TOK BUZZ 2023-Women of Takshila

TOK BUZZ 2023-

WOMENS DAY SPECIAL

Superheroes ofPathways

Ms. Sonya Ghandy

Ms. Manjula

Mona Sharma

Ila Pandey

Jaya Sharma

Neeru Tandon

Moumita Sengupta

Nikita Shankar

Bhandari Shaveta Mehta

Vrinda

Navita Gulati

Debjani Mukherjee

Pooja Sachdeva Divya Sachdeva

Shobita Kapila

Neena Virmani

Sheeba Kundu

Charu Gupta

Sudha Jacob

Laveena Mathur

Table of Contents

INTERVIEWS ARTICLES WORD SEARCH

CROSSWORD MEET THE TEAM

MANJULA MA'AM

" Speaking about women's empowerment on the occasion of Women's Day, and as the theme for this issue of TOK Buzz, I must say that I personally don't think I have ever felt segregated, discriminated against, or belittled because I am a woman. Maybe I am blessed, and I am indeed very proud to say that my parents never thought that I wouldn't be able to do something just because I was a girl child. The same goes for my friends when I was in college and all the professors with whom I interacted and engaged. So, whether it was in school, college, at home, or in my peer group, I don't think I have experienced the whole aspect of women being belittled or made to look small or lesser than. However, I think this issue exists in India, especially in small places or villages, where women are viewed as inferior. I think it is high time for women to come forward, feel empowered, have a voice and choice, and take ownership of their own journey. The theme sits well in today’s times when segregation and identity does not rest on gender. So, more power on being a good human!"

Interviews

Shaveta ma’am

Please tell us about an anecdote or your own experiences from when you were a student, whether it be during school or college life, or even earlier on in your careers, where you felt disadvantaged because you were a woman. Were you ever denied any opportunity, or treated unfairly because of your gender? Did you ever feel like you were the only woman in the room?

There have been many instances where people were surprised and astonished to learn that I have chosen to study higher Mathematics and become a teacher in the subject. This reflects the thought process of some individuals, including some women. Let me share one specific instance.

It was an introductory session of a GMAT (Quantitative) class that I was supposed to teach. One of the students was somewhat disappointed to see "a lady teacher" for the class He presumed that the class wouldn't be that good. However, in reality, he found it very effective and useful. Later, when I left the organization and started my own institute, he chose to continue to be with me, as he was very impressed by my teaching.

Ever since I was a young child, everyone around me has made pointless efforts to safeguard me I come from a joint family wherein decision-making is shared by many members of the family including uncles, aunts, and grandparents. My grandmother was very protective yet conservative, and she expected me to acquire soft skills that would help me be a good homemaker. On the other hand, my parents were incredibly supportive and gave me the freedom to choose. However, the expectations that they had for my brothers and me were entirely different They hardly talked to me about my career choices or aspirations. I believed that they saw no need for me to go out and work at that point because they wanted me to finish my education, get married, and settle down. Words like passion, ambitions, and aspirations were pretty alien to them, and it took them some time to agree with me that having a career, being financially independent, and being more than just a member of the family were desirable traits, even for women.

On the professional front, starting a career as an educator was challenging as being a woman, my abilities and skills were often underestimated. I had to put in more effort to conform to the system and dispel any stereotyping associated with my line of work. Sheer determination to make a difference and to leave an impact motivated me to remain dedicated and put in endless effort to leave a lasting impression. My life experience has taught me that if your heart and mind are in the right place, then things are bound to fall in order.

Neha ma’am

From childhood, my family and parents always treated us all equally, including my brothers and me. I don't remember a single time when I felt that I couldn't do something or go out. However, after marriage, things are different as in our society, many responsibilities lie on the shoulders of women, along with pursuing their careers or other interests.

Life is not easy, and it's challenging to do whatever you want because of the numerous responsibilities, and even your own time is not entirely yours. It's often considered family time. In the workplace, unfortunately, I have seen some subtle patriarchal attitudes, despite most men being courteous and treating women as equals. Sometimes, it seems that they do not expect women to express their views or talk, and they may view it as overpowering, even though that is not their intention.

