Refuse Sex-selective Abortion, and Get Killed

For all the anti-abortionists who equate female foeticide to their stance on abortion due to reasons other than sex-selection, the difference lies in the following:

A woman in India has been killed who refused requests from her husband and his family to undergo a sex-selection abortion on her unborn baby girl. Neelam Kumar, who lives in Samaspur village in northern India, was allegedly strangled to death by her in-laws.

The victim's brother, Sushil Kumar, filed a complaint with police and alleged that his sister was killed yesterday after refusing the abortion.

According to a UPI report, Kumar said Neelam's body was cremated and that her husband family informed no one of her death and cremation. Police are apparently searching for Neelam's in-laws, who are reportedly on the lam.

This is sadly the reality for women not just in India but in any country that practices son-preference. Women are emotionally and physically abused if they refuse to abort. I've seen a couple of cases myself. A lady was forced to drink acid. Another was threatened divorce. The one who was forced to drink acid still lives with burnt oesophagus and had to agree to abort at the end anyway. Same for the other. She lives with the regret of losing her child but she had to save her marriage for 'societal' sake. Both of them are from well-to-do upper class families.

Do you still think that the same arguments that apply for abortions (used by people who call themselves pro-lifers) can be used for female foeticide? Who is more important? A mother's life or fetus?

Why only the Father's Name?

Contributed by Sonia C

Hi all,

Read this wonderful article by Hetal Vyas in Mumbai Mirror where the High Court went out of their way to help a young girl who refused to fill in the `Father's Name' category for her passport.

Her situation is heartrending, but indeed, not uncommon. My maid was telling me her story only yesterday. She had left her abusive and dowry-demanding husband. He didn't help at all with her three children, either financially or otherwise. She brought them up all on her own (can't stop admiring her nerves of steel). Finally, she was enraged when her child's school refused admission unless she brought a letter from her husband, and his birth certificate. "I don't know where that drunkard is. He hasn't met us in 5 years. From where will I get his birth certificate?"she pleaded. But the authorities refused to budge. Finally, she had to spend a month's salary on getting some false documents made. She was mad with anger. "I've kept my children in my stomach for 9 months. I have endured the labour pains. I have worked hard to pay for the clothes they wear; the food they eat. I have fed them and washed them. Yet, all they want is the father's name, who doesn't even care about them." This incident has scarred her for life. But I was glad to see that anger in her. It is needed. It's worrying when people stop getting bothered and just accept things.

Read the fabulous story below. Please write to the editors on mirrirfeedback@indiatimes.com. Also Mumbai Mirror is holding a poll on the same issue. The poll is "SHould Father's Name be mandatory in documents". For SMS - Type MTPOLL, leave a space, and send your opinion to 58888. OR email mumbaitalking@indiatimes.com and leave your opinion. You can also call 22735700 and leave your opinion. The results will be out. tomorrow, so bombard them with a `No' people!

Book: The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

I haven't read the book myself but according to online reviews, the theme of the book is founded in the practice of female foeticide. Critics are not too pleased with the content of the book but suggest that it is worth a look. You can read more about it here.

The development paradox

Hi everyone :-)

This is my first post here (or on any blog for that matter), so I hope you enjoy (or at least don't want to ban me!). Thanks Roop for the inspiration :-)

Just a little about myself- I am an honours student who is exploring the issues of women's agency (aka 'choice') in relation to the perpetuation and resistance of female foeticide and infanticide in India, and how that relates to the broader strategies aimed at reversing the skewed female to male ratio (FMR). I was born and bred in Australia (Brisbane), and met my wonderful husband when we were working together in the US. He is Indian and we travel back there every year to visit his wonderful family and friends. After I finish my PhD we plan on moving there (if we can fit in the increasingly populated Mumbai!). I just want to state my personal involvement in this, and as a 'Western' woman, I want to make myself in this process as visible as possible so my thoughts can be put into context (as self indulgent as it seems, I have my reasons for this caveat). 

Soo... my first post here is an excerpt from my thesis- please tell me if it's too 'academic' (this is how the uni likes their postgrads to write and I can't tell anymore), and please let me know if you have any questions/comments/criticisms... I know that this post probably throws up some controversial ideas, and if required I'd be happy to explain them further. I hope my views aren't perceived as being too 'out there', but after researching the skewed FMR in India for over 3 years, I think sometimes that my emotive reactions to some of the aspects of issue have been somewhat dulled. I don't know- maybe that is a good thing...? Perhaps it allows me to be slightly more 'objective' (whatever that really means- I mean, can anyone really be objective when it comes to perspectives?).

