RESTORING SHAKTI: A STUDY OF WOMEN’S SAFETY IN INDIA
POORVI DAS DMGT - 748 SCAD, WINTER 2018
Figure 1. Faces and Expressions of the Ganesh Festival 4 from Flickr, Luigi Morante. Available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/eudaimos/2837076619
“The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence.� - Mahatma Gandhi
RESTORING SHAKTI A STUDY ON WOMEN’S SAFETY IN INDIA DESIGN
MANAGEMENT
• ITERATIVE
• LINEAR
• CREATIVE
• PRAGMATIC
• VALUE CREATION
• VALUE DELIVERY
DESIGN MANAGEMENT • EXPLORING & SHAPING USER-CENTERED INNOVATION FOR VALUE CREATION
“Design Management is a process that blends design thinking and management practices to create user-centered innovation that enhances the quality of life, provides social benefit and enables business success. Simply put, it is where design and management processes overlap, to create meaningful value.”
POORVI DAS Candidate for Master of Arts, Design Management
• BRINGING DISPARATE ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO REALIZE THE STRATEGIC BIGGER PICTURE
Figure 2. Diagram showing where the different aspects of ‘design’ and ‘management’ come together in ‘Design Management’.
Final project submitted to the faculty of the Design Management Program at the Savannah College of Art and Design on (to be entered) in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Design Management.
INTRODUCTION In December 2012, a young girl named Jyoti Singh was brutally gang raped in New Delhi, the capital of India. The incident which cost Jyoti her life, shook the entire nation to wake up and make amends. People, especially women, had had enough. At the time the incident took place, I was many miles away, in the US. However, having grown up in India, I was all too familiar with the realities which a girl copes with and hopefully overcomes as she grows up, not only in India, but in most parts of the world. There was a strong intention to do something about it. This intention first translated itself into a wearable device that is conceptualized to intuitively pick up signals of a person in danger based on the fight or flight response, and communicate the same to a group of individuals who form a safety circle. The idea gained momentum and will be presented as one of the semifinalists at the Anu and Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE in April 2018. While this was an exciting milestone, I realized creating a device would only solve a part of the problem and that too, at the surface. The real problem lay much beneath the surface, complex and entangled and I was keen on looking at it, equipped with the tools of design management and a great Jedi master, Prof. Bruce Claxton! I am grateful to the MA graduate review committee for allowing me to pursue this almost close to ‘world peace kind of problem’. It is my intention as a designer and design thinker to be a part of making this planet better and this has been my first step in looking at a complex social problem through the lens of design management. The class has helped me come full circle in understanding a problem to a great extent, and Poorvi Das
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INTRODUCTION has re-enforced the significant role research, co-creation or collaboration and empathy play in the design process. Referencing peer reviewed articles, literary and audio visual material during secondary research widened my canvas of reference and helped create the base framework of areas I could probe into. Speaking with people within my target user group and outside, attending relevant events, observing and recording, helped build a rich content base for analysis. The process of analysis and synthesis brought to light interesting recurring patterns, sprinkled with ‘aha’ moments and unique perspectives. I witnessed a few pivots in my understanding of the subject. One significant one was during a chance ride I shared back home in an Ola (like Uber) pool with a young woman who works with the social organization, ‘Teach for India’. She and a few other interviewees re-iterated what had until then been, subtle moments of quiet personal insight waiting to be confirmed. They helped me consider a different perspective. While the project started out for a target audience of women between the ages of 18 - 30, the solution that has evolved addresses a much wider age group and both genders. It is based on the insight that gender equality and nurturing both genders in the right way so as to create a shift in the existing mindset, would create a more significant impact and eventually benefit the target audience in the process as well. Ekam (which means ‘one’ in Sanskrit) is a social organization that enables both genders to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious world. Ekam works with educational institutions, organizations and Poorvi Das
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INTRODUCTION communities (through NGOs) through its programs in gender sensitization, which engage participants in creative ways (including art and theatre). Ekam is also involved in changing the existing narrative from a male dominant one to a more balanced perspective, and communicating the same through different media. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to share my work with Mrs. Shukla Bose of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has set an example of free English-medium high quality education for under-privileged children in Bangalore. At the end of my presentation Mrs. Bose said, “ok, when can we begin, what should we do next?” I was caught unaware but very grateful for such a confident validation. We decided to begin with a presentation through a forum she would organize. Step one. Mrs. Bose also said, “it’s not something new though, what you have said. We know that it has to be done.” And I agree with her. It is not new. As I understand it better now (hopefully), design or innovation is not always about creating something ‘new’. It’s about creating something relevant and following it through. That perhaps, is when transformation occurs.
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DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to Jyoti Singh (Nirbhaya) and her family who underwent the harshest of realities to awaken a nation.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am very grateful to My dear family, for their patience, support and love through my MA Program. The time we have lost just makes me realize the preciousness of the time we will have now. Prof. Bruce Claxton for making the toughest class feel like a breeze. His patient guidance, quick feedback and extra resources will benefit me beyond this class. My peers Josh Foley, Angelo Cuyegkeng, Karen Ng and Michael Lowe for their feedback on my work during this quarter. Participants of my research and co-creation process: Aarti, Akshat Mathur, Amarvir Saran Das, Arohini Narain, Arushi Poddar, Bhavna, Ms. Garima Bhatnagar, Hema, Jasmeen Patheja, Dr. Kirti Narain, Manorama Singh, May Job, Nalini Das, Neeta, Rashmi, Reshma, Dr. Shree Gururaja, Mrs. Shukla Bose, Tulip Sinha Neel, Usha S. Varia, Vaishali Nigam Sinha, VS Das, the girls from Sheshadripuram college, group of participants at Yogisthaan, and the teacher from Teach for India for their time, patience and openness to discuss my work. My teachers at SCAD for their guidance and support in the MA Design Management program and making SCAD eLearning such a great experience. My teachers, Ashish Dave, Aditi Ranjan and MP Ranjan for sowing the seeds of curiosity, lateral thinking, design thinking, inspiration, self-belief and empathy as a designer in me. My friends from the SCAD program who I had the good fortune to meet virtually, be in classes with and learn very much from: Gwen Uhlig WĂźsthof, Galit Ariel, John Lacey, Cheryl G Edenfield, Veronique de Groot, Stephanie Elisa, Michele Moros Warren and Brittany Strozzo. Dr. Elizabeth La Rue and Brady Sheehan, my colleagues at our company, Hera Global Tech for their patience and friendship. Poorvi Das
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................... 04 DEDICATION............................................................................................................................................................................................. 07 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................................................................................................... 08 PROJECT FRAMING.........................................................................................................................................................................11 – 13 Subject of Study.. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Problem Statement............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Target Audience. . ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Purpose of Study................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Scope of Study................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
PROJECT POSITIONING................................................................................................................................................................ 14 – 43 Opportunity Statement..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Market Analysis.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Project Positioning............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36
RESEARCH PLANNING AND SYNTHESIS................................................................................................................................... 44 – 82 Research Space................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Research Methodology..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Research Activities........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Research Questions.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
Data Collection Methods.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Research Synthesis........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Research Insights.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 62
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES, DESIGN CRITERIA & REFRAMING................................................................................................. 83 – 88 Opportunities for Design.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 84
Design Criteria for Prototype.............................................................................................................................................................................................................87
Reframing........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 88
PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING............................................................................................................................. 89 – 116 Prototype Ideas, Concept Development Process......................................................................................................................................................................... 90
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Exploration of Diverse Concepts...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 91 9
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Concept Testing with Diverse Audience...................................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Concept Test Findings...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 111 Selection of Final Concept.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 112
Final Concept.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 115
FINAL DESIGN TO MARKET....................................................................................................................................................... 117 – 139 Final Prototype.. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 118
Business Model Canvas.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 122
Branding............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 134 Implementation Plan....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 137
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................................141 – 144 Conclusions. . ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 141
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 143
APPENDICES............................................................................................................................................................................. 144 – 255 Appendix A: Gantt Chart................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 146
Appendix B: Sub Questions Matrix................................................................................................................................................................................................147
Appendix C: Research Protocol..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 150
Appendix D: Interview Questions.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 152
Appendix E: Signed Conent forms................................................................................................................................................................................................ 154
Appendix F: Interview Transcripts................................................................................................................................................................................................. 155
Appendix G: Observations............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 200
Appendix H: Images........................................................................................................................................................................................................................206
Appendix I: Additional Information ..............................................................................................................................................................................................209 Appendix J: Working Wall.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 222
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................................................260 – 263 Annotated Bibliography.. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 261
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES...............................................................................................................................................264 – 268 List of Figures.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 265
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PROJECT FRAMING SUBJECT OF STUDY PROBLEM STATEMENT TARGET AUDIENCE PURPOSE OF STUDY SCOPE OF STUDY
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PROJECT FRAMING SUBJECT OF STUDY
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The subject of this study is to understand the issue of women’s safety in India holistically, and propose a framework for change using design management methods.
The incidence of violence against women in India is extensive, making it a typical and accepted behavior (Kaur & Garg, 2008). Sexual harassment, eve teasing and stalking are common issues which women in India face and live with every day (Kashyap, 2014). An increase in the number of cases of sexual harassment and gang rapes amongst other violent crimes like domestic violence, honor killings, acid attacks has shaken the conscience of the nation and is a matter of growing collective concern (Bohra, Sharma, Srivastava Chaudhuri Paeial Sharma & Kataria, 2015). The problem is an outcome of a complex structural system, where social, political, cultural, and economic factors play a combined role in its existence (Sulfikar, 2004; Fabrizio & Idil, 2016). Consequently, this is where there is also the need for transformation. Contributing factors for the problem are intrinsic, (within the individual, victim or perpetrator); or extrinsic, in the environment (immediate family or community) (Bohra, Sharma, Srivastava Chaudhuri Paeial Sharma & Kataria, 2015). Violence against women creates a sense of insecurity and fear in the community (Harbishettar & Math, 2014). Besides damaging physical and mental health, violence undermines the social, economic, psychological, spiritual and emotional well-being of the victim, as well as the perpetrator and rings through the family, community and society into the future (Zimmerman, 1994).
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PROJECT FRAMING TARGET AUDIENCE
SCOPE OF STUDY
The target audience for the project are women between the ages of 18 to 30, including but not limited to, college students and women starting their careers. Secondary and tertiary audiences include men, parents, relevant organizations, local police and other safety or support systems.
Women’s safety in India is a matter of concern in light of the increasing number of incidences in recent years (Hossain, 2016). Violence against women creates a sense of insecurity and fear in the community (Harbishettar & Math, 2014) and indicates a ruptured structure in society.
PURPOSE OF STUDY The purpose of this study is to understand the issue of women’s safety in urban India, in a holistic way. The study will then identify areas where design can play a role in creating impact and propose a framework for change that addresses the problem.
Considering the duration of the project, nature of complexity and project goal, the study will be limited as follows: • The study will focus on understanding the general nature of the problem and propose a general framework for change and will not go into depth about issues relating to laws / jurisdiction and medical health. • The study will explore the viewpoints of people including women, men, relevant organizations, practitioners in relevant fields and existing safety and support systems to gain a general understanding. It will focus on the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka. People may be contacted outside the city for surveys and interviews to get a better understanding of the problem in a national context. • The study will draw heavily from secondary research and observations based on recent and current articles and programs including but not limited to newspapers, magazines, audio-visual content and the internet. • The study will not include meeting assaulters in prison or victims in health facilities. • The study will not include interviewing or talking to children (below the age of 18). • The study will not include visiting high risk prone areas at high risk times.
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• This study will be conducted over a ten-week period from January 8, 2018 through March 15, 2018. Secondary research and planning will be completed before January 8, 2018, the the start of the program.
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PROJECT POSITIONING OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT MARKET ANALYSIS PROJECT POSITIOING
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PROJECT POSITIONING OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Based on community participation and co-creation, there is an opportunity to create a framework for change, which might promote behavioral change vis a vis women’s safety. Design for social good is an area the design manager is interested in. The study will provide a practical experience of implementing design management methods on a real world problem. The complex nature of the problem will challenge the knowledge and application of lessons learnt so far. Design for social impact has attracted powerful interest in recent years (Fabrizio & Idil, 2016) and stretches over several design disciplines, including product design, graphic design, urban design, and architecture (Copper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2012). At the same time, the field is not well defined (CopperHewitt, National Design Museum, 2012). The study may provide a reference for design management practices. The collaboration with professionals from different fields might help impress the significance of design thinking and design management methods, thereby spreading the message that design as a discipline is versatile and can be applied to many contexts. The issue of women’s safety is not restricted to India alone, but is a global phenomenon (Bohra, Sharma, Srivastava Chaudhuri Paeial Sharma & Kataria, 2015; Kaur & Garg 2008; Harbishettar & Math, 2014). The effort of the study is to propose a framework for change. It may be possible that the outcome of the study proves useful to other cultures and countries. At the least, the study will provide a reference for other aspirants in the area. The study will equip the design manager with a project example in her field of interest and also enhance her understanding of the application of design management methods for a social impact oriented project. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS BLANK NOISE is a community / public art project that seeks to confront street harassment, commonly known as eve teasing, in India
SITE URL: www.blanknoise.org
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Connects with the community directly in creative ways to break stereotypes, create action heroes and collect data.
Mostly women, activists, doers
Interesting ways of connecting with the community.
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
Advocating for effective legal mechanisms
Hands-on and research based. Creating networks nationally and internationally.
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Public spaces like urban bus and railways stations, city parks, etc. Staging theatrical public protests Physical office, webpage, social media (facebook) Using new technology to publicise offences
The desire to unravel the core issues and address them Creative ways of bringing about dialogue.
Pledges Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS RAHI FOUNDATION focuses on women survivors of Incest and Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). RAHI’s work includes support and recovery through the distinctive RAHI Model of Healing; awareness and education about Incest/ CSA; training and intervention; and research and capacity building - all established within the larger issue of social change.
SITE URL: www.rahifoundation.org
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Creates a supportive environment Schools, colleges, individuals for survivors of incest (women mostly)
Well researched foundation
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Counseling and support
Website, events, network
Holistic approach; understanding the problem well.
Advocacy, raising awareness and communication Education, training and capacity building Research
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS JAGORI envisions building a just society through feminist values. Its mission and strategy includes deepening feminist consciousness with diverse partners at local and national levels through Feminist research and knowledge building; Supporting women’s leadership and agency; Perspective and capacity development on feminist principles and strategies; Providing Support Services to women survivors of violence; and Networking for feminist movement building.
SITE URL: www.jagori.org
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
To enable marginalized and oppressed women in rural and urban areas with awareness and action for rights.
Marginalized and oppressed women in rural and urban areas.
A good understanding of the context; Holistic approach; Bringing in the target user as a stakeholder; Partnerships with other organizations;
APPROACH CHANNEL How do they create value? What is the entry point? Perspective and capacity development on Website, physical office, social feminist principles and strategies; media, events Resource center; Violence intervention; Safe Cities Initiative; Piloting new approaches and supporting women’s leadership; Campaigns to raise awareness on Violence Against Women (VAW);
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Hands-on support to initiate positive action towards ending violence against women
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS WHY LOITER is a movement to assert a woman’s freedom to occupy public spaces anywhere in the world, at anytime of the day or night wearing anything she pleases. The group gathers once a week at a public space and loiters.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Reclaim public spaces, women’s empowerment;
Young millenials
Novel approach which challenges the norm.
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Blog posts, events, talks, sharing stories
Blog, social media, word of mouth Challenging norms;
Eradicate sense of fear; Challenge stereotypes;
SITE URL: www.whyloiter.blogspot.in
WHY LOITER?
Working with the community;
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS DURGA conducts workshops to help women understand behaviour better and be prepared to address crime. The focus in Durga is to be the first police for oneself and also be a responsible bystander.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS
To arm girls and women with self-protective instincts to deal with sexual harassment in public spaces.
Womens and men of different age groups, victims, activists, counsellors, policemen
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Theatre-based workshops to help women understand behavior, use their judgement and respond to inappropriate behavior;
Holds workshops in schools, colleges, girls hostels, construction sites, residents welfare associations and corporates;
Creative methods of addressing the problem
What can they teach us? Uses performing arts as a medium business model generates money from the participants making it sustainable
SITE URL: www.durgaindia.org
Bringing men into the discussion;
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS JANAAGRAHA is a non-profit organization which aims to improve quality of life in urban India, through systemic change. They work with both citizens and government to catalyse civic participation from the grassroots up, as well as governance reforms from the top down.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
City based transformation
Citizens of Bangalore
Community involvement, civic authority involvement
SITE URL: www.janaagraha.org
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Research, programs which engage Website, physical office the community;
Community involvement; Community policing;
Civic learning, participation, advocacy and reforms; Community policing focusING on community engagement
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS AMNESTY is the world’s largest grassroots organization that campaigns to end abuse of human rights. The organization believes that human rights is for every individual and that sexism, discrimination and hate have no place in the world.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Campaign on a wide range of issues to protect and defend human rights.
Varies: People who donation and volunteer.
Business model
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Success of initiative
SITE URL: www.amnesty.org.in
Research and fact check findings. Website, physical office, email, social media, donate, volunteer Shed light on human rights
Cause
violations. Mobilize people to put pressure on governments and others to stop the violations.
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS ENFOLD supports inculsion, celebrates diversity and practices non-discrimination. The organiztion believes that child safety is an adult and community responsibility.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Believes in healthy and safe children living with dignity supported by empowered adults
Individuals, schools, college, community, corporate
Good business model. Considered different avenues of providing support. Seems to have an integrated approach
SITE URL: www.enfoldindia.org
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Safety education for children and adults; Medico-legal & psychosocial support; multidisciplinary team approach to strengthen systems; Creating public visibility; Works with government and nongovernment agencies; Response units;
Website
Cause and approach
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS CHILDLINE is India’s first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. They not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to services for their long-term care and rehabilitation.
SITE URL: www.childlineindia.org.in/ index.htm
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Work for the protection of the Men and women employees, rights of all children in general children, especially vulnerable with a special focus on all children children. in need of care and protection, especially the more vulnerable sections.
The approach, affiliations, focus area;
APPROACH How do they create value?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
Phone number that can be called Phone call, website, physical 24/7 in case of need. Depending office. on call team member meets with the child, linking him or her to medical help, shelter, repatriation, rescue from abuse or even intensive counselling.
Cohesive, effective mode of function;
Cause
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS SHE THE PEOPLE is a video storytelling space that inspires women, strengthens their efforts, exchanges leadership ideas, fosters networking and reinforces their ability to contribute to growth.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
OBJECTIVES What can they teach us?
Empowering women together, women empowerment
Women from diverse backgrounds Positive, energetic
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
SITE URL: www.shethepeople.tv
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Sharing stories of women through Media: television, social media, media (website and TV) website, events
Empowering women. Stories of strength.
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS HOW REVEALING is a space to share experiences of sexual assault, gender based violence, sexism and bystander intervention. It is meant to help as a space to legitimize the complex emotions and reactions that accompany uncomfortable experiences.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
To create a safe space to deal with ones feelings related to an experience of assault.
Wide, any gender / identity. Access to website and the language.
Different approach. Simple, but allows victim to share their story while documenting incidents Has a support page with consolidated information Good interface
SITE URL: www.howrevealing.com
HOW REVEALING
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Allows victims to share their stories;
Website, social network (facebook Involves the community and twitter), campaigns
Future: create a directory of organizations that provide support and assistance. With enough stories, plans to push for policy changes in India. Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS SAFECITY is a platform that crowdsources personal stories of sexual harassment and abuse in public spaces. This data gets aggregated as hot spots on a map indicating trends at a local level so as to be useful for individuals, local communities and administration to identify factors that lead to abuse and violence.
SITE URL: www.safecity.in
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
To make cities safer by encouraging equal access to public spaces for everyone especially women, through the use of crowdsourced data and technology.
Crowdsourced, anyone who has faced harassment or assault
Looking at it from a different perspective. A different approach.
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Crowdsource based information gathering and mapping
Website, application
Community involvement
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS VIVEKA is committed to promoting emotional health by empowering people to lead happy and meaningful lives. The organization deals with a wide range of issues, such as, martial & inter-personal relationships, loss & grief, parenting challenges & adoption, stress, life balance, adult survivors of child sexual abuse, depression and many more.
SITE URL: www.vivekatrust.org
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Promoting and sustaining a mentally and emotionally healthy society by empowering people to lead a happy and meaningful lives.
People undergoing mental or emotional issues. Varies across age and gender. Parents, educators, caregivers, learning disabilities.
Looking at it from a different perspective. A different approach.
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Offer counseling services, awareness programmes and corporate tie-ups
Website, physical office, phone number
The issue of abuse and its link to mental illness.
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS SEREIN partners with fast-growing companies to implement practical safety and inclusion solutions. They leverage employee data and the latest research, to identify conscious and unconscious barriers to an inclusive culture. It then implements all mandated steps towards building a safe workplace in accordance to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment laws.
SITE URL: www.serein.in
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Driving better business outcomes Organizations, companies, through diversity and inclusion. business of all types and sizes
Different perspective, well grounded on science and sociology.
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
A combination of workshops, experiential tools, simulation games and in-depth assessment interventions for organizational development
Website, blog, social media, media (newspaper)
The issue of abuse and its link to inclusion
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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MARKET ANALYSIS INTERWEAVE is an inclusion solutions consulting firm in India.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
SITE URL: www.interweave.in
Diversity and enabling inclusion consulting, safe workplaces, women leadership development
Organizations, companies, business of all types and sizes
Different perspective, focussed programs
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Audits, interactive workshops, Website, physical location, blog innovative e-learning modules and customised consulting solutions for organizations
The issue of abuse and its link to inclusion; women empowerment
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
30
MARKET ANALYSIS AZAD FOUNDATION focuses on women who continue in abusive relationships because of their financial dependence on their husbands. The organisation trains women in professions traditionally closed to them and helps them achieve financial independence.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Trains women in professions traditionally closed to them and helps them achieve financial independence
Women in particular from underprivileged backgrounds
Different perspective, women’s empowerment related
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Equip with knowledge and skills so as to earn a “livelihood with dignity” in jobs and markets that were traditionally closed to them.
Website, physical location, blog
The issue of abuse and women empowerment
Context driven, hands-on approach
SITE URL: www.azadfoundation.com
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
31
MARKET ANALYSIS RIDERES OF THE NIGHT (ROTN) is a group of women bike riders who ride through the streets at nght to proclaim that women have the right to go anywhere at any time of the day.
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Breaking stereotypes, claiming the streets
About 20 women bikers and 20 volunteers (including men, kids and grandmothers)
Combining a cause with an interest
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Reclaim the roads, campaign, demonstrate self-defence skills, display placards, connect with community
Social media
Breaking stereotypes, community connection
SITE URL: www.facebook.com/ rotnbangalore
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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MARKET ANALYSIS THE FEARLESS COLLECTIVE is a collective of artists, activists, photographers and filmmakers who use art to speak out against gender violence. It was formed in response to the horrific gang rape that took place in Delhi, India in 2012, to attempt to (re)define fear, femininity and what it means to be fearless.
SITE URL: www.fearlesscollective. tumblr.com
OBJECTIVES What is their value?
MEMBERS What categories do they fall into?
LESSONS What can they teach us?
Use art to speak out against gender violence
Artists, activists, photographers and filmmakers, blog visitors
Expressing oneself
APPROACH How do they create value?
CHANNEL What is the entry point?
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Where or how do we overlap?
Art submission on online blog
Social media, blog
Using creativity to address the issue
Tables 1 – 18: Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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MARKET ANALYSIS - SWOT ANALYSIS NAME OF ORGANIZATION Blank Noise
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
A community / public art project that seeks to confront street harassment, commonly known as eve teasing, in India
Interesting approach which gets people interested Caters to the youth, the largest population
More protest oriented than actually solving issues / people’s problems Mostly female oriented
Added visibility and resources can be used to implement programs and increase reach in addition to carrying out protests Document findings / data to be used to implement through programs, products or services
Just remain a protest based organization
Involves the community
Why Loiter
A movement to assert a woman’s freedom to occupy public spaces anywhere in the world, at anytime of the day or night wearing anything she pleases
Caters to millenial - large group Makes it look interesting and fun
Not a very concrete program or direction
Could see how to implement the model across demographics and contexts
Could just be a fad Could have many competitors
Amnesty
Art + activism Campaign oriented
International support - well backed Good networks; Resources; Good following Content; Community; Research based
Helpline / support system links for women who need help A more rigorous program given the networks and support they have
Might lose authenticity of purpose by being someone who is about campaign’s only
Childline
a 24 hour free emergency phone outreach service for children in need of care and protection
Only support for children Direct number
Hands-on and ground level perspective may be missed? Difficult to communicate with No helpline/ support system for women in distress Not publicised enough
Having awareness and gender sensitization programs in schools
Competition Correct training of staff
She The People
A video storytelling space that inspires women, strengthens their efforts, exchanges leadership ideas, fosters networking and reinforces their ability to contribute to growth
Media Robust reporting, very active
Language - only english Might not resonate with men
Other languages Better display or communication of content
Competition
How Revealing
A space to share experiences of sexual assault, gender based violence, sexism and bystander intervention
Good initiative focussing on one aspect of the problem Gender neutral
Focusses on one aspect of the problem
Can go beyond a blog
Competition
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Table 19: SWOT Analysis of competitors. Authors image, 2018.
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MARKET ANALYSIS - SWOT ANALYSIS NAME OF ORGANIZATION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
SafeCity
Platform that crowdsources personal stories of sexual harassment and abuse in public spaces, which gets aggregated as hot spots on a map indicating trends at a local level
First in the market Unique way of addressing the problem Effort to integrate other aspects like an emergency helpline, laws relating to different kind of harassments
Not publicized enough
Simpler, more user friendly interface Partner with other organizations / endeavors which are addressing the problem
Mostly website or phone app based.
Viveka
Voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting and sustaining a mentally and emotionally healthy society. provide free and confidential counselling services to individuals experiencing emotional stress.
Tackling a unique aspect of the problem
Not publicized enough
Affiliating with other organizations to provide support
Competition
Serein
Implements practical safety and inclusion solutions. Leverages employee data and the latest research, to identify conscious and unconscious barriers to an inclusive culture.
Tackling a different aspect of the problem where competition may not be so much Good client base Programs
Caters to a select group of organizations
Can partner with organizations to increase their client base to make it more inclusive
Growing competition
Azad Foundation
Enables women to become financially independent
Unique approach Brings about financial independence for women
Focussed on one particular kind of skill
Increasing skill sets tie ups with organizations to get participants placed
Competition
Riders of the Night (ROTN)
Group of women bike riders who ride through the streets at nght to proclaim that women have the right to go anywhere at any time of the day
Matching an interest with a cause to create a unique activity
Mostly for bikers
Get men involved
Might become a public nuisance if it’s late in the night and loud
The Fearless Collective
Collective of artists, activists, photographers and filmmakers who use art to speak out against gender violence
Open to public to contribute A good medium to express oneself
What’s the point?
Can extend into workshops for people who would like to express themselves and their experiences through a medium as a way of healing
Easy to replicate
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Table 19: SWOT Analysis of competitors. Authors image, 2018.
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PROJECT POSITIONING - GOOD AND DIFFERENT CHART As this area has received much attention since December 2012, one finds a number of initiatives have begun and gained some traction in a space which was virtually non-existent until a while back. Good and different offerings constitute the ones which have got some success and are different in approach, so as to connect with a unique audience. This is an interesting space, considering the population density and diversity of India.
NOT GOOD BUT DIFFERENT
NOT GOOD AND NOT DIFFERENT
GOOD AND DIFFERENT
GOOD BUT NOT DIFFERENT Figure 3: Good and different chart comparing competitors. Authors image, 2018.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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PROJECT POSITIONING - 2 X 2 AXIS CHART The 2x2 axis graph compares programs that are victim focused on one end and all-inclusive (including perpetrators) on the other with organizations that have a high reach and those that have a low reach. It reveals that organizations are heavily victim focused and there is lots of room to create inclusivity as well as address perpetrators or what breeds perpetrators so as to resolve the problem.
HIGH REACH
HOW REVEALING
WHITE SPACE
VICTIM FOCUSSED
ALL INCLUSIVE
WHY LOITER?
LOW REACH Figure 4: 2 x 2 Axis chart comparing competitors target audience and reach of competitors. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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PROJECT POSITIONING - 2 X 2 AXIS CHART The 2x2 axis graph compares programs that are women focused on one end and all-inclusive on the other with organizations that have mainly women as founding members on one side and are more inclusive on the other. It reveals that organizations are heavily women focused and usually founded and run by women. There is an opportunity to bring in more men as founding members, and into the discussion.
ALL INCLUSIVE
WHITE SPACE HOW REVEALING
WOMEN FOCUSSED
ALL INCLUSIVE
WHY LOITER?
WOMEN RUN Figure 5: 2 x 2 Axis chart comparing competitors target audience and organization founder. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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PROJECT POSITIONING - ZAG 17 STEP PROCESS 1 WHO ARE YOU?
We are change makers.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
2 WHAT DO YOU DO?
Lay the foundations of a harmonious society by fostering values of mutual respect and equanimity
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PROJECT POSITIONING - ZAG 17 STEP PROCESS 3 WHAT’S YOUR VISION?
4 WHAT WAVE HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING?
In 5 years, we will have a successful base model based on research, prototyping, feedback and improvisation, with a few pilot programs running simultaneously. In 10 years, we will scale across India and keep improvising our offering as required. In 20 years, we will witness a visible change in mindset.
• Social innovation • UN’s Sustainable Development Goals • The change makers • Philanthropy • Social networks • Focus on gender equality • Focus on nurturing empathy • Growing number of assault cases coming to light • Rising violence in society
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
5 WHO SHARES THE BRANDSCAPE? Jagori Gender at Work Chinmaya Mission Sunday Schools
6 WHAT MAKES YOU THE ‘ONLY’? We are the only social enterprise (what) that creates and implements engaging content and programs (how) for children and adults of both genders (who) in schools, workplaces and communities in India (where), so as to promote the values of mutual respect and equanimity in society (why) in an era of grave imbalance in gender and economic equality (when).
7 WHAT SHOULD YOU ADD OR SUBTRACT? Subtract: • Connecting with law/ police initially until the program gains traction • Connecting with policy makers initially until the program gains traction
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PROJECT POSITIONING - ZAG 17 STEP PROCESS 8 WHO LOVES YOU?
Schools, corporates and NGOs working in communities
9 WHO’S THE ENEMY?
Jagori: They focus only on women empowerment and orient their programs towards women only
10 WHAT DO THEY CALL YOU? Ekam Ekam is Sanskrit for ‘One’. As a noun it means ‘unity’ and signifies the Hindu motto of unity in diversity.
11 HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF?
12 HOW DO YOU SPREAD THE WORD?
Trueline: Promoting the values of mutual respect and equanimity in society
Align ourselves with prominent schools in an area
Tagline: Building a healthy society
Align ourselves with a big corporate Align ourselves with NGOSs working towards education and empowerment Connect with parent groups
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DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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PROJECT POSITIONING - ZAG 17 STEP PROCESS 13 HOW DO PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH YOU?
14 WHAT DO THEY EXPERIENCE?
15 HOW DO YOU EARN THEIR LOYALTY?
Hands-on involvement & face to face dialogue to create understanding. Connect through the website & events organized. Sample workshops or presentations to demonstrate our offerings in schools and places of work.
Customers trust us & promote our work through word of mouth. They feel confident working with us to achieve their goals on gender sensitization & equality & collaborate with us on new programs. They are impressed with the quality of programs & our engagement in bringing about change.
We work one to one with clients & provide solutions that are most aligned to their requirement at competitive prices. We build their trust which ensures their loyalty and participation.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
16 HOW DO YOU EXTEND YOUR SUCCESS? We begin with a small group of institutes and organizations to build a framework and program. As we understand and master the curriculum and model, we increase our reach to more institutes and places of work and scale up across the country. We create products around the subject and market the same on the website and other relevant platforms. We offer training programs and certifications.
17 HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOUR PORTFOLIO? • Separate brand portfolio for each customer segment • Exclusive partnerships with businesses • Fixed term contracts • Intellectual rights
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PROJECT POSITIONING - VALUE PROPOSITION & ONLINESS STATEMENT ONLINESS STATEMENT
VALUE PROPOSITION
We are the only social enterprise (what) that creates and implements engaging content and programs (how) for children and adults of both genders (who) in schools, workplaces and communities in India (where), so as to promote the values of mutual respect and equanimity in society (why) in an era of grave imbalance in gender and economic equality (when).
For educational institutions, organizations and communities Who would like to implement programs in gender sensitization and equality Our organization provides a range of research based programs, products and services which are engaging and holistic in approach. We do this by building user centric content and facilitating the same through products, programs and services so as to generate maximum impact. Unlike other organizations which focus only on women empowerment and target women as end users, Our offering envisions enabling both genders in order to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious society.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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RESEARCH PLANNING AND SYNTHESIS MAP OF RESEARCH SPACE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES RESEARCH QUESTIONS DATA COLLECTION METHODS RESEARCH SYNTHESIS RESEARCH INSIGHTS RESEARCH FINDINGS AT A GLANCE
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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MAP OF RESEARCH SPACE Best (2015) Ceschin & Guzilusoy (2016) Coleman (2010) Gert (2009) Lockwood & Thomas (2009)
FRAMEWORK FOR CHANGE
DESIGN MANAGEMENT METHODS
Burns, A (2000) Kashyap, G (2014) Luxton, June & Fairall (2012) Oosterlaken (2009) Robinson, Bailey, Hetrik, Rodrigues, Fisher & Herrman (2016)
Ceschin & Guzilusoy (2016) Eggertson (2015) Kimmons (2017) Margolin & Margolin (2002) Sulfikar (2004) Tromp, Hekkert & Verbeek (2011)
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT Mechanic & Tanner (2007)
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Bohra, Sharman, Srivastava, Bhatia, Chaudhuri, Parial, Sharma & Kataria (2015) Dillon, Hussain, Loxton & Rahman (2013) Kaur & Garg (2008)
WOMEN’S SAFETY IN URBAN INDIA
Armstrong & Mahone (2016) Bohra, Sharman, Srivastava, Bhatia, Chaudhuri, Parial, Sharma & Kataria (2015) Harbishettar & Math (2014) Jain (2013) Porcelli (2016) Potter (2016) Pujar & Mangoli (2015) Shettar, Jigalur & Sheshgiri (2015) UN (1993) UN (2012)
Figure 6: Diagram showing map of research space. Authors image, 2017.
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RESEARCH PLANNING RESEARCH QUESTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
How might we use Design Management methods to create a framework for change around the issue of women’s safety in India?
The study will focus on Contextual Research methods, using an ethnographic lens to discover underlying themes and patterns for beliefs and values that drive behavior. The study will focus on qualitative methods of research. As the subject area is a current and hot topic in India and the world, the study will draw heavily from secondary research and observations based on recent and current articles and programs including but not limited to newspapers, magazines, audio-visual content and the internet. These methods will help in identifying recurring patterns and gaining insights which will inform the design process and framework.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Data collection methods will include secondary research (papers, articles and audio-visual material) and primary research (interviews and observations). Data processing methods will include working walls and affinity diagrams. Data analysis methods will include maps (empathy, ecosystem, mind) and diagrams/ charts (SWOT analysis, 2x2 axis charts). Data synthesis methods will include persona development, opportunity maps and value maps.
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DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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RESEARCH PLANNING MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION ‘How might we use design management methods to create a framework for change for the issue of women’s safety in India?’
SUB RESEARCH QUESTIONS How might we define Design Management and Design Management Methods and their relevance in creating a framework for change? What is Design Management? What are Design Management Methods? How might a framework for change be described? How might we define social impact?
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
How might we describe a women’s safety and what issues contribute to making a woman feel unsafe? How might we describe a woman’s safety? What are the intrinsic factors or issues that contribute to making a woman feel unsafe? What are the extrinsic factors or issues that contribute to making a woman feel unsafe?
How might we understand the influence of social, political, economic, and cultural factors with regard to women’s safety? How might we describe the social, political, economic, and cultural environment for women in India currently? How might we describe the social, political, economic and cultural environment for women in India historically?
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RESEARCH PLANNING SUBJECTS
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Target user
Face to face interviews
Men and women in public spaces
Observations
Experts in the fields of women development and activism
Talking to people in public places
A Commissioner of police and security guards
Events: Blank Noise and Bengaluru Fantastic
Group discussions
Parents
PROCESSING OF DATA Research data was collected by note-taking, photographing, audio recording, videotaping, and sketching. All data was compiled on a working wall throughout the research process in the form of print-outs, photos and post-it notes. When the research was completed, data was affinity-zed to look for patterns and relationships of all elements.
ANALYSIS OF DATA The research data created various models, including affinity maps, SWOT analysis, empathy maps, and personas, which served to organize and re-structure the research data.
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DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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RESEARCH SYNTHESIS Overall poor system Responsibility of a community
AFFINITY MAP: OVERALL FACTORS
• Lack of trust in the systems of the Government; • Poor laws and cases are not managed well; • Lack of an integrated approach by judiciary, police, social welfare and transport systems; • Power centricity;
It has become the individual's responsibility
but even if yoo talk about clothes, they have made it into this very political issue. what a girl wears, why does she wear. why do you have to think about it?
yes, the way women dress and carry themselves sometimes it does matter, depending on where they go. but i do believe that it's a woman's freedom to wear what she wants. but then looking at the society we live in, it's better to take recautions
even when you talk clothes, they're aversed to talk about clothes because it's a very antifeminst thing
when i saw a girl wearing provocative clothes, i felt embarassed. another person could have reacted differently. another person could have reacted differently. it depends on the time, or if the area was deserted the reactions would have manifested differently
Why can't she be fully clothed till such time that society recognizes her need to be herself.
ladies should wear clothes depending on where they are going and they should have the right to choose. if a girl is going on her own w/o her parents, she should be careful about what she is wearing and have limits to what she is wearing.
Society/ culture change over time
Historical reference of male-female power
Perception of women
Seen as symbol of fertility only
The weaker sex
Mother goddess was worshiped, everything came from the mother, not from the father. mother was nature, where everything came from Initially it was a matrilineal system - lineal stems from mothers
Powercent ricity and Powerplay
Mother- nurturer, Durga - destroyer of evil
Caste system - guptas/ Barnes. Interested marriage you were thrown out Changed when the British came. Women were empowered
Reviving tradition for the current context
First barrier is myself. If I am afraid myself, how will I go ahead
Socialization / conditioning
makes sense. Reason to what we're doing, why we're doing I don't like to be pushed into something I don't believe in. But
it has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action. it's really about changing people's thoughts and what you give them.
lately I've been going back to a lot of things I believed - now I have reasons to believe them People are giving me answer to these things Beliefs: If female energy grows it can be destructive. When feminine spirituality us awakened it is very strong.
Silencing her voice
We women think we're like men - have to work / take care of family / have to be a superwoman. Actually not like that. More powerful spiritually and more divinity in some. Feminine masculine equilibrium is lost - everybody wants to be a man
Women are so wrapped up in all that's going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals. Socialization- have silenced that voice. You've been deadened.
We are hypocritical It is impossible to bring this change in india
We condition our daughters like this My conditioning has been boy like - so im conditioned to hit back in conditions of violence Luckily my conditioning has been open. everytime i hit someone and came back my father said you should have punched him harder!
Powerplay / Feeling of Superiority
Power struggle is an important aspect It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house That feeling of being more powerful than the other - touching makes you feel superior i genuinely thought this was a person that could help me and here he was trying to take something away from me
Perception of women: she is weak and easy to attack
They think women are lower than men The starting is to have sex, and they feel the woman is too weak to say anything They attack women because they consider them weak. Animal instinct- stronger over weak It's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
in the company, family problems, it's all too frustrating for them
Pressure
Lack of female role models
Society
Current perception / situation
Invisibe choices that we made as women everyday
Fear
'No but you're a girl, you shuldn't have hit him." There was an innocent bystander who came up to me and said 'you shouldn't have slapped him'. so i said if somebody started abusing your mother and raises your hand at you, what would you do. so its only when i poked the bystander that he agreed. so he said, Our indian mindsets are set like that - fully based on tradition
Pressures of indian society Competitive, responsibilities, lack of value Society is getting ruthless day by day In india, we've always had a bystander culture. we've chosen to forget. at the core of it, we've become selfish.
Society has wide variations when it comes to
Feared for her safety whether it was being thrown on the street, threatened for dowry, etc Fear mental agony that a young bride would go through Women give in for the sake if the family- husband's and kids There are rituals and ways if bring they are hard to break. It's about education
Guilt / Victim blame
Fear in society from socializ ation
Society is not equipped to ensure safety for women, as a system Society has not shown that woman can also do There will be some kind of attention - that is how society is
Make jokes with the word rape in it. i cant be around people who trivialize this In my office they made fun and jokes on the #metoo hashtag, on the whatsapp group
Differs from place to place
Society matters. we went to mumbai and i found girls find themselves more safe When you go to delhi or bangalore post 9:30 you won't see women coming out Felt unsafe in a big city in Mumbai, where very literate people have made me feel unsafe It's high in delhi. Not so high in Ahmedabad, the South or the mountains.
Women don't want to get into this because they fear the implications in the future. it is very dangerous these days. Women live in fear and are dominated over using physical violence and fear They fear how will they go, where will they go - nothing to do with being educated - family and parents play an important role.
girls fear to speak out because they fear if they go home, there could be some people who can rape them
respect for women
Women
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out they are not able to express hemselves emotionally if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is
Patriarchy Frustrations
masculine toxity / Male dominated feudal society
Patriarchy is a strong part of it Men are treated like God's this comes from making the male gender feel powerful about themselves The way we raise boys plays a role - make them feel different from the beginning
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone,
Girls are made the victim and noone says anything to the man It has been about blame in the recent years, intimated partner violence, domestic violence, child sexual abuse - diff. memories of their harassment We are good at coping. but due to the environment there is so much guilt and shame
Women are onsidered lower than men
male chauvenism, thinking men are in a higher level and think of women as a weak entity. teachings need to be given in school in addition to values the premium put on a boy child vs. a girl child i have seen in some families only girls do the housework. boys should also be taught to do this
Men are treated like Gods. Make this differentiation from the very beginning
what role do the men play? patriarchy - dowry is still a cause for female infanticide or fetocide. And the cause of women, if she has to be protected why does she have to be protected in the most patriarcham way? uneducated class, the male power is very strong discrimination between boy and girl - boys can't make a mistake.
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone, please don't walk alone in the night police is helpful but they do too much questioning. so we don't go. Police - come and write your complaint Safety in police stations - given the size of the country we're not able to take care of it.
Environment if fear from the beginning- don't go out. Parents don't equip them - want them to live with fear. Internal socialization within the family one doesn't feel cofident walking then
First label is within family- restricting women from going out, keeping within boundary, restricting movement - one starts getting fearful at every step From a parents point of view, I don't have control over that. i have control over this
like UP, women wouldn't stir out of their homes - they are culturally different Intensity / scale higher in rural cities
Family not sensitive to overall needs of the woman let alone her safety When the people in the house do not nderstand their daughter or their daughters needs then they go out looking for love. and boys take advantage of that.
from the time she matured i used to fear with a daughter i would get even more worried. so you have to take precautions
Getting over fear
Lack of trust on the police
Media
Lack of viibility of the police
The indian subcontinent hs never been about the 'i'. it has always been about the other and how the other affects me at some point of time. Now if you ask about customs, the current generation doesn't have a clue.
We are adopting western culture very fast because it's the 'cool' thing and forgetting our own traditional culture. - forgetting the depth of our culture. We have a very rich culture.
when they come out and see these girls working, partying, they are earning so much, why, why don't i earn the same - these emotions keep building and it comes out as a rage Maybe they're not happy with their wives, or some other reason
Behave like this when in a group, not so much alone
They tease at any time - when there are many boys they tease. when they're alone they don't tease Most of these crimes happen with 2-3 boyes. there is a lot of peer power. i have done it. to show group commradri. one upmanship in a group. im strong. one of the social causes. socially you feel very empowered. similar to how a man feels holding a cigarette
If alone, then behave like this when in a moving vehicle so they can flee
Somehow the guy would not do it by himself. somehow its always a collective effort By themselves they dont have the guts to do it becaue they think they'll get assaulted. so it's a shared kind of responsiblity and it's about having fun Seeing 4-5 people together will attract a lesser number. so it's usually a group of people
How?
You can't look at the perpatrator in isolation. it's an interdependent system
Who
A single guy feels very empowered when he's on a bike, because he knows he can flee. otherwise it's always a bunch of people. Their discimination is if you are weaker than them. they come in a mob. getting back. get economic power, sense of power
As young as children as old as elderly
Educated and Illiterate
Bringing values back into education
Education and values need to go hand in hand
The difference between right and wrong, good and bad
Mindset
attitude Everyone wants things now - use and throw We want immediate gratification
Oftwn women are to blame as well
It's like the affordances of an object - wat all
To do with early childhood
When they show about women's safety.
Awareness
Values Values of an organization - workplace Distinction between good and bad, would I do it to my mother?
Trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
Media glorifies it with constant coverage
Schools not properly socialized When there is a gender divide in schools, there is more curiosity - more curiosity lack of education and grooming in families and in schools
Do you need to be drunk. Do you need to dress in skimpy clothes? Boys dressed in full sleeves. Girls in spaghetti straps. - asking for trouble. How aware are you if this? Don't be in a burkha. But are you aware?
Alcohol
the media is the main corruption for this The more it comes in media people are inspired to do it. Media glorifies it. People think they will get publicity for it. It's hyped. it's getting reported more - its rampant now
balika badhu the girl goes to school, but they Saavdhaan- the ones that I've seen. I don't
Environment / surroundings
going on communicating, same news 24/7 - for a 10 year old boy the mindset becomes like that. on the roads, on the tv - the culture that is propogted allowes you to think in certain ways in media you see some advertisements to condition indian minds
newspapers and all we think it's wrong but media tells us it's not wrong - media is contradictory media says it's ok
The exposure is limitless
we're overexposed - want the world in your fist, right now, at the press of a button. while the exposure is good, it's causing a lot of problem.
there is a celebration of violence - we see enough examples of that. conditioning since childhood. what are the role models we see? how many nurturing men do we see around
Lighting
Propogates the objectificatio n of women
Women are objectified - item numbers The movie is nice but there is one song he's after her taking a selfie - so these are things you think it's ok to show and people think its cool to do that.
Diversity - there is a lot of difference / disparity Part of it where you see brutal assault is when
the impatience levels have increased - a lot of the impatience is injected by the visuals that one sees. it's also because of social media, peers doing so much, you feel yourself to be the frog in the well.
Time of the Day
Number of people: is it crowded?
Alone or in a group? Culture / people in the area?
fancies
It's also the inequality. rape is not about sexual gratificaition. it's about power, a way to get back at people who you think are better than you.
if someone is escorting you back home, then it's fine. but if you're travelling alone then the chances of all this happening are more
what exists by producing work that allows for
These days all smartphones have emergency number
participation of women, all voices in away to negotiate a terrain, the status quo of this kind this is something that india has never seen
This is also a change. Will take some time for men to really understand and accept this fact. Can't imagine all women will go back and sit in silence. The whole concept that they understand what us important and why women are working and why they should work.
Positive efforts in the workplace
Girls who use to be shy, if there are any problems, don't mind speaking up now. This person is troubling me. Earlier it was like - oh my god, how do i say it? They will make fun of me, look at me. Now you can stand up and point out the person. Actually nowadays women are also doing the same thing
We have a set of rules and regulations It also makes it clear that it is not acceptable. if there were rules / laws, it would be reduced to a great extent I haven't seen any rules and regulation for women, but men are properly addressed. things like, you are supposed to offer a chair
There is a comittee called womens protection comittee Rules: if any complains comes from a woman it has to be addressed that same day. if she feels discomfort you will need to move
Women are not very forthcoming. in offices and organized workplaces, there is not much repurcussion for low intensity acts Now there is a lot of help for girls. it wasn't so much earlier. people come and help. there is not as much risk now
I think it's importnt to mandate these trainings every year as at some point it seeps in There are incidents of low intensity like an inappropriate touch which can be defended or goes in the category of confusion kind of a situation
The Government
No active intervention platforms across the government. Fortunately because if much hue and cry they did something. Reached a scale where we challenge how they can control this? It's a democracy. Every time that filter comes, there's a disruption. Only the government can put that filter.
December 31st - women's safety was improved. What expense? Can't talk about resources - let's increase resources. Women are not going to stop coming.
Public places i feel are safer still. but that doesn't make a diffference for someone who has to do We don't have safety in our public places
There are code of ethics / certifications that need to be renewed. sadly they are not geared towards harassment. they are more towards bribery. though it does happen in some companies. i don't think we have a mandatory gender sensitization kind of training TCS had a gender- cultural sensitization workshop about how men interact in india vis a vis US or Europe
Society
Randomness in society - everyone is doing everything in their own way. Don't have a system of filtering Parents have become over-obsessive and helicopter their kids These days there's lots of smoking and drugs in school
Kids Easy victims Reminders of discipline around the city in public places with emergency numbers for people who see any discrepency
Awareness
Conditioning in the family and society
Build Trust
Awareness plays a major role
Where we fail is children who are not aware if it. And the socialization process if the woman. - not done in clear distinctive, identifying ways, an unwritten kind if behavior that the child observes in the family. Have to be clever and if they are sensitive
What you tell your child from a young age. You're also conditioning the child Lots of conditioning for boys and girls. Has to be impressed from foundation kids learn from seeing their parents need to be careful about what is said and how one behaves in front of the kids
Child won't be able to communicate if he doesn't have trust in you Simple ways to not break the trust: controlling kids - no no no you have to do this You Don't feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is stating at you because they will say it's something you did. Maybe you're smiling, your dress is too short Allow children to take compliments well
You Don't feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is stating at you because they will say it's something you did. Maybe you're smiling, your dress is too short.
Extrinsic: how aware / sensitive is the outside
women's safety? - separate coaches, vendors
Empowering children by talking about sexual abuse. Tell them about good touch and bad touch. - understand ways for them to not break trust in themselves Can't safeguard our children 24/7. We can only empower them. They have to learn to take care if themselves. Often it is someone known Allow boys to cry. Let the emotion come out
Empower by discussing
Curiosity triggers them Talk to kids. Discuss the lyrics of the song Talk about it when girls get their periods instead of just sending the kids to their room Plan to address both boys and girls at school level It's not like it's not happening. They're smart. To avoid trouble it's best that you're there for them. - that empowers every child.
When the kid goes to college, and learns all these things from low grade people When they come out of college they behave inappropriately
People don't talk to you about things- parents don't.
i dont think the patriarchal society has anything to do with it. i think its the lack of moral values that drive offenders to do this
Articulate in a confident way and challenge
Women's Safety is compromised even in religious places
villages a boy is very sought for. there are a lot a lot ofsacrifice catering to their whims and
transitional phase which happens in every
of prejudice and stereotypes that dominate
In buses, the older people just fall on the women. they won't even spare small girls Looking at public spaces/ busses - several range if issues. How to make them more sensitive to the needs of women. Look at the Saree. Sarees catching fire. Where the more stuck you Unless you're in a bus where the more stuck you are physically you feel claustrophobic and unsafe
people move to cities from villages and in of expectations from him an the family makes
and more women come out to work. It's a
it will happen on it's own
During concerts also you see people getting drunk and misbehaving When we go to a concert then the public helps you
Who has responsibility and accountability for
Leading to problems like depression, impatience, frustration, ect
Lots of issues are going to come out as more
culture. Not waking up and letting it linger that
Extrinsic: physical environement, the space - how well it is lit, the dimensions of the space and the amount of traffic in the space. Somehow more people make you feel safer, unless you're in a bus What time of the day, how deserted is a place makes a difference to the same kind of situation night time in the road it is dangerous, where there are no street lights, that's the worst. there could be chain snatchers, kidnappers
What are the warnings? Who gives the signals?
Who are the male role models?
One has to be careful. But things are changing now. 10-15 years before and the present Delhi. There is more awareness in people. First anything would happen and no one would stand up for you. Now there is social media, law, action by the police, there are numb
work
Women
Women's presence creates an equality.
Youth delinquency- drugs, eve teasing, molestation - putting behind bars not helpful. Parents in same environment
media is going against the value system
sensationalized the tv series. They showed in
think it comes during peak hour.
domain? Market / bus or office. How aware?
Disparity Inequality / Diversity
i just wanted to go to sleep because i had drunk too much and a few hours later i was rudely woken up by a person trying to undress me. and he said this is what i wanted. and i was mostly unconscious
Drink and come, nothing else to do Ifeel alcohol should first be banned in Punjab. that is where it is maximum
Media
Negatively impacts ones thinking
In india there is a high proportion of people who are not educated and a higher proprtion of people who despite being educated do not have the right kind of values.
taking you to a state that is gentler than what you can deal with it
Maybe tv programs show it as part to
showed other things in other serials.
All these incidents happen under the effect of alcohol Its also associated with the evils of drinking and drugs Alcohol is a big problem - but where will they take out the pressure
Very high predatory behaviour in certain groups of people, when it's late it gives them cover Predatory behaviour not only delinquents - biologically prevalent- need to socialize and channel it.
Psychologic al background
Women take advantage of the situation Often girls are also to blame
Has to do with early life 0-12 Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger Childhood frustration that comes out This problem is there because of the mentalities that build up in the early age. there's no good knowledge.even media.
