in education, skill and enterprise development, better health status and in terms of employment and career option. Even in the midst of massive transformatory processes, women leaders from different parts of globe provided different models of peace building thro’ constructive work.
To give peace a chance, make peace the story:While reporting every media personality must have faith: “In every conflict, there is always something retrievable”. It is very important to popularize peace journalism. Public felicitations of persons involved in rescue operations and rehabilitation such as nurses of Cama Hospital in the midst of terrorist attack on 26-11-08 and hundreds of unsung heroes & heroines. Popularise efforts of global, national and local networks involved in peace-making. For example, The Thousand Cranes Peace Network is made up of groups and individuals who are willing to fold a thousand paper cranes (or as many as they can manage) as a symbol of their hope for, and commitment to, peace and non-violence. A visit to the Peace Park and the Peace Memorial Museum allows the visitor a glimpse into the horror of the world's first use of the atomic bomb against people on 6 August 1945. It is a reminder that we must work together to make sure that such a tragedy never happens again. Women as Peace Makers Women have built peaceful movements to fight against excesses of the dictatorial regimes in Philippines, Chile, Bangladesh, Burma, so on and so forth.
Five Priorities for Conflict Resolution and Peace:Practitioners involved in Conflict Resolution are unanimous in their conviction about five core principles and they are: Dialogue, communication, networks- Centre for Studies in Society and Secularism (CSSS), Mumbai has been doing this for past two decades thro’ research, documentation, training of people of all stake groups. Contemplation-Communalism Combat, (Hate Hurts, Harmony works) a monthly magazine provides platform for debate and discussion on political economy of conflicts and ways to resolve them.
Approach of Conflict Transformation: Women’s rights movement has contributed to conflict transformation through Media Development, Child Protection, Project Management, Humanitarian Assistance, Human Rights Protection, human development-Health, education, employment and accountability of refugees.
There are three stages of Conflict Resolution.
Women’s Contribution in Peace Building Through sports for peace, quiz for peace, songs for peace, debate/discussion on peace, painting for peace, theatre for peace, politics for peace, rereading history of wars & peace and interfaith dialogues the youth can be motivated towards philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam (Whole world is my family) for Local as well as Global Harmony. The concept of vasudhaiv kutumbakam- the world is but one family - culture of peace and global citizenship should be inducted into all aspects of human life and education, especially humanities. Let us celebrate and promote the spirit and philosophy of satyam, shivam, sundaram (Truth, Goodness, and Beauty) and live life purposefully and peacefully. There is a need to create Peace Museums and Peace Galleries to help promote a better understanding of other people and cultures around the world. Organisation of Peace Festivals and Peace Rallies has become a regular feature in the peace movement. In 2004, over one million people in different part of our Globe had candle light marches to stop US invasion in Iraq. In this context, for empowering harmony at the individual and community level, liberal humanism needs to be backed by solidarity, service and authority. Educationists like us have
Women’s Agency in Peace Keeping Gandhian women such as Nirmala Deshpande and Medha Patkar have galvanized hundreds of women into peace movement and have brought to the fore women’s agency in peace keeping.
The international women’s rights movement has decided
Like Gandhiji’s vision, women’s vision of a harmonious society revolve around concerns such as social justice, gender justice and distributive justice. Prospects and possibilities for establishing harmony at the grassroots have increased due to multi-pronged efforts at community level, national and global efforts. Harmony for women’s rights movement is
Women are adept at bridging ethnic, religious, political, and cultural divides. Under mature leadership they are collaborative, inclined towards consensus and compromise. Experiences of varied memberships in mahila mandals at the village level from different castes, religions, classes come together for common goals.
“For generations, women have served as peace
educators, both in their families and in their societies. They have
proved instrumental in building bridges rather than walls.” Women have their fingers on the pulse of the community. They are close to the roots of the conflict, have accurate information about the conflict as information givers/ evidence and play a critical role in mobilizing their communities to begin the process of reconciliation and rebuilding once hostilities end. Women are community leaders, with and without formal authority. Both the right and responsibility- drive the peace processes on the ground. Women are often at the center of non-governmental organizations, popular protests, electoral referendums, and other citizen-empowering movements whose influence has grown with the global spread of democracy. Women are highly invested in preventing, stopping, and recovering from conflict, are motivated to protect their children and ensure security for their families. Despite being victims of violence at times of conflict, the consequences of absence of peace are most felt by them. Hence, in all conflict situations, women continue to pursue peace processes as it is expressed in the following pledge taken by women after the Gujarat Riots (2002) “We, The Women of India, have solemnly resolved to unite our collective wisdom for the betterment of our community and ourselves. We hereby vow to strive towards bringing PEACE and TOGETHERNESS in our families and neighbourhood and work towards communal harmony. To educate ourselves, our men and our children about the values of compassion, love, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, hard work, acceptance, forgiveness, sharing, respect for humanity and our environment. To raise collective voice against those indulging in suppression, oppression, exploitation, victimization and abuse of ourselves, our men and our children. To strive towards social, economic and political justice, liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and equality of status and of opportunity for ourselves, our men and our children. Berndt, Hagen (2006) People building peace, transforming violent conflict in South Asia, Germany: Church Development Service EED. References Bhasin, Kamla and Nighat Khan (2006) Feminism and its relevance in South Asia, Kali for Women, New Delhi. Bunch, Charlotte (2002) “Feminist conceptualisation of peace, human rights and women’s peace activism”, International conference in Srilanka on ‘Women, peace building and Constitution making’, May. Bushra, El (2003) “Women building peace: sharing know how”, USA: International Alert, June published by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. International Initiative for Justice (2003) Threatened existence: a feminist analysis of the genocide in Gujarat, Mumbai: New Age Printing Press. Kaluagu, Banda Agnes (2004) “Post conflict programmes for women: lesions from the Kosovo Women’s Initiative”, USA: Gender and Development, Peace building and reconstruction, Vol. 12, No 3. Patel, Vibhuti (2009) “Fundamentalism, Communalism & G Justice”, http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article13223 Skjelsbæk, Inger and Dan Smith (2001) Gender, peace and conflict, International Peace Research Institute, Sage Publications, Delhi. Reardon, Betty (1993) Women and peace: Feminist Visions of Global Security, Routledge, Delhi. Websites: |
Wangari Muta Maathai, Kenya, Birth 1940
Aung
San Suu Kyi
Ela
Ramesh Bhatt
Shirin
Ebadi (1947)
Nirmala Deshpande
Mother Teresa