Women’s Empowerment from a Subaltern Perspective - Book Review

Ajita, Mary. Women’s Empowerment from a Subaltern Perspective. With a             foreword by Sister Sabeena. New Delhi: Media House/IGSS, 2010. ISBN:       978-93-7495-300-6. Pp. 118. Rs. 125.

The book under review is the result of Sister Mary Ajita’s sixteen long years of commitment in training women and adolescent girls to create a just, humane and transparent society in which women become agents of change and transformation. Sister Mary Ajita, the author, holds a master’s degree in social work from Mumbai University. She is the key trainer as well as a state level resource person for Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society since 1994. The book aims to be of aid to those involved in the cause for empowering women. The book could well be divided into two parts; first and foremost the author presents the reality of the status of Indian women and what she means by empowerment; in the latter part of the book she discusses the methods that she employs to awaken a critical consciousness in women. The book is well-written and reader-friendly.

The author argues that the Indian constitutions proclaim equality of all (articles 14; 15(1) (3); 16; 39 (a) (d); 42) while the reality of the social conditions of women in India is grim and disappointing. Women, regardless of their different roles in society, are subjected to discrimination such as violence both within and outside the home, lower wages, dowery, lack of nutrition, female infanticide, female foeticide, etc. the author does provide statistics in advancing her arguments to expose the situation of women in India. For example, 300 women die in India everyday while giving birth; while 76% of men are educated 54% of women only could dream of schooling in India.

She does affirm that women cannot anymore be kept in dark denying their fundamental rights to decide for themselves. She envisages empowerment in terms of challenging and changing the present patriarchic and hierarchical social system. She says: “That 50% of humanity which was not consulted; which did not participate in creating the present world, needs now to take the lead to create a humane world.” She asserts that women are not inferior to men in anyway. The only difference between men and women is sexual difference. Women are made to believe, internalize that they are weaker gender but biologically it is not so. It is a socio-cultural-historical fabrication.

The author seems to be well acquainted with the thoughts of Brazilian thinker Paulo Freire. She proposes the Freirean model of empowering women. ‘Empowerment of women will result in the liberation of men. They will be freed from the roles of exploiters and oppressors.’ In short, empowerment is discovering the “power-within” rather than the strength to lord something over.

The critical consciousness of women is awakened through the use of multiple means such as games, role plays, dramas, awareness songs, symbols, film strips, group discussions and sharing, stories and incidents. The means employed will expose the causes of women’s unfortunate conditions in the society. The animator is a facilitator and does not impose his or her views on the participants. She or he is empowered in the process of empowering others. The author’s exercises for critical consciousness in women reflect her concern for the dignity of women. The simple and direct questions posed in the book are worthy of attention and reflection. If a greater attention were to be paid avoiding errors like punctuations the book would have become richer and scientific in rigour.