International Women’s Day
08 March 2011

2011 marks 100 years of celebrating International Women’s Day around the world, It is a day when we commemorate the social, economic and political achievements of women but also draw attention to how much more needs to be done to empower women. As Christians, on this day we honor women of faith like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the women in our own homes and communities whose love and fidelity have kept our faith alive. We pay tribute to those voices for change in the Church and society that have helped to shape our lives.

The United Nations theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. It upholds two goals: 1) to reduce the gender gap in education and 2) to create opportunities for valuing women’s work and giving it visibility. As we come together as a discipleship of equals around the table of the Lord, let us keep these two goals in mind and open our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit and pray that we, the Faithful share the fullness of life that we received from Christ. Women constitute almost half of the population of the world. Despite the efforts, overt and covert, manifestations of gender inequality persist. As per the Census report 2001, the literacy rate of women is 54.16 per cent and that of men is 65.38 per cent. Women’s work is undervalued and unrecognized. The drop-out rate had a negative effect on women’s education. Most of these dropouts and out-of-school children are from the marginalized sections of society, namely Dalits, Tribals, Muslims, various categories of the OBCs, and girl children. Various factors such as poverty, caste and gender discrimination, irrelevant education and lack of educational facilities are responsible for this dismal scenario.

The Church recognizes the fact that education can be a double-edged instrument which can be used to reinforce gender role stereo-types or to facilitate critical questioning of discriminatory behaviors and practices. The need of the hour is to enhance the capabilities of women and men of the marginalized groups by providing equitable access at all levels, on a priority basis, to all educational opportunities. The church invites educators to provide education of good quality and thus make education a powerful instrument for empowerment which will contribute to eliminating unjust gender relations.

Women and Education

The Catholic Church recognises the fact that education can be a double-edged instrument which can be used to reinforce gender role stereotypes or to facilitate critical questioning of discriminatory forms of behaviour and practices. Hence, specifically designed educational interventions are required to facilitate change in mindset, behaviour and practices which will contribute to eliminating unjust gender relations.

Policy

The Church commits herself to incorporate gender awareness as a cross-cutting issue in inputs in formal educational institutions and nonformal educational interventions. This will enable all members and leaders of the Church as well as those that the Church caters to through its various services (i.e. welfare, education, health, development, advocacy) to adopt forms of behaviour and practices that are gender sensitive. It also recognises the need to enhance the capabilities of women and men of the marginalised groups by providing them access on a priority basis, to all educational opportunities equitably at all levels.

Strategies

-Help in the implementation of the CBCI Education Policy with a special focus on women and girls.
n Allot at least 25% of seats in all Church run and Church related institutions to the first generation learners, especially women from SC and ST and backward communities.

-Prioritise compulsory and free education of girl children in Catholic schools, with special emphasis on reducing the gender gap in secondary and higher education.

-Accept co-education as a norm for all Church run institutions as this is necessary to provide a conducive environment for the healthy development of girls and boys.

-Oppose child labour.

-Motivate girls to take up science and technology for higher education and take up special measures for their training in areas where they have special skills like communication and information technology.

-Produce, disseminate and use appropriate educational modules and materials to facilitate gender awareness among all members and partners of the church.

-Build a team of women and men animators in every diocese (lay and religious) to facilitate gender awareness programs. Such teams must include women & men scholars and feminist theologians.

-Establish a Gender Studies/Resource Centre in every Region of India and network with similar established secular Resource Centres on the subject (Universities, Government Agencies & NGOs).

-Make the pulpit available to appropriately trained lay and religious, women and men to share their knowledge, experiences, insights and interpretations.

-Educate clergy against the imposition of gender biased practices (i.e. covering the head with veil by women, while receiving Holy Communion, reading the gospel and at the time of adoration).

-Enable women to have wider career/job choices and promote sustainable livelihoods by organising capacity-building programmes for women at the village, parish and diocesan levels. Make available the required infrastructural facilities in Church based institutions such as schools, colleges, vocational, technical, engineering, health and development centres.

-Educate women, and men especially the more disadvantaged, about their constitutional and legal rights.

-Actively partner with Govt ministries and agencies for various educational programs. e.g. Service Support Analyst (SSA), National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)

References:

i. Gender Policy of the Catholic Church in India 2010,

ii. All India Catholic Education Policy 2007, iii. ecclesiaofwomen.ning.com

+Archbishop Dominic Lumon
Arch Bishop of Imphal
Chairman- CBCI office for Women

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Our Right to have Right

01. May Day, the first day of the month of May commemorates the “International Workers’ Day” which has a historic significance. It is observed as the day of organized Labour. In many countries, it is a public holiday. In many countries including India, May Day is also celebrated as Labour Day. The day originates with the US labour movement in the late 19th century. The history of the movement dates back to May 1, 1886. On this day several labour unions across the US went on strike, demanding a standard workday of eight hours. On May 4th there was bloodshed in Chicago’s Haymarket Square – A bomb thrown by a revolutionist led to the death of a dozen people (including several police officers) and the injury of over 100 people.

