By Zeenat Zeeshan Fazil - This article won an award for Media Reporting on Development at Development Networks.
Yes, many aspects of normal civilian life are compromised in Kashmir, as in any area of conflict. But in Kashmir, there is an overlay of this reality with another one; of women being treated with insensitivity, callousness and being subjected to all manner of discrimination, and in extreme cases-violence.
The rape and killing of two young women in Sopore has drawn the ire of many in Kashmir’s multi-layered society and polity. The last few months have been a period of relative quiet after the spiral of violence last summer and killings that have now erupted are once again a reminder of how tenuous this peace may be.
The incident is no doubt horrific and highly condemnable, but it also depends on the lens one is looking at such acts of violence. Is it only an incident triggered by a particular set of circumstances at a particular time or is it symptomatic of a larger malaise affecting society in Kashmir, that of degradation of women in many spheres of life and in the larger society and polity?
Yes, many aspects of normal civilian life are compromised in Kashmir, as in any area of conflict. But in Kashmir, there is an overlay of this reality with another one; of women being treated with insensitivity, callousness and being subjected to all manner of discrimination, and in extreme cases-violence. There is an inherited tapestry of Kashmir’s societal norms which are discriminatory, that are then exacerbated by the over two decades of conflict Whatever the provocation for this incident and the steps to prevent such attacks in the future, the fact still remains that women in pre-conflict Kashmir have suffered in different ways.
The problem is deep-rooted, pervasive. Social prejudices reinforce the woman’s identity as being subordinate to the male. Domestic violence is more widespread than is reported. Dowry is an ugly reality with ceaseless demands leading to a high degree of stress. According to Dr. Mushtaq Margoob, well-known psychiatrist in the Valley “Women's physical and mental health is often permanently damaged or impaired. In some cases there can be fatal consequences as in the case of dowry deaths.”
In Kashmiri society, women are generally repressed. The region over the decades has witnessed tremendous change with the processes of industrialization and modernization ushering in enhanced levels of economic prosperity and education. The traditional role of women in society has also changed but it has also brought about new areas of stress within the old mould. Pre-conflict, the suicides amongst women can be said to reflect this but there has been an alarming rise of suicides over the last two decades with some 12000-18000 persons committing suicide. According to leading sociologist, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Dabla suicides amongst women are more. He cites the ongoing conflict as the major underlying factor.
It is not always easy to discern how the existing patterns of societal norms and attitudes towards women, reach a point of conflagration but they feed each other. A woman who has been abused either at home or has been a victim of attack, molestation or worse rape by any of the players operating in the conflict zone finds it difficult to register her complaint with the authorities. She finds very little support from the family or society and often carries a stigma for a wrong that has been done to her. The Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo agrees with this view and holds the police accountable for negligence in registering their complaints. “Hundreds of women have informed me that police refuse to register their complaints of domestic violence,” states Itoo.
The environment for women in Kashmir is far from conducive and the fall-out of the conflict has taken a huge toll not only on the physical security of women but their psychological well-being, mental peace. People anywhere in the world exposed to benumbing violence in any situation of armed conflict are prone to developing psychological disorders and this is equally true for Kashmir where the incidence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) has grown. According to Dr. Margoob, “Women constitute more than 55% of the patients seeking treatment at Kashmir's only mental health hospital in Srinagar. Most are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD).” Margoob says women are more prone to PTSD than men. Whether this is a reflection of the odds stacked against them or their coping mechanisms can be debated but there are no simple answers.
The atmosphere of conflict pervades all of society and within that what women endure, what are the points of breakdown, what are the factors both underlying and immediately provocative, which lead to their suffering and in a sense their marginalisation? The answers need to be urgently sought.
