Why Education Empowers Women

Hello again, dear readers!

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time working on the upcoming issue of Akshar, WLC’s annual magazine. This year’s issue will focus on the question of women’s empowerment, a concept that has always stood at the heart of WLC’s programming.

Women gathering to celebrate International Literacy Day

In order to learn more about how women at various levels of our organization feel empowered by their connection to WLC, I have been conducting interviews with women at many different project sites in and around Banaras. Speaking with these women on this subject has proven to be one of my most rewarding experiences in India. I have had the opportunity to discuss questions related to education, marriage, motherhood, financial independence, femininity, poverty, and patriarchy with women of varying ages, castes, incomes, and literacy levels.

If I started out by asking simple questions eliciting straightforward answers, I have more recently become fascinated by questions that begin with the word “why.” Of course every woman I interview is delighted by the educational opportunities that have been afforded to her and her children, but why do they think it is so important to become educated? Why do male stakeholders want to educate their daughters?

The answers that I’ve received are as humbling as they are intriguing. Saroj, a teacher from Lallapura (an area in which one of WLC’s Urban Community Projects is run) told me that before becoming literate she used to stay in her house all the time, cooking and cleaning and caring for her family. Her entire world was contained within that house. Now, she feels aware of her surroundings and connected to the world in which she lives. Furthermore, she now understands what happens when she sends her kids to school: previously, school was an abstract, vaguely positive concept of which she had no real understanding. She knew that sending her children to school was her maternal responsibility, but she didn’t know why until she started becoming educated herself.

Similarly, I spoke with my English student Pooja, 15, about how it feels to see her mother becoming literate. Pooja goes to a reputable school on a WLC scholarship, but her parents are poor and her mother’s only education has come from her WLC-run adult literacy class. Pooja told me that now her mother takes an active interest in her education, and she has a clearer conception of what Pooja is doing in school. Learning has become an area of shared interest between mother and daughter.

Pooja (second from right) other girls performing a dance for Children's Day

When I asked a similar question to Manorama, a Mahila Mandal president from NGO partner SSSS, she told me that an educated woman can support her family in a crisis. When a woman is illiterate and uneducated, no one asks her opinion or seeks her advice, and her experience of the world, generally limited to domestic matters, inhibits her from making important decisions related to the family’s welfare. An educated woman, however, is both respected and contributive—her advice is heeded and her voice is heard.

Manorama (centre) with mother-in-law and daughter

Coming to India from the West (mere weeks after completing my own Western education), I had certain ideas about why education is critical to development. As a person who has always been passionate about education, the thing that drew me to this internship in the first place was WLC’s focus on literacy. That women are empowered through education is as clear to me now as it ever was. The revelations and surprises—indeed, the moments that have comprised my infinitely valuable education in India— have come from hearing women tell me in their own ways not simply that they value their education but why they value it.

Karate and Kabaddi- empowering women through sports

Yesterday I saw my first women’s Kabaddi game and it was amazing! While on a routine NGO visit we were asked by our co-workers if we wanted to see a Kabbadi practice. We arrived on a dry open field with clouds of dust surrounding a crowd. Young girls and women, dressed in white shalwars kameezes, their scarves tied warrior like across their bodies, ran barefoot hither and thither pulling and wrestling each other to the ground. They passed and parried, danced with the grace of a Capoeira fighter, as they faked and moved in for the attack only to be tackled down into the dusty ground by their opponent. I was immediately fascinated and felt the urge to join them.

For those of you who don’t know what Kabaddi is, it is game commonly played in the rural parts of India and in some way resembles American football but without the ball. There are two teams of ten people and the object of the game is for one player to cross into the opponent’s side and tag them without being tackled to the ground. If tagged or tackled the person is out. The team that is first to eliminate all the players on the opponent’s team is the winner. The most important part of the game is repeating the word “Kabaddi” over and over again when crossing into the opponent’s side to tag them. It is an extremely physical game with players wrestling each other to the ground and it is often played by boys or men. So of course the staff at WLC was inspired to choose Kabaddi as the sport for their annual tournament held on International Women’s Day on March 8^th. Already groups of women from Mahila Mandal groups all over UP are practising for the big day. Elimination rounds are set to start in February and although I will no longer be in India to see the March tournament and I am excited to see an elimination match in Mau (I am secretly hoping they will let me play a little).

(Kabaadi player proudly displays battle scars)

To see women, who usually have their heads covered even in their homes, running around under the hot Indian sun playing Kabaddi and seriously playing it too, was an incredible display of what WLC is doing in India for women’s empowerment. It is a display to the rest of the community and the women themselves, that a women’s role is not confined to her duties at home. Women equally deserve to take part in sports and particularly sports that require strength because women are strong, in every sense of the word.

