- Divine intervention comes to the rescue as IVPL thrives amid challenges
- LS Polls: BJP releases 1st list of 195 candidates, PM Modi to contest from Varanasi
- Govt initiatives boosting digital ecosystem across startups: Simplilearn
- WPL 2024: Budding cricketers join Gujarat Giants for special training session
- EC to set up special polling stations for voters in Manipur relief camps
- Sheikh Shahjahan starts cooperating with investigating officers: Sources
- Violence-free NE established, over 10,000 militants laid down their arms: Amit Shah
- Biotin a vital nutrient beyond beauty
- Salaries delayed for Byju's 20,000 employees, CEO blames investors
- Bengal Edu Dept seeks district-wise list of ‘illegally-employed teachers’ still in service
A great woman behind every man
Such is the position women have come to occupy in the world today, in various spheres, from politics to business, and adventure to scientific research, that it is indeed intriguing that the right for women to vote in elections took time to be granted in several countries. Also, it is a matter for regret, that a bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution of India to provide for women a percentage of seats in the lower house of Parliament and State assemblies should be languishing, awaiting passage by Parliament
I wonder if you have heard this. RK Laxman, the legendary cartoonist, was once asked why his caricatures always referred to the 'common man, and not the 'common woman'. His retort was, "because a woman can never be common!" Such is the position women have come to occupy in the world today, in various spheres, from politics to business, and adventure to scientific research, that it is indeed intriguing that the right for women to vote in elections took time to be granted in several countries. Women's suffrage a movement demanding the right for women to vote in elections, was a cause exposed by national and international organisations, especially the International Women's Suffrage Alliance, started in the early 20th century in Germany. The movement was a broad one, with activists such as Emmeline Pankhurst in Britain and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott in America in the lead.
The first country in Europe to introduce women suffrage was Finland in 1906. It was only 1913 that Norway became the first sovereign nation to allow women to vote. Canada and Britain followed suit about a decade later than spread to some states in the United States of America. Strangely enough France and Greece, and much later, Switzerland, were among the last to extend the privilege to women. Needless to say, it is a matter of immense gratification that India, proudly, claims a prominent place among the countries which ushered in universal suffrage, as soon as they became republics.
An intriguing a development wasthe coming into beingof organisations such as the Women's National Anti-Suffrage League, which, especially in the period before the First World War, opposed franchise for women, citing their relative experience. Interestingly enough in ancient Athens, regarded as the birthplace of democracy, only adult males owning land, enjoyed the right to vote. From Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and the only woman to win it twice, through Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman astronaut,to Agatha Christie, also called the Queen of Crime and made a Dame by the Queen of England to Sindhu, the world champion in badminton, women have made their mark in many areas including scientific research, exploration, sport and adventure.At the World Boxing Women Champions 2023, Nitu Ghanghas and Saweety Boora did India prod with their historic accomplishments.
As is surely the case with everyone else, several women have, in their own way, had their impact on my life.Needless to say, the greatest influence on my life has been my mother. She nurtured me, a premature child, born in the days sans antibiotics and incubators, with great care and affection. She would wrap the fragile lump of flesh in cotton and feed it with an ink filler. And when it went blue, a frequent occurrence, administer a few drops of brandy (that was how early my introduction to the elixir was!). Between her, and her brother who,at that time, was a house surgeon in the Madras General Hospital, they managed to ensure my survival, a possibility that had looked quite remote, weeks earlier.
The wife is usually called the 'better half' on account of the fact that it is she who undertakes the responsibility of sharing all the activities of her husband and fills his life with compassion, care and understanding. A hundred percent true, in my case. During my tenure as Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, I had to appear before the National Women's Commission of whichthe present Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wasa Member. I still break into a sweat when I recall the excruciating grilling I received at her hands that afternoon!
I had another brief, but memorable, association with the legendary tennis player. Martina Navratilova, when she had cometo Hyderabad to play a few exhibition matches. As the Chief Secretary to the government I had been invited to witness one of them. I could not resist an invitation to join the players in a game, and, after a gap of several decades, played a shaky, but thoroughly enjoyable set. I even actually managed to score a point, upon which we both exchanged a 'high-five'!