Margoob believes that hundreds of women do not approach medical help because of illiteracy and social taboos attached to the mental health hospitals. “They continue to suffer silently,” he says. Abdul Rashid Hanjoora, a committed social activists says, “Women are often caught in a vicious circle of economic dependence, a sense of insecurity, a lack of awareness about their rights” These factors effectively keep a woman trapped in circumstances that maybe harmful to her physical or mental health but the shroud of privacy or so-called sanctity of a home often stops outside agencies from knowing about let alone acting upon the problem. Hanjoora also reiterates the belief that it is social stigma that prevents many cases of domestic violence being reported thus giving a false picture of the situation. He says “We need to ponder on how degradation of women can be stopped. It needs support from all quarters, be it government, NGOs and women themselves,”
What could signal hope is that the police acknowledges that violence against women gets ‘least’ attention and seeks to correct its image as being negligent by taking firm action. Says the state’s police chief, Khuldeep Khoda “We are aware about most cases not getting registered in police stations not only because our administration mechanism is weak but other reasons as well. “ He says increasing the number of women’s police stations was a step in the direction “ In order to control crime against women, we have established two women police stations - one in Jammu and another in Kashmir, exclusively headed by women officers. These have helped police a lot in controlling the crimes against women. Our target is to establish women’s police stations at all district headquarters of J&K”
That women have got a raw deal over the ages in Kashmiri society is now being accepted as a credible view within enlightened sections. It is vital that in the larger ramifications of seeking solutions for the region’s way forward politically, economically and culturally, this is not ignored.
Read full contribution and respond: http://groups.comminit.com/node/330862
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
WAVEr Moushumi Basu's second story published by Radio Netherlands!
WAVE facilitates a relationship between citizen journalist mentees in India and Radio Netherlands so that unique news stories reach a worldwide audience.
Check out her story about tribal activist Dayamani Barla's journey in Jharkhand!
Also, take a look at her previous story about the toxic health effects of the Indian government's uranium mine on tribals living in the vicinity
And get in touch if you would like to submit stories too!
Check out her story about tribal activist Dayamani Barla's journey in Jharkhand!
Also, take a look at her previous story about the toxic health effects of the Indian government's uranium mine on tribals living in the vicinity
And get in touch if you would like to submit stories too!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Evaluating Media (Spiritual advice from Daily Om)
It is up to us to seek out media that empowers and informs us, and to say no to media that drains energy and hope.
There is a lot of information available to us at this time in history, more than ever before, and it travels fast. We are able to learn in the blink of an eye about something that happened halfway around the world, and it‚s natural for us to want to know what‚s going on. However, it‚s also fair to say that we don‚t want to become so caught up in one way of looking at events that we lose perspective. Often, the news comes to us in a very fear-oriented format, and when too many of us get caught up in fear, the balance of the whole is disrupted. It helps to remember that we have a much greater and more positive impact on the world when we maintain our inner sense of peace and joy.
We are aware enough to know when we are eating something that is not good for us, because we don‚t feel well after we‚ve eaten it. In the same way, we can determine for ourselves whether the sources in which our information comes are ultimately healthful. News can be presented in a way that inspires us to take positive action to help the world, or it can be presented in a way that leaves us feeling powerless and sad. It is up to us to seek out and support media that empowers and informs us, and to say no to media that drains our energy and our hope.
For a time, it may even be of benefit to commit to a media fast, in which we stop taking information in for a time to give ourselves a rest. When we return to the task of taking in and processing the information all around us, we will come to it with a fresh mind. This will enable us to really notice how we are affected by what we hear and see, and to make conscious choices about the sources of information that we allow into our lives.
There is a lot of information available to us at this time in history, more than ever before, and it travels fast. We are able to learn in the blink of an eye about something that happened halfway around the world, and it‚s natural for us to want to know what‚s going on. However, it‚s also fair to say that we don‚t want to become so caught up in one way of looking at events that we lose perspective. Often, the news comes to us in a very fear-oriented format, and when too many of us get caught up in fear, the balance of the whole is disrupted. It helps to remember that we have a much greater and more positive impact on the world when we maintain our inner sense of peace and joy.