02. The protests did not get an immediate outcome, but they proved effective subsequently, as eight-hour work days became the norm in many countries across the globe including India in reference to ILO Charter of the Freedom of Labour. As it is evident that upholding workers’ right and dignity is a core teaching of Christ, the Church officially declared May Day as workers’ day in 1955 in accordance with its traditional practice. This day was hence chosen as a day for demonstrations, parades and speeches and various labour organizations across the country carry out processions and organize competitions for children belonging to labour class. However, in recent years, the celebration of this day has taken a new turn, where the workers and trade unions demand to safeguard their interests and give the economic reforms a humane face.

03. CBCI Labour Commission extends warm greetings on Labour Day. The Labour Day this year has to be viewed with regard to the changing scenario of the world inter-alia due to the following important reasons

(i) Global economic meltdown and its impact on India.

(ii) The increased terror activities in the last year culminating in the Mumbai Disaster of 26/11 and resultant focus on war against terror.

(iii) Change of government in the USA.

(iv) Global warming, climate change etc.

(v) General election and its effect

04. However, poverty remains a harsh fact of life for around forty percent of India’s inhabitants; no other nation on earth has slum settlements on the scale of those in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, nor so many malnourished children, uneducated women and homes without any access to clean water and waste disposal. India has the largest population of non-school going, working children. The constitution guarantees free primary education for both boys and girls up to the age of 14. This goal has been repeatedly reiterated but primary education is not universal. The overall literacy rate of India is 65.33% as on Feb.1, 2008 according to National Sample Survey Organization (NASSO).

05. In India approximately 92% of the total workforce is in the unorganized sector. Due to globalization, workers, especially in the traditional and unorganized sectors, are alienated from the mainstream of the society in terms of welfare schemes, benefits and even just wages, besides subjected to exploitation due to lack of legal and social security. They are the most vulnerable as they do not have any bargaining power. The people working in the unorganized sector are now being more considered as objects and machines to achieve the target of maximum production. Whenever and wherever human beings are placed as material means of production, they are treated, so to say, as instruments. Thus the degradation of man as an object of work has set in the working conditions in the unorganized sector. The meaning and the dignity of work thereby seem to have been distorted in the country. In India the organized sector refers to enterprises, government and private, that are part of the official statistics that appear in budget documents and government reports. The unorganized sector covers everyone else, an estimated 400 million part time, casual and temporary workers, employees of small and micro business, domestic servants., rural labourers or sharecroppers etc.

06. The unorganized workers have few legal protections. 40-50% of male workers and 81 -87% of female workers receive daily wages below the minimum norm recommended by the labour ministry of 49 rupees in rural areas and 67 rupees in urban areas. And an overwhelming 79% earns less than 20 rupees a day. Women and child workers are subjected to severe exploitation. Most work from home at piece rates, rather than in factories or workplaces. They work long hours for little return. As explained, employers prefer this type of home-based work because it is “more productive”. So today, situation in India as a whole is that these workers are denied health security, accident insurance, maternity benefits, employment/ livelihood security, old age income security and human dignity etc.. More than that they do not get protection of labour laws like minimum wage act, equal remuneration act and workmen compensation act, due to ignorance and very loose enforcement. Even the deductions from their wage under provident fund law do not actually provide social security coverage to them due to poor enforcement and lack of awareness. The workers in the unorganized sector are exploited in numerous ways, long hours of work without decent wage and security of the job and with no provision of support during contingencies like hospitalization and old age. Moreover education of the children of the unorganized sector workers suffers since the income of the worker has hardly been able to provide one meal, leave alone nutritious meal. The voice of the workers in the unorganized sector is not heard, as at large they do not have collective bargaining capacity.

07. The unorganized sector in this country has been hitherto a neglected segment. However, the passing of the ’Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill, 2008” can be hailed as a milestone in the economic history of the nation. National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector has recommended setting up of a finical institution - national fund for unorganized sector called NAFUS like NABARD so that loans can be made available to the unorganized sector at a comparatively lesser interest rates and more conveniently. The country needs to have a more generous policy towards them as they are contributing magnificently to the overall growth of the nation. We have a well established chain of Public Distribution System (PDS) shops, which is catering to the needs of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. There may be some pilferage in the distribution of food grains but one cannot deny the importance of this system in maintaining sufficient supply to cater to needs of billions of people in rural areas. The social security schemes like old age pension, family pension, and a host of such other welfare measures are like blood capillaries of the economy. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 was a landmark initiative. Many may not be optimistic about the performance of these schemes due to corruption. However, they are definitely acting as a bailout package in the period of economic crisis. These initiatives have increased the purchasing power of millions of poor Indians that is mitigating the after effects of economic meltdown. These are measures, which are proving very helpful in this hour of distress. Our socialistic humane approach is paying dividends. However, the Government will have to instill confidence in the masses to encourage bank deposits. India has to come forward with renewed vigor and stake its claim to be a major player in the world order.