Out of respect, and regard, the wife of the Head of the State of a country is also referred to as the 'First Lady', although she, on her own, may have won no election or qualified for any office. In fairness, it must also be noted that similar respect is shown to the spouse when that office is occupied by a woman, 'First Gentleman' being the title used in that case. The scintillating beauty, and irresistible attraction, of some women altered the history of the world. Such were the good looksof the Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology,that her face is famously supposed to have 'launched a thousand ships.'
Gone are the days, in other words, when the words of Shakespeare's Hamlet "frailty, thy name is woman," are to be taken seriously.I have often wondered why the tradition, a very commendable one at that, of giving womenprecedence in many matters, improved by the spirit of 'ladies first',is confined only to the western world. Apparently, the practice began in ancient times, in Germany, when cavemen, fearing attacks by wild animals, ensured that the women were the first to be moved to a safer place. Over time, the practice came to be associated with a display of courtesy and chivalry, as also concern, for the so-called 'fair sex'. All over the world today, women are invariably treated with similar consideration, when it comes to situations such as standing in a queue,or during rescue operations undertaken, in the wake of the occurrence of a disaster.
The Government of India has, over time, mounted several initiatives in order to ensure a level playing field for women in public life.Among the earliest intiativestaken in this direction was the constitution, in 1952, of the Central Social Welfare Board with Dr Durgabai Deshmukh as the founder Chairperson to carry out welfare activities for promoting voluntarism, providing technical and financial assistance to the voluntary organisations for the general welfare of family, women and children. The Government of India and many other states followed with steps such as the reservation of seats for women in elections to local bodies, admissions to educational institutions, employmentand in welfare programmes, among others.It is a matter for regret, though, that the most significant of all initiatives on the anvil, namely, a bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution of India to provide for women a percentage of seats in the lower house of Parliament and State assemblies should be languishing, awaiting passage by Parliament.
Those who have read 'Pygmalion' by Bernard Shaw, or watched the movie based on that book, 'My Fair Lady', will remember Professor Henry Higgins, whose role was portrayed to realistically, be the legendary actor Rex Harrison, saying, "Why can't the French speak English?" I have little doubt that most of us, at one time or other, have wondered why men can't be like women!
(The writer is formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)
