[hr-education] Re: Women's human rights - violence against women

Dear Prabhat Dixit, 

Namaskar. I don't know whether you've come across "Water Numerate", a
maths pack for UK schools (10-12 year olds), which I wrote. It looks at
global diversity and inequality statistically before examining the impacts
of a water gravity scheme on the life and aspirations of an intelligent
and determined rural Nepalese girl (Sushma Rimal, Trishuli Valley). It's a
western 'take', of course, but still interesting maybe. It seeks to
challenge some of the stereotypical views of young rural females.

Nepal Water and Health, NEWAH, should have a copy; or WaterAid in
Kathmandu; or try Saraswati Khanal who was my working partner in the field
study. If no go, let me know. [***Moderator's note: More information on
the "WaterNumerate", including ordering information, can be found at:
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/learn_zone/teachers/key_stage_two/default.asp
***]

You might also be interested in my retellings of Hindu stories for UK
children - which emphasise a 'mother with a warrior's heart' view of Durga
for instance.

Anyway, just a thought. 

Good wishes 
Dylan Theodore 




On 18 September 2006, Prabhat Dixit wrote: 

Dear Faridul, 

It is a fantastic idea. As an advocate of girls education and being from
your neighboring country Nepal I can only rejoice what you have initiated.
Our problem is that the mullahs, we have our own mullahs, have distorted
our religion. Being dominated and harassed by Muslim clergies, feudals of
religions and self imposed gurus of Islam these mullahs are distorting the
main message of any religion that is equality before god!! That is exactly
what the priests do in Nepal too. If you look at Hindu religion, each god
has a friend as a goddess and better half. None of our epics portrays the
wife of a god or Rama or Krishna or any other god has inferior or less
powerful. On the contrary, our goddess are more powerful. We worship them
each day. Take any one, she is a partner at equal footing with the
opposite sex. The religion does not discriminate but the priests'
interpretations and the traditions and cultures they (the priests) define
does. That is what I call distortion of religion by feudal lords to
safeguard their interests and domination. If they can dominate half the
population, then it is very easy for them to dominate others!! See the
philosophy!!!

And the only way to change is to highlight the achievement of girls and
women and also to expose the hypocrisy of mullah. Until and unless you
expose these bad elements in the society called mullahs, priests or so
called fathers, our target won't be achieved. And the first step towards
this fight is the education. Education helps us to realize and come out of
the darkness that engulfing us.






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