So just to explain where I'm coming from, most of the (mainstream) development and research community takes the view (in relation to this issue) that Indian women are (pretty much all) voiceless, powerless, and oppressed. The opinion is that they should be empowered (read: rescued?) to foster their 'critical agency' (ability to say no)- which partly form the ingredients required to overcome 'hardy cultural barriers' (Dreze  & Sen 2002). I disagree with this approach on a few levels. First- Indian women are not a homogenous group- there is no blueprint for the woman who perpetuates or resists these practices. Second- the 'empowerment' approach is based on false assumptions of what it means to be human and how culture, patriarchy (and the like) interact for individual women. Third- what really does empowerment actually mean? It used to mean social transformation and emancipation through structural challenges and changes. Nowadays, empowerment relates to the individual person, without addressing the larger social inequalities/barriers. It's become one of those words (like 'community' & 'green') that has lost its real meaning... 

So here's the abstract of my thesis-

"This thesis (when it is finished. Ha.) will provide a critical analysis of how women are conceived within the development industry, and how this affects understanding of- and approaches to - women's involvement in female infanticide and foeticide in India. Despite recent development gains in India, the persistence of gender inequality appears to be worsening as expressed by the declining FMR. In response to this, the development initiatives aimed at redressing this 'man made' (sic) phenomenon are premised on understandings that social, cultural, and structural constraints render women powerless participants in practices of female foeticide and infanticide. In this context, development initiatives explicitly targeted at empowering women and fostering their 'critical agency' have been seen as the means to overcoming these constraints. However, it has recently been noted that typically empowered women - those who are better educated and in the workforce - are increasingly participating in practices of daughter discrimination (Bhat & Sharma 2006). The various aspects of son-preference in India reveal a complex nexus of cultures, religions, traditions, and economics, and although it is beyond my scope to elucidate why empowerment gains for women in India have failed to translate into large scale challenges, this phenomenon highlight potential limitations in the 'mainstream' development perspective where women's identity becomes 'separated' from social and cultural dimensions of son preference".

Basically, I argue that the overall approach to fixing the problem is misguided in that it fails to appreciate the importance of women's individual circumstances and perceptions. I don't discount how embedded the culture of son-preference is, but I have come across lots of cases of women who have talked about their experiences (collusion and resistance to the son preference culture), and none of them fit a 'blue print'. 

I know it seems kind of pointless to simply critique something without offering a definitive solution, but I am comfortable with the approach at this stage for two reasons.

1) 'Development' (economic growth, modernisation) appears to be making the problem worse. There are plenty of statistics which show that the 'rich' and 'educated' are more capable (and willing) to discriminate against daughters, and as Indian women harness their economic opportunities, it appears many of them prefer smaller families (which means that at least one son is born = sex selection intensified). I have come across some really interesting studies which look at this aspect. 

2) Perhaps a critique will allow for a new viewpoint. The situation is not good- the sex ratio is dropping in areas (such as Kerala, the last exception to the rule) which once had more balanced ratios. It is widely believed that the next Indian census is going to reveal a far lower child sex ratio that the one in 2001. 

For my next stage of research, I plan on interviewing women (and men) who have partaken in, and resisted, sex selective abortions and female foeticide in India in order to (perhaps) glean a more nuanced understanding of the societal and individual pressures placed on women/men/families... 

I hope this post doesn't appear too 'abstracted'- I suppose in general I am engaged in the strange world of academia which sometimes (I fear) appears irrelevant.

Do not get me wrong- I am all for finding a solution, I am just worried that the one's being proposed now are making things worse. I sound so pessimistic, but the strategies aimed at addressing the son preference culture need to be very carefully thought through- they should not just pander to a particular interest groups (the UN, the World Bank), a whim (the current advertising drive), or be used as a strategy to gain reelection. And that being said, I don't doubt the intentions of the Indian government and the like- I'm just not 100% convinced that the scope of the problem is fully understood...

On that note, has anyone come across a group called "pacha mannu"? They have created a play called the 'Newborn' and travel around various locales to spread the word about the female foeticide and infanticide issue. From what I have gathered, this strategy appears to be working... 