"Mwanamke mmoja wa India, Sheikh Jahan, aliandika katika ukurasa wake wa Twitter: ""Mashabiki wa LGBTI wameanza kujihusisha na masuala ya kijeshi, na wanamgambo wa kijeshi wanaohusika na masuala ya kijeshi, na wanamgambo wa kijeshi wanaohusika na masuala ya kijeshi wanaohusika na masuala ya kijeshi, na wanamgambo wanaohusika na masuala ya kijeshi wanaohusika na masuala ya kijeshi." "Na ni jambo la kusikitisha kwamba muswada unaopendekeza marekebisho ya Katiba ya India ili kutoa kwa wanawake asilimia ya viti katika nyumba ya chini ya Bunge na Bunge la Jimbo unapaswa kuwa unangojea kupitishwa na Bunge. """"" RK Laxman, mchoraji mashuhuri wa katuni, wakati mmoja aliulizwa kwa nini katuni zake sikuzote hurejezea'mwanamume wa kawaida', na si'mwanamke wa kawaida'. Jibu lake lilikuwa, "kwa sababu mwanamke hawezi kamwe kuwa wa kawaida!" """Kwa sababu ya hali ambayo wanawake wameipata katika ulimwengu wa leo, katika nyanja mbalimbali, kuanzia siasa hadi biashara, na adventure hadi utafiti wa kisayansi, ni jambo la kushangaza kwamba haki ya wanawake ya kupiga kura katika uchaguzi ilichukua muda kupewa katika nchi kadhaa." Haki ya wanawake ya kupiga kura (kwa Kiingereza: Women's Suffrage) ni harakati ya kimataifa ya wanawake ya Ujerumani iliyoanzishwa mnamo mwaka wa 1920 na kuanzishwa na Shirika la Kimataifa la Wanawake la Haki ya Kupiga Kura. Harakati hiyo ilikuwa kubwa, na wanaharakati kama vile Emmeline Pankhurst nchini Uingereza na Elizabeth Cady Stanton na Lucretia Mott nchini Marekani walikuwa wakiongoza. Nchi ya kwanza kuanzisha haki ya wanawake ya kupiga kura ilikuwa Finland mwaka 1906. Mwaka 1913 Norway ilikuwa nchi ya kwanza kuruhusu wanawake kupiga kura. Canada na Uingereza zilifuata mfano huo karibu muongo mmoja baadaye kuliko kuenea kwa baadhi ya majimbo katika Marekani. Kwa kushangaza, Ufaransa na Ugiriki, na baadaye Uswisi, zilikuwa miongoni mwa nchi za mwisho kupanua haki hiyo kwa wanawake. "Hakuna haja ya kusema, ni jambo la kuridhisha sana kwamba India, kwa fahari, inadai nafasi ya kuvutia kati ya nchi ambazo zilianzisha haki ya kupiga kura ya jumla, mara tu zilipokuwa jamhuri. """ Katika kipindi cha kwanza cha vita vya dunia, chama cha wanawake cha National Anti-Suffrage League (WANAL) kilipinga haki ya wanawake ya kupiga kura kwa sababu ya uzoefu wao. Katika Athene ya kale, ambayo ilionwa kuwa mahali pa kuzaliwa kwa demokrasia, ni wanaume tu wazima waliokuwa na ardhi waliopata haki ya kupiga kura. "Kutoka kwa Marie Curie, mwanamke wa kwanza kushinda tuzo ya Nobel na mwanamke pekee kushinda mara mbili, kupitia Valentina Tereshkova, mwanamke wa kwanza wa anga, Agatha Christie, pia aitwaye ""Malkia wa Uhalifu"" na ""Malkia wa Uingereza,"" hadi Sindhu, bingwa wa ulimwengu wa badminton, wanawake wamefanya alama zao katika maeneo mengi, pamoja na utafiti wa kisayansi, utafutaji, michezo na adventure. ""Katika Mashindano ya Dunia ya Mabondeni ya Wanawake 2023,"" alisema." Kama ilivyo kwa kila mtu, wanawake wengi wameathiri maisha yangu kwa njia yao wenyewe. Alinitunza, mtoto mchanga, aliyezaliwa katika siku zisizo na viuavijasumu na incubators, kwa uangalifu mkubwa na upendo. Alizungusha kipande hicho cha nyama katika pamba na kukitumia kujaza wino. Na ilipokuwa ya bluu, jambo linalotokea mara nyingi, weka matone machache ya brandy (hiyo ndiyo iliyokuwa mwanzo wa kuanzishwa kwangu kwa dawa hiyo!). Yeye na ndugu yake, ambaye wakati huo alikuwa daktari wa upasuaji katika Hospitali Kuu ya Madras, walifanikiwa kuhakikisha kuishi kwangu, uwezekano ambao ulikuwa umeonekana kuwa wa mbali sana, wiki chache mapema. "Mke kwa kawaida huitwa ""nusu bora"" kwa sababu yeye ndiye anayeshikilia jukumu la kushiriki shughuli zote za mume wake na kujaza maisha yake na huruma, utunzaji na uelewa." Ni kweli kwa asilimia mia moja, katika kisa changu. Wakati wa uongozi wake kama Katibu Mkuu wa Serikali ya Andhra