Education & Values
These days people don't know what is right and what is wrong. so those values we have to incorporate.
It was a slap on my face because i had always been careful about this - i was careful about the people i mingle with, these were nice people, people with good jobs, a good education
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary
can i do with it? What all can a woman do and
violence is justified in the name of culture, tradition, patriarchy. there's a kind of violience that is macho that is toxic
There's no particular age. it depends on the character and mindset. if they think sex is important, they do Now even younger boys 12 and 15 year olds tease - even in school. things like i love you. Old men interact with girls very badly Most boys in my neighborhood are pretty mischevious.
drinking and wife becomes a pattern - unable to deal with some aspect and they take it out
Don't see what media is showing, what adds are showing and how it impacts. Can't raise our kids in isolation. Font have an idea about what's being taught in schools. we have become very untrusting. now we'll think the uncle will molest me. indians would be very robust otherwise. india is like a boot camp.
Media - lots of sensationalization - continues to report rape, incest. So many channels, they need to be occupied as well. Becomes instantaneous news. Very little goes in to the next step. Call it a phenomenon of society. That's where media has a role. Reading stories in the newspapers inspired me to do something about it.
Alcohol men are coping with something so they are returning to alcohol in different degrees that we've heard men say can you hold a drink and how many drinks can you have - socialization through drinking
what all can i do to her?
i'm very fearful of even giving a lift to a child on my scooter. because i think he's going to do something. he could put a knife to my head or something Feel more unsafe as i have grown older because i don't move as fast now.
Family
Traditionally there was respect for women North Indian culture and traditions are not deep like South India- it's a kuch. Everyone us from everywhere- people are here from everywhere for employment.
please don't walk alone in the night i have called the police several times, eapecially once when i was
When they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter Take revenge on anyone who's weak
at the core of it is patriarchy, but it is not really helping them because they are reduced to a role of a protectr it's about one man protecting their wife, their sister, their mother from other men
being molested. in the same way, in a place
Emergency contacts - not well communicated / shared
Childline - immediately the case is registered, set up child welfare committees everywhere - would record and follow up We set up Childline for children. It's 1098. But how much is implemented? It us the tip of the ice berg. Like everything- we discuss a lot, set things up, don't publicise enough. Very few people know that any child w/o asking the parent can call the number.
Misconc eptions
Boys are ready to stand up for girls but girls have a wrong conception of them. Boys are willing to walk with the girls.
Fear of confront ation
It becomes a problem for parents- how to tell a relative not to touch the child. We always expect the child to adjust, not the adult. We Tell them, maybe you imagined it. So sometimes that's also what I think in the bus - maybe I just imagined. Because our society is filled with such perverts, our children need to be strong. Parents are scared to confront these incase someone is abusing their child.
Fear can be from a restricting you to move to challenging you to break walls - it's not something we're born with Eve teasing, someone whistling, commenting. - used to get nervous as a teenager. If I let that fear grow wouldn't have managed to reach ahead, travel to different places. Didn't let it grow. Family also told me to give it back. Learnt martial arts because I wa
Had reservations but my parents were very supportive
Winter 2018
Why?
It's about power play Men are unable to accept that women are working. They were the bread winners till now
Mindset if some teachers that only a guy can do the job
Ancient people had knowledge of these things- got lost. Now it
Social conditioning
station, give money
Perpetrator
certainly a reason
Values - we say something/ do something- hypocritical We worship goddesses but in the way we behave - no respect for women
In ahmedabad one doesn't hear of women
DMGT 748
powercentricity is a lot in a country like india. where you have control on other people and nothing will happen to you and you'll get away with it. so that's another place Political parties - politics everything- people in power take stands
Women's spiritual leanings- exploitation
they wanted to consumate.
police come and hit innocent people, take them to the police
mumbai the police is strong and more visible No regulation - gone out of control.
Men have a lot of pressure
insults
folklore says before that, it was the women who decided who
policemen themselves tease women
Indian judicial system is discouraging. Deal with cases in a bad manner certainity of punishment in india. in india people get away with things, which they dont get away in other cuntries
Yes, the reason men behave like this is because of the pressure -
Manusmriti, arthashastra, Ramayana, Mahabharata- all filled with
was no notion of purdah. earlier women didn't wear blouses.
police
steering wheel. for 20 minutes the police kept calling me back
Mindset
Any book apart from veda, all denigrating about women.
Traditional culture
there is a fear of the police for right reasons, no one trusts the
driving and i saw a person driving with a persons head on the
coming to power is being forceful. anything can be done by force. sense of empowerment has become lopsided - i can do it better than you
Insecure / weak - pregnant
so hence uncles become important
When did purdah come? in india before the islamic attacks there
Police
Encourage more women to come out and
Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weaker? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the professor, the one who takes society forward See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is lost. Only see her as mother goddess. Not an intelligent human being.
were jogging in marine drive
Poorvi Das
the punishment for gruelling crimes is very small in comparison Nobody's getting punished. Need some harsh punishment to scare people. our law should be changed. if it is changed, then we will be strong. the laws don't do justice for women, then women can't do anything
side, daughters become important, daughters get the property,
Earlier we had the fear of being reprimanded not by another person but by an imaginary force - that helped The extreme to that was being dogmatic, but there can always be a balance
Feminine masculine equilibrium
Need harsher punishment so people are scared
Legal system is discourging. Deal with cases in a very bad manner
Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman Pressure on women to take on the responsibility. Told to keep quiet so as to keep families honor. Get used to it. It is the situation. You see how to take care of yourself Responsibility comes down to the woman - society not responding - continues to see women as vulnerable. Curtailing our own - sacrifice we're making.
Shakti- nurtured- but need to see beyond that as builder not just nurturer. Not the passive taking care - go beyond that - see the strenght. See it in the daughters if house maids who break away and find a job. See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is
before that. Concept of shame introduced after the British
Clearing misconceptions / discussing what was not discussed Need for research
NGOs don't have any clarity - only a few are good. Don't delve into the problem deeply Slum development projects no good No social service organization comes to talk to them Residential welfare association - people reluctant to talk or tell about anyone else as it is a personal matter No-one wants to intervene within a community
Power Play
Traditionall y Interpretation / misinterpretati on of historical texts
Lack of effective programs in comparison to the population and requirement Poor follow up
Law and Order
Changes being witnessed
in general the problems of reporting these incidents and getting justice on them is not easy we wanted to lodge an FIR, but typically as Indian parents do, they said, 'let's not lodge an FIR'
sying it didn't understand what i was saying
In mumbai, even as late as 2 oclock, women
• Lack of awareness;
Social Services
Women's clothing the probability of this happening if you are improperly dressed is higher need broad mindedness and maturity for a person to not be provoked by provocation
Lack of trust in the Government by women
the framework is weak i never believe the government. i have to take care of my safety on myself even though the cases are increasing, govt. is doing nothing, so we need to try something else
there are different drivers for this - stems at multiple levels. at each level of social strata, there are different drivers. Small cell, intentionally non- government
Is it chivalry or suppression? weakness or intelligence? we know that you'd be harassed if you go into becoming an eyewitness. so we did our bit of due dillegence, good samaritan - took the number and gave it
• Disempowering women by instilling fear through socialization that exists in the family as well as society; • Strong patriarchal society where a boy child and girl child are treated very differently since birth;
We have become fearful to help. i think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it's very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside. so even if theres a child, you are not trusting If he's a strong man, do you expect me to fight with him? We're connected virtually, and not really, so you don't run to help people even if they're in front of you
People are afraid to help others
The situation regarding women’s safety in India is a manifestation of interrelated factors. Some of these are:
• Perception of women as weak;
What causes deviance in society?
Figure 7: Diagram showing information gathered during primary research organized on a working wall. Authors image, 2018. 49
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS The System
• Over sensitization and exposure through media leading to impatience and a ‘I want it now attitude’;
Women's clothing It has become the individual's responsibility
• Loss of traditional values and heritage while blindly following a western culture through the influence of globalization and media; • Lack of better role models;
Power Play
Perception of women
Social Welfare
Transport
Law and Order
Police
Perpetrator Environment / surroundings
History / Tradition
• Stark inequality which is difficult to comprehend by a class of people in the midst of growing capitalism;
Mindset
Patriarchy Alcohol
Socialization / conditioning
Changes being witnessed
Media Society
Fear Guilt / Victim blame
Awareness Education & Values
Disparity Kids Values
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Figure 8: Diagram showing how different aspects are interconnected. ‘Socialization / conditioning’ and ‘Mindset’ come up as the most prominent influences. Authors image, 2018.
50
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
FEAR HISTORY / CULTURE / TRADITION
MINDSET
EDUCATION SOCIETY SURROUNDINGS MEDIA PATRIARCHY GOVERNMENT
SOCIETY
SOCIAL CONDITIONING
PATRIARCHY POWERPLAY ALCOHOL PERCEPTION OF WOMEN RESPONSIBILITY ON INDIVIDUAL
Figure 9: Figure showing the aspects that lead to the social conditioning or socialization of the India culture and the resulting. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
51
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
EDUCATION AND VALUES
VICTIM
SOCIAL CONDITIONING / SOCIETY
PERCEPTION OF WOMEN
MEDIA SURROUNDINGS / ENVIRONMENT PEER GROUP FAMILY
SOCIETY
MINDSET
FEAR PERPETRATOR GUILT / VICTIM BLAME
CULTURE / TRADITION
Figure 10. Figure showing the aspects that lead to the ‘Mindset’ of the India culture and the resulting outcomes due to it. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
52
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS CHALLENGES Lack of trust and confidence by society Lacking an integrated approach to face the challenge Has a fire extinguiser approach rather than an integrated systematic approach
GOVERNING BODY CHALLENGES Lack of trust and confidence by society
POLICE
JUDICIARY
CHALLENGES Population Diversity in education, language, culture, mindset
SOCIETY
SOCIAL WELFARE
TRANSPORT
Figure 11. Diagram showing the challenges faced in society as well as the judiciary, police, social welfare and transport systems. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
53
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS ANALYSIS OF DATA: VENN DIAGRAMS
SOCIETY
FAMILY
FEAR Fear is set in by both society and the family
PERPETRATOR
VICTIM
ALCOHOL Chances of assault are higher when the victim or perpetrator have consumed alcohol
Figure 12: Venn Diagrams showing common factors between different aspects of the problem. Authors image, 2018 Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
54
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS ANALYSIS OF DATA: SWOT DIAGRAM
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
The problem has gotten everyone’s attention. Systems being made answerable by the public and media Government considering appropriate policy changes and reforms Many women led movements which are addressing the issue in creative ways Support from UN – SDG Population of the youth is high. They can bring about change if directed properly More girls getting an education and standing strong Support of the current Government and Prime Minister in addressing this issue Parents are open to empowering girls
High and diverse population of the country which is difficult to control Migration between villages and cities Systems continue to be weak and unreliable Lack of faith by the public in the Government, especially legal and police departments Poverty, lack of resources Access and effect of media is rapid and difficult to control Not enough social organizations addressing the mental condition of high risk citizens Poor infrastructure Some movements are focusing only on activism and not really being able to bring about change
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
High population of youth, if motivated in the right was can bring about positive change Can get the community involved Can re-introduce traditional value systems in an interesting way Redefine safety for women across the board Work towards gender equality
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Media Poor governance or a Government that doesn’t think this issue is important Population and diversity of the country Migration of people into states where they don’t adhere to the same cultural values Waste of limited resources in futile pursuits Corruption Table 20. Showing SWOT Analysis of current situation in India based on primary and secondary research. Authors image, 2018. 55
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS THINK AND FEEL?
ZOHA Age: 29 Salary: Rs. 1.2 lakh / month
UX/UI designer in a corporate office Loves her work and office Lives with her roommate in a shared accommodation in the center of the city Usually walks to office Goes to the gym after work Loves to hangout out with friends on the weekends Is thinking of settling down now Depends on friends for transport for far off places if they are to go together or takes an Uber
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
• • • • • • • •
Talks about the latest tech Podcasts, FM Radio Politics and latest gossip at work – intermittently The latest news Classical fusion music Words of encouragement Sexist comments once in a while Witty humor
SAY AND DO? NEEDS A feeling of security: financial and personal People whom she can trust Socialize more and meet people after work
• • • • • • •
Empowered, yet lonely Optimism Wants to settle down now Still aspires for a successful career Uncertain if settling down will make her lose her career Dating guys, but still not sure • Likes to exercise, do yoga and eat healthy • • •
HEAR? • • • • •
SEE?
Very friendly and easily approachable Has her views but open to listening to others as well Discusses her work, listens to others discuss their work Contemplative now and then Usually dressed in casual wear, but loves dressing up in a saree occasionally
• • • •
MOTIVATIONS
PAINS
Excelling at work Having a successful career Doing challenging work
Public transport Travelling late at night Unable to go to social gatherings as she would like to Slow promotion – glass ceiling
Travelling
Movies on Netflix A roadside community on her walk to work Street dogs Bustling shopping complexes in her neighborhood Updates on twitter, facebook, LinkedIn Her friends who have settled down and have a family Women who have successful careers Theatre and dance once in a while
GAINS Is independent Savings look good Lives at a good place and has a nice room mate
Figure 13. Selective Focus Photography of Women Smiling-814051 on Pexels by Daniel Xavier. Available under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https:// www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-women-smiling-814051/
56
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS ANITA
THINK AND FEEL?
Age: 22 Salary: Rs. 25,000 / month
Anita has been working in housekeeping since she was 16. She is part of a company which supplies staff to apartment complexes Her tasks include keeping the premises clean, the furniture, glass windows, floors clean Anita is married and has 2 children She gets home by 6 pm and fixes dinner and takes care of her house She stays with her in-laws Anita’s husband is a courier delivery person
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
• • • • • •
Instructions from her superiors Conversations with her friends Chatter from her children Not much conversation from her husband Feedback from her mother in law Catcalls now and then on her walk back from work
• She thinks life is a huge struggle, but she has to keep going for her kids • She is happy her kids go to a good English medium school • She gets exhausted after work • She doesn’t love living with her in-laws, but accepts it
HEAR?
SEE?
• She sees her other neighbors and the area she lives in • Advertisements on the walls of the latest movies • The people who are well off in the apartment complex she works at • The happiness of her kids • Men trying to stare and wink at her
• • • •
SAY AND DO? NEEDS Economic security for her kids Good schooling for her kids
Anita is a conscientious worker & does her work diligently She dresses in Indian clothes & wears a bindi Anita is soft spoken & humble She doesn’t get involved with the gossip at workplace & prefers to finish her work &head home • She enjoys catching up with the people at the workplace & sharing a good laugh
MOTIVATIONS Her children and family Earning money – improvement of their lives Seminars and trainings at her workplace
PAINS
GAINS
Going out with her family The walk to her house sometimes after work when it gets late Leaving her kids under her Mother in laws care The neighborhood they live in: young boys get a little
rowdy. Afraid for her kids. Knows people she is working with for a while Both husband and she have a secure job Mother in law is there so she can go to work Kids go to a good school
Figure 14. Indian Portrait from Flickr, Nithi Anand. Available under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/ 57 nithiclicks/16390259547.
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS THINK AND FEEL?
RAM Age: 45 Salary: Rs. 55,000 / month • • • • •
Ram works as the head security guard in an apartment complex He has been a guard since 20 years His family including his wife, father and children live in the village which is about 2 hours away from his workplace. He visits them once in a couple of months Ram has a 6-day week On his holiday he usually catches up with work in the house He likes watching Discovery channel, the news and dance oriented entertainment programs
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Stories from his subordinates Complaints and feedback from the residents The news His families voice on the phone Neighborhood kids and dogs barking
SAY AND DO? NEEDS Sustain his family including his father Feel his daughters are secure Find nice grooms for his daughters so his duties are over
• He misses his family but understands the importance of this sacrifice for his children and family’s well-being • He feels life is tough • He worries about getting fired or being relocated • India is a great country because the people have caring hearts • The Govt. should not give preferences to certain castes
HEAR? • • • •
SEE?
• He sees the people who live in the apartment complex • His staff, if they’re doing their work properly • He sees movies in his regional language on TV • The divide between the haves and have-nots • Some of his friends are more prosperous because of the advantage they had of being of a certain caste • The temple on his way back home
Does his duty and job well Friendly yet strict with his staff Tells the children of the apartment complex to stay away from the road Continues to take care of security issues outside of work
MOTIVATIONS His work His family His daughters His interest in the Discovery Channel
PAINS Physically tiring work Away from the family Daughter’s travel alone to college Needs to sustain father, wife and family
GAINS Good job Daughters doing well – both have studied more than him Has respect in the community Adjusting wife
Figure 15. Ram, a security guard in an apartment complex. Authors image, 2018. 58
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS THINK AND FEEL?
ROHAN Age: 24 Salary: Rs. 65,000 / month • • • •
Rohan just graduated from college He lives with his parents He’s working in a software startup firm which is growing well He likes to go out with his friends including girls He enjoys playing squash
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
The jobs and salaries his friends are getting Who they’re dating The latest pubs and restaurants around town Music
SAY AND DO?
• He is happy and excited about life • He likes the place he works • He’s enjoying life, earning, hanging out with his friends, and playing squash • He’s excited to perform well in his new workplace
HEAR?
SEE?
• Hi phone • Travels on his bike and sees a lot of cars and traffic jams • Coolest restaurants around town • Girls • Movies and serials on Netflix and in the theatre
• He’s very friendly • Energetic at work and wants to make a good impression so his promotion is quick • Likes to socialize and hang out
NEEDS
MOTIVATIONS
PAINS
To prove himself at work amongst his peers His own bike so he can go to work
To do something purposeful To be good to people To do well at work To keep learning
Feels a little impatient. Cannot wait for his next promotion already Doesn’t have a girlfriend because his mom wants him to only date a girl he intends to marry Friends have girlfriends
GAINS Enjoys the excitement of earning Likes his workplace Hangs out with his friend circle which includes male and female friends on the weekends
Figure 16. Person sitting on Tree Trunk 689372 from Pexels, Abhishek Gaurav. Available under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https://www.pexels.com/ photo/person-sitting-on-tree-trunk-689372/ 59
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS THINK AND FEEL?
BHIRU Age: 36 Salary: Rs. 48,000 / month • • • • •
Bhiru works in a local restaurant He is married and has one small child He is far away from his family and is here to earn the extra money In this city he has a mistress who he lives with. He also has a new born child with her Bhiru goes back to his village about once a year Bhiru’s wife in the village has heard rumors about his mistress and child but has never had the courage to discuss it with him
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Film songs The baby crying The busyness of the restaurant His boss yelling at him Abusive language with the guys in his neighborhood
HEAR?
SAY AND DO? NEEDS Sustain his family including his father Have someone to look after him Alcohol
• He is comfortable with his life • He doesn’t feel any guilt of having a wife and child and also a mistress and child • It’s a woman’s duty to keep her man happy • He doesn’t have many worries or aspirations but those of doing what he is required to do as a son foe his parents and provide somewhat for his wife, as required by society
• • • • •
Does his work in the restaurant Looks at women when he gets a chance Flirts with the women staff Hangs out and smokes with the guys Abuses his mistress and wife when drunk
MOTIVATIONS Hanging out with the guys Gambling Movies
SEE?
• The television • People in the restaurant • Other people like him who have come away from their village far away to make extra money • Young girls and women
PAINS Physically away from family Leading a double life Struggling in life Salary is less to sustain both households
GAINS Job paying the bills
Figure 17. Indian Man Turban Indian Security on Pixabay by Yolanda. Available under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/indiaman-turban-indian-security-787720/
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RESEARCH SYNTHESIS AFFINITY MAP: WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? The two themes that dominated in this category were ‘changing the mindset or attitude’ and ‘taking on responsibility’. These have been categorized here based on which aspects can go hand in hand and combined.
Change in Attitude / Mindset
Appropriate awareness at the right time from the right sources
Broaden mindset Attitude change No kind of biasing
Should begin when puberty hits Awareness for men in and outside organizations
Education System Need to bring change in the education system from the beginning. Focus on early age education- the way relationships and emotions are managed / handled at a young age. Very difficult to change the mind of an adult
Empower girls and women
Make boys and men aware
Strengthen them from within Make women strong Don't make her feel guilty Give opportunities to women Give her the freedom to choose
More discipline More responsibilities from childhood Guide them to respect and talk to women
Citizens take on the responsibilty
Stand up for the people. instead of being a spectator, - be someone who prevents the crime Community can defend the girl instead of take pleasure in her plight Group of people agree to deal with it! Create an environment for people to have a dialogue
Not restricted to women only but also include men in the effort - has to be both ways Collectively help each other Sharing the power and not taking it away
RESPONSIBILITY
Better use of social media Social media has given a voice to the people who couldn't stand up and speak. People are trying to express their frustrations, grudges, anger - when they see it happening they realize something can be done about it Talk and share the positive 2%
Gaining your childs trust is very important and the right age Should not ignore and instead spend time with children when they return from school Raise children consciously in the righ kind of environement
Education system, schools should carry women's safety as a subject. There is very strong stereotyping. Safety issues not taken as part if the curriculum- make schools and toilets safer. Nip it in the bud - the misbehaviour that happens in the school. We give a lot of scope for bullying girls
there should be a set of rules and guidelines that should be followed. it should be incorported in the education system which is not there. they don't teach you how to behave with a woman.
A collective effort by both men and women
Focus on kids: the future
Being alert to nip discrepencies in the bud it's important for us to call them out. until we say we don't want this, they dont understand. if people are not understanding verbal cues, then it's time to talk back louder. It's important to reject these jokes Need to shame the person Should be brought in front so people know we are still alive Everything unravels faster, but repairing and building takes longer.
Better use of power Making good use of power: One person being sensitive to it can make a difference. He has the power, he can do.
Citizens & Government take on Collective Responsibility
Better systems
Number of people is the strength Citizens take responsibility for themselves Citizens demand a more responsible Government - stand together, raise your voice City can take responsibility for itself
Stronger laws which make people scared Integrated approach Systems based approach Number to contact police and he comes in 3 minutes Systemizing Police All departmets do theor part properly
MINDSET / ATTITUDE
Better infrastructure Streetlights where required policeman on roads guards on road when it is dark and not later in the night
Social service departments catering to societal issues in creative / engaging ways Social welfare department- insure that we have robust schemes and programs for men and women Follow up with all the latest Dance therapy - good experience: made a difference in the confidence levels of the kids
Integrated approach, anonymity, diversity of education levels and standards, enforcement in a systematic way across boards. If all the department's do their part as the four are closely integrated. Police does its part, judiciary dies it's part, social welfare
Figure 18: Diagram showing categorization of responses using an affinity map, based on responses by interviewees on the topics of ‘mind-set’ and ‘responsibility’. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS A PERIOD OF TRANSITION India is a developing country, which is in the midst of transition. Some changes one witnesses are: • More women across the country are joining the workforce • More awareness amongst people. Girls who were scared earlier, have more courage to stand up against misbehavior in a public place and she can expect support • A loss of understanding and regard of traditional culture and values • Inter-migration of people from different parts of the country, especially rural to urban, in search of jobs • Stark inequality emphasized further with consumerism setting in • Growing levels of impatience and intolerance • The Indian subcontinent was never about the ‘I’. It was always about the other and the belief that how thinking about the other would impact me. Figure 19: People going to work at an IT tech park in the city of Bengaluru. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 20: A bus stop promoting a social message promoting education for girls Poorvi Das
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Figure 21: School girls wearing anklets, waiting in line at a science fair in Bengaluru. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 22. Migrant workers who have recently moved to the city from a village, living in the open. Authors image, 2018.
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS THE MINDSET One finds that the mindset plays a crucial role • Patriarchal culture where boys are made to feel entitled from birth. Women are perceived lower and weaker than men • Women grow up with a feeling of fear resulting from socialization that often begins in the family • Women are considered to be a symbol of fertility and not a creative, intelligent individual • While goddesses are worshiped, women are disrespected. Unfortunately, women’s safety is compromised in religious spaces as well • Women tend to silence themselves, not willing to accept signals • There is little trust in the judiciary and police systems
Figure 23: Sultana’s Reality, digital art work by artist Afrah Shafiq at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2017. Poorvi Das
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Figure 24: Illustration of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on a truck in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 25: Temple shrine underneath a tree in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018.
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS HISTORY AND TRADITION • Loss of knowledge of tradition and culture with the previous generation following traditions blindly and the current generation not wanting to be pushed into something they don’t understand or find irrelevant. • Conflict on the way women are perceived in religious texts. Some communicate a high regard for women, others communicate her to being inferior to men. • Divide created by the caste system continues and is reflected in people treating others with disrespect • Conflict of traditional gender roles with women joining the work force, while also taking care of the house and family. • Men find it difficult to accept women working and contributing to the finances of the house, a domain which had been their pride until now.
Figure 26. Sultana’s Reality, digital art work by artist Afrah Shafiq at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2017. Poorvi Das
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS MEDIA • Glorification of incidents with lots of sensationalization around subjects like rape, incest, etc by the media. • Limitless exposure to content through television (India has 857 permitted private satellite television stations) and the internet is subject to the content creator and viewer’s choice • Grey areas in filtering content, which is often accessible to an audience which may not be mature to handle it. • Entertainment media tends to objectify women
Figure 27. Newspaper clippings about abuse and harassment from The Times of India. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS ENVIRONMENT AND SURROUNDINGS Some of the external environmental factors that affect the feeling of safety include: poor lighting, time of day, density of people, movement in a group or alone, culture of a place and effectiveness of law and order. • Public spaces and public transportation methods are felt to be safer, though harassment is experienced here as well. Young girls are usually easy targets. • Assaulters include boys as young as 10 to older men as old as 80. • Women cope by ignoring, yelling back, avoiding certain areas and time of the day and carrying small objects that can hurt like pepper sprays, Swiss army knife, etc. • Many busses have separate areas for men and women • There are movements and activities initiated by young women around the concept of reclaiming public spaces, which try to break stereotypes.
Figure 28: Passengers returning from work in the Bengaluru on a weekday. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 29. Passengers waiting for the train to arrive at the Bengaluru metro station. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 30. Passengers boarding the train at the Bengaluru metro station. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 31. Boards by Blank Noise set up during the ‘I Never Ask for It’ campaign at Cubbon Park, Bangalore. Authors image, 2018. 74
RESEARCH INSIGHTS CREATIVE DIALOGUE • Protests around the issue have become the normal way of getting attention from the authorities and bringing about change. • Art (performance, film, installation, writing) is being used as a medium to interact, have a dialogue, protest, or describe a point of view. • Artists can be direct, indirect, humorous and unlock an invisible tragedy or break stereotypes. • Art in public spaces has the possibility of interacting with a diverse group of people with different mindsets so as to challenge subjects. • Websites allow victims to express themselves through writing or art. • Most websites are focused on victims.
Figure 32. Passers-by interacting with the art showcased at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS FOCUS ON CHILDREN • More children are becoming victims of abuse • There is a need to empower children by making them aware, encouraging dialogue and building trust • Children are conditioned from a young age and learn from seeing their parents. • Boys are willing to stand up for girls, but girls have a different perception about them. • Parents find it very uncomfortable to confront a relative or known person and tend to expect the child to adjust
Figure 33. The lady bus supervisor contacting the parent to hand over their child at the bus-stop. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS LACK OF TRUST IN THE SYSTEM • There is a lack of trust in the government and systems and the individual takes on the responsibility of his or her own safety. • Systems (judiciary, police, social welfare and transport) lack an integrated approach and have a firefighting approach instead. • People believe harsher punishment will make people afraid and reduce such incidences. • The legal system is discouraging and deals with cases in a bad manner. • People have a poor perception of the police whether it be their integrity or their performance in such situations • Only a few social welfare organizations are working effectively to bring about change • Many social welfare organizations are unable to intervene due to the social stigmas that prevail. • While ideas are good, follow ups are not carried through effectively
Figure 34. Policewomen at the Bengaluru metro station. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 35. Huge cut-outs of politicians on the roads, close to election time. Authors image, 2018.
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RESEARCH INSIGHTS WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? • Responsibility of one’s safety is passed on unfairly to the woman and now children. • People are afraid to help others. • The amount of exposure leaves people feeling negative and untrusting of others. • With people becoming more connected virtually, they are losing the connection with real people in front of them. • Helping another person can put one’s own safety in jeopardy and one can also experience harassment as a result of it. • Patriarchy has resulted in men only taking care of their own women.
Figure 36. A boy and girl out for a stroll. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 37. Passengers waiting for the bus to arrive. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 38. A young girl cycling back home after work. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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Figure 39. Young boys out on the streets on the weekend. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES, DESIGN CRITERIA & REFRAMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGN DESIGN CRITERIA FOR PROTOTYPE REFRAMING
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGN INSIGHT
HOW MIGHT WE?
OPPORTUNITY
“It has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action – it’s really about changing people’s thoughts and what you give them.”
How might we change a mindset?
There is an opportunity to influence the mindset in a positive way through the different ways in which the mindset is influenced.
“Now if you ask about customs, the current generation doesn’t have a clue!”
How might we re-contextualize and communicate traditional texts for the current and future generations?
There is an opportunity to relook and communicate traditional customs and stories for the present generation.
“Any book apart from the Veda is denigrating about women.”
How might we promote a stronger and more positive image of women through traditional texts so as to bring about a balance?
There is an opportunity to explore the texts and build a range of stories with strong women role models.
“Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weak? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the progenitor, the one who takes society forward.”
How might we change the perception of women in India?
There is an opportunity to nurture women’s creativity and individuality and empower their image of self as more than progenitor.
Table 21. Opportunities for design based on insights. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGN INSIGHT
HOW MIGHT WE?
OPPORTUNITY
“We can’t safeguard our children 24/7. We can only empower them.”
How might we enable and empower children to be aware in the current situation / circumstances without affecting their innocence?
There is an opportunity to create programs for children which help them overcome fear, look after each other and feel empowered.
“Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman.”
How might we share the responsibility of safety in a community?
There is an opportunity to enable communities to be responsible for safety as a collective, rather than live in fear or allow individuals to be responsible for their safety alone.
“I never believe the government. I have to take care of my safety on myself.
How might we build trust in the system? How might we enable people to lodge complaints despite the discomfort involved? How might we simplify the method of filing a complaint and make it more user friendly?
There is an opportunity to build a more transparent system.
How might we help women find their voices back?
There is an opportunity to create programs / mediums for women to share and express themselves, along with other resources which help them feel empowered.
Related Insight: “The police is helpful but they do too much questioning, so we don’t go to them.” “Women are so wrapped up in all that’s going on that they silence themselves and their safety. They are not willing to accept the signals.”; “Socialization has silenced that voice. It has been deadened.” Poorvi Das
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Table 21. Opportunities for design based on insights. Authors image, 2018.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGN INSIGHT
HOW MIGHT WE?
OPPORTUNITY
“Safety varies city to city, culture to culture”; “In Ahmedabad one doesn’t hear of women being molested. In the same way, in a place like UP, women wouldn’t stir out of their homes - they are culturally different.”
How might we understand what aspects go into making a city safe and implement them to create safer spaces?
There is an opportunity to understand the aspects which go in to making cities safe and them accordingly.
“In India there is a high proportion of people who are not educated and a higher proportion of people who despite being educated do not have the right kind of values.”
How might we bring values back into education?
There is an opportunity to build value based education programs that will benefit society.
“You can’t look at the perpetrator in isolation. It’s an interdependent system”
How might we understand the interdependent system and the perpetrators perspective so as be better informed on how to address the problem?
There is an opportunity to look at the problem from the perpetrators perspective and address the issue.
Table 21. Opportunities for design based on insights. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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DESIGN CRITERIA FOR PROTOTYPE DESIGN CRITERIA The prototype should be Gender inclusive and not just focused on women. Based on research, most programs are focused on women and victims exclusively. However, this brings in a lopsided emphasis and defeats the purpose of bringing the genders on an equal platform. For the prototype to be successful it is preferred to include men in the proposed solution through dialogue as well as core team and management. Community involvement is also a desired criterion for the prototype development. Presently, the responsibility of one’s safety is left unfairly with the individual, often a woman or child. However, there is a need to address the issue collectively with vigor as systems are perceived to be weak and have resulted in the present situation. Involving the community gives people the responsibility of building society and gives them a stake in the issue. There is a need to engage communities in a more creative manner in a way that keeps them interested in the issues, especially to have dialogue so as to bring about a change in mindset.
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REFRAME REFRAME India is a developing country, which is in the midst of transition. For a country with such a huge population and as much diversity, this is a challenging phase. However, this is also the opportune moment to steer in positive change in response to the harsh incidents one sees surfacing. The manifestations of such occurrences in society are a result of multiple factors which are interdependent. The gruesome gang rape of a young girl, in the country’s capital, New Delhi in 2012, has resulted in a number of organizations taking active steps to improve the situation. Most of these are however, women and victim focused. The media keeps the problem alive. The Government and systems are under pressure to implement change. However, they have still not regained the trust of the people. Social conditioning which has bred a patriarchal culture that instills fear in women and also undermines her, is at the core of the issue. Lack of good quality education as well as a deviation from traditional values add to this. A huge population of youth is susceptible to pursuing deviant ways in light of the growing economic divide, overexposure to social media, weak regulatory systems and availability of alcohol and drugs. What might be the weakness of the country is also its strength, which is the huge population of youth. If motivated in the right manner, they can bring about positive change. Community involvement can drive change to build a better society and demand better systems from the government. There is the possibility of re-introducing traditional value based stories in an interesting way, more suited to the present day context. With more women joining the workforce, safety can be redefined and impressed across the board, as the country works towards gender equality. Poorvi Das
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PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT & TESTING PROTOTYPE IDEAS EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS CONCEPT TESTING WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCE CONCEPT TESTING FINDINGS SELECTION OF FINAL CONCEPT FINAL CONCEPT
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PROTOTYPE IDEAS The main themes that emerged from the research synthesis were: • Change of mindset; • Taking on responsibility; • Awareness for children and parents; • Lack of trust in the system; and • Understanding perpetrator behavior; A few concepts were explored under these themes. Eventually the following were selected to be explored further: Concept 1: Re-contextualizing Traditional Texts Concept 2: Gender Sensitization in Schools and Places of Work Concept 3: Safer Communities Concept 4: Social messages in public spaces and public transport systems Concept 5: Trust in law and order
Figure 40. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper for potential concepts. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 1 CONCEPT 1 RE-CONTEXTUALIZING TRADITIONAL TEXTS There are conflicting ideologies about how women are meant to be perceived and treated in Indian spiritual texts. While some texts give her the stature of God, others describe her as being inferior to men. As the country and world head towards gender equality, there is a need to transform the perception of women so she not only rises in the eyes of her male counterpart, but in her own eyes as well. There is an opportunity to explore the texts and build a range of stories with strong women role models who are equal participants of society. Stories could be re-contextualized for the present day audience and context in order to manifest a more just and balanced future. A range of audio-visual materials could be developed around this theme and translated in ways that would resonate with the target user and age group.
Ardhanarisvara, a deity composed of both Siva and his consort Parvati, representing the masculine and feminine energies of Hinduism. The river Ganga flows from Siva’s matted dreadlocks, while Parvati is veiled; he carries the trident and drum, while she carries a sword. Poorvi Das
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“We worship Goddesses but in the way we behave there is no respect for women.” Figure 41. Ardhanarisvara, circa 1800. Available under Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Retrieved from www.britishmuseum.org 91
EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 1 INSIGHT: This concept is based on the insight that history / tradition and culture play a significant role in social conditioning, which in turn impacts the mindset of a group of people. While religion is often a controversial area, it is an underlying current in Indian society. Right: Artwork on a local truck depicting Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. Below: Streets in India often have shrines as a reminder of a higher power. People stop to pay their respect.
Hinduism is the dominant religion of the country. Hinduism has many examples of gender equality as is seen in the depiction of Ardhnareshwar (half male half female), the Sri Yantra (which represents the union of masculine and feminine divine), and women deities who are worshipped for various aspects: Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth, Saraswati is the Goddess of knowledge, etc. This knowledge seems to have been lost in the past few centuries due to the invasions (Moguls and British) the country has witnessed and recently the the effects of globalization. Areas where traditional Hindu culture has remained intact (like Southern India) witness a higher degree of respect for women. However, with constant regional migrations for work, and unlimited access to ‘unfiltered’ media, this too has become a increasingly challenging.
“Earlier we had the fear of being reprimanded not by another person but by an imaginary force - that helped. The extreme to that was being dogmatic, but there can always be a balance.” Figure 42. Illustration of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on a truck in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018. Figure 43. Temple shrine underneath a tree in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 1 WHAT IF We could re-contextualize the historical texts with a gender equal / neutral perspective and communicate the same creatively through media, education and the surrounding environment?
History, culture, tradition
Media
Society
Patriarchy
Perception of Women
Confident instead of fearful
SOCIAL CONDITIONING
ENVISIONED IMPACT The social conditioning would then have an impact on the mindset, society in general, nurture confident instead of fearful girls, and have a positive influence on the aspects of power play, patriarchy and perception of women.
Mindset
Surroundings
Education
Powerplay
Figure 44. Some of the aspects that affect social conditioning and some of the outcomes, relevant to the concept. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 1 HISTORY CULTURE TRADITION RELIGION
MEDIA • Movies • Advertisements • Songs • Radio / Podcasts • Books • Magazines / Articles • Blogs / Websites
EDUCATION • Schools • Workshops - Interactive - Thematic
• Research • Re-contextualize • Build Content
SURROUNDING
ART
• Billboards • Hoardings • Street Art • Vehicles / Public Transport
• Performance Arts • Visual Arts • Writing
Figure 45. Diagrammatic illustration of Concept 1. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 2 CONCEPT 2
“Where we fail is children who are not aware if it, and the socialization process of the woman. It is not done in a clear and distinctive way but there is an unwritten kind if behavior that the child observes in the family. Children are very sensitive.”
GENDER SENSITIZATION IN SCHOOLS AND PLACES OF WORK This concept stems from the need to raise awareness so as to protect oneself as well as change mindsets and the current perception of women being inferior and weak. A lot of conditioning takes place in the house where children see their parents treating each other in a particular way, which is accepted as the norm. Schools and work places are spaces where individuals spend a substantial portion of their time. If these spaces encourage and promote a gender neutral environment and step in to create a balance at this point of time, there is a possibility of creating a shift in mindset and culture as a whole. Additionally, police and other public services are faced with innumerable challenges which deter their task or approach. The perception amongst the public about them is one of lack of trust as well. In this situation, institutions and organizations might be better able to bring about change without too much government or bureaucratic involvement.
“We have a set of rules and regulations. It makes it clear that it is not acceptable. if there were proper rules and laws, this problem would be reduced to a great extent.” Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 2 WHAT IF
INSIGHT
We could raise awareness on gender sensitization and safety issues including laws in a structured and age appropriate manner in schools and places of work?
This is based on the insight that mindset is heavily dependent on socialization, which is fed by historical texts, media, family values, peer influence, etc, which one doesn’t have a control on to a great extent.
ENVISIONED IMPACT After a certain age, people spend a substantial portion of time in schools or places of work. Having a program like this in schools and at places of work will help educate and raise awareness amongst people, while setting expectations for the values of a culture. One might see a change in perspective and behavior at the home immediately or in a person’s behavior in the future. It will also raise the level of awareness amongst people.
Government
Society
History / culture / tradition
Surroundings
Media
Education
Change in Perspective
Change in Behavior
Gender Equality
Increased Awareness
Fear of Law
Change in Culture
SOCIAL CONDITIONING
Patriarchy
Figure 46. Some of the aspects that affect social conditioning and some of the outcomes, relevant to the concept. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 2 EDUCATE - Gender sensitization - Rights - Personal safety / Self defence - Bystander intervention - History / tradition / culture
WORKSHOP HOME
INFLUENCES - Family members - TV/ Media - Peer Group - Surrounding environment - Society / Culture
HOME
IMPACT ON LIFE / BEHAVIOR IN THE FUTURE
EDUCATING FAMILIES - Workshop for parents - Social Service interventions - Media
SENSITIZE - Gender sensitization - Rights - Personal safety / Self defence - Bystander intervention - History / tradition / culture - Law
LEGEND ‘Individual going to’ ‘Might Impact on’ Figure 47. Illustrated representation of of Concept 2. Authors image, 2018.
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 3 CONCEPT 3
“We have become fearful to help. I think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it’s very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside.”
SAFER COMMUNITIES The concept proposes that the community including men and women work hand in hand with the local law enforcement agencies in the area to create an environment that is considered a safe neighborhood by its inhabitants. Some of the aspects that go into creating a safe community include; • Bystander intervention or standing up for people instead of being a spectator; • Building trust; • An environment where people can have a dialogue on issues; • Promotion of people who make good use of their power; • Standing together to demand stronger systems, laws and support from the police; • Ensuring policemen or guards on the roads where required in the night; and
“Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman.”
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• Better connectivity with the police;
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 3 WHAT IF
INSIGHT
A community of people could take on the responsibility of keeping each other safe
Safer communities stems from the insight that the responsibility of one’s own safety is unfairly passed down to the individual itself, usually women, children or anyone who is considered weak. It is also observed that people are less trusting of others due to incidents as well as information in media which make people fearful and untrusting. Research also reveals that people have less trust in the systems including the police. Another insight of the research also informed on how different cities provide varying levels of perception of safety due to a mix of factors.
ENVISIONED IMPACT Working as a community would have a bigger and faster impact. It would lead to a sense of intolerance of mis-conduct, which would bring the crime rate down. Working as a community would also help in mobilizing the Government to take active measures.
Citizens take on the responsibilty
Stand up for the people. instead of being a spectator, - be someone who prevents the crime Community can defend the girl instead of take pleasure in her plight Group of people agree to deal with it! Create an environment for people to have a dialogue
A collective effort by both men and women Not restricted to women only but also include men in the effort - has to be both ways Collectively help each other Sharing the power and not taking it away
Better use of social media Social media has given a voice to the people who couldn't stand up and speak. People are trying to express their frustrations, grudges, anger - when they see it happening they realize something can be done about it Talk and share the positive 2%
Being alert to nip discrepencies in the bud it's important for us to call them out. until we say we don't want this, they dont understand. if people are not understanding verbal cues, then it's time to talk back louder. It's important to reject these jokes Need to shame the person Should be brought in front so people know we are still alive Everything unravels faster, but repairing and building takes longer.
Better use of power Making good use of power: One person being sensitive to it can make a difference. He has the power, he can do.
Citizens & Government take on Collective Responsibility
Better systems
Number of people is the strength Citizens take responsibility for themselves Citizens demand a more responsible Government - stand together, raise your voice City can take responsibility for itself
Stronger laws which make people scared Integrated approach Systems based approach Number to contact police and he comes in 3 minutes Systemizing Police All departmets do theor part properly
Better infrastructure Streetlights where required policeman on roads guards on road when it is dark and not later in the night
Social service departments catering to societal issues in creative / engaging ways Social welfare department- insure that we have robust schemes and programs for men and women Follow up with all the latest Dance therapy - good experience: made a difference in the confidence levels of the kids
Integrated approach, anonymity, diversity of education levels and standards, enforcement in a systematic way across boards. If all the department's do their part as the four are closely integrated. Police does its part, judiciary dies it's part, social welfare
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4 CONCEPT 4 STREET ART SOCIAL CHANGE
“But who is engaging in that sphere? The art world itself is quite closed. It’s great that Bangalore Fantastic is on this MG road, so you’re getting the accident or interface with quite a society. As a consequence, you get new voices trying to engage with work in new ways. That needs to happen more.”
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
People spend a substantial amount of time commuting in public spaces and in public transport. While one takes the visuals on the road and vehicles for granted, these reside or have an impact in our minds somewhere. The following pages have images of what one commonly sees as they walk around an area presently. Street art social change is a way of communicating messages that will have a positive impact and bring about social change. It focusses on communicating messages related to gender equality, in a positive way. An event could be organized calling artists to create public artwork based on the theme, for locations around the city. These could be left in the spaces for the permitted amount of time. Artists could also be called in to create artwork at different places sporadically throughout the year.
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4
Advertisements and promotions on the walls around the streets.
Figure 48. Posters and messages on the walls and around the city in Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4
Promotions and messages while taking public transport. 3 images on the left: Messages while travelling in the metro Top: Message promoting education for girls at a bus stop Figure 49. Messages in the metro and at the bus stop. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4
Messages while walking around. Clockwise from immediate left: Images of Hindu dieties painted on a truck, an astrologers studio, temple under a tree, message by the Police department in the local language suspended from a tree. Figure 50. Visual sights while walking on the road around Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4
Messages / promotion of political members / leaders in lieu of the upcoming elections
Figure 51. Political campaigns during election time in Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 4 WHAT IF
INSIGHT
We could use public spaces and vehicles of transport to communicate social messages that have the potential of bringing about change?
This concept is based on the insight that the surroundings play a role in conditioning the mindset. Street harassment as well as harassment in public transport, while often not of a high degree, are extremely common and something girls live with on a daily basis
ENVISIONED IMPACT Art in public spaces has the potential of interacting and communicating with a diverse audience of difference mindsets so as to challenge subjects. It thereby has the capability of having a wide influence and a well well conceptualized message could have a positive impact.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Presently, there are also movements and activities initiated by young women around the concept of reclaiming public spaces, which try to break stereotypes and art (performance, film, installation, writing) is being used as a medium to interact, have a dialogue, protest, or describe a point of view.
“Some people say that artists don’t change the world but they change the people in the world and if the people in the world change then the world changes. So the artist is the creative inspiration that allows us to understand issues, circumstances in ways we don’t really see. And when we connect with our emotions and narratives and stories which are real, surreal, imaginative, we then start to rethink who we are and what is happening around us. So for me, artists provide the fundamental space and possible one of the key spaces in today’s society that search what sits between the binary of a yes and a no.” 105
EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 5 Tease women, hit innocent people, accept bribes, don't respond properly
CONCEPT 5 Law & Order - trust
Need confidence in the quality of punishment - present perception: punishment not harsh
CONCEPT 5
enough to discourage perpetrators
Lack of trust
Problematic reporting a case / going through the experience
Need for an integrated approach instead of firefighting mentality
So either find a parent champion or community champion who is doing this. – it makes it easier, it definitely makes it easier.
Then you have parent circles, it’s everybody because we are trying to mobilize the community, it has to be holistic. So that works. That definitely works.
Perception of the law / police authorities
Demotivating experience to report a crime
Unable to take care given the size of the country
So they look up to the leaders. Community leaders is where they actually go to if they face any problem.
And the reality is, that person might actually be able to do something, and the police might not.
Community leaders may be more effective than the police
Others might be more influential than the police
there is a fear of the police for right reasons, no one trusts the police policemen themselves tease women police come and hit innocent people, take them to the police station, give
i have called the police several times, eapecially once when i was driving and i saw a person driving with a persons head on the steering wheel. for 20 minutes the police kept calling me back sying it didn't understand what i was saying
they have one community leader they look up to. Most of the communities have that look up system
they look up to community leaders instead of police. So for example, my principal is a very influential person – if these people have a problem, they will first go to him, instead of the police, whether he can handle it or not.
BUILDING TRUST IN THE SYSTEM This concept tries to build trust in the police system by creating a more transparent way of lodging a complaint and a more efficient way of being a bystander witness. It allows for an intermediary digital medium that is more accessible and approachable, via an app that can be downloaded. Citizens can lodge a complaint, share images of discrepancies around their area or share an image for proof as a bystander with an option of staying anonymous.
money
The need for a more vigilant system as people get away with it otherwise
Awareness about the law
So in their mind they can just get away with it. Once they think we can get away, because of our system, they think we can just get away with life like this. There’s no purpose.
what will make a difference: law: people not aware about the law.
at the city and urban level is where one has to improve the policing part of it
mumbai the police is strong and more visible No regulation - gone out of control.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble.
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
that they are more afraid of the police
They don’t want to get police involved in anything. Because again, that trust factor is not there. They don’t want to get involved in getting into trouble. That’s the mind-set
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone, please don't walk alone in the night police is helpful but they do too much questioning. so we don't go. Police - come and write your complaint Safety in police stations - given the size of the country we're not
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
It's the perception: Lack of trust
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
Not visible enough
Winter 2018
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
Citizen's support
if I’m in trouble. Ya, but you would still go out right, you would still make that effort in making a complaint – you don’t have any expectation, but you will still do it.
Empower the law instead of criticising them
If we respect law enforcement, they will work with us. If we criticize them, they will also give up. Some bad people will always be there.
Build trust in the Government
So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it.
this will have to be driven through the Government -
Government support
Response number and response times, How quickly are they going to come, those things have to be done
that is where the police has to engage and start sensitivising their force about how this is a menace which needs to be addressed
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police
Higher visibility of police - especially with respect to population density
Communicat ion of response numbers
Better response time
in general the problems of reporting these incidents and getting justice on them is not easy we wanted to lodge an FIR, but typically as Indian parents do, they said, 'let's not lodge an FIR'
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EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 5 WHAT IF
INSIGHT
We create an easily accessible, and more approachable digital platform for citizens and the police?
The general trust with respect to the systems with respect to law and order in India is low. This is primarily because of the perception (and rightly so) of the police and ministers being corrupt and not dependable as responders. This makes the system inherently very weak. One interviewee challenged this by saying that all police officers are not as bad, and that most of them do their job efficiently. He suggested that if the citizens co-operate and empower the police, the situation will improve. There is truth in his words as one finds that citizens too prefer to blame the system rather than take on the responsibility of following the law themselves.
ENVISIONED IMPACT Having the ability to complain directly through an app will bring in transparency into the system and reduce corruption. It will give users the option of getting in touch with the police and lodging a complaint directly than avoid going to the police station. It will also make the police accountable for the complaints they receive. Further, the police might also be able to identify patterns for a quicker resolution of crime related incidents.
Lodging a complaint is also a demotivating exercise. The police are slow to respond and tough to depend on. They have a bully like approach in grilling a person (including young girls) who come to lodge a complaint and the entire atmosphere in the police station demotivates people from directly lodging a complaint with them. Often people prefer to let go of the mistake and not complain. In some communities, people prefer to speak to the community champion who is often even more resourceful than the police. The police also has low visibility as compared to the general public which results in people overlooking rules and regulations or getting away with misconduct. Finally, most people have a phone these days including people residing in rural areas.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
107
EXPLORATION OF DIVERSE CONCEPTS - CONCEPT 5 Policemen & citizens who would like to strengthen the system & build trust
Policemen who don’t respect or abuse their position or power
Citizens who do not respect law and order
INTERMEDIARY MORE APPROACHABLE MEDIUM - APP
POLICE
• Lodge a complaint • Complain as a bystander • Share proof / suspicious behavior • Call for help
PEOPLE
Figure 52. Diagrams representation of Concept 5. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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CONCEPT TESTING WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCE Assesment of concepts was carried out with diverse groups of people to get feedback on different directions and what the general preferences were. The audience included: • A group of ten young men and women in the age range of 22 – 28 • A male and female of the age group of 24 – 30 • A young girl in her 20s • A lady in her late 20s/ early 30s who works for ‘Teach for India, and specifically with children in less affluent neighborhoods • An elderly couple in their 60s • A 38 year old man • Two American men in their late 20s who were visiting India for the first time • Two women in their late 30s who I had interviewed earlier. One of them conducts classes on gender sensitization • A 45 year old woman who has been working with children since the past few years through the medium of theatre and art Figure 53. Participants for concept testing at Yogisthaan, Bengaluru. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
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CONCEPT TESTING WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCE I began by introducing myself and explaining a little about the project I am doing. I then went on to first ask everyone their views on the issue of women’s safety in India, what the main reasons were for the issue. Their responses were coherent with my research (mindset, lack of law and order, etc) and also confirmed some other thoughts I was having related to the issue.
“Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right”
I then showed the group, portions of my document, sharing the findings I had so far. I explained the concepts I was thinking about and asked for their advice. The assessment process was very rewarding and gave me additional insights for the project. My conversation with the lady who works in a less affluent neighborhood helped me gain a comprehensive idea about the problems that exist and what she thought is needed, both for girls who are vulnerable and young boys who seem to be going astray at a younger age. This was a definite pivot in my approach. I realized that both genders need to be addressed in their own way, understanding their psychology and context. While there has been a lot of focus on girls in the past years, there has not been enough emphasis on guiding boys to lead better lives where they are able to value their self-worth in the right way. The new approach would take this into consideration most definitely.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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CONCEPT TEST FINDINGS CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
CONCEPT 1 Re-Contextulaizing of Historical Texts
show girls as strong in movies rather than the male protagonist saving the girl always
everything is based on the mindset, if the mindset changes, a lot will change
this concept has to be driven through multiple sides and it is not just one book but multiple forums, multiple talks, multiple books
It's more about creating an altrnative nearrative for each of these stories and bringing into prominence stories & aspects of nature where women were playing a substantial role & contributing effectively
it can't be one organization or one thing - can be encouraged through grants, competiotions - to get that excitement around and get people thinking around that subject area
for example: women in a lead role - prize for stories or novels
certain knowledgable and prominent people pick up the cause - who then ask the media & start sending this narrative out, focussing on those kind of stories and subjects from a mythological perspective
for example Devdutt Patnaik - he starts writing about women, brings out those kind of stories & books & then suddenly it changes
Devdutt Patnaik kind of peopel will be very heavy because they already have the knowledge and they can start doing it
and if there's some kind of competition or those things, where people start seeing & then it becomes a part of it
though some of it is happening like if you see first woman fighter pilot, etc - those stories are covered in the media for this reason
sending the same message to girls as well that you can also do anythig
Not only safety issues, even environmental issues - if we take care of it at this early level, so much can change
for the future - in the schools, that is one place a difference can be made big time. It may not tackle the current issue but it will definitely tackle something for the future.
