Proceedings of the International Conference on Future of Women
About Proceedings ISSN 2602-8646 (Online) The principal aim of Proceedings of the International Conference on Future of Women is to cover any aspect of research into the broad topics of Future of Women. Through this it is intended to disseminate knowledge and establish channels of communication between academic and research experts, Scholars, policy makers, International Institutions and Society at large. The proceedings publish original scientific research papers, review papers, short notes on research in progress dealing with Women’s Studies. Full papers of the authors who participate in the International Conference on Future of Women are published free of charge in the proceedings after a double-blind peer review process. Learn more about FOW Conference
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EMPOWERING FEMALE STUDENTS IN INDONESIAN ISLAMIC HIGHER EDUCATION TO ADDRESS GENDER BIAS IN DIGITAL MEDIA
Widows in rural Indonesia, tethered by the invisible threads of tradition, navigate a landscape where patriarchal norms cast long shadows over their autonomy and rights. This article explores the experience of three widows living in three villages in rural West Java, Central Java, and Central Kalimantan. It examines how their lives have changed since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration 30 years ago. Using a narrative approach, the research zooms into the personal stories of these women to understand their experiences with social attitudes, their role within the community, and their strategies for dealing with economic deprivation. Observation and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data. The validity of the instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.89 while the validity of the DBR process was strengthened through qualitative data triangulation. The results of the paired t-test showed a significant difference between pre- and post intervention scores (p <0.05), while the qualitative data analysis identified key design principles for a gender-based media literacy program. The final model through the DBR process produces a framework for an adaptive, contextual, and gender-responsive digital media literacy program, which is not only relevant to Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia but can also be a global reference for the development of similar programs. The theoretical and practical contributions of this study include the development of design principles for gender-based media literacy programs that can be adapted in the context of Islamic higher education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fitra Zahrotul Luqmi http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SHATTERING THE SILENCE: WOMEN'S CLUBS AND THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY IN COLONIAL INDIA
This study tries to find out the gender inequalities within the spaces of Colonial Clubs historically dominated by European men and the formation of Lady's Clubs as a counter-movement. This study examines the patriarchal norms which systematically restricted the socio, political and economic freedom of women. And the intersectional aspects like race, gender and class. I have used records like Rules and Laws of Princes of Wales Ladies Club, Bhopal, Rules and Bylaws of Nilgiri Ladies Club, Ootacamund, Malabar European Club by law, Cochin saga an autobiography of Robert Bristow chief engineer of Cochin port, a biography of Sarojini Naidu and the records of Cochin Club, Munnar high range club, Archival documents and Malayalam literature for this study. Through an extensive survey of these documents, this research investigates how British and native men utilized exclusive clubs as a retreat space in Colonial India. This paper aims to shed light on the experiences of wives and other women impacted by this escapism. Club records and Malayalam literature frequently highlight a recurring issue: husbands spend evenings and weekends at clubs, engaging in social activities, while their wives and children feel abandoned and neglected. Many have questioned why husbands fail to include their wives in their social circles, even as a club member. This continued exclusion and the formation of many other women's associations and social reform movements created a background for the emergence of Lady's Clubs. The second half of the 19th century saw the rise of ladies' clubs across India (e.g., the Princes of Wales Club and the Nilgiri Ladies Club). The analysis focuses on how these clubs empowered women through activities, decision-making opportunities, and fostering social connections. The private and public worlds merger continued in clubs of the postcolonial era. Women have gained greater access to these spaces, though challenges to gender equality may persist in some clubs.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rajeesha M http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
NAVIGATING SPACES OF POWER: MALE PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN INDIA
The politics of gender and sexuality within political activism is a complex and contested field and words that resonate differently in different political and cultural contexts. influenced by interlocking identities, ideologies and interests. The place of women and LGBTQ+ people in, and their contribution to,gender rights activism has been empirically documented; however, little has been done to analyze how male activists think and act about gender and sexuality. One of them would be a bridge to that gap by the following studies: exploring the views of male activists from diverse ideological and activist contexts in North India.The study fills in that gap by exploring how North Indian male activists negotiate feminist and queer politics, framing the analysis around masculinity, male allyship, and intersectionality. Using focus groups discussion (FGDs), in-depth interviews and field observations, it investigates how caste, religion, political ideology, and activist location impact male participation in gender justice struggles. Results demonstrate a continuum of engagement—from actively questioning and challenging patriarchy through practice to upholding hierarchical forms of masculinity even within progressive strands of mobilization. In analysing their motivations, paradoxes and ideological frictions, the article provides an account of the process through which masculinities are shaped and challenged in a field of political action, and what this involves for transformative feminist and queer politics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Shivi Upadhyay http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
FROM TRAUMA TO TRANSFORMATION: EXPLORING POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVIVORS THROUGH A SCOPING REVIEW
