DISABLED WOMEN
Well gender bias is not a new concept in the kind of society we dwell in.Women are 'supposed' to be weak physically,financially and in plenty other ways.Their most important work till date remains acting as a 'reproducing machine' and playing a second fiddle to their family members,especially their husbands.
As it is the abilities of women are highly underestimated by society.and if a woman has a certain impairement, God come to her rescue!Women with disabilities are disadvantaged.
this write-up is inspired by an article in a Kolkata's leading daily 'The Statesman'.What the writer states could not have been truer."Women and disabilities.Both words represent two concepts, a product of not just biology but social attitudes as well..........."
This artiicle specifically talks about women who suffer from some kind of disability.If a woman is disabled she,most generally, is dependent on her family and other relatives for almost everything.They,or more specifically the woman's husband become the decision makers in her life.the ways in which the society looks at people with disabilities,is itself an handicap for these women.they are treated as children,regarded as people incompetent enough to make their own decisions;Simply people lacking in intelligence.
another great problem is that women with disabilities are most often treated as 'non-sexual' and are not given any sex-educaton.hence,they are most vulnerable to sexual abuse.
it has also been seen that the police and court views these women as unsuitable witnesses,especially is these women have difficulty in communication.many a times when they report being abused,they are turned away by the police.
even today as we take pride in being a part of the 21st century there are families who see no reason why a female child should be educated.and educating a female is completely futile if she is disabled.
there are very few institutions which help disabled girls receive education.in China,where there are around 5 million disabled children aged between7 and 15 years only 6% go to school.it is extremely obvious that out of these 6% less than half are females.
Generally,schools disabled children are often termed as 'special schools' where these children learn to make straw mats,baskets,articles out of paper and so on.in such scools not only children suffer from inferiority complex but also the standard of instruction might be inferior.
a study of disabled girls,both in special and regular scools show that girls who were in mainstreamed at the school were more proficient and confident about themselves.
This is important to make sure that these girls,at a later stage in life, can atleast seek 'employment'.Employment without basic education is a virtual impossibility.
Often women are paid less for the same job as compared to their male counterparts.women with disabilities are treated as liabilities by their employers(if they at all get employment)and are paid even less than their unimpaired feamle counterparts and also disabled male counterparts.
women with disabilities are vulnerable at all stages of their lives because of two reasons-
(1) because they are 'WOMEN'; and
(2)because they suffer from from a 'DISABILITY'.
These women are often 'left out' of family interactions and community activities and are exposed to social stigma.this leads them to feel DEVALUED, ISOLATED and ASHAMED.
Is this fair?
Source: The Statesman
Editorial page
September 18,2006.
Well gender bias is not a new concept in the kind of society we dwell in.Women are 'supposed' to be weak physically,financially and in plenty other ways.Their most important work till date remains acting as a 'reproducing machine' and playing a second fiddle to their family members,especially their husbands.
As it is the abilities of women are highly underestimated by society.and if a woman has a certain impairement, God come to her rescue!Women with disabilities are disadvantaged.
this write-up is inspired by an article in a Kolkata's leading daily 'The Statesman'.What the writer states could not have been truer."Women and disabilities.Both words represent two concepts, a product of not just biology but social attitudes as well..........."
This artiicle specifically talks about women who suffer from some kind of disability.If a woman is disabled she,most generally, is dependent on her family and other relatives for almost everything.They,or more specifically the woman's husband become the decision makers in her life.the ways in which the society looks at people with disabilities,is itself an handicap for these women.they are treated as children,regarded as people incompetent enough to make their own decisions;Simply people lacking in intelligence.
another great problem is that women with disabilities are most often treated as 'non-sexual' and are not given any sex-educaton.hence,they are most vulnerable to sexual abuse.
it has also been seen that the police and court views these women as unsuitable witnesses,especially is these women have difficulty in communication.many a times when they report being abused,they are turned away by the police.
even today as we take pride in being a part of the 21st century there are families who see no reason why a female child should be educated.and educating a female is completely futile if she is disabled.
there are very few institutions which help disabled girls receive education.in China,where there are around 5 million disabled children aged between7 and 15 years only 6% go to school.it is extremely obvious that out of these 6% less than half are females.
Generally,schools disabled children are often termed as 'special schools' where these children learn to make straw mats,baskets,articles out of paper and so on.in such scools not only children suffer from inferiority complex but also the standard of instruction might be inferior.
a study of disabled girls,both in special and regular scools show that girls who were in mainstreamed at the school were more proficient and confident about themselves.
This is important to make sure that these girls,at a later stage in life, can atleast seek 'employment'.Employment without basic education is a virtual impossibility.
Often women are paid less for the same job as compared to their male counterparts.women with disabilities are treated as liabilities by their employers(if they at all get employment)and are paid even less than their unimpaired feamle counterparts and also disabled male counterparts.
women with disabilities are vulnerable at all stages of their lives because of two reasons-
(1) because they are 'WOMEN'; and
(2)because they suffer from from a 'DISABILITY'.
These women are often 'left out' of family interactions and community activities and are exposed to social stigma.this leads them to feel DEVALUED, ISOLATED and ASHAMED.
Is this fair?
Source: The Statesman
Editorial page
September 18,2006.
posted by shriya_freespirit at 8:44 am
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