And if an issue like this happens, the culture of the company gets affected. Everybody’s very particular. If every company takes that up atleast it would clean up the workplaces.
From childhood teach: How to behave with a girl, how to treat them
Offcourse they would get into the details of having proof, because then anybody would take anybody’s case. But I have seen people in a very senior position who have been thrown out at a day’s notice
Like I myself in my career have seen three men being thrown out because of a woman’s complaint and a lot of companies don’t have any tolerance to this issue.
Education in schools and offices will definitely make a difference, because in these twp places, when education is going on, it becomes mandatory. you have to come in and participate.
It's a task to complete and there is a fear of failure
So even if you're not interested, information will be given to you - you can't ignore. Information will be given to you.
If it's mandatory it will make a difference. Atleast 30% people will change
Selfe defence is a must. it must be taught from a young age itself.
good parenting - tell boys to also be responsible
Stories could be communicated through schools. Schools could teach the parents as well. Actually if schools take it up, a lot would change
Becuase you don't have much control over the family, this would happen faster.
have a some ngo adopt a certain area - not a single workshop, but continuous workshop on self worth. Adopt and really follow these guys
There has to be a structured curriculum. it's not like the techer just goes and says something
Value System Giving back to society / contributing to the community
Work ethics
Doing for others
Value system for priviledged & under priviledged
Unemployment
Employment Opportuniti es / need for jobs
Values and work
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Somewhere tie it to some kind of skill development or guiding them as to what they can do, where they can go
there's a wide range of expectations that women have from other women, that women have from the girl child.
Employment Opportuniti es
community should reach out to schools and conduct time to time workshops on gender sensitization, or train the teachers to
this is specially for low to middle income areas - so this will address one part of the problem
right now there is a huge turnover of graduates - but they're not employable
Which is different, but it’s still an effect that will deter someone who’s trying to hurt you, because they’ll be afraid. But that’s only really in places where people trust the authorities
we need to create jobs. we'renot skilling our ppl as well
with communities that are well to do - that again needs to be clubbed with some kind of no-tolerance - neither for pickpockets / mugging / eve teasing or any of this
Chaarity begins at home - starts when the kid is young, either gender. Sensitization and things like that - throughout the system
because not all teachers would be trained to deal with this topic and what is it that has to be communicated to each of those age groups is different
this is where they will also deal with community leaders and promote them and do all thee kind of things.
Education
Awareness
The need for self- worth
Need to start early on. Need to make it age appropriate. Need to include parents.
Starting early on
Age appropriate
Relevant / appropriate skill training
Increase self-worth, value for oneself
Instilling confidence
Workshops / intervention s on self- worth
Better incentives
Confidence in expressing oneself
Ability & confidence to communicate
that value system is not there anymore. Within that if you start building it into education
Better education
the same NGO, in that
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Change
CONCEPT 3 Safer communities
the happiness index in the country is low - because of the population
people can ill afford to have children but they have
quality of education / output is very bad
communities
self help groups are mostly women focussed
might be some additional support through neighborhood watch, or emplying private guards, particularly during the night stretch - just to sed the message out for no tolerance
Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right. It’s the same thing.
Community champion
need the youth to take on the responsibility of caring for and helping each other
And people will generally help you. Like if you’re in trouble. So it’s building the sense of trust amongst people around you. And a group of three people is way harder to mess with than someone who’s alone.
if you’re in a space where people trust authorities, trust the law enforcement, like if you like shout help, someone will hear you and there’s this bystander effect – someone will not come to aid you, but they will call the police.
What’s interesting there is that people might trust their safety circle more than the police. They consider them to be more responsive than the police
Advertisemen that comes for people who fear putting themselves in danger
done in various ways: self hlp groups - not only about getting finance - hold camps
The idea doesn't make me feel safe. it makes me feel like you're attracting the problem to me
If we all wake up, we can make a difference. That would put a fear in someone who is trying to commit a crime. Like if it wasn't a secluded place, people would stand up for the good. Which today people don't - you're right. Very rarely somebody would.
mobilize panchayats - start from the block level\
women have to play an important role
family environment is important
capable of servicing millions of people - in the camps held for them, there should be a focus on this as well
provide good education. one of the aims of education is to make good citizens of us and also make people employable
In a leadership position to advocate / community looks up to
Parent champion
Parent intervention / camps / media - raising kids / having support
Getting mom's onboard
Could be a physical / virtual space
The need to be able to talk to someone
Adopt a community
How might we spread awareness in a community?
Exposure to technology - you can't talk to me, but you can google it, right?
Adopt a community? Movie nights? Events? Drives?
‘Ubundu’ - it takes a village to raise a child
What you see is what you think & what you're attracted to
Today, advertising and marketing is a fairly positive thing - you don't advertise the bad right? you see a fairly positive side. This would show you the bad in whole of it.
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System
Publicity on the road could work both ways. Ideally should deter them, but can also make women feel more afraid. A woman would feel conscious if she wasn't otherwise & a man would feel more powerful if he wasn't otherwise.
what will make a difference: law: people not aware about the law.
Build trust in the Government
It's the perception: Lack of trust
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
at the city and urban level is where one has to improve the policing part of it
Response number and response times, ow quickly are they going to come, those things have to be done
this will have to be driven through the Government -
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble.
that they are more afraid of the police
So in their mind they can just get away with it. Once they think we can get away, because of our system, they think we can just get away with life like this. There’s no purpose.
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
If we respect law enforcement, they will work with us. If we criticize them, they will also give up. Some bad people will always be there.
They don’t want to get police involved in anything. Because again, that trust factor is not there. They don’t want to get involved in getting into trouble. That’s the mind-set
Empower the law instead of criticising them
if I’m in trouble. Ya, but you would still go out right, you would still make that effort in making a complaint – you don’t have any expectation, but you will still do it.
that is where the police has to engage and start sensitivising their force about how this is a menace which needs to be addressed
So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it.
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police
Parent circles - trying to mobilize the community
Building a community
Making their own decisions / having their own opinions of what is right/ wrong, building a kind of consciousness at an early age
The difference between right and wrong
Protecting rights
How might we communicate the need to work and earn for a living?
and they need a space to feel they are loved and they are comfortable.
Societal & other pressures
Psycholo gical needs
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SELECTION OF FINAL CONCEPT CONCEPT 1 Re-contextualizing of Historical Texts
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools and Offices
CONCEPT 3 Safer Communities
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Good
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System
PLUS
Rich texts which are still pertinent People open for recontextualization Can have many mediums of translation
Ripe time to create and spread content on the subject Ability to really bring about change Could be a sustainable business model
A good way to ensure safety for everyone, especially in a country like India which has a huge population Will reduce number of incidents Will make people stronger as a community Will discourage perpetrators or miscreants
Fun and interesting concept Spreads a social message while improving the aesthetics of the surrounding Gives artists an opportunity to explore the subject through public art, and have a public dialogue Has a long term and deep impact
Will encourage citizens and government systems to work together Responds to a much required change / need
MINUS
Few people able to communicate it effectively Needs intense research and non-bias view point Time, effort and resource heavy project Relates to only one (huge) group of people – Hindus
Requires time, effort and resources to build content
Very challenging to pull off in a densely populated country like India Challenging to convince people and bring them on-board Diversity and stark difference in economic conditions makes it challenging
Not everyone responds to or appreciates art Doesn’t guarantee a change Might be resource heavy and mostly dependent on donation and sponsorship money
Challenging to work with the Government and bring about change Lack of trust is deeply ingrained in the population Challenging to change a system and cannot be done by a few individuals alone
INTERESTING
An indirect approach which will have an impact in the long run Re-contextualizing is interesting Scope for creative explorations
Could add in elements from the other concepts to make it more rich and interesting
Could be an ideal and sustainable system to ensure a safe society
Using art to communicate: softens a tough subject and allows people to have a dialogue Scope for creative expression
Working / co-creating with the police to improve the system and perceptions to bring about change
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SELECTION OF FINAL CONCEPT FINDINGS: Intervention in Schools and Offices (Concept 2) is the most good but not very different because it promises to have the desired impact and can also accommodate portions of the other concepts within it. Re-contextualizing of Historical Texts (Concept 1) is the most different and good as it has not been explored so far.
CONCEPT 1 Re-​Contextualizing of Historical Texts
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
CONCEPT 3 Safer Communities
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Good
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System
Figure 54. Good Different chart comparing the concepts. Authors image, 2018. 113
SELECTION OF FINAL CONCEPT
CONCEPT 1 Re-​Contextualizing of Historical Texts
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Good
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System CONCEPT 3 Safer Communities
INTER-RELATED CONCEPTS Figure 55. Interrelatedness of concepts. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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FINAL CONCEPT CONCEPT 2: INTERVENTION IN SCHOOLS & PLACES OF WORK • It meets the design criteria • It promises to have the desired impact most accurately as compared to the other concepts • It is not very challenging to implement, unlike some other concepts
INTERVENTION IN SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES & COMMUNITIES • Research • User appropriate content creation including both genders • Teacher training and certification • Workshop Facilitation • Content Distribution • Co-creation & Problem Solving
RE-CONTEXTUALIZE HISTORICAL TEXTS • Research • Re-contextualize • Develop Content • Create products that can be used in the intervention programs as well as in shops (virtual and real)
CONCEPT 1
Re-Contextualizing Historical Texts CONCEPT 2
Intervention in Schools & Workplaces
• It’s the most popular concept amongst the diverse audience the concepts were shown to • It has the ability to become a sustainable business model which can generate its own finances and not only rely on donations • It has the ability to accommodate parts of three other concepts and might contribute favorably to the ‘Safer Communities’ concept.
CONCEPT 4
Street Art Social Good LAW AND ORDER • Communication of existing policies / laws and updates • Connect with the police to understand and co-create better experiences • Work with the system and communities to have dialogue and co-create solutions
CONCEPT 5
Law & Order CREATIVE DIALOGUE • Encourage dialogue and change through creative mediums like art, theatre, writing, etc • Events: Seminars, Festivals
CHOSEN CONCEPT: CONCEPT 2 Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Figure 56. Diagrammatic representation of the chosen concept. Authors image, 2018. 115
FINAL CONCEPT - SWOT ANALYSIS OF CHOSEN CONCEPT: SWOT DIAGRAM
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
STRENGTHS A holistic model which addresses a core area where change can be brought about Focusses on gender equality and includes boys and men into the discussion / program Is not focused only on women empowerment Funding looks favorable considering the support from the UN and its Sustainable Development Goals program A growing wave of organizations and individuals who are keen on bringing about change Support from the Government looks favorable CSR support looks favorable as the model considers social impact and profitability
WEAKNESSES Some aspects may be resource heavy like research, content development, marketing, networking, etc. Impact will not be seen immediately but over time Funders might lose interest
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Connect with end users and build understanding Co-create with end-users to implement solutions that are accepted by all Be a medium to build links and dialogues so as to create a more trusting society Implement programs interestingly to engage the audience by involving creative individuals and practices Re-define the narrative through re-contextualizing of traditional texts
Competition Relationship management especially with big stakeholders is important and tricky Relating to diverse end users is complex
Table 22. SWOT Analysis of chosen concept. Authors image, 2018.
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FINAL DESIGN TO MARKET FINAL PROTOTYPE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS EKAM BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
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FINAL PROTOTYPE EKAM Ekam is a social enterprise that is committed to promoting the values of mutual respect and equanimity in society so as to build a healthy culture and mindset amongst all. The organization focusses on enabling both genders to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious world.
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam works directly with educational institutions, organizations and communities. It believes that these are three important avenues where change can be initiated and driven to create a transformation in mindset and generate a gradual yet substantial impact. Ekam provides research based programs, products and services which are engaging, holistic and user and impact driven. Profit earned from programs conducted in schools and organizations help to reduce the cost of programs in communities. ‘Ekam’ is the Sanskrit word for ‘one’. As a noun it means ‘unity’. In the context of the organization, it signifies the motto of ‘unity in diversity’ and embodies the two cardinal Hindu Vedic norms of equality by birth and gender.
Figure 57. Ekam Logo, Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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FINAL PROTOTYPE
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Teacher Training Parental Engagement Early Learning Emphasis on Value Education Curriculum and Books
Organizational Culture Organizational Policy Involement of Leadership
Evaluate Involve / Engage / Co-Create Build Awareness Focus on both Genders wEnvironment Resources for support
ORGANIZATIONS
COMMUNITIES Engagement with NGOs Involving Community Leaders / Parent Champions
Figure 58. Diagram showing the different aspects of the final prototype. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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FINAL PROTOTYPE PROGRAMS By focusing on gender sensitization, Ekam hopes to develop a sense of empathy and acceptance towards the other gender thereby triggering a behavioral and attitudinal change. By enabling people to examine their perceptions and attitudes through discussion, role play and other creative methods of engagement, a person might be in a better position to form a more balanced mindset than the one that is learnt without questioning in the process of socialization. This will for certain bring about a positive change in the attitude towards women in India. The following aspects of the Ekam program will be common in institutes, organizations and communities: Evaluation: Ekam commences their program with an initial evaluation to see the current situation with respect to gender equality and asses the scope for engagement in an institution, organization or community. Evaluation is also carried out on a periodical basis to see how the programs is impacting the institution, organization or community. Engage / Co-create: Ekam strongly promotes creative methods of engagement by carrying out workshops from art to theatre, so as to encourage people to participate and actively discuss. Participants are also brought in to find ways to implement change in their own organizations in a process of co-creation. Build awareness: Building awareness is an important part of Ekam’s Program as research reveals the lack of awareness across the board, from understanding unconscious gender bias to knowing current laws. Poorvi Das
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FINAL PROTOTYPE Raising awareness enables people to be more conscious of the situation and better equipped to handling it. Focus on both genders: Ekam believes in focusing on both genders to enable each to see the other as responsible and equal contributors for socio-economic development and harmony in society. Build an environment: Beyond programs, Ekam also addressed the environment and surroundings and their impact to the mindset of individuals. For this Ekam collaborates with institutes, organizations and communities to see how they can create a more gender enabling environment within their work place/ community. Ekam also supports artists to create street art and generates media content (books and advertisements) in collaboration with partners who have a similar intent. Resources for Support: Understanding the complex issues that are related to abuse, Ekam hosts a list of resources that can be accessed by people visiting their website.
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS KEY PARTNERS
KEY ACTIVITIES
• Schools • Corporates • Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) • Creatives • Certified teachers / facilitators • Foundations / Funding Organizations / Donors / Corporate Social Responsibility • Publication Houses • Government
• • • • • • • • • •
Research & Knowledge Management User Appropriate Content Creation Training / Certification of Teachers Content Distributions Event Planning Co-creating and Problem Solving Facilitating Workshops Networking and Fundraising Relationship Management of Stakeholders Platform Management
KEY RESOURCES • Human
• Financial
• Intellectual
• Referral Network
• Customer Database • Products
• Certified Trainers • Brand
COST STRUCTURE
VALUE PROPOSITION
CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
For educational institutions, organizations and communities Who would like to implement programs in gender sensitization and equality
Our organization provides a range of research based programs, products and services which are engaging and holistic in approach.
We do this by building user centric content and facilitating the same through products, programs and services so as to generate maximum impact.
Unlike other organizations which focus only on women empowerment and target women as end users, Our offering envisions enabling both genders in order to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious society.
• • • •
Personal Assistance Workshops, events, trainings Connecting with Communities Interaction through social media, email and website • Building relationships with Government • Building relationships with funding organizations, CSR • Interaction with NGOs on progress, what’s working, what’s not
• Children of different age groups and gender • Teachers / Academicians / Trainers • Parents • Adults of different age groups, genders and seniority levels • HR & Legal Departments
CHANNELS
Email Marketing, Workshops & Events, Social & Print Media, Website, Referral, Network, Subscriber Database, Audio visual media: TV/Radio, Book/stationary/ digital media stores, Communities/ HR Corporate Law Groups, LinkedIn, Scholastic, Government, Community leaders Champions, Communities/Parent Groups, Religious/Spiritual classes like Sunday School, Government Schools, NGOs & other Social Welfare Organizations
• Community / Parent Champions • Social Services and NGOs
REVENUE STREAMS
• Employees and Human Capital
• Events
• Workshops
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Sales, marketing and networking
• Material production and product maintenance
• Teacher training and certification
• Foundations
• Product Sales
• Government
• Event / Seminars
• Organizations which support the cause
• Co-create products / services / systems
• Donors
• Content creation and production • Network: Platform and support
• Marketing
• Consultation
Table 23. Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - VALUE PROPOSITION For educational institutions, organizations and communities Who would like to implement programs in gender sensitization and equality Our organization provides a range of research based programs, products and services which are engaging and holistic in approach.
STRENGTHS Caters to a wide range of customer segments thereby aiming for a broader impact
Some portions of offering might overlap with what competitors are providing
Research based and user centric products will benefit quality of offering
Resource heavy initially and might need a lot of effort to build traction
Hybrid of product diversification into physical and digital versions will be beneficial
We do this by building user centric content and facilitating the same through products, programs and services so as to generate maximum impact.
Focusses on both girls and boys, women and men and is more holistic and unique in that way as compared to other organizations
Unlike other organizations which focus only on women empowerment and target women as end users,
Has a vision of bringing about change in society
Our offering envisions enabling both genders in order to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious society.
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Can partner with institutes to help with research
Customer segments are diverse and each equally important requiring full focus to be successful
Table 24. SWOT Analysis of Value Proposition, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - CUSTOMER SEGMENTS • Children of different age groups and gender • Teachers / Academicians / Trainers • Parents
STRENGTHS Addresses a wide group of society which would bring about impact on a bigger and faster scale
WEAKNESSES Very diverse group Numbers might be very challenging
• Adults of different age groups, genders and seniority levels • HR & Legal Departments • Community / Parent Champions • Social Services and NGOs
OPPORTUNITIES Having a diverse group allows for new learning opportunities that can be applied to the other customer segments
THREATS Challenging to handle diverse portfolios. Might lose track of initial vision or not provide a quality product.
Greater networking possibilities to expand business
Table 25. SWOT Analysis of Customer Segments, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - CHANNELS • Email Marketing • Workshops & Events • Social & Print Media
STRENGTHS Many options of channels using digital technology
WEAKNESSES Would need dedicated resources Some might be cost and resource heavy
• Website • Referral Network • Subscriber Database • Audio visual media: TV/Radio, Book/stationary/ digital media stores, • Communities (HR Corporate Law Groups, Parent groups) • Government,
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Can be built upon interestingly using social media
Need to keep track of the diverse number of channels that will be used
Can explore partnering with complimentary organizations to promote on social media
Want to maintain the brand image so need to be vary of selection of channel to promote
• Community leaders Champions, • Religious/Spiritual classes like Sunday School • Government Schools, • NGOs & other Social Welfare Organizations Table 26. SWOT Analysis of Channels, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS • Personal Assistance • Workshops, events, trainings
WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
Would need dedicated resources
Many opportunities to connect with customers
Some might be cost and resource heavy
• Connecting with Communities • Interaction through social media, email and website • Building relationships with Government • Building relationships with funding organizations, CSR • Interaction with NGOs on progress, what’s working, what’s not
THREATS
OPPORTUNITIES Can partner with other organizations for events Can co-create to improve products and offerings
Relationship management is important to keep stakeholders interested
Table 27. SWOT Analysis of Customer Relationships, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - REVENUE STREAMS • Workshops
STRENGTHS
• Teacher training and certification
Many opportunities to make revenue
• Product Sales
Being a social enterprise working in a current and relevant area will attract good opportunities for funding
• Event / Seminars • Co-create products / services / systems
WEAKNESSES Need to continuously keep improvising product and entice the customer in order to sustain financially
Hybrid model will help sustain the business as all revenue is not dependent on donation
• Consultation • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
OPPORTUNITIES
• Foundations
Good tax implications
• Government
Can use schemes of the Government to Organizations advantage
• Organizations which support the cause
THREATS Need to keep the customer engaged and buying products and services
• Donors
Table 28. SWOT Analysis of Revenue Streams, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - KEY RESOURCES • Human
STRENGTHS Has the ability to not be too human resource heavy by separating jobs in an efficient way
• Financial • Intellectual
WEAKNESSES Cost implications of resources is a little high
• Referral Network • Customer Database • Products
OPPORTUNITIES
• Certified Trainers
Partnering with institutes and organizations for mutual benefit
THREATS Need to have all the resources to be effective
• Brand
Table 29. SWOT Analysis of Key Resources, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - KEY ACTIVITIES • Research & Knowledge Management • User Appropriate Content Creation • Training / Certification of Teachers
STRENGTHS Well distributed range of activities which will create a good quality, well-developed offering
WEAKNESSES Require talented, qualified and motivated people to implement
• Content Distributions • Event Planning • Co-creating and Problem Solving • Facilitating Workshops • Networking and Fundraising
OPPORTUNITIES Can outsource some activities or partner with other organizations
THREATS Proper coordination is important to not make it very chaotic
• Relationship Management of Stakeholders • Platform Management
Table 30. SWOT Analysis of Key Activities, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - KEY PARTNERS • Schools
STRENGTHS
• Corporates • Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) • Creatives
There is focus in this area and opportunities for support are good
WEAKNESSES Need to be good at building the relationship and active at networking: added resource
A huge number of schools and organizations increase the scope for marketing the product
• Certified teachers / facilitators • Foundations / Funding Organizations / Donors / Corporate Social Responsibility • Publication Houses
OPPORTUNITIES Can focus on building relationships with a national chain of schools or organization
THREATS Competition
• Government
Table 31. SWOT Analysis of Key Partners, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - COST STRUCTURE • Employees and Human Capital
STRENGTHS
• Sales, marketing and networking
Content can be sold through the website
• Content creation and production
Can build resources gradually as the organization grows
WEAKNESSES Physical products will add to cost of production and maintenance
• Network: Platform and support • Events • Material production and product maintenance • Marketing
OPPORTUNITIES Offer more products and services digitally
THREATS Cost of production should not exceed revenue from sale
Table 32. SWOT Analysis of Cost Structure, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - OVERCOMING WEAKNESSES WEAKNESSES 1. High complexity of operation due to multiple and diverse customer segments 2. Long gestation period for results 3. High employee cost because of Multiple channels and coordination needs between them Need for strong relationship management with customers
MITIGATION FOR WEAKNESSES 1. Portfolio based approach to managing customer segments 2. Keeping the customer/stakeholders engaged through New services and offerings that explore creative mediums. Could bring volunteers, interns or fellows in periodically to provide new perspectives 3. Contain costs through Using technology to scale and reach the last mille Creating and implementing a strategy that focusses on a few effective channels initially Outsource some activities to qualified individuals who can be engaged on a need basis Translate as many offerings onto a digital platform Having a training / protocol for employees of the organization on relationship management
Table 33. Mitigation of Weaknesses in the Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS - OVERCOMING THREATS MITIGATION OF THREATS
THREATS 1. Retain motivated staff in a very competitive industry 2. Competitors imitating key product differentiators
1. Retain staff Provide competitive benefits Well defined roles and responsibilities Open organizational structure so that employees feel empowered 2. Staying ahead of competition Stay ahead of the competition by keeping track of what’s going on around us Continuously providing good quality products and maintaining good relationships with clients Allocating the right people to maintain relationships and network as this is a crucial aspect of the organization
Table 34. Mitigation of Threats in the Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EKAM - BRANDING When working on the branding the following brand attributes were considered keeping in mind the core philosophy and values of the organization: Gender equality Authentic Social or for society Creative Collaborative Down to earth Iterations were made. One of these were selected as it communicated the focus of the organization which is ‘enabling both genders to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious world’.
Figure 59. Rough sketch of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EKAM - BRANDING
TRUELINE
Promoting the values of mutual respect and equanimity in society
Ekam
Ekam
TAGLINE
Building an empowered, balanced and harmonious world
Figure 60. Black and white renderings of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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EKAM - BRANDING EXPLORING COLOR Color tones which were a little understated and represented an organic and earthy feel were explored. The mint green was eventually selected as it was gender neutral and conveyed a sense of calm and balance as compared to the others.
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Ekam
Figure 61. Color explorations of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018. Poorvi Das
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN - YEAR 1 IN DETAIL END OF YEAR 1
Annual Event Bring feedback & understanding from the festival & incorporate it into the program Improvise content, keep networking Keep increaising local reach Ongoing: Increasing network Ongoing: Look for funding
1.5
1.4 PHASE 1.3: PILOT (I) / BUILDING TRUST
1 0
Pitch proposal to target audience: see who responds, pilot with them Identify a small team & create initial offerings for pilot testing Implement pilot program on small scale Learn, discuss, improvise regularly. Bring new minds into the mix End of six months - back to the drawing board: reframe, redesign based on learning Ongoing: Increasing network Ongoing: Look for funding
1.3
Initial research of requirement (completed) 2.5 Months
1.1
Create formal board of directors (will include stake holders, foundation representatives, practicing professionals & end users) Create core program mission & vision Align content to core mission & vision, fill gaps. Create 1st set of formal programs for institutes, organizations & communities Implement in partner institutes, organizations & communities Review every 2 months Improvise, implement, review, repeat Begin creating digital content Extend reach Begin marketing & selling some products online Ongoing: Increasing network Ongoing: Look for funding 5 Months PHASE 1.2: RESEARCH & ANALYSIS (II)
3 Months PHASE 1.1: RESEARCH & ANALYSYS (I)
PHASE 1.4: PILOT (II) / BUILDING TRUST
1.2
Select city Create initial project plan proposal Pitch for seed funding for further research & implementation Research on city specific requirements Research on current offerings of all kinds Identify current programs relevent to venture Understand where to place oneself Connect with potential / relevant partners including individuals, institutes, foundations, etc Ongoing activity: Look for funding 1.5 Months
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Figure 62. Year 1 implementation plan in detail. Authors image, 2018.
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN - FIRST FIVE YEARS END OF YEAR 1
1st Annual Event; Core program and curriculum created over period of rigorous pilot tests in institutes, organizationa & communities; Begin to extend reach in city; Begin marketing / selling products online;
END OF YEAR 2
YEAR
2
YEAR
5
YEAR
1
END OF YEAR 5
0
Annual Event; Prepare to replicate model in identified cities of India;
Annual Event; Discuss and redefine improvised model for next year; Keep extending reach within city; Market & sell more products online; Bring in fresh ideas through internship and volunteer program;
BEGINNING OF YEAR 1
Initial basic research of requirement completed Pilot city selected
YEAR 3.5 END OF YEAR 4
Begin initial discussions and talks with institutes / organizations in other identified regions / parts of the country
Poorvi Das
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Winter 2018
YEAR YEAR
4
3
Prepare for scale up; Pitch for more funding; Identify citites / other regions to replicate model; Have a substantial base of products and programs available online as well as for training purposes; Figure 63. First five years implementation plan in detail. Authors image, 2018.
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN - WHAT’S NEXT?
Successful base model based on research, prototyping, feedback and improvisation. Few pilot programs running smoothly in one city.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
5 YEARS
Scale across India using the base model. Keep improvising as required. Use of digital technology to enable scaling.
10 YEARS Start to see a visible change. Continue to scale. Keep improvising as required. Use of digital technology to enable scaling
20 YEARS
Figure 64. What’s next, implementation plan representation. Authors image, 2018.
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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS
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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSION The 2012 brutal gang rape of Jyoti Singh in Delhi sparked a fire amongst people who had been quiet for too long. It has been five years since and the daily tabloids have a minimum of two or three, if not more articles about harassment or rape every day. This does instill fear in society through media. Yet, it keeps the conversation alive, lest it be forgotten. Through the process of research, especially interviews and observations, I understood the core of the issue stemmed from the process of socialization and prevailing mindset. This was more or less a unanimous response across participants. There was another core issue as well, which people touched and left almost instantly, as one would a problem that is too complex and demotivating to address: the systems in India. It is unfortunate that almost all participants didn’t have faith in the political, judicial and security systems in India. While this plays an important role in the subject of research, it is a wicked problem in itself, and including it would have challenged the timely completion of this project. Addressing the process of socialization and catalyzing a shift in mindset then became the focal point of concept exploration. The research reveals innumerable possibilities that could be pursued and implemented to influence the mindset. Based on feedback from a diverse audience, gender sensitization in schools, organizations and communities proved to be the one with most potential. The concept also had the ability to carry parts of the other ideas to culminate into a rich offering.
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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS The outcome of the process is a social organization named ‘Ekam’ which means ‘one’ in Sanskrit. Ekam enables both genders to create an empowered, balanced and harmonious world. It works with educational institutions, organizations and communities (through NGOs) and engages participants in creative ways (including art and theatre) through its programs in gender sensitization, human values and equality. What differentiates Ekam from other existing offerings is its belief in gender equality as opposed to the empowerment of one gender only. While women empowerment is extremely crucial and cannot be neglected at this stage, there is a need to address and enable boys and men in a better way as well, to have a significant impact in creating a healthier society. At the end of my project I showed my work to three people working directly or indirectly with the issue of women’s safety: Mrs. Vaishali Nigam Sinha of iCharity, Mrs. Arushi Poddar, a trained counsellor and Mrs. Shukla Bose of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation. They all validated the need to involve boys and men in the process and offered me opportunities to take my project further through pushing my proposal to a board, begin implementation and creating a forum to present. Using Design Management methods to address a wicked social problem gave me the confidence that the approach is not limited to designing products and services only, but can offer tremendous possibilities in addressing and solving the wicked social problems of our world as well. It reaffirms the significant role design plays in our daily lives and beckons an exciting new field of opportunity for the design manager.
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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS The issue of women’s safety in India, though appears to be stemming from too many factors, can be improved by addressing some core issues that have a multi-dimensional impact. Once these are resolved it will create an atmosphere in which women can feel safe both within and outside the home. Socialization and mind-set, if addressed meticulously, will relieve the issues related to women’s safety to a great extent. There are many ways to handle this. The process of research and analysis revealed several opportunities that can be explored. Implementation could range from a small to grand scale. Creating a shift in the mind-set will create a huge difference / impact in society. Planting the idea of treating women with respect and as equals at a young age is most important to develop lifelong good habits. Organizations re-contextualize and reinforce this behaviour in an office setting. This is undoubtedly a challenging area as instances of abuse can often be very subtle and highly sensitive. However, being vigilant and adhering to these principles will bring about a substantial change in society. It important to support sensitization training with strong policy against harassment and abuse at work place. In case of complaints they should be sensitively investigated and visible action should be taken against offenders to set the right example. In India the Government and systems need to be more rigorous and honest in serving the people through sincerity and better systems. There is a critical need to raise trust amongst the citizens across classes, vis a vis the police and Government. The adoption of mobile and digital technologies can help bring law enforcement closer to the public by
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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS making the complaint and redressal process efficient as well as person agnostic, as prejudices of the police officers may play a role in face to face interactions. The government also has a larger role to play by ensuring its elected representatives, through their speech and action, reinforce the right values in the society. Sometimes their prejudices betray the effort made by multiple organizations on the ground. Finally, India has a huge population, which is extremely diverse. It will take a collaborative effort across multiple agencies in a public private partnership model to ensure that this change is effective and implemented within a reasonable time frame. Safety is a multi-dimensional problem and there will always be room for improvement but it is imperative that all stakeholders come together to start this journey. The time for it is now.
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APPENDICES APPENDIX A: GANTT CHART APPENDIX B: RESEARCH SUB-QUESTIONS MATRIX APPENDIX C: RESEARCH PROTOCOL APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS APPENDIX E: SIGNED CONSENT FORMS APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW AND TEST TRANSCRIPTS APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS APPENDIX H: IMAGES APPENDIX I: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - RESEARCH INSIGHTS APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
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APPENDIX A: GANTT CHART Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 8
Unit 9
Unit 10
1. Project Planning Refine Final Project Outline Secondary Research Primary Research Consent Forms Working Wall
2. Conducting Research Primary Research: Interviews / Surveys
3. Market Analysis Project Positioning ZAG Value Proposition
4. Research Synthesis Data Synthesis Reseach Gaps Personas Opportunities Design Criteria
5. Mideterm Process Book & Initial Exploration Mideterm Process Book Draft Initial Concept Exploration Sketches of Diverse Concepts
6. Refined Exploration and Prototyping Explore, Rethink, Reframe, Align Concept Development and First Prototype Ideas ZAG Steps 12, 13, 14 Concept Testing
7. Assesment and Validation Concept Assesment Gaps
8. Final Prototype Refine Prototype Final Prototype
9. Business / Implementation Plan Business Canvas Implementation Plan Final Process Book
10. Final Process Book Graduation Poster
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APPENDIX B: RESEARCH SUB-QUESTIONS MATRIX Umbrella Question: How might we use design management methods to create a framework for change for the issue of women’s safety in India? 1. How might we define Design Management and Design Management methods and their relevance in creating a framework for change?
What does the design manager need to know?
Why is this information needed?
What kind of data is needed?
Where can this data be found?
What are the data collection methods needed?
Who can the design manager contact to collect this?
When does this data need to be collected?
To explain the academic lens of the project
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
SCAD Library, DMGT Curriculum, Interlibrary loan, local libraries, websites on the internet, Design Institutes
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and professor interviews Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Visual and textual analysis of DMGT discipline (SWOT, ecosystem map)
Subject matter experts, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
1a) What is Design Management?
Design management as a field of academic and professional practice
To understand how design management is applied
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, Design Institutes, interaction with faculty and peers, self-reflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and professor interviews Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Coded table of applicable DMGT methods
Subject matter experts, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
1b) What are Design Management Methods?
Specific design management methods and how, when and why they are used Specific design management methods that might be best suited to this project or context
To understand how design management can be applied to this specific project
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, Design Institutes, interaction with faculty and peers, self-reflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and professor interviews Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Coded table of applicable DMGT methods
Subject matter experts, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
Social impact as a concept and practice as well the role or scope of design within this realm
To understand the criteria that defines social impact and how one can contribute as a designer
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, Design Institutes, local social impact oriented organizations, interaction with faculty and peers, self-reflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and professor interviews Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Visual and textual explanation with examples
Subject matter experts, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
1c) How might a framework for change be described?
1d) How might we define social impact? Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
What will the design manager learn from this data?
What might we be missing? How might it be wrong?
How to articulate design management as the academic field of study for the project
There might not be enough information about the subject in relation to Social Impact
The DMGT methods are best suited for the project
May not learn all the DMGT methods that are there.
Which DMGT methods are best suited for the project
May not learn all the DMGT methods that are there.
The area/ boundary / scope that defines social impact and the role of design in social impact projects
A clear or absolute definition for social impact might not exist as this is a relatively new field where design is attempting to structure its role
Might not be enough information for social impact related projects.
Might not be enough information for social impact related projects.
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APPENDIX B: RESEARCH SUB-QUESTIONS MATRIX Umbrella Question: How might we use design management methods to create a framework for change for the issue of women’s safety in India? 2. How might we describe a woman’s safety and what issues contribute to making a woman feel unsafe?
2a) How might we describe a woman’s safety?
2b) What are the intrinsic factors or issues that contribute to making a woman feel unsafe? 2c) What are the extrinsic factors or issues that contribute to making a woman feel unsafe? Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
What does the design manager need to know?
Why is this information needed?
The elements that constitute a woman feeling safe or women’s safety
To define the objective of the design solution
The reasons of feeling unsafe which might arise from within the individual
To get a holistic perspective on what makes a woman feel unsafe
The reasons of feeling unsafe which might arise from the external environment
To get a holistic perspective on what makes a woman feel unsafe
What kind of data is needed?
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
Where can this data be found?
What are the data collection methods needed?
Who can the design manager contact to collect this?
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, relevant organizations and institutes, target audience, and self - reflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and user interviews
Subject matter experts, target audience, professors, research librarians, & peers
Summer break
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, relevant organizations and institutes, target audience, and selfreflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and user interviews
Subject matter experts, target audience, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
SCAD Library, local libraries, websites on the internet, relevant organizations and institutes, target audience, and selfreflection
Literature Review, selfreporting, expert and professor interviews
Subject matter experts, target audience, professors, research librarians, peers
Summer break
Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Visual and textual explanation with examples
Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Visual and textual explanation with examples
Collection: note-taking, audit visualization Output: Coded table of applicable DMGT methods
When does this data need to be collected?
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
What will the design manager learn from this data?
What might we be missing? How might it be wrong?
An understanding of what defines a woman’s safety
Aspects of subjectivity or personal bias
The intrinsic factors which might make a woman feel unsafe
Aspects of subjectivity or personal bias
The extrinsic factors which might make a woman feel unsafe
Aspects of subjectivity or personal bias
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APPENDIX B: RESEARCH SUB-QUESTIONS MATRIX Umbrella Question: How might we use design management methods to create a framework for change for the issue of women’s safety in India? 3. How might we understand the influence of social, political, economic and cultural factors with regards to women’s safety?
3a) How might we describe the social, political, economic and cultural environment for women in India currently?
3b) How might we describe the social, political, economic and cultural environment for women in India historically?
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
What does the design manager need to know?
Why is this information needed?
The issue of women’s safety, why it is considered an issue, what are the reasons or causes, what is the impact or outcome of the issue, how is it being addressed currently?
To gain a holistic perspective of the problem in consideration
The legitimacy of the issue, understanding its potency, historical context and if it needs to be addressed
Understand the issue from a historical aspect so that solution is designed keeping in mind the historical sensibilities of the issue
What kind of data is needed?
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
Qualitative (primary and secondary research)
Where can this data be found?
What are the data collection methods needed?
SCAD Library, inter-library loan, local libraries, websites on the internet, organizations (local and national) concerned with the issues, media, interaction with people and selfreflection
Literature Review, news paper and media articles, selfreporting, target audience, expert, professor and practioner interviews,
SCAD Library, inter-library loan, local libraries, websites on the internet, organizations (local and national) concerned with the issues, media, interaction with people and selfreflection
Literature Review, news paper and media articles, selfreporting, target audience, expert, professor and practioner interviews,
Collection: notetaking, audit visualization, documenting
Who can the design manager contact to collect this?
Local organizations (government and non-government), educators and practioners (social workers) in the field, journalists, victims, general public opinion
When does this data need to be collected?
Summer break Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
What will the design manager learn from this data?
What might we be missing? How might it be wrong?
Gain a holistic understanding of the issue of women’s safety in India
Under-reporting Very vast and might cover multiple areas – overwhelming An understanding / research about the core issue
Output: Visual and textual explanation
Collection: notetaking, audit visualization, documenting Output: Visual and textual explanation
Local organizations (government and non-government), educators and practioners (social workers) in the field, journalists, victims, general public opinion
Summer break Weeks 1-3 of the Fall Quarter
Gain a holistic understanding of the issue of women’s safety in India To understand the historical context of the issues, if there is a need to address the issue and potential stakeholders
Information might be subjective or driven by strong / single sided perspectives. Reliable studies for historical data may not be available. Interview subjects may have a time bias. Social and cultural factors may result in incorrect reporting 149
APPENDIX C: RESEARCH PROTOCOL RESEARCH GUIDES
Restoring Shakti: An Understanding of Women Safety Issues in India
The researcher will carry out observations through fly on the wall and shadowing techniques in busy and not so busy public spaces (including roads, malls, parks and stations); outside educational institutions in the area; public transport vehicles (metro, bus); and specific streets which are considered to be problematic (based on research and talking to people).
LOCATION : Description of Ongoing Activity:
TIME : Description of Place / Observations
The researcher will look for men and women interactions, and signs of assault including teasing and bullying of either genders. The research guide will be used to note down observations. The researcher will also document observations in photographs.
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APPENDIX C: RESEARCH PROTOCOL CONSENT FORMS Research Project Brief
Interviewees will be requested to sign the adjoining consent form which will include a description of the project.
Restoring Shakti: An Understanding of Women’s Safety Issues in India The following information provides an introduction to field research that will be conducted in Bengaluru, India between October 2017 and March 2018 by Poorvi Das, a candidate for the Master of Arts in Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia. RESEARCHER’S BIO Poorvi Das is a candidate for the MA in Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has over 10 years of experience as a designer both in India and the USA. Poorvi’s goal is to apply design thinking and management methods in the area of social impact and development. In this project, specifically, she is interested in how design management methods can be applied to propose a framework for change after understand the issue of women’s safety in India. PURPOSE OF STUDY The purpose of this study is to understand the issue of women’s safety in urban India and propose a framework for change using Design Management methods. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research is guided by the primary question: ‘How might we use Design Management methods to create a framework for change around the issue of women’s safety in India?’ Sub-research questions that will be pursued to help answer this question are:
• • •
How might we use define Design Management and Design Management Methods and their relevance in creating a framework for change? How might we describe women’s safety and what issues contribute to making a woman feel unsafe? How might we understand the influence of social, political, economic, and cultural factors with regard to women’s safety?
Informed Consent Form
Restoring Shakti: An Understanding of Women’s Safety Issues in India I voluntarily agree to participate in an interview/inquiry performed by Poorvi Das, a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I understand that this interview/inquiry is being conducted by Poorvi Das, in order to understand the issue of women’s safety in India and propose a framework for change using design management methods.
I understand that the evaluation methods which involve me may include:
•
recorded (audio, video and/or photography) observations
•
my completion of an evaluation questionnaire(s) and/or
•
my participation in a 30–60 minute interview
I grant permission for the interview/inquiry to be recorded and transcribed, and to be used only by Poorvi Das for analysis of interview data. I grant permission for this data, generated from the above methods to be used in an educational setting.
I understand that any identifiable information in regard to my name and/or company name will be removed from any DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY The research methodology used for this project will be qualitative in the form of interviews, observations and surveys. This study will focus primarily on contextual research utilizing ethnographic methods. DATA MANAGEMENT • Data will be stored on the researchers hard drive • Data will be kept as part of the researcher’s work • Participants have the option to request that their data be anonymous CONTACT INFORMATION This project is being conducted through the Design Management department at the Savannah College of Art and Design. For addiional information please contact:
material that is made available to those not directly involved in this study.
_________________________________ Printed Name
_________________________________ Signature
_________________________________ Date
Researcher: Poorvi Das / +91 7899026691 / poorvidas@gmail.com Professors: Bruce Claxton / bclaxton@scad.edu or Bill Lee / blee@scad.edu
Informed Consent Form
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Informed Consent Form
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APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS • What are your thoughts on the condition of women in India? Or, what are your thoughts on the issue of women’s safety in India? Or, what are the problems Indian women face vis a vis safety? Would you say India is a safe place? • What makes India an unsafe place for women? • What are some of the factors that have led to the present condition of women in India? • Why do you think people act this way? • Can you think of some intrinsic factors that might make one feel unsafe / make one feel insecure? • Can you think of some extrinsic factors (in the environment, surrounding, culture) that might make you feel unsafe? • Does Indian culture have a role to play in this situation? In what way do you think it impacts the situation? • Do you think the current social environment has a role to play in the situation? How? • Is it different from the social environment of the past? How soDo you think the current political environment has a role to play in the situation? • If you were to compare it to the political environment in the past, do you find a difference? And how do Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS you think this is impacting the issue? • How about the economic environment? • What are some of the issues you face on a very regular basis? • How have you coped / do you cope with living in India and the issue of women’s safety? What are certain measures you take for your protection? • What might be some of the core areas you think should be addressed? • Can you think of some case studies that one can relate to for reference? Or have you come across any programs which address the challenge of women’s safety? How would you describe their success? • Have you tried to implement a program / programs in this direction? • What have been some of your insights in this regard? What works. What do you find to be challenging?
