Gender equality

World bodies have defined gender equality as related to human rights, especially women’s rights, and economic development. UNICEF defines gender equality as “levelling the playing field for girls and women by ensuring that all children have equal opportunity to develop their talents.”
The United Nations Population Fund declared gender equality “first and foremost, a human right.” “Gender equity” is one of the goals of the United Nations Millennium Project, to end world poverty by 2015; the project claims, “Every single Goal is directly related to women’s rights, and societies where women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner.”

Wikipedia

Yet, sometimes, one couldn’t help but wonder, are we fighting a losing battle?

Two more Indian tribal women ‘forced to walk naked’
By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Some members of the Santhal tribe object to women marrying outside their community
Two more tribal women have been stripped and forced to parade naked in front of large crowds in the Indian state of West Bengal, police say.

The incidents were in the same area – the Birbhum district – where a similar case took place four months ago.

Locals say that the women were being punished for “having close relations” with men from other communities.

Birbhum police spokesman Humayun Kabir told the BBC that the two women in the latest incidents had filed cases.

Superintendent Kabir said that reports about one of them committing suicide could not be confirmed.

‘Extreme punishment’
“I have no reports that this is the case,” he said, “although I know such reports are circulating. The police are investigating.”

Superintendent Kabir said the two women were from Jetia village and worked in a stone quarry.

“Local tribespeople did not like these women enjoying close relations with men from other communities,” he said.

He said that they were subjected to this this “extreme punishment of public stripping” after they were found pillion riding with them on motor-bikes.

All three women belong to the Santhal tribe.

The Women’s Commission in West Bengal announced an inquiry into the first incident after it was widely reported in the media.

The main focus of the inquiry will be to find out why the woman’s family maintained ”such a long silence” and how the local administration “remained oblivious of such a shocking incident”, Commission Chairperson Malini Bhattacharya said.

But she could not be reached for comment on the two recent cases that have now surfaced.

Officials say all three women were forced to walk long distances without their clothes – in the first case, the woman was also filmed.

They say that the “hapless women” were molested and jeered by large crowds as they walked.

A similar thing happened to another woman three years ago in the neighbouring state of Assam.

BBC News

Why only the women were punished? Why such punishment?
That was my first reaction.
But taking a step back, the question then became, so what did the family do about it? Nothing.
What did the other women do about it? Absolutely nothing.
No one stood up for the victims. Everyone was too busy filming, molesting, watching, or merely, turning their back to such incidents.

Perhaps, this isn’t even about equality…it’s about humanity..

As time passed, have we really gotten more civilised?
As we move forward, have we really lost touch with the more humane side of us?
Or is it that we’ve been too busy moving forward in all other aspects, this was just put aside, turned a blind eye on?
Or is it that at the end of the day, we gain satisfaction that we are more superior by humiliating others, making them feel inferior?

The news isn’t all that new.
For when I read about it, I was rendered speechless.
I was angry. That anger slowly turned into upset, and finally disappointment
The news isn’t new. The fight for humanity isn’t new. The battle for gender equality isn’t new.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment comes in the fact that, nothing’s new. Nothing has really changed.

But sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder, perhaps by them turning their back on such incidents, by them being complacent with whatever they have, whatever they have to go through, they have already turned their back to change. To humanity, to equality.
And when they themselves refused to help themselves, who could help them?

Beyond audit

Been working on something out of the “normal stuffs” which I do…

Something that some would perceive it as non-value added, for it does not make me anymore technically sound than I am, or what nots.

Something that I though, thought, is a breath of fresh air, something different, and rather interesting

Something so non-work related (or so it seems), yet something we work till past midnight for.
Something so unimportant (or so it seems), yet we came back on Saturday, and worked on it…for almost the whole day

Yet, it was something that I am happy to work on, past midnight, on weekends.

Because while most see it as non-value added, and a waste of time, I saw opportunities.

A lil update on DoRaeMon (Before the change of name, that is)

Mom recently bought a waterproof, shockproof, dustproof (whatever that means), and freezeproof camera..
Sounds great eh?
To date, we’ve not tested a single feature… (-.-)”
I guess it’s more of a just-in-case for the clumsy us..
It even came with some smart-auto mode! Great feature for stoopid/ lazy peeps…*cough* me *cough*

And since it has been a while since I updated the pictures of the rascals, I took the opportunity to upload a few more recent pics of theirs…
Although I reckon they haven’t changed a bit though…

Dad’s still spoiling them, and mom, as much as she says they give her a lot of work, loves them to bits.
Recently, dad commented that the weather in KL is very hot…and what did he do next? He went to buy ice-creams for the rascals..
What’s funnier? Mom played along, and decided they should have strawberry ice-cream…
And so, they get ice-creams every now and then…

No wonder Lucky’s sooooo fatttt…she’s as round as a ball…Not to mention, her ultimate laziness doesn’t help…at all.
The moment I walk past, I get this:

To get a proper picture of her? Dad needs to carry her, just so I could get a more “proper” pic…

I’m still suspecting Mon Mon’s evil, for everytime dad’s around, he’s like a lil angel…
But when dad turns his back, he bullies Patchie..
Funny though, is that both Mon Mon and Lucky only bully their own siblings..
When they are out there, they are all scardy cats!
(-.-)”

I reckon Mon Mon looks like “The Dog” in this pic…Big head, small body…teehehehe

The loner, yet prolly the most street-smart among them all…
The one to bring for a walk, because his energy doesn’t seem to run out…unlike the rest…
Bailey, Lucky, and Mon Mon could all just randomly lie in the middle of the road…because they are too tired to walk… *faints*

Patchie, the one that needs no grooming…because he sheds his fur…

Sadly, no pix of Bailey…I think she was bathing while I decided to take their pics…

And granny’s really funny…she couldn’t remember all their names…and could only remember Mon Mon’s…
Except that even that’s not quite accurate…and she keeps calling him “Pon Pon”
What’s funnier? She goes “Pon Pon! Pon Pon!”
*All 4 of them runs to her*

Thinking back, it seems like only a while back that they were still pups…
Now, they are more than 2 years old..
It has been a very happy 2 years for my dad I reckon…He adores them…
And it has been a very memorable 2 years for me too…having so many of them as pets..
Each looking similar, yet very different in personality…
A very happy Belated birthday to Lucky, Patchie and Mon Mon!

p/s: A long overdue post…their birthday was supposed to be…ermm…about 2 months back…but well, better late than never, right?