Pradesh, alishiriki katika mkutano wa Kamati ya Taifa ya Wanawake, ambapo Waziri wa Fedha wa India Nirmala Sitharaman alikuwa mwanachama. Bado mimi huchoma jasho ninapokumbuka jinsi alivyonitesa sana alasiri hiyo! Nilikuwa na uhusiano mwingine mfupi, lakini usioweza kusahaulika, na mchezaji huyo mashuhuri wa tenisi. Martina Navratilova, alipokuja Hyderabad kucheza mechi chache za maonyesho. Nikiwa Katibu Mkuu wa serikali nilikuwa nimealikwa kushuhudia mojawapo ya mikutano hiyo. Sikuweza kukataa mwaliko wa kujiunga na wachezaji katika mchezo, na, baada ya pengo la miongo kadhaa, alicheza seti ya kutetemeka, lakini kabisa kufurahisha. Kwa kweli nilifaulu kupata alama, ambayo sote wawili tulibadilishana 'high-five'! "Kwa heshima na heshima, mke wa Mkuu wa Jimbo la nchi pia huitwa ""Mwanamke wa Kwanza,"" ingawa yeye mwenyewe anaweza kuwa ameshinda uchaguzi au kufuzu kwa ofisi yoyote." "Kwa uadilifu, ni lazima pia ieleweke kwamba heshima sawa inaonyeshwa kwa mwenzi wakati ofisi hiyo inamilikiwa na mwanamke, ""First Gentleman"" kuwa jina la cheo kutumika katika kesi hiyo." Uzuri wenye kung'aa, na uvutano usioweza kupingwa, wa wanawake fulani ulibadili historia ya ulimwengu. "Helena wa Troy, katika hadithi za Kigiriki, alikuwa na sura nzuri sana hivi kwamba uso wake ulidhaniwa kuwa ""umezindua meli elfu moja.""" "Hata hivyo, siku za nyuma, kwa maneno mengine, ni siku ambazo maneno ya Shakespeare ""Hamlet"" ""Frailty, your name is woman"" yanapaswa kuchukuliwa kwa uzito, na mara nyingi nimejiuliza kwa nini utamaduni wa kutoa wanawake kipaumbele katika mambo mengi, ulioboreshwa na roho ya ""Ladies first,"" umefungwa tu kwa ulimwengu wa magharibi." Inaonekana kwamba zoea hilo lilianza katika nyakati za kale, huko Ujerumani, wakati watu wa mapango, wakioogopa mashambulizi ya wanyama wa mwituni, walihakikisha kwamba wanawake walikuwa wa kwanza kuhamishwa hadi mahali salama. Baada ya muda, zoea hilo lilihusianishwa na kuonyesha adabu na ujasiri, na pia kujali, kwa kile kinachoitwa 'jinsia ya haki.' Katika nchi nyingi duniani, wanawake wanahukumiwa kwa namna hiyohiyo wakati wa kusubiri katika foleni au wakati wa shughuli za uokoaji baada ya msiba kutokea. Serikali ya India imepanga mipango kadhaa ili kuhakikisha kuwa wanawake wana nafasi sawa katika maisha ya umma.Miongoni mwa mipango ya kwanza iliyofanywa katika mwelekeo huu ilikuwa kuanzishwa kwa Bodi ya Welfare ya Jamii ya Kati na Dk Durga Bhai Deshmukh kama mwenyekiti mwanzilishi wa Bodi ya Welfare ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii ya Jamii. Serikali ya India na majimbo mengine mengi yalifuata hatua kama vile kuhifadhi viti kwa wanawake katika uchaguzi wa mashirika ya mitaa, uandikishaji katika taasisi za elimu, ajira na katika mipango ya ustawi, miongoni mwa mengine.Ni jambo la kusikitisha, hata hivyo, kwamba muhimu zaidi ya mipango yote juu ya anvil, yaani, muswada wa kupendekeza marekebisho ya Katiba ya India kutoa kwa wanawake asilimia ya viti katika nyumba ya chini ya Bunge na Bunge la Jimbo, inapaswa kuwa languishing. "Pigmalion ni filamu ya Bernard Shaw iliyochorwa na Henry Higgins, na inaonyesha jinsi mchezaji wa filamu Rex Harrison alivyofanya kazi ya kuigiza ""Kwa nini Wafaransa hawawezi kuzungumza Kiingereza?""" Nina shaka kidogo kwamba wengi wetu, wakati mmoja au mwingine, tumejiuliza kwa nini wanaume hawawezi kuwa kama wanawake! (Mwandishi ni Katibu Mkuu wa zamani, Serikali ya Andhra Pradesh)