We are aware enough to know when we are eating something that is not good for us, because we don‚t feel well after we‚ve eaten it. In the same way, we can determine for ourselves whether the sources in which our information comes are ultimately healthful. News can be presented in a way that inspires us to take positive action to help the world, or it can be presented in a way that leaves us feeling powerless and sad. It is up to us to seek out and support media that empowers and informs us, and to say no to media that drains our energy and our hope.
For a time, it may even be of benefit to commit to a media fast, in which we stop taking information in for a time to give ourselves a rest. When we return to the task of taking in and processing the information all around us, we will come to it with a fresh mind. This will enable us to really notice how we are affected by what we hear and see, and to make conscious choices about the sources of information that we allow into our lives.
Monday, April 4, 2011
CALL FOR PAPERS: Transnational Laughter – Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders
Deadline: 30 April 2011
CALL FOR PAPERS: Transnational Laughter – Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders
I am seeking proposals and contributions for a collection of original essays entitled Transnational Laughter: Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders. As the first edited volume of its kind, Transnational Laughter seeks to expand the field of media studies and shed light on overlooked areas of academic interest, taking comedy and its various subgenres (including black comedy, improv, modern slapstick, the romcom, satire, scatological humor, sketch comedy, spoofs, stand-up, and so forth) as vehicles through which to assess the international transit of these specific cultural forms over the past 25-30 years. Focusing on recent industrial and technological developments that have facilitated the global circulation, consumption, and reception of humor-based short films, feature-length motion pictures, and television programs (from Canada to Romania to South Africa to New Zealand to Taiwan to Venezuela and beyond), the essays in this volume will collectively make the case that, counter to traditional wisdom, comedy does travel, albeit often in limited (and unexpected) ways due to cultural differences, industry regulations, political factors, and/or language barriers.
Although an emphasis will be placed on the reception of texts across national and regional borders, contributors are invited to take a variety of critical approaches or theoretical perspectives in the analyses of their chosen case studies. Contributors should feel free to pursue qualitative research in the areas of media industries, audience studies, spectatorship, situated (counter)publics, and resistant or negotiated reading strategies adopted by in-group or out-group members. In hopes of reaching a wide readership, the essays should be sophisticated and scholarly, yet relatively jargon-free.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
· culturally specific forms of physical and/or spoken comedy located in selected national contexts, e.g. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mainland China, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and so forth
· exemplary, humor-based works that have been produced in largely overlooked areas of the world, i.e., countries that have not received much attention in the existing literature on international film and television comedy
· recent film and TV remakes of international comedies and the challenges of cultural translation/adaptation
· different manifestations of comic satisfaction, such as laughter, finger-snaps, whistles, etc., found in regionally specific contexts of film and television reception
· humor "on the move” and the mobile consumption of comedy (liminal spectatorship)
· cross-cultural "cringe,” the global "gross out” moment, and the affective trajectories of scatological comedy
· international comedy film festivals, media outlets, cable networks, and the marketing/selling/exhibition of humor-based cultural productions across borders
· YouTube and other video-sharing websites through which comedy is made to "circulate” virtually
· stars of global comedy and the "transnationalizing” of comedic talent
· racial and ethnic diversity in internationally distributed comedy productions
· sexual identity and gender politics in internationally distributed comedy productions
· social class and strategies of "containment”
Please send your abstract (500-750 words in length) or completed essay (5,000-7,000 words), plus a brief biographical statement, as e-mail attachments (in Word or as a Rich Text File) to the email address listed below.
The deadline for the submission of proposals is April 30, 2011. Once I have determined which essays to include in the volume, I will send the manuscript proposal to a university press this summer. The tentative deadline for the completion of essays (after acceptance) will be December 30, 2011.
