Drawing from the City


Book Description

Folk singer and self-taught artist draws her incredible journey from rural poverty to a life in art.




Reaching for the Sky: Empowering Girls Through Education


Book Description

Transforming the Lives of Impoverished Girls in Patriarchal Societies Since 2003 a privately funded high school in India has provided desperately needed education for girls from impoverished families in Lucknow, the capital and largest city in Uttar Pradesh. Urvashi Sahni, the founder of Prerna Girls School, has written a compelling narrative of how this modest school in northeast India has changed the lives of more than 5,000 girls and their families. Most important, it is through the perspectives of the girls themselves, rather than through a remote academic viewpoint, that Prerna’s success unfolds. The book focuses on the importance of education in bringing about gender equality in a patriarchal society. It shows how girls learn to be equal and autonomous persons in school as part of their official curriculum and how they use this learning to transform their lives and those of their families. The book’s central argument is that education can be truly transformative if it addresses the everyday reality of girls’ lives and responds to their special needs and challenges with respect and care. The example of just one relatively small school in one corner of India, the message and the stories it tells will inspire anyone concerned about the necessity of girls’ education, especially in developing countries. The lives of the girls at Prerna Girls School are largely representative of those of millions living in poor regions in countries where patriarchal structures and norms prevail.




Education and Empowerment in India


Book Description

This book explores the critical linkages between education and empowerment of women, marginalized groups and other disadvantaged sections of society. It: Provides an overview of educational policies and practices from India’s independence to the present day, and tracks relevant changes and amendments. Examines a range of issues connected with education such as the Right to Education Act; empowerment and community mobilization; higher education challenges and other emerging topics. Brings together both theoretical postulates and empirical findings.




Dalit Empowerment in India


Book Description

INTRODUCTION DALITS IN INDIA: THE SCENARIO SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND ISSUES IN EMPOWERMENT OF DALITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF DALITS MAJOR ANALYSIS—DALIT UPLIFTMENT – SUGGESTIONS STEPS AND MEASURES FOR DALIT UPLIFMENT Index




Empowering Indian Women (Prabhat Prakashan)


Book Description

Embark on a transformative journey of empowerment and inspiration with "Empowering Indian Women" by Vivasvan Shastri and Yesha Bhatt, a groundbreaking exploration of the achievements, challenges, and aspirations of women in India. Join Shastri and Bhatt as they celebrate the resilience, ingenuity, and contributions of Indian women across all walks of life. Step into the lives of Indian women from diverse backgrounds, regions, and professions as Shastri and Bhatt shine a spotlight on their stories of triumph and resilience. From grassroots activists fighting for social justice to pioneering entrepreneurs breaking barriers in the business world, this book showcases the indomitable spirit and boundless potential of Indian women. Throughout "Empowering Indian Women," readers will encounter a wealth of inspiring anecdotes, insightful interviews, and thought-provoking commentary that shed light on the unique challenges and opportunities facing women in India today. From gender inequality and discrimination to economic empowerment and political participation, Shastri and Bhatt offer a comprehensive analysis of the factors shaping the lives of Indian women and the strategies for overcoming them. The overall tone and mood of "Empowering Indian Women" are one of hope, optimism, and empowerment, as Shastri and Bhatt celebrate the progress made by Indian women while acknowledging the work that remains to be done. With its blend of personal narratives, statistical analysis, and policy recommendations, this book serves as a rallying cry for gender equality and social justice in India. While critical reception may vary, one thing remains clear: "Empowering Indian Women" has been hailed as a timely and important contribution to the ongoing conversation about gender equality and women's empowerment in India. With its compelling stories and insightful analysis, this book offers a valuable resource for scholars, activists, policymakers, and anyone interested in advancing the rights and opportunities of women in India. As you delve into the pages of "Empowering Indian Women" by Vivasvan Shastri and Yesha Bhatt, you'll find yourself inspired by the resilience, courage, and determination of Indian women who are breaking barriers and reshaping society. Whether you're a feminist activist, a social entrepreneur, or simply someone who believes in the power of women to change the world, this book offers a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of gender equality. Don't miss your chance to join the movement for gender equality and women's empowerment in India. Let "Empowering Indian Women" be your guide to understanding the challenges and opportunities facing Indian women today and finding inspiration in their stories of courage, resilience, and hope.




Gender, Governance and Empowerment in India


Book Description

Since the mid-1980s, the presence of women in governance has become a major marker of successful democracy in global and national discourses on the democratization of society. A diverse set of nation-states have legislatively mandated gender quotas to ensure the presence of elected women representatives (EWRs) in various rungs of governance. Since 1993, the Indian state has legislated a massive program of democratization and decentralization. As a result, more than 1.5 million EWRs have taken office within the lower rungs of governance or the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI). This book is an ethnography of the Indian state and its policy of legislated entry of women into political life. It argues that political participation of women is necessary to change the political practices in society, to make institutions more gender, class and caste representative, and to empower individual women to negotiate both formal and informal institutions. Its locus is the everyday life contexts of EWRs in the southern Indian state of Karnataka who negotiate their own meanings of politics, state, society, empowerment and political subjectivity. Analysing three factors – structural boundaries, sociocultural divisions and conjunctural limitations imposed on the participation of EWRs by political parties – the book demonstrates that the social embeddedness of PRIs within everyday practices and social relations of identity and power severely constrain and shape the political participation and empowerment of EWRs. Providing a valuable insight into contemporary state and feminist praxis in India, this book will be of interest to scholars of grass-roots democracy, gender studies and Asian politics.