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APPENDIX E: SIGNED CONSENT FORMS
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APPENDIX F - INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Interviews I had conducted a few interviews before the class. This past week I was able to add to those. Some are formal and some conversations I break into casually when there is a group of people who might be open to having a conversation on the issue. As this is a subject that has been getting a lot of attention recently, people are open to talking about the issue. However, as it is not a very ‘pleasant’ subject to talk about, people don’t like to engage in it for too long. Interviews were conducted over phone and in person and comprised of the following mix of people: • Four married women two of whom are from a traditional household (one lives in a joint family system). • A lady who grew up in a rural setting, went on to live in urban India and the US as well. She presently runs an organization which provides employment to rural women who have discussions and address social issues through self-help groups. • A commissioner of police in New Delhi, the city which witnessed the gruesome gang rape of Jyoti Sharma, a young girl, and ignited the attention and efforts towards the problem. • A lady who worked on women issues during her career at UNICEF. • Casual discussion with a doctor. • Casual group discussion with a group of 4 people across two generations. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX F - INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS • Two young men who attended a festival called ‘Bengaluru Fantastic’, and viewed an artists work around the subject. • An art curator of the Bengaluru Fantastic festival. • A woman visitor of the Bengaluru Fantastic festival. • A participating artist at the Bengaluru Fantastic festival. • A spiritual guru • A married man with two daughters The list of questions I had created serves as a question bank and I find myself asking some common questions to most people. I improvise on a few questions as we go along and also try to not ask any questions and just listen to where the conversation leads.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Bangalore Fantastic | 18th December 2017 2 boys in their 20s 2 boys - on the art What is happening in reality in a comic and satirical way. Didn’t really understand. Do people really look into it View on women’s equality / place in society - still lacking here and there, even though people say they are equal. Even college, taking representatives, there is some mindset of some teachers that guys can do it better. So take the guy. I feel some girls in my class are very good and far more intelligent and efficient than I am than the guys. Even though it’s always said, i feel like in my day day to life the girls are left out What can we do about it as a society or people? Society should broaden their mind. I think they should give more opportunities to girls. I mean a girl can’t walk out of home after night and we all might be going out to a friends place. Some of my friends say that my parents put me in this PG for this reason so I cannot get out. They are adults, they can take care of themselves, but I know the society is not like that, it is getting ruthless day by day. But I think we should broaden the mindset, we should start thinking about this. Parents. Can you do something about it? What can I do? I don’t have a sister. I have a cousin. There will be some kind of attention. That’s how society has been. But definitely, giving the freedom that she needs is something that - as much as i am enjoying my freedom, that much she should also enjoy, so, whatever I can do for that, yes definitely. And for my friends, I can tell them, look this is that. I can’t go to their parents and tell them this is how it is. All I can do is tell my friends, make them more stronger. If they feel scared to go out, I can say, don’t be scared, you can go out.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Bangalore Fantastic | 18th December, 2017 Bhavna - Woman in her 30s I really liked that it is so well thought out and in detail. The experience takes you though a soundtrack and it takes you to this and that. And it’s got a new cutting edge kind of interface. The style of it is something that I really like. The points that the video makes, if you look at a piece, it is very balanced. It talks about women and sexuality, but it doesn’t drill home the point. It also talks about men wanting women to be a certain way and what their image of femininity was and has changed over the years and how women’s idea of femininity has grown and changed over the years. But it also shows a balanced view. There are women who took advantage of certain things, and men who tried to do their best and didn’t communicate. Things like that. I like when there is a little bit of neutrality, so you shouldn’t drive home the same point again and again and gain. It very new and hep and young. I haven’t experienced Is it effective in bringing about change in thought? It definitely educated me about women’s education in indian and gave me an idea of the context of the world in which this happened. Like what men were thinking, what was the government policy and what were the rules - the basis for that policy. That really pavd the world in which women had to come out and fight in the world. You know, whatever they have done. The struggle of it really came through. Will it affect change? I think it’s good to understand. Definitely it will affect change. For me, what clicked was the neutral perspective and the world building, which makes me understand what a struggle it was to get me where I am right now and how much women have struggled for us to reach this place and how easily we can lose it. And how careful we need to be while policies / rules / laws are created. Because it changes because of that. Also seeing women as a symbol of fertility and nothing else. It seems in India that the mother is the only aspect of a woman that anyone wants to give respect to. There’s no respect for women as a creative individual, as an artist, as someone living in the world. As an intelligent human being capable of intelligent dialogue. There’s no -the individuality is a little lost. The thing that people respect is the mother goddess and the fertility bit. I think everyone gets. That’s not the only aspect of femininity. About balanced world Balancing a system so it is sustainable Having children does create that responsibility and care and a sense of balance of what can be achieved and what can’t be achieved, with the changes that have gone through your body and with the changes that are happening so to speak, but i find it slightly unfair that men are also becoming parents at the same time, so why do women feel the onus/ ownership of the children so much. It is interesting, because i would expect my partner to be an equal parent. Like both of us are an equal parent. Like I understand he’s a man and I’m a woman. We made the decision to have children together. So how come it affects only my career and not his. Why? Why would that happen? Even the work systems in India - does there have to be a change across the system. From families to patriarchy to
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS This has changed in other countries. Like my friend in another country, small team. He had gone to the US to get somethings moving. The CEO, COO had kids within three months of each other. And the way the companies changed to accomodate the priorities of the new father - may not be new. But that work life balance should be neutral across. Also a call you can take if you’re running your own company. Like I am running my own practice and my husband is running his own practice and both of us can take this call if it comes - this is what we will prioritize, this is what we will do.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Bangalore Fantastic | Male in the art scene
18th December, 2017
Art is a good way to have a dialogue, instead of fighting. How effective is it to really bring about change? Well, they say, some people say that artists don’t change the world but they change the people in the world and if the people in the world change then the world changes. So the artist is the creative inspiration that allows us to understand issues, circumstances in ways we don’t really see. And when we connect with our emotions and narratives and stories which are real, surreal, imaginative, we then start to rethink who we are and what is happening around us. So for me, artists provide the fundamental space and possible one of the key spaces in today’s society that search what sits between the binary of a yes and a no. Do you know of an artists who have worked in the space of women’s issues? There are many artists who I’ve come across who work in this area of women’s issues, rights, freedom of expression, gender equality. It happens on several levels. There is a curatorial level of work. Some ways can be direct / indirect / humorous / unlocking the tragedy / unlocking the invisible tragedy. One particular artist - Faiza Bhatt, from lahore, pakistan. Exploring issues around how women and men are portrayed in the stereotypical ways and how you break that. Rashid Rana, from Lahore, although a bloke, looking at issues around how the west stereotypes islamic women and how men/ communities from Pakistan discriminate against western women in terms of portrayal and perception. Then we’ve got artists from the area we work in who are activist in the city. So one of the artists, Sooree Pillay. She’s an artist, writer, theatre maker, curator. With Her presence creates an equality because she is able to articulate in a confident way and challenge what exists by producing work that allows for participation of women, participation of all voices in a way to negotiation of terrain and status quo of this kind of prejudice and stereotypes that dominate our society. Then we work with performance artists, film-makers, installation artists, thinkers and writers, who are all interested in these issues of inequality and diversity and allowing a space that empowers and embodies a new vision about the world. Do you think it’s an important subject, or we’re done with it, please stop? It’s a very important subject. I think it’s the way you do it. So for example, it can be very tiring to hear the same talk It can bring you down - is it empowering. It’s always, I’m the victim, I’m the victim, they treat me so badly. That’s why we have to bring joy, humor, and ways in which makes it interesting / imaginative. So if we go down the route of politics of resentment, in everything we do to get our point across, the people receiving it get tired. The people making it are already tired. So, the journey comes to an end quite swiftly. And this issues is not going to be resolved overnight. Not even in a generation I think. It’s taken so long to get here. Yes, generation gap is 20 / 30 years. The first gods we worshipped There are some major issues at play - the context of an environment and location across the world changes and shifts. There are rituals and ways of being that still are hard to break. It’s about education. It’s about experiencing - trying to put yourself in that scenario and seeing if i was in the receiving end of this conversation
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS or if I was speaking to someone else and imagine to be them and hearing me, what would be the result of that? When it makes you think about what you’re saying and how you behave - not everybody has the time to that. I think it has to do with the early life that everybody has. 0-12 or whatever it is. The artist is there to engage, not necessarily entertain. So if there is an interesting way to exploring the subject so it engages you, whether by humor or deeper emotions, it can definitely play a part. But who is engaging in that sphere? The art world itself is quite closed. It’s great that Bangalore Fantastic is on this MG road, so you’re getting the accident or interface with quite a society. As a consequence you get new voices trying to engage with work in new ways. That needs to happen more. Because there are some really really brilliant, artistic, creative mediums in which these subjects are really challenging the world. There are great writers, beyond Arundhati Roy, there’s hundreds more. How do we avoid the kind of mass cultural domination that is selling these material items, trash tv, designer clothes, even technology can distract us, but then empower us as well. I don’t know, it’s quite a paradox.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS 16th January 2018 Usha from Samoolan Do they discus issue to come to terms with social issues? Yes, it’s a collective and in a collective they come together, they have a group and they discuss. Someone might have a personal issue, family, relationship or legal related. Husbands misbehaving, having an affair, cases of divorce, we collectively help them, to facilitate. But largely they help each other. When there is an incident everyone gets together to help who is in need. What do you feel about women’s safety in India? Things are changing a bit. And in a way the first label encounter happens within one’s own family. If the family keeps one strictly within the boundary, restricting movement, discouraging the girl from going here and there, that makes fear grow within oneself slowly. And then one starts getting fearful about every step they take in life, like how will we go, where will we go, how will we go. It doesn’t have anything to do with being educated or not educated, but the family and the parents play a very important role in raising the children. In my family we did have reservations, but back in the mind, ny parents were very supportive. The freedom didn’t let fear get into my sister and me. I count it to be a family. In generic, from childhood till being a woman, one always faces issues, and safety wise one always takes a precaution. But the rurla areas, the risk is ot as much as in urban, offcourse there are safety issues are there. But the intensity and scale is higher in a bigger city as compared to a rural city. Rural areas will have small small problems, like someone is whistling at you, or someone is trying to chase you. Or you can hear cycles. Like when you go to tuitions then the boys would follow and pass comment. So being a teenager girl i used to get nervous. But if i had let that fear grow, i would not have managed to reach ahead, travelling on my own to different places. I didn’t let it grow and my family also said give them back. So I learnt martial arts. I learnt martial arts because i knew i wanted to dream big and really do a lot of things in life. So the first barrier is myself. If i am afraid myself, how will i progress and go ahead. That is the best thing i did. I learnt martial arts when i was 13/14 till i was in college. Then that chapter of being a woman and being scared vanished from my vocab. So when i look at the days before that were offcourse very different. And still i travel and go to many places. One has to be careful. But things are changing now. 10 - 15 years ago Delhi and the present Delhi, there is more awareness in people. First anything would happen, but noone would stand up for you. But now there is social media, there is a law, there is action of the police, there are numbers. People are now involving themselves to help - i’m standing with you kind of campaign. It’s making a difference. You’ve seen people supporting a person? The girls who used to be quiet and shy, if any problems happen, they don’t mind speaking up now. This person is troubling me. Initially if id travel in the bus and someone would try and lean on me, then i’d be like, oh my god, how do i say it. They will make fun of me, look at me. Now you can stand up and say, look at this chap, what is he doing. Take care of him or i’ll break his face. Although you can’t do that, but then 5 people come and say and atleast you have gathered that kind of courage that people come and say something. There will be atleast 2 people who will come. This kind of courage has only happened because social media has
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS given a voice to people who couldn’t even stand up and speak. People in the computer are trying to express their frustrations, their grudges, their anger, their deep inside feelings are being put in the public domain. And when it is seeing as happening then they realize that something should be done about it. These principles can be seen now. They delhi that one saw in 2002 and the one they see now, is very different. India is a challenging country, now it’s also a mix of cultures. Generation - confusion between tradition and modernity. How women were in traditional culture. Does this openness impose a challenge? Values have been wiped out in our generation. We are in a stage that we are adopting western culture very fast because it’s a ‘cool’ thing and we are forgetting our own culture because it is outdated. Like in india, we buy a car because it is a sign of status - whereas . in one way, when i observe that we are busy adopting the western culture and forgetting the depth of our own culture. We have a rich culture. Some things, like period, they would say not to go here, there, everywhere. Offcourse it had some negative signs, but if you look at the positive, it was the time to give the woman some rest. So don’t make food, and you don’t have to do anything. So most of the time you are sitting or resting or sleeping. So eventually if you look at it in a non-feminist way, then it was the time to give the body some rest. But we misunderstand it and say, what is this, don’t do this, don’t do that. We can do everything. So you do, that’s not wrong, but we have imposed all of it on ourselves. We are now hanging in the middle. Now if you ask anyone about earlier customs then the current generation doesn’t have any clue. That what was what. Like our ramayana, mahabharata, ayurveda, no one remembers. But now yoga and all is coming back as training in the classes and that is ok. So we are passing through a cycle of evolution. When we have something, we don’t value it and when we don’t have it then we understand the value of it. There was respect for women, like if you look culture wise, bangaloreans were in bangalore, traditional people from there. North india is horrible because it is a khichdi. Ni is not like south india. North indian culture and traditions are not deep like south india. In that way the basic thing about women, respect, which was part of our culture, they still pursue it. But in a place like delhi, where everyone is everywhere, here, people are from everywhere for employment. So there is no particular flavor which you anchor, as a benchmark and follow. It’s like everybody is singing their own horn and at the end of the day it is a chaos. That is the reason it is so high in delhi, it is not as high as in ahmedabad, or the south or the mountains. What makes a person commit these crimes? I think it’s a lot to do with psychology. This is a childhood frustration that comes out. Like if you look at a man. If you look at a man. Like in western countries, where is there maximum rape? Looking countrywise, asia, africa, south american countries - 10 worst countries to live for women - india was the 4th. The worst was brazil / cuba. Do you think it has to do with poverty? Not really. The divide? Not really. It is one of the factor, but i think something you have always craved for in your early age, as you grow you kind of try to have it. It’s like a hunger The way we raise men or boys in our country, plays a role. Making them different from the beginning. The thing about she is always lower than a man. It’s a very subtle upbringing. Animal instinct - Jo mazbooth hai, he is strong. A lion who is sick and ill will always think he’s powerful. It’s like a lamb and a lion. So it’s out upbringing, it is about the inequality that exists. Thankfully it is changing in the urban part. It must because of education maybe. Initially i’m not sure if - can’t say there are clear 1 or 2 factors but a mix of many factors that bring a person to such a level of crime and and commit something like this.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Sometimes we put a lot of pressure on the boys? Agree with the perspective - boys don’t cry, madhuri dixit made a campaign, let a child be a child, let’s rate them as a human being - check it out… The pressure on them, the emotion is not allowed to come out, there is no channel to come out. It is like water. It has to come out somewhere. It comes out on this kind of crime eventually. So you take out revenge on anyone who is weak. So most assault comes out within the family - couple/ wife and children. Somebody’s frustration is coming out in some way. What happened in Pakistan I do feel it is - it brings us to the question of how we raise our children. Core area we should address. Other areas where some effort would bring about change? Has to be both ways - for women we say not to wear this and that. So women say, dont tell us - tell the boys. Clapping is with both hands. In 20 - 30 years we women have evolved very fast, what women used to be and what they are now it’s a huge change in thinking, in evolution and the men have still not been able to digest this. For example many men have not been able to accept the fact that women are so ahead. Change is not just on one side. So awareness should also be sensitive for men - having awareness for men. We need to bring change in the education system from the beginning. We need to focus on the early age educational system. The way relationships and emotions are managed / handled at a young age. Because it is very difficult to change the mind of an adult man or woman. You can’t do it. I think there is still a weakness there, there is not enough focus there. Kids learn from the environment - how im behaving, what they’re seeing, what they are learning. Can the environment be controlled. The influences that might touch your child or have an impact. The randomness in society - everyone is doing everything in their own way and we don’t have a system of filtering. But if you do filter something. But we have reached a scale where we challenge how they can control this. It is democracy. Everytime that filter comes, there is disruption. And that filter only the government body can do because no one follows any rules otherwise. Whenever that filter is put, how can you do this, do that. But they don’t see what media is showing / news channels / ads are showing and the impact they have. We can’t raise kids in isolation. And one doesn’t have an idea of what is being taught in school. So in some way effort has been happening , but it has been happening on a a small small level. People who have realized this have started pulling their children out of their surroundings and raising them in a different way. You can’t keep them completely away, but still 30% trash you can keep it away if you do it consciously. So this small percentage will grow up in a refined way and take the generation ahead. The state that we are in today has been a result of centuries. And for us to go back might take more time. Bigdne mein to jaldi bigadte hai, shayad sabhalne me do centuries bhi lag jayenge. You never know. Everything unravels faster, but repairing always takes longer. Need to have a conscious effort. It’s a lot of effort. Reading a book - the magic book. The more positive you think the positive it happens. Or you find everything bad and you don’t attract the positive things around you. But if something is bad, you say, ok 98% is bad, let me focus on the positive or good 2%. And the power of social media is that you can float that 2 everywhere.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Let everyone feel the 2 is doing so good. The more you spread the more it will hit somebody’s heart somewhere and it will make a difference. Women being independent, going out to work. Do men take it on their ego? Yes, they take it on their ego. As a system, which one made more sense? This is also a change. It will take some time for men to really understand and accept this fact. You can’t imagine that everything will go back that all women will go back and sit in silence. The whole concept that they understand what is important and why women are working and why they should work, i feel this evolution chapter, the work has begun. Men have started accepting. What man makes a mn is that he is physically stronger and he is the bread earner - that is what gives a boost to his ego. If you attack that itself then he will start feeling weak and on the lower side. There is this radio channel which comes and a show with karan johar about relationships. There is this thing about men getting insecure about their spouse or partner earning or travelling more, which makes them insecure. It’s just because of the way they are raised. Everything is perfect in the marriage except for this. So it is a very subtle thing and relationships are very fragile, like glass. Every little thing can make it crack. So one has to handle both sides very carefully. So both sides have to understand each other. Both men and women have to cooperate. As long as they’re able to fulfil their responsibility and manage, it’s ok. Like the way you’re doing it - you’re managing it, you know your responsibilities and priorities. We are all bakras of this time - interesting times. Something deep down - it should be like this. They don’t tell you on your face. Bu it comes through. With women forcing themselves into the career, we’re putting more on their shoulders. Understanding of strength - which doesn’t have to be only physical. There are diff. Aspects of strength which we don’t understand. Everybody do their task, change in women evolution - we are not less than anyone -
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS 17th January 2018
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Comissioner of Police
What do you think makes india unsafe for women? If you go by sheer statistics, it is not that india is more unsafe than other places. But yes, if you compare with other places of the developed world, then definitely we have to do a lot more. It has got basically to do with three things It’s a catch 22 situation Majority have been brought up in an environment where they’re always fed from the very beginning that don’t go out, this can happen to you, don’t go out, that can happen to you. So they are a dara hua person. And parents don’t equip them to handle themselves outside. Rther they want them to live in fear inside the house so they have to do less work. And if there is an unpleasant situation that occurs, they don’t have to deal with it. That is one - the internal socialization within the family and the nearest family members. And the corollary is the unfortunately, if there is an uncle, we think that they don’t have bad intentions which is not the case. In any statistics, 85% of the rape cases, olestation cases happen within the family or extended family Our society has very wide variations when it comes to ideas for respect for women. Space for everyone under the roof. So everyone tries to bully others. Women more and more come on the road, some take it in their stride. Others who come from a more male dominated family system, they feel they are out and must not be proper. So they harass them. So the girls who go out to work, commute, they feel very unsafe. And there is a very high predatory behavior in certain groups of people where they feel the anonymity of delhi is big and because they are moving late, it gives them cover, which they won’t have in their own village / own As a system - there are 4-5 systems which go in to support that there is safety for everyone, especially women - police, enforcement of police, in the police, a coordinated approach that one should have in dealing with this problem, is not happening. What happens is that you have cpr, local police, transportation, traffic police, how you make taxis safer? But enforcement Needs an across the board systematic approach is not happening Wrong perception that delhi is more unsafe than other cities in india. Maybe mumbai. Not compared to bangalore, calcutta or any other place. Vis a vis mumbai it may be. 5% of all cases is acceptable The education system, the schools don’t carry women safety as a subject or respect for women as a subject. Gender equality is an accepted norm. If you see school behavior where you have co-ed or all girls and all boys, there is very strong stereotyping. And safety issues are not taken as part of the curriculum to make your schools safer, the toilets safer. Nipping it in the bud - the misbehavior that happens in school. We give a lot of scope to bully girls. To overlook their behavior. Need to guide them from the very beginning.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
166
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS First part is the social welfare department. They are supposed to be insuring that we have a robust schemes for women employment for people who have been affected by rape, domestic violence. How do you wean them out of that environment and place them in a healthier environment? Because we don’t have a good social security system. Don’t have social systems or places we can keep these ladies till we bring their families on board, their husbands, in laws. Violence doesn’t happen only from the in-laws side. It happens from the parents side also. Like in cases of intercaste marriage. Violence by brothers. Violence is on both sides. How do you wean them from these systems and give them a social space. That they are not able to deal with. Because of our overall cultural context Lots of issues are going to come up as more and more women come out to work, there is going to be a transition phase, which happens in every culture. Only we are ot waking up to this situation and letting it linger that it will happen on its own. There is no active intervention that platforms across the govt. That you encourage more and more women to come out ad work. We deal with our rape, domestic violence and rape cases in a very bad manner. Whether it is the judiciary, they will take ages and ages to decide even if it is a small case. They take 4-5 months. They don’t have legal support. The slum development projects are also pathetic. So the women, children and small girls in slums are also vulnerable. Their parents go to work but there is no backup support. So where do you keep them? You don’t have creches, nursery schools, childcare centres. Where do you leave them. It’s an offshoot of the poverty that we have. So that is another major area of concern where we need offcourse the intervention, not the government but the NGOs that are working here. Even they don’t have clarity. They don’t have a program. They just take money from the Government and use it for themselves. They give a lecture, seminar, but if you see their actual presence on the ground, whether it is delhi or mumbai, you find just one or two NGO’s who are really dedicated. The intervention of Government at the grassroot level is not penetrated. So that is what i have to say There is a need for an integrated approach - anonymity, diversity of educational levels, enforcement in a systematic manner across the board. You know police does it part, judiciary dos its part, social welfare department does its own part, transport authority does its own part and the four are closely integrated. Because the police is most visible, everyone expects them to cover the incompetence of others, but that is not possible. Go to channels and see if it happens - community policing Community policing - wide concept. Empower a community to police itself and support that. Now where you find that majority of domestic violence and molestation is happening within the family, there would be very few who would like to come out and talk even in family. Not only talk about it. Actively the rw’s go and intervene. And even when they intervene it is going to be on a very personal level. So even if you tell them you make a group of lawyers, a group of doctors. So RWA (Residential Welfare Association) has a group that looks into women’s safety issues and counselling, you will find that most of them are very reluctant, even in govt. Colonies you will find that there is domestic violence going on around you, you know that. But how many of us actually intervene? It is said it is a personal matter or let it be looked at by police. So, within the community nobody wants to actively intervene in a situation. Yes, we are using them to generate awareness and distribute material and everything. But until there is not active intervention, until you don’t shame the person, called you name and shame, until you name and shame, it is not going to happen. And our RWA’s are not ready for that as of now. They don’t have that kind of status as well. So when working with the community, who do you approach? And how do you organize it. So that is one of the areas which we are grappling with. SImilarly we use delinquency. Youth delinquency is basically drugs, eve teasing, then there are these cases of molestation, So they end up doing these things, so how does one bring them under control? Because putting them behind bars gives the message, shorter, but they come out again. Because eve teasing and stalking is not that big a heinous offence. So we have an approach where we call their parents and counsel them, but the point is Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
167
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS that the parents also are from the same environment, so it doesn’t make such a big difference to the kid. So that is an intervention where one fails because one is not equipped with it and there are not many NGO’s who cooperate with you to deal with it. So these are the challenges, though police is going in, a systemizing police intervention is not there. Like one has in the US or in the UK now. It’s all separate separate separate effort. One lays down a strategy, have bench-maring, have intervention. Out system is based on firefighting approach (Short-term ‘fixing’ of problems, or suppression of their symptoms, rather than understanding and addressing the factors that cause the problem), not a systems based approach. What are the reasons people commit these crimes? So many - it’s not only delinquents who do it. It could be parents, siblings, could be anyone. It’s predatory behavior, which we have biologically prevalent. To control it we need to socialize and channel it. Our social that is not equipped because we are a male dominated and feudal society. Our parents may be liberated, but 80% of india is not so liberated. And then in schools well, they are not socialized, that this is predatory behavior and this is actually damaging the society because if 20% of the population is treated like this, then the state or country is never going to come here? Women are atleast 50% of the population. If you make 50% of your country live in fear, and dominate over them using physical violence and fear, then where will the country go? Misunderstanding of our values? We say something and then we do something. We worship goddesses. We say that in vedic times it was like this, but in the way we behave there is no respect for women. See parents and equations - peer group and family is important. Why does a father beat the mother? Because he knows the mother is helpless probably. She’s not going to protest, she’s not working, where will she go. The birth of a son. Does the frustration of sustaining everyone, does that come out as violence at the home? May come out. But if they are going out and working, women are also going out and working. I have not seen a poor woman of today sitting at home. Women are also doing labor. In the middle class as well, they are seeing women in the workplace, so why should the see women in the workplace and commit violence in the house? That is because they know that the women are not going to leave and the social system pressurizes you, - no keep family issues in the house. Or there will be badnaami, bad name spread. Your brother won’t get married. Everyone will be affected. So by making them scared we stop them from protesting. Our family system has managed to survive for a long time. Do you think these stringent rules help hold our society together? If that was the case then one should not have had sati’s, purdah, these strict eating regimes, first men will eat, then kids will eat, then women will eat what’s left. Not have inter-caste marriages. The dowry problem and female infanticide would not have been there. I think it went wrong in between, when some influences came into society. When was it good? Tell me. Reference to devdutt patnaik’s book. Power dominance has changed over time
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
168
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS Pre-vedic times they say there was a balance. What does it have to do with a pre-vedic society? We are not a pre-vedic society. Society and culture changes over time, which we don’t even know what it was all about. American society changed only after world war 1, not before that. When men started dying they went for war. These were the times when women actually got liberated. Nothing happened before that. No society was liberated. What do they mean by pre-vedic? You take the Ramayan - full of insults for women, you take the Mahabharata, full of insults for women. You take arthashastra, the manusmriti - that was full of angst against women. So which era were we talking about. Like Shiv says he is Ardhnareshwar - half man, half woman. So that’s what I am saying: we are hypocritical. That we are. And we can’t take a stance. We’re still figuring out ourselves. If you look at any study / book apart from the Veda, which we say Indian society has been based on, is denigrating about women. Manusmriti is considered the oldest, (yes, it is actually pretty nasty against women), yes. And then Arthashastra - another major document. Our epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Yes. where is the respect for women in that? Lack of any female role models. Very few. I think it’s the way it has been communicated. Where is the proof on the ground in the writing? In the guptas you had the caste system. The varnas system, if you had inter-caste marriage, you were out-casted. Part of this chaos, but you will have more abuse of women. You need to have systems where they don’t feel you are in the wrong. The other person should feel like they are the predator. Not the victim. The predator should be made to feel that they are doing the wrong thing. The girl has to come back - Crime has been committed against me. And the society cannot tell me and lame me. They have to blame and finger out the person accused. If somebody has to be outcasted it has to be the accused. And the parents would be thinking about it that ways also. And parents have to be outspoken about it also.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
169
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS 17th January 2018
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Dr. Shree Gururaj
Violence against women or violence against a family is not something that is restricted to the rich or the poor, the struggling. It can get manifested in different forms, if you’re willing to recognize it as such. For example, sexual harassment in the office and it’s how you define safety. If it brings in anxiety. If it brings in a fear or a reaction which is very different from normal relationships which you would have been in, then the whole question of women’s safety gets broadened and it’s beyond just beating and burning for dowry. Day to day living within private and public settings and how does that impact on the woman itself. Algores? She was the person who had suffered immensely and was unable to get out of the marriage. So she started writing and talking about it and then people heard. I recollect in 88/89 the first dowry deaths started coming to light in India and we started looking at violence and that – violence of this whole question is the fear / mental agony that the young bride went through. She always feared for her safety whether it was being thrown out on the street, we’ll see an extension to your parents, we’ll see how your parents won’t buy us a scooter. So it’s extended, but safety network becomes just to her you also have the children by implication. For example, very often, you find that when children come to protect their mother, the father has come drunk or is aggressive, the children also suffer. Who’re you going to side. Are you going to side me? Or you’re going to side your mother. We all know that safety gets dragged onto the children or pushed onto the children. In cases of incest, where openly the poor woman watches her eldest daughter or the daughter after that. In this also happens in joint families. It has been underreported. Incest has been underreported in general. So safety, women’s safety, yes it does bodily harm is there and that whole question of psychological, mental, that which is not mentioned, which is not seen, she endures that and it also gets the impact of it on her children is also there. And many times it is with the girls who are more vulnerable and offcourse with the boys too. And we know that children have run away. Most of the runaways in children, if you stop and ask them – the little boys in the platform, they say, I just couldn’t take the beating, I couldn’t take the suffering. They never say we were poor. They may maybe, not to that extent. They know the whole family is poor. Me running away I’m not going to help. So women’s safety, in the broader spectrum, you need to place it in the context. It’s much more focused now on family / domestic violence, which could now include elders. So safety then is something that at the individual level and how it impacts and how it affects. SO what I would think if we look at it that way, the realm of safety issues. The other is lifecycle perspectives of what is it that when does the women’s safety become important. If you ask me, it’s at every age. How do you look at safety? Does it start with neglect in childhood? Looking at entrance into the school just when she is blossoming at age 11/ 12. Post teenage one knows what happens. The sexual aspect of it. Then marriage and what comes with the marriage. Then age is also another factor that is another aspect. So the thing that we need to then if were looking at it from which age group should we build it in and where, I would start even designing of homes. I would start looking at what are the safety issues. Beyond violence starting from where is the choola, is it at the floor level? Where is the water. One thing is prevention of accidents. Because prevention of accidents also requires a professional approach. Because we discovered that there is this whole disability because of genes and birth defects, but there is also disability because of accidents which can be prevented. So should one start with the designing of the home, or the farm, what kind of implements are used, what is the work she does, how convenient is that work. What if she’s left alone at sun down or in this field and there are three or four men, and two women, what happens - that is a broader issue. So if we look at a home and the physical safety aspects and now more and more we’ve been looking at public spaces, at buses and at public transport – now for example how the range of issues are several, why is it only now that we have looked at only now of the railway carriages having a lower birth? Why can’t we look at a collapsible staircase? Steps which can fall down and touch the platform, and you’re wearing a saree. So you see, even the clothing, ow close is it? Saris catching
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
170
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS fire on their own. That aspect is also there, what they need. In terms of women’s safety in public spaces, we’ve started looking at separate seats, separate entrances in public transport and making sure they are there. We’ve also looked at safety in police stations. But given the size of the country, we are not able to as yet. One thing we haven’t used, not publicized to that extent, is a number. We set up ChildLine for children, I think is 1098 and any child from any place. But how much of that is clearly implemented? But yet, it is the tip of the iceberg. Like everything else, we do a lot of discussion, we set up a thing, but we don’t publicize those things. Very little / few people that any child w/o asking the parent can call this number from anywhere. ChildLine, immediately the case is registered and there is follow up. Because they have they have set up child welfare committees everywhere and ChildLine 1098 cell for Bangalore, they would record it and they would follow it up. Why do they miss out on this bit – because of follow up. It’s there but it’s like saying we don’t have – the implementing agency, it’s work is done the moment it has set up this line. And the number for Karnataka, you have for the year, a thousand cases. And you’re not going to believe, this is the tip of the iceberg. Unless they have 48000 of child abuse and neglect (any child in distress) or if I am watching a child be hammered, then I can do 1098. So it’s just not that. So that safety, some people have started, the device, the response time, what is the nature of the response, how effective is the response? Is it long term? Is it short term? And prevention. A lot of aspects have to come together. If there is child who is in distress, and there is this helpline, then you need a team of people who can handle this. We do, there is a small cell. Intentionally it is not in the government. You can look up – ChildLine. And every city and every town worth its name has it. It’s an NGO and to that extent there is freedom of breaking the bureaucratics that come in. Should I tell my deputy director before I go on my round? That is not there. So they’re usually young sociologists/ psychologists – young women. They are paid separately and there is a cell. There’s a reporting mechanism, they investigate. They have the liberty of going to the child rights commission, which most states have. Or they have the thing of going straight to the police. They have been given that kind of jurisdiction. So coming back to women’s safety, is a century old thing. It’s been there throughout. But the manifestation and the form of it and the gruesome nature of it, more and more you find that one is alarmed which way it’s going, because the deviance you have in society. I want to use the word deviance here, because the whole younger and younger, if you see the nirbhaya case, the 14 year old – should he be tried as an adult or should he be tried as a child? And apparently, he was the gruesome-est of them all. And I despite being a child’s right advocate, I stayed out of it because I felt the crime was an adult crime and he needed to be punished. And this whole thing of mind not being formed till age 18. Good and bad is formed by age 16. Maybe the grey areas are there. But, what is good and what is bad, would you do it to your mother? So, that safety part comes in and the other aspects that come in more and more is that there are newer ways of harassment. There’s one school of thought that demarcated it – inside / outside. Inside is within the four walls of the home. The moment the woman stepped out, she is in an outside domain, there are several things that happen. She has to get out in order to earn for a livelihood. She has to get out to drop her child to school or to obtain immunization. She has to step out. So the outside domain is now becoming wider and wider. Unless you were in those old big (parwad) Havelis, wherever they were inside.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
171
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS How safe is she inside the home, how safe is she outside the home. Now with women’s mobility and here you have the mobility / define the mobility as economic mobility, social mobility and within the economic comes selling food on the street to an office where you have a career path, where certain things are expected from you in terms of performance, behavior and values. Your values and the organizations values. Every organization has some set of values. So once you’re outside and the mobility, what are those? Again there are two dimensions of this: 1. Which is intrinsic to the woman herself: how keyed should the woman be? And made aware of those points of violence or harm that are lurking in the home or outside; 2. How aware / sensitive is the outside domain, whether it’s the market, the bus or the office – how aware are they there? What are the warnings? Who gives the signals? Who has responsibility and accountability for women’s safety? The extrinsic part, a little has been started much more. The extrinsic part is separate coaches, the separate vendors (to buy your ticket) the machines. A little bit is there. How much can be done, given the limited resources? You can’t have special busses going o every village in the country. Then again, she’s on a bicycle – they were giving bicycles to women to go to school on her own and then she’s surrounded by heckling boys. So she has to go with other girls. So what happens? So this whole question of who will take the responsibility? Yes the state has the responsibility, by law. One of the few functions of any government is to maintain law and order and thereby protect – protect its citizens, right? Of every age and everything else. There the resources, attitude, willingness, interest. How sensitive are they. Are they willing to listen and address. Now for example, me, I one of the things when Narendra Modi made his first speech as prime minister, really this whole question – one of the things he asked was, ‘how many of you ask your son’s where they have been, when they come home’? and have you stopped and asked what they did. I sent it to all my colleagues, that here is the first prime minister in the world who has made his first speech and he has made this statement. And the follow-up. It is unfortunate that we are out of it. But one would have expected that they would take that note from the prime minister and you would set up these cells. Ok you have manuals that have been written up for nurses, you have manuals for police, all that has happened, after Nirbhaya, lawyers – all that has happened. So that is one way that you have set up that thing for women’s safety. But how does it affect that woman who is taking the cart with vegetables. How has it reached her? Does she know? You were here when all this tamasha happened on 31st December. I know because I am a woman. A mother in law, a grandmother and belong to a different generation. Yes, maybe its some kind of fun that one wants to experience and why should I not be there. But then why do you need to be drunk, do you need to be dressed in skimpy clothes – you know, this time also they showed. The boys all dressed in full sleeve sweaters, the girls all dressed in spaghetti straps. You know, I don’t want to get into this , it’s asking for trouble. But the whole question of, ‘how aware are you of this’? And it’s not to say, why can’t I do it? Well you can do it, but decide where you want to do it. You don’t want everybody to be in a burkha, that’s not the point. But when you go to a public space, at that point of time, when you know that everybody around you is drunk and is going to be rowdy. Are you going to also be in your senses and say, no I’m going to have my two drinks when I go home, so I know what’s going around
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
172
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS There has to be a personal safety part to it too and awareness. You can be adamant. Yes women of my generation perhaps were used to saying yes more than saying why not, why can’t I do it. And the daughters, the mothers themselves, the people would be telling them. No, go see, do you think this is a safe way of going out? Go out, but who are you going to be going with, and what are you going to be dressed as and how are you going to carry yourself through it / conduct yourself. That’s the word? That’s the word. So this whole question of mobility and this whole #metoo. Now this metoo, the women were exploited. Because part of women’s mobility is still contingent upon what men in her family, what men in her society, what men in that career space re looking at. Since we’re looking at design, and we take the broader concept of women’s development and women’s well-being, then how safe are her ideas? How safe is her creativity? She’s not allowed to touch the loom anyways in many parts. It’s all men. In Sambhalpur, they dye the borders, but they are never allowed to get on the loom. So, her ideas, her creativity and that is what is. For example, my daughter who’s studied in Columbia University, brilliant girl. But then, when she joined Microsoft 20 years ago, ok, they both wanted to be in Microsoft. But she was one grade lowere, even though she they were in the same grade in Columbia University, had an engineering degree. And now she’s caught up in all that. And then she had a mentor who told her, don’t write a thing on a slip of paper and send it to me. You speak the thing out yourself. And now she’s in-charge / head of diversity, bringing in children, especially the African American women. And she gets them into Microsoft, mentors them, so all that. More and more now you’re seeing women in technology. You must have heard of the Grace Hopper, the first computer engineer – big thing on that / conferences an all. The approach to that of safety. Also, we see that the fanning by society of what you see now as safety is women’s spiritual leanings. Society is now expecting women to be ardent followers / devotees. To me every man who calls himself a prophet is a fake. To me. We have our own values and where we come from the religiosity part of it. We have seen in modern times, whether it is Asaram Bapu or all the nonsense that goes on. We see that women are the ones whose safety is compromised because it’s kind of said she is more religious, she needs more of that yearnings to be fulfilled. You could do one little box focusing on what’s happening in ashrams, what have you read in the newspapers. I mean it is spine chilling. I mean this some guy outside of Delhi. The parents had to just write off, I will find a boy for your daughter. And it was just saying, even the passageway entry into that women’s zone was only restricted to the so called Godman. So, that is one aspect whether it’s here, or Colorado, where Janet Reno. Can’t remember the name, there again in the you had a clan, this guy who had all these women. Then you have our own Ashutosh everywhere. You have again the assumptions made about women’s safety and how it is compromised by their own kith and kin. Even the guy in Haryana. So that is something which the women themselves are so wrapped up in aaaaall what’s going on that they silence themselves on their safety. Somehow they’re not willing to accept the signals. And they’re not willing to respond to these signals though they are there. So how would you respond to it as a design manager, like you were talking about the device which more and more. I’m a trained psychologists from long ago. My PhD was in 69. But this whole question of what you said the adrenaline and now we have markers for everything, biomarkers, devices, all of that, it’s a wonderful device. I think it’s a wonderful device. And when we turn it off. It’s like we have here. We have a control room and circuit cameras everywhere. I know in one of the offices we had stand up camera’s. the control room watching the screen is the most boring. The moment he snoozes is when that happens. Yes the fear of being tracked on the camera is there. Now we’re noticing in a place like Bangalore where they haven’t any streetlights. People still need to be caught on that. But that’s different.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
173
APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS The other day somewhere this lady was doing Rangoli and this guy comes and pulls out her chain. Early in the morning at 6:30. The guy goes down in a motorcycle, 2 motorcyclists, they have the same kind of gold chain being snatched. They even have a name for it – the Irani gang or something. And why from here one of the girls, she was going. And I don’t know how they find whether it was real jewelry or artificial jewelry or whatever. And they had a hook and it grabbed her by the ear. Fortunately it missed the jugular vein, but it caught her ear. And they rushed her to the hospital. She was in an auto. So how do we do that. That needs an attitude change. Is there something in our culture that promotes this kind of behavior? Or what is it that makes a person do this? One aspect may be that women / girls are they made fearful from a young age Yes, it’s socialization. So you’ve silenced that voice. You’ve been deadend. And you find when you look around why within families, why can’t she scream? Why can’t she make a place for herself? And yes, every family goes through this situation about when should I broach the topic. If because the family is not sensitive to the overall needs of women and much alone her safety. Because it’s all taken for granted and it’s left to the woman, like I was saying, why can’t she be fully clothed. Till such time the rest of society recognizes her need to be herself. See, I said it myself. So the responsibility is put on the woman. Why because the society is not responding and the society continues to see the woman as a vulnerable thing, which can be taken advantage of. So are we curtailing our own and is that a sacrifice worth making. Like when you empathize with a Muslim woman, who are forced to wear burkhas. Yes, I was in Tehran. Midnight if you’re wearing a burkha, nothing happens when you’re coming in a taxi. It’s assumed that you’re protected. Because nobody talks about the rapes that happen wither. And women now, do it more and more because they don’t want their husbands to leave them, because they don’t want to lose the status that they have. And they just say, dammit, what does it matter, let me just wear it. If it means that my daughter can go to school, if it means that my husband can get his salary, if it means that my parents will not be harmed. So the responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman herself in order to protect herself. Where we fail is children who are not aware of it. And in the socialization process of the woman like you just said, while it is not done in clear distinctive, identifying ways, it is done / there’s an unwritten kind of behavior that the child observes within the family and says, yes, up to an extent there is, I have my own daughter, I’m not going to be you. So you have that if they’re clever enough and if they’re sensitive enough and if they’re facing the same issues that mothers faced in their 20s or whenever, then they do fight back. They do. But that’s if they have everything going around. Self-confidence, self-esteem all require a certain environment and it also requires how many of them are con-sensitized, made aware. And now, slowly somethings are coming about. But we are talking about women’s health without saying. Take even this issue of family planning and now there’s data that came out a few days ago. It’s all dumped on the woman. It’s like the men couldn’t care less about even wearing the condom. And how it has fallen and the reason of the pill or patch is more and more receiving attention and even something like hysterectomy and female sterilization, you know. And we have the biggest manifestation of this in terms of HIV aids. Then what is it that. Yes, if women are going to have sex are they expected to have aid in those countries were marriage is not seen as the expectation for sexual behavior. So in those situations, the girls are left unaware and how many of them, it’s such a simple blood test. I had a Dutch colleague in Guyana and she was having an affair with a French guy. And then she saying I totally turned the tables when I said let’s go take the HIV Aids test. You know, you get it. Whereas in the US you have to take a test for STD when you apply for a marriage certificate in the court. This unawareness even in and how many in the industries, even in the #metoo, it’s coming up now. But you also see the backlash of it. Because again, society doesn’t want to accept it. It’s very interesting. And women are
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS brought into it. This change in balance, there was a system, women are taking over, challenge in balance. Taking space, when we started using words, even in Unicef, the whole thing was, it’s just not the outside, let’s start within the organization. We had to explain that empowerment didn’t mean we are taking power away from you. What we’re saying is we share the power. So that negotiation and how do you, whether you take a small issue, within the family too. Whether you take the thing of ‘dependence’, you want independence. But after that it’s mutual independence. From dependence, you want independence and then interdependence. So many times it stops at independence and this whole thing of holding posters and marching and holding protests and all that. So there is even a ridiculing of that. Nobody takes protests so seriously and more. The whole thing of the #metoo has to be interpreted to the next step of balancing of power of interdependence. And do we have that kind of interest or our gropes in the workspaces? Yes. Now they’re trying to do it. In the workspaces, universities they are doing it. But I don’t know which industries are doing better than others. For example, ‘hidden figures’ was an eye opener to everybody. Like NASA had colored women. To discover there was no bathroom for women who were colored, except for one small place which was outside. They’d go running. After certain time I realized what it was. And one person being sensitive to it made a difference. And he was in power and he was able to do it. So this whole question of the women’s safety and coming back to it. And you take it for granted, ‘oh, maybe it’s part of being a woman’ and how dp we change that at the societal and private spaces? And what is required and where is media? Now what has happened is, when we did this, way back, in 1997, we had in unicef a very creative person called Razia and Razia was the one who started looking at the issues and what is being reported. So they looked up this thing of being in unicef she was with our information department. So she said children, and how much are children’s issues being reported? Then from there you started looking at women issues and girl child issues. And you found, which continues today is that media reports a rape, an incest, what happened in December – this is a lot of sensationallization. And since we have so many channels, they need to be occupied as well. It becomes instantaneous news. It becomes news for that day, that week, and at the end of the year, and then it’s forgotten. So very little goes to the next step. So then, how? Fortunately because of so much hue and cry, they did something on March 31st and we found how women’s safety was improved, what expense there was a discussion. We cannot talk about resources, let’s increase the resources. Because women are not going to stop coming. And there were a lot of men as well. There was a lot of hooliganism. Children, environment, country – there is something that is breeding it – media / law and order When you allow things to happen and are unprepared for the chaos that is going to erupt from it it seems to have gone out of control. You’ve gone out of control, that’s one part of it. Again, because there is no regulation. And this thing of, the environment, who makes the environment? It changes. It is changing everywhere now. Take Bangalore, when I came back in 2005 I couldn’t believe that in the grocery stores, there were young women, wearing blazers and wearing pants. And these were girls from rural areas who had done class 12, needed a job and it was expected. What is the safety in those circumstances? Urban rural divide, they’re migrant, they come – what happens, you take that. Or the migrants who come as construction workers, whether it is the common wealth games or the metro, or big apartment complexes. And we are looking at yes, now, mobile crèche’s setting up of crèches. But who is setting up things for women’s health? For instance you have the OLA guy, Aggarwal – his wife Rajeshwari goes there. Specially in the earlier times they had good money and incentives. They would earn 15000 a month. Now they earn 15000 a week. And what
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS happened? We had a case of someone we know, he used to take his friends and they would go out for a party, blow it up in drinks, I started looking at family issues. When you make a foundation make sure that these guys send their children to school and their wives safety, what’s the level of alcoholism. Even those places where it is never. Because it is not there in the community. We have lot of focus on entrepreneurship, income generation, giving women an aadhar card so that they get their salaries into their accounts whether it is rural or urban. What I think is, your device is one thing. The other thing is the mobile phone, there are situations where the mobile phone is not accessible to her eye opening thing that has helped women in terms of these livelihood. It is another thing that has helped women in terms of these livelihood and communication and sense of empowerment. So they focus on rightly so women. The women were the farmers but they didn’t get the agricultural extension. The men got it. But the women were the farmers. That’s a a common example we mention. Can that be taken to television. When did you get a message on your phone, do you know how to protect yourself from harm. Don’t call it an evil. Call it a phenomenon of society. It is something you are living with. That’s where media has a role. They told the woman to eat because they are sponsored by the menstrual health, or women and child development. But when were they shown about women’s safety. Maybe the tv programs show it as part to sensationalize the TV serial. But to some extend the balik badhu thing they did do wel, they showed the girl go to school. But they also promoted certain other things in other serials. But to what extent, only 2/3 ones. The ones that I have seen – something called saavdhan. Something they specialize in this it’s dumped as boring tv. I don’t think it comes during the peak hour. Real life cases of children being kidnapped, women being exploited, man marrying 5 times, you know. Sometimes seeing more of these creates more fear and attract more of these incidents to oneself? No, but you don’t stop at creating fear. You have to show coping mechanisms and this is where, for example now, there’s this whole adolescent health program, you know. There are few people who are working in terms of rights and NGOs. But to what extent are they talking about these issues? Coping mechanisms. Yes the fear, I completely agree, you raise the fear and fear can be from psychological point of view. Fear can be addressed in two ways. One could be total kind of fear and therefore regression/ stopping you from going further. The fear can be an obstruction and hinder. Whereas the fear can be taken the creative way. The other path could be a way of saying this is a challenge for me. It’s not something I am born with. I would say, just because a woman breastfeeds, why should she be considered weaker than, it should be the reverse that she. She never sees herself from the progenerator because society has not allowed her to be the progenitor - The one who keeps the society going. If you look at it. If you look at it from the philosophical sense, the whole thing of ‘I’m the mother’, the role of the Devi. The same mother is sown as the destroyer of evil, if you take Durga, Kali. So the challenge part of it is whether it’s media or TV, it’s never talked about it. The thing of the Shakti – mother is seen more for the biological role and the nurturer. Nurturing role, but from beyond that how much have we worked on that? Not just a nurturer, but a builder. Nurturer ya, it’s not a passive taking care, yes the love, the feminine values are there. But going beyond that. Yes, you’re also the strength – you do find it though. It’s there in those societies. It’s usually in those societies where like if the woman is you find so many where the girls have broken out of this thing where my mother is a domestic worker, the girl has moved on. She’s done her class 12, she’s gone to an office. And this is where the IT sector in Bangalore has provided them. All of them are in the call centers, go for their English lessons, they’ve gone beyond that. Some of them work in the offices, as receptionists. And it’s a wonderful feeling that there is a breaking away and, but then the breaking away – we’re not seeing it in a way what’s been done for their safety.
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DMGT 748
Winter 2018
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS September 2018-01-22
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Hema and Rashmi
Hema: I was observing and lamenting it. But I was not doing anything. And I have a daughter and then I thought what kind of a life will she have. And we both thought of getting into it. – addresses all these things. So last year we worked with underprivileged kids. She had a dance therapy with them. And it was a good experience. Now were planning to do something with kids that will address both girls and boys. For girls how to be more aware of all these things and boys like they have to be on the right side and how they will take care of the girls. So we’re planning a curriculum and will go to schools and get in touch with people. So in school level itself, education about all these things. Sex education, body awareness. I was sitting idle and when you read newspapers and come across these stories, I was inspired to do something about it. A little bit of social work. Rashmi: instructional designer by profession. Writing is her passion. Writes about parenting and children. Certain things we are expecting out of everybody. Dance is another passion. To use movement for therapy. Mind, body, soul connect. We’re working on a curriculum. As you said, we are not at this point over a period of 10 or 20 years. We are here because of a social system, a conditioning. And again if we try and do anything, nothing is going to happen in the next 10 years. But atleast when our children grow up and their children will atleast have a good. If we sow the seeds today to just bring up. And I don’t think it has anything to do with some biological things. Maybe yes, to some extent, a lot is about conditioning. I personally feel it’s because we don’t give them space to talk about or experience certain things. We keep telling them no sex word, but that is being foolish. It’s there and you need to address it. So even – for me the sexual bit is very important and it’s important to address it with children first because it’s all in their mind and they don’t know where to take this. It’s not just sex, it’s also about touch, the power play, - this is something one needs to start from scratch and begin from the house. We’ve been wanting to do this for 2-3 years, but I quit about 1 – 1.5 hours, and we started working with a NGO in Sahakar Nagar, spending 3 – 3.5 months. The physical movement therapy made a difference on the confidence levels of the kids. It made an impact on the kids. We don’t think it was working, but it had an impact. So we would really like to take it to schools because schools are where kids spend most of their time. So just addressing it at home, or a one hour class every week won’t work. Again it’s not enough that we go to schools for one hour a week or so – that entire system needs to be built. Like you can’t have two kids holding hands and a teacher comes and says, hush hush.. A framework / ecosystem needs to be built really. The curiosity really triggers. The culture is different. First of all my daughter was not interacting with guys. So she said no no boys things. Now that little thing has come. I used to tell her, you can’t be only with girls. You have to have boys as friends. All this I used to tell her. But when she started to mingle, like school, then she started thinking, ya ok, we can play with them too. There’s lots of conditioning for girls and boys like pink and blue. In their mind it’s there. By watching tv and they get into that. From foundation it has to be impressed. In India, the patriarchal system is a strong influence? What are some of the issues that are causing these issues? That feeling of being more powerful than the other – when you’re touching somebody, you feel that I am the boss. They drink and come, no other entertainment. So they’ll have sex, or quarrel. It’s also the society and the conditioning. Like I read, if a robber comes and steals in your house, then it’s not your fault, it’s the robbers.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS He’s the one who committed the crime. But if it happens to be a sexual abuse, somehow the victim is looked down upon than the person who did it. So it is strange. We see it like Even children I see, there are a lot of people, empowering children by talking about child sexual abuse, we also go around talking about it. But again we tell children about good and bad touch. But that’s not theory. But what if a person touches you here and it’s still bad. The child doesn’t know how to recognize it. Because, it’s like I had gone for this one session where they told, as mothers we tell children, ‘eat food’. So we keep 3 idlis and they say, we’re full. And we say no you’re not full. You eat the third one, we know you’re not full. That itself is breaking the trust in themselves. How do you know as a mother if their tummy is full or not? It’s as simple as telling them, you eat 2 idlis. If you don’t want, don’t eat. We won’t die of hunger. So the child will tell us if he/she is hungry. But every time we do that to a child saying, no no no, you have to do that, I know it better, you’re not trusting the child. Such simple things break the trust of the child in himself or herself and the child fails to recognize / understand his or her own body and feelings. So these are simple things. I found it so relevant. But I tried. To a great extent when my kids tell me they’re not hungry, I say it’s ok. So my parents are there now, they tell me, how can you say it’s ok. I said it’s ok you know. If they’re not hungry, they’re not hungry. Let them not eat. Nothing’s going to happen to them if they don’t eat for one day or one night. These are small things. Like when the child says the milk is hot, the mom says no the milk is not hot, drink it. So how do you know the milk is not hot? Maybe it’s hot for the child and not for you. So it’s just something like going to the kitchen, act like you’re doing something and come back. But that will give the child the faith that my mom trusts me. I can trust my own feelings. So tomorrow if a man or a lady comes and touches you like this. It is not one of those bad sorts, but if a child feels uncomfortable he will be able to say that. But the child will not be able to say it if the child doesn’t have trust. So parenting in India is very control and discipline oriented. Very strict. And somehow because we’re doing it for the first time, we’re just continuing with how we were told. What was imposed on us. There’s a pattern. When girls get their periods, then my mom and a lot of moms would say, go to your room, don’t play, don’t do that. Don’t do this. It’s a motherly feeling, and she’s searching how she got it. But they’re telling them not to do it. There are boys and girls. What do you tell a child from a young age. You as a parent are also conditioning your child – what to say, what not to say. The structure has remained for so many years, and now its changing, women getting jobs, getting educated. What I want to understand is, was this structure stable somewhere. See, the way I understand and I read an article somewhere, when the British came, all these shaking thing happened after that. Before that women had equality. The shaking thing happened only after that. They forced ladies to wear – in Kerala they wouldn’t wear a blouse. So that was an empowerment to them. They were equal to the guys. But when the British came they started saying women don’t have shame. The concept of shame was introduced after that. So now they have left, but we have gotten that. Like if you see tribals, and temple carvings and see how beautiful the relation was and all these things were looked upon. I’ve been on the feminine spirituality bit. Though all the customs and traditions I have shunned. Though I was in Kuwait, I knew a lot about the customs, more than my friends in India because my dad was very strict. So I have to light the diya. Have to pray. It was a thing. The moment I came to India I stopped it because I felt I was being pushed into it. I don’t like to push myself into something I don’t believe in doing, I believe in god, but I don’t light a diya or pray every day. My husband does all that, he does everything and he accepts me the way I am. That’s how I’ve lived for the past like 18 years no. but lately I’ve begun going back to a lot of
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS things I believed because now I have reasons to believe them. So my dad would just tell me to fast this day for this god. So at 18 I said that’s it. I’m sure god doesn’t want everybody to die fasting. I’m sure there’s something else to this. But I had no answers and neither did I seek it at that time. But now I met a few people who are giving me answers to these questions and now I feel I understand why we do these things. So that is probably lost in between. Yes we have lost that in between. Ancient people had knowledge about these things then it got lost in between. By the time it reached our mothers it was completely lost. My mom, I don’t think she has answers to any questions I ask her. So now when my mom asks me, I tell her. Now it makes sense. I feel there is a reason to what we’re doing, why we’re doing – it makes sense. Earlier, even before the British, maybe 5/6 generations ago, we were much more empowered and we knew why we were doing certain things – we didn’t need any explanations. Everyone was sensible, I think even men were sensible. Like over the period of time everything is lost and we’re confused. We think we’re modern and women want to be like men. We women think we are like men – we have to work, we have to take care of the family, we have to be the superwoman. But actually that’s not meant to be, you’re not meant to do that. You’re much more powerful spiritually and there’s lots more divinity and spirituality in women but you’re still trying to be like a man. Somewhere that feminine, masculine equilibrium is lost. Now everybody wants to become a man. Kids need that aspect of the feminine. The nurture, compassion, love. I have started thinking men are victims from the day they’re born. So much pressure on them to take care of their families. Women have a choice to work. Went to Sheshadripuram school and had a debate around ‘can girls walk around alone in the night’, and to my surprise the boys were really supportive of the girls. Like they should walk around. If I have a sister, ill walk with them. But the girls suddenly just went for a ride and they were like, the boys don’t care and they think they can walk in the night. What are you talking, you didn’t even hear that. Because they are so conditioned to think that boys don’t care and boys think they’re more – feminism has become this thing. I was shocked. Like 30 of those girls pouncing on them saying boys are like that – it’s the conditioning. It’s like what you said, boys have so much pressure. It’s sad. That is a root cause of even guys giving up on themselves. I have a friend, when her son feels sad her husband goes and tells her, no son don’t cry, but she goes and tells him, no cry, I want you to cry. Why can’t you cry. You cry, it’s ok. Cry loud and scream and cry. They are conditioned to keep it inside. Boys need more of a venting space. There is conditioning for boys as well. There’s a lady in Bangalore who has done her masters in women’s spirituality in the US. We both joined her on a project called the menstrual something project. So she’s trying to prove a concept. Brought together women from different parts of the world and she believes that if women are together and there for each other, helping each other, making space for each other. Sometimes our menstrual cycles start syncing up, it happens with friends a lot. She’s trying to prove that even if we’re in different parts of the world, if we’re together, our menstrual cycles are going to be in sync. And also the women’s cycle is in sync with moon cycle. Actually it was like that and we – if you see all the animals follow that. You should menstruate around the new moon. Teaching children about menstrual cycle and connecting it with nature. It’s a very nice way to connect. Like they say we shouldn’t go to temple. The reason is there. It’s the air – the flow of the prana. It’s a down flow, it’s like you’re giving birth or going to toilet. When you’re menstruating its equivalent to sitting in the potty seat for 3 days. That’s the amount of pressure actually applied. We don’t realize it because we are busy.
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS So actually we should take rest and we should. And when we go to temple, it’s an uplifting energy, the flow of prana is opposite. So the body has to take double the effort. And when it’s positive energy. When you go to temple its more positive energy. So what are the problems with women’s safety in India The more it comes I media, people are inspired to do it. Media is glorifying it in a way, people think they will get publicity for it. Its hyped. Nobody’s getting punishment at the end. Nee some harsh punishment for 5-6 people. Indian judicial system is discouraging. And people are there to support him and one of the biggest lawyers is fighting the case for him. So he is one of the celebrities. The mentality is there. Then these human right people also come and talk. I mean I get this, but the girl who was assaulted also has some basic human rights. So I don’t know why they are so scared to punish them. Just punish them, punish 20 of them, then people will be scared. People don’t dare to do this in arab countries right. Why, because they’re scared. But here, you can go to jail for five years, live there nicely, come out get married and move on. There’s no fear. Police: one women are also taking advantage of these issues. Many cases where they’re not even assaulted, they’ll go. So sometimes just to pull them down they’ll complain. They do it for political reasons. In the Indus valley the main god was a woman, mother goddess If the female energy really grows, it can be very destructive. So yes, males have that fear. Even some women you meet like that, I don’t think it’s easy to be around them. They have that aura around them that makes you feel a little unsettled. They don’t care. When feminine spirituality is awakened, it’s very strong. So even when she’s talking about the yoni, we have the shivaling, similarly earlier we had temples with yoni, Shakti. The teerth – people would drink it. Now they don’t exist. Has something in the past created this structure to occur? – maybe this is the time, women are feeling pushed over and there will come a time when. Intrinsic factors that make women feel insecure and weak? – becoming pregnant. Or when they have their periods. We tend to be very scared and make a big deal about things. Parents tend to be so scared for their children. Why should one hide it? Menstruation: my mother didn’t tell me about it. – at last I told my mother, and she was happy, she told all the relatives, they felt happy, they came to congratulate me. Was it celebrated as a custom? Yes it was celebrated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu. In Kerala it was like a marriage function. They call people, there is gold. In Tamil Nadu also they do it as a wedding function. In my house it’s like my brother should not know I’m bleeding. That secrecy is there. And till my brother got married, he didn’t know. But in my husband’s family even if the smallest kid gets her period everyone knows and it’s a celebration. So her husband’s family from Tamil Nadu, he wouldn’t mind buying pad. But my husband, I can’t think of telling him to get a pad. It’s the conditioning. Even when the young girls get married, they talk. They discuss everything. When I got married, my mother didn’t tell me anything. So that’s the thing. Nobody’s ready to talk to you about anything. It’s all so hush hush. That all comes through our daughters. We don’t tell them. Otherwise thy get scared. But if we tell our children, this is what it is, this is what sex is an this is what menstruation is, then they understand. I want them to tell me. The trust is important.