Dr. David Scott Diffrient
Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
Department of Communication Studies
Colorado State University
Scott.Diffrient@colostate.edu
CALL FOR PAPERS: Transnational Laughter – Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders
I am seeking proposals and contributions for a collection of original essays entitled Transnational Laughter: Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders. As the first edited volume of its kind, Transnational Laughter seeks to expand the field of media studies and shed light on overlooked areas of academic interest, taking comedy and its various subgenres (including black comedy, improv, modern slapstick, the romcom, satire, scatological humor, sketch comedy, spoofs, stand-up, and so forth) as vehicles through which to assess the international transit of these specific cultural forms over the past 25-30 years. Focusing on recent industrial and technological developments that have facilitated the global circulation, consumption, and reception of humor-based short films, feature-length motion pictures, and television programs (from Canada to Romania to South Africa to New Zealand to Taiwan to Venezuela and beyond), the essays in this volume will collectively make the case that, counter to traditional wisdom, comedy does travel, albeit often in limited (and unexpected) ways due to cultural differences, industry regulations, political factors, and/or language barriers.
Although an emphasis will be placed on the reception of texts across national and regional borders, contributors are invited to take a variety of critical approaches or theoretical perspectives in the analyses of their chosen case studies. Contributors should feel free to pursue qualitative research in the areas of media industries, audience studies, spectatorship, situated (counter)publics, and resistant or negotiated reading strategies adopted by in-group or out-group members. In hopes of reaching a wide readership, the essays should be sophisticated and scholarly, yet relatively jargon-free.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
· culturally specific forms of physical and/or spoken comedy located in selected national contexts, e.g. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mainland China, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and so forth
· exemplary, humor-based works that have been produced in largely overlooked areas of the world, i.e., countries that have not received much attention in the existing literature on international film and television comedy
· recent film and TV remakes of international comedies and the challenges of cultural translation/adaptation
· different manifestations of comic satisfaction, such as laughter, finger-snaps, whistles, etc., found in regionally specific contexts of film and television reception
· humor "on the move” and the mobile consumption of comedy (liminal spectatorship)
· cross-cultural "cringe,” the global "gross out” moment, and the affective trajectories of scatological comedy
· international comedy film festivals, media outlets, cable networks, and the marketing/selling/exhibition of humor-based cultural productions across borders
· YouTube and other video-sharing websites through which comedy is made to "circulate” virtually
· stars of global comedy and the "transnationalizing” of comedic talent
· racial and ethnic diversity in internationally distributed comedy productions
· sexual identity and gender politics in internationally distributed comedy productions
· social class and strategies of "containment”
Please send your abstract (500-750 words in length) or completed essay (5,000-7,000 words), plus a brief biographical statement, as e-mail attachments (in Word or as a Rich Text File) to the email address listed below.
The deadline for the submission of proposals is April 30, 2011. Once I have determined which essays to include in the volume, I will send the manuscript proposal to a university press this summer. The tentative deadline for the completion of essays (after acceptance) will be December 30, 2011.
Dr. David Scott Diffrient
Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
Department of Communication Studies
Colorado State University
Scott.Diffrient@colostate.edu
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Harsimrat announces girls college for every constituency in Punjab
MANSA:Harsimrat Kaur Badal Member Parliament from Bathinda and Patron of Nanhi Chhan Foundation Sunday said that education alone can get the women equal rights in the society and for this foundation would request Punjab government to set up at least one girls degree college in every constituency of Punjab to open avenues of education for the girls.
Addressing a first all women conference here Sunday in which more than 10 thousand ladies from Mansa district assembled, Badal said that women themselves would have to rise for their rights and protect their identity in the society. She said that until and unless women themselves would not say big no to social malice of dowry besides female foeticide, women cannot achieve the goal of gender equality in the country. She said that Nanhi Chhan mission has made a beginning in the society to bring attitudinal change amongst the people regarding their preference for male child and she was happy that this message was getting percolated in the remote villages of Punjab.
