Because I Am a Woman, I Write

 Because I Am a Woman, I Write

"Why waste your time with books and screens?"
They ask with furrowed brows and sighs,
"Why not just cook, and clean, and care,
Be what tradition still implies?"

 

But listen now, I will explain,
Why ink and thought must be my light:
Because I am a woman, I write.

Long kept silent, denied my say,
I write to carve a freer way.

For dreams once caged to take their flight,
For truth to blaze, I must write.

No hand but mine shall script my fate,
No silence stitched by fear or hate.
For every battle yet in sight,
With every breath—I choose to write.

 

To voice the fire that won’t sit still,
To break the mold, to bend the will,
To tear down walls of false power, hypocrisy, and pride,
To bring lost justice to my side.

To shatter the embedded misogyny

To reclaim my dignity, I write

To challenge the myths and to shatter the hegemony

Because I am a woman, I write

 

 To challenge rules that chain and bind,

To free the body, soul, and mind,
To build a world of equal rights, 

To power my fight, to write the rights

Because I am a woman, I write.

 

Inspired by the poem Because I am I Girl I must Study by Kamla Bhasin 

 

Shalu Nigam 

 

 

Human Rights in Everyday Life in India: The Praxis from Below

Human Rights in Everyday Life in India: The Praxis From Below

Cambridge Scholar Publishing UK  

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-0364-4929-2

Today, I received the author copies of this book. It deals with the rhetoric of human rights that is being contested and debated theoretically at various levels. Drawing on several field-based examples from the Indian context, it illustrates how the frameworks of oppression and resistance operate in tandem. It argues that the oppressors manipulate the rights paradigm to justify oppression, whereas the oppressed leverage the same discourse to contest marginalization and assert their dignity in everyday lives. Despite challenges, the wretched of the Earth articulate the language of rights to ‘educate, organize, and agitate’ to challenge oppression and formulate positive rights to demand their dues. In the process, these people's struggles harness lok-shakti (people’s power) to consolidate the idea of swaraj (self-rule) while shattering the monolithic discourse of rights to imagine a diverse worldview. This work suggests reimagining a just world by strengthening the struggles of ordinary people to consolidate the rights framework. 

While relying on Richard Falk's theory of globalization, which contrasts the phenomenon of Globalization from above with Globalization from below, in the context of the Third World, this work argues that the situation of marginalization is based on dual dynamics. The dominant regressive narrative is hostile, whereas the progressive discourse emerging from everyday struggles of the poor and the vulnerable is based on the praxis of rights and challenges the dual hegemony of neoliberalism and authoritarianism. Human rights advocacy, therefore, is more than just ratifying treaties or addressing the cases of rights violations. It is a tool for the defranchised to right the wrongs. The vocabulary of rights operates in numerous ways, from demanding policies and laws to check barbarism and foster democracy. The rights-based approach is being used to contest for redistributing resources and challenging oppression, guised as patriarchy, casteism, poverty, and other forms of structural discrimination.  

Quotes by Hansa Mehta

 For a while now, I have been exploring the contributions of the Founding Mothers of India—those pioneering women who played a crucial role in shaping the nation during its formative years. Among them, Hansa Mehta stands out not only for her involvement in the Indian freedom movement but also for her key role as a member of the Constituent Assembly. She was a staunch advocate for women's rights, equality, and justice, both in India and on the international stage.

Born on 3 July 1897, Hansa Mehta was a passionate advocate for women’s rights, a reformer, educator, and a prominent member of the Indian Constituent Assembly. She also represented India at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. She was a prolific writer and wrote extensively on women's and children’s issues. Her work laid the foundation for women's rights in India and made a lasting impact on the global stage, marking her as a key figure in the fight for gender justice (Scaria and Nigam, 2016).In 1946, as president of the All-India Women's Conference (AIWC), Mehta played a pivotal role in drafting the "Indian Women’s Charter for Rights and Duties,", mentioned above, along with other women activists. This Charter called for gender equality, civil rights, and justice for women in India. It became a foundational document in the campaign for women's human and constitutional rights in India and abroad.

Mehta’s contribution to the drafting of the UDHR was pivotal, particularly in ensuring gender-sensitive language in the document, making it inclusive. As India’s delegate to the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1947 to 1948, she played a crucial role in shaping the Bill of Rights, not just as a symbolic gesture, but as a concrete commitment to human dignity.

During the early drafts, the word “man” was used, which excluded women. When Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, remained unaware of the omission, Mehta passionately advocated for a change. She suggested replacing “All men are born free and equal” in Article 1 with “All human beings are born free and equal.” Initially dismissed as unnecessary, Mehta persisted in her efforts, and the wording was ultimately changed to “human beings,” ensuring that the UDHR was inclusive of all genders. Her tireless work demonstrated her unwavering commitment to gender equality and human rights 

Johnson noted,

“Mrs Hansa Mehta, the Indian representative, an active member of the Indian National Congress, the independence movement, had served significant terms of imprisonment for her anti-colonial activities.  President of SNDT Women’s University, Mrs Mehta was evaluated by the United States State Department as an intelligent person, a clear thinker, but her effectiveness was somewhat limited by the fact that she spoke in a barely audible whisper.”

In this space, I am compiling some of Hansa Mehta’s most powerful and thought-provoking quotes. Her words offer valuable insights into her vision for an inclusive and egalitarian India, and they continue to inspire generations who seek a just society.

In her speech on 19 December 1946, she stated,

“What we have asked for is social justice. We have asked for that equality which alone can be the basis of mutual respect and understanding, and without which real cooperation is not possible between a man and a woman. Women form one-half of the population of this country, and therefore, men cannot go very far without the cooperation of women.”

“A life of duties alone without rights means an existence of a slave, while rights without duties would mean a state of anarchy i.e. more licence than freedom. It is only when rights and duties are properly balanced and integrated that we can get an ideal society where freedom in true sense of the term can flourish.”

Hansa Mehta

"The goodness or badness of the Constitution depends on how it is going to work. If it works in the interest of people, it will be a good Constitution; if it works otherwise, it is a bad Constitution. It is for the future electors to elect the right kind of persons, who will work the Constitution in the interests of the people. The responsibility, therefore, lies with the people." 

Hansa Mehta

“A life of duties without rights means the existence of a slave; while rights without duties mean a state of anarchy i.e., more license than freedom. It is only where rights and duties are properly balanced and integrated that we can get an ideal society where freedom in the true sense of the term can flourish.”

Hansa Mehta, 1951 Human Rights and Their Significance, Hansa Mehta Papers, Speech and Writings, File No. 26, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Delhi

Johnson Geln M. (1998) A Magna Carta of Mankind: Writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A History of its Creation and Implementation 1948-1998, By M Glen Johnson and Jaunsz Symonides, UNESCO p. 24