We The Women

Socially and politically, women of South Africa have reached the zenith but the question of security still hangs over them. They are going to celebrate Women’s Day on ninth of this month remembering the historic march of 1965 when an army of 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the capital, to demand an end to laws that violated their individual rights and liberties. After covering half a century, it is to be noted that women of South Africa have acquired all the top positions right from corporate sector to the political arena. Yet women in general (in South Africa) suffer from molestation and depredation. Tina Thomson, CEO of the Businesswoman’s Association (BWA) of South Africa reasoned:The problem is that support systems for women do not yet exist, either in businesses or in the home. Women are as competent and qualified as men, but they still lack resilience to hold on to their position. BLOTCH OF BARBARITY Under the semblance of equality and constitutional commitment, South Africa is harrowing with the blotch of barbarity aimed at the native women. It has not able to face the challenge put forward by the HIV patients. The age-old civilization of political struggle against apartheid is the reason towards women cruelty but the female folk points towards the male dominating society for their harassment. Carrie Shelver, spokesperson for People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), said:We’ve fallen into the trap of formal equality, of saying we have women business and political leaders, but too many women still go home to oppression. We need to change the mindset in the country; we need to transform institutions – it’s not only about writing new laws and thinking that’s enough.Amending South Africa’s constitution is far easier than changing its culture. Women’s Day organizers are of the view that respect and equality for women is far beyond horizon. Nevertheless, the advent may help keep the matter on the political arena.

A fact has become known after all! Swinburne University in Melbourne has come up with a study which states that women are better corporate managers than men are. The reason they gave is their intuition and emotional intelligence. Luke Downey, a PhD student who formulated the study asserts that women have higher emotional intelligence making them easily conquer negative emotions including frustration and come out victorious. Secondly, he says that women have higher intuitive power than men do consequent upon which they can predict the future events. The net result is, women exhibit more leadership traits in comparison with their male counterpart. Studies of 176 corporate women in Australia categorize leadership into three parts: A. Transformational leaders who can easily predict future and have higher emotional intelligence. B. Laissez-faire administrators have low emotional intelligence and offer little support to staff. C. Transactional leaders were disciplinarians who work on strategies. Mr. Downey suggests that if men in corporate sector display traits like empathy towards staff and think in optimistic manner, they too may reach that pinnacle.

Anticipating mothers are supposed to listen to classical music as it can encourage development in their fetus. However, this study is completely rebuffed by mountain biking queen Marla Streb. Three months back she gave birth to a baby girl, Nicoya but even she could not stop her passion for biking. Marla Streb is a three-time national champion and two-time world champion who makes the country’s arduous courses seems as smooth as a Sunday ride. Her entire skeleton system has received major and minor fractures not only her right shoulder collapses at will. However, she does not consider them as injuries. ‘Broken bones are nothing’, she says. It was because of the same spirit she won a bronze World Cup medal in 1997 with an injured ankle. Recently, on Friday at the National Mountain Biking Series race at Brian Head, Streb took a bad spill during the Super D, a short race that tests fitness and downhill abilities, and broke three ribs and suffered a concussion. Even then, she is looking forward to her next biking expedition. Streb has a master’s degree in microbiology and was a researcher in AIDS before she went ahead with her ‘biking’. Throughout her pregnancy, she rode her bike cutting the stony strewn path of the mountains. Six weeks after giving birth, Streb was again gliding through the mountainous grooves landing third at the National Mountain Bike Series at Mt. Snow in Vermont. While others celebrated with champagne, Streb breast-fed. She was on the course of another winning expedition but a rock caught with her front tire and she end up with three broken ribs, one badly shattered, and another concussion. However, she did not take any painkillers, as she has to look after her baby. Overall, she is quite satisfied with her present life.

Jane MacDonald, director of Wellington Sexual Health Clinic who performs forensic examinations in molestation cases is of the view that internet is the cause of increase sexual harassment in the past one year. She asserts that women often felt they could trust men they have never met because they have shared personal information online because of which they find themselves in a venerable position to sexual attack by inviting or going to the person’s residence. It is through internet that the people decide to meet at a particular place. In some cases, they were being forced into having sex, or the sex was consensual but they were underage. Gay men were also getting into risky situations. Internet Safety Group representative Rachel Harrison said people who used dating websites should be cautious about face-to-face meetings and arrange them for a public place during the day. In May, a Wellington jury acquitted a man, 44, who had been accused of sexually violating a woman at her house after they met on a dating website. In 2004, former doctor Matthew James Boyd was convicted of indecent assault and having sex with underage girls, he had met in Internet chat rooms.