Distributing certificates and stitching machines to the girl student completing the course in the centre run by Nanhi Chhan Badal said that Nanhi Chhan foundation would start more vocational courses to make girls students financially self dependent Announcing a state wide programme Badal said that Nanhi Chhan foundation would organise all women rally in every district of the state to take this message to every women of Punjab.
She said that she would impress upon Chief Minister to sanction additional colleges so that each constituency should have one girls college. Badal distributed 10 thousand saplings of plants to the ladies in the conference who would plant these saplings in their respective villages with a vow to protect girl child as well as nurture that plant throughout their life.
On this occasion Member Parliament Parmjit Kaur Gulshan, Information Commissioner Jaspal Kaur Bhunder also addressed the audience. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Dilraj Singh Bhunder Chairman Zila Parishad, Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh Halka Incharge Mansa,Kamaljit Kaur President Istri wing of SAD.
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/harsimrat-announces-girls-college-every-constituency-punjab/28791
Addressing a first all women conference here Sunday in which more than 10 thousand ladies from Mansa district assembled, Badal said that women themselves would have to rise for their rights and protect their identity in the society. She said that until and unless women themselves would not say big no to social malice of dowry besides female foeticide, women cannot achieve the goal of gender equality in the country. She said that Nanhi Chhan mission has made a beginning in the society to bring attitudinal change amongst the people regarding their preference for male child and she was happy that this message was getting percolated in the remote villages of Punjab.
Distributing certificates and stitching machines to the girl student completing the course in the centre run by Nanhi Chhan Badal said that Nanhi Chhan foundation would start more vocational courses to make girls students financially self dependent Announcing a state wide programme Badal said that Nanhi Chhan foundation would organise all women rally in every district of the state to take this message to every women of Punjab.
She said that she would impress upon Chief Minister to sanction additional colleges so that each constituency should have one girls college. Badal distributed 10 thousand saplings of plants to the ladies in the conference who would plant these saplings in their respective villages with a vow to protect girl child as well as nurture that plant throughout their life.
On this occasion Member Parliament Parmjit Kaur Gulshan, Information Commissioner Jaspal Kaur Bhunder also addressed the audience. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Dilraj Singh Bhunder Chairman Zila Parishad, Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh Halka Incharge Mansa,Kamaljit Kaur President Istri wing of SAD.
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/harsimrat-announces-girls-college-every-constituency-punjab/28791
UN calls for ‘new era of social justice’ for all with basic services and decent jobs
18 February 2011 – With 80 per cent of the world’s people lacking adequate social protection and global inequalities growing, top United Nations officials are calling for a new era of social justice that offers basic services, decently paid jobs, and safeguards for the poor, vulnerable and marginalized.
“Social justice is more than an ethical imperative; it is a foundation for national stability and global prosperity,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message ahead of the World Day of Social Justice, observed on 20 February. “Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights, these are essential to unlocking the full productive potential of nations and peoples.”
UN International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Juan Somavia also highlighted the linkage between social justice and national stability, citing the protests in North Africa and the Middle East that have already driven Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from office.
“As Tunisia and Egypt are showing us, jobs and justice, bread and dignity, protection and democracy, national and global security are not unrelated demands,” he said in amessage for the Day. “What happens in the future will very much depend on whether the connections are recognized and acted upon.”
Mr. Ban said the continuing fallout from the global financial and economic crisis makes achieving social justice more important than ever. “For the tens of millions who have lost their jobs since the crisis began, the global recession is far from over,” he noted, underscoring UN efforts to establish a global “social protection floor” to guarantee food security, health services for all and old-age pensions for the 80 per cent of the world’s people who now lack protection.
“No one should live below a certain income level, and everyone should have access to essential public services such as water and sanitation, health and education,” he added. “The pursuit of social justice is crucial to maximizing the potential for growth with equity and minimizing the risks of social unrest. Together, let us rise to the challenge and ensure that our work for sustainable development delivers social justice for all.”
