It is truly amazing that in a world filled with such incredible technology, that the major crisis for a third of the world's population are the basic requirements for life: food, water and shelter. Add to this list human equality, and you both identify a crisis and the reason why certain sectors of our human population are denied the other three basic requirements for a sustainable life. The 'bottom of the pyramid' as it is referred by economists, is populated by the marginalized, the exploited, sets outcast by other sets. Within this population, the plague of gender-bias and dowery systems further interfere with the progress of development. As draconian as it may seem, the reality is that the women of the world are victims of unspeakable atrocities and violations of basic human rights.
From the India perspective, like so many other issues, India wears many faces. In a country of over a billion, there is a bell curve wherein women populate the role of President and captains of corporate enterprise; relatively populated by a (fortunately) growing set of educated young urban female professionals (albeit many suffering from glass ceilings); the massive center of the curve comprises of women who from casual glance may seem socially equal but are in fact in downtrodden, in constant risk of exploitation and cultural ostracism. The bottom of the curve is a gallery of horror and despair that tears at the very fabric of human decency.
No one factor can be blamed, and certainly the Government of India has only limited reach to play moral police and activist. Change can only come from ground swell and rejection of ancient practices such as 'honor killings' and female infanticide. The book by Mala Sen's Death By Fire* is a must read for any who wish to be awake to gender bias reality. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Fire-Female-Infanticide-Modern/dp/0813531020 PGI has staunchly advocated that CSR is the solution as opposed to the lip service of legislation and reliance on the mandates of an already stressed judiciary. Only through the consumer demand that corporations abide by a standard of equality, will the atrocities of female injustice be curbed and eventually reversed. Corporation that establish a CSR regime that actively monitors its upstream and downstream equality policies can expect brand equity returns and workforce improvements that come with community relations and social development. This integrated returns paradigm (corporate and community) if adopted by 10 companies, 100 companies, 1000 and so on would have the desired effect of geometry and lasting revolution and change.
PGI is presently endeavoring on a bold campaign through the design of a commercial scale 3BL pro-woman/CSR forest farming initiative. We are hopeful the plan of action will be facilitating before the end of this year. In the State where the sometimes scoffed 'treehugger' movement started, the genesis for which can be found in the daring and inspirational story of the Chipko women who unflinchingly encircled the trees in passive protest of their sacred forest to save it from the axe. The Uttarakhand forest-farming plan will be revolutionary and a measurable step forward in the evergreen revolution. The legacy of the Chipko women and the conservation of their precious forests will again regain significance and relevance through an inspired 3BL-CSR plan of action.
The scale from the India perspective the work is daunting. The following example is one we use at our CSR seminars to illustrate the scale of a nation of a billion. It also demonstrates the challenges that the Government...any Government would have managing and legislating basic human right issues:
Think about the human resource assets required to undertake the census of India. Counting 1.2 billion people. If you hire 1000 people to do the job, and you assume they could complete the census data of 100 people per day, it would require each worker to count a million two hundred thousand people (12 lakh people) and would take over 32 years. In reality, the Government has hired 2.5 million (25 lakh) workers to do the job. (TOI) That's more people than the entire country of Slovenia and nearly that of Jamaica. Even with this army of workers, each worker must gather data on 500 people, 80% of whom reside in the massive unorganized rural sector.
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. -JFK
IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT : WOMAN DATA
This issue is particularly sensitive to PGI's core team. By and large PGI's research expeditions result in finding deeply disturbing trends and witnessing the cold realities of gender inequality. PGI will pre-publish its COP here on the Green Eye News in advance of its submission to UNGC. All comments are welcome.
* At the time this was written we did not know that our friend Mala had passed away in June. The world and women in particular had lost a champion like no other. Our senior consultant Frank and Mala were phone friends through their common friend Adam in Kodai and had a common connection in having known the same beautiful and strong women described in her book when they lived at Roseneath..although at different times. Her rasp laughter and genius will never be forgotten by any of us. We love and miss you Mala. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/13/mala-sen-obituary
From the India perspective, like so many other issues, India wears many faces. In a country of over a billion, there is a bell curve wherein women populate the role of President and captains of corporate enterprise; relatively populated by a (fortunately) growing set of educated young urban female professionals (albeit many suffering from glass ceilings); the massive center of the curve comprises of women who from casual glance may seem socially equal but are in fact in downtrodden, in constant risk of exploitation and cultural ostracism. The bottom of the curve is a gallery of horror and despair that tears at the very fabric of human decency.
No one factor can be blamed, and certainly the Government of India has only limited reach to play moral police and activist. Change can only come from ground swell and rejection of ancient practices such as 'honor killings' and female infanticide. The book by Mala Sen's Death By Fire* is a must read for any who wish to be awake to gender bias reality. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Fire-Female-Infanticide-Modern/dp/0813531020 PGI has staunchly advocated that CSR is the solution as opposed to the lip service of legislation and reliance on the mandates of an already stressed judiciary. Only through the consumer demand that corporations abide by a standard of equality, will the atrocities of female injustice be curbed and eventually reversed. Corporation that establish a CSR regime that actively monitors its upstream and downstream equality policies can expect brand equity returns and workforce improvements that come with community relations and social development. This integrated returns paradigm (corporate and community) if adopted by 10 companies, 100 companies, 1000 and so on would have the desired effect of geometry and lasting revolution and change.
PGI is presently endeavoring on a bold campaign through the design of a commercial scale 3BL pro-woman/CSR forest farming initiative. We are hopeful the plan of action will be facilitating before the end of this year. In the State where the sometimes scoffed 'treehugger' movement started, the genesis for which can be found in the daring and inspirational story of the Chipko women who unflinchingly encircled the trees in passive protest of their sacred forest to save it from the axe. The Uttarakhand forest-farming plan will be revolutionary and a measurable step forward in the evergreen revolution. The legacy of the Chipko women and the conservation of their precious forests will again regain significance and relevance through an inspired 3BL-CSR plan of action.Think about the human resource assets required to undertake the census of India. Counting 1.2 billion people. If you hire 1000 people to do the job, and you assume they could complete the census data of 100 people per day, it would require each worker to count a million two hundred thousand people (12 lakh people) and would take over 32 years. In reality, the Government has hired 2.5 million (25 lakh) workers to do the job. (TOI) That's more people than the entire country of Slovenia and nearly that of Jamaica. Even with this army of workers, each worker must gather data on 500 people, 80% of whom reside in the massive unorganized rural sector.
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. -JFK
IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT : WOMAN DATA
This issue is particularly sensitive to PGI's core team. By and large PGI's research expeditions result in finding deeply disturbing trends and witnessing the cold realities of gender inequality. PGI will pre-publish its COP here on the Green Eye News in advance of its submission to UNGC. All comments are welcome.
* At the time this was written we did not know that our friend Mala had passed away in June. The world and women in particular had lost a champion like no other. Our senior consultant Frank and Mala were phone friends through their common friend Adam in Kodai and had a common connection in having known the same beautiful and strong women described in her book when they lived at Roseneath..although at different times. Her rasp laughter and genius will never be forgotten by any of us. We love and miss you Mala. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/13/mala-sen-obituary
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