The idea of helping women become aware of their inner strength was my inspiration to start a Karate class at Tulsi Kunj library for young girls. I sent out a call for girls between the ages of 8-12 who were interested in Karate thinking I might have a small class of ten students. But to my surprise I had over thirty girls from ages 5 to 20 show up, all wanting to learn Karate. We had our first class in the cramped library space learning punches, kicks and spinning bows. Some of them were naturals others clumsy but everyone had a great time. It was inspiring to see the strength and determination on the girl’s faces as they hit the punching bags (a.k.a Tulsi Kunj Gandhi room sitting cushions). It was a great learning experience for me in that it made me aware that something as simple as sports and games, things that requires very little resources, can be used as a tool to empower people.

WLC goes to the Himalayas

Hello all! Happy new year! What a whirlwind it's been these last few weeks - my Dad came to visit, I traveled to Mumbai and Rajasthan, Christmas came and went, and we had our annual staff retreat to boot! Yep, here in the Banaras Branch Office we've launched into 2009 with a bang, embarking on our staff retreat to Sikkim and Kolkata just days into the new year. There's tons to tell, so I'm just going to launch right into it and hope to do it justice....true to form, we kicked off our trip with a 24+ hour train delay (not unsurprising, though definitely disappointing), but after a day and a night on the train, a day on a bus, and a short taxi ride, we found ourselves in paradise on earth. Sikkim. And it was worth the wait! Gangtok is a beautiful capital city as it is well-kept, situated high up in the mountains, and my fave, has an awesome ropeway that offered us a spectacular ride above its rolling hills and valleys.

From Gangtok we went even further up north to Lachung, a hillstation in North Sikkim near the Indo-Chinese border. In Lachung we made a bonfire, sang songs, and had an impromptu dance party. It was such a treat to let loose and be silly together, and in such a magnificent setting no less. The night ended along with the firewood, although sleep didn't come quite as easily. It was so cold! Oh my god it was cold...I wish I could say that I have some kind of Winnipeg-powered forcefield that enabled me to absorb that kind of cold, but alas, I froze along with everyone else. Cursing and longing for central heating (I blame it for my wimpiness) Melissa and I cemented our friendship by shamelessly using one another as human heating units in our shared bed. At one point our heating method consisted of some tentative experiments in kicking and rubbing our feet against one another. Our conclusion? Good for some giggles, though perhaps not the greatest long-term solution (hey, you never know...)

The next day we began our drive up to the Yum Thang valley. The drive itself was absolutely breathtaking. With the Teesta river flowing in the valley below, gorgeous clear blue sky above, and mind blowing mountains flanking us on all sides, I felt about as lucky as I ever had. I mean, was I really there? Eventually, we were forced to stop short of our destination due to poor road conditions, but this didn't prevent everyone from having a blast climbing hills and throwing themselves (and others!) in the snow. Looking at my coworkers frolicking in the snow (and some for the very first time!), covered head to toe in snow and each looking happier than the next, I was reminded of how fun winter can be, if you let it. Following their lead, I promptly reverted back to my 8-year old self and initiated Pravin in the joys and tribulations of the Winnipeg schoolyard recess: the facewash. Throw in a snow angel or two, a snowman, and a couple snowballs, and we might as well have been waiting for the school bus to pick us up after school.

From Sikkim we then turned southward to Kolkata. After an exciting nail biter of a journey from Gangtok to the train station (an adventure worthy of another 1000 words), we took another overnight train to Kolkata. Once there we embarked on a journey to Ganga Sagar, the confluence point of the Ganges river and the Indian Ocean. As a major Hindu pilgrimage sight, this was obviously a much anticipated journey for most of WLC's staff, and a privileged opportunity for me to witness a meaningful spiritual ritual. Bathed by the sun's rays and showcasing a canvas of milky greys and pinks, Ganga Sagar was a surprisingly serene place to reflect, to bathe, or simply be. Amidst laughter and playfulness, nearly everyone took their bath within an hour or two, and all emerged refreshed and in good spirits. After a lightning fast pit stop at the temple we hurried back to catch our ferry, where we were met by a tiny glimpse into the life of a pilgrim. This is hard to convey to the average Canadian - used to our picture perfect queues and people excusing themselves when we bump into them - but the ramp leading up to the ferry was essentially a free for all. Push or be pushed, this was the ticket to getting on that boat. in a situation like that many people could be scared or stressed, but not WLC's staff. Nope, everyone was in high spirits, playfully teasing one another by secretly pulling one another's shawls, hats, and scarves when they weren't looking. With all that laughter, food passed around overhead, and the general sense of ease that everyone clearly had, it was actually pretty fun. Although I'm sure my mom still doesn't like the sound of it...:)