POOJA mA'AM

In the past, the global trend depicted that "women were underrepresented in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)." This could include women being denied opportunities or treated unfairly in the realm of technology. In my experience, it was difficult to break into the field of technology as a woman during my early years of education. I remember being introduced to computer science as a subject in 1998, but it was considered optional due to the perception that working with CUI (Character User Interface) and coding would be a challenging field for women. Therefore, I pursued a degree in History (Honors) from Miranda House, Delhi University, an all-girls college Despite this, I was determined to pursue my interest in computer science and coding, so I enrolled myself in a DOEACC A-level course However, I found myself to be the only woman in a class of 10-15 men, but my persistence and determination never wavered. This incident made me feel like I had to work twice as hard to prove myself. It was frustrating to feel like my gender was holding me back from achieving my goals. Further to this, I completed my graduation in the field of Computer Science, and it was possible with the support provided by my parents and my never-let-go attitude

Vrinda ma’am I feel that times have tremendously changed for women over the past years. Personally, I have not faced any challenges for being a woman. On the contrary, I was raised by a powerful mother who had faced some challenges herself during her time, but she ensured that I was not treated any less than a man. She empowered me to stand up for myself, made me independent, and raised me to be the woman I am today.

How have the times changed for women today, compared to earlier on in your careers or student life?

Pooja ma’am

Over the years, things have started to change for women in technology. Many companies have prioritized diversity and inclusion, and there are now more opportunities for women to d i the field. Additionally, there are more female role models rs available to provide guidance and support. is progress, there is still a long way to go in terms of gender equality in the technology industry. It is essential to continue to speak out about their experiences and to hange in their workplaces and communities. By working nd supporting one another, we can create a more inclusive rtive environment for women in technology. promote STEM among women, UNESCO, Microsoft, d Apple inspire young girls to pursue their careers in ough events like #MakeWhatNext and #GirlsinICT

.

e many girls opting for Computer Science as a subject journey as an educator, I feel proud to lead this campaign ote the use of STEM in our school. I believe that by in i h i i i f d i l i di d h

Kalpana Chawla once said, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it”.

Undoubtedly, things have significantly changed for women from earlier times to the present. There has been a rise in women joining cooperatives, and an increase in the number of women initiating new projects, which has made them more financially empowered. Women are now able to voice their opinions and demand equity, whether it is related to the wage gap or equal and fair opportunities for women in every career field.

Suman ma’am

Ila ma’am: There have been structural as well as cultural changes in our society, where more educational and career opportunities are now available for women. Women are now able to choose any career path they want, but it wasn’t the same before I wanted to be a cricketer or join the police force, but such career options were not very common during those times. However, today, awareness amongst women has increased regarding their rights. The law and enforcement of existing laws have also been in their favor, although at times, some of them are misused.

Navita ma’am

Growing up, I was offered limited options when it came to picking a career path. “So, what will it be, a doctor or a teacher? What will you be?“ they asked me. They said these two are the only choices women have since they need to be able to balance their family life as well. But these are not dialogues I hear today Times have drastically changed and every young woman ’ s horizon has been expanded. Teaching, itself as a profession, ceases to be only female-oriented I look around and I observe that I am the only female educator in the Senior School Science Department amongst male colleagues whose passion for their subject is as deep as mine. When it comes to my own daughter, I make sure that her options are limitless and she’s never held back from any position or profession simply because she’s a woman

Agrima ma’am

Something that I strongly feel is that earlier, while growing up, the role of men in raising children was minimal, and this was relevant even prior to that, maybe when your grandparents were younger. When men went to work, the idea of their role was primarily to provide for the family financially, while women were at home and most of them didn't work

However, now I see that in most couples, both partners work and it's almost an equal environment. It's not like the dad’s only involved in supporting the family financially, but they are involved in everything, literally from changing diapers to taking care of the kids. I have a personal example; I know somebody whose wife works because she is well-established with an MNC, and the husband does all sorts of things like freelancing and such, but primarily stays at home to take care of the boys. I think that is one aspect that has changed and I see it from when I was a child compared to now.

Shobhita ma'am

I think so! I was lucky to have that kind of liberty from the beginning, and I grew up in that kind of environment But now I can see that there is a lot of awakening among parents and they are treating men and women equally, and all their children equally, especially siblings. Also, if you look at modern couples, I think they are really sharing their responsibilities at home, and they give a good amount of respect to women to follow their own passions as well as pursue their careers. I am looking forward to a society where not only are men respectful to women, but also women are respectful to men Often it is seen that women themselves are not very respectful towards men. And even among the same gender, people can be hurtful towards each other. It's not only about gender roles, but we all need to have a community and a society where there is equality, justice, and respect irrespective of someone's identity or any gender-based inequalities.

Societal Societal Expectations Expectations

AR C AR C

What has caused the perception of feminism to change?