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Winter 2018
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS It’s not like it’s not happening. They’re very smart. To avoid any trouble its best that you’re there for them but why should know we are there for them. Because that empowers every child. There’s this guy who comes and stares at me outside my school. So what do you do about it? Why don’t you go and tell your parents? No no no, that is not required. You don’t feel confident to tell your parents that somebody is staring at you, because your parents will say, there’s something you did. They say, maybe you’re smiling it, your dress is short. Even if I’m smiling at a stranger, that doesn’t mean he should come an assault me. That’s not a freedom we’ve given somebody. But I think as parents children are scared to talk. Do you think at some small place they are guilty – the fact that someone is giving you attention makes you feel a little good. Again we don’t allow our children to take compliments well. If someone is saying, you look beautiful, we don’t say anything. Be happy, to take that compliment without guilt. Extrinsic factors: our whole society. Every one. There are good people also. The media? Shakti Kapoor. A chunk of movies. Even now Bollywood movies, the movie is nice, but there is one song, he’s after her taking her selfie – so these are things you think is ok to show and people think it’s cool to do that. So women are shown to be objectified. How are they perceived? The item numbers, kind of words used in the song. – no Bollywood songs / random words. They don’t understand what they are dancing to. No control what they’re exposed to. How can one control the environment. They have to be up with those kids. So these kids wanted to dance to Bollywood songs, and I’m very against that. But they were persistent. So I said fine, give me a list. And they gave a list – one song, meaning, didn’t bring up the subject with the kids the next day. They were still insistent. So I said ok, let’s sit down and discuss the lyrics of the song. So we sat and discussed what the song was about. Now do you want to dance to it. The girls said no. and the kids also said no. but it’s not easy to do this every time. YouTube. Conditioning. Political conditions – they politicize everything. The people who are in power will take stands. Both men and women should do. It’s about the mothers advise. In my house boys are treated like gods. My uncles and brothers, even if they would come at 1 o’clock in the night, my grandmother would make hot hot dosas for them. Even where I come from. When I came to my husband’s house, it was different. I would wait for my husband for dinner. But his mom and dad would tell me, you don’t have to wait for him. You eat your dinner. The moment your hunger is up, you eat. And they would tell him to do for me first and then himself, because I’m important. It was a huge change. My husband is used to ding his stuff. Even if you’re taught self-defense or something, the moment somebody touches you, you freeze. Your mechanism shuts down. So that’s good, it picks up and does something. I tried reaching out to the police number. I was in distress and the person on the other end, was like come and give your complaint. So I said, why then is there a number? So one cannot reach them. Get used to it, it’s the situation. So you see how you can take care of yourself. Don’t go out at 9:30. I don’t think we can safeguard our children 24/7. The only way to do that is if we empower them. There’s no point they have to take care of themselves. Most of the times it is someone known. And it becomes a problem for parents. How to tell your cousins not to touch your child? How to tell your uncles not to touch your child? It’s a problem for our culture. Why do they need to cuddle my child, especially if my child is uncomfortable. If my daughter says she hates it, then you have to respect her sentiments that she doesn’t like it. You cannot say
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APPENDIX F: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS no to people in our culture – it’s a problem. We always expect the child to adjust, not the adult to adjust. We tell them, maybe you imagined! So sometimes that’s what I think also when I’m I the bus. Maybe I just imagined. Because our society is filled with such perverts, our children need to be strong. It’s a sensory perception, to know who to dodge. But that’s because we’ve had an experience. It’s so sad that you have to have an experience for your child to learn this. It’s fear then. You’re not listening to your voice. If you reduce the alcohol, the abuse is more. There is so much domestic abuse, husbands come drunk. Because there’s not much to do. Prostitution – if you give them respect, they will not pounce on women who don’t want to
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Mixed group of people from different companies who hang out in the weekends. Age range is 22 – 28 Before I begin may I ask you what you think, do you think we have a problem in India with regards to women’s safety? Yes most definitely. What do guys think? Yes. Do you think so, what do you think? They can’t walk safely in the night. Do you have an inkling of what might be some of the reasons of why this is so. Because girl’s protection is not there. Safety is not there. Whoever is a criminal, he will go to jail for ten days and come out. – the weak laws and and regulations. Not only that, it’s actually the mindset. It’s the way they have been brought up. First thing when a person does when growing up is visualizing. So what is that visualizing, it plays a role. Visualizing is TV, what they see around. First thing they see is parents. First it’s always the dad and the mom. The second thing is the TV. TV is where this whole love and infatuation thing – that is the first thing that creates in man the mentality. And then they show a lot of criminal cases of ladies in the movies, keeping the name of very good shows – dramas – to make people curious. So they show all these which it enters into the man’s mind. That’s where actually basically makes a man to think about all the things, more than the conscience. More than fighting thing, criticizing stuff, you should go hand in hand. Do you see any technology? First thing that I think will make a difference is the law thing off course. I think a lot of people are not aware of the law. People think it’s alright to fiddle and trouble women. So I think it’s good that we get people aware about the law. A TV commercial always. There could also be a commercial law related, what happens when you mess around with a woman. On the awareness part, when you talk about the Ramayana and Mahabharata, I have read both the books, I know about them completely. There have been very powerful women characters in it, and there is more emphasis on their character and strength. The problem is we don’t emphasize on that, don’t communicate it properly. Since I have read it I know of certain things. It’s not like what’s shown on the TV. Also in the TV there are women oriented serials like Ma Shakti. So there I disagree. There are examples in history as well where women are strong role models. Other way of building awareness is like what you are doing. These days I see a lot of facebook, videos, sharing – somewhere, sometime I think the youth have to take that responsibility of caring for each other and helping each other. So if that awareness is spread across 100% of the youth of India, then I think to some Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS extent it will be good. Otherwise for a person who is a little older, mindset transformation is very difficult. Only the young people / youth can take up this responsibility. Otherwise I don’t have hope on people who are grown up. Ya some of this will work definitely. Nowadays movies, like they will show ‘heroes’, where hero means, he will go and save the girl. They won’t show girls can do something. Everywhere it will be women should get freedom. Women should do this and that. So mindset should change first of all. This may work. And few people who this will not reach, their mindset we cannot change. From childhood everyone should teach them how to behave with a girl, how to treat them. I have seen many families in my community where they give more preferences to girls also. But in the same community there are people who say, “no need, why should girls go out and all that.” If mindset is changed, everything will change. Whatever is said is right. First thing is whatever is happening is based on mindset. If mindset is changed it will be great. Lot of time it is our minds which bring a situation to us. We have to change our mindset also. App – when there is no charge on the phone, I cannot use the app. This topic is so huge, there is no end to it. There is a saying – for every cause there is an effect. So my action in that situation, being a boy myself, I don’t like to go out late in the night. I myself don’t put myself in the situation. Why is a situation needed. Once it happened to a friend of mine. We were working till late in the night till 1 – 1:30. We got a cab at about 3. My friend had a very bad experience. Eversince then I don’t work till late in the office. Somebody attacked the cab and asked for money. Luckily another cab came and helped them. So eversince then I think working till late in the night is not safe. So correct, all this is fine. See self-defense I think is a must. It must be taught from a young age itself. It’s always for prevention. Before getting into the situation, try to avoid the situation. Why do you have to go alone? You can take someone. Always prevention is better. So difficult situations are there, you should plan. Otherwise self-defense. Actually it’s growing the way I see the culture, people are talking about protecting girls. It is growing in the contemporary world. Even law enforcement – instead of criticizing them we have to empower them first. If I am able to sleep well in the night, it is because of the law enforcement that is out on the streets. We always criticize them. Instead of criticizing them we should empower them. Trust in the government – some will fail. They are not robots, they are humans. There will be some fault in them. If we start giving law enforcement proper respect, they will work with you. If we criticize them they will also give up. And law enforcement is doing their part – they are doing their part. See, some pathetic people are there always. It’s the perception - lack of trust - perception. It is again looking back to media. Every crime scene comes to media. Just for the TRP to go well they put random crap into it. You can see patrolling in the night. They are concerned about us. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
184
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Guy and Girl Before I begin, do you think it is a problem in India? It is it is – definitely. And why do you think this issue exists? Mindsets. Mindsets we are brought up with. Gender discrimination. Preference of having boys over girls. It’s a mindset problem. Can’t blame the men entirely, because it’s how they’ve been brought up. It’s a basic culture problem, coming even from the small towns even today. It’s very deeply ingrained – patriarchy is just instilled into the young minds. Men also have a lot of pressure- definitely The texts are very male dominating. Manusmriti is very regressive. Systems: It’s a cycle – they’re weak and it’s the perception we have for them, we don’t trust them to cope up and then ..it’s a cycle. If somebody were to change it, I don’t think we could accept it so fast if somebody was to change it. Citizen’s also don’t take the responsibility. Stories could be communicated through schools And the schools teaching the parents as well. Actually if schools take it up a lot would change ya. Communication on the roads and public transport? I like the concept 2 more than anything else. It could – why not, there is nothing to lose The publicity one could work both ways. Ideally it should deter them, but it can also make the women more fearful. But immediate – let’s say a man and woman are sitting together in the metro and if they were to see the add together, suddenly the woman would become conscious if she wasn’t otherwise and the man would feel powerful if he wasn’t otherwise. Maybe you know. Like what you see is what you think and what you’re attracted to. Like maybe someone gets scared, oh shit, what if something happens? So maybe. Not the idea is bad, but it doesn’t make me feel safe. It makes me feel like you’re attracting it to me. Because today advertisement and marketing is a fairly positive thing to see. We don’t advertise the bad right. You see a fairly positive side. So this would show you the bad in whole of it. There’s an advertisement that comes for people who fear putting themselves in danger. There are two boys in the bus troubling a girl and another boy just stands up for the girl. And there’s were other two families that didn’t stand up for the girl, while they could have. So that’s what it said, if we all wake up we can make a difference. That would really put a fear in someone who’s trying to do a crime. Like if it wasn’t a secluded place people would stand up for the good. Which today people don’t, you’re right. Very rarely somebody would. Ill propose a very small thing. Nowadays everybody is linked to the Aadhar card. If somebody does that kind of crime, you have a limited number of chances and your driving licence gets cancelled. Something like that, your Aadhar can get cancelled. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
185
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS But the problem in our country is, every politician already has a history. It is so accepted. People in power themselves have issues. Technically if you don’t have an Aadhar you can’t stand in politics, right? But that’s something we can’t change today. I don’t know what the future holds. Whatever they do they think is right. I feel for the future, in the schools that is one place a difference can be made, big time. For the future. It may not tackle the current issue but it will definitely tackle something for the future. Some part of it. And not only safety issues, environment issues. If we take care of it at this early level so much can change. We came with the same school of thought. Charity begins at home. It basically starts when the kid is young, either gender. Sensitization and things like that – throughout the system. Do you take any precautions for your own personal safety? Not really. Because I think Bangalore is a pretty safe city. Like the only precaution I have taken in my life is not stay in Delhi. I’m from up north but I would have always chosen to stay in a Pune, or a Bombay or a Bangalore. It’s not that I don’t have friends there. Honestly the people staying there, their views are very different about the city from ours. It’s not a general thought that comes to my mind. I don’t read the newspaper. I honestly don’t. I don’t know what is this new 11 crores scam that has come. I’m trying to ask people. I decided as a child not to read newspapers because newspapers only give you bad information. Like only the sports page or the Bollywood page is fine. I personally don’t know how and why I took this call in life but I took this call. I don’t subscribe to anything, don’t have newspapers coming to my house. I think whatever we think more is what happens to us, I am a believer of that. We attract whatever we think. And these are topics, once you get into it you want to read everything about it. It’s not like you just want to read the headlines. Because there’s an incident happening every day. Why read it and do what? I just ignore it – I have never slapped a boy. I go by, it’s ok, they’ll grow up one day. Thankfully nothing very serious has come my way to have taken action about it. Workplace? Personally have never faced an issue in the workplace as well. I am a part of the retail industry. I have personally not faced an issue in my life. Not worked in a sector which has faced issues. And if I have, I have not reacted on it. I have let it go. And it’s not like I’ve killed myself for not reacting. I have ignored it inside out. If I gave it attention I would spend 4 days crying about it. But if I let it go, it would go off in that moment. With the topic that we are discussing, that’s not really the best solution. But I’m just talking about me. Sometimes even when you read these forwards in groups – you know you finish your shopping, come to where your car is parked, and a really nice decent looking gentleman says I’ll help you. Can you please just drop me to my car. The woman didn’t let him and when they saw the briefcase it had rope, knife, etc. it’s so simple, a nice looking person. It just makes you feel like, don’t trust anybody. Rather be rude than be sorry. I think there are a lot of companies that pick this topic up. Like I myself in my career have seen three men being thrown out because of a woman’s complaint and a lot of companies don’t have any tolerance to this issue. Offcourse they would get into the details of having proof, because then anybody would take anybody’s case. But I have seen people in a very senior position who have been thrown out at a day’s notice. And if an issue like this happens, the culture of the company gets affected. Everybody’s very particular. If every company takes that up atleast it would clean up the workplaces. Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
186
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Girl working with Teach for India Before I begin I would like to know, what are your views on the issue of women’s safety in India? First of all women have definitely experienced. You won’t believe, yesterday only we were discussing this with a couple of friends. I don’t feel safe going around. I’m from Delhi. Delhi is worse. But now even Bangalore. I don’t feel safe, considering the incidents you hear. Sometimes you experience things while walking on the road. And you see people around you. So definitely you don’t feel safe. That comfortable. I can go anywhere, do anything, that feeling is not there. But then one has to work, so that feeling takes a step back. Sometimes I have to come from the airport late at night. So it’s happening, I am doing everything, but in the back of my mind I am scared. My family is also scared. So you don’t feel like you’re living in a very safe environment. Is your family also here? Me and my husband live here. And my husband is a pilot, so he travels a lot and I am often alone. So you personally travel often, is that for work? So I’m a teacher for teach for India and I travel every day to the and come back home in the evening. The community I work with is also not very safe. The area, the kind of kids I deal with, the environment, that’s not very safe. One is that. If I tell some senior boys to behave themselves, the way they will talk to you, the way they will look at you, they’ll whistle while we’re walking from the community. All of that I face, so my main aim is to come back home safely. So I travel here and then I travel to Delhi to meet my parents and family. And I’m used to being alone a lot. But it doesn’t feel safe. But I have to do it. I’ve been looking at different communities. That age – adolescence – delinquency There is no point sending them to jail. There are so many. It’s not a problem that can be fixed by just fixing a few. The community I work with there is nobody to tell you that this is not you behave. Their parents and the people around they try to discipline them by hitting them. So if I tell them that a student is not studying the first thing that comes to their head is to hit the child. So with boys when you start hitting them they become more aggressive and defensive. So if you sit and deal with them patiently and quietly and with love, we have seen changes. And with young boys you can see the changes, but nobody’s telling them that there is an alternative way of dealing with kids while they are growing up. We start dealing with them when it’s too late. But from smaller grades, 4th 5th we see, they’re learning all of these behaviours from these movies and from people around you. They just look at them and then try to replicate it. The system is really flawed. Nobody’s telling them, don’t do this, there are other ways for whatever you want to do. You know you’re hormonal or whatever, there are other ways to deal with it. So that’s also there, nobody’s telling them what to do. I don’t know a way out.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
187
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS For girls in the community, from what I see, they won’t talk. They will suppress it. So if something – they’ve been mentally conditioned in such a way that they won’t speak about these things. So they feel very – just suffer internally. So you won’t even get to know. So like some of my kids came and said, you know the boys said this to me – the third graders and fourth graders. Like what kind of things? Like you know the boys will whisper – somebody will just come and touch them. And they’re really young boys. Some of them are in the third grade. And now they come and tell me because I tell them to tell me. But if I tell them to tell it to their mothers, they will say my mother will hit me and they won’t let me go out. So these are conflicted young kids who are growing up with a mentality that I can’t talk about these things. And then they start believing it’s ok. And when kids see so much violence and abuse at home, they are conditioned and when they get married, they think this is normal. That’s how the whole community and the society works. It continues. Nobody’s stopping them, nobody’s telling them, you know there’s a way out, you can do something else. What can be done about this? So one definitely is awareness. So what we are trying to do is teach in these low income schools. So my class is values. I only teach girls. So they should be able to make their own decisions, have their own opinions, of what is right and what is wrong – we’re trying to build that kind of consciousness in kids. and at an early age. I can’t think about doing it when they have already done something bad or at a later age. And it’s for both – girls and boys - make them aware. So we try to tell them to stay away from boys. I wouldn’t say that. Live in harmony and live together. So we try to build these boundaries, kids are very impressionable. They have this impression in their minds of this is how a boy will be as they grow up, so they will also grow up like that. It’s a cycle. Target early age kids and the community with the parents – just the kids and the parents. And just tell them you know there are systems, awareness, about everything. Only thing lacking is that confidence and awareness you know, this is wrong, I can stand up for myself and I should do something about it. And then such a big population that we have. We can leverage it but we’re just scared. Half the community is scared. Very scared community. They don’t want to come out and say anything. Also because I understand their situation. If they say anything they are publicly shamed and then other things happen. They can’t come to school and all of that happens. So for me that’s the focus I’m working with. I’m building up these things where they can decide this is right, this is wrong, exposure to technology is an important thing. You can’t talk to me but you can google it, right? Now it’s easier – You have online sessions, psychotherapy, whatever. Everything’s there. The parents have mobile phones and smart phones is very easy to get. Atleast now in my class they are learning to use iPads. – so I’m targeting only 30 kids. Working with more kids will make them better decision makers. Lot of these education interventions include technology – does it reach them? Tech is not an alternative for anything. It just increases my stand. With technology I can target more people faster. One can’t replace human interaction with technology. It’s mass. So if I’m not available, something is there. So we use technology in teaching. It creates more impression in kids. Videos and audios keeps it with you. You don’t forget it easily. A conversation you might. Then I can target more people. Instead of 30, with the use of tech in my class I can target 50. Because one of the things this leads to is media. The access to media and so much un-filtered information. My school is in Vijayanagar. It takes an hour.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
188
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Every day you step out of the house you encounter it in some way or the other. You might ignore it, but it’s still there. I’ve grown up in Delhi so when people from outside, ask me if I feel unsafe, so I’ve grown up in Delhi, I’m just used to taking measures. You know ill text atleast two people that I’m out on the road, I’m here – it’s just built in to me. I’m like that now. I don’t feel like I can just step out in the middle of the night if I feel like. So what are the measures that you take for your safety? I need to tell my family where I am, if in a different city, the cab and where I’m staying. It’s just built in to me. I just tell them. And now we say it also. Like if I’m telling a friend, you know if at night we dropped you, message me once you’re home. All these things are there. And when we travel abroad, we don’t really bother about all these things. We go out at night whenever we want. So we lived in Madrid for a while. I was so comfortable. It was a new city. Take a bus go wherever, come back, nobody was concerned when you’ll come back. Here the concern is whether you’ll come back or not. I feel it but I’m telling you I’m used to it, so it won’t affect me that much. but I wouldn’t want my kids to grow up with this kind of a thought or mind where I have to worry about myself. It’s a multilevel problem. It’s not a one solution thing. It’s very complicated, there are so many stakeholders involved in it. You can’t really think if I do this, it will actually change. It’s a hit and trial method which we even try and do. Yes, they need the understanding, the awareness. Awareness is a must and they need a space to feel they are loved and they are comfortable. That’s one thing – they’re worth more than this – their full potential. Just creating those spaces where they feel, yes, I’m capable. I can do something with my life. I am not created to do just this. Do you think workshops on self-worth would be helpful? Yes, it will work, because they are very sensitive and these things actually they get associated with it very fast. But like just one thing doesn’t work. It has to be an ongoing process. I have realized including mothers into this makes a lot of difference. You need to get mothers on-board, they need to be ok with it because fathers will never get on-board. So one adult in the community. Or we have community champions. So if you have one person in the community who is old and in a leadership position to advocate what you are doing, it becomes easier, because then the males also listen. So either find a parent champion or community champion who is doing this. – it makes it easier, it definitely makes it easier. That’s worked in TFI, they have these champions, it’s one of the elderly persons who advocates these things and then we work for them, in facilitating these trainings. Then you have parent circles, it’s everybody because we are trying to mobilize the community, it has to be holistic. So that works. That definitely works. If you do these smaller things also of self-worth or opportunities that you have – the mothers who were not working for so many years also started working because we told them, you can just sit at home and make earrings. So anything anything that you can do. So we are seeing these changes. So just that thing you can do something is lacking. There are not enough people in their community who tell them you know; you work like this. You don’t get to know and it’s very psychological and you start holding back and then you have so many other health problems, mental problems. And it’s really important to address it because you see its result in our community as a whole. You won’t even know so many kids are in depression. You can’t even talk about it. So that’s why you know, these life expectancies are the bigger things that you see it’s decreasing and so many health problems you have. Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right. It’s the same thing. Somebody tried to do something at our level but lot of organizations are doing. They’re really vulnerable. And these are kids in the community who will see people getting murdered at an early age, because the community is violent. There’s so much happening around
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
189
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS you. Your father is beating your mother regularly. I have kid coming, crying to me in the morning you know, my father beat my mother, I had to take her to the hospital. These are 7-8-year-old kids. So the impressions they grow up with, they are so scared in the community to step out. And then I also get scared and I have to tell them, ‘go home carefully’. So my fear then goes onto them also. It doesn’t end anywhere. Explanation of research insights – main reasons that came out – the socialization that exists in the Indian culture. Women become people who follow orders rather than take decisions. The mind-set comes from history / tradition – just the way it’s been communicate, the media adds to it. What you said was right, when they grow up with their parents as role models – sometimes parents also find it tough because the parents are so busy earning their livelihoods – at the end of the day they’re stressed out and tired and their frustration comes out. And there are kids whose parents are not there only. Most of the time they are working. They are left to the community – they are even worse. Mindset is more tangible – it’s flexible, you can change it. Systems: have you experienced with the police – you have worked with the community, what is their experience with the police? Actually what I would understand is that they are more afraid of the police. So they look up to community leaders instead of police. So for example, my principal is a very influential person – if these people have a problem, they will first go to him, instead of the police, whether he can handle it or not. So they have one community leader they look up to. Most of the communities have that look up system. They don’t want to get police involved in anything. Because again, that trust factor is not there. They don’t want to get involved in getting into trouble. That’s the mind-set. So they look up to the leaders. Community leaders is where they actually go to if they face any problem. Even if the police changes, let’s say – if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police – it’s a perception right? Even if I’m in trouble. Ya, but you would still go out right, you would still make that effort in making a complaint – you don’t have any expectation, but you will still do it. Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble. They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it. And Indian’s always look up to people around them – they are very family oriented people any which ways. So if you know anybody in the family who can help you out, you’d rather go to that person. And the reality is, that person might actually be able to do something, and the police might not. So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it. The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person. Strengths / weaknesses – right now India’s youth population is really high – it is the youngest country in the world – if the youth is not handled properly, the dynamics of the economy will go down. How does one bring making a positive difference by youth into motion?
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
190
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS So, unemployment is another big problem. They don’t have the skill set, they don’t study in school. Lack of money, lack of proper education, lack of opportunities. Free education is till eight – the Government gives you free education. There are not enough secondary schools to take these people forward. Lot of the people drop out and most of the targeted audience fails. So people in the house have to choose – should they educate? Because the boy will go and earn money and the females are most probably not allowed to work in such communities. So it becomes an easier decision, you pull them out of education. So these women are unemployed, they have no skills. The men who are getting trained, they are not very serious. – they’re infiltrated, nobody is telling them, the youth is getting polluted with all the bad thoughts, so they don’t focus too much effort into working again. The whole youth that we are talking about is going waste. Some of to the people who really want work, like the females who want to study and really do something are not allowed to. And the ones who are actually doing it are not really – they can’t get a job – it’s a big problem. If they’re employed and they’re doing something and they’re making a living for themselves, they won’t get distracted – it’s a loop again. So because of that it comes back to proper education. More than education, it’s skills. I don’t believe learning English and maths is going to help them. It’s about learning the skills to survive in this world. What about the value system? So, we don’t have a value system right now. Because there is nobody telling them that this is a value. They don’t know what value means. They’re living on basic instincts like I need to earn money for food and then the distractions come in. We did have a value system until a few years ago. Yes, but now we’ve lost it – one because of the population, - we don’t have enough people propagating it – you know these are the value, we should do this. I see religion is the only one which talks about values now. There’s no other way of learning values. Just one or two generations ago, people understood the value of studying and getting a job – ya, the cycle, of running a family properly – you know, not getting distracted by things. The youth are not even focussed on getting a job now. Now it’s just about get money, so it’s not about working – it’s about earning. Do you think it’s our leaders? Do they set a bad example? Leaders, media, if you see the movies getting made – nobody’s propagating a proper life or a culture. It’s like you can make money doing anything. With all the negative influences, it’s easy to pick up negative for kids. So in their mind they can just get away with it. Once they think we can get away, because of our system, they think we can just get away with life like this. There’s no purpose. That value system that had purpose, that gave us meaning, we were living for the community, living for humanity – it does not exist anymore, in these communities specifically. Only we talk about it because we are privileged. We can say you know, this is my value – we can afford to have a belief. These people can’t even afford to have a belief because they’re just thinking about tomorrow – how are we going to survive? It’s very difficult. Yes, it’s very difficult. So they live in like earning hundred rupees a day and they have a lot of kids. So funding their education – and it’s not just about sending them to school. There are
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
191
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS books, and there are uniforms. There are no savings. If one of the parent gets sick, they lose their earning for that day. Yes, that’s why the mortality rate is high. That way you’re right, that value system is not there anymore. Within that if you start building it into education – even for kids who are privileged in private schools, it’s not really about values anymore. So much of it is just getting the best marks. So the value system is lacking in our proper education system as well. These are the people who can actually go out and work for the community if you bring the values into them. Ultimately we have to work for them, but we don’t – we separate ourselves. The kids keep increasing and nobody Is doing anything for them. I believe it has to be in sync – so what I want to pursue it’s not about moral education. It’s value education – you bring these value education to kids and tell them to not just focus on their spoken English or get hundred in maths. In the job market nobody is seeing this also, if you sell this as a value proposition, you can maybe do more. So that’s one thing that could work, from all the people who can actually do something. Responsibility – how the responsibility of the individual comes down to the person. How the responsibility comes down to the individual? So instead of the community taking care of each other, it has become very individualistic. Also, there is a fear in the community and society to get into situations – they fear for their life. An unfortunately children are being attacked now. Children don’t say. The problem is children don’t express themselves. It’s difficult for me to talk to a kid also sometimes. Because they don’t express. You know from a kid’s mannerisms that something is not right. They don’t express themselves. Females maybe, you know the passion that I have to do something for my kids someday and they will speak up. These kids don’t speak at all. And they fear for life – it’s so much easier if people just take a gun and shoot someone. Nobody values their own life also. In that situation it becomes even more difficult. Concepts – ‘Ubundu’ – it takes a village to raise a child – mostly in African communities They actually raise each kid as their own. It’s not just one person’s effort, but the whole communities to raise a child. The community raises the kid. So if you don’t have food for the kid, the community provides. Those are the kind of school systems that we need.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
192
APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Girl in her late 20s I think education in offices and schools will definitely make a difference. Because these two places, when education is going on, for taking a workshop, it becomes mandatory. You have to come in. so even if you’re interested, information will be given to you. I think these two things have the most influencing power. Because you don’t have much control on the family. These would happen faster - impact as these two places – you can ignore. You have to attend. Whatever is given is a task to complete. There is a fear of failure. In office, if something is going on, and it becomes mandatory in HR department, you have to go and sit. It is mandatory. It will make a difference. Atleast 30% people will change. As far as I know myself – it was on a higher danger side. For me it is more important how quickly I can connect with people. I should be able to connect within 10 seconds. In India I would take care of myself, have a presence of mind, have a pepper spray. Because that is the presence of mind that I stepped back. That was the safe point of me. There are a group of people interested in social activities. You can forward it to them incase anything comes up – go and help. These are the people – you can all them earth angels. – bohot log hai, people who have faced it, fathers of daughters. Design strategy – one more – in the app itself you ask if they’d like to help others? We can propose it.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Two American’s visiting India, at Yogishtaan Since when have you been in India? This is our second day How is it going so far? It’s ok. The vibe in the city is pretty nice and we generally feel energetic here. It’s bustling, it’s energetic. So did you get a lot of information before you left for India? Don’t do this and don’t do that? No, we really just came. And we have a friend who’s living in Bangalore so we got his recommendation on places – what we should check out. But not so much as the do’s and don’ts. Beyond just like be careful of the food – don’t drink the tap water. Have you made any arrangements for your own safety while you are here? Personally, no, because I think like it’s easier as a man, especially if you’re fairly larger. Do you stay together – you move around together? Yes, we go together most of the times. My parents told me not to go to like….places? but if it’s two men walking together you tend not to feel it. That and I think we’re both used to traveling, like I’ve stayed in China, very similar places I guess. And even where we both were living together in San Francisco, there are also pretty dangerous areas there, I don’t usually feel threatened, just because of who I am as a person. I have a confidence within. In San Francisco I can roam alone at 2am and 3am and everytime I don’t feel endangered. I would not feel that way if I am a woman. Is it the environment or the inside person? Is it because women feel fear inside? or? I think it’s both. It really depends on where you are and the situation that you are faced with. Because, for instance, in some cities I have been to, in the major cities of China, of Japan, in Korea, you can be a woman who’s alone at night and it’s pretty safe. Like the violent crime rates are pretty low there. It’s not so much of a worry. Like culturally – there’s….location. I have a lot of friends in New York city. Like a lot of people think it’s safe to be there – you can walk out on the streets. Part of it are the aspects of the place, but part of it is just self-confidence kind of things. So, it’s really a combination of things and it depends upon the place, the person – like the experience before, people who have grown up in Brooklyn would say Brooklyn is very safe. But if you have spent all of your time in Manhattan and go to Brooklyn, you might think Brooklyn is an extremely dangerous place. Familiarity is important there. Like people tend to feel less safe in places they are less familiar with but also if you are used to travelling to less familiar places, travel to unfamiliar places a lot, you internally feel safer. Like there’s also this idea of , if you’re in a space where people trust authorities, trust
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS the law enforcement, like if you like shout help, someone will hear you and there’s this bystander effect – someone will not come to aid you, but they will call the police. Which is different, but it’s still an effect that will deter someone who’s trying to hurt you, because they’ll be afraid. But that’s only really in places where people trust the authorities, if I had to guess. Is there some sense you’ve got in India of that? The sense that I’ve got in India – I can only say from what I’ve heard from other Indian people I know. Which is, the theme’s like – the trust in the government to take care of people is pretty low. And the trust in other people around you to not just ignore you is also pretty low. My perception is like, there’s just less help here and there’s less trust here. It’s not something I’ve personally experienced but it’s something I’ve heard. And the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse. And like when you’re in the city or something, it’s like everybody’s in a car – nobody’s really walking around. And also other visual indicators of – is the government functioning? Like if you see a sidewalk, it looks like it’s exploded like a dish in the oven! So is it really working right, you can actually tell. And all these things send the message to you that I have to take care of myself. But because I am confident as a person and don’t feel like I’m in physical danger or anything, so they don’t bother me too much. But I can see how it might bother others. So when you’re home, do you have an emergency number on your phone or do you wear a band or something? I just have my phone. Yea, I don’t take a whole lot of precautions. But one thing I did when I went to…I made a list of emergency numbers. So that if I called it I could. How about here? Here I have no idea. God forbid if something were to happen, who would be your contact person, or what would be the first thing you’d need to do? So, we have one contact in Bangalore. But we don’t have a SIM card!!! Oh No!! It’s a problem right – because you need your identifications and all. Ya, it’s really annoying to get a SIM card here. We tried and they want all these identifications. They want a copy of the passport and … You know it’s interesting. I was talking to our friend Prakash in Bangalore before we came and I was asking him, what happens if we get ourselves into a situation? What if someone tries to stab us or hit us or take us somewhere bad? And he said, to be completely honest with you, you’re western and you have money and money can get you out of these situations. And it was a kind of weird conceit, because not everyone has that. In San Francisco, the precautions that I take for safety, I’m pretty behavioural. So I have my phone, I can call these companies. I have called the police. They did respond? I’ve had one situation where a helpless person chased me. That was it. But other than that, I am athletic. I run. So that makes it tough for all the people Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS who come after me and chase me. When you have these situations, do you have the fight or flight response? Not really. So, I’ve been in situations where someone is sizing me up, where they see if I am someone they would consider fighting, if I put my shoulders back and stare them in the eyes, they stop sizing me up. And so that’s a behavioural thing and it’s much easier if you’re a man than a woman. I’m just a little trusting, I tend to trust people a lot. I’m like, ‘eh, what’s the worst thing that can happen?!’ Yes, you don’t want to not trust people. You want to trust people. Yes, it’s a thing I’ve notice. I guess it’s a difference in perspective. Like the guy we know here, we were all living together in California. He just remarked that I feel trustworthy of people to a level that he’s not comfortable with. Like I would walk around in the night in a sketchy neighbourhood and be like, ‘eh’ – people are generally good and no one will mess with me. But he had more of a defensive position and if somebody approached him he would actually pickle up his leg/ lip – be braceful. Do you think, since you’re here, getting in touch with the American Embassy would help? I trust the American Embassy. Did you get in touch with the American Embassy when you came here? No. But that’s the kind of thing where I think if I had a problem, I’d contact the Embassy and they would take care of it. The Embassy doesn’t have a presence in Bangalore- they have in Chennai and Hyderabad. Oh – I didn’t know that. The American perception commonly is that if you get into trouble in a foreign country, Embassies are where you want to go. And they’ll send you some kind of mail incase they think there’s some problem in the area. I think you need to register with the Embassy – yes you need to register. To say, I’m coming to this place. Just so you know I’m a citizen, etc. I never did that. I don’t think I’ve actually been to an American Embassy overseas. And what about accommodation? Prakash helped you with acoomodation? No, we used the AirBnB So, my experience has always been good. Just so long as the reviews are good Does Air BnB provide any kind of assistance when it comes for safety?
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS Mot for safety. They have the kind of thing where if you feel unsafe you can leave, go to another place and they’ll refund you. Stuff like that. But in the event of an emergency they are not going to do something. So the safety that I experience of AirBnB is less about at the moment of danger and more like beforehand I’m going to trust somebody that other people have trusted before. And if those people haven’t really experienced a problem, I feel like that’s ok. It’s a similar kind of thing. If I see that the person I’m calling has good reviews then, I’m more for the trusting right. So, you don’t really get any control in that case. o Here you have to take care of your own self. What’s interesting there is that people might trust their safety circle more than the police. They consider them to be more responsive than the police. Especially in India as compared to other countries, the private security is more than the police. You see a great number of private security guards than you see police. But that’s only available to people who have the money for private security. And I think the economic factors are just so important. Because one thing that I noticed in china for instance is that if you’re a local Chinese person who would call the police, they would wait on you to do their best or whatever. But if you were a foreigner, they’ll be really on the response. Because they know like you’re here with money that they could spend and maybe you’ll tell your friends, if you go to Shanghai, it’s a very nice city, so – they’ll pay a lot of attention to you. But it really depends on the economic background. Are there any other devices your friends use in emergency situations? I know the Apple phone has a SOS button. Ya, there’s a thing. I just never had to use it so. One thing I’ve seen advertised on television is a device for elderly people. Like life alert. And. Basically if you fall or if you have a heart attack. If for some reason you can’t get to a phone – you have this device around your neck and you press button on it and you can call the police and they’ll do something, like call an ambulance or something. There’s also, not in many cities, but in the United States, there’s also an emergency frequency band. Which is basically if you’re in the wilderness, you can use as an emergency beacon and that broadcasts your location. And it’s pretty easy to triangulate. And so if you get injured in the wilderness and you have one of these things, then you can sort of use your beacon and the rangers can come find you. There are also like simpler things like – things that make a lot of noise basically. There was this guy who had gone on a hike, and if only he had left a message, people could have come to look for him. There was actually a pretty tragic case from when we graduated from college, I think several years ago. This guy he went for a hike in eastern Europe to some frigid mountain. He thought everything was fine. But it was snowing very heavily. He ended up slipping, falling and breaking his leg. And he was alone. He was able to call the rescue people. I’m not sure – the safety people. But because of like the bad weather and they didn’t have their things together, they came too late. He ended up passing away. But it’s like the kind of thing, where even with these life safety devices – if people don’t know where you are exactly. That just helps right, before leaving – if your phone makes a note of where you are. There’s this safety app, I think. And that’s the typical thing adults say about a place – because there are so many people around, it’s so hard for people to mug you – like a hundred people will see it.
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APPENDIX F: CONCEPT TESTING TRANSCRIPTS And I guess the police in new York also says right, if you get into a situation, just give them what they’re asking for and move on. And people will generally help you. Like if you’re in trouble. So it’s building the sense of trust amongst people around you. And a group of three people is way harder to mess with than someone who’s alone. And generally also, it’s groups of people who attack, not necessarily when one is alone. – they feel stronger as a group I guess. Ok, so I know why in india – why we have the issue of safety in India. I understand the dynamic. But why do you think in the US? What do you think is the background? It’s pretty similar I guess – the mindset? Ya, there’s this strength and weakness component to it. There’s a behavioural and even character component to it. If you’re an attacker, you’re more likely to expect a man to be the attacker. But it’s not always that way. So for example, it’s more common for women than men to carry a pepper spray or something other like that. I carry it – Yea right, smart – very smart! And you know, a woman who has a sizeable purse, is probably less likely to be a target than a woman who isn’t carrying a purse. That purse could contain pepper spray. I mean, I’d still say like travel in groups. But like … But my sister carries pepper spray. She got it as a gift!! :D But like if it’s not visible, then it’s not visible. This isn’t like a mail female thing. But my family, our house got robbed about 20 years ago. And after it got stolen, my parents installed a home security device. So basically if somebody breaks in, all the doors are locked and all the alarm system is on then. I’ve also seen people who use pepper spray on a key chain. – it’s cute. In my opinion, the most safety feature of that alarm system is that sign we have out that says we have an alarm system. Like every time that alarm system’s gone off, it’s because of us. I like tried to open the door when the alarm system was on. I think you’re right. Because the differentiation between our product and the other products that are out there – they have rings, and pendants and all that, where you press a button. They’re all so chunky that you don’t feel like wearing that piece of jewellery. But the point you raise of showing your attacker that you have something is a good thing, because they might not attack you then. So that goes against what we’re creating. Ours is inconspicuous. It’s a dual thing right. If it’s on your purse it doesn’t make you feel aesthetically uncomfortable Even if something is not chunky, but is rather slim – but people know it socially as – let’s say you have a band on your wrist and a button at the end of it – to call authorities. If everyone knows what that band is and what happens when you press it, it doesn’t matter how chunky or big it is. People are going to start looking if you wear one of those. It’s like if you can set it up as a cultural icon – if you’re able to achieve that, then you’ve hit success. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS Public transport: City bus, metro, uber/ola and auto rickshaw.
Busses • Most non air conditioned Busses are segregated in a male and female side. The women’s side is more towards the front of the bus. • Sometimes a male sits in the woman section and doesn’t get up until he is asked to. • The ticket collector in the bus is either a male or female. As I was growing up in India, they were only male. • At busy times the bus is really packed with people standing extremely close to each other. • When the bus is packed, people who have to exit from the front side of the bus, have to push their way through the passengers. • There is hardly any body consciousness when people are touching you so closely.
Metros • There is no segregation in the metros as there are fewer compartments. • There are seats allotted for women who are pregnant, people who are handicapped or elderly. • During peak times the metro is extremely packed with both men and women closely bunched up together. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS • It is difficult to exit without squeezing one’s way out. • While there are chances of incidents, perhaps the presence of so many people around, and the attention to women issues might deter people from them.
Uber and Ola • The apps have a SOS button ever since there have been a few occurrences of assaults. • Have found them safe mostly, even when travelling at odd hours. • I stop myself from falling asleep in the car. • Came across one taxi which had tinted glass windows, which would make one uncomfortable. The driver also seemed uncooperative at one time of the ride. Public spaces: • Road opposite a college • Lots of noise when college closes. Students of a local college.
• Kids hang around. Sometimes in segregated groups. Sometimes together. • Some teasing.
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS • Vendor selling whistles. Some curious kids (from a gang who considered themselves cool) bought a whistle and tried it out. • The youth population is really high in India and will be in the future.
General road Girl in red t-shirt and leggings jogging. Two men driving a tractor observing her. When the truck over took her, one of the men turned around and continued to observe her.
Newspapers Wall painted near Sheshadripuram College.
I have also been collecting newspaper clippings since the past few months. Somehow I haven’t managed to stay very regular with this, but I still have a big bundle. There are atleast one or two stories every day in the newspaper. Many of these are about incidents that have occurred. The newspapers also convey the general social, cultural, political and economic climate of the country. • Newspapers are reporting atleast 1 to 2 cases on a daily basis • Cases vary from minors as small as 2 years to older women. • The vary across classes of society
Newspaper clippings around the issue. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS Reshma is a young girl (age 20) who works in an apartment complex. She lives in an impoverished neighborhood with low street lighting. Her house is about 0.5 miles from where she works. She usually commutes on a cycle. After her work in the residential complex, Reshma sells flowers in the neighboring streets. She has faced incidents of cat calling and eve teasing which she tends to ignore. She avoids roads where she might spot a group of boys and takes the longer route instead. She finds that when boys are alone they don’t tease as much as when they are in a group. She also finds that boys as young as 10 have gotten into this behavior. Reshma usually asks an older person for help incase she is being troubled. People have become very supportive ever since there have been incidents of rape and abuse. Her mother has also given her a phone so she can communicate incase she’s in any trouble. Reshma leaving for her home on her cycle.
She says there are no organizations who interact with the community on the issue. She also mentioned that people might tell the police in secrecy if there is an incident as it is a matter of the girls honor. Reshma’s mother confronted a neighbor whose son was teasing her daughters. Her mother is considered very strict and people avoid confronting her. These days the police has been patrolling the area due to the drugs racket in the area.
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Reshma’s neighborhood. The street has low ligting. The images here include the headlight of the researcher’s car. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS Bengaluru Fantastic was a digital arts festival that was held for three days in December in 2017. One piece at the festival was by the artist Afrah Shafiq, titled ‘Sultana’s Reality’, which is a visual expression of horrors women faced. The artist uses an interesting Alice in Wonderland approach through cartoon as a medium, so as to connect with the audience. I interviewed a few people who saw the artist’s work. I also interviewed a curator.
Blank Noise: I didn’t ask for it
Work by Afrah Shafiq at the Bangalore Fantastic Festival.
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APPENDIX G: OBSERVATIONS Blank Noise is a volunteer run community / public art project in Bengaluru. It addresses issues of street harassment. I was able to attend one of the events, ‘I didn’t ask for it’, held at the Cubbon Park in Bengaluru. The meeting was attended by 17 women and 2 men. The meeting involved women sharing their stories and placing the piece of clothing they had faced assault in at the center of the circle. Participants age ranged from 20 to 50 years, with more in the younger age bracket. Stories that were shared revealed the different kinds of assaults faced by women today, how it has affected them and what they did with it.
Top left: Markings on the road leading to the area where people were meeting. Bottom left: Board filled out by spectators. Bottom right: Announcement of event on Facebook.
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APPENDIX H: IMAGES
Government campaign supporting the girld child. ‘Bet Bachao Beti Padhao’ translates to ‘Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter’.
A recent change: Bus conductors, often women do not let the child go with anyone other than the parent / guardian unless it is communicated in written to the school. However, this is seen in private schools mostly. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX H: IMAGES People who have migrated into the city from the village in search of work. Probabilities of working in a construction are high.
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APPENDIX H: IMAGES More women are joining the workforce
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APPENDIX H - IMAGES: PROJECT POSITIONING - BLUE OCEAN A comparative line chart of existing offerings reveals that all offerings are low on a helpline or support number. While most show high inclusivity and accessibility to everyone, workshops and trainings are usually women focussed. Creativity, resourcefulness and campaign orientation levels vary.
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS MINDSET, ENVIRONMENT, CONTEXT AND STEREOTYPES The situation is a result of socialization and conditioning that is based on a male dominated (patriarchal) feudal system. It begins in the house. A young bride would go through mental agony and feared for her safety whether it was being thrown on the street or threatened for dowry. Men are treated like God’s. They would drink and come and have no other form of entertainment but to be violent with their wives. The way boys were raised played a role. They were made to feel different from the beginning. They perceive women are lower than themselves. These days, men are unable to accept that women are working as they were the bread winners till now Society has wide variations when it comes to respect for women. Women usually live in fear and are dominated over using physical violence and fear. From the beginning girls are discouraged from going out. This begins in the parents house. By restricting them at every step, they get more fearful and lose confidence in their abilities and get left out. The only perception of the woman then becomes as a symbol of fertility and not as a creative, intelligent human being. Society never looks at her as the progenitor, the one who takes society forward, and she is considered weak instead.The women’s individuality is lost in the process. It doesn’t have so much to do with education as with the conditioning. Family and parents play an important role. In India Goddesses are worshipped but women are still disrespected. Society needs to be reminded of the Mother (nurturer), Durga (destroyer of evil) and Shakti, the Goddess of strength. However, unfortunately, women’s safety is compromised even in religious spaces. Women are so wrapped up in all that’s going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals. From childhood to being a woman, one always faces issues. Eve teasing, whistling, commenting are normal. However if one gives into Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS fear, they will not be able to do anything. So the first barrier is oneself and the fear that has to be overcome. Fear can work in two ways. It can restrict one from moving or it can challenge one to break walls. With the police and other authorities not responding effectively enough, women’s safety or anyone’s safety for that matter becomes their own responsibility. Such responsibility is passed on unfairy and unduly to the woman. These incidents are an outcome of childhood frustrations or restraining the strong urge that must have been felt at some point of time when growing up. They reflect a deviance in society. There is also a very high predatory behavior in certain groups of people. An animal instinct of dominating over the weaker. Often it’s not about the sex but about the power play. Further, it is not just youth delinquency (drugs, eve teasing, molestation), but one finds this occur within well to do families as well. The emotions need to be channelized. While there are residential welfare associations, people are reluctant to talk or tell other about the issues as it is a personal matter and noone wants to intervene within a community. Empowerment doesn’t mean we are taking power away but that we are sharing this power. The judiciary system deals with cases in a bad way. There is also a lack of commitment as well as an integrated approach whether it be the government, a project or a NGO. People need to broaden their minds. Society is getting more and more ruthless day by day. Parents don’t talk to their kids about these issues more freely. Poorvi Das
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS “The feminine masculine equilibrium is lost. Everyone seems to want to be a man.”
“Ancient people had knowledge of these things. They have gotten lost now.” “I understand them better because people are giving me answers to my questions.” “We women think we’re like men. We have to work, take care of family, have to be a superwoman. Actually it’s not like that. Women are more powerful spiritually.”
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TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE Loss of knowledge of tradition and culture: The current generation is questioning customs, traditions and beliefs and does not want to be pushed into something they don’t understand. There are many misconceptions or subjects that are not spoken about or explained. This is especially emphasised by the influence of western ideas and culture in the past 30 or so years, through television, globalization and now digital media. Still, some people are going back to traditional wisdom due to more conversation around it and their understanding of it due to their own maturity. There is a conflict on the way religious texts portray women. While some schools of thought describe a high regard for women, others consider them inferior to men. While Hindus worship Goddesses, they do not respect women. Wisdom of the original texts are difficult to access due to not knowing Sanskrit, the language these texts were written in, and manipulation in communication as per the preference of the story-teller. This is important because Indian culture was heavily centred around the religious texts until a generation ago. The caste system has created a divide which continues to this day in a reflection of disrespect. It is perhaps not relevant to the present day and age or not understood properly. There is a conflict in traditional gender roles. Women are increasingly working and taking care of the home and family.
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS MEDIA “Reading stories in the newspaper inspired me to do something about it.”
“The movie is nice, but there is one song where he’s after the girl taking a selfie.”
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Media: Media has played a strong role in indian culture over the past few decades. The country has many television channels, a thriving film industry and is also active on digital media. Media (television) tends to glorify incidents which occur, and there is a lot of sensationalization around subjects like rape, incest, etc. Media can be a powerful influence both in a positive and negative way. The limitless exposure to content, with television (India has 857 permitted private satellite television stations) and now the internet (limitless content) is subject to the viewers choice. There are also a lot of grey areas in terms of filtering of content, which is often accessible to an audience which might not be mature to handle it. Media has been used as a powerful tool to challenge reforms and policy especially with reference to women’s safety issues. The Indian film and media industry also objectifies women. Audiences look forward to ‘item numbers’, songs where an actress clad in skimpy clothes dances to obscene lyrics amidst a group of men. Recently a prominent actress shared her decision to never sign for an item number on a television talk show, explaining how it negatively impacts the image of women.
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS “There is a lane adjacent to my house. Incase I see the boys standing there, I take the longer route around.” “There are boys as young as 10 and 12 who have begun this kind of behavior now. I experienced it in my school.”
PUBLIC SPACES Women face a lot of issues in public spaces, like catcalling, eve teasing, groping, etc. Young girls are particularly easy targets. The usual reaction to these incidences would be to either ignore or yell back at a person. Another coping mechanism is to avoid certain roads at certain times of the day. Typical signs of a road to be avoided would be a dark one with a group of young men loitering. The police has become active in some of these areas as there are drugs involved as well. Women usually carry a small weapon like a key, stick, pepper spray or nail-cutter. Women are gaining the confidence of being more vocal incase they face an issue in a public space or transport system. They tell someone close by or scream at the perpetrator. Girls who live in impoverished neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable with no security force (public or private) responsible for the area. Mothers give their children phones so they can reach out to them in case of danger and children have also learnt to ask the older people for help, in case they are afraid. Many busses in Bangalore are segregated into a women’s and men’s section to avoid incidences and keep women safe. This has not been done in the metro as yet for which the state government has witnessed a few protests. At the same time, there are movements and activities being initiated by young women around the concept of reclaiming public spaces, which try to break stereotypes. Some activities include women loitering as a group during the day and the night, sleeping in parks, entering the general compartment of trains, etc.
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS CHANGES BEING WITNESSED “Delhi is very mixed and one feels very unsafe. It is not the same in Ahmedabad, south India or the mountains.”
More awareness in people. One finds more awareness in people now. First no one would stand up for a person who was being harmed. Now there is social media, law, action by the police, numbers to call. Girls who used to be shy don’t mind speaking up now if a person is troubling them. We’re adopting western culture very fast because it’s the ‘cool’ thing and are forgetting the depth of our own traditional culture and values. We have a very rich culture.
“Now if you ask me about customs, the current generation doesn’t have a clue!”
There is a lot of randomness in society: everyone is doing everything in their own way. There is no system or process of filtering. There is no consideration of what media is showing and how it impacts. Also, if a rule is put down for the better by the government it leads to a disruption and , is challenged heavily. One finds a lot of inter-migration in different parts of india. In cities where people have come from different parts of the country in search of work, there are more incidents. There will be many more issues as more and more women come out to work. It’s a transitional phase which every culture goes through. However, we are not waking up to the thought that it will happen on its own.
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS GENDER EQUALITY “I would expect my partner to be an equal partner. We made a decision to have children together. How come it affects my career only and not his?”
As more women get into the workforce, women hope that both partners are able to share the responsibility of children and the home. However, due to the deep rooted patriarchal system as well as organizations seemingly unprepared for this trend (the need for organizations to accommodate the needs of women and children) in order to sustain women in the workforce, this reality is still far away. Women’s presence creates an equality and brings in a more inclusive perspective in the workplace.
“It will take some time for men to really understand and accept this fact. We can’t imagine all women to go back and sit in silence.”
In India, due to the effect of the patriarchal system, many men find it difficult to accept women working and contributing to the finances of the house, a domain which had brought them pride until then.
“What clicked with me was the neutral perspective which makes me understand what a struggle it has been to get me where I am today and how much women have struggled for us to reach this place and how easily we can lose it. How careful we need to be while policies, rules, laws are created.” Poorvi Das
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“Women who articulate in a confident way and challenge what exists by producing work that allows for participation of women, ll voices in a way to negotiate a terrain, the status quo of this kind of prejudice and stereotypes that dominate society.”
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APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS “Working with artists who are interested in this issue of inequality and diversity and allowing a space that empowers and embodies a new vision of the world.” “Artists don’t change the world, but they change the people in the world. Then the world changes.”
ARTS AND THE CREATIVE SPACE Protests around the issue have become the normal way of getting the authorities attention and bringing about change. Many are using art (performance, film, installations, writing) as a medium to protest or describe a point of view. Art is an interesting way to explore a subject, have a dialogue and interact with the listener / viewer and get their attention. Artists can be direct, indirect, humorous and unlock an invisible tragedy or break stereotypes. Performance art is also used to understand the issue better and is used by certain organizations. Art in public spaces has the possibility of interacting with a diverse group of people with different mindsets so as to challenge these subjects.
“Artists provide the fundamental space and possible one of the key spaces in today’s society that search what sits between a yes and a no.”
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
217
APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS “We always expect the child to adjust, not the adult. We tell them, maybe you imagined it. So sometimes that’s also what I think in the bus - maybe I just imagined. Because our society is filled with such perverts, our children need to be strong.”
CHILDREN AND THE YOUNG Safety gets dragged onto the children. Often children come to protect their mothers from their drunk fathers and are beaten. There are also cases of incest, which are not restricted to rich or poor, nuclear or joint families. Incest is heavily unreported by the victims as well as family for the fear of spoiling relations or the family losing its honor or respect in the community. Children are more vulnerable. Often children run away because they cannot take the violence any more. Children are often victims because they are not aware and are usually trusting. As part of the culture, these issues are hardly discussed. There is also a tendency of the child losing trust in the parent due to the authoritarian manner of disciplining children and thus their inability to communicate an incident to their family. The child is expected to adjust, and a claim overlooked on the pretext that he/she must be imagining it. This goes in to children not trusting themselves about the intent of an incident, even when they are adults. Conditioning begins at an early age in the home and seeing one’s parents. Some children accept the as the norm when they are older while others fight against it. Boys are willing to stand up for girls or walk with them when there is a need. However, there is a strong mistrust based on social conditioning as well as recent issues. Boys are also expected to be strong and are not allowed to cry which causes a lot of pent up emotion.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
218
APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS “Curiosity triggers them”
“You don’t feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is staring at you because they will say it’s something you did. Maybe you were smiling, or your dress was too short.”
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
There is a need to empower children from a young age by talking to them openly about abuse and building their trust in confiding in the parent or trusted elder. There is also a need to introduce gender sensitization into the school curriculum. There is a need to address both boys and girls on the issue. Childline is a helpline especially for children, where if a child calls, a case is immediately registered, and social welfare committees can record and follow up. It is intentionally not affiliated with the government. Unfortunately they don’t promote it enough. People don’t know about it.