08. Similarly, the Global warming and climate change is definitely of concern for labourers especially those in the unorganized sector. These issues need to be addressed on priority by way of creating green jobs and ensuring free from losing land and its natural wealth.

09. The increased activities of terror in India is also a concern for the unorganized sector. Terror has no religion. It impacts all workers equally. The terror blackmailing needs be condemned severely and the initiatives of the government to prevent acts of terrorism and to ensure a peaceful and healthy working atmosphere need be given full support.

10. Better skills not only ensure better employment but also improve living standards of workers. It would also help in flexibility of labour from unorganized to organized sector and also mobility of labour across national frontiers. Therefore, for employability workers need be imparted with new skills and those already working to be re-skilled to enable them to retain their jobs, and training for arming them with required skills has to be available locally.

11. At this time, the world economy is passing through the worst crisis of its kind. The bad signal is now spreading around the world and everybody has been affected by the impact of the recession, especially the consequences have been imparted on employment scenario. The International Labour Organization has sounded an early warning that global unemployment could increase alarmingly by anything between 18 million and 50 million this year. The Indian economy is also feeling the heat of the global economic crisis. In fact, it is important to realize that the fiscal crisis is a human created failure of public policy rather than an unpredictable natural disaster. So we should treat this time as a reviving period for shaping better policies that would overcome the present crisis and creation of infrastructures both urban and rural India, which focuses directly on decent job creation and can yield long-term economic benefits for the unorganized workers. The Government of India has also taken many legislative and administrative measures for the welfare of workers. Now we hope that the coming general election and its outcome will bring a move forward for the same.

12. Awareness about the above initiatives is to be conveyed among all the stakeholders. Its implementation in true letter and spirit needs to be pursued vigorously, to ensure that the benefits trickle down to the lowest in the pyramid. CBCI Labour Commission will leave no stone unturned in its effort to this effect. However, all labour organizations and each worker should understand their rights, duties, and need to work tirelessly to get the vision translated into action and reality. By doing these exercises continuously, both the workers and the country will prosper and will achieve success to its full potential and become socially and economically powerful.

13. Once again we wish the best to all the workers of the country and extend warm greetings on “MAY DAY -LABOUR DAY”.

 + Joshua Mar Ignathios

  Bishop of Mavelikara & Chairman of  Labour Commission

( 2009)

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Protect The Children and Serve The Nation

One of the oldest evils exist in our society today is undoubtedly ‘child labour’, We have been studying and discussing child labour for years now but, sadly, it not only remains unchanged but is spreading rapidly by way of child trafficking. Why it grows when we have laws and machinery to prevent? Why the authorities turn a blind eye to the fact that such an evil does exist?

Child labour exists because it is very profitable and convenient for the beneficiaries who are included the elite in the society as also high ranking law-men. They can get very cheap labour at their will with no demand for rights, no strikes and absolutely free from all the responsibilities for the children they employ. Profit freezes senses and that reduces the child workers to ‘things’ in the eyes of employers. Can we stop it? Of course yes. Should we stop it? It takes strong will to say ‘yes’, but unfortunately we do not have it; that means this disgrace will continue to blemish the dignity of our nation.

Simply promulgating laws will not prevent child labour, there should be a strong political will to implement it together with the active cooperation of the citizens. Apparently we are not concerned about any wrong-doing unless it happens to us personally. If we are to achieve any progress in our endeavors to prevent child labour, our apathetic attitude towards evil around us need to be replaced by sympathetic action that sends a signal to law-breakers.

Compulsory free education with meals helping these children under poverty line to earn a decent living is one way to prevent it. Does our present day education available for these children assure them and their relatives who force them on jobs of a livelihood?

Family members should be made aware of the irredeemable losses their children are suffering for temporary meager gains. NGOs active in every locality should be vigilant to report child labour to authorities and see to that the law is practiced. We must realize that we become citizens only when we live for our country not when we live in it. Protecting the childhood of our future is one way to serve our nation. Remember an ill-groomed generation can obliterate all the good work of the rest of our people.

Above all we need the spiritual strength to abandon the profits and comforts we can derive from these children. As long as we eye for the gains only, we will continue endangering the childhood of our future. It takes humanity to take this bold and right step; but where shall we get it from?

“Whoever accepts a child like this, accepts Me” says the Lord

Most Rev .Joshua Mar Ignathios
Chairman. Commission for Labour

( 2008)

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