Mr. Somavia highlighted decent employment opportunities as a vital plank for social justice. “It is time to build a new era of social justice on a foundation of decent work,” he said. “Women and men without jobs or livelihoods really don’t care if their economies grow at 3, 5 or 10 per cent per year if such growth leaves them behind and without protection.
“They do care whether their leaders and their societies promote policies to provide jobs and justice, bread and dignity, freedom to voice their needs, their hopes and their dreams and the space to forge practical solutions where they are not always squeezed… Yet the world of work is in tatters today: more than 200 million people are unemployed worldwide, including nearly 80 million youth.”
Both these figures are at or near their highest points ever, while the number of workers in vulnerable employment – some 1.5 billion – and the 630 million working poor living with their families on $1.25 a day or less is increasing, he warned.
Among the essential stations on the path to social justice, Mr. Somavia cited the need to make job creation targets a central component of macroeconomic policy priorities alongside low inflation and sound fiscal accounts, and to provide fiscally sustainable social protection to the eight out of 10 people who lack any form of social security in the world today.
Outlining the principles behind the social protection floor earlier this week, ILO Social Security Department Director Michael Cichon stressed the fact that it would only take 2 per cent of global GDP [gross domestic product] to basically give security systems to all the world’s poor.
Tripartite delegations of Governments, employers and workers from all 183 ILO member States are due to meet in June to draw up a long-term strategy for the floor’s four entitlements that would guarantee basic income security for children; access to some social assistance for people of working age that prevents them from falling into absolute food poverty; a basic old-age pension for people over a certain age; and essential health services for all.
“Social justice is more than an ethical imperative; it is a foundation for national stability and global prosperity,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message ahead of the World Day of Social Justice, observed on 20 February. “Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights, these are essential to unlocking the full productive potential of nations and peoples.”
UN International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Juan Somavia also highlighted the linkage between social justice and national stability, citing the protests in North Africa and the Middle East that have already driven Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from office.
“As Tunisia and Egypt are showing us, jobs and justice, bread and dignity, protection and democracy, national and global security are not unrelated demands,” he said in amessage for the Day. “What happens in the future will very much depend on whether the connections are recognized and acted upon.”
Mr. Ban said the continuing fallout from the global financial and economic crisis makes achieving social justice more important than ever. “For the tens of millions who have lost their jobs since the crisis began, the global recession is far from over,” he noted, underscoring UN efforts to establish a global “social protection floor” to guarantee food security, health services for all and old-age pensions for the 80 per cent of the world’s people who now lack protection.
“No one should live below a certain income level, and everyone should have access to essential public services such as water and sanitation, health and education,” he added. “The pursuit of social justice is crucial to maximizing the potential for growth with equity and minimizing the risks of social unrest. Together, let us rise to the challenge and ensure that our work for sustainable development delivers social justice for all.”
Mr. Somavia highlighted decent employment opportunities as a vital plank for social justice. “It is time to build a new era of social justice on a foundation of decent work,” he said. “Women and men without jobs or livelihoods really don’t care if their economies grow at 3, 5 or 10 per cent per year if such growth leaves them behind and without protection.
“They do care whether their leaders and their societies promote policies to provide jobs and justice, bread and dignity, freedom to voice their needs, their hopes and their dreams and the space to forge practical solutions where they are not always squeezed… Yet the world of work is in tatters today: more than 200 million people are unemployed worldwide, including nearly 80 million youth.”
Both these figures are at or near their highest points ever, while the number of workers in vulnerable employment – some 1.5 billion – and the 630 million working poor living with their families on $1.25 a day or less is increasing, he warned.
Among the essential stations on the path to social justice, Mr. Somavia cited the need to make job creation targets a central component of macroeconomic policy priorities alongside low inflation and sound fiscal accounts, and to provide fiscally sustainable social protection to the eight out of 10 people who lack any form of social security in the world today.