219
APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? Need to raise awareness. Girls are left unaware. Need to create a social system where the victim doesn’t blame himself. The perpetrator needs to be blamed. Need more system based approaches where the core factors creating the problem are addressed. Need to demand a more systemized and integrated approach across the board from the police and other departments like the judiciary, social welfare and transport. Need laws which are communicated strongly through media, so people are afraid to commit these crimes. Need to include boys and men in the conversation. Need to follow up instead of just sensationalizing and then forgetting. Focus of foundations on getting workers to send their children to school, alcoholism and women’s safety instead of only entrepreneurship and income generation. There needs to be a change in attitude. One person in power who is sensitive to the issue can bring about change. Empower so that there is no fear
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
220
APPENDIX I - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: RESEARCH INSIGHTS Need to introduce the subject of women’s safety / gender sensitization in school, as part of the curriculum. There is a lot of scope to bully girls. It should be nipped in the bud. We need to move from dependence to independence to interdependence. Somehow we get caught in the independence bit.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
221
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
This wall includes the project proposal, timeline and map of research space. It also has a few interesting quotes I came across in the past few months. I intend to add key insights and notes on to this as I go.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
This wall is where I am building to understand. It will be a combination of the secondary research (including newspaper clippings), and primary research (including interviews and observations). I have laid it down in a particular way at the moment, just to see how things connect. I will put marks for insights, weaknesses, strengths and opportunities and explore other models of analysis as we go ahead.
222
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
223
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Nirbhaya: The brutal gang rape in Delhi which shook the country and brought the problem to the face
The influence of media and role models
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Understanding the image of women from religion, the epics, history
Examples of contemporary creative approaches to addressing the issue
Streets with improper lighting and the SOS button on the OLA (like UBER) taxi app.
Self-help groups to bring about transformation
Looking at the youth: examples of some positive social impact as well as the huge population of youth
Public transport: Buses and Metros
224
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Relevant excerpts from the information collected in the interviews and observations were categorized to see recurring themes. These were then organized on the working wall. The dominating category was under the heading of ‘mindset, environment, context and stereotypes’. This constituted approximately eight sheets of paper and had to be placed separately on the working wall. The others categories were placed corresponding to the information put up on the working wall during the previous week. Key insights within the categories are explained further.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
225
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Art / Creative space
Children / the young
Gender Equality Womens Empowerment What should be done?
Children / the young
Changes being witnessed Mindset, environment, context and stereotypes’
Public Spaces
History, tradition & texts Media
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
226
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL What should be done?
give responsibilitie from childhood. guide in a proper way - respect women
as soon as puberty hits, that's when this awareness should be given
there should be more awareness - it's required
Have a system where you don t feel you're in the wrong. Other person should get the blame - not the victim. Crime has been committed against me and society cannot blame me
Not a systems based approach - problems or suppression of their symptoms, rather than understanding and addressing the factors that cause the problem
Systemizing police intervention is not there. All a separate separate effort. Lay down a strategy, bench marking, have an intervention. Our system is based on a firefighting approach - short term fixing
What are the
welfare
Need stronger laws so people are scared. People don't do these in Arab countries. here you go to jail for 5 years, come out and get married. There's no fear.
Mobile phones- situations where the mobile phones are not accessible. It's an eye opening thing that had helped women in terms of these livelihoods, communication and sense of empowerment.
We take for granted that it's part if being a woman. How do we change that at the societal and private spaces? What is required? Media?
Integrated approach, anonymity, diversity of education levels and standards, enforcement in a systematic way across boards. If all the department's do their part as the four are closely integrated. Police does its part, judiciary dies it's part, social
shouldn't be
be more
any kind of
disciplined
biasing
Dance therapy- good experience - made a difference in the confidence levels of the kids.
When you make a foundation,
When did you get a message on your phone advising you in how to protect yourself from harm?
make sure the guys send their kids to school and ensure their wives safety. What are the levels of alcoholism? It's not their in the community. There's lots of focus on entrepreneurship, income generation, giving women an Aadhar car
Who takes the y?
if women want to do something, it's their wish. a man should not be the one who deicedes what a girl wants to do. if the man can tell she's safe or any recautions need to be taken, it's fine
there should be a set of rules and guidelines that should be followed. it should be incorported in the education system which is not there. they don't teach you how to behave with a woman.
its an interpersonal issue. the
create an environment where people can talk. and when people are ready to talk, that will solve a lot of it. that database of reactions in diff. situations it will
The entire system
Feared for her safety whether it
That needs an attitude change
One person being
Metoo has to be
Make them more
sensitive to it can
interpreted to the
stronger.if they
next step if
feel scared to go
make a difference. He has
balancing of
out, don't be
the power, he can
power of
scared. You can
do.
independence
go out.
Collectively help help each other. When there is an helps everyone
It's an important subject. It's the way you do it
Social media has given a voice to the people who couldn't stand up and speak. People are trying to express their frustrations, grudges, anger - when they see it happening they realize something can be done about it
Need to bring change in the education system from the beginning. Focus on early age education- the way relationships and emotions are managed / handled at a young age. Very difficult to change the mind of an adult
People who realize this have started pulling their kids out from the regular environment- raising them in a different way
Catch 22 situation
Values, each organization has its values
Get used to it. It is the situation. You see how to take care of yourself
Need streetlights
doesn't mean we are taking power away but that we
Needs conscious effort- more positive you think it's more positive- ok 98 is bad let me focus on the 2. The power of social media is that you can float the 2%
Everything unravels faster but repairing/ building takes longer
Education system, schools should carry women's safety as a subject. There is very strong stereotyping. Safety issues not taken as part if the curriculum- make schools and toilets safer. Nip it in the bud - the misbehaviour that happens in the school. We give a
army guys stand up for the people. instead of being a spectator, you become someone who prevents the crime
Good and bad -
Social welfare department- insure that we have robust schemes for women employment for people who have been affected by rape, domestic violence. How do you wean them out and place them in a better system? Because they
good and what is it to your mother?
Not restricted to rich or poor - gets manifested in diff. Forms
don't have a good social security
Need to shame the person
through any such
Need to shame the person
in the family
Socialization- have silenced that voice. You've been deadened.
Family not sensitive to overall needs of the woman let alone her safety.
they are hard to break. It's about education
Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger
It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house
Why can't she be
That feeling of
fully clothed till
being more
such time that
powerful than the
society recognizes
other - touching
her need to be
makes you feel
herself.
superior
Responsibility comes down to the woman - society not responding - continues to see women as vulnerable. Curtailing our own - sacrifice we're making.
85% cases happen in the family
Has to do with early life 0-12
Not just about creating fear but also coping with it.
Take
They fear how will they go, where will they go - nothing to do with being educated - family and parents play an important role.
anyone who's weak
Women give in for the sake if the family- husband's and kids
First barrier is myself. If I am afraid myself, how will I go ahead
it's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
it's like the affordances of an object - wat all can i do with it? What all can a woman do and what all can i do to her?
we want immediate gratification
thyeve reached a
it has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action. it's really about changing people's thoughts and what you give them.
point because of a number of factors - peer pressure, 5 other people are doing it
is it chivalry or suppression? weakness or intelligence? we know that you'd be harassed if you go into becoming an eyewitness. so we did our bit of due dillegence, good samaritan - took the number and gave it
we condition our daughters like this
come, nothing else to do
Here because of a
Men are
social
treated
conditioning
like God's
trainings. i think it would benefit an organization
having lights, having policemen on the roads, can have guards who does the rounds but their duty begins at 10. but it starts getting dark at 7
with the number of people we have, our strength is ommunity, not
systems: a group of people who say yes, we are going to deal with this
feel more unsafe
everyone
as i have grown
wants things
older because i don't move as fast
now - use
now.
and throw
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary attitude
we have become fearful to help. i think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it's very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside. so evn if theres a child, you are not trusting
we're connected virtually, and not really, so you don't run to help people even if they're in front of you
with a daughter i
people in
would get even
the slum are
more worried. so you have to take
the least
precautions.
fearful
all these differences happen after you enter puberty
there were no guards, independent house. the lane has cctv cameras. it is the lane where the riches people live. but what's the point
Intrinsic: how keyed in should a woman be? Made
city in Mumbai, where very literate people
Need to
have made me
broaden the
feel unsafe
the kind of touch, which is extrinsic - it's read in the ming
that physical touch can mean something to me and mean something completely different to somebody else
my conditioning has been boy like - so im conditioned to hit back in conditions of violence
trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
if he's a strong man, do you expect me to fight with him?
power
from the
struggle is
time she
an importan
matured i
aspect
used to fear
Schools not properly socialized
No regulation - gone out of control. Environment - who makes the environment? Changes everywhere.
Residential welfare association - people reluctant to talk or tell about anyone else as it is a personal matter - no-one wants to intervene within a community
Extrinsic: how aware / sensitive is the outside domain? Market / bus or office. How aware? What are the warnings? Who gives the signals? Who has responsibility and accountability for women's safety? - separate coaches, vendors
Do you need to be drunk. Do you need to dress in skimpy clothes? Boys dressed in full sleeves. Girls in spaghetti straps. - asking for trouble. How aware are you if this? Don't be in a burkha. But are you aware?
NGOs don't have
Deal with
Male
few are good.
cases in a
dominated
Don't delve into
bad manner
feudal
any clarity - only a
the problem
society
deeply
the police didn't do anything. they
problems of
just said don't
reporting these
walk alone, please
incidents and
don't walk alone
getting justice on
in the night
there are different drivers for this - stems at multiple levels. at each level of social strata, there are different drivers.
its also associated with the evils of drinking and drugs
in general the
them is not easy
m
the framework is weak
They think
Police - come and write your complaint
uneducated class, the male power is very strong
when they come out and see these girls working, partying, they are earning so much, why, why don't i earn the same - these emotions keep building and it comes out as a rage
Women's Safety is compromised even in religious places
There are categories in society - boys and girls
The way we raise boys plays a role - make them feel different from the beginning
Society is getting ruthless day by day
it's about power play
m m
Safety in police
m
the size of the
they attack women because they consider them weak.
country we're not able to take care
what time of the Looking at public spaces/ busses - several range if issues. How to make them more sensitive to the needs of women. Look at the Saree. Sarees catching fire.
point of view, i over that. i have control over this
m
when i saw a girl wearing
is a place makes a
could have reacted differently.
difference to the
reacted differently. it depends
now, influence of
you are
another person could have
social media,
improperly
deserted the reactions would
cinema, western
dressed is higher
have manifested differently
situation
exposure one has
this happening if
on the time, or if the area was
same kind of
their discimination is if you are weaker than them. they come in a mob. getting back. get economic power, sense of power
the present
the probability of
provocative clothes, i felt embarassed. another person
culture
society is not equipped to ensure safety for women, as a system
lack of education and grooming in families and in schools
and it's becoming worse. now they even start using women and children as pawns, so they may not be doing it but they may be part of a bigger plot. so it feels like you're in a crime scene all the time
we're overexposed - want the world in your fist, right now, at the press of a button. while the exposure is good, it's causing a lot of problem.
luckily my conditioning has been open. everytime i hit someone and came back my father said you should have punched him harder!
the impatience levels have increased - a lot of the impatience is injected by the visuals that one sees.
discrimination between boy and girl - boys can't make a mistake. but girl dhak ke rakho. why should the victim be blamed
Punishment
90% of people if they sense they are weaker than him would go away from there. either they would call for help. they would call the police or ring up people
in addition to values the premium put on a boy child vs. a girl child
most of these crimes happen with 2-3 boyes. there is a lot of
in India, law
peer power. i have done it. to
and order is
strong. one of the social causes.
show group commradri. one upmanship in a group. im
socially you feel very empowered. similar to how a
not
man feels holding a cigarette
there have been instances when i have travelled - in the spaces i have stayed. I have stayed in very 'shady' places so to speak
competitive, responsibilit ies, lack of value
a boy is very sought for. there
intentionally
It's 1098. But how much is
our indian mindsets are set like that - fully based on tradition
police come and
Small cell, intentionally non- government.
Empowering children by talking about sexual abuse. Tell them about good touch and bad touch. - understand ways for them to not break trust in themselves
Often children come to protect the mother, the father has come home drunk or is aggressive - the children also suffer
Usually young sociologists, psychologists- young women. There is a reporting mecganism. They investigate. Have the liberty of going to the child rights commission. Or going straight to the police. Have that kind of jurisdiction.
Controlling What you tell your child from a
kids - no no
young age. You're
no you have
also conditioning
to do this
the child
Allow boys Allow children to take compliments well
Safety gets dragged into or pushed onto the children. Cases of incest - women openly watch their elder daughters - happens in joint families as well. It has been underreported.
Where we fail is children who are not aware if it. And the socialization process if the woman. - not done in clear distinctive, identifying ways, an unwritten kibd if behsvior that the child observes in the family. Have to be clever and if they are sensitive e
Simple ways to not break the trust
Talk to kids.
to cry. Let
Discus the
the emotion
lyrics of the
come out
song.
Can't safeguard our children 24/7. We can only empower them. They have to learn to take care if themselves. Often it us someone known.
Bodily harm + psychological, mental - that which is not mentioned, that which is not seen - she endures that and it also has an impact on her children.
Plan to address both boys and girls at school level
Child won't be able to communicate if he doesn't have trust in you
It's not like it's not happening. They're smart. To avoid trouble it's best that you're there for them. - that empowers every child.
It becomes a
We always expect the child to
problem for
them, maybe you imagined it. So
parents- how to tell a relative not to touch the child.
The girls and boys who are more vulnerable. Children have run away - I just couldn't take the beating, I couldn't take the suffering.
Curiosity triggers them
Talk about it when girls get their periods instead of just sending the kids to their room
You Don't feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is stating at you because they will say it's something you did. Maybe you're smiling, your dress is too short.
commenting. - used to get
that fear grow wouldn't have managed to reach ahead, travel to different places. Didn't let it grow. Family also told me to give it back. Learnt martial arts because I wa
See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is lost. Only see her as mother goddess. Not an intelligent human being.
Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weaker? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the professor, the one who takes society forward
powercentricity is a lot in a country like india. where you have control on other people and nothing will happen to you and you'll get away with it. so that's another place
First label is within family- restricting women from going out, keeping within boundary, restricting movement - one starts getting fearful at every step
Safety varies city to city, culture to culture
guptas/ Barnes. Interested marriage you were thrown out
Society has wide variations when it comes to respect for women
Ancient people had knowledge of these things- got lost. Now it makes sense. Reason to what we're doing, why we're doing
Women are
Intensity /
objectified -
scale higher
number.
on the roads, on
extrinsic: physical environement, the space - how well it is lit, the dimensions of the space and the amount of traffic in the space. Somehow more people make you feel safer, unless you're in a bus
it's getting reported more - its rampant now
the tv - the culture that is propogted allowes you to think in certain ways
girls are made the victim and noone says anything to the man.
in india, we've always had a bystander culture. we've chosen to forget. at the core of it, we've become selfish.
seeing 4-5 people
there was an innocent bystander who came up to me and said
together will
'you shouldn't have slapped
attract a lesser
him'. so i said if somebody started abusing your mother and
number. so it's
raises your hand at you, what would you do. so its only when i
Women's development and well being- how safe are her ideas? How safe is her creativity? Not allowed to touch the loom in many parts of the country.
Mindset if some teachers that only a guy can do the job
What is the work she does? How convenient is that work? What if she's left alone at Sun down? Or in the field there are three or four men and two Women, what happens?
Women take advantage of the situation
Childline - immediately the case is registered, set up child welfare committees everywhere - would record and follow up
male chauvenism, thinking men are in a higher level and think of women as a weak entity. that's why there should be more awareness and equality in what they do. these teachings need to be given in school
usually a group of people
leanings- exploitation
and regulations
there is a comittee called womens protection comittee
Changed when the British came. Women were empowered before that. Concept of shame introduced after the British
producing work that allows for participation of women, all voices in away to negotiate a terrain, the status quo of this kind of prejudice and stereotypes that dom
item
in rural
numbers
cities
One has to be careful. But things
Reading stories in
are changing now. 10-15 years
the newspapers
before and the present Delhi. There is more awareness in
inspired me to do
people. First anything would happen and no one would stand
something about
up for you. Now there is social media, law, action by the police,
it.
Fortunately because if much hue and cry they did something.
Women's presence creates an equality. Articulate in a confident way and challenge what exists by
Values - we say something/ do something- hypocritical We worship goddesses but in the way we behave - no respect for women
Personal safety and awareness is a part if it too. People of my generation were less adamant. How you carry and conduct yourself matters.
People are
Feminine
giving me
masculine equilibrium is lost
answer to
- everybody wants
these things
to be a man
I don't like to be pushed into something I don't believe in. But lately I've been going back to a lot of things I believed - now I have reasons to believe them
rules: if any complains comes from a woman it has to be addressed that same day. if she feels discomfort you will need to move
there are numb
We are passing through a cycle of e solution. When we have something we don t value it. When we don't have something we value it.
December 31st - women's safety was improved. What expense? Can't talk about resources - let's increase resources. Women are not going to stop coming.
When they show about women's safety. Maybe tv programs show it as part to sensationalized the tv series. They showed in balika badhu the girl goes to school, but they showed other things in other serials.
m
We women think we're like men - have to work / take care of family / have to be a superwoman. Actually not like that. More powerful spiritually and more divinity in some.
there are incidents of low intensity like an inappropriate touch which can be defended or goes in the category of confusion kind of a situation
If female energy grows it can be destructive. When feminine spirituality us awakened it is very strong.
Misconception s. Clearing misconception s. Topics which are taboo.
geared towards harassment.
Any book apart from veda, all denigrating about women. Manusmriti, arthashastra, Ramayana, Mahabharata- all filled with insults
Lack of female role models
Society/
Caste system -
culture
guptas/ Barnes.
though it does happen in some
a mandatory gender sensitization kind of training
women are not very forthcoming. in offices and organized workplaces, there is not much repurcussion for low intensity acts
marriage you
time
were thrown out
ones that I've it comes during peak hour.
Media - lots of sensationalization - continues to report rape, incest. So many channels, they need to be occupied as well. Becomes instantaneous news. Very little goes in to the next step.
Reached a scale where we challenge how they can control this? It's a democracy. Every time that filter comes, there's a disruption. Only the government can put that filter.
Interested
change over even though the
they are more towards bribery.
companies. i don't think we have
Randomness in society - everyone is doing everything in their own way. Don't have a system of filtering.
Saavdhaan- the seen. I don't think
Started looking at separate seats, separate entrances there are code of ethics /
carry themselves sometimes it
where they go. but i do believe
to the police
doing nothing, so
station, give
we need to try
money
something else
'no but you're a girl, you shuldn't have hit him."
pressures of indian society
night time in the road it is dangerous, where there are no street lights, that's the worst. there could be chain snatchers, kidnappers
diversity -
the punishment for gruelling crimes is very small in comparison
there is a lot of difference / disparity
Love arts and crafts
typical day: wake up at 6:30, get ready, husband drops me to bus stop, public bus only for the institute, work from 9 - 4:30, catch the bus, atch the auto and im back. then i cook and clean. im back home by 6:30
Girls are more
loves travelling
efficient and intelligent than the guys. Day to day life the girls
so far she has found the city safe
she doesn't message about her location always
she travels in ola and cabs. working, 25 yrs
so far she hasn't had any incidents
i have more fear when my daughter goes out than son
No active intervention platforms across the government.
This is also a change. Will take some time for men to really understand and accept this fact. Can't imagine all women will go back and sit in silence. The whole concept that they understand what us important and why women are working and why they should work.
Don't call it an
TCS had a gender- cultural sensitization workshop about how men interact in ind
eco. Call it a phenomenon of society. That's where media has a role.
Now if you ask
We are adopting western culture very fast because it's the 'cool' thing and forgetting our own traditional culture. - forgetting the depth of our culture. We have a very rich culture.
Girls who use to be shy, if there are any problems, don't mind speaking up now. This person is troubling me. Earlier it was like - oh my god, how do i say it? They will make fun of me, look at me. Now you can stand up and point out the person.
about customs, the current generation doesn't have a clue.
yes, the way women dress and
cases are increasing, govt. is
where the more stuck you Unless you're in a bus where the more stuck you are physically you feel claustrophobic and unsafe
it starts with a handshake
It's also the inequality. rape is not about sexual gratificaition. it's about power, a way to get back at people who you think are better than you.
coming to power is being forceful. anything can be done by force.
i get worried when my phone runs our of battery, because i want the route to be tracked and i want that SOS button there although i don't know how much of a help it really is
in ahmedabad one doesn't hear of women being molested. in the same way, in a place like UP, women wouldn't stir out of their homes - they are culturally different
going on communicating, same news 24/7 - for a 10 year old boy the mindset becomes like that. media could be ositive or negative. but there has to be some safety with women
it's also because of social media,
does matter, depending on
that it's a woman's freedom to wear what she wants. but then looking at the society we live in, it's better to take recautions
i neve believe the government. i have to take care of my safety on myself.
our law should be changed. if it is changed, then we will be strong. the laws don't do justice for women, then women can't do anything
when they come out of college they behave inappropriately
Don't see what media is showing, what adds are showing and how it impacts. Can't raise our kids in isolation. Font have an idea about what's being taught in schools.
Encourage more women to come out and work
these days all smartphones have emergency number
now there is a lot of help for girls. it wasn't so much earlier. people come and help. there is not as much risk now
Traditionally there was respect for women
North Indian culture and traditions are not deep like South India- it's a kuch. Everyone us from everywhere- people are here from everywhere for employment.
It's high in delhi. Not so high in Ahmedabad, the South or the mountains.
Lots of issues are going to come out as more and more women come out to work. It's a transitional phase which happens in every culture. Not waking up and letting it linger that it will happen on it's own
police is helpful but they do too much questioning. so we don't go.
for this
people who haven't studied in a co-ed school or have had less interaction are more curious, because they have been confined from women
patriarchy is a strong part of it
no social service organization comes to talk to them
the media is the main corruption
peers doing so much, you feel yourself to be the
Perpetrator
frog in the well.
newspapers and all we think it's wrong but media tells us it's not wrong - media is contradictory
in india there is a high proportion of people who are not educated and a higher proprtion of people who despite being educated do not have the right kind of values.
if someone is escorting you back home, then it's fine. but if you're travelling alone then the chances of all this happening are more
even when you
sense of
they're aversed to
has become
talk about clothes because it's a very
it better than you
in mumbai, even as late as 2 oclock, women were jogging in marine drive
need broad but even if yuo talk about clothes, they have made it into this very political issue. what a girl wears, why doe she wear. why do you have to think about it?
talk clothes,
empowerment lopsided - i can do
mindedness and maturity for a person to not be provoked by
antifeminst thing
we don't have safety in our public places
provocation
awareness plays a major role
mumbai the
i dont think the patriarchal society has anything to do with it. i think its the lack of moral values that drive offenders to do this
certainity of punishment in india. in india people get away with things, which they dont get away in other cuntries
Perspectives
for boys its not safe as well. my son said when he was travelling in the bus, someone was leaning on him. i told him if anything happens again, go away from him.
a single guy feels very empowered when he's on a bike, because he knows he can flee. otherwise it's always a bunch of people.
society matters. we went to
post 9:30 you
mumbai and i
won't see women
found girls find
coming out
themselves more
when we go to a concert then the public helps you
during concerts also you see people getting drunk and misbehaving.
in buses, the older
police is
not shown
people just fall on
strong and
that woman
won't even spare
more visible
can also do
small girls
safe
i have seen in some families only girls do the housework. boys should also be taught to do this
these days people don't know what is right and what is wrong. so those values we have to incorporate.
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the women. they
You can't look at the perpatrator in isolation. it's an interdependent
media says it's ok
most boys in my neighborhood are pretty mischevious.
boys and girls. Has to be
media is going against the value system
impressed from foundation.
by themselves they dont have the guts to do it becaue they think they'll get assaulted. so it's a shared kind of responsiblity and it's about having fun.
and somehow the guy would not do it by himself. somehow its always a collective effort
as a group - it's a shared sense of responsiblity and they're having fun
old men interact with girls very badly
people and kids
Feel unsafe in a small
society has
system
when you go to delhi or bangalore
Lots of
Outside: earn a livelihood, take her children to school, obtain immunization, outside domain is getting wider and wider
Youth delinquency- drugs, eve teasing, molestation - putting behind bars not helpful. Parents in same environment
So once they're outside who's responsible for their mobility?
Animal instinct- stronger
Boys are ready to stand up for girls but girls have a wrong conception of them. Boys are willing to walk with the girls.
over weak
yes, the reason men behave like this is because of the pressure - in the company, family problems, it's all too frustrating for them
they tease at any
this problem is there because of the mentalities that build up in the early age. there's no good knowledge.even media.
the older uncles tell them, but they don't care about it
now even younger
time - when there
boys 12 and 15
are many boys
year olds tease -
they tease. when
even in school.
they're alone they
things like i love
don't tease
you.
Very high predatory behaviour in certain groups of people, when it's late it gives them cover
there's no particular age. it depends on the character and mindset. if they think sex is important, they do
Predatory behaviour not only delinquents - biologically prevalent- need to socialize and channel it.
town as well
are getting assaulted by people of differen ages in different kind of places.
one sees it schools - it could be the teacher, it could be the student
parents whould be proper parents. should groom their children. good family values in such situations. value based education is essential
men also get assaulted. children also get assaulted - it never happneded earlier
india doesn't have any idea of how to solve the problem. even though laws have come, there is no news
w
w no wha
empowering is nice, but it's a protective measure. but we need to do something where that situation doesn't occur
in chicago they would have presentations on how to walk around a certain area. in new york the police said if someone confronts you, just give it to them and deter a fight
you are vulnerable throughout your life
violence in marriage - is power
the civilization is different in tribal areas - there it is accepted
the new feminism is that women express their freedom to drinking, smoking - they think this is the way
it's not uplifment or freedom to become like a man
these incase someone is
this discussion always degenerates
if the person concerned had been my family, irrespective of how weaker i would have been i would have protected you
if from the beginning, children are educated properly and the right values are instilled in them, there won't be such kind of crimes. everyone will be safe
mindset at a value system level which is not just the sexuality - boy girl centric
my dream is to build a house with my own money, get my parent something, do somethign for them, be a good person, being a good mother to a child, achieve something in my life that the world notices. work in a company, become a CA, help
This idea has come from my brother. he had these dreams, but he couldn't do it. atleast i should do it
come in indi
empowering women doesn't mean disempowerin g men
there is no safety for even boys by the governemnt
there should be restriction, but there should also be freedom, how she takes the freedom in a good or bad way. we should utilize it in a good way
in america if he rapes a girl he will be hanged in public. the rule in america should
changing the
girls be well
it's an issue for everyone. it's what we do together
settled in their own life, then take care of other responsibiilties.
they train in
girls are super!
school on self defence, carmel convent - did it in 7th or 10th standarf
poor people, open a NGO
w w
What clicked was the neutral perspective- which makes me understand what a struggle it has been to get me where I am today and how much women have struggled for us to reach
we need a balanced society. in the coming world, if both men and women work together, we can survive in the world
women only have to be strng
woman should not depend on anyone. till her education she depends on her parents, after marriage on her husband.but she should be independent
this place and how easily we can lose it. How careful we need to be while policies, rul
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Parents are scared to confront
who de ned he
should be strong enough to respond to their response
abusing their child.
What kind of issues do women face?
adjust, not the adult. We tell
sometimes that's also what I think in the bus - maybe I just imagined. Because our society is filled with such perverts, our children need to be strong.
when walking alone, there are truck boys, carriage boys - we become scared
we face issues in busses, public spaces
they tease girls: give me your number, where do you live - try to talk
even in the fairs, i've had very bad experiences with auto walas in bangalore to the point where i've
when there are
yes, there is
too many people.
teasing.
drunk people come and fall on
more on the
them, touc/ grope
phone now
had to hit one guy
it could be directly or indirectly. they do. they like to do sex
Arts / creative space
Coping mechanisms there was an incident when a delivery boy was staring at a woman. so she complained and they complained and got him out
once a couple of friends were together, went for dinner, dropped the girls at the restaurant, went to park, by that time someone came on a bike and pushed the girls somewhere
have my husband on
once when i was selling flowers, a boy came on a scooter. he was telling me to come with him. then i told an uncle that he was troubling me, so the boy ran away. then the uncle came and said, this happens you take care.
speed dial sometimes they're in a group and they get separated and that's when the women's safety issue comes in.
am physically
i carry a small swiss army knife
prepared to
usually keep
combat. i haven't
my phone in
learnt, but my
my hand
hands move fast
it all started with him not wanting to use the meter and he
because we're such a congested country, if you shout, somebody will come
when there were 2 or 3 incidents like this then i became careful of the environment in which i respond - you can be abusive but not use your hands
if and ever i got violent as a comeback to any assault, i made sure it was in a place where there were a lot of people
if i was going out anytime before sunset i'd take my own scooter and go, unless its only the distance that decides if i want to take my scooter or not. if it's anytime after sunset, id prefer taking a cab or a rikshaw. no other precautions really
we wanted to my mother was with me, she didn't realize what had happened, i just grabbed her and i left. and the only thing that my mother said was, 'why do you have to do these things? you live here by yourself' and you take
lodge an FIR, but typically as Indian parents do, they said, 'let's not
the same road everyday
lodge an FIR'
i do make phonecalls when i'm going to leave the place. now with all the incidents, i keep the navigations on and share the location
ill jump out and look for help, a person - am not dependent on gadgets. it's a mental blocks. the gadget can help me reach somebody and i would want that somebody to be there. or some people to be there
my instant reaction would be to yell. if he's on a bike ill try an take him off the bike - so he's injured. if i find houses i will run and knock. or find something to hit the person back
i never go and stand with any boys. il go and come with my parents. if i go with my sisters i will protect them. i will go with my brother. i never go with people who i feel are unsafe, whether relative or not
at work we are very careful. we are given out pointers. even between tachers and students what is the moral code
whenyou fight, you should fight sensibly. there is not point jumping into anything where you can be attacked
spoke badly. although i don't
given pointers of how we should keep the room open so there is no chance of false accusations, because even that happens. people have started taking advantage of situations like this in the name of safety
BF on MG Road - you're getting The artist is there to engage, not necessarily entertain. If there is an interesting way to explore the subject so it engages you, whether by humour or deeper emotions - it plays a part.
the accident or interface with quite a society. As a consequence you get new voices trying to engage with work in New ways. That needs to happen more. There are some brilliant, artistic, creative mediums in which these subjects a
Working with performance artists, filmmakers, installation artists, thinkers, writers who are
Some ways can be direct,
all interested in this issue if
indirect, humorous, unlocking
inequality and diversity and
the tragedy, unlocking the
allowing a space that empowers
invisible tragedy.
and embodies a new vision about the world.
i always tell her to get a Exploring issues around how
pepper spray
women and men are portrayed in the stereotypical ways and how you break that.
We need to bring Not, humour, and ways in which to make it interesting and imaginative
Artists don't change the world Art is a good way to have a
but they change the people in
dialogue instead of fighting
the world- then the world changes.
understand kannada very well i understand it enough when he says 'you and your mother come to me at night' in front of a lot of people. and i slapped him.
i have slapped people, blocked them, thrown them away
Otherwise if it's a transit soace, the more people there are, i feel safer
so far it has been manageable atleast for me but there have been other cases where we had to involve the police when my friend got assaulted by an elderly gentleman - was in his 80, but he wasn't well - though it didn't justify his action
if i did drink then i would definately ask somebody to drop me. but i haven't ever asked anybod to drop me
in certain countries you have dress codes. if you don't wear it, you're put down.
it basically covers the shape of the body. protect that which is dearest to you. they like to wear the hijab - their appearance and virginity is the dearest to them. climatic reasons.
i never go back and tell anyone, i will slap the person, whether it's me or another person
my mom fight with one boy - when i told my mom
this is why my mom gave me a phone. if anything call me immediately
Artist is the creative expression that helps us understand issues, circumstances in ways we don't see. And when we connect with our emotions and narratives and stories we start to rethink who we are and what is happening
m
i feel safer in an auto than a taxi
i haven't trained myself but it's a natural response that occurs - have reduced that
w
becuase i can jump out. i actually
you should tell your daughter how to protect herself
feel more unsafe in a shared taxi - taxi the person is in control of the doors and windows. sometimes if my head is not aching, ill keep the windows open so i can jump out
any contact with boys and girls is a taboo, ony after marriage they can. told them since they were young. they know it's wrong. for religion purposes
i don't go in the same places they might be. might take a longer route to avoid them as well.
response
now they don't talk. my mom is very strict. the neighborhood knowing my mom doesn't challenge her
my older sister doesn't go out
i call her in between if she's getting late. ask where she is
looking straight into their eyes helps. it makes them look at themseleves. they laugh to hide it, because they're embarassed.
m m
From childhood till being a woman one always faces issues
Winter 2018
Women's Safety important at every stage. Starts from young age
i couldn't sleep the whole night. i woke up and started crying We were in a bus and these boys were teasing this girl, fidling her hair, touching near her ear and then they started touching her and no one said anything, her brother didn't say anything. the girl was from the northeast, he was a nepali
in tht situation i was so scared and horrified
the brother felt helpless, he was in the south of india, far from his home. he had a cookery. you don't want things to get bad. if push comes to shove you will do something. but you hope that people will help.
i was heartbroken and scared. my heartbeat increased, had fight or flight response, my body became shaky. my brain and eye travelled 360 degrees of what's around me
people go out knowing pretty well that there are such people and places, and the law and order is poor. one should avoid becoming a victim.
even my son, at a grown up age, if he's not back by 1 o'clock, I'd start getting worried.
i have made friends in my neighborhood. i wear all my clothes and cross this lane of an impoverished people everyday. i smile nicely, have connected with them, so much so that if they see i need help, they will come and help me
people told me to keep a pepper spray with me
spaces in today's society that search what sits between a yes and a no
Talks about women and sexuality but doesn't drill home the point. Also talks about men wanting women to be a certain way. And what their image if
m
Artists provide the fundamental space and possible one if the key
around us.
told her not to have any body contact with anyone
feminity was and has changed
DMGT 748
spiritual
Indian judicial system is discouraging.
i haven't seen any rules and regulation for women, but men are properly addressed. things like, you are supposed to offer a chair
we have a set of rules
renewed. sadly they are not
conditioning for
in a market place in bombay one of the guys came and did something to my legs and i turned back and slapped him without thinking twice. this was in the evening about 7:15
Poorvi Das
Women's
mother goddess was worshiped, everything came from the mother, not from the father. mother was nature, where everything came from
certifications that need to be
publicise enough. Very few
asking the parent can call the
agreed. so he said,
nervous as a teenager. If I let
be a balance
initially it was a matrilineal system - lineal stems from mothers side, daughters become important, daughters get the property, so hence uncles become important
are left out
people know that any child w/o
poked the bystander that he
Eve teasing, someone whistling,
Political parties - politics everything- people in power take stands
hit innocent
ice berg. Like everything- we
Environment if fear from the beginning- don't go out. Parents don't equip them - want them to live with fear. Internal socialization within the family
There will be some kind of attention - how society is
there can always
when did purdah come? in india before the islamic attacks there was no notion of purdah. earlier women didn't wear blouses. folklore says before that, it was the women who decided who they wanted to consumate.
men
people, take them
discuss a lot, set things up, don't
it's common but noone is taking necessary measures
Fear can be from a restricting you to move to challenging you to break walls - it's not something we're born with
were the bread winners till now
dogmatic, but
whims and fancies
implemented? It us the tip of the
Shakti- nurtured- but need to see beyond that as builder not just nurturer. Not the passive taking care - go beyond that - see the strenght. See it in the daughters if house maids who break away and find a job.
working. They
that was being
ofsacrifice catering to their
We set up Childline for children.
gender feel
lower than
the extreme to
him an the family makes a lot
my younger sister stays with friends mostly. she doesn't even come to know about these things.
themselves
Mother- nurturer, Durga - destroyer of evil
the indian subcontinent hs never been about the 'i'. it has always been about the other and how the other affects me at some point of time.
They think women are
earlier we had the fear of being reprimanded not by another person but by an imaginary force - that helped
it's a combination of things which have to come together
are a lot of expectations from
he wasnt
powerful about
actually nowadays women are also doing the same thing
don't have control
sure if it was
making the male
we pray to goddesses, do anything for goddesses
of it.
from a parents
purposely or
m
accept that women are
in media you see some advertisement s to condition indian minds
men
assault is when people move to
Children and the young
Men are unable to
lower than
cities from villages and in villages
when they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter
these days there's lots of smoking and drugs in school
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women are
Part of it where you see brutal
this comes from
Part if women's mobility is dependent on what men in her Family, society and career space are looking at
we have become very untrusting. now we'll think the uncle will molest me. indians would be very robust otherwise. india is like a boot camp.
Indian women today
Changes being witnessed.
aware of those lurking around?
mindset intrinsic: in my head, where the amount of distance someone maintains makes me feel safe/unsafe
People don't talk to you about things- parents don't.
points of violence
the police
felt unsafe in a big
Society has wide variations when it comes to respect for women
Parents have become over- obsessive and helicopter their kids
How might we describe the social, political, economic and cultural environment for women in India historically?
How might we understand the influence of social, political, economic and cultural factors with regard to women's safety?
Caste system -
Slum development projects no good
Menstruation celebrated in Kerala- varies across states
revenge on
Drink and
day, how deserted
i haven't gone
Have more opportunit ies for girls
using physical
It's left to the woman
There are rituals and ways if bring
stations - given i'm very fearful of even giving a lift to a child on my scooter. because i think he's going to do something. he could put a knife to my head or something
power.
men
to come out
dominated over violence and fear
values
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out
has its
Fear mental agony that a young bride would go through
We are hypocritical
Deviance in society
system.
are sharing this
Has to be both ways
so as to keep
Don't want
fear and are
the responsibility.
Values, each organization
Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman
Women love in
Told to keep quiet families honor.
Women are so wrapped up in all that's going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals.
distinction between - what is
women to take on
Why do guys do this? Childhood frustration that comes out
Insecure / weak - pregnant
bad, would you do
Pressure on
Empowerment
Broaden their minds
Had reservations but my parents were very supportive
m
incident everyone
be there for
feel unsafe?
feel unsafe?
dowry, etc
facilitate - largely
Awareness
making a woman
making a woman
on the street,
re-built
boys should know how to talk to a woman or secure them in public
come out
should also
that contribute to
contribute to
threatened for
needs to be
only intervention you can do is to
extrinsic factors
issues that
was being thrown
this is something that india has never seen
What are the
intrinsic factors or
there
men should
responsibilit
How might we describe the social, political, economic and cultural environment for women in India currently?
How might we describe women's safety and what factors contribute to making a woman feel unsfe?
over the years and how women's
when i go to
With self
Nobody's getting
defence
punished. Need some harsh
someone
punishment to
freezes
scare people.
either i have to hold the pepper spray in my hand all the time and what if he's covered his face, wearing gloves
the phone is the first thing that falls off. the phone is unreliable
i used to fear from going to
flowers, there are uncles and
equipped to ward off the beasts.
aunties i can tell
should not venture - even men
when you enter you need to be
some places now i dont. the road near my house where there were boys who were being mischevious, now the police takes rounds becasue there was some drugs racket. so i dont feel as scared now
The more it comes in media people are inspired to do it. Media glorifies it. People think they will get publicity for it. It's hyped.
idea of feminity has grown and imagine a forest with beasts.
Extrinsic factors: whole society, everyone - there are good people too. Media?
The movie is nice but there is one song he's after her taking a selfie - so these are things you think it's ok to show and people think its cool to do that.
them if something happens
Indian judicial system is discouraging.
if you're not equipped you
cannot venture out in dangerous situation. so one should avoid situations where you're inviting trouble.
girls and boys should observe time discipline in coming back in time. Parents get worried if children don't come back in time. and this is both boys and girls.
changed over the years.
Balanced view.
Educated me about women's education in India and gave me
New cutting edge kind if
an idea of the context of the
interface
world in which this happens
Translation of content to a virtual working wall (Realtime board) so as to manage it better. The following subject matter is explored here: Intrinsic & extrinsic factors that lead to a women’s safety issues, changes being witnessed, what should be done, children & the young, what kind of issues do women face, coping mechanisms, perpetrators, perspectives, art/ creative space, Indian women today, present and historical.
three boys against a bus full of people. its a very safe space isnt it? a bus full of people.
227
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Categorization of intrinsic factors that go into making a woman feel unsafe.
from the time she matured i used to fear
Fear Fear can be from a restricting you to move to challenging you to break walls - it's not something we're born with
Eve teasing, someone whistling, commenting. - used to get nervous as a teenager. If I let that fear grow wouldn't have managed to reach ahead, travel to different places. Didn't let it grow. Family also told me to give it back. Learnt martial arts because I wa
people in the slum are the least fearful
feel more unsafe as i have grown older because i don't move as fast now.
Feared for her safety whether it was being thrown on the street, threatened for dowry, etc
one doesn't feel cofident walking then
women don't want to get into this because they fear the implications in the future. it is very dangerous these dyas.
girls fear to speak out because they fear if they go home, there could be some people who can rape them
Fear mental agony that a young bride would go through
Women live in fear and are dominated over using physical violence and fear
it has been about blame in the recent years, intimated partner violence, domestic violence, child sexual abuse - diff. memories of their harassment
Why can't she be fully clothed till such time that society recognizes her need to be herself.
we are good at coping. but due to the environment there is so much guilt and shame
Socialization- have silenced that voice. You've been deadened.
Don't want to come out in the family
Socialization / conditioning invisibe choices that we made as women everyday
Values, each organization has its values
Good and bad - distinction between - what is good and what is bad, would you do it to your mother?
They fear how will they go, where will they go - nothing to do with being educated - family and parents play an important role.
Not just about creating fear but also coping with it.
Environment if fear from the beginning- don't go out. Parents don't equip them - want them to live with fear. Internal socialization within the family
Guilt / Victim blame girls are made the victim and noone says anything to the man.
There are rituals and ways if bring they are hard to break. It's about education
with a daughter i would get even more worried. so you have to take precautions.
i'm very fearful of even giving a lift to a child on my scooter. because i think he's going to do something. he could put a knife to my head or something
Family
Perpetrator Had reservations but my parents were very supportive
when the people in the house do not understand their daughter or their daughters needs then they go out looking for love. and boys take advantage of that.
Family not sensitive to overall needs of the woman let alone her safety.
85% cases happen in the family
Women are so wrapped up in all that's going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals.
we condition our daughters like this
my conditioning has been boy like - so im conditioned to hit back in conditions of violence
i have someone at home, my dad, who has threatened to rape me
Why do guys do this? Childhood frustration that comes out
Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman
It's left to the woman
Pressure on women to take on the responsibility. Told to keep quiet so as to keep families honor.
Get used to it. It is the situation. You see how to take care of yourself
they attack women because they consider them weak.
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary attitude
if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is certainly a reason
Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger
power struggle is an importan aspect
men have a lot of pressure
everyone wants things now - use and throw
trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
Values, each organization has its values
when they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter
Take revenge on anyone who's weak
It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house
it's like the affordances of an object - wat all can i do with it? What all can a woman do and what all can i do to her?
often girls are also to blame
Women take advantage of the situation
That feeling of being more powerful than the other - touching makes you feel superior
Has to do with early life 0-12
it's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
Alcohol men are coping with something so they are returning to alcohol
drinking and wife becomes a pattern - unable to deal with some aspect and they take it out
taking you to a state that is gentler than what you can deal with it
and what does alcohol do to you
in different degrees that we've heard men say can you hold a drink and how many drinks can you have - socialization thrugh drinking
Responsibil ity Intrinsic: how keyed in should a woman be? Made aware of those points of violence lurking around?
Insecure / weak - pregnant
Shakti- nurtured- but need to see beyond that as builder not just nurturer. Not the passive taking care - go beyond that - see the strenght. See it in the daughters if house maids who break away and find a job.
See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is lost. Only see her as mother goddess. Not an intelligent human being.
Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weaker? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the professor, the one who takes society forward
Perception of women
We are hypocritical
Winter 2018
They think women are lower than men
we want immediate gratification
Responsibility comes down to the woman - society not responding - continues to see women as vulnerable. Curtailing our own - sacrifice we're making.
Mindset
DMGT 748
First label is within family- restricting women from going out, keeping within boundary, restricting movement - one starts getting fearful at every step
Women give in for the sake if the family- husband's and kids
Values
Poorvi Das
from a parents point of view, i don't have control over that. i have control over this
First barrier is myself. If I am afraid myself, how will I go ahead
Mindset if some teachers that only a guy can do the job
is it chivalry or suppression? weakness or intelligence? we know that you'd be harassed if you go into becoming an eyewitness. so we did our bit of due dillegence, good samaritan - took the number and gave it
we have become fearful to help. i think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it's very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside. so evn if theres a child, you are not trusting
if he's a strong man, do you expect me to fight with him?
Responsibility of a community
we're connected virtually, and not really, so you don't run to help people even if they're in front of you
thyeve reached a point because of a number of factors - peer pressure, 5 other people are doing it
it has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action. it's really about changing people's thoughts and what you give them.
it is impossible to bring this change in india
228
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Residential welfare association - people reluctant to talk or tell about anyone else as it is a personal matter - no-one wants to intervene within a community
Social Services
Categorization of extrinsic factors that go into making a woman feel unsafe.
Youth delinquency- drugs, eve teasing, molestation - putting behind bars not helpful. Parents in same environment
Alcohol Do you need to be drunk. Do you need to dress in skimpy clothes? Boys dressed in full sleeves. Girls in spaghetti straps. - asking for trouble. How aware are you if this? Don't be in a burkha. But are you aware?
all these incidents happen under the effect of alcohol
i feel alcohol should first be banned in Punjab. that is where it is maximum\
alcohol is a big problem - but where will they take out the pressure
Drink and come, nothing else to do
at the core of it is patriarchy, but it is not really helping them because they are reduced to a role of a protectr
i have seen in some families only girls do the housework. boys should also be taught to do this
patriarchy is a strong part of it
Men are treated like God's in addition to values the premium put on a boy child vs. a girl child
masculine toxity
Male dominated feudal society
it's about power play
The way we raise boys plays a role - make them feel different from the beginning
coming to power is being forceful. anything can be done by force.
They think women are lower than men
Men are unable to accept that women are working. They were the bread winners till now
Patriarchy
Kids
when the kid goes to college, and learns all these things from low grade people
when they come out of college they behave inappropriately
Schools not properly socialized
i dont think the patriarchal society has anything to do with it. i think its the lack of moral values that drive offenders to do this
our law should be changed. if it is changed, then we will be strong. the laws don't do justice for women, then women can't do anything
in general the problems of reporting these incidents and getting justice on them is not easy
the punishment for gruelling crimes is very small in comparison
Punishment in India, law and order is not
there were no guards, independent house. the lane has cctv cameras. it is the lane where the riches people live. but what's the point
the framework is weak
Safety in police stations - given the size of the country we're not able to take care of it.
mumbai the police is strong and more visible
Police policemen themselves tease women
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone, please don't walk alone in the night
police is helpful but they do too much questioning. so we don't go.
police come and hit innocent people, take them to the police station, give money
Police - come and write your complaint
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
times, eapecially once when i
the steering wheel. for 20 minutes the police kept calling me back sying it didn't understand what i was saying
there is a fear of the police for right reasons, no one trusts the police
media: you tube and all also affect negativel
in media you see some advertisement s to condition indian minds
the impatience levels have increased - a lot of the impatience is injected by the visuals that one sees.
on the roads, on the tv - the culture that is propogted allowes you to think in certain ways
it's getting reported more - its rampant now
it's also because of social media, peers doing so much, you feel yourself to be the frog in the well.
newspapers and all we think it's wrong but media tells us it's not wrong - media is contradictory
we're overexposed - want the world in your fist, right now, at the press of a button. while the exposure is good, it's causing a lot of problem.
the media is the main corruption for this
media says it's ok
Media
powercentricity is a lot in a country like india. where you have control on other people and nothing will happen to you and you'll get away with it. so that's another place
sense of empowerment has become lopsided - i can do it better than you
violence is justified in the name of culture, tradition, patriarchy. there's a kind of violience that is macho that is toxic and
there is a celebration of violence - we see enough examples of that. conditioning since childhood. what are the role models we see? how many nurturing men do we see around
going on communicating, same news 24/7 - for a 10 year old boy the mindset becomes like that. media could be ositive or negative. but there has to be some safety with women
ladies should wear clothes depending on where they are going and they should have the right to choose. if a girl is going on her own w/o her parents, she should be careful about what she is wearing and have limits to
but even if yuo talk about clothes, they have made it into this very political issue. what a girl wears, why doe she wear. why do you have to think about it?
Women's clothing
even when you talk clothes, they're aversed to talk about clothes because it's a very antifeminst thing
yes, the way women dress and
what she is wearing.
Women are objectified - item numbers
the present exposure one has now, influence of social media, cinema, western culture
Objectificatio n of women
the probability of this happening if you are improperly dressed is higher
carry themselves sometimes it does matter, depending on
90% of people if they sense they are weaker than him would go away from there. either they would call for help. they would call the police or ring up people
where they go. but i do believe that it's a woman's freedom to wear what she wants. but then looking at the society we live in, it's better to take recautions
when i saw a girl wearing provocative clothes, i felt embarassed. another person
media is going against the value system
There are categories in society - boys and girls
there was an innocent bystander who came up to me and said 'you shouldn't have slapped him'. so i said if somebody started abusing your mother and
could have reacted differently.
raises your hand at you, what
another person could have
would you do. so its only when i
reacted differently. it depends
poked the bystander that he agreed. so he said,
on the time, or if the area was deserted the reactions would
need broad mindedness and maturity for a person to not be provoked by provocation
Awareness awareness plays a major role
have manifested differently
our indian mindsets are set like that - fully based on tradition
night time in the road it is dangerous, where there are no street lights, that's the worst. there could be chain snatchers, kidnappers
Extrinsic: how aware / sensitive is the outside domain? Market / bus or office. How aware? What
competitive, responsibilit ies, lack of value
what time of the day, how deserted is a place makes a difference to the same kind of situation
people who haven't studied in a co-ed school or have had less interaction are more curious, because they have been confined from women
and it's becoming worse. now they even start using women and children as pawns, so they may not be doing it but they may be part of a bigger plot. so it feels like you're in a crime scene all the time
Society There will be some kind of attention - how society is
Society has wide variations when it comes to respect for women
Society is getting ruthless day by day
society is not equipped to ensure safety for women, as a system
Here because of a social conditioning
society has not shown that woman can also do
it's a combination of things which have to come together
pressures of indian society
are the warnings? Who gives the signals? Who has responsibility and accountability for women's safety? - separate coaches, vendors
we don't have safety in our public places
Environment / surroundings
extrinsic: physical environement, the space - how well it is lit, the dimensions of the space and the amount of traffic in the space. Somehow more people make you feel safer, unless you're in a bus
when we go to a concert then the public helps you
during concerts also you see people getting drunk and misbehaving.
in buses, the older people just fall on the women. they won't even spare small girls
where the more stuck you Unless you're in a bus where the more stuck you are physically you feel claustrophobic and unsafe
Women's Safety is compromised even in religious places
public places i feel are safer still. but that doesn't make a diffference for someone who has to do ot
Looking at public spaces/ busses - several range if issues. How to make them more sensitive to the needs of women. Look at the Saree. Sarees catching fire.
there have been instances when i have travelled - in the spaces i have stayed. I have stayed in very 'shady' places so to speak
Society has wide variations when it comes to respect for women
Safety varies city to city, culture to culture
in mumbai, even as late as 2 oclock, women were jogging in marine drive
in ahmedabad one doesn't hear of women being molested. in the same way, in a place like UP, women wouldn't stir out of their homes - they are culturally different
Intensity / scale higher in rural cities
Part of it where you see brutal assault is when people move to cities from villages and in villages a boy is very sought for. there are a lot of expectations from him an the family makes a lot ofsacrifice catering to their whims and fancies
Poorvi Das
i have called the police several was driving and i saw a person driving with a persons head on
Power Play
People don't talk to you about things- parents don't.
in india there is a high proportion of people who are not educated and a higher proprtion of people who despite being educated do not have the right kind of values.
i neve believe the government. i have to take care of my safety on myself.
certainity of punishment in india. in india people get away with things, which they dont get away in other cuntries
Education & Values these days people don't know what is right and what is wrong. so those values we have to incorporate.
even though the cases are increasing, govt. is doing nothing, so we need to try something else
Political parties - politics everything- people in power take stands
lack of education and grooming in families and in schools
when there is a gender divide in schools, there is more curiosity - more curiosity
need to be careful about what is said and how one behaves in front of the kids
Law and Order
No regulation - gone out of control. Environment - who makes the environment? Changes everywhere.
discrimination between boy and girl - boys can't make a mistake. but girl dhak ke rakho. why should the victim be blamed
kids learn from seeing their parents.