The incidence of sexual violence is increasing globally. In Indonesia, data from the National Commission on Violence against Women reveals that psychological and sexual violence are the two most prevalent forms of abuse, accounting for 37% and 28% of cases, respectively. These incidents have significant physical and psychological impacts on individuals. Despite this, survivors of sexual violence have the potential to experience positive transformation after trauma, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). While research on PTG has progressed, a comprehensive mapping of trends and gaps in this area remains lacking. This study aims to map the literature on PTG among survivors of sexual violence, exploring research trends and methodologies employed. Utilizing a scoping review approach, a systematic literature search was conducted in September 2024 across major databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. Inclusion criteria required studies in which posttraumatic growth is the primary focus of measurement, specifically examine survivors of sexual violence. Utilize primary data, and explore posttraumatic growth beyond general discussions on growth-related topics. Articles were systematically screened based on relevance to the research question. The results identified 19 relevant studies on PTG among survivors of sexual violence, focusing on psychological themes and employing diverse methodologies: 10 quantitative, 5 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods studies. However, a significant gap exists in understanding how survivors translate their PTG experiences into concrete actions, such as self-empowerment, advocacy, or changes in interpersonal relationships. This study highlights the need for interventions based on PTG understanding, including advocacy programs and empowerment initiatives, to support the recovery and transformation of sexual violence survivors.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fitria Fitria http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
URBAN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADAPTATION IN HOPLEY, ZIMBABWE
The susceptibility to the effects of climate change is intensified by the disparity and exclusion associated with geographical location, ethnic background, gender, poverty, and other economic and social determinants. This qualitative study investigated the living conditions of the urban poor in informal settlements of Hopley, Zimbabwe and illustrate how the appropriation of private, parochial, and public spaces by female residents of Hopley informal settlement affects their ability to manage climatic risks. Informal settlements are characterized by substandard dwellings or shanties constructed in violation of formal laws and regulations. The informal community of Hopley do not have access to clean potable water or sufficient infrastructure for public health, drainage, and essential services. This paper examined strategies for developing resistance to the impacts of climate change by women in informal communities such as Hopley. The research offers valuable insights on the varying degrees of women's participation in climate resilience development, based on a comprehensive analysis of existing literature and in depth interviews of 12 women living in Hopley. It additionally examined the measures being taken to tackle climate resilience in informal settlements, specifically, initiatives sponsored by the local community to improve settlements and strengthen their capacity to endure the effects of climate change and support marginalized populations. Furthermore, the study explored strategies for overcoming obstacles to achieving larger scale and effectiveness, such as using synergies with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anesu Mironga http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SMOKING AS A SYMBOL OF WOMEN’S RESISTANCE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF FEMALE SMOKERS SELF-CONCEPT
Smoking is a common habit in Indonesia, often linked to masculinity and social status. However, societal norms deeply rooted in patriarchy impose stricter moral standards on women, leading to the stigmatization of female smokers. This study investigates how these societal norms influence the self-concept of female smokers in Semarang City. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study involved four participants—female smokers aged 19–25 years who smoke at least four cigarettes daily and are aware of the stigma associated with smoking. Data were gathered through interviews, observations, and documentation and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings reveal that for these women, smoking is not merely a habit but a symbolic act of resistance against gender norms that restrict their freedom and identity. While the participants shared common experiences of stigma, their responses also highlighted diverse perspectives on navigating societal expectations. However, these findings are limited to the specific cultural context of Semarang and may not represent other regions. This study underscores the complexity of female smokers’ experiences in patriarchal societies and highlights unique factors that frame smoking as resistance. Future research could further explore how such acts of defiance manifest in different cultural settings or contribute to policy discussions addressing gender stigma.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lana Savira Kusuma Dewi http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
“WHAT IS THE URGENCY?”: YOUTUBE PUBLIC RESPONSE ON FEMICIDE AWARENESS IN INDONESIA
Femicide refers to the killing of women due to their gender. The Indonesian National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) reported hundreds of femicide cases annually in Indonesia from 2021 to 2023. However, the term remains largely unfamiliar within the country, despite being one of the most extreme and brutal forms of violence against women. Raising public awareness of femicide is crucial and can be achieved through educational efforts, including coverage of femicide cases and explanations of the concept. In the digital era, YouTube has emerged as a potential platform for such education. As the third most frequently used social media platform in Indonesia, YouTube has become a primary source of news for many Indonesians. This study aims to describe femicide-related content uploaded to YouTube and to analyze Indonesian netizens’ responses to the issue. Using data collected via the YouTube API (Application Programming Interface), the study identified 29 femicide-related videos in the Indonesian language and analyzed 81% comments of all. Using qualitative content analysis for social media, the study revealed two main categories which are Femicide Issue and Netizens’ View. Femicide Issue consist of two themes, named causes and prevention that reflect Indonesian patriarchy and religious culture. Meanwhile the category of Netizens’ View holds two other themes, judgement and reflection, shows that Indonesians still see femicide as an unimportant issue even though they feel bad about it. The study emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies and collaboration among various stakeholders to bring this critical issue to Indonesian public attention.