Outlining the principles behind the social protection floor earlier this week, ILO Social Security Department Director Michael Cichon stressed the fact that it would only take 2 per cent of global GDP [gross domestic product] to basically give security systems to all the world’s poor.
Tripartite delegations of Governments, employers and workers from all 183 ILO member States are due to meet in June to draw up a long-term strategy for the floor’s four entitlements that would guarantee basic income security for children; access to some social assistance for people of working age that prevents them from falling into absolute food poverty; a basic old-age pension for people over a certain age; and essential health services for all.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Need more CSR awards like Edelweiss to support orgs working towards improving lives of women and girls in India
EdelGive Social Innovation Honours awarded to 5 NGOs for innovative work on women's empowerment
* Five winning NGOs include Jan Chetna Manch (Health and Well-Being), Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Education), Prajwala (Economic Security & Livelihoods), The Hunger Project (Governance) and STEPS Women Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural Rights).
* EdelGive Foundation marks third year of impacting lives of women across India through these awards.
* Five outstanding NGOs awarded for their innovative work in the areas of Health and Well-Being, Education, Livelihoods, Governance and Social and Cultural Rights of women.
* Prize money of Rs 50 Lakhs will be awarded to the winners.
* Enhanced focus to provide capacity building support to NGOs.
EdelGive Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Edelweiss Capital Ltd. today announced the winners of the Third EdelGive Social Innovation Honours (ESIH 2011). Following a stringent four stage evaluation process five outstanding NGOs have been announced winners for their innovative work in the areas of Health and Well-Being, Education, Livelihoods, Governance and Social and Cultural Rights of women.
The winning NGOs of this year’s award are Jan Chetna Manch (Health and Well-Being), Jharkhand, for the outstanding work done to empower and improve the lives of the weakest and poorest in the villages of Bokaro district, with a particular aim of improving the overall health and well being of poor rural women, Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Education), Rajasthan, an organization that has significantly improved girls’ enrolment, retention, and academic performance in Government schools, by leveraging existing community and Government resources in the state , Prajwala (Economic Security & Livelihoods), Andhra Pradesh, an NGO that has emerged as an anti-trafficking organization, that rescues women and children from prostitution, enabling their psychological recovery, and rehabilitating and reintegrating trafficked victims back into the society, The Hunger Project (Governance),New Delhi, an organization committed towards gender equality and women’s empowerment through political participation and STEPS Women Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural Rights) Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, a women’s organization that works on issues to do with violence and women’s rights, with a sharpened and special focus on the rights of Muslim Women.
According to Vidya Shah, Executive Director and Head, EdelGive Foundation, “In India, a high number of women and girls remain marginalized and disempowered. Through the ESIH awards, EdelGive Foundation over the last three years has raised the awareness of issues surrounding women and the girl child and has supported organizations with path-breaking approaches to tackle these challenges. Going forward, EdelGive is committed to supporting the distinctive work of these NGOs through both funding and capacity building support.”
ESIH 2011 aims to identify and reward organisations that are innovating to empower women in India. The objective is to showcase and support organizations with unique approaches to tackle challenges that women face in our country. Prize money of Rs. 50 Lakhs is being awarded to the winners across five categories of Health & Well Being, Education, Economic Security & Livelihoods, Social and Cultural Rights and Governance. Apart from award money, the Foundation has enhanced its focus this year to provide capacity building support to winning NGOs.