Bridging the Social Gap


Book Description

Bridging the Social Gap: Perspectives on Dalit Empowerment addresses four interrelated issues. It conceptualises exclusion-linked deprivation of excluded and indigenous groups in Indian society and elaborates the concept and meaning of social exclusion in general, and of caste-, untouchability- and ethnicity-based exclusion in particular. It then presents the status of disadvantaged groups of Dalit and Adivasi and captures inter-social group inequalities in the attainment of human development. It then goes on to analyse factors associated with high deprivation of these disadvantaged groups in terms of low access to resources, employment, education and social needs. Finally, it highlights the role of caste discrimination in economic, civil and political spheres in the persistence of group inequalities. All these issues have been explained using simple language; relevant and recent data; case studies; news highlights related to civil, social, economic and political rights violation for easy and better understanding of readers.




Community Empowerment, Sustainable Cities, and Transformative Economies


Book Description

This edited volume presents the conference papers from the 1st International Conference on Business, Economics, Management, and Sustainability (BEMAS), organized by the Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA) at James Cook University. This book argues that the orthodox methods of external risks, climate change adaptation plans, and sustainable economic growth in cities are no longer adequate. These methods, so far, have not only ignored the ongoing structural changes associated with economic development but also failed to account for evolving industries’ composition and the emergence of new comparative advantages and skills. Specifically, this book looks at the vulnerable communities and exposed areas, particularly in urban areas, that tend to experience higher susceptibility to external risks (such as climate change, natural disasters, and public health emergencies) have been largely ignored in incremental adaptation plans. Vulnerable communities and areas not only require different adaptive responses to climate risk but also possess unlocked adaptive capacity that can motivate different patterns of sustainable development to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda. It is essential, therefore, to view transformative growth and fundamental reorientation of economic resources as integral parts of the solution. Social disorganisation and vulnerability are other undesired outcomes of the unpredictable and widespread external economic shocks. This is due to a sudden and tough competition between members of society to acquire precious resources, most of which may be depleted during unprecedented events such as natural disasters or pandemics resulting in an even more chaotic and disorganised conditions.




Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment


Book Description

Globally, women are facing social, economic, and cultural barriers impeding their autonomy and agency. Accelerated women empowerment programs often fail to attain their targets as envisaged by the policymakers due to a variety of reasons, with the most prominent being the deep-rooted cultural norms ingrained within society. In the era of globalization, empowerment of women demands new approaches and strategies that encourage the mainstreaming of gender equality as a societal norm. The Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment is a critical scholarly publication that examines global gender issues and new strategies for the promotion of women empowerment and gender mainstreaming in various spheres of women’s lives, including education and ICT, economic participation, health and sexuality, mental health, aging, law and judiciary, leadership, and decision making. It provides a comprehensive coverage of all major gender issues with novel ideas on gender mainstreaming being contributed by men and women authors from multidisciplinary backgrounds. Gender perspective and intersectional approach in the discourses make this handbook a unique contribution to the scholarship of social sciences and humanities. The book provides new theoretical inputs and practical directions to academicians, sociologists, social workers, psychologists, managers, lawyers, policy makers, and government officials in their efforts at gender mainstreaming. With a wide range of conceptual richness, this handbook is an excellent reference guide to students and researchers in programs pertaining to gender/women's studies, cultural studies, economics, sociology, social work, medicine, law, and management.




Women’s Empowerment in India


Book Description

The volume brings together readings describing a range of less-traversed aspects and transferences of women’s rights and struggles in India and develops a comprehensive understanding of the interface between women’s activism and politics. The book documents and discusses diverse ways in which Indian women have struggled for empowerment, political voice and representation, and rallied against injustice and discrimination. Against the backdrop of women’s assertion of rights and negotiations for empowerment, the chapters in this volume explore diverse facets of collective agency, and emanations of women’s politico-legal struggles against stereotypes of gender and class in post-independence India. While the donor-driven international community has been eager to celebrate the successes of its global normative agenda-setting and ‘best practices’ approach, this book - based primarily on field research by the contributors - showcases authentic local ownership and women’s own agency, taking seriously the need to understand the cultural context and pay attention to intersectionality. It presents various examples of women’s activism for change, reflecting on the quotidian struggles and dynamic assertions of voice and political power, within and outside of formal political institutions. The book is a contribution to the debate about agency and ownership as key aspects of empowerment, highlighting women who defy dominant narratives. It will be an essential read for students and academics of political science, gender studies, sociology and social sciences, and cultural studies. It will also be of interest to readers interested in the history of women’s movements and their participation in national and local politics in India.