In Kolkata we visited the Victoria Memorial, Science City, did some shopping, had an excellent feast, and best of all, went to the Kalighat Temple. That was for me one of the most powerful experiences I've had in India so far, and I doubt that I will ever forget it. Walking barefoot through filthy alleyways towards the temple, pushing my way forward with pilgrims and coworkers by my side, I eventually found myself squeezed through a narrow doorway into a courtyard thick with incense and bodies. Following the circuit into the temple we witnessed the rare sacrificial killing of a goat, after which I was lead up some stairs into a room crammed with bodies and spiritual energy. People broke into a song, flowers flew above, and bells clanged madly as everyone pulsated towards the Kali idol in the centre of the temple. Feeling Pravin's pull, Thursica and I suddenly found ourselves in the throngs of people no longer pushing in but pushing out. On the street again and strolling at a snail's pace, the walk back was almost just as good as being inside the temple. Quietly smiling to myself, it was a moment where I stopped long enough to realize that I had been relishing the privilege of sharing this experience with the rest of the staff. I think it was then that it became clear to me that this staff retreat had not only allowed me to explore India and forge stronger relationships with my coworkers, but it also took me for a ride through Indian culture and spirituality that I could have never done on my own.

On one of our last nights together, Neetu, Bhavana, and Melissa and I were walking together towards our string of vehicles, and Bhavana said to us that this would surely be an adventure that we would never forget. Giggling, the four of us agreed. It was exciting, moving, at times hilarious, and an experience unlike any other. It's my first staff retreat, but I'd definitely venture to say that it's the best one yet :)

"Field" Work

One of the most eye opening experiences of this internship has been doing field work in the rural farming communities of UP. WLC partners with seven local NGO’s to run programming in inaccessible rural areas of UP. It usually takes less than five hours to drive to these sites from Varanasi but it feels like a world of difference both socially and environmentally from Varanasi.

What strike visitors first are the vast fields of rice that go as far as the eye can see. It becomes clear that agriculture is the backbone of this nation. Everywhere you look there are open skies and endless rice paddies dotted by small figures dressed in bright colours working the land. It is a complete contrast to the crowded streets of Varanasi and worlds away from my life in Toronto. It was a bit of challenge adapting to living in a rural community, the beds were harder, often there was no electricity, we got sick eating the food sometimes and there wasn’t a western toilet for miles, but the hospitality of our NGO partners and the community made up for all these minor deficiencies.

The work done here is even more valuable because the people in these communities are at a greater risk of illiteracy and neglect as result of their isolation from large cities. The age of marriage is usually lower here. I saw many young girls, most no older than fifteen, with streaks of red vermilion powder in the parts of their hair, a symbol of marriage. But what gave me hope was that most of these young girls were enrolled in our Adult Literacy Classes. They had made a conscience choice to become literate and their families were supporting them by allowing them to attend the class. Many of these young girls took part in the government certified literacy test that WLC administered in Gorakhpur. Passing the test certifies them as being literate at a grade five level. It was very gratifying to hear these girls say that their lives have been changed forever by the ability to read.

Christmas in Varanasi and more...

Christmas in Varanasi was all together an unique experience. We took the tutorial kids from Tulsi Kunj on a field trip (a.k.a. exposure trip in Indian) to a church on December 26^th. What an experience it was! Everyone squeezed into tiny rickshaws, kids piled on top of each other and we headed down to the local church.

It was quite amazing to see all of the children, Hindus, excitedly praying to figures of Jesus and Mary. Without instruction or guidance the children naturally joined the procession of Christians and took part in the worship. Outside of the church there was a Christmas mela going on and I saw many Muslims, Hindus and Christians all taking part in the festivities. This experience is very much reflective of my observations on India's take on faith and religion. There is not just a tolerance but an acceptance of all faiths in country where so many different kinds of people are forced to live in close proximity to each other (it also means we get all the major holidays for at least 3 of the main faith groups in India).

It is hard to ignore faith and religion in India, especially when you are living on the banks of the Ganga. Whether it is the ringing of the puja bells at five o’clock in the morning, the clink of a coin in a monk’s begging bowl or the call to prayer in the narrow gullies, one is constantly reminded that people are seeking and communing with something higher. I have always been uncertain on the issue of faith; however, it has not prevented me from appreciating and finding beauty in other people’s faith and worship in India. I am particularly fascinated with the Buddhist community. I recently returned from an inspirational trip to Bodh Gaya, the place where the Siddhartha Gautama reached enlightenment. Previous to that I visited Sarnath, the place of this first sermon and Kushinagar, the place of this death. There still remains one more place to visit, Lumbini in Nepal, the place of his birth. I hope to get there before I leave.