A forum on women and diversity in Wellington that was supposed to be held today has attracted so much interest that the venue has had to be changed twice to accommodate those registering. Women from diverse ethnic group numbering 150 are all gathered today to put forward the various issues related to their diversity. The forum on ‘Women Supporting Women: Making Connections’ is being hosted by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs as part of the New Zealand Diversity Forum (NZDF). The event includes keynote speakers and a panel of representatives from the National Council of Women, Pacifica, the Maori Women’s Welfare League, Rural Women New Zealand and the NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils. Other forums attracting major interest are on ‘race versus need’, organized by the Institute of Policy Studies. There will also be a multicultural and multi-faith tribute to Dame Te Atairangikaahu to recognize her strong leadership in positive race relations.

The Women’s Fund of the Fond du Lac Area Foundation is a permanent endowment that supports programs that help women and girls manage and enhance their lives. It was established in 2004. And presently the Foundation is accepting grant applications. Its mission is to affect positive change in the lives of women by developing and providing funding, engaging women in philanthropy, and creating understanding of the strengths and challenges of women in our community. It also provides assistance to programs that promote intellectual, physical, emotional, social, economic, and cultural growth of women and girls of all ages.

A bizarre incident has become known in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh in India. Where a woman is reported to have committed the downtrodden custom called ‘sati’ by jumping into the funeral pyre of her husband. The husband, Prem Nararyan had died following prolonged illness. The wife committed the act of ‘sati’ of her own free will and no attempt to glorify it. According to the police, the wife Janakrani, left her house on some pretext but didn’t return and when the search was carried out, her charred body was recovered from her husband’s pyre.

India, a country famous for its rich diverse groups and culture. It has shown tremendous progress in nearly all walks of life. Internationally it has reached the pinnacle, which the other developing countries aspire. But do we, the Indians, realize what lie beneath our ‘heritage’. Well, if not then please check out the latest happenings in Punjab (India). A few days before India’s 60th Independence Day celebrations, government officials in Punjab, one of the wealthiest states of India discovered dozens of female fetuses dumped in an unused well in a town called Patran. The bogue who was instrumental in performing the heinous crime had served in the Indian Army. He with the help of his wife was making it (the crime) happen since 1987. It was only earlier this month when one of the nurses, upset over her salary, reported the matter to the authorities. The decomposed remains of placentas and fetuses were discovered in the well and the killings became public knowledge. The question of the day is why the news did not shake the nation. Well, the answer is quite rhetorical. Female foeticide is the choice of preferment of one sex over the other and that also by the natives. A reader is of the view that the remedy can only be cured by making the people ‘literate’. But here I’d like to say that only the so called ‘literate’ and high class people go for an ultra-sound for sex determination, leave alone the illiterate class. Even today, our society is deeply drenched in the orthodox dogmas and is full of hypocrisy. As India is the only civilization that worships God in woman form.

A female teacher sacked because Bible says so. Yes people, this is what a Baptist in the U.S did to a female Sunday School teacher after more than 50 years on the job because he believes the Bible bans women from teaching men. Tim La Bouf, Watertown First Baptist Church Pastor and a city council member fired Mary Lambert on the grounds of spiritual qualifications. According to him women can fulfill any role or responsibility but outside the church. William Carlsen, executive minister for American Baptist Churches of New York State, said U.S. Baptist Churches are autonomous and that there would not be many other Baptist Churches that share LaBouf’s view.

Japanese women can take a sign of relief as they can now travel in women only train cars to avoid groping. The inhabitants are more as compared to the surface area of the country because of which the women folk have to suffer harassment while they are on their way. Anonymous groping of women on Japan’s crowded train lines has long been a social concern. The culprit targets the women during the rush hours of the day and then vanishes in the crowd at the same time. Leaving behind the women in the pool of utter frustration. Thus, keeping the situation in mind, a dozen train operators introduced the women-only cars in Tokyo last year in hopes of providing some separation of the sexes on crowded lines