If you ask 10 different people around you to define feminism, you’d get 10 vastly different answers. The idea of feminism as a movement means so many different things based on who you ask. Feminism is often perceived differently due to the sources through which we get our information about it, and we can see how the perception of this movement changes based on caste, class, religion and even era.

To put it roughly, the feminism movement first started as the suffragette movement around the early 1900s. The media deemed the movement extremist and radical. The majority of the public considered suffragettes to be people who you should be wary of, partly due to the media’s portrayal of them but also due to the crazy stunts they had to pull to get attention. The attention that would give them the ability to reach out to more people and speak up. However, after the start of World War 1 and The Roaring 20’s, the intensity of the suffragette movement dampened down quite a lot with voting rights and better opportunities opening.

Nowadays, feminism is considered to be a lot more casual than it was earlier, and a lot more prominent in the mainstream media. With the #MeToo movement and Women’s Marches, the rise of social media has really redefined what the term ‘feminism’ means to one. More and more women are joining the feminism “bandwagon”. To them, it's something that everyone is doing, therefore they should join in as well. The structure of feminism today is built on privilege. Having a special “Women’s Day” or retweeting stories about strong female figures (while it may spread awareness) isn’t doing much to help the

ses or social quotas even know there’s a day dedicated to them? Does it really help them? Pseudo feminism is doing more harm than good for the movement right now. This performative activism causes people to believe the feminist movement is shallow, and anti-men. Stripping away some of the hard-earned importance and respect it gained.

However, for every negative aspect, there’s always a positive one. The movement has moved on from its focus on cis, white, females and onto people of colour, people of different races, classes, sexualities, and other communities. The intersectionality between different marginalised communities gives them more credibility as a united work front. This has given the movement a strong push towards making more structural changes. The earlier feminist movement focused more on individual equality and empowerment, but feminism now is focused on breaking gender norms, and prejudices in society, advocating policy changes and challenging the inequalities that have caused women to be marginalised for so long.

Every day, society is striding towards a more secular and equal style of living to bridge the vast gap that was formed ages ago between people of privilege and other marginalised communities. And soon enough, we will end up crossing that bridge to a more united society.

TheFeminist Revolution

A M a t e r i a l G i r l R e t e l l i n g

M a t e r i a l i s m ; t h e g r o t e s q u e , s u p e r f i c i a l , a u d a c i o u s t e n d e n c y t o p o s s e s s m a t e r i a l s a n d a s s o c i a t e t h e a c t o f ‘ o w n i n g ’ t h i n g s w i t h h a p p i n e s s . T h e v i l l a i n y o f m a t e r i a l i s m i s w e l l k n o w n t o s o m a n y o f u s . T h e p o s s e s s i o n o f m a t e r i a l s a r e v i e w e d a s a d e p a r t u r e f r o m o u r s p i r i t u a l w e l l b e i n g a n d a n i m m e r s i o n i n t o t h e p h y s i c a l , s u p e r f i c i a l r e a l m . A n d y e t m o s t o f w h a t w e k n o w o f h i s t o r y c o m e s f r o m m a t e r i a l s . T h e m a t e r i a l s w e c r e a t e a n d o w n a r e a p r o d u i n t e r a c t i o n s w i t h t h e p h y s i c a l w i t h e a c h o t h e r a s a s o c i e t y a n t e s t a m e n t t o t h e i d e a s d e b a t e d I t i s t h e i m p r e s s i o n o f t h e m e t w o r l d o n t o t h e p h y s i c a l w o r l d . b a d p r e s s , m a t e r i a l s c a n a l s o b p r o p a g a t o r s o f h u m a n i n n o v a t i a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n .

T h i s e x h i b i t i o n e x p l o r e s t h e r o d i f f e r e n t m a t e r i a l s i n t h e W o m

R i g h t s R e v o l u t i o n a c r o s s t h e w

1. Bread

T h e W o m e n s ’ M a r c h i n V e r s a i l l e s i n 1 7 9 8 w a s o n e o f t h e e a r l i e s t i n s t a n c e s o f p r o t e s t u n d e r t a k e n p r i m a r i l y b y t h e w o m e n o f s o c i e t y . T h o u s a n d s o f w o m e n m a r c h e d t o w a r d s t h e r o y a l p a l a c e i n V e r s a i l l e , F r a n c e p r o t e s t i n g t h e h i g h c o s t o f b r e a d . W h e n t h e i r d e m a n d s w e r e i n s t a n t l y m e t b y

K i n g L o u i s X V I , i t s p a r k e d c o n f i d e n c e i n t h e c o m b i n e d s t r e n g t h o f w o m e n .