qualitative content analysis Introduction
Copyright (c) 2025 Dea Siti Hafsha http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
“I AM A WIDOW, POOR AND LIVING IN A VILLAGE”: WHAT’S CHANGED AFTER THE BEIJING DECLARATION IN RURAL INDONESIA?
Widows in rural Indonesia, tethered by the invisible threads of tradition, navigate a landscape where patriarchal norms cast long shadows over their autonomy and rights. This article explores the experience of three widows living in three villages in rural West Java, Central Java, and Central Kalimantan. It examines how their lives have changed since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration 30 years ago. Using a narrative approach, the research zooms into the personal stories of these women to understand their experiences with social attitudes, their role within the community, and their strategies for dealing with economic deprivation. Observation and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data. The result portrays that although the Beijing Declaration has brought positive changes such as improved access to economic opportunity, and education for their family, significant challenges persist. By highlighting the resilience and agency of these women as they navigate and challenge the patriarchal structure, the study emphasizes the urgency of social support and legal reforms in strengthening their socio-economic status. Through the widows’s narrative, this paper tells both progress and persistent struggles, manifesting a nuanced perspective on the impact of international gender equality commitment at the grassroots level. These unique experiences of widows in rural Indonesia contribute to the broader discourse on pursuing gender equality in the rural context, as well as provide recommendations for marching the Beijing Declaration.
Copyright (c) 2025 Herlina Dedy Listiani, Ajeng Inyatul Ilahiyah http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Women’s Sex Representation in Comic Book
The representation of women has always been different in comics from past to present. Some women have been shown in the comics, in the role of being saved by a male superhero, or in a sexy female image with pornographic elements. The scarcity of female illustrators and writers, being male among publishers consists of the necessary information for the research of comics among the gender studies. Just as there are gender and objectification elements in real life, there are also these approaches to the female body in comics. Towards the 21st century, together with the movements of feminism, both the technological conditions and the digitization of the comics have made women's representation a little more free. For this reason, the methodology of the research has been determined as Fourth Wave Feminism. Now, they can explain the female lesbian culture and sexual policies independently of society in the comics of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and a series of images that depict Belden Sezen's A Snapshot. The handling of such female characters in comic books and graphic novels firstly enables the students to make accurate determinations while breaking the prejudice of the society, and then when determining the orientation of the young generation, and that women can live their identity freely as an individual. Based on all these information and results, in this research, the representation of women in comics will be explained through a historical evaluation and then criticized in terms of gender.
Gender-Sensitive Peer Counselling Groups in Times of Conflict Reflections on a Self-Help Support Group in Berlin
The arrival of stark number of forcibly displaced refugees in Germany since 2015 has led to increased challenges in the mental health care system. The system was overburdened, and therefore innovative approaches to health care for refugees were necessary in order to gain knowledge about their expansion and admission to regular care. To increase knowledge of refugees regarding mental health services and to provide practical support, a manual for peer-to-peer counseling was developed at Charité University Medical Center Berlin and refugees were trained as peer counsellors. This paper aims to give an overview of previous peer support interventions published in literature and to also point out to the preliminary results from the intervention conducted at the Charité. Good practices and recommendations for peer interventions are provided. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the group participants, and results show that peer groups helped refugees in sharing experiences, in giving ideas for possible solutions, in building social/friendship networks, and in providing a safe place for discussions. The results of our study suggest that integrating gender-sensitive peer support approaches in the mental health services for refugees may benefit the public health by reducing both need and demand for these services.