Model who spoke against Genital Mutilation

(From Wikipedia)

Female genital cutting (FGC), also known as female genital mutilation (FGM), female circumcision or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), refers to "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons."[1] The term is almost exclusively used to describe traditional, cultural, and religious procedures where parents must give consent, due to the minor age of the subject, rather than to procedures generally done with self-consent (such as labiaplasty and vaginoplasty).[2][3][4] It also generally does not refer to procedures used in gender reassignment surgery, and the genital modification of intersexuals.[5][6][7]

FGC is practiced throughout the world, with the practice concentrated most heavily in Africa. Its practice is extremely controversial. Opposition is motivated by concerns regarding the consent (or lack thereof, in most cases) of the patient, and subsequently the safety and long-term consequences of the procedures. In the past several decades, there have been many concentrated efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to end the practice of FGC. The WHO separates FGC procedures into four categories (see World Health Organization categorization below).

Reeti writes:

I first read about Female circumcision when I read an article in Reader's Digest about supermodel Waris Dirie a few years ago. And now check this out:

Ex-Model Waris Dirie Found in BrusselsSource: AP
Posted: 03/07/08 10:44AM
Filed Under: Celebrity
By PAUL AMES

GettyBRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Police on Friday found Waris Dirie, three days after the Somali-born model who launched a worldwide campaign against female genital mutilation had vanished.

Dirie, 43, appeared to be in good health and was being questioned by police about the disappearance, said Estelle Arpigny, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.

She declined to give further details, saying it was unclear what had happened since Dirie vanished early Wednesday. Belgian media reports said police found her Friday afternoon walking the Brussels' Grand Place square.

Hours earlier, police had announced they were launching a nationwide search for the former model, who had last been seen getting into a cab after a mix-up over a hotel.

Dirie gained international fame as a model posing in Chanel ads and acting in the 1987 James Bond movie "The Living Daylights" before launching her campaign against female genital mutilation in 1996.

She shocked the world with a best-selling book "Desert Flower" that described how her genitals were sliced off with a dirty razor blade without anesthesia, and then stitched together.

Now a U.N. goodwill ambassador, she was due to speak on genital mutilation in Brussels at two conferences on women's rights organized by the European Union, including one on Thursday attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

News of Dirie's disappearance came a week after French police said they had found the body of another former model of African origin who had campaigned against female genital mutilation. Guinean-born Katoucha Niane was discovered floating in the River Seine in Paris.

The French police said an autopsy showed no signs of foul play, raising the possibility that she may have fallen accidentally into the river. However, Katoucha's family members say they suspect homicide.

Dirie's manager, Walter Lutschinger, said she had been involved in an altercation in a hotel reception area after a taxi driver took her to the wrong branch of the Sofitel hotel chain. The police were called and drove Dirie around Brussels looking for the correct hotel because she had apparently forgotten where she was staying.

At one hotel, while staff and police were checking for her name on a computer, Meilleur said Dirie stepped out saying she planned to buy cigarettes from an all-night kiosk, but instead climbed into a taxi and drove away.

An Austrian citizen, Dirie was attacked in her Vienna apartment in 2004 by a Portuguese handyman who had stalked her. The man was given a five-month suspended sentence by an Austrian court.

Associated Press writers Constant Brand and Aoife White in Brussels and George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Story of the book 'Desert Dawn':

Fashion model, UN ambassador and courageous spirit, Waris Dirie is a remarkable woman, born into a traditional family of tribal desert nomads in Somalia. She told her story - enduring, at five years old, the ancient and savage custom of female circumcision; running away at twelve on foot through the desert in order to escape an arranged marriage; being discovered by Terence Donovan as she worked as a cleaner in London; and becoming a top fashion model - in her book, the worldwide bestseller, Desert Flower.

Although Waris Dirie fled her homeland, she never forgot the country and culture that moulded her. The very world that nearly destroyed her also gave her the tools to survive. She traces the roots of her courage, resilience and humour back to her motherland, and most particularly to her mother.

Desert Dawn is the story of that return. Desert Dawn is about coming home.

Wearing a midriff exposing sari a crime?

IBNlive reports:

Johannesburg: Indian women in their traditional saris with midriffs showing may find themselves falling foul of Nigerian law if a bill currently under discussion in that country is passed.

Tourists in towelling wraps and Nigerian women in traditional dress with their stomachs exposed could also find themselves behind bars for three months or subjected to fines of $100, according to the Media24 News Service here.