The winners have been selected from a pool of 235 participants across India. The selection process involved a four stage evaluation process supported by Ernst and Young as process advisors and official tabulators and included an initial application, short listing by an internal jury, visits by field assessors from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and final selection by an external jury of prominent members from the corporate, media and social sectors. The jury panel this year consisted of Chandra Iyengar, ex civil servant, Kalpana Sharma, Independent Journalist, Mala Ramadorai, musician and teacher, Roopa Kudva, Executive Director CRISIL, Shoba Narayan, Writer and Journalist, Varun Sahni, Director Impact Investment Partners, Venkat Ramaswamy, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Edelweiss Capital Limited, Zia Mody, leading corporate lawyer and Founding Partner of AZB Partners.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/edelgive-social-innovation-honours-awarded-to-5-ngos-for-innovative-workwomen%5Cs-empowerment/425671/
* Five winning NGOs include Jan Chetna Manch (Health and Well-Being), Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Education), Prajwala (Economic Security & Livelihoods), The Hunger Project (Governance) and STEPS Women Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural Rights).
* EdelGive Foundation marks third year of impacting lives of women across India through these awards.
* Five outstanding NGOs awarded for their innovative work in the areas of Health and Well-Being, Education, Livelihoods, Governance and Social and Cultural Rights of women.
* Prize money of Rs 50 Lakhs will be awarded to the winners.
* Enhanced focus to provide capacity building support to NGOs.
EdelGive Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Edelweiss Capital Ltd. today announced the winners of the Third EdelGive Social Innovation Honours (ESIH 2011). Following a stringent four stage evaluation process five outstanding NGOs have been announced winners for their innovative work in the areas of Health and Well-Being, Education, Livelihoods, Governance and Social and Cultural Rights of women.
The winning NGOs of this year’s award are Jan Chetna Manch (Health and Well-Being), Jharkhand, for the outstanding work done to empower and improve the lives of the weakest and poorest in the villages of Bokaro district, with a particular aim of improving the overall health and well being of poor rural women, Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Education), Rajasthan, an organization that has significantly improved girls’ enrolment, retention, and academic performance in Government schools, by leveraging existing community and Government resources in the state , Prajwala (Economic Security & Livelihoods), Andhra Pradesh, an NGO that has emerged as an anti-trafficking organization, that rescues women and children from prostitution, enabling their psychological recovery, and rehabilitating and reintegrating trafficked victims back into the society, The Hunger Project (Governance),New Delhi, an organization committed towards gender equality and women’s empowerment through political participation and STEPS Women Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural Rights) Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, a women’s organization that works on issues to do with violence and women’s rights, with a sharpened and special focus on the rights of Muslim Women.
According to Vidya Shah, Executive Director and Head, EdelGive Foundation, “In India, a high number of women and girls remain marginalized and disempowered. Through the ESIH awards, EdelGive Foundation over the last three years has raised the awareness of issues surrounding women and the girl child and has supported organizations with path-breaking approaches to tackle these challenges. Going forward, EdelGive is committed to supporting the distinctive work of these NGOs through both funding and capacity building support.”
ESIH 2011 aims to identify and reward organisations that are innovating to empower women in India. The objective is to showcase and support organizations with unique approaches to tackle challenges that women face in our country. Prize money of Rs. 50 Lakhs is being awarded to the winners across five categories of Health & Well Being, Education, Economic Security & Livelihoods, Social and Cultural Rights and Governance. Apart from award money, the Foundation has enhanced its focus this year to provide capacity building support to winning NGOs.
The winners have been selected from a pool of 235 participants across India. The selection process involved a four stage evaluation process supported by Ernst and Young as process advisors and official tabulators and included an initial application, short listing by an internal jury, visits by field assessors from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and final selection by an external jury of prominent members from the corporate, media and social sectors. The jury panel this year consisted of Chandra Iyengar, ex civil servant, Kalpana Sharma, Independent Journalist, Mala Ramadorai, musician and teacher, Roopa Kudva, Executive Director CRISIL, Shoba Narayan, Writer and Journalist, Varun Sahni, Director Impact Investment Partners, Venkat Ramaswamy, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Edelweiss Capital Limited, Zia Mody, leading corporate lawyer and Founding Partner of AZB Partners.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/edelgive-social-innovation-honours-awarded-to-5-ngos-for-innovative-workwomen%5Cs-empowerment/425671/
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