NGOs don't have any clarity - only a few are good. Don't delve into the problem deeply
it's about one man protecting their wife, their sister, their mother from other men
male chauvenism, thinking men are in a higher level and think of women as a weak entity. that's why there should be more awareness and equality in what they do. these teachings need to be given in school
what role do the men play? patriarchy - dowry is still a cause for female infanticide or fetocide. And the cause of women, if she has to be protected why does she have to be protected in the most patriarcham way?
this comes from making the male gender feel powerful about themselves
Slum development projects no good
Deal with cases in a bad manner
its also associated with the evils of drinking and drugs
Deviance in society
uneducated class, the male power is very strong
no social service organization comes to talk to them
there are different drivers for this - stems at multiple levels. at each level of social strata, there are different drivers.
when you go to delhi or bangalore post 9:30 you won't see women coming out
Disparity diversity - there is a lot of difference / disparity
society matters. we went to mumbai and i found girls find themselves more safe
in india, we've always had a bystander culture. we've chosen to forget. at the core of it, we've become selfish.
make jokes with the word rape in it. i cant be around people who trivialize this
in my office they made fun and jokes on the #metoo hashtag, on the whatsapp group
'no but you're a girl, you shuldn't have hit him."
It's also the inequality. rape is not about sexual gratificaition. it's about power, a way to get back at people who you think are better than you.
229
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL from the time she matured i used to fear
Categorization of what was suggested should be done Fear Fear can be from a restricting you to move to challenging you to break walls - it's not something we're born with
Eve teasing, someone whistling, commenting. - used to get nervous as a teenager. If I let that fear grow wouldn't have managed to reach ahead, travel to different places. Didn't let it grow. Family also told me to give it back. Learnt martial arts because I wa
people in the slum are the least fearful
feel more unsafe as i have grown older because i don't move as fast now.
Feared for her safety whether it was being thrown on the street, threatened for dowry, etc
one doesn't feel cofident walking then
women don't want to get into this because they fear the implications in the future. it is very dangerous these dyas.
girls fear to speak out because they fear if they go home, there could be some people who can rape them
Fear mental agony that a young bride would go through
Women live in fear and are dominated over using physical violence and fear
it has been about blame in the recent years, intimated partner violence, domestic violence, child sexual abuse - diff. memories of their harassment
Why can't she be fully clothed till such time that society recognizes her need to be herself.
we are good at coping. but due to the environment there is so much guilt and shame
Socialization- have silenced that voice. You've been deadened.
Don't want to come out in the family
Socialization / conditioning invisibe choices that we made as women everyday
Values, each organization has its values
Good and bad - distinction between - what is good and what is bad, would you do it to your mother?
They fear how will they go, where will they go - nothing to do with being educated - family and parents play an important role.
Not just about creating fear but also coping with it.
Environment if fear from the beginning- don't go out. Parents don't equip them - want them to live with fear. Internal socialization within the family
Guilt / Victim blame girls are made the victim and noone says anything to the man.
There are rituals and ways if bring they are hard to break. It's about education
with a daughter i would get even more worried. so you have to take precautions.
i'm very fearful of even giving a lift to a child on my scooter. because i think he's going to do something. he could put a knife to my head or something
Family
Perpetrator Had reservations but my parents were very supportive
when the people in the house do not understand their daughter or their daughters needs then they go out looking for love. and boys take advantage of that.
Family not sensitive to overall needs of the woman let alone her safety.
85% cases happen in the family
Women are so wrapped up in all that's going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals.
we condition our daughters like this
my conditioning has been boy like - so im conditioned to hit back in conditions of violence
i have someone at home, my dad, who has threatened to rape me
Why do guys do this? Childhood frustration that comes out
Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman
It's left to the woman
Pressure on women to take on the responsibility. Told to keep quiet so as to keep families honor.
Get used to it. It is the situation. You see how to take care of yourself
they attack women because they consider them weak.
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary attitude
if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is certainly a reason
Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger
men have a lot of pressure
power struggle is an importan aspect
everyone wants things now - use and throw
trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
Values, each organization has its values
when they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter
Take revenge on anyone who's weak
It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house
it's like the affordances of an object - wat all can i do with it? What all can a woman do and what all can i do to her?
often girls are also to blame
Women take advantage of the situation
That feeling of being more powerful than the other - touching makes you feel superior
Has to do with early life 0-12
it's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
Alcohol men are coping with something so they are returning to alcohol
drinking and wife becomes a pattern - unable to deal with some aspect and they take it out
taking you to a state that is gentler than what you can deal with it
and what does alcohol do to you
in different degrees that we've heard men say can you hold a drink and how many drinks can you have - socialization thrugh drinking
Responsibil ity Intrinsic: how keyed in should a woman be? Made aware of those points of violence lurking around?
Insecure / weak - pregnant
Shakti- nurtured- but need to see beyond that as builder not just nurturer. Not the passive taking care - go beyond that - see the strenght. See it in the daughters if house maids who break away and find a job.
See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is lost. Only see her as mother goddess. Not an intelligent human being.
Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weaker? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the professor, the one who takes society forward
Perception of women
We are hypocritical
Winter 2018
They think women are lower than men
we want immediate gratification
Responsibility comes down to the woman - society not responding - continues to see women as vulnerable. Curtailing our own - sacrifice we're making.
Mindset
DMGT 748
First label is within family- restricting women from going out, keeping within boundary, restricting movement - one starts getting fearful at every step
Women give in for the sake if the family- husband's and kids
Values
Poorvi Das
from a parents point of view, i don't have control over that. i have control over this
First barrier is myself. If I am afraid myself, how will I go ahead
Mindset if some teachers that only a guy can do the job
is it chivalry or suppression? weakness or intelligence? we know that you'd be harassed if you go into becoming an eyewitness. so we did our bit of due dillegence, good samaritan - took the number and gave it
we have become fearful to help. i think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it's very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside. so evn if theres a child, you are not trusting
if he's a strong man, do you expect me to fight with him?
Responsibility of a community
we're connected virtually, and not really, so you don't run to help people even if they're in front of you
thyeve reached a point because of a number of factors - peer pressure, 5 other people are doing it
it has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action. it's really about changing people's thoughts and what you give them.
it is impossible to bring this change in india
230
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL men see women's hips, how they walk, or they will see their breasts
Age Range
Nature of assault and coping mechanisms
Women's Safety important at every stage. Starts from young age
From childhood till being a woman one always faces issues
men wink, will make such a bad face
We were in a bus and these boys were teasing this girl, fidling her hair, touching near her ear and then they started touching her and no one said anything, her brother didn't say anything. the girl was from the northeast, he was a nepali
the brother felt helpless, he was in the south of india, far from his home. he had a cookery. you don't want things to get bad. if push comes to shove you will do something. but you hope that people will help.
i feel safer in an auto than a taxi becuase i can jump out. i actually feel more unsafe in a shared taxi - taxi the person is in control of the doors and windows. sometimes if my head is not aching, ill keep the windows open so i can jump out
three boys against a bus full of people. its a very safe space isnt it? a bus full of people.
school buses
between 18-35 largeley talk about street harassment - they talk aboutpersonal injustice that they have faced from a young life
it all started with him not wanting to use the meter and he spoke badly. although i don't understand kannada very well i understand it enough when he says 'you and your mother come to me at night' in front of a lot of people. and i slapped him.
girls and boys should observe time discipline in coming back in time. Parents get worried if children don't come back in time. and this is both boys and girls.
imagine a forest with beasts. when you enter you need to be equipped to ward off the beasts. if you're not equipped you should not venture - even men cannot venture out in dangerous situation. so one should avoid situations where you're inviting trouble.
i don't go in the same places they might be. might take a longer route to avoid them as well.
if i did drink then i would definately ask somebody to drop me. but i haven't ever asked anybod to drop me
my older sister doesn't go out
my friends went out in groups, had boyfriends
people go out knowing pretty well that there are such people and places, and the law and order is poor. one should avoid becoming a victim.
i've had very bad experiences with auto walas in bangalore to the point where i've had to hit one guy
if i was going out anytime before sunset i'd take my own scooter and go, unless its only the distance that decides if i want to take my scooter or not. if it's anytime after sunset, id prefer taking a cab or a rikshaw. no other precautions really
at work we are very careful. we are given out pointers. even between tachers and students what is the moral code
Crowded spaces
Street harassment
they tease girls: give me your number, where do you live - try to talk
once a couple of friends were together, went for dinner, dropped the girls at the restaurant, went to park, by that time someone came on a bike and pushed the girls somewhere
sometimes they're in a group and they get separated and that's when the women's safety issue comes in.
Harassment in public transport
there was an incident when a delivery boy was staring at a woman. so she complained and they complained and got him out
i haven't trained myself but it's a natural response that occurs - have reduced that response
looking straight into their eyes helps. it makes them look at themseleves. they laugh to hide it, because they're embarassed.
At work
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
have my husband on speed dial
usually keep my phone in my hand
Family & friends
i don't know how old i was but maybe 8/9 years - i was a frock wearing age. this was with my servant in my own house. it was a joint family. he would feel me up, put his hands up my clothes. he tried to remove my underwear and he tried to penetrate me
this is why my mom gave me a phone. if anything call me immediately
i call her in between if she's getting late. ask where she is
Gadgets used to defend
Physically defend
am physically prepared to combat. i haven't learnt, but my hands move fast
With self defence someone freezes
i have slapped people, blocked them, thrown them away
people told me to keep a pepper spray with me
when there were 2 or 3 incidents like this then i became careful of the environment in which i respond - you can be abusive but not use your hands
ill jump out and look for help, a person - am not dependent on gadgets. it's a mental blocks. the gadget can help me reach somebody and i would want that somebody to be there. or some people to be there
if and ever i got violent as a comeback to any assault, i made sure it was in a place where there were a lot of people
my instant reaction would be to yell. if he's on a bike ill try an take him off the bike - so he's injured. if i find houses i will run and knock. or find something to hit the person back
whenyou fight, you should fight sensibly. there is not point jumping into anything where you can be attacked
Articles to help defend
given pointers of how we should keep the room open so there is no chance of false accusations, because even that happens. people have started taking advantage of situations like this in the name of safety
Clothes worn
it basically covers the shape of the body. protect that which is dearest to you. they like to wear the hijab - their appearance and virginity is the dearest to them. climatic reasons.
in certain countries you have dress codes. if you don't wear it, you're put down.
i carry a small swiss army knife
Community you should tell your daughter how to protect herself
told her not to have any body contact with anyone
any contact with boys and girls is a taboo, ony after marriage they can. told them since they were young. they know it's wrong. for religion purposes
even my son, at a grown up age, if he's not back by 1 o'clock, I'd start getting worried.
my mom fought with one boy - when i told my mom
now they don't talk. my mom is very strict. the neighborhood knowing my mom doesn't challenge her
my mother was with me, she didn't realize what had happened, i just grabbed her and i left. and the only thing that my mother said was, 'why do you have to do these things? you live here by yourself' and you take the same road everyday
a couple of years after this incident, we would have these sleepovrs and i was sleeping and this brother of mine - i remeber him pulling his zip down and I pretended to sleep.
just a couple of months back i was raped by a friend. it's the first time im saying out loud
i always tell her to get a pepper spray
school buses, tuition teachers, uncles,
i couldn't sleep the whole night. i woke up and started crying
in tht situation i was so scared and horrified
for the longest of time i couldnt accept this could happen. i couldn't believe how i allowed it to happen
2 decades later it still affects me
it was intolerable
i feel so angry, i still feel angry
either i have to hold the pepper spray in my hand all the time and what if he's covered his face, wearing gloves
i blamed myself for the longest time that it was me. i felt shame for no fault of mine. led to so many things going wrong in my life.
it led to a lot of relationships failing, me losing my peace of mind, convince people around me that this is genuinely a problem.
i was heartbroken and scared. my heartbeat increased, had fight or flight response, my body became shaky. my brain and eye travelled 360 degrees of what's around me
the only thing i could do was twist and turn to make him aware that i was awake, but he still kept doing it. he knew i was awake
my boyfriend says i should confront him, but i am not ready for the family outrage that will happen. i think ill do it some years down the line
i dind't blame myself because i know it wasn't my fault. i hurt him really bad and got him to lose his job. but i have tried therapy, but it hasn't gotten out of my system as yet
overtime i have truly convinced myself that i wasnt wrong and i wont let anyone convince me that i was wrong no matter what i was wearing or what i did
ive reached my boiling point. from my ankle to my hair there is so much harassment, it's ridiculous!
Emotions / Feelings Poorvi Das
i do make phonecalls when i'm going to leave the place. now with all the incidents, i keep the navigations on and share the location
i never go back and tell anyone, i will slap the person, whether it's me or another person
yes, there is teasing. more on the phone now
but a couple of years later i told his real sister, she doesnt trust me, maybe i was asleep and didn't kno
the phone is the first thing that falls off. the phone is unreliable
Public Spaces
Phone
i never go and stand with any boys. il go and come with my parents. if i go with my sisters i will protect them. i will go with my brother. i never go with people who i feel are unsafe, whether relative or not
Other ways of coping
in a market place in bombay one of the guys came and did something to my legs and i turned back and slapped him without thinking twice. this was in the evening about 7:15
we face issues in busses, public spaces
when ladies go to work, she is very unsafe i used to fear from going to some places now i dont. the road near my house where there were boys who were being mischevious, now the police takes rounds becasue there was some drugs racket. so i dont feel as scared now
once when i was selling flowers, a boy came on a scooter. he was telling me to come with him. then i told an uncle that he was troubling me, so the boy ran away. then the uncle came and said, this happens you take care.
when walking alone, there are truck boys, carriage boys - we become scared
when we were young boys would tease us from behind saying, 'come and sit in my car. but my parents taught us never to get scared or weak
even in the fairs, when there are too many people. drunk people come and fall on them, touc/ grope
when i go to flowers, there are uncles and aunties i can tell them if something happens
Otherwise if it's a transit space, the more people there are, i feel safer
because we're such a congested country, if you shout, somebody will come
i have made friends in my neighborhood. i wear all my clothes and cross this lane of an impoverished people everyday. i smile nicely, have connected with them, so much so that if they see i need help, they will come and help me
will i ever forget what i felt? it will stay with me for my life. i still have issues in my relationship. i was 8. my mom was great, she took me to a child psychologist. i didn't understand what had happened to me until i was much older.
it could be directly or indirectly. they do. they like to do sex
231
Overall poor system Responsibility of a community We have become fearful to help. i think a lot of it is again the amount of exposure we have - it's very negative and it makes you feel bad about the world outside. so even if theres a child, you are not trusting If he's a strong man, do you expect me to fight with him? We're connected virtually, and not really, so you don't run to help people even if they're in front of you
People are afraid to help others
Overall wall showing different aspects, many of which are interrelated
What causes deviance in society?
there are different drivers for this - stems at multiple levels. at each level of social strata, there are different drivers. Small cell, intentionally non- government
Is it chivalry or suppression? weakness or intelligence? we know that you'd be harassed if you go into becoming an eyewitness. so we did our bit of due dillegence, good samaritan - took the number and gave it
Social Services
Women's clothing the probability of this happening if you are improperly dressed is higher need broad mindedness and maturity for a person to not be provoked by provocation
It has become the individual's responsibility
but even if yoo talk about clothes, they have made it into this very political issue. what a girl wears, why does she wear. why do you have to think about it?
yes, the way women dress and carry themselves sometimes it does matter, depending on where they go. but i do believe that it's a woman's freedom to wear what she wants. but then looking at the society we live in, it's better to take recautions
even when you talk clothes, they're aversed to talk about clothes because it's a very antifeminst thing
when i saw a girl wearing provocative clothes, i felt embarassed. another person could have reacted differently. another person could have reacted differently. it depends on the time, or if the area was deserted the reactions would have manifested differently
Why can't she be fully clothed till such time that society recognizes her need to be herself.
Historical reference of male-female power
Perception of women
Seen as symbol of fertility only
The weaker sex
Mother goddess was worshiped, everything came from the mother, not from the father. mother was nature, where everything came from Initially it was a matrilineal system - lineal stems from mothers
Powercent ricity and Powerplay
Values - we say something/ do something- hypocritical We worship goddesses but in the way we behave - no respect for women
Caste system - guptas/ Barnes. Interested marriage you were thrown out Changed when the British came. Women were empowered
Reviving tradition for the current context
First barrier is myself. If I am afraid myself, how will I go ahead
Socialization / conditioning
makes sense. Reason to what we're doing, why we're doing I don't like to be pushed into something I don't believe in. But
it has to deal with people and their thoughts before it gets into action. it's really about changing people's thoughts and what you give them.
lately I've been going back to a lot of things I believed - now I have reasons to believe them People are giving me answer to these things Beliefs: If female energy grows it can be destructive. When feminine spirituality us awakened it is very strong.
Silencing her voice
We women think we're like men - have to work / take care of family / have to be a superwoman. Actually not like that. More powerful spiritually and more divinity in some. Feminine masculine equilibrium is lost - everybody wants to be a man
Women are so wrapped up in all that's going on that they silence themselves and their safety - not willing to accept the signals. Socialization- have silenced that voice. You've been deadened.
We are hypocritical It is impossible to bring this change in india
We condition our daughters like this My conditioning has been boy like - so im conditioned to hit back in conditions of violence Luckily my conditioning has been open. everytime i hit someone and came back my father said you should have punched him harder!
Current perception / situation
Powerplay / Feeling of Superiority
Power struggle is an important aspect It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house That feeling of being more powerful than the other - touching makes you feel superior i genuinely thought this was a person that could help me and here he was trying to take something away from me
Perception of women: she is weak and easy to attack
They think women are lower than men The starting is to have sex, and they feel the woman is too weak to say anything They attack women because they consider them weak. Animal instinct- stronger over weak It's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
in the company, family problems, it's all too frustrating for them
Pressure
Invisibe choices that we made as women everyday
Fear
Pressures of indian society Competitive, responsibilities, lack of value Society is getting ruthless day by day In india, we've always had a bystander culture. we've chosen to forget. at the core of it, we've become selfish.
Feared for her safety whether it was being thrown on the street, threatened for dowry, etc Fear mental agony that a young bride would go through Women give in for the sake if the family- husband's and kids There are rituals and ways if bring they are hard to break. It's about education
Guilt / Victim blame
Fear in society from socializ ation
Society is not equipped to ensure safety for women, as a system Society has not shown that woman can also do There will be some kind of attention - that is how society is
Make jokes with the word rape in it. i cant be around people who trivialize this In my office they made fun and jokes on the #metoo hashtag, on the whatsapp group
Differs from place to place
Society matters. we went to mumbai and i found girls find themselves more safe When you go to delhi or bangalore post 9:30 you won't see women coming out Felt unsafe in a big city in Mumbai, where very literate people have made me feel unsafe It's high in delhi. Not so high in Ahmedabad, the South or the mountains.
Women don't want to get into this because they fear the implications in the future. it is very dangerous these days. Women live in fear and are dominated over using physical violence and fear They fear how will they go, where will they go - nothing to do with being educated - family and parents play an important role.
girls fear to speak out because they fear if they go home, there could be some people who can rape them
respect for women
Women
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out they are not able to express hemselves emotionally if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is
Patriarchy Frustrations
masculine toxity / Male dominated feudal society
Patriarchy is a strong part of it Men are treated like God's this comes from making the male gender feel powerful about themselves The way we raise boys plays a role - make them feel different from the beginning
Girls are made the victim and noone says anything to the man It has been about blame in the recent years, intimated partner violence, domestic violence, child sexual abuse - diff. memories of their harassment We are good at coping. but due to the environment there is so much guilt and shame
Women are onsidered lower than men
male chauvenism, thinking men are in a higher level and think of women as a weak entity. teachings need to be given in school in addition to values the premium put on a boy child vs. a girl child i have seen in some families only girls do the housework. boys should also be taught to do this
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone, please don't walk alone in the night police is helpful but they do too much questioning. so we don't go. Police - come and write your complaint Safety in police stations - given the size of the country we're not able to take care of it.
Environment if fear from the beginning- don't go out. Parents don't equip them - want them to live with fear. Internal socialization within the family one doesn't feel cofident walking then
First label is within family- restricting women from going out, keeping within boundary, restricting movement - one starts getting fearful at every step From a parents point of view, I don't have control over that. i have control over this
In mumbai, even as late as 2 oclock, women were jogging in marine drive In ahmedabad one doesn't hear of women being molested. in the same way, in a place like UP, women wouldn't stir out of their homes - they are culturally different Intensity / scale higher in rural cities
Family not sensitive to overall needs of the woman let alone her safety When the people in the house do not nderstand their daughter or their daughters needs then they go out looking for love. and boys take advantage of that.
from the time she matured i used to fear with a daughter i would get even more worried. so you have to take precautions
Getting over fear
Lack of trust on the police
Media
Lack of viibility of the police
The indian subcontinent hs never been about the 'i'. it has always been about the other and how the other affects me at some point of time. Now if you ask about customs, the current generation doesn't have a clue.
We are adopting western culture very fast because it's the 'cool' thing and forgetting our own traditional culture. - forgetting the depth of our culture. We have a very rich culture.
Men are treated like Gods. Make this differentiation from the very beginning
what role do the men play? patriarchy - dowry is still a cause for female infanticide or fetocide. And the cause of women, if she has to be protected why does she have to be protected in the most patriarcham way? uneducated class, the male power is very strong discrimination between boy and girl - boys can't make a mistake.
when they come out and see these girls working, partying, they are earning so much, why, why don't i earn the same - these emotions keep building and it comes out as a rage Maybe they're not happy with their wives, or some other reason
Behave like this when in a group, not so much alone
They tease at any time - when there are many boys they tease. when they're alone they don't tease Most of these crimes happen with 2-3 boyes. there is a lot of peer power. i have done it. to show group commradri. one upmanship in a group. im strong. one of the social causes. socially you feel very empowered. similar to how a man feels holding a cigarette
Media - lots of sensationalization - continues to report rape, incest. So many channels, they need to be occupied as well. Becomes instantaneous news. Very little goes in to the next step. Call it a phenomenon of society. That's where media has a role. Reading stories in the newspapers inspired me to do something about it.
When they show about women's safety.
Awareness
If alone, then behave like this when in a moving vehicle so they can flee
Somehow the guy would not do it by himself. somehow its always a collective effort By themselves they dont have the guts to do it becaue they think they'll get assaulted. so it's a shared kind of responsiblity and it's about having fun Seeing 4-5 people together will attract a lesser number. so it's usually a group of people
How?
You can't look at the perpatrator in isolation. it's an interdependent system
Who
A single guy feels very empowered when he's on a bike, because he knows he can flee. otherwise it's always a bunch of people. Their discimination is if you are weaker than them. they come in a mob. getting back. get economic power, sense of power
As young as children as old as elderly
Educated and Illiterate
Bringing values back into education
Education and values need to go hand in hand
The difference between right and wrong, good and bad
Mindset
attitude Everyone wants things now - use and throw We want immediate gratification
Oftwn women are to blame as well
It's like the affordances of an object - wat all
To do with early childhood
Values Values of an organization - workplace Distinction between good and bad, would I do it to my mother?
Trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
Media glorifies it with constant coverage
Saavdhaan- the ones that I've seen. I don't
Schools not properly socialized When there is a gender divide in schools, there is more curiosity - more curiosity lack of education and grooming in families and in schools
Environment / surroundings
Alcohol
the media is the main corruption for this The more it comes in media people are inspired to do it. Media glorifies it. People think they will get publicity for it. It's hyped. it's getting reported more - its rampant now
going on communicating, same news 24/7 - for a 10 year old boy the mindset becomes like that. on the roads, on the tv - the culture that is propogted allowes you to think in certain ways in media you see some advertisements to condition indian minds
media is going against the value system
The exposure is limitless
we're overexposed - want the world in your fist, right now, at the press of a button. while the exposure is good, it's causing a lot of problem.
Lighting
Who are the male role models?
Time of the Day
Diversity - there is a lot of difference / disparity Part of it where you see brutal assault is when
the impatience levels have increased - a lot of the impatience is injected by the visuals that one sees. it's also because of social media, peers doing so much, you feel yourself to be the frog in the well.
Number of people: is it crowded?
Alone or in a group? Culture / people in the area?
if someone is escorting you back home, then it's fine. but if you're travelling alone then the chances of all this happening are more
fancies
It's also the inequality. rape is not about sexual gratificaition. it's about power, a way to get back at people who you think are better than you.
Propogates the objectificatio n of women
These days all smartphones have emergency number
participation of women, all voices in away to of prejudice and stereotypes that dominate this is something that india has never seen
This is also a change. Will take some time for men to really understand and accept this fact. Can't imagine all women will go back and sit in silence. The whole concept that they understand what us important and why women are working and why they should work.
Positive efforts in the workplace
Girls who use to be shy, if there are any problems, don't mind speaking up now. This person is troubling me. Earlier it was like - oh my god, how do i say it? They will make fun of me, look at me. Now you can stand up and point out the person. Actually nowadays women are also doing the same thing
We have a set of rules and regulations It also makes it clear that it is not acceptable. if there were rules / laws, it would be reduced to a great extent I haven't seen any rules and regulation for women, but men are properly addressed. things like, you are supposed to offer a chair
There is a comittee called womens protection comittee Rules: if any complains comes from a woman it has to be addressed that same day. if she feels discomfort you will need to move
Women are not very forthcoming. in offices and organized workplaces, there is not much repurcussion for low intensity acts Now there is a lot of help for girls. it wasn't so much earlier. people come and help. there is not as much risk now
I think it's importnt to mandate these trainings every year as at some point it seeps in There are incidents of low intensity like an inappropriate touch which can be defended or goes in the category of confusion kind of a situation
The Government
No active intervention platforms across the government. Fortunately because if much hue and cry they did something. Reached a scale where we challenge how they can control this? It's a democracy. Every time that filter comes, there's a disruption. Only the government can put that filter.
December 31st - women's safety was improved. What expense? Can't talk about resources - let's increase resources. Women are not going to stop coming.
There are code of ethics / certifications that need to be renewed. sadly they are not geared towards harassment. they are more towards bribery. though it does happen in some companies. i don't think we have a mandatory gender sensitization kind of training TCS had a gender- cultural sensitization workshop about how men interact in india vis a vis US or Europe
Society
Randomness in society - everyone is doing everything in their own way. Don't have a system of filtering Parents have become over-obsessive and helicopter their kids These days there's lots of smoking and drugs in school
Kids Easy victims Reminders of discipline around the city in public places with emergency numbers for people who see any discrepency
Awareness
Conditioning in the family and society
Build Trust
Awareness plays a major role
Where we fail is children who are not aware if it. And the socialization process if the woman. - not done in clear distinctive, identifying ways, an unwritten kind if behavior that the child observes in the family. Have to be clever and if they are sensitive
What you tell your child from a young age. You're also conditioning the child Lots of conditioning for boys and girls. Has to be impressed from foundation kids learn from seeing their parents need to be careful about what is said and how one behaves in front of the kids
Child won't be able to communicate if he doesn't have trust in you Simple ways to not break the trust: controlling kids - no no no you have to do this You Don't feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is stating at you because they will say it's something you did. Maybe you're smiling, your dress is too short Allow children to take compliments well
You Don't feel comfortable telling your parents that somebody is stating at you because they will say it's something you did. Maybe you're smiling, your dress is too short.
Extrinsic: how aware / sensitive is the outside
women's safety? - separate coaches, vendors
Empowering children by talking about sexual abuse. Tell them about good touch and bad touch. - understand ways for them to not break trust in themselves Can't safeguard our children 24/7. We can only empower them. They have to learn to take care if themselves. Often it is someone known Allow boys to cry. Let the emotion come out
Women are objectified - item numbers The movie is nice but there is one song he's after her taking a selfie - so these are things you think it's ok to show and people think its cool to do that.
Empower by discussing
Curiosity triggers them Talk to kids. Discuss the lyrics of the song Talk about it when girls get their periods instead of just sending the kids to their room Plan to address both boys and girls at school level It's not like it's not happening. They're smart. To avoid trouble it's best that you're there for them. - that empowers every child.
When the kid goes to college, and learns all these things from low grade people When they come out of college they behave inappropriately
People don't talk to you about things- parents don't.
i dont think the patriarchal society has anything to do with it. i think its the lack of moral values that drive offenders to do this
what exists by producing work that allows for negotiate a terrain, the status quo of this kind
Public places i feel are safer still. but that doesn't make a diffference for someone who has to do We don't have safety in our public places
villages a boy is very sought for. there are a lot a lot ofsacrifice catering to their whims and
Articulate in a confident way and challenge
Women's Safety is compromised even in religious places
people move to cities from villages and in of expectations from him an the family makes
transitional phase which happens in every it will happen on it's own
In buses, the older people just fall on the women. they won't even spare small girls Looking at public spaces/ busses - several range if issues. How to make them more sensitive to the needs of women. Look at the Saree. Sarees catching fire. Where the more stuck you Unless you're in a bus where the more stuck you are physically you feel claustrophobic and unsafe
Who has responsibility and accountability for
Leading to problems like depression, impatience, frustration, ect
and more women come out to work. It's a culture. Not waking up and letting it linger that
During concerts also you see people getting drunk and misbehaving When we go to a concert then the public helps you
What are the warnings? Who gives the signals?
there is a celebration of violence - we see enough examples of that. conditioning since childhood. what are the role models we see? how many nurturing men do we see around
Lots of issues are going to come out as more
Women's presence creates an equality.
Youth delinquency- drugs, eve teasing, molestation - putting behind bars not helpful. Parents in same environment
newspapers and all we think it's wrong but media tells us it's not wrong - media is contradictory media says it's ok
One has to be careful. But things are changing now. 10-15 years before and the present Delhi. There is more awareness in people. First anything would happen and no one would stand up for you. Now there is social media, law, action by the police, there are numb
work
Women
Extrinsic: physical environement, the space - how well it is lit, the dimensions of the space and the amount of traffic in the space. Somehow more people make you feel safer, unless you're in a bus What time of the day, how deserted is a place makes a difference to the same kind of situation night time in the road it is dangerous, where there are no street lights, that's the worst. there could be chain snatchers, kidnappers
domain? Market / bus or office. How aware?
Disparity Inequality / Diversity
Do you need to be drunk. Do you need to dress in skimpy clothes? Boys dressed in full sleeves. Girls in spaghetti straps. - asking for trouble. How aware are you if this? Don't be in a burkha. But are you aware?
Drink and come, nothing else to do Ifeel alcohol should first be banned in Punjab. that is where it is maximum
Media
Negatively impacts ones thinking
In india there is a high proportion of people who are not educated and a higher proprtion of people who despite being educated do not have the right kind of values.
i just wanted to go to sleep because i had drunk too much and a few hours later i was rudely woken up by a person trying to undress me. and he said this is what i wanted. and i was mostly unconscious
sensationalized the tv series. They showed in
think it comes during peak hour.
All these incidents happen under the effect of alcohol Its also associated with the evils of drinking and drugs Alcohol is a big problem - but where will they take out the pressure
Very high predatory behaviour in certain groups of people, when it's late it gives them cover Predatory behaviour not only delinquents - biologically prevalent- need to socialize and channel it.
Psychologic al background
Women take advantage of the situation Often girls are also to blame
Has to do with early life 0-12 Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger Childhood frustration that comes out This problem is there because of the mentalities that build up in the early age. there's no good knowledge.even media.
Education & Values
These days people don't know what is right and what is wrong. so those values we have to incorporate.
It was a slap on my face because i had always been careful about this - i was careful about the people i mingle with, these were nice people, people with good jobs, a good education
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary
what all can i do to her?
violence is justified in the name of culture, tradition, patriarchy. there's a kind of violience that is macho that is toxic
There's no particular age. it depends on the character and mindset. if they think sex is important, they do Now even younger boys 12 and 15 year olds tease - even in school. things like i love you. Old men interact with girls very badly Most boys in my neighborhood are pretty mischevious.
taking you to a state that is gentler than what you can deal with it
Maybe tv programs show it as part to balika badhu the girl goes to school, but they
Alcohol
drinking and wife becomes a pattern - unable to deal with some aspect and they take it out
Don't see what media is showing, what adds are showing and how it impacts. Can't raise our kids in isolation. Font have an idea about what's being taught in schools. we have become very untrusting. now we'll think the uncle will molest me. indians would be very robust otherwise. india is like a boot camp.
showed other things in other serials.
men are coping with something so they are returning to alcohol in different degrees that we've heard men say can you hold a drink and how many drinks can you have - socialization through drinking
can i do with it? What all can a woman do and
i'm very fearful of even giving a lift to a child on my scooter. because i think he's going to do something. he could put a knife to my head or something Feel more unsafe as i have grown older because i don't move as fast now.
Family
Traditionally there was respect for women North Indian culture and traditions are not deep like South India- it's a kuch. Everyone us from everywhere- people are here from everywhere for employment.
please don't walk alone in the night
When they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter Take revenge on anyone who's weak
at the core of it is patriarchy, but it is not really helping them because they are reduced to a role of a protectr it's about one man protecting their wife, their sister, their mother from other men
'No but you're a girl, you shuldn't have hit him." There was an innocent bystander who came up to me and said 'you shouldn't have slapped him'. so i said if somebody started abusing your mother and raises your hand at you, what would you do. so its only when i poked the bystander that he agreed. so he said, Our indian mindsets are set like that - fully based on tradition
Society has wide variations when it comes to
Winter 2018
Why?
It's about power play Men are unable to accept that women are working. They were the bread winners till now
Mindset if some teachers that only a guy can do the job
Ancient people had knowledge of these things- got lost. Now it
Social conditioning
the police didn't do anything. they just said don't walk alone, i have called the police several times, eapecially once when i was
Perpetrator
certainly a reason
Society
DMGT 748
powercentricity is a lot in a country like india. where you have control on other people and nothing will happen to you and you'll get away with it. so that's another place Political parties - politics everything- people in power take stands
Women's spiritual leanings- exploitation
they wanted to consumate.
station, give money
Indian judicial system is discouraging. Deal with cases in a bad manner certainity of punishment in india. in india people get away with things, which they dont get away in other cuntries
Yes, the reason men behave like this is because of the pressure -
Mother- nurturer, Durga - destroyer of evil
folklore says before that, it was the women who decided who
policemen themselves tease women police come and hit innocent people, take them to the police
mumbai the police is strong and more visible No regulation - gone out of control.
Mindset
insults
was no notion of purdah. earlier women didn't wear blouses.
police
steering wheel. for 20 minutes the police kept calling me back
Men have a lot of pressure
Manusmriti, arthashastra, Ramayana, Mahabharata- all filled with
Traditional culture
there is a fear of the police for right reasons, no one trusts the
driving and i saw a person driving with a persons head on the
coming to power is being forceful. anything can be done by force. sense of empowerment has become lopsided - i can do it better than you
Insecure / weak - pregnant
Any book apart from veda, all denigrating about women.
When did purdah come? in india before the islamic attacks there
Police
Encourage more women to come out and
Just because a woman breastfeeds why should she be considered weaker? - it should be the reverse. Society never considers her to be the professor, the one who takes society forward See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is lost. Only see her as mother goddess. Not an intelligent human being.
so hence uncles become important
Lack of female role models
Poorvi Das
the punishment for gruelling crimes is very small in comparison Nobody's getting punished. Need some harsh punishment to scare people. our law should be changed. if it is changed, then we will be strong. the laws don't do justice for women, then women can't do anything
side, daughters become important, daughters get the property,
Earlier we had the fear of being reprimanded not by another person but by an imaginary force - that helped The extreme to that was being dogmatic, but there can always be a balance
Feminine masculine equilibrium
Need harsher punishment so people are scared
Legal system is discourging. Deal with cases in a very bad manner
Responsibility is passed on unfairly and unduly to the woman Pressure on women to take on the responsibility. Told to keep quiet so as to keep families honor. Get used to it. It is the situation. You see how to take care of yourself Responsibility comes down to the woman - society not responding - continues to see women as vulnerable. Curtailing our own - sacrifice we're making.
Shakti- nurtured- but need to see beyond that as builder not just nurturer. Not the passive taking care - go beyond that - see the strenght. See it in the daughters if house maids who break away and find a job. See woman as a symbol if fertility that's all. What about her creativity? As an intelligent human being. Individuality is
before that. Concept of shame introduced after the British
Clearing misconceptions / discussing what was not discussed Need for research
NGOs don't have any clarity - only a few are good. Don't delve into the problem deeply Slum development projects no good No social service organization comes to talk to them Residential welfare association - people reluctant to talk or tell about anyone else as it is a personal matter No-one wants to intervene within a community
Power Play
Traditionall y
Society/ culture change over time
Lack of effective programs in comparison to the population and requirement Poor follow up
Law and Order
Changes being witnessed
in general the problems of reporting these incidents and getting justice on them is not easy we wanted to lodge an FIR, but typically as Indian parents do, they said, 'let's not lodge an FIR'
sying it didn't understand what i was saying
ladies should wear clothes depending on where they are going and they should have the right to choose. if a girl is going on her own w/o her parents, she should be careful about what she is wearing and have limits to what she is wearing.
Interpretation / misinterpretati on of historical texts
Lack of trust in the Government by women
the framework is weak i never believe the government. i have to take care of my safety on myself even though the cases are increasing, govt. is doing nothing, so we need to try something else
Emergency contacts - not well communicated / shared
Childline - immediately the case is registered, set up child welfare committees everywhere - would record and follow up We set up Childline for children. It's 1098. But how much is implemented? It us the tip of the ice berg. Like everything- we discuss a lot, set things up, don't publicise enough. Very few people know that any child w/o asking the parent can call the number.
Misconc eptions
Boys are ready to stand up for girls but girls have a wrong conception of them. Boys are willing to walk with the girls.
Fear of confront ation
It becomes a problem for parents- how to tell a relative not to touch the child. We always expect the child to adjust, not the adult. We Tell them, maybe you imagined it. So sometimes that's also what I think in the bus - maybe I just imagined. Because our society is filled with such perverts, our children need to be strong. Parents are scared to confront these incase someone is abusing their child.
Fear can be from a restricting you to move to challenging you to break walls - it's not something we're born with Eve teasing, someone whistling, commenting. - used to get nervous as a teenager. If I let that fear grow wouldn't have managed to reach ahead, travel to different places. Didn't let it grow. Family also told me to give it back. Learnt martial arts because I wa
Had reservations but my parents were very supportive
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APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
233
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
234
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
235
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Culture, city, safety
Social conditioning, Values, culture, perception of women
How might we change a mindset?
Education System Need to bring change in the education system from the beginning. Focus on early age education- the way relationships and emotions are managed / handled at a young age. Very difficult to change the mind of an adult
Education system, schools should carry women's safety as a subject. There is very strong stereotyping. Safety issues not taken as part if the curriculum- make schools and toilets safer. Nip it in the bud - the misbehaviour that happens in the school. We give a lot of scope for bullying girls
Change in Attitude / Mindset
Broaden mindset Attitude change No kind of biasing
there should be a set of rules and guidelines that should be followed. it should be incorported in the education system which is not there. they don't teach you how to behave with a woman.
Appropriate awareness at the right time from the right sources
Focus on kids: the future
Should begin when puberty hits Awareness for men in and outside organizations
Gaining your childs trust is very important and the right age Should not ignore and instead spend time with children when they return from school Raise children consciously in the righ kind of environement
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
How might we re- contextualize and communicate traditional texts for the current and future generations?
How might we promote a stronger and more positive image of women through traditional texts so as to bring about a balance?
How might we bring values back into education?
Perpetrator
How might we understand what aspects go into making a city safe and implement them to create safer spaces?
How might we share the responsibility of safety in a community?
How might we build trust in the system? How might we enable people to lodge complaints despite the discomfort involved? How might we simplify the method of filing a compalint and make it more user friendly?
How might we enable and empower children to be aware in the current situation / circumstances witout affecting their innocence?
How might we understand the inter-dependent system and the perpetrators perspective so as to be better informed on how to address the problem?
How might we help women find their voinces back?
There is an opportunity to understand the aspects which go into making cities safe and plan them accordingly
There is an opportunity to enable communities to be responsible for safety as a collective, rather than to live in fear or allow individuals to be responsible for their safety alone.
There is an opportunity to build a more transparent system
There is an opportunity to create programs for children which help them overcome fear, look after each other and feel empowered
There is an opportunity to look at the problem from the perpetrators perspective and address the issue
There is an opportunity to explore the texts and build a range of stories with strong women role models
There is an opportunity to nurture women's creativity and individuality and empower their image of self as more than progenitor
There is an opportunity to relook and communicate traditional customs and stories for the present generation
There is an opportunity to build value based education programs that will benefit society
There is an opportunity to create programs / mediums for women to share and express themselves, along with other resources which help them feel empowered
Strengthen them from within Make women strong Don't make her feel guilty Give opportunities to women Give her the freedom to choose
Children / Parents
How might we change the perception of women in India?
There is an opportunity to influence the mindset in a positive way through the different ways in which the mindset is influenced
Empower girls and women
Responsibil ity
Make boys and men aware More discipline More responsibilities from childhood Guide them to respect and talk to women
Create an engaging presence
It's not a man's cause as yet
From Market Analysis and Project Positioning
Mostly women founded / run
Balance in founder gender makes it more inclusive
Most are victim focussed
236
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL So instead of the community taking care of each other, it has become very
That age – adolescence – delinquency There is no point sending them to jail. There are so many.
Early Life if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is certainly a reason
nobody to tell you
make these
that this is not you
communities safe. So
Has to do with early life 0-12 Why do guys do this? Childhood frustration that comes out
Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger
it’s a circle, right. It’s
behave.
the same thing.
‘Ubundu’ - it takes a village to raise a child
Now it’s just about get money, so it’s not about working – it’s about earning.
you do these smaller things also of self-worth or opportunities that you have – the mothers who were not working for so many years also started working because we told them, you can just sit at home and make earrings.
So they live in like earning hundred rupees a day and they have a lot of kids. So funding their education – and it’s not just about sending them to school. There are books, and there are uniforms. There are no savings.
The kids keep increasing and nobody Is doing anything for
Societal & other pressures
them. I believe it has to be in sync
Just one or two generations ago, people understood the value of studying and getting a job – ya, the cycle, of running a family properly – you know, not getting distracted by things. The youth are not even focussed on getting a job now.
So people in the house have to choose – should they educate? Because the boy will go and earn money and the females are most probably not allowed to work in such communities. So it becomes an easier decision, you pull them out of education.
There are not
It’s like you can make money doing anything.
enough people in their community who tell them you
Community
know; you work like this.
there's no particular age. it depends on the character and mindset. if they think sex is important, they do
now even younger boys 12 and 15 year olds tease - even in school. things like i love you.
not safe because we’re not doing anything to
individualistic.
this problem is there because of the mentalities that build up in the early age. there's no good knowledge.even media.
Our communities are
The community I work with there is
Nobody’s stopping them, nobody’s telling them, you know there’s a way out, you can do something else.
And then such a big population that we have. We can leverage it but we’re just scared
just tell them you know there are systems, awareness, about everything. Only thing lacking is that confidence and awareness you know, this is wrong, I can stand up for myself and I should do something about it.
You know you’re hormonal or whatever, there are other ways to deal with it. So that’s also there, nobody’s telling them what to do.
The system is really flawed. Nobody’s telling them, don’t do this, there are other ways for whatever you want to do.
So one definitely is awareness
Challenges If one of the parent gets sick, they lose their earning for that day.
Do you think workshops on self- worth would be helpful? Yes, it will work, because they are very sensitive and these things actually they get associated with it very fast. But like just one thing doesn’t work. It has to be an ongoing process.
The need for self- worth
pursue it’s not about moral education. It’s value education – you bring these value education to kids and tell them to not just focus on their spoken English or get hundred in maths
even for kids who are privileged in private schools, it’s not really about values anymore. So much of it is just getting the best marks. So the value system is lacking in our proper education system as well.
These are the people who can actually go out and work for the community if you bring the values into them. Ultimately we have to work for them, but we don’t – we separate ourselves.
Value System
So for me that’s the focus I’m working with. I’m building up these things where they can decide this is right, this is wrong, exposure to technology is an important thing. You can’t talk to me but you can google it, right? Now it’s easier – You have online ses
we don’t have a value system right now. Because there is nobody telling them that this is a value. They don’t know what value means. They’re living on basic instincts like I need to earn money for food and then the distractions come in.
That value system that had purpose, that gave us meaning, we were living for the community, living for humanity – it does not exist anymore, in these communities specifically.
In the job market nobody is seeing this also, if you sell this as a value proposition, you can maybe do more.
So what we are trying to do is teach in these low income schools
my class is values. I only teach girls. So they should be able to make their own decisions, have their own opinions, of what is right and what is wrong – we’re trying to build that kind of consciousness in kids. and at an early age.
Only we talk about it because we are privileged. We can say you know, this is my value – we can afford to have a belief. These people can’t even afford to have a belief because they’re just thinking about tomorrow – how are we going to survive?
We did have a value system until a few years ago.
. If they’re employed
Values and work
that value system is not there anymore. Within that if you start building it into
and they’re doing something and they’re themselves, they won’t get distracted – it’s a loop again.
Work engagement
it comes back to proper education. More than education, it’s skills. I don’t believe learning English and maths is going to help them. It’s about learning the skills to survive in this world.
The whole youth that we are talking about is going waste.
The men who are getting trained, they are not very serious. – they’re infiltrated, nobody is telling them, the youth is getting polluted with all the bad thoughts, so they don’t focus too much effort into working again.
education
Yes, but now we’ve lost it – one because of the population, - we don’t have enough people propagating it – you know these are the value, we should do this. I see religion is the only one which talks about values now. There’s no other way of learning values.
Yes, they need the
So these women are unemployed, they have no skills.
understanding,
Awareness
the awareness. Awareness is a must
they’re worth more than this – their full potential. Just creating those spaces where they feel, yes, I’m capable. I can do something with my life. I am not created to do just this.
Education
making a living for
So, unemployment is another big problem. They don’t have the skill set, they don’t study in school. Lack of money, lack of proper education, lack of opportunities.
Some of to the people who really want work, like the females who want to study and really do something are not allowed to. And the ones who are actually doing it are not really – they can’t get a job – it’s a big problem
Free education is till eight – the Government gives you free education. There are not enough secondary schools to take these people forward. Lot of the people drop out and most of the targeted audience fails.
The need for appropriate skill training
Unemployment
Employment Opportuniti es / need for jobs
media, if you see the movies getting made – nobody’s
That feeling of being more powerful than the other - touching makes you feel superior
power struggle is an importan aspect
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out
Power struggle / women are weaker
It's not just sex. It's also power play. Starts from scratch, begins from the house
men have a lot of pressure
propagating a
when they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter
proper life or a
The Need
culture.
and they need a space to feel they are loved and they are comfortable.
Target early age yes, the reason men behave like this is because of the pressure - in the company, family problems, it's all too frustrating for them
Take revenge on anyone who's weak
kids and the
Environment / Surrounding / Background
So with boys when you start hitting them they become more aggressive and defensive
Their parents and the people around they try to discipline them by hitting them. So if I tell them that a student is not studying the first thing that comes to their head is to hit the child.
community with
The community I work with is also not very safe. The area, the kind of kids I deal with, the environment, that’s not very safe.
the parents – just the kids and the
So if you sit and deal with them patiently and quietly and with love, we have seen changes. And with young boys you can see the changes, but nobody’s telling them that there is an alternative way of dealing with kids while they are growing up.
parents.
I can’t think about doing it when they have already done something bad or at a later age. And it’s for both – girls and boys - make them aware.
now they come and tell me because I tell them to tell me. But if I tell them to tell it to their mothers, they will say my mother will hit me and they won’t let me go out.
We start dealing with them when it’s too late. But from smaller grades, 4th 5th we see, they’re learning all of these behaviours from these movies and from people around you.
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will
They think women are lower than men
they attack women because they consider them weak.
it's more in the mind - how we see women and how empowered we feel to do things to people to whatever degree we feel like
Animal instinct- stronger over weak
i genuinely thought this was a person that could help me and here he was trying to take something away from me
Very high predatory behaviour in certain groups of people, when it's late it gives them cover
when they grow up with their parents as role models – sometimes parents also find it tough because the parents are so busy earning their livelihoods – at the end of the day they’re stressed out and tired and their frustration comes out.
it was a slap on my face because i had always been careful about this - i was careful about the people i mingle with, these were nice people, people with good jobs, a good education
They just look at them and then try to replicate it.
Predatory behaviour not only delinquents - biologically prevalent- need to socialize and channel it.
If I tell some senior boys to behave themselves, the way they will talk to you, the way they will look at you, they’ll whistle while we’re walking from the community. All of that I face, so my main aim is to come back home safely.
And when kids see so much violence and abuse at home, they are conditioned and when they get married, they think this is normal. That’s how the whole community and the society works. It continues.
these are kids in the community who will see people getting murdered at an early age, because the community is violent. There’s so much happening around you. Your father is beating your mother regularly.
I have kid coming, crying to me in the morning you know, my father beat my mother, I had to take her to the hospital. These are 7-8- year-old kids.
With all the negative
So the impressions they grow up with, they are so scared in the community to step out. And then I also get scared and I have to tell them, ‘go home carefully’. So my fear then goes onto them also. It doesn’t end anywhere.
get into some
Community / Parent Champions
young kids who are
So either find a parent
growing up with a
champion or
mentality that I can’t
easy to pick up
community champion
talk about these things.
who is doing this. – it
negative for kids.
And then they start
makes it easier, it
believing it’s ok.
definitely makes it
Socialize and channel predatory behavior
parents are not there
Moving in a group
they tease at any time - when there are many boys they tease. when they're alone they don't tease
most of these crimes happen with 2-3 boyes. there is a lot of peer power. i have done it. to show group commradri. one upmanship in a group. im strong. one of the social causes. socially you feel very empowered. similar to how a man feels holding a cigarette
seeing 4-5 people together will attract a lesser number. so it's usually a group of people
their discimination is if you are weaker than them. they come in a mob. getting back. get economic power, sense of power
as a group - it's a shared sense of responsiblity and they're having fun
only. Most of the time they are working. They are left to the community – they are even worse
kids are very impressionable. They have this impression in their minds of this is how a boy will be as they grow up, so they will also grow up like that. It’s a cycle.
So if you have one person in the community who is old and in a leadership position to advocate what you are doing, it becomes easier, because then the males also listen.
we use technology in teaching. It creates more impression in kids. Videos and audios keeps it with you. You don’t forget it easily. A conversation you might.
Technology
So they look up to the leaders. Community leaders is where they actually go to if they face any problem.
That’s worked in TFI, they have these champions, it’s one of the elderly persons who advocates these things and then we work for them, in facilitating these trainings.
And Indian’s always look up to people around them – they are very family oriented people any which ways. So if you know anybody in the family who can help you out, you’d rather go to that person
Then you have parent circles, it’s everybody because we are trying to mobilize the community, it has to be holistic. So that works. That definitely works.
Police / Systems
they have one community leader they look up to. Most of the communities have that look up system
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
And the reality is, that person might actually be able to do something, and the police
they look up to community leaders instead of police. So for example, my principal is a very influential person – if these people have a problem, they will first go to him, instead of the police, whether he can handle it or not.
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
might not.
Including mothers
I have realized including mothers into this makes a lot of difference. You need to get mothers on-board, they need to be ok with it because fathers will never get on-board.
So in their mind they can just get away with it. Once they think we can get away, because of our system, they think we can just get away with life like this. There’s no purpose.
So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the
by themselves they dont have the guts to do it becaue they think they'll get assaulted. so it's a shared kind of responsiblity and it's about having fun.
and somehow the guy would not do it by himself. somehow its always a collective effort
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their
police Tech is not an alternative for anything. It just increases my stand. With technology I can target more people faster. One can’t replace human interaction with technology. It’s mass.
You don’t get to know and it’s very psychological and you start holding back and then you have so many other health problems, mental problems. And it’s really important to address it because you see its result in our community as a whole.
– just suffer internally. So you won’t even get to know. So like some of my kids came and said, you know the boys said this to me – the third graders and fourth graders.
I understand their situation. If they say anything they are publicly shamed and then other things happen. They can’t come to school and all of that happens.
girls in the community, from what I see, they won’t talk. They will suppress it. So if something – they’ve been mentally conditioned in such a way that they won’t speak about these things
. Females maybe, you
Half the community is scared. Very scared community. They don’t want to come out and say anything.
They don’t want to get police involved in anything. Because again, that trust factor is not there. They don’t want to get involved in getting into trouble. That’s the mind-set
people don’t trust the The parents have mobile phones and smart phones is very easy to get. Atleast now in my class they are learning to use iPads. – so I’m targeting only 30 kids. Working with more kids will make them better decision makers.
Like you know the boys will whisper – somebody will just come and touch them. And they’re really young boys. Some of them are in the third grade
perception of it.
perception. In general
a single guy feels very empowered when he's on a bike, because he knows he can flee. otherwise it's always a bunch of people.
And they fear for life – it’s so much easier if people just take a gun and shoot someone. Nobody values their own life also. In that situation it becomes even more difficult.
Fear / Inhibitions
calling for trouble.
So these are conflicted
influences, it’s
easier.
there are kids whose
trouble – you’re
So one adult in the community. Or we have community champions.
that they are more afraid of the police
if I’m in trouble. Ya, but you would still go out right, you would still make that effort in making a complaint – you don’t have any expectation, but you will still do it.
it's like the affordances of an object - wat all can i do with it? What all can a woman do and what all can i do to her?
there is a fear in
You won’t even
the community
know so many
and society to get
kids are in
into situations –
depression. You
they fear for their
can’t even talk
life.
about it.
Children don’t say. The problem is children don’t express themselves. It’s difficult for me to talk to a kid also sometimes. Because they don’t express.
we want immediate gratification
You know from a
trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
themselves.
Psycholo gical needs
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary attitude
everyone wants things now - use and throw
kid’s mannerisms that something is not right. They don’t express
know the passion that I have to do something for my kids someday and they will speak up. These kids don’t speak at all.