While women's rights groups have come out strongly against the proposed law, Muslim leaders are supporting the bill, proposed by Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette, who felt that nudity was driving men to engage in corruption and steal from the state in Nigeria.

"Nudity leads to corruption," Ishaq Akintola of the Muslim Rights Watch, a strong supporter of Akaette's proposal, told Media 24.

"Nigerians are fighting corruption, through which many of our leaders, mostly men, have stolen fortunes for their personal use. They build colossal homes in London, Rome and New York because they have to spend money on women and have to hide them in these big homes."

Akintola said scantily dressed women were luring men. "They are being misled every time by a naked woman."

Women's rights groups have called the proposed law "laughable", but are concerned that the House of Representatives in the capital Abuja may push it through, since the assembly has already considered it twice.

Onyinyechi Okechukwu of Alliances for Africa, a women's rights group, said the law would result in girls as young as 14 sitting behind bars in a country where police are reported to maltreat women regularly. The law would also be open to abuse because the police would have the discretion to seek out offenders on the streets, with the test being whether a woman's body was exposed lower than two inches above the neck or more than two inches above the knee.

"The police will have to carry tape measures around. How will a policeman know that my dress is two inches below my neck if he doesn't touch me? I'll slap him!" Okechukwu said, adding that it was unfair that men may freely walk around topless, while "it is certainly a turn-on for some women".

The Nigerian Feminist Forum said in a statement that more pressing issues in the country, such as female circumcision, the high infant mortality rate and rape of babies should get priority from the authorities.

Yep, the flawless logic that Mr. Akintola speaks with is nothing short of intellectually stimulating. Ooh my grades are bad. Must be because my teacher's a woman. Ooh I took bribe and compromised my responsibility as a police officer. Must be because of that woman who cleaned my office this morning. Ooh I am an evil dictator. Must be because there are women in my country. :/

A new campaign against Domestic Violence

I received an email from a friend today which she requested me to share with you. She wrote about a campaign that they've started against domestic violence and how she seeks participation by others. Please have a look for better understanding:

Hi

Here's a quick byte about the campaign:

The Bell Bajao Campaign against Domestic Violence is an all encompassing community intervention that uses media, education and pop culture to further its message. The campaign has been created pro bono by Ogilvy & Mather. It seeks to engage men as direct partners ready to 'ring the bell', and intervene in situations of abuse - a new venture within the Indian context.

Two TVCs will be screened across all major channels (pro bono support by Zee TV, Star TV, Sony, ETV, B4U, MTV, NDTV Imagine, CNN-IBN) by August 20th. Print ads in various magazines and newspapers and radio spots on radio channels will be released. The campaign's online avatar is www.bellbajao.org. The site will serve various functions; from educating and informing browsers, to providing an interactive space where visitors can voice their opinions through a variety of media (audio, video, print, photography, blogging) about ever-changing gender issues.

The website has many components that will be used to initiate a discussion and egg people to act against Domestic Violence. These include: Our Campaigns section (which will have all our print, radio and tv ads), a public blog (that will have targeted content to initiate discussions); a wiki resource page amongst many other interesting and interactive elements like games (Zapak), Contests (C2W) and many more.

I am looking for good writers/ activists/ thinkers/ women's rights groups/ to write on our blog campaign. Also, if they could write about our campaign on their own blogs and give cross links, it'd be AWESOME!

Here are some key areas that we are looking at on our blog. They can write under these sections or write a completely different blog post. But I def need a core group of passionate writers who could blog once a week (Only!) Request goes out to all of you :) :) :)

* Manspeak (Ariticles from men who are against violence against women; and who are affected by patriarchy)
* Viewpoint (articles from a young bunch of journos from delhi who write for a 'views' website called www.theviewspaoer.net)
* Star Dust (celebrity bloggers)
* World Over (articles from my US office and intl bloggers on domestic violence)
* Face Off (Hard-hitting regular features with politicos and decision makers)
* AD'Vice & Wise' - we have blogs that criticize ads as well as applaud them.
* Rural Window (regular column from the India Education team on work on domestic violence in the rural areas)
* In-Film (To initiate discussion and comment on videos and film clips)
* In The News (To initiate discussion and comment on newspaper articles)
Each of these topics have a nice image which will act as a static signature image.

Can you help???

Regards,
Rashmi

--
Rashmi Dhanwani
E-mail: rashmi@breakthrough.tv

Please do get in touch with Rashmi Dhanwani if you can help.