Copyright (c) 2020 Jinan Abi Jumaa, Andreas Heinz
Newspaper Coverage of Sexual Assaults in South Korea: Before and after #MeToo Movement
This study explores differences in South Korean newspaper coverage related to cases of sexual assault on females before and after the #MeToo movement. To this end, a content analysis was conducted to examine the framing of newspaper coverage of sexual assault by politicians in 2014 and 2018. In total, 755 news stories were analysed, revealing 10 times increase in the number of articles dealing with sexual violence cases after the #MeToo movement. In addition, it was found that the number of newspaper articles representing the voices of women who were victims of sexual assault or representing the position of women's organizations calling for social change and the protection of women's rights increased significantly after the #MeToo movement. In particular, a significant increase in newspaper coverage discussing problems with the legal system and calling for an urgent improvement to its dealings with sexual assault cases was found. Despite the #MeToo movement, however, the examined newspaper coverage still used an episodic frame more often than a thematic one in dealing with sexual violence against women and the articles still contained many provocative words, such as ‘adultery’ and ‘infidelity’, aimed at arousing readers' curiosity and interest.
Engendering Budgets: Assessing Personal Consciousness of Policy Actors towards Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB)
This paper attempts to examine personal consciousness among policy actors towards Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) initiative in connection with gender equality in Malaysia. The paper concerns in assessing on personal consciousness as a part of challenges to implement GRB in the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) and Ministry of Finance (MOF). Available western studies have shown that GRB or gender budget processes still encounter various issues such as lack of concept understanding itself and support from the organisational top management. Malaysia’s GRB initiative was introduced in the mid-2003. Nevertheless, even after 12 years since successful of Manual on Gender Budgeting publication, a very low personal consciousness on gender related matters contribute to the least number of GRB and gender-related awareness programmes organised for policy actors. The low personal gender consciousness among policy actors was identified as an ultimate challenge in implementing GRB in Malaysia. In collecting data, this study has carried out a series of face-to-face interviews with eight top policy actors; and a desk review of various documents related to gender awareness and budgeting works. The data was analysed on personal consciousness which is the first quadrant of Individual and Organisational Change Matrix introduced by Rao and Kelleher (2002). The paper concludes that GRB initiative needs support and cooperation from various stakeholders to develop personal consciousness on gender among policy actors and enable them to have deep understanding on GRB processes. So, this paper recommends that the MWFCD and MOF need to enhance women participation in budgetary debates and decision making processes. Additionally, the top management of the ministries has to support the initiative through GRB’s advocacy, effective policy cascading as well as lobbying programmes related to gender understanding.
Global Harmonization through Restoration of Feminine Power
The future of women is the same as our past and present global state of women as well as human kind. The notion of “this is a man’s world” has dictated so much of the Earths energy that it has often seeped down into our inner voices and thoughts destroying our natural balance. A restoration of feminine power is the greatest most pivotal balance act towards the Global Harmonization of the Human Race. She who creates life, gives life, and nurtures life has a great power and understanding to protect life as well as undoubtedly having the right to participate in how the collective life of the human race exists and precedes as well as her own. Female domination is not the goal. Simply, global harmony is the end game. Restoration of feminine power has the potential to heal and liberate our men and women cross culturally and intersectionally in every aspect through which we suffer while simultaneously strengthening the connection of all creatures whom we share the Earth with further alleviating environmental issues. The future of women is the future of the human race and our last option is our only option yet tried- global harmony.
Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
This paper examines the phenomenon of human trafficking in Sri Lanka, a nation uniquely situated as an origin, transit and destination country for men, women and children trafficked for forced labour, and sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking that disproportionately affects girls and women. Every year children, women and men become trafficking victims either in their own countries or foreign countries. The practice gravely violates human rights and is considered a transnational organized crime. Almost every country of the world is affected by human trafficking, as source, countries of transit or destinations or even combination of all the three. Often less developed countries serve as sources while more developed countries serve as destinations. This paper is the reflection of my experience at International Organization for Migration (IOM) on a counter trafficking project where the first international human trafficking case filed before the High court of Colombo and where all 3 traffickers were convicted. In Part II, I will illustrate the complexity of understanding trafficking in its full social context using the testimony of the victims I encountered during my tenure at IOM. In Part III, I will discuss control methods used against the two victims of this human trafficking case for sexual exploitation. The paper ultimately concludes that broader, victim based initiatives are necessary both to assist victims and provide a firmer basis for future trafficking prosecutions.
WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN SRI LANKA AND WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY
In the Sri Lankan setting, there is a long bounden connection between foreign direct investment (FDI) and financial development rate. The FDI dropped 54% to $ 450 million of every 2016 year-on-year, contrasted and $ 970 million in the earlier year. Sri Lanka wants to be the most famous nation for FDI by 2018 with financial development estimated at 7% in the coming years. One of the significant zones for such venture is believed to be tourism. Tourism is an incredible open door for financial improvement and neediness lightening in creating nations. The tourism industry is a standout amongst the most potential territories for outside speculation and development. Ladies' work in tourism industry stays low under 8 percent for the main lodging networks in the nation and there are fears that this capacity for development might be decelerated by a genuine shortage in human resources especially. In a setting when ladies have break even with access to training and in fact are moving in huge numbers and generally utilized in numerous segments, and this exploration investigates why ladies' work in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka is at such low levels? This exploration centers the inescapability of social hindrances to ladies' work in the tourism industry, through a contextual analysis of one of Sri Lanka's most seasoned resort tourism industry and meetings with senior industry experts. This was a cross sectional descriptive study with 11 women respondents who’re still working in the Heritance Ahungalla (HA) in the Southern region and the decisions a little example of five ladies who lived and worked near the exploration site, i.e. Heritance Ahungalla, were additionally met as the sample. The samples were selected purposively on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data and consent was taken a prior interview. The investigation additionally worries to the idea of these hindrances: a) misperceptions b) preferences c) absence of mindfulness d) male centric dispositions and socio-social impacts e) contrasting levels of social estimation of various callings. The investigation features the part business and government can play in tending to these hindrances and to this end makes particular suggestions to extend ladies' entrance and development inside the business.
WOMAN, BODY AND VIRTUAL SPACE: A CRITICAL STUDY OF MANJULA PADMANABHAN’S PLAY HARVEST
The present paper explores the relationship between gender and virtual space and studies how virtual space reproduces the gendered relations of power. Manjula Padmanabhan’s play Harvest (1998) locates the female body in different positions in the real and virtual spaces. Technology rather confirms the existing gendered meanings assigned to the human body as it is shaped by the particular social and cultural patterns. In the play, Ginni is a virtual figure who controls Om, Jaya and their family through a virtual device called the Contact Module. Gender swapping of virtual Ginni/Virgil suggests not a denial of gender but the assertion of it. The virtual space does not liberate individuals from gendered bodies but emphasizes the gender differences, objectifies the body and confirms the binary of man/woman by projecting them into animated double figures. Manjula Padmanabhan, in the play, presents a frightening vision of a futuristic, technologically advanced world with gender imbalance against the popular images of romantic, fancy, beautified and easy going virtual world. In the given context, the paper analyses the idea that a virtual body is a cultural entity and explains how the idea of human body becomes a technological construction. The research is a textual study and analytical and descriptive methods are applied to it.
