International Conference on Women in Emerging Indian Economy

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Christ College, Centre for Social Action is a partner of the Norwegian Government development organization called Fredskorpset for a student exchange programme since 2002. Fredskorpset comes under the Ministry of External affirms, Norway and works with the vision of promoting partnership for development in order to contribute towards lasting improvements in the economic, social and political conditions of people in developing countries, and with the realization of human rights for all. (See www.fredskorpset.no)

Fredskorpset has established it network of partners across the globe. One such network is Fk India Partners Network, which is coordinated by CSA and Drik India-A development media organization at Kolkata.

This year the network organized an international conference on “Women in Changing Indian Economy-Silence to Voice; Problems and Possibilities’ The seminar was held on 26th and 27th of November 2007 at Christ College, Bangalore.

Conference Background:
India is seen as the next superpower and statistics predict that by 2025 India together with China will emerge as Asian giants in the global economy surpassing the European markets and just behind the US. Though changing economy can be a major force for prosperity but it needs to be supported by adequate policies and favorable socio-cultural-political and economic environment.

Globalization is a double-edged process as far as women are concerned. This is reflected in the fact that majority of women in India and other developing countries find themselves stripped off the benefit of social security, government subsidy, protection of labor rights and the safety nets due to Globalization processes. Various findings suggest that liberalization and globalization of the economy has marginalized majority of women in the developing countries and India by the way of reduction of employment opportunities, reduction of wages, casualization of jobs, and exclusion from the modernized production process. On the other hand, there are also positive findings. Globalization has helped changes in the lives of women who have been able to avail of the opportunities, which have opened up in the various sectors of development. However these changes are still less in intensity and needs to be scaled up. Within the above context, the conference was organized to explore and assess the role of women in the changing economy of India under the present globalized economic environment and thus identify the challenges likely to be faced while attempting to integrate women. Also the conference was to enable a critical and reflective thinking on the mainstream development paradigm itself and its impact on women and look at the phenomenon of the changing nature of work from a gender perspective.

Fredskorpset, Norway supported the conference and it was facilitated by Christ College, Centre for Social Action, Bangalore & Drik India, Kolkata. There were 127 participants from 11 countries who participated in the conference. The participants were college teachers, students, senior NGO personnel, activists, and Government officials and media professionals.

In the inauguration held on 26th November, the following eminent persons addressed the participants:
• Mr. Helge Espe Deputy Director, Fredskorpset, Norway
• Ms. Ann Ollestad, Honorable Ambassador of Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi
• Mr. Torbjørn Urfjell, Political Advisor to Minister of Development Cooperation, Norway.
• Keynote on Role of Women in the Changing Economy -An International Perspective by Padmashree Lila Feroz Poonawalla, Chairperson, De Laval & Industrialist, Pune
• Keynote on Role of Women in the Changing Economy-An Indian Perspective by Padmashree Patricia Mary Mukhim Director, Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Shillong and Activist & Columnist, Meghalaya

The first day of the conference had a plenary session on “Mainstream Development Paradigm-Critical Appraisal from a Gender Perspective”. Themes such as Globalization and the changing agricultural sector and Globalization and Women's Education were covered in which there was a critique of the Development Paradigm itself.

The speakers were Ms. Shubha Chacko from Sangama, Bangalore and Ms. Paromita Chakaravarti from Jadavpur University. The moderator was
Dr. Jamuna Ramakrishna, Programme Officer from Hivos, Bangalore

The afternoon session consisted of three parallel sessions as given below:

A. Changing Nature of Work-
A Gender Perspective B. The Changing Agricultural
Sector-A Gendered Appraisal C. Status of Health of Urban and Rural Women
Sub themes covered were New economy and problems of beedi rolling workers
An overview of Indian situation was also covered.


Speakers:
Ms. Anchita Ghatak from ActionAid India, Kolkata
Ms. Shoma A. Chatterji, from Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), Delhi

Moderated by:
Dr. V.S. Elizabeth from National Law School of India University

An international scenario was presented and some Initiatives and experience were also presented




Speakers:
Ms. Gloria Romaine de Silva, from Sri Lanka
Ms. Gayatri. V from Institute for Cultural Research and Action, Bangalore

Moderated by:
Ms. Sudha Bhat, Initiatives for Development through Participation of Marginalized Sections, Bangalore Sub themes covered were Sexual health, identity and sexuality in India, Status of Health of Urban Women and Globalization and Mental Health of Women-

Speakers:
Ms. Vidya Shah, New Delhi
Dr. Sukanya Rangamani, CHC Bangalore
Ms. Ratnabali Ray, Kolkata


Moderated by:
Dr. Vijaya Srinivasan, MVJ Medical College, Bangalore


The second day of the conference had a plenary session on Women Making Changes in Rural Economy- International and National Experiences’ .The Grameen Bank Micro Finance Model from Bangladesh was presented. And a critique of the micro credit phenomenon in India was also presented.

The speakers for the session were Mr. Dulal Chandra Kar from Grameen Bank, Bangladesh and Ms. Smita Premchander, from Sampark, Bangalore
Dr. Motilal Dash, from BITS Pilani, moderated the session.

Later three parallel sessions occurred as depicted below:
A. Women in Emerging Economic Sector B. Changing Gender Role: From Silence to Voice

C. Development and Displacement-A Gender Perspective
Case studies on International and Indian experiences of women emerging as entrepreneurs were presented



Speakers:
Ms. Wang Xiu, Deputy President, from China
Ms. Neelam Chhiber, from Indus Tree Crafts Foundation, Bangalore
Ms. Padma Seshadri, from AWAKE, Bangalore

Moderated by:
Dr. (Ms.) Tattwamasi Paltasingh, Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research, Ahmedabad International Perspective on the theme was presented and sub themes such as Media & Women’s Concerns & some developments in Media and women’s role were presented

Speakers:
Ms. Ichikaeli Maro from Tanzania
Ms. Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
Mr. Rangan Chakravarty, from Ananda Bazar Patrika, Kolkata

Moderated by: Mr. Kallol Dasgupta, Writer, Columnist, Activist and Singer
Urban and rural experiences displacement of women and gender concerns were presented. The serious phenomenon of induced displacement was also presented

Speakers:
Ms. Madhu Bhushan, Vimochana, Bangalore
Prof. Smitu Kothari, from New Delhi
Dr. Walter Fernandes SJ,
from Guwahati


Moderated: Ms. Rita Norohna,
School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangalore

The concluding session of the conference was held on day 2. Here Dr. Sahu, Professor in Sociology Lucknow University who is also the one of the conference advisory committee members presented the conference conclusion.

Other conference related events:
An International Photography Exhibition on the conference theme was facilitated by Drik India, Kolkata during the conference days.

Films/documentaries on the conference theme was conducted in Christ College, Jyoti Nivas College and St. Josephs Arts and Science college. The social work students and other interested students participated in the film screenings. The filmmakers of these documentaries accompanied the film screening team and addressed the students during the discussions after the film screenings.

Conclusion:
The conference was helpful in taking stock of the situation of the women in relation to the globalization processes. It helped in understanding the situation at a macro level and also identifying the gaps. The conference learning could be used further to look at these gaps and initiate further deliberations.

For the participants, it was a learning experience especially in building new perspectives and challenging them to reflect on new issues emerging with respect to women’s situations. The organizers felt that these new perspectives could feed into the college academics.