B e f o r e t h i s m o v e m e n t , w o m e n o f t h e w o r l d h a d b e e n i n c o g n i z a n t t o t h e p o w e r s t h e y h e l d a s a g r o u p o v e r n o b l e a u t h o r i t i e s l i k e t h e K i n g . A f t e r t h e s t r u g g l e o f b r e a d c a m e a b o u t t h e r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t w o m e n h a d t h e p o w e r t o f i g h t f o r t h e m s e l v e s i f t h e y o r g a n i z e d t h e m s e l v e s i n b i g g e r , u n i t e d c o h o r t s .

2. Corsets

T h e c o r s e t t h a t w e k n o w t o d a y m i g h t b e b o t h f l a t t e r i n g a n d c o m f o r t a b l e b u t i t h a d t o s u f f e r s e v e r e s c r u t i n y i n 1 9 t h c e n t u r y L o n d o n f o r i t t o b e t h i s w a y . I n t h e p a s t , t h e s e r e s t r i c t i v e d e v i c e s w e r e a s y m b o l o f f e m a l e o p p r e s s i o n a n d o b j e c t i f i c a t i o n o f w o m e n . T h e V i c t o r i a n c o r s e t n o t o n l y r e s t r i c t e d m o b i l i t y a n d e a s e o f m o v e m e n t b u t a l s o l i m i t e d a w o m a n ’ s i d e n t i t y t o n o t h i n g m o r e t h a n a l l u r i n g o b j e c t s o f b e a u t y t h a t a p p e a l e d t o t h e m e n o f t h e s o c i e t y . M o r e v a l u e w a s p l a c e d u p o n t h e i r b e a u t y t h a n o n t h e i r c o m f o r t . H o w e v e r , t h e w o m e n o f t o d a y h a v e r e c l a i m e d t h e n a r r a t i v e w i t h t h e p o p u l a r i z a t i o n o f a c o r s e t t h a t i s b o t h c o m f o r t a b l e a n d f a s h i o n a b l e . C e l e b r i t i e s l i k e R i h a n n a , L i z z o a n d B i l l i e E i l i s h h a v e r e n d e r e d n e w m e a n i n g t o t h e c o r s e t w h i c h n o w e x u d e s a s e n s e o f c o n f i d e n c e a n d b o l d n e s s . T h e c o r s e t e x e m p l i f i e s m a t e r i a l s t h a t h a v e n o f i x e d m e a n i n g . I t i s s y n c h r o n o u s t o a s o c i e t y ’ s v a l u e s a n d b e l i e f s .

3. Bicycles

Bicycles have been described, by many suffragists, as the wheels of change that drove women to their liberation.

With the advent of the modern bicycle, 19th century women who had been reduced to the roles of housewives, saw an opportunity fot change They had access to a vehicle they could drive without reliance on their husbands. This gave them the autonomy to explore the world unaccompanied by men and congregate with other women to talk about the problems being faced by them. It also increased mobility for women which helped increase the potency and vigor of the women’s rights’ revolution.

Because it was hard to ride bicycles dressed in voluminous ruffled skirts and unbreathable corsets which were customary at the time, it highlighted the need for women’s clothing to be more practical and comfortable.

Apart from emboldening the revolution in a number of ways, bicycles became a symbol of independ and freedom for women. It is astonishing how a material tool shaped human history by affectin behavior of individuals in society The explorati the world by women via bicycles led to the dau realization that they were capable of so much m

4. Pink Sarees

In Uttar Pradesh, resides the leader of the Gang’ or the ‘Pink Sari Gang', Sambat Pal, brought together oppressed women from strata of society. The ‘Gulabi Gang’ worke eradicate social horrors like domestic abu consensual intercourse and lack of female One woman’s problems were deemed to be woman’s problem. They pooled their resou secure loans from the government and tac financial issues. However, they were not v an organization by the authorities This is Sambat Pal Devi proposed the idea of pink uniform of empowerment to help identify themselves as part of a united front again

These instances of change in the women’s revolution marked by important material representations of the power materials hold in the acquisition, production or sharing of knowledge. These materials are symbols of change and hope f a better future. While materialism to an unhealthy extent can perpetuate emotional insecurity, materialism can help introduce new ideas to socie and affect people’s perspectives.

Dissemination of knowledge and the ocietal ladders of progress

Turningbackthedialoftimeandlookingintohistoricaleventsisalargepartof thecyclicalroutineofthedisseminationofknowledge.Thisprocessdoesn’tonly allowtheidentificationofprominentissuesaroundtheworldbutalsohelpsin theproductionofnewknowledge.Italsohasanessentialeffectonthe establishmentofbiasesamongstvariouswayshumansareclassified,specifically intermsofgender.Overcenturieswomenhavepushedagainstthelimited boundaryofpowerandpersonalidentity,whichrevolvesaroundtheirlivesto thisday.