INDONESIAN WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The number of influential women leaders in Indonesia’s public arena has increased significantly in the last ten years. Indonesian women assume leadership in political parties, legislative assembly, national government departments and the judiciary. This paper discusses challenges and best practices which enable Indonesian women to actively and successfully participate in the public sphere both in the political and government arena. This paper is based on the research entitled “Indonesian Women’s Participation in Politics” funded by Universitas Bakrie, Jakarta in 2015-2016. Barriers for women’s participation in politics and government include lack of resources to finance a campaign or to finance necessities of a successful mandate, public private divide of social space (women as mothers, wives, daughters, daughter in laws), political violence, ideological polarization and patriarchal gender ideology, gender role prescriptions and honor conceptions, sexist and hostile political climate in parliaments and government departments and the lack of psychological empowerment among Indonesian women. Best practices which enable and facilitate women’s participation in politics and government in Indonesia include gender mainstreaming through laws and legislations, quotas for women in political parties, parliaments, civil service, judiciaries, executive government departments, sustained and legally supported budgeting for ensuring women’s empowerment and participation, grass root social and political empowerment at the local regency level for political recruitment through mentors, regional political party branches and local religious and secular organizations, political education to young girls at schools and universities from the national level to the regional and local levels, diplomacy, negotiating and brokering a form of participative democracy in the context of present political ideologies from sub-national to national level politics and governance
THE LITERARY PROGENITORS OF AMERICAN FEMINISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONTEMPORARY PASHTUN WOMEN IN PAKISTAN
The mid-19th century proved a prime time for the question of women's equality in the U.S., that was voiced by many scholarly fields as diverse as history, anthropology, sociology, gender studies, literature, etc.,and particularly the American novel—The Scarlet Letter; Little Women; The Portrait of a Lady; The Awakening, and Sister Carrie. These novels through their multi-faceted and lifelike protagonists systematically instituted the base of American feminism atits different evolutionary phases. The study explores how these five mid-19th century American novels dealt with the issue of women's equality through the lenses of New Historicism and Gender Studies. Through close socio-historical readings of these novels, I will discuss how struggle for women's rights was presented in the select novels, how closely these depictions are aligned with actual social conditions, and how the novels facilitated a social change regarding woman's equality. Finally the study signifies how the experience can augment the cause of contemporary Pashtun women's rights in Pakistan, which is a burning issue at the moment.
EMERGENCE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN
Empowerment is "the result of the process which enables an individual to know about herself / himself, what she/he wants, express it, try to get it and fulfill their needs, enhance confidence, awareness, mobility, choices, control over resources and decision making power. The phenomenon of empowering someone implicitly comments on the powerlessness of the individual before. Empowerment is an active multidimensional process which should enable women to realize their identity and powers in all spheres of life, including greater autonomy in decision making as well as participation in all political activities”. Politics being center of power is dominated by males in all over the world including Pakistan. The share of Women is nearly half of the population but still patriarchal society creates hurdles in their way of empowerment. Although all three constitution of Pakistan demonstrated for 5% quota of reserved seats for women in the Legislative Assembly, however, the demand for higher representation was always there. So due to this persistent demand of higher representation, the reserved quota was raised to 33% seats for women in legislative councils at the local, tehsil, municipality and district level and at the National and Provincial level it was enhanced to 17% making it highest representation in the world. In my article, I will unleash the struggle for women political representation and its impacts upon society.
WOMEN’S HEALTH: MIDDLE CLASS HOME MAKERS-VOICES AND CONCERNS IN URBAN BANGALORE CITY
The slogan “healthy women healthy world’ embodies the fact that as custodians of family health, women play a critical role in maintaining health and wellbeing of their families and communities but very little attention is paid to their health care thus leading to wide disparities in access to medical care. Their economic instability, lack of awareness, gendered sex role, high cost of medical expenses, lack of government initiatives, all these plays a crucial role in women not seeking to health care, especially the Home Makers. The paperaims for a health care planning and policies for home maker’s health issues by creating awareness among the public, civil and specially women, to ensure that women’s health is not addressed merely on biological issue but also as a gender issues. Government role and responsibility and medical practioners and multinational companies to become more responsible stake holders for women’s wellbeing. Incorporating the Feministmethodological guidelines the Sampling size will be 1000 urban middle class women in age group 25-60 yearsvarying in their educational qualification, designation and marital status in Bangalore. Descriptive, experiential, exploratory methods, data collection, primary and secondary tools through observation and also interview schedules methods are used. Statistics analyses and Graphical representation of data is incorporated
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN HIMACHAL PRADESH IN INDIA: IMPACT ON SOCIAL CHANGE
As per the Census 2011, the total population of Himachal Pradesh was 68, 64,602. The male and female population was 34, 81,873 and 33, 82,729 respectively. Since the formation of the state, women political participation in politics in Himachal Pradesh has enhanced in the state. However, the impact is more visible in the voting pattern than in other political activities and decision making. The sorry state of affairs is that women are not getting adequate representation in the Parliament, State Legislature and other higher decision-making bodies. However, the position of women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions is better in Himachal. The present study is based on the primary and secondary data collected from the office records of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, State Election Commission, State Election Department, Panchayati Raj Department, Census Reports, Statistical Outlines of Himachal Pradesh etc. The relevant books, journals, newspapers, gazetteers etc. have also been consulted. The latest amendment (2008) has provided 50 percent reservation in the Panchayati Raj Institutions for women in the rural and urban local bodies. It is observed that because of reservation, political participation of women at the grass root level has significantly increased and is having visible impact on the ensuing social change supplemented with some other factors such as economic participation, literacy, culture, demography etc.
WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN INDIA FROM ITS EARLIEST NOTICEABLE BEGINNING TO CONTEMPORARY TIMES
In Hindu religious scriptures, a woman is described as the epithet of Shakti which means a source of power. From time immemorial, Indian women have played a very crucial role in every walk of life. As per Vedic literature, Indian women had performed as Rishies and scholars. Maitreyi was well versed in Vedas; Gargi, the Vedic prophetess and other ladies are well known in Indian history and culture. Whether it is the case of Razia Sultan and Chand Bibi who were the great rulers of the medieval period, or Rani Laxmibai and other thousands of women who equally took part in Indian freedom movements, the role played by every woman has been praiseworthy. The main objective of this paper is to chart women’s contribution and participation to political situations and social reforms movements in pre and Post-Independent India including Chipko Movement, The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA); The Progressive Organization of Women (POW) etc.
CAPITAL UTILIZATION AND HAPPINESS OF LABOUR MIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS, THAILAND
This study tried to compare the differences of capital utilization and happiness of labour migrant households in the Northeast, Thailand by some characteristics. The research used the quantitative methodology. Samples of the research were random from the households engaging in international migrants within a year at Chaiyaphum Province – the Provinces in the region with the highest international migrant of 334 households. The research instrument, the interview schedule, was reliable at 0.913 levels. The data were collected during July, 2017 and analyzed based on descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA for hypothesis testing. The result indicated that the extended family had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than single family and skipped family at level 0.05. The household with both male head households and lalours had significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others and also found that the household with both female head households and lalours had the lowest of capital utilization level and happiness level. The households with the remittance more than 940 US$ had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others at level 0.05. The results also indicated that the households with high investment from the remittance had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others at level 0.01.
THE INVISIBLE GENERATION’: QUESTIONING AGEISM, CHALLENGING MYTHS, REFASHIONING SELVES
The old age is perceived as a foreign body, said Simone de Beauvoir in her essay The Coming of Age (1970). Influenced by Sartre’s existentialism she emphasized the idea that the subject sees old age through the perception of others. It is a twin process of objectification: the look of others who sees female body as an object of hostility and also a woman’s image of herself who feels that the body is different from her. Jeannette King calls women who are over fifty “the invisible generation” in her book Discourses on Ageing in Fiction and Feminism: The Invisible Woman (2012). She asserts that woman loses her identity after fifty because a woman’s value has historically been determined by her reproductive ability, her beauty and sexuality. Gullette points out the absence of a discourse on ageism in feminism scholarship. The present paper explores the grounds of marginalization of ageing women in the Indian context from cultural and feminist standpoints and the paper aims to make ageing women visible in the literary and feminist discourses with special reference to four contemporary plays: Mangalam by PolieSengupta, Harvest by ManjulaPadmanabhan, Tripurari Sharma’s Bahu and Aurat by Rasheed Jahan.
THE CHALLENGE OF STRENGTHENING EQUALITY POLICIES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ARMED CONFLICT AND PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
The paper presents a piece of a PhD research project about the evolution of the armed conflict axis conflict within the equality policies of the national government of Colombia, from 1992 to 2018. One of the hypothesis that orientates the research is that equality and gender equity policies have lower status in comparison to other public policies, such as peace. The low status is reflected in the lack of resources destined to building up a strong public institution in charge of promoting women’s rights, which could develop cross gender equality programs along with other ministries and public departments. It also focuses on the importance of the international law framework, such as the Beijing Platform and the United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, security and peace. Equality policies in Colombia have had an inconstant evolution. The public institution created for promoting them has been degrading in status, losing decision power and funding. The peace process has not always entailed the strengthening of public equality policies. On the contrary, in some legislations willing to promote peace agreements, equality policies have got no specific budget. Peace and equality are the two principles that governments have not built parallel. In addition, the gender mainstreaming approach in public policy has served to justify the lack of specific funding for the national institution responsible for promoting equality in the country and for the policies drafted.