Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Harbingers of change
Grace Shatsang
FOR THOSE who had lost hope of a civil society taking shape in Afghanistan, people like Mary Akrami and her friends offer a possibility that might not have been thought of till recently.
The war-torn country might need many Marys to get society back on its feet. But a beginning has been made. Education for women and children and employment are the major concerns of Afghan Women's Skill Development Centre, started in 1999 by Ms. Akrami and her friends.
Women like her, some from strife torn parts of the world, are participating in a three day Conference on Gender, Citizenship and Governance in South Asia and Southern Africa, which began in Kochi on Tuesday. It is organised by Sakhi and the Royal Tropical Institute, Netherlands.
When the Taliban overran Kabul, Ms. Akrami crossed over to Pakistan where she educated herself in computers, economics and administration. But with no jobs available for women, Ms. Akrami and 14 like-minded women and one man came together to form this NGO which trained women to acquire job skills.
Financial crisis and lack of jobs are the main problems for Afghanistan women, she says. The Skill Development Centre has benefitted a few women and she hopes that there would be more changes soon.
Shahla Zia
"The fact that I'm participating in a Gender Equity conference is itself a matter of great change,'' she says.
There has been change in neighbouring Pakistan too. The fact that 56,000 women are involved in local government now, compared to the earlier times when there was negligible representation, is the most visible sign of a change, says Shahla Zia of Aurat Foundation, Pakistan.
Earlier, even the less than 10 per cent seats earmarked for women were usually not filled up. It is useless to provide reservations to women since they are not going to measure up to the requirement was the usual comment of most men. But these remarks stand negated in the face of facts.
"We found massive support for women's representation in the citizen's campaign. In many households we found support for women's representation,'' said Ms. Zia. The small number of seats for women were not filled up because the decision-makers did not want them there.
Mary Akrami
Work at the local level by NGOs did spread the message and women were found to be making concrete budget proposals for tackling issues like education, health etc at the grass root level.
Sharing her experiences with the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) in Pakistan, Ms. Zia said first it was a struggle to set right the perspective of the Commission. What the Government had formed for promoting women's equity was a toothless body which could really have no impact on civil society.
After much intervention, a dialogue was started to have consultations not only internationally but at the regional and local level. The NCSW has since acted on a number of recommendations that were put forth during these consultations.
And in India, Grace Shatsang has seen the Naga insurgency from close quarters. It has been her attempt to help a society, specially its women, overcome the trauma experienced by those who have been caught in the crossfire.
"We are trying to bring the message of peace through women's initiatives,'' she says about her activities in a vulnerable and sensitive part of India.
She is the Manipur coordinator for Joint Women's Programme, based in Delhi and is also active in North East Women's Union, Manipur, in which 16 Naga women's organisations are part. Naga Mothers' Association is another organisation to which Ms. Shatsang has attached herself in her bid to work towards an equitable solution to the problem of trauma in a war torn society.
By Shyama Rajagopal
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
|