Then I can target more people. Instead of 30, with the use of tech in my class I can target 50.
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
237
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Value system for priviledged children
The difference between right and wrong
Giving back to society / contributing to the community
even for kids who are privileged in private schools, it’s not really about values anymore. So much of it is just getting the best marks. So the value system is lacking in our proper education system as well.
These are the people who can actually go out and work for the community if you bring the values into them. Ultimately we have to work for them, but we don’t – we separate ourselves.
Making their own decisions / having their own opinions of what is right/ wrong, building a kind of consciousness at an early age
pursue it’s not about moral education. It’s value education – you bring these value education to kids and tell them to not just focus on their spoken English or get hundred in maths
Doing for others
that value system is not there anymore. Within that if you start building it into education
technology - you can't talk to me, but you can google it, right?
Value System
‘Ubundu’ - it takes a village to raise a child
Spreading age apprpriate awareness amongst the whole community - boys, girls, men, women
Awareness
Adopt a community? Movie nights? Events? Drives?
I can’t think about doing it when they have already done something bad or at a later age. And it’s for both – girls and boys - make them aware.
We start dealing with them when it’s too late. But from smaller grades, 4th 5th we see, they’re learning all of these behaviours from these movies and from people around you.
just tell them you know there are systems, awareness, about everything. Only thing lacking is that confidence and awareness you know, this is wrong, I can stand up for myself and I should do something about it.
Target early age kids and the community with the parents – just the kids and the parents.
So instead of the community taking care of each other, it has become very individualistic.
That value system that had purpose, that gave us meaning, we were living for the community, living for humanity – it does not exist anymore, in these communities specifically.
my class is values. I only teach girls. So they should be able to make their own decisions, have their own opinions, of what is right and what is wrong – we’re trying to build that kind of consciousness in kids. and at an early age.
working with. I’m building up these things where they can decide this is right, this is wrong, exposure to technology is an important thing. You can’t talk to me but you can google it, right? Now it’s easier – You have online ses
In the job market nobody is seeing this also, if you sell this as a value proposition, you can maybe do more.
are privileged. We can say you know, this is my value – we can afford to have a belief. These people can’t even afford to have a belief because they’re just thinking about tomorrow – how are we going to survive?
How might we spread awareness in a community?
Need to start early on. Need to make it age appropriate. Need to include parents.
we don’t have a value system right now. Because there is nobody telling them that this is a value. They don’t know what value means. They’re living on basic instincts like I need to earn money for food and then the distractions come in.
It’s like you can make money doing anything.
don’t have enough people propagating it – you know these are the value, we should do this. I see religion is the only one which talks about values now. There’s no other way of learning values.
Work ethics
and they need a space to feel they are loved and they are comfortable.
The need to be able to talk to someone
they’re worth more than this – their full potential. Just creating those spaces where they feel, yes, I’m capable. I can do something with my life. I am not created to do just this.
Could be a physical / virtual space
How might we communicate the need to work and earn for a living?
The whole youth that we are talking about is going waste.
The men who are getting trained, they are not very serious. – they’re infiltrated, nobody is telling them, the youth is getting polluted with all the bad thoughts, so they don’t focus too much effort into working again. And they fear for life – it’s so much easier if people just take a gun and shoot someone. Nobody values their own life also. In that situation it becomes even more difficult.
So what we are trying to do is teach in these low income schools
Now it’s just about get money, so it’s not about working – it’s about earning.
Just one or two generations ago, people understood the value of studying and getting a job – ya, the cycle, of running a family properly – you know, not getting distracted by things. The youth are not even focussed on getting a job now.
If they’re employed and they’re doing something and they’re making a living for themselves, they won’t get distracted – it’s a loop again.
Better incentives
Employment Opportuniti es
Better education
Do you think workshops on self-
patiently and quietly and with
worth would be helpful? Yes, it
love, we have seen changes. And
will work, because they are very
with young boys you can see the
sensitive and these things
changes, but nobody’s telling
actually they get associated with
them that there is an alternative
it very fast. But like just one thing
way of dealing with kids while
doesn’t work. It has to be an
they are growing up.
ongoing process.
Adopt a community
Workshops / intervention s on self- worth
So these women are unemployed, they have no skills.
Some of to the people who really want work, like the females who want to study and really do something are not allowed to. And the ones who are actually doing it are not really – they can’t get a job – it’s a big problem
The need for appropriate skill training
So people in the house have to choose – should they educate? Because the boy will go and earn money and the females are most probably not allowed to work in such communities. So it becomes an easier decision, you pull them out of education.
Education
Free education is till eight – the Government gives you free education. There are not enough secondary schools to take these people forward. Lot of the people drop out and most of the targeted audience fails.
Employment Opportuniti es / need for jobs
Fear / Inhibitions
So if you have one person in the community who is old and in a leadership position to advocate what you are doing, it becomes easier, because then the males also listen.
And Indian’s always look up to people around them – they are very family oriented people any which ways. So if you know anybody in the family who can help you out, you’d rather go to that person
And the reality is, that person might actually be able to do something, and the police might not.
I understand their situation. If they say anything they are publicly shamed and then other things happen. They can’t come to school and all of that happens.
girls in the community, from what I see, they won’t talk. They will suppress it. So if something – they’ve been mentally conditioned in such a way that they won’t speak about these things
there is a fear in the community and society to get into situations – they fear for their life.
You won’t even know so many kids are in depression. You can’t even talk about it.
trying to punish people, attack people or show people who are better than you or in better circumstances than you - there can be a lot of psychological things and it is not only about sexual gratification
now they come and tell me because I tell them to tell me. But if I tell them to tell it to their mothers, they will say my mother will hit me and they won’t let me go out.
Half the community is scared. Very scared community. They don’t want to come out and say anything.
Children don’t say. The problem is children don’t express themselves. It’s difficult for me to talk to a kid also sometimes. Because they don’t express.
You know from a kid’s mannerisms that something is not right. They don’t express themselves.
Psycholo gical needs
important to address it because you see its result in our community as a whole.
it's like the affordances of an object - wat all can i do with it? What all can a woman do and what all can i do to her?
we want immediate gratification
It's the use and throw, impatient, temporary attitude
they have one community leader they look up to. Most of the communities have that look up system
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Parent champion
Parent circles - trying to mobilize the community
I have realized including mothers into this makes a lot of difference. You need to get mothers on-board, they need to be ok with it because fathers will never get on-board.
Getting mom's onboard
they look up to community example, my principal is a very influential person – if these people have a problem, they will
everyone wants things now - use and throw
first go to him, instead of the police, whether he can handle it or not.
Including mothers
this problem is there because of the mentalities that build up in the early age. there's no good knowledge.even media.
Early Life if he only has responsibilites from the beginning, where did he get love from, where did he get understanidng from? that is certainly a reason
Females maybe, you know the passion that I have to do something for my kids someday and they will speak up. These kids don’t speak at all.
there's no particular age. it depends on the character and mindset. if they think sex is important, they do
Has to do with early life 0-12
now even younger boys 12 and 15 year olds tease - even in school. things like i love you.
Why do guys do this? Childhood frustration that comes out
Something you have always craved for in early age - hunger
Starting early on
Societal & other pressures
Unemployment
Pressure on boys - emotion not allowed to come out
men have a lot of pressure yes, the reason men behave like this is because of the pressure - in the company, family problems, it's all too frustrating for them
Poorvi Das
In a leadership position to advocate / community looks up to
leaders instead of police. So for
So they look up to the leaders. Community leaders is where they actually go to if they face any problem.
Instilling confidence
mental problems. And it’s really
Relevant skill set
Like you know the boys will whisper – somebody will just come and touch them. And they’re really young boys. Some of them are in the third grade
Then you have parent circles, it’s everybody because we are trying to mobilize the community, it has to be holistic. So that works. That definitely works.
Protecting rights
so many other health problems,
So, unemployment is another big problem. They don’t have the skill set, they don’t study in school. Lack of money, lack of proper education, lack of opportunities.
Confidence in expressing oneself
That’s worked in TFI, they have these champions, it’s one of the elderly persons who advocates these things and then we work for them, in facilitating these trainings.
Ability & confidence to communicate
holding back and then you have
it comes back to proper education. More than education, it’s skills. I don’t believe learning English and maths is going to help them. It’s about learning the skills to survive in this world.
The need for self- worth
So if you sit and deal with them
Or we have community
So either find a parent champion or community champion who is doing this. – it makes it easier, it definitely makes it easier.
– just suffer internally. So you won’t even get to know. So like some of my kids came and said, you know the boys said this to me – the third graders and fourth graders.
very psychological and you start
We did have a value system until a few years ago.
Parent intervention / camps / media - raising kids / having support
now they come and tell me because I tell them to tell me. But if I tell them to tell it to their mothers, they will say my mother will hit me and they won’t let me go out.
Yes, but now we’ve lost it – one because of the population, - we
Work engagement
Social disconnect
Values and work
Increase self-worth, value for oneself
You don’t get to know and it’s Only we talk about it because we
the community.
champions.
Exposure to
So for me that’s the focus I’m
Community champion
So one adult in
Community / Parent Champions
when they are unable to do, there is a lot of pent up frustration and when they come to cities doing odd jobs, they see women doing better, girls smarter
Environment / Surrounding / Background
238
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL CONCEPT 1 Historical texts
though some of it is happening like if you see first woman fighter pilot, etc - those stories are covered in the media for this reason
show girls as strong in movies rather than the male protagonist saving the girl always
everything is based on the mindset, if the mindset changes, a lot will change
this concept has to be driven through multiple sides and it is not just one book but multiple forums, multiple talks, multiple books
It's more about creating an altrnative nearrative for each of these stories and bringing into prominence stories & aspects of nature where women were playing a substantial role & contributing effectively
it can't be one organization or one thing - can be encouraged through grants, competiotions - to get that excitement around and get people thinking around that subject area
certain knowledgable and prominent people pick up the cause - who then ask the media & start sending this narrative out, focussing on those kind of stories and subjects from a mythological perspective
for example Devdutt Patnaik - he starts writing about women, brings out those kind of stories & books & then suddenly it changes
Devdutt Patnaik kind of peopel will be very heavy because they already have the knowledge and they can start doing it
CONCEPT 3 Safer Communities
CONCEPT 2 Schools & offices
Not only safety issues, even environmental issues - if we take care of it at this early level, so much can change
Stories could be
sending the same message to girls as well that you can also do anythig
communicated through schools. Schools could teach the parents as well. Actually if schools take it up, a lot would change
for the future - in the schools, that is one place a difference can be made big time. It may not tackle the current issue but it will definitely tackle something for the future.
And if an issue like this happens, the culture of the company gets affected. Everybody’s very particular. If every company takes that up atleast it would clean up the workplaces.
Education in schools and offices will definitely make a difference, because in these twp places, when education is going on, it becomes mandatory. you have to come in and participate.
for example: women in a lead role - prize for stories or novels
From childhood teach: How to behave with a girl, how to treat them
Offcourse they would get into the details of having proof, because then anybody would take anybody’s case. But I have seen people in a very senior position who have been thrown out at a day’s notice
Like I myself in my career have seen three men being thrown out because of a woman’s complaint and a lot of companies don’t have any tolerance to this issue.
and if there's some kind of competition or those things, where people start seeing & then it becomes a part of it
It's a task to complete and there is a fear of failure
So even if you're not interested, information will be given to you - you can't ignore. Information will be given to you.
If it's mandatory it will make a difference. Atleast 30% people will change
Selfe defence is a must. it must be taught from a young age itself.
good parenting - tell boys to also be responsible
Becuase you don't have much control over the family, this would happen faster.
have a some ngo adopt
Somewhere tie it to some kind of skill development or guiding them as to what they can do, where they can go
a certain area - not a single workshop, but continuous workshop on self worth. Adopt and really follow these guys
There has to be a structured curriculum. it's not like the techer just goes and says something
there's a wide range of expectations that women have from other women, that women have from the girl child.
the same NGO, in that community should reach out to schools and conduct time to time workshops on gender sensitization, or train the teachers to
this is specially for low to middle income areas - so this will address one part of the problem
right now there is a huge turnover of graduates - but they're not employable
Which is different, but it’s still an effect that will deter someone who’s trying to hurt you, because they’ll be afraid. But that’s only really in places where people trust the authorities
we need to create jobs. we'renot skilling our ppl as well
with communities that are well to do - that again needs to be clubbed with some kind of no-tolerance - neither for pickpockets / mugging / eve teasing or any of this
the happiness index in the country is low - because of the population
Chaarity begins at home - starts when the kid is young, either gender. Sensitization and things like that - throughout the system
because not all teachers would be trained to deal with this topic and what is it that has to be communicated to each of those age groups is different
this is where they will also deal with community leaders and promote them and do all thee kind of things.
people can ill afford to have children but they have
quality of education / output is very bad
communities
self help groups are mostly women focussed
might be some additional support through neighborhood watch, or emplying private guards, particularly during the night stretch - just to sed the message out for no tolerance
Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right. It’s the same thing.
need the youth to take on the responsibility of caring for and helping each other
if you’re in a space where people trust authorities, trust the law enforcement, like if you like shout help, someone will hear you and there’s this bystander effect – someone will not come to aid you, but they will call the police.
Advertisemen that comes for people who fear putting themselves in danger
done in various ways: self hlp groups - not only about getting finance - hold camps
CONCEPT 5 Law & Order - trust
CONCEPT 4 What do you see?
And people will generally help you. Like if you’re in trouble. So it’s building the sense of trust amongst people around you. And a group of three people is way harder to mess with than someone who’s alone.
The idea doesn't make me feel safe. it makes me feel like you're attracting the problem to me
What’s interesting there is that people might trust their safety circle more than the police. They consider them to be more responsive than the police
If we all wake up, we can make a difference. That would put a fear in someone who is trying to commit a crime. Like if it wasn't a secluded place, people would stand up for the good. Which today people don't - you're right. Very rarely somebody would.
mobilize panchayats - start from the block level\
women have to play an important role
family environment is important
capable of servicing millions of people - in the camps held for them, there should be a focus on this as well
provide good education. one of the aims of education is to make good citizens of us and also make people employable
What you see is what you think & what you're attracted to
Today, advertising and marketing is a fairly positive thing - you don't advertise the bad right? you see a fairly positive side. This would show you the bad in whole of it.
Publicity on the road could work both ways. Ideally should deter them, but can also make women feel more afraid. A woman would feel conscious if she wasn't otherwise & a man would feel more powerful if he wasn't otherwise.
what will make a difference: law: people not aware about the law.
Build trust in the Government
It's the perception: Lack of trust
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
at the city and urban level is where one has to improve the policing part of it
Response number and response times, ow quickly are they going to come, those things have to be done
this will have to be driven through the Government -
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble.
that they are more afraid of the police
So in their mind they can just get away with it. Once they think we can get away, because of our system, they think we can just get away with life like this. There’s no purpose.
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
If we respect law enforcement, they will work with us. If we criticize them, they will also give up. Some bad people will always be there.
They don’t want to get police involved in anything. Because again, that trust factor is not there. They don’t want to get involved in getting into trouble. That’s the mind-set
Empower the law instead of criticising them
if I’m in trouble. Ya, but you would still go out right, you would still make that effort in making a complaint – you don’t have any expectation, but you will still do it.
that is where the police has to engage and start sensitivising their force about how this is a menace which needs to be addressed
So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it.
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police
Value System Giving back to society / contributing to the community
Work ethics
Doing for others
Value system for priviledged & under priviledged
Unemployment
Employment Opportuniti es / need for jobs
Values and work
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Education
Awareness
The need for self- worth
Need to start early on. Need to make it age appropriate. Need to include parents.
Starting early on
Age appropriate
Relevant / appropriate skill training
Increase self-worth, value for oneself
Instilling confidence
Workshops / intervention s on self- worth
Better incentives
Confidence in expressing oneself
Ability & confidence to communicate
that value system is not there anymore. Within that if you start building it into education
Better education
Employment Opportuniti es
Community champion
In a leadership position to advocate / community looks up to
Parent champion
Parent intervention / camps / media - raising kids / having support
Getting mom's onboard
Could be a physical / virtual space
The need to be able to talk to someone
Adopt a community
How might we spread awareness in a community?
Exposure to technology - you can't talk to me, but you can google it, right?
Adopt a community? Movie nights? Events? Drives?
‘Ubundu’ - it takes a village to raise a child
Parent circles - trying to mobilize the community
Building a community
Making their own decisions / having their own opinions of what is right/ wrong, building a kind of consciousness at an early age
The difference between right and wrong
Protecting rights
How might we communicate the need to work and earn for a living?
and they need a space to feel they are loved and they are comfortable.
Societal & other pressures
Psycholo gical needs
239
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL CONCEPT 1 Re-Contextulaizing of Historical Texts
Could promote this concept by inviting stories or other work in the subject
The concept needs to be driven through multiple sides through multiple books, forums, talks, etc
Could partner with popular historians and mythologists of today to write stories
Can't be one organization - can be encouraged through grants, competitions to generate excitement
Certain knowledgeable and prominent people pick up the cause
Show girls as strong in movies rather than the male protagonist saving the girl always
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
through stories
difference, if not for the present then for the future
Could teach parents as well
Education in schools will If every company takes it up, atleast the workplaces would be cleaned up
Need to start early and make it age appropriate
Offcourse they would need to get into the details of having proof
It's good because it's mandatory
Self defence is a must. It must be taught from a young age itself
Could teach through stories
Education in schools will definately make a difference, if not for the present then for the future
Could teach parents as well
Education in schools will If every company takes it up, atleast the workplaces would be cleaned up
Good parenting implies we need to tell our boys to be responsible as well
Have a NGO, adopt a certain area - not a single workshop but continuous workshops on self-worth. Adopt these guys and follw their progress
Need to start early and make it age appropriate
Offcourse they would need to get into the details of having proof
Somewhere tie it to some kind of skill development - guide them as to what they can do, where they can go
Teachers would need a special training because not all teachers would be trained to deal with this topic and what has to be communicated to each age group
It's good because it's mandatory
Self defence is a must. It must be taught from a young age itself
The need for a structured curriculum
Will need to partner with community leaders
Good parenting implies we need to tell our boys to be responsible as well
Have a NGO, adopt a certain area - not a single workshop but continuous workshops on self-worth. Adopt these guys
240
each other
spread the message
Need to club it with some kind of no-tolerance for pickpockets, mugging, eve- teasing, etc
Even a bystander effect where someone will not come to aid you but atleast call the police
People trust their safety circle more than the police
If we all wake up we can make a difference
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL CONCEPT 3 Safer communities
Need the youth to take on the responsibility of caring for and helping each other
Could use media, especially advertisements to spread the message
It would put fear in someone who is trying to commit a crime
You could consider self- help groups. They are not only about finance. you can hold camps.
Need to club it with some kind of no-tolerance for pickpockets, mugging, eve- teasing, etc
Even a bystander effect where someone will not come to aid you but atleast call the police
Additional support through neighborhood watch, or employing private guards particularly when it is dark
The family environment is important
People trust their safety circle more than the police
If we all wake up we can make a difference
Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right. It’s the same thing.
Education provided should be much better. One of the aims of education is to make good citizens of people and also make them employable
It would put fear in someone who is trying to commit a crime
You could consider self- help groups. They are not only about finance. you can hold camps.
Self-help groups are capable of servicing millions of people in the camps
We need to create jobs. We are not skilling our people well
Poorvi Das DMGT 748 Winter 2018 Additional support through
The family
neighborhood watch, or
241
Safer communities
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Emphasis on the Value System
The need for self-worth
Education
Bring Community / Parent champions on board
Awareness
Address Unemployment: Employ ment Opportunities / need for jobs
Values / Ethics and work
Building a community
Could be a physical / virtual space
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices & CONCEPT 3 Safer communities
Emphasis on the Value System
The need for self-worth
Education
Bring Community / Parent champions on board
Address psychological needs
Awareness
Address Unemployment: Employ ment Opportunities / need for jobs
Address societal & other pressures
Values / Ethics and work
Building a community
Could be a physical / virtual
Address psychological
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Change It doesn't make me feel safe. Makes me feel like you're attracting the problem to me
What you see is what you think & what you're attracted to
Today, advertising and marketing is a fairly positive thing - you don't advertise the bad right? you see a fairly positive side. This would show you the bad in whole of it.
Publicity on the road could work both ways. Ideally should deter them, but can also make women feel more afraid. A woman would feel conscious if she wasn't otherwise & a man would feel more powerful if he wasn't otherwise.
242
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
Response number and response times, ow quickly are they going to come, those things have to be done
this will have to be driven through the Government -
So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it.
If we respect law enforcement, they will work with us. If we criticize them, they will also give up. Some bad people will always be there.
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble.
that is where the police has to engage and start sensitivising their force about how this is a menace which needs to be addressed
Lack of trust is a perception
Empower the law instead of criticising them
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
Poorvi Das Response number and DMGT 748 Winter 2018
response times, ow quickly
this will have to
243
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL PLUS
CONCEPT 1 Re-Contextualizing of Historical Texts
Rich texts which are still pertinent
People open for re- contextualiz ation
Can have many mediums of translation
Few people able to communicate it effectively
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
Ripe time to create and spread content on the subject
Ability to really bring about change
Could be a sustainable business model
time, effort and resources to build content
CONCEPT 3 Safer Communities
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
MINUS
Could be the best way to ensure safety for everyone, especially in a country like India which has a huge population
Will reduce number of incidents
make people stronger as a community
will discourage perpetrators or miscreants
Very challenging to pull of in a densely populated country like India
Needs intense research and non-bias view point
Time, effort, resource heavy
INTERESTING
Relate to only one group (though huge) of people
An indirect approach which will have an impact in the long rung
creative explorations
could add in elements from the other concepts to make it more rich and interesting
Challenging to convince people and bring them on- board
Diversity and stark difference in economic conditions makes it difficult
could be an ideal and sustainable system to ensure a safe society
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Good
Fun and interesting concept
spreads a social message while improving the curresnt aesthetics of the surrounding
Give artists an opportunity to explore the subject through public art, and have a public dialogue
Not everyone responds to or appreciates art
Doesn't guarantee a change
Might be resource heavy and mostly dependent on donation and sponsorship money
Using art to communicate - Art softens a tough subject and allows people to have dialogue
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System
Has a more long term and deep impact
will encourage citizens and government systems to work together
Responds to a much required change / need
Challenging to work with the Govenrment and bring about change
Lack of trust is deeply ingrained in the population
challenging to change a system and cannot be done by a few individuals alone
Working / cocreating with the police to improve the system and perceptions
Winter 2018
Re- contextualisi ng in interesting
creative expression
244
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Education / Awareness
Research historical texts
EDUCATION / AWARENESS
CONCEPT 1 Re-Contextualizing of Historical Texts
Offices
Schools
+$
Teacher training
Stories
programs
Teach Parents as well
Bystander intervention
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Gender sensitiza tion
Communities
Building Self Worth
Rights
Community / parent champions
Social service intervention s
Could promote this concept by inviting stories or other work in the subject
The concept needs to be driven through multiple sides through multiple books, forums, talks, etc
Could partner with popular historians and mythologists of today to write stories
Can't be one organization - can be encouraged through grants, competitions to generate excitement
+$ Structured curriculum
Personal defence
Needs to be age appropriate
Address Psycholog ical needs
Structured program to address the issue
safety / self
+$
Steps for building community safety - like bystander intervention
Address societal & other pressures
Personal safety / self defence
Address societal & other pressures
+$
Address Psycholog ical needs
History, tradition, culture
Structured curriculum
Build awareness in companies, ensure a legal department with the required rights for these issues
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Structured program to address the issue
Address societal & other pressures
Tie it to some kind of skill development classes - what they can do / where they can go
Adopt a community
Address issues like unemploymen t, lack of self- worth, etc
Certain knowledgeable and prominent people pick up the cause
Content
Build Content
Propogate
-$ Platform for people who are working in the area
Show girls as strong in movies rather than the male protagonist saving the girl always
Consult experts in the field to build content
Workshops
Discussions
Events
Seminars
Print media
Digital media
Art
Music
+$
Users / Recepients: Kids (schools) and adults (workplace, parents)
Steps for building community safety - like bystander intervention
Re- contextu alize
+$
+$
+$
Personal
Needs to be age appropriate
safety / self
Relationship with law
Address Psycholog ical needs
+$
defence
+$
+$
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices & CONCEPT 3 Safer communities
Emphasis on the Value System
Education
The need for self-worth
Values / Ethics and work Could be a physical / virtual space
CONCEPT 2 Intervention in Schools & Offices
Could teach through stories
Education in schools will definately make a difference, if not for the present then for the future
Could teach parents as well
If every company takes it up, atleast the workplaces would be cleaned up
CONCEPT 3 Safer communities
Bring Community / Parent champions on board
Awareness
Spots on Social media
Address Unemployment: Employ ment Opportunities / need for jobs
Building a community Address psychological needs
Address societal & other pressures
Need to start early and make it age appropriate
Need the youth to take on the responsibility of caring for and helping each other
Could use media, especially advertisements to spread the message
Need to club it with some kind of no-tolerance for pickpockets, mugging, eve- teasing, etc
Even a bystander effect where someone will not come to aid you but atleast call the police
People trust their safety circle more than the police
If we all wake up we can make a difference
Offcourse they would need to get into the details of having proof
Self defence is a must.
It's good because it's mandatory
It must be taught from
Good parenting implies we need to tell our boys to be responsible as well
Have a NGO, adopt a certain area - not a single workshop but continuous workshops on self-worth. Adopt these guys and follw their progress
a young age itself
Somewhere tie it to some kind of skill development - guide them as to what they can do, where they can go
Teachers would need a special training because not all teachers would be trained to deal with this topic and what has to be communicated to each age group
The need for a structured curriculum
community leaders
It would put fear in someone who is trying to commit a crime
Additional support through neighborhood watch, or employing private guards particularly when it is dark
The family environment is important
Our communities are not safe because we’re not doing anything to make these communities safe. So it’s a circle, right. It’s the same thing.
Education provided should be much better. One of the aims of education is to make good citizens of people and also make them employable
Will need to partner with
You could consider self- help groups. They are not only about finance. you can hold camps.
Self-help groups are capable of servicing millions of people in the camps
We need to create jobs. We are not skilling our people well
CONCEPT 5 Building Trust in the System So perception, I agree. If you change the perception it might help. You can’t change the police but maybe you can change the perception of it.
If we respect law enforcement, they will work with us. If we criticize them, they will also give up. Some bad people will always be there.
Lack of trust is a perception
Empower the law instead of criticising them
the visibility of the safeguards is important. So, I have not really seen many police officers. Like the frequency of where they are placed. And there are so many people around that it actually feels sparse.
make Law more effective - could link crime to aadhar
Response number and response times, ow quickly are they going to come, those things have to be done
this will have to be driven through the Government -
Most people don’t do it out of the fear that they will get into some trouble – you’re calling for trouble.
that is where the police has to engage and start sensitivising their force about how this is a menace which needs to be addressed
if they bring it into their system that we have to handle this in this way and they work on their perception. In general people don’t trust the police
The government is at fault, but the population is also really huge that it becomes challenging to do anything. And citizens also don’t take responsibility on their own – they’re always blaming the other person.
They grill you with so many questions, ya so they don’t like to be grilled. The whole atmosphere of being in a police station, everything put together, it just feels like you don’t want to go through it.
CONNECT WITH LAW / POLICE
Connect / build relationship
Workshops - co-create
Seminars
Co-create products / services / systems
Build Trust
Discussions
Dialogue
Co- create
ART / STREETART
+$
Have the Goverment on board
+$
Affiliate with cultural organizations - local & international
Festival
More like a platform for artists & to encourage dialogue
CONCEPT 4 Street Art Social Change
$ mostly from CSR & other funding funding
+$
Events
Artist collectives
Seminars
Discussions
Workshops
Music
Books
Art
It doesn't make me feel safe. Makes me feel like you're attracting the problem to me
What you see is what you think & what you're attracted to
Today, advertising and marketing is a fairly positive thing - you don't advertise the bad right? you see a fairly positive side. This would show you the bad in whole of it.
Publicity on the road could work both ways. Ideally should deter them, but can also make women feel more afraid. A woman would feel conscious if she wasn't otherwise & a man would feel more powerful if he wasn't otherwise.
+$
+$
+$
+$
+$
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Market
245
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL Education / Awareness
Offices
Schools
+$
Stories
Teach Parents as well
Bystander intervention
Structured curriculum
Steps for building community safety - like bystander intervention
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Personal safety / self defence
Personal safety / self defence
Needs to be age appropriate
Address societal & other pressures
Address societal & other pressures
Address Psycholog ical needs
Address Psycholog ical needs
Structured program to address the issue
Training & certification for teahcers
Communities
Gender sensitiza tion
Building Self Worth
Community / parent champions
Social service intervention s
Address Psycholog ical needs
History, tradition, culture
Structured curriculum
Tie it to some kind of skill development classes - what they can do / where they can go
Address issues like unemploymen t, lack of self- worth, etc
Relationship with law
Build awareness in companies, ensure a legal department with the required rights for these issues
Emphasis on value system / ethics
Adopt a community
Steps for building community safety - like bystander intervention
Address societal & other pressures
Needs to be age appropriate
Personal safety / self defence
Rights
+$
+$
+$
Content
+$
Structured program to address the issue
Propogate
-$
Research historical texts
Re- contextu alize
Build Content
Platform for people who are working in the area
Workshops
Consult experts in the field to build content
+$
Dialogue
Co- create Connect / build relationship
Workshops - co-create
CONNECT WITH LAW / POLICE +$
Seminars
+$
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
Print media
+$
Seminars
Festival
Digital +$ media
Seminars
+$
Music
Discussions
Art
Books
Workshops
Art
Have the Goverment on board
+$
+$
+$
Music +$ +$
Events
Discussions
Affiliate with cultural organizations - local & international
+$ +$
Co-create products / services / systems
$ mostly from CSR & other funding funding
More like a platform for artists & to encourage dialogue
+$
Events
Build Trust
ART / STREETART
Discussions
Market
Artist collectives
Spots on Social media
246
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
STRENGTHS
Funding looks favorable considering the concept falls under UN - SDG's
Support of the Government looks favorable
CSR support looks favorable as the model considers social impact and profitability
A holistic model which addresses the root and can enable change
A growing wave of organizations and individuals who are keen on bringing about change
Includes boys and men and is not only focussed on women empowerment
Focusses on gender equality and includes boys and men into the discussion / program
Connect with end users and build understanding
Co-create with end users to implement solutions that are accepted by all
Implement programs interestingly to engage the audience by involving creative individuals/practices
OPPORTUN ITIES
Poorvi Das
DMGT 748
Winter 2018
WEAKNESSES Some aspects may be resource heavy like research, content development, marketing, networking, etc
Impact will not be seen immediately but over time. Funders hopefully do not lose interest
Based on a trial, run and improvisation
Strong dependence on quality of product / brand and networking
Be a medium to build links and dialogues so as to build a more trusting society
Competition
Relationship management especially with big stakeholders is important and tricky
Re-defining the narrative through re- contextualization of traditional texts
Relating to diverse end users is complex
THREATS
247
APPENDIX J: WORKING WALL
Schools
Creatives
Corporates
Certified teachers / fascilitators
NGOs working with communities
User appropriate content creation
Training / Certification of teachers
Content Distribution
Co-creation & Problem solving
Fascilitating Workshops
Networking & Fundraising
Research
Event planning
NGOs Relationship Management of stakeholders
Foundations / Funding Organizations / Donors / CSR
Publication Houses
Knowledge Management
Platform Management
Corporate Social Responsibility Departments
Government
Human
Referral Network
Certified trainers
Employees & Human Capital
Sales, marketting, networking
Content creation and production
Network: platform & support
Financial
Customer database
Intellectual
Well researched age appropriate content that can be used to teach gender sesnitization in schools, places of work and communities
Teachers trainings & certification
Accessibilit y to online resources
Fascilitation of Workshops & interactive sessions which are creative / different
Interesting & interactive Events to encourage Dialogue
Accessibility to Social Services / NGOs for consultation / co-creation
Products
Personal Assistance
Co- creation Building relationships with CSR divisions of companies
Self-service from website
Workshops, events, trainings held weekly, monthly annually
Communities
Interaction with target customers through social media, email, website
Building relationships with people in the Government
Building relationships with funding organizations
Interaction with NGOs on progress, what's working, what's not?
Email Marketing
Workshop & Events
Social Media
Print Media
Website
Referral Network
Subscriber database
Audio visual media: TV, Radio
Book / stationary / digital media Stores
Communities / HR, Corporate law groups
Scholastic
Government
Community Leaders / Champions
Communities / Parent groups
Religious classes / sunday schools
Government Schools
NGOs / other Social Welfare Organizations
Children of different age groups & gender
Teachers / Academicians / Trainers
Adults of different age groups, genders & seniority levels
HR & Legal Departments
Children of different age groups & gender
Adults of different age groups & genders
Parents
Community / Parent Champions
Social Services & NGOs
Brand
Events
Material production & product maintenance (books, apps., website, videos, workshops, training, etc.)
Marketing (Advertising, social posts, etc.)
Workshops
Corporate Social Responsibilit y (CSR)
Teacher training & certification
Foundations
Product sales
Events / Seminars
Co-create products / services / systems
Government
Organizatio ns which support the cause
Donors
Consultation
KEY SCHOOLS
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WORK PLACE
COMMUNITIES
SCHOOLS, WORKPLACE & COMMUNITIES COMBINED
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REFERENCES ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Sulfikar, A. (2004). Rethinking Design Policy in the Third World. Design Issues, 20 (4), 68-75. Retrieved from http://0-www. jstor.org Summary: The paper discusses the growth of design in the third world context. The author appreciates the fact that governments are positively embracing design practices but laments that this is generally to increase industrial competitiveness and not in the social context. The paper proposes human centered design as a way forward to address the social challenges such countries. Peer Reviewed. Significance for project: The article throws light on the need to consider the broader context when designing for social impact, especially understanding the complex interrelationship between design and social, cultural and political factors. It also advises on the need to include and focus on local people’s needs, desires and interests. Bohra, N., Sharma, I., Srivastava, S., Bhatia, M.S., Chaudhuri, U., Parial, S., Sharma, A., & Kataria, D. (2015). Violence against women. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 57 (2), 333-338. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.161500 Summary: The article discusses in detail the statistics on violence against women (VAW) in India, the legal provisions currently available that deal with VAW under the Indian Penal Code, the main causes for VAW in India and the prevention strategies for the same. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: Indicates an inefficient law enforcing machinery in India being a major problem amongst other risk factors which lead to violence against women. Gives a good perspective of the problem in the Indian context. Bowman, E. (2015, March 17). Facebook’s Suicide Prevention Tools Connect Friends, Test Privacy. NPR Digital News. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org Summary: The article presents the views of Scottye Cash
Poorvi Das
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Winter 2018
on the suicide prevention attempt by Facebook by providing people at risk various options to connect with organizations that can help them. Facebook has collaborated with specialist organizations to help people who its platform determines are at risk of self harm. Significance for project: Discusses how social media platforms can help / are trying to prevent suicides. Indictes the growing use of social media in addressing social problems. Brachmann, S. (2016, July 9). Facebook’s suicide prevention tools are a useful step towards protecting mental health. IPWatchdog. com. Retrievable from http://www.ipwatchdog.com Summary: The article discusses the attempts by Facebook’s suicide prevention tool and how it can help people who may be at risk by flagging disturbing posts. It details the options provided by the social media site to help people at risk. It also provides an overview of the partnerships Facebook has entered to support this initiative as well as attempts by other organizations that aim at achieving a similar result. Significance for project: Discusses how social media platforms can help / are trying to prevent suicides. Indictes the growing use of social media in addressing social problems. Burns, A. (2000). Emotion and Urban Experience: Implications for Design. Design Issues, 16 (3), 67-79. Retrieved from http://0www.jstor.org.library.scad.edu/stable/1511816 Summary: The author discusses the urban spaces and how they make people feel, which in turn is a feedback to urban planners and designers alike on how to improve the emotional experience of the resident population. The author states that city designers need to have a deeper understanding of cultural issues and need relook at how they design physical and virtual spaces so that the city offers freedom and autonomy to all individuals and groups. Peer Reviewed. Significance for project: Interesting perspective on how a city
as a mechanism lends an experience to its inhabitants. Good to consider when exploring extrinsic factors that lead to the issue of women’s safety in India. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Sexual Violence: Prevention Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov Summary: The document details out the prevention strategies for sexual violence. The article identifies three programs, across school and college men, which have proven to be effective in preventing. It also identifies an additional five programs that have been found to be promising in reducing incidents of sexual violence. Significance for Project: Provides a comparative reference (as it is US based) on measures that can prevent sexual violence. Ceschin, F., & Guzilusoy, I. (2016). Evolution of design for sustainability: From product design to design for system innovations and transitions. Design Studies, 47, 118-163. doi: 10.1016/j.destud.2016.09.002 Summary: The paper explores the evolution of Design for Sustainability (DfS). It provides an overview of the DfS field, categorizing the design approaches developed in the past decades under four innovation levels: Product, ProductService System, Spatio-Social and Socio-Technical System. It proposes an evolutionary framework and map the reviewed DfS approaches onto this framework. It also shows how the DfS field has progressively expanded from a technical and productcentric focus towards large scale system level changes in which sustainability is understood as a sociotechnical challenge. The framework shows how the various DfS approaches contribute to particular sustainability aspects and visualises linkages, overlaps and complementarities between these approaches. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: Provides insights on planning for sustainability and transformational change. Mentions that radical change is expected to require not only technological
interventions, but social, cultural/ behavioral, institutional and organisational change as well. Also throws light on the role of design in influencing user behavior. Coleman, E. (2010). Design Matters. Design Issues, 26 (4), 3-8. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org Summary: The paper discusses the role of design in the revival of liberal education and the American society in general. The author presents a case for design in human affairs and for larger civic issues. She proposes that liberal arts should move away from theory and towards actionable frameworks based on design principles and their applications to civic society and its current problems. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: Discusses how a design approach matters and is important, with enhancing the public good resuming its position as a primary objective. Dickey, M.R. (2017). Facebook brings suicide prevention tools to Live and Messenger. Tech Crunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch. com Summary: The article reports on the tools made available by Facebook to help people who are at risk of self-harm. It refers to the announcement made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding Facebook’s unique position to help prevent people from doing harm to themselves. Significance for project: Discusses how social media platforms can help / are trying to prevent suicides. Indictes the growing use of social media in addressing social problems. Harbishettar, V., & Math, S. B. (2014). Violence against women in India: Comprehensive care for survivors. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 140 (2), 157–159. Summary: The authors of the article discuss the protocols to be followed by health professionals and the structural
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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY administrative support that needs to be created to take care of victims of violence in the Indian context. They point out the need for not only taking care of physical injuries but also to support the mental health of the victim leveraging the various health and social work structures already in place. They also present a case for legal, financial and socio-economic support to victims, under one roof, to help them re-integrate into society. Peer Reviewed. Significance of Project: The article gives an idea about the Indian context and the kind of medical support needed by women who face violence. It provides statistics of violence against women in India and advises on the need of medical facilities that should be set up for women, with a structured protocol in place. Jain, A. (Ed.). (2013). Preventing and managing violence against women in India. BMJ. doi: 2013;346:f229 Summary: The article provides statistics on the violence against women in India, the recourse available to victims for help and justice and the shortcomings of these options in the current context. It also discusses the legal provisions for the victims and their efficacy. Significance for Project: The article elaborates on the Indian context and informs of a systems approach that is required to reform the culture of the health system, including aftercare required for survivors. Kashyap, G. (2014). Role of Alternative Media in Empowerment of Women. Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism, 4 (209). doi:10.4172/2165-7912.1000209 Summary: The article throws light on the role of new/alternative media in driving women’s empowerment by giving them a platform to freely and openly air their views. According to the author traditional media has historically not given as much importance to women’s issues but with the advent of new media women are bringing their issues to the front across a global audience emboldened by the various security settings available
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on these platforms to protect their identity in case of abuse. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article throws light on how platforms on new media are providing a space for women who have faced abuse, to interact and share their stories. Kaur, R., & Garg, Suneela. (2008). Addressing Domestic Violence Against Women: An Unfinished Agenda. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 33 (2), 73-76. doi: 10.4103/09700218.40871 Summary: The article defines domestic violence and identifies the scale of the problem in various states of India through published statistics. It also explores the types of domestic violence, reasons for it and its health implications. The authors also discuss the impact of domestic violence on children and the role of public health personnel can play in addressing domestic violence. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article gives a realistic statistical understanding and perspective on the issue of domestic violence across India, indicating that cultural mores, religious practices, economic and political conditions may set the precedence for initiating and perpetuating domestic violence. Also throws light on the health implications of domestic violence and its impact on poverty. The article also provides insights and ideas and advises on an ‘integrated approach’ in addressing the problem. Kimmons, S. (2017, January 19). Social media could be powerful suicide prevention tool, Army secretary says. Army New Service. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil Summary: The article informs of the symposium conducted by the army to get recommendations from social media experts to identify army personnel who are at risk of self-harm. Significance for Project: The article elaborates on the possibilities and use of social media and community to bring about change. It discusses how a community or someone
listening on the other end can help and how calling or messaging a person and offering them help can prevent a bad situation Margolin, V., & Margolin, S. (2002). A “Social Model” of Design: Issues of Practice and Research. Design Issues, 18 (4), 24-30. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org Summary: The paper attempts to differentiate between product design and social design while connecting the two through a continuum where the priorities are defined by the commission rather than anything else. The authors propose a social model for design to bring out some of the ways in which designers can engage in and advance social design including survey research, interviews, participant observations etc. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article throws light on the need and role of design for the real world: to develop programs of design for social need ranging from the needs of developing countries to the special needs of the aged, the poor, and the disabled. Mechanic, D., & Tanner, J. (2007). Vulnerable People, Groups, And Populations: Societal View. Health Affairs, 26 (5), 1220-1230. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.5.1220 Summary: The article defines what is vulnerability as the susceptibility to harm. It then goes on to explore how moral values and politics decide policy setting, which may have an impact on vulnerable populations. The authors also discuss the dimensions of vulnerability such as individual capacity, lack of support, neighborhood resources etc. and also its sources such as race, poverty, personal limitations, physical location etc. The article finally discusses various policy considerations when addressing different kinds of vulnerabilities. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article helps one understand what makes a group of people vulnerable mentioning that vulnerability may arise from individual, community, or larger population challenges and requires different type of policy interventions accordingly.
Moirangthem, S., Kumar, N. C., & Math, S. B. (2015). Child sexual abuse: Issues & concerns. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 142 (1), 1–3. doi: 10.4103/0971-5916.162084 Summary: The article discusses the prevalence of child sexual abuse in India and the states where it is most rampant. It also discusses the legal framework for protecting children under the POSCO Act (2012) and the role doctors can play in sensitively examining and treating the children who are victims of abuse. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article gives an Indian perspective on the problem looking at it from a legal angle and includes statistics. It focuses on the health and medical policies required for victims of abuse. O’Brien, S.A. (2016, July 25). Meet the 78-year-old Crisis Text Line counselor. CNN. Retrieved from http://money.cnn Summary: The new article informs about an organization that is leveraging seniors to provide counselling to people in crisis through text messages. The service is available round the clock and counselors, who are all volunteers, go through rigorous application process and training along with a background check. Significance for Project: The article throws light on how social networks, media and technology can be used to address the issue of abuse. O’Brien, S.A. (2017, April 30). Facebook says it’s in a unique position to do more about the suicide epidemic. CNN. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com Summary: The new article discusses how Facebook is leveraging artificial intelligence to identify potential suicidal or self-harm posts and then persuading the person at risk to reach out to friends. The article also informs how the toolkit to prevent suicide has been improving by making it easier for persons at risk to connect with organizations or individuals who can help.
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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Significance for Project: The article throws light on how social networks, media and technology can be used to address the issue of abuse.
Pujar, S.R., & Mangoli, R.N. (2015). The Emergence of Community Policing in Karnataka: An Analysis. Journal of Forensic Research 6 (292). doi: 10.4172/2157-7145.1000292
Porcelli, J. (2016). Social Media and Neighborhood-Based Policing Officers: A Path Forward. Community Oriented Policing Services, US Department of Justice, 9 (5). Retrieved from https://cops. usdoj.gov
Summary: The paper describes what is community policing and how neighborhood watch with police support has been successful. It also discusses how Bengaluru Police in Karnataka is leveraging social media platforms to connect with citizens in order create better relationships, extend the concept of community policing, gather information and for crisis management. Peer Reviewed.
Summary: The article discusses how social media is bringing a more humane face of law enforcement in front of the people they serve. It also discusses Nextdoor a private social network for neighborhoods facilitating engagement between people and public agencies. Significance for Project: Provides a perspective on how social media and neighborhood based community participation can combine to police vulnerable areas. Potter, S. J. (2016). Reducing Sexual Assault on Campus: Lessons From the Movement to Prevent Drunk Driving. American Journal of Public Health, 106 (5), 822–829. doi: 10.2105/ AJPH.2016.303082 Summary: The article discusses the similarities between the change in attitudes against drunken driving and sexual assault at college campuses. It prescribes a sympathy for the victim approach rather than a victim responsibility culture. The authors go on to discuss the various aspects such as societal, trauma, alcohol etc., as well as the response from college authorities and the various initiatives to curb the problem. The article also lists out main lessons from the drunken driving movement at (1) individual, (2) relational, (3) community, (4) institutional, and (5) societal level that can be leveraged in campus sexual assault scenario. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: Throws light on effective strategies that have the potential to impact the challenge of sexual abuse on campuses in the US and provides a reference for comparison.
Poorvi Das
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Winter 2018
Significance for Project: Throws light on the role and benefit of community policing in ensuring the safety of a neighborhood. Shettar, R.M., Jigalur, K.S., & Sheshgiri, S.M. (2015). A Study on Issues and Challenges of Women Empowerment in India. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 17 (4), 13-19. Retrieved from http://iosrjournals.org Summary: The study focusses on the discrimination and marginalization of women, especially the traditionally underprivileged ones, in India and the various issues faced by women in contributing economically, socially and politically. It discusses the policy advancements the country has made but also notes the implementation gaps that exist. The article identifies various interventions that can help improve women empowerment. Peer Reviewed. Significance for Project: The article provides insight of the Indian context, especially women who are underprivileged and indicates enabling factors that will help empower women. Social media and crime: the good, the bad and the ugly. (2016, October 17). The Conversation. Retrieved from http:// theconversation.com Summary: The article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of social media. It does this through incidents such as an instance where footage from facebook was used to
identify a murderer thus helping law enforcement, the problems of revenge porn and other new media crimes as well discussing the issue of trial by social media where hate groups can cause real harm to innocent people even before the due process of law is completed. Significance for Project: The article informs on where and how social media can be a disadvantage and advantage. United Nations General Assembly. (1993, December 20). Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Retrieved from http://www.un.org Summary: The resolution declares that women have an equal right in all fields, the right to liberty & security, right to equal protection under law and the right not to be subjected to torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It affirms the historical nature of violence against women and tasks the states to protect women from violence. Significance for Project: The document is a good reference which gives an understanding of the rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of all, especially women. United Nations, Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. (2012). Ask Questions About Women’s Safety in the City. Retrieved from http://www.endvawnow.org/ Summary: The document lists out various questions that designers for safe city should answer while carrying out situational analysis. They article also provides dimensions for conducting a safety audit for women and children as well as modified dimensions for the conducting a safety audit for immigrant, refugee and minority groups. Significance for Project: The site is a great resource and reference on events and articles around Gender equality and women’s empowerment across the globe.
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LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES
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LIST OF FIGURES
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Figure 1. Faces and Expressions of the Ganesh Festival 4 from Flickr, Luigi Morante. Avail-able under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license. Retrieved from https://www.flickr. com/photos/eudaimos/2837076619
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Figure 2. Diagram showing where the different aspects of ‘design’ and ‘management’ come together in ‘Design Management’. Authors image, 2017.
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Figure 3. Good and different chart comparing competitors. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 4. 2 x 2 Axis chart comparing competitors target audience and reach of competi-tors. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 5. 2 x 2 Axis chart comparing competitors target audience and organization found-er. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 6. Diagram showing map of research space. Authors image, 2017.
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Figure 7. Diagram showing information gathered during primary research organized on a working wall. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 8. Diagram showing how different aspects are interconnected. ‘Socialization / con-ditioning’ and ‘Mind-set’ come up as the most prominent influences. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 9. Figure showing the aspects that lead to the social conditioning or socialization of the India culture and the resulting. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 10. Figure showing the aspects that lead to the ‘Mind-set’ of the India culture and the resulting outcomes due to it. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 11. Diagram showing the challenges faced in society as well as the judiciary, po-lice, social welfare and transport systems. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 12. Venn Diagrams showing common factors between different aspects of the problem. Authors image, 2018
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Figure 13. Selective Focus Photography of Women Smiling-814051 on Pexels by Daniel Xavier. Available under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https://www.pexels.com/photo/ selective-focus-photography-of-women-smiling-814051/
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Figure 14. Indian Portrait from Flickr, Nithi Anand. Available under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nithiclicks/16390259547.
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Figure 15. Ram, a security guard in an apartment complex. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 16. Person sitting on Tree Trunk 689372 from Pexels, Abhishek Gaurav. Available under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-sitting-ontree-trunk-689372/
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Figure 17. Indian Man Turban Indian Security on Pixabay by Yolanda. Available under Crea-tive Commons Zero (CC0) license. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/india-man-turban-indiansecurity-787720/
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Figure 18. Diagram showing categorization of responses using an affinity map, based on responses by interviewees on the topics of ‘mind-set’ and ‘responsibility’. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 19. People going to work at an IT tech park in the city of Bengaluru. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 20. A bus stop promoting a social message promoting education for girls. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 21. School girls wearing anklets, waiting in line at a science fair in Bengaluru. Au-thors image, 2018.
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Figure 22. Migrant workers who have recently moved to the city from a village, living in the open. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 23. Sultana’s Reality, digital art work by artist Afrah Shafiq at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2017.
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Figure 24. Illustration of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on a truck in Bengaluru, India. Au-thors image, 2018.
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Figure 25. Temple shrine underneath a tree in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 26. Sultana’s Reality, digital art work by artist Afrah Shafiq at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2017.
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Figure 27. Newspaper clippings about abuse and harassment from The Times of India. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 28. Passengers returning from work in the Bengaluru on a weekday. Authors im-age, 2018.
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Figure 29. Passengers waiting for the train to arrive at the Bengaluru metro station. Au-thors image, 2018.
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Figure 30. Passengers boarding the train at the Bengaluru metro station. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 31. Boards by Blank Noise set up during the ‘I Never Ask for It’ campaign at Cubbon Park, Bangalore. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 32. Passers-by interacting with the art showcased at Bengaluru Fantastic. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 33. The lady bus supervisor contacting the parent to hand over their child at the bus-stop. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 34. Policewomen at the Bengaluru metro station. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 35. Huge cut-outs of politicians on the roads, close to election time. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 36. A boy and girl out for a stroll. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 37. Passengers waiting for the bus to arrive. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 38. A young girl cycling back home after work. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 39. Young boys out on the streets on the weekend. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 40. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper for potential concepts. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 41. Ardhanarisvara, circa 1800. Available under Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Retrieved from www.britishmuseum.org
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Figure 42. Illustration of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on a truck in Bengaluru, India. Au-thors image, 2018.
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Figure 43. Temple shrine underneath a tree in Bengaluru, India. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 44. Some of the aspects that affect social conditioning and some of the outcomes, relevant to the concept. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 45. Diagrammatic illustration of Concept 1. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 46. Some of the aspects that affect social conditioning and some of the outcomes, relevant to the concept. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 47. illustrated representation of of Concept 2. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 48. Posters and messages on the walls and around the city in Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 49. Messages in the metro and at the bus stop. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 50. Visual sights while walking on the road around Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 51. Political campaigns during election time in Yelahanka. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 52. Diagrams representation of Concept 5. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 53. Participants for concept testing at Yogisthaan, Bengaluru. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 54. Good Different chart comparing the concepts. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 55. Interrelatedness of concepts. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 56. Diagrammatic representation of the chosen concept. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 57. Ekam Logo, Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 58. Diagram showing the different aspects of the final prototype. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 59. Rough sketch of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 60. Black and white renderings of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 61. Color explorations of the Ekam Logo. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 62. Year 1 implementation plan in detail. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 63. First five years’ implementation plan in detail. Authors image, 2018.
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Figure 64. What’s next, implementation plan representation. Authors image, 2018.
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LIST OF TABLES
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Tables 1 – 18. Segment Matrices of competitors. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 19. SWOT Analysis of competitors. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 20. Showing SWOT Analysis of current situation in India based on primary and secondary research. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 21. Opportunities for design based on insights. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 22. SWOT Analysis of chosen concept. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 23. Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 24. SWOT Analysis of Value Proposition, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 25. SWOT Analysis of Customer Segments, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 26. SWOT Analysis of Channels, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 27. SWOT Analysis of Customer Relationships, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 28. SWOT Analysis of Revenue Streams, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 29. SWOT Analysis of Key Resources, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 30. SWOT Analysis of Key Activities, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 31. SWOT Analysis of Key Partners, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 32. SWOT Analysis of Cost Structure, Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 33. Mitigation of Weaknesses in the Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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Table 34. Mitigation of Threats in the Business Model Canvas. Authors image, 2018.
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