Anexplicitexhibitionofprohibitionsagainstwomenisthephenomenaoffemale hysteria,whichdatesto1900BC.Thisconceptwasbasedaroundanideawhereinany actiondeemedsociallyunacceptableforwomenwasdiagnosedasaphysicaland mentaldisorderbelievedtobecausedbyalackofsexualsatisfaction.Thesymptomsof this‘disorder’rangedfromfeelinganxioustohavingalossofappetitetoexperiencing irritability.Inessence,theprivilegetohumanefeelingswereveiledfromwomenand sculptedintobeingviewedasaconditionofillhealth.This‘disorder’wastreatedby physiciansofthetimethroughmethodsthatincludedmassages,hydrotherapy,and electricshocktherapy.Thecurealsoofteninvolvedadvisingwomentogetmarriedor engageinintercourse.Theobjectificationofwomenstretchedsovastlythattheir identitywasconstrainedtotheideaofdomesticity,toanextentwheretheirhealth conditionswerealsoderivedandbasedofftheirmaritalstatus.Whilethisconceptwas laterbrokendownandunestablished,theprevalenceofprejudiceagainsthealthissues ofwomencanstillbefelttoday.Thedisseminationofthesepre-establishedbiasesthat haveexistedinhistoricalcontextshavecarvedthegenderbiasedsocietalstereotypes thatstillexisttodayandthrowwomenintoahuntforalifethatisdeemedsuccessful onlythroughworktowardshomemaking.

Apredominantsenseoftabooaroundthepursuitofacareerhas discouragedanddominatedfeminineconfidenceattheprofessionalfront.

Professionalambitionandsuccesstracedbywomenhasbeensilencedfor centuries.RosalindFranklin,HedyLamarr,EmmyNoetherarejustafew oftheunderrepresented;thecompletelistisendless.Theladdersof successhavebeenstructuredinawayovercenturiesthatdifferentiatesnot onlythestepsneededtoachieveitbutalsohowitisdefined.Thesystematic ideathatwhilstmenpursueaneducationandcatertothefinancialneeds oftheirfamily,womenshallgrowoutoftheiryouthtoonlyfindtheoption ofbecominghousewivesandmothershasbeendeeplyinstilledinmodern society.

Weseetheladdertoprofessionalrespectandsuccessformendefinedwith smalleasysteps,whileonthecontrarywomenhavetofighttoleapoverthe largegapsofbias,andlackofpowerwhilsttryingtoprogressthroughthe ladder.Whilewomenworkthesamehoursasmen,paygapsstillhavea conspicuousexistenceandthereisanincessantsparforequalconsideration forjobpromotions.

Allhopeisnotlost,aswecanseewomenexpandingoutsideofthedomestic routetosuccessthathasbeenpredeterminedforthemandinsteadfashiontheir owncircuitaroundtheconceptoftriumphandcontentment.Aprojectionofthis isinPathwaysWorldSchoolitselfwhereweseetheestablishmentledbya powerfulgroupoffemales;theschooldirector:Ms.SonyaGhandyMehta,DP principal:Ms.ManjulaShenoi,MYPprincipal:Ms.MonikaBajajandPYP principalMs.MonicaBhimwal.Thehistoricallycultivatedexpectationsarenow beginningtobeoverlookedandwomenareseenbroadeningtheirhorizonsand seekingallopportunitiesthatlieintheircareerwithoutbeingquestionedorthe needforsocietalapproval.Notonlyarewomenshowingtheircompetencyatthe professionalfront,theyaresignifyingtheirmultifacetedexistencewhichallows themtoexceedinallaspectsoflife.

By Aditi Rathee

ACROSS -

3. The term defined as the quality of being fair and impartial, while also acknowledging that not all start from the same place and acknowledging imbalances.

5. the process of giving people power and control over their lives or to do something.

6. the quality or state of being self-governing and independent.

7. First woman to win a Nobel Prize.

8. International Women's Day is held during this month.

9. First woman president of India.

10. Term which refers to the stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination, on the basis of sex. DOWN -

1. Term for an advocate of women ' s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

2. Term for the stereotypes regarding attitudes, attributes, and actions imposed on men and women on the basis of gender.

4. Term for the relative disparity between people of different genders, which is reflected in a variety of sectors in many societies.

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