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Dry Wells And Deserted Women

Dry Wells And Deserted Women. Gender, Ecology and Agency in Rural India. Brinda Rao. She received a master's degree in History from the University of Bombay, and both a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz

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Dry Wells And Deserted Women

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  1. Dry Wells And Deserted Women Gender, Ecology and Agency in Rural India

  2. Brinda Rao • She received a master's degree in History from the University of Bombay, and both a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz • Worked as a Research Fellow at the Center for Women and Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley • Taught at San Francisco State University and at the Department of Sociology at UC Berkeley. • She did research at the intersections of feminism and environmental studies. • She has been involved with women's health and environmental movements in India, leading several health related and eco-leadership workshops in rural areas and serving as a consultant to national conferences on women

  3. Dry Wells and Deserted Women Gender, Ecology and Agency in Rural India • she writes the consequences of global environmental degradation on rural women, while critically examining their changing modes of self-identification and participation in social and women's movements.

  4. Ecological Disaster : Forest • About 41% of forest cover of the country has already been degraded. • At present 70% forests have no natural regeneration and 55% are prone to fire. • In the year 2002, the Government of India set a goal of achieving 25% forest and tree cover by 2007 and 33% forest and tree cover by 2012

  5. Women and Ecological crisis in India • Poor rural and tribal women in particular, bear the burnt of scarcity of ecological resources • Women in rural societies are primarily responsible for providing fuel, fodder, and water for their household, lack of access to these natural resources increases both of their heavy workloads, as well as their impoverishment. • Walk more miles, get less nourishment endure more hardship, etc.

  6. Women, Environment and Development • Due to repercussion of colonial and capitalist practices women’s decreasing access to and control over natural resources • “Modernization” of agriculture in all parts of the world has been detrimental to women. • In post green revolution era is much harder for women to financially meet demands of agriculture like tube well irrigation, pesticides, hybrid seeds and chemicals • The crops which women grow do not fetch much price in the competitive market; women are left with little choice other than to give up the land and go into the cash economy as wage labourers.

  7. Women, Environment and Development • Privatisation of water resources caused serious problem in day to day life of women • Migration of their male counterparts due to Industrialisation left them with very little security to take care of their resources • The recent politicization of ecology has brought a new face of women fighting for the ecological rights. • Women have come together to take initiatives for making alternative arrangements

  8. Gender, Drought and State • In Maharashtra sugarcane is the leading export crop which consumes 8-10 times the amount of water required for food crop such as bajra (Millets) • It has created an intense groundwater famine while continuing to increase the world bank debt. • Increased growth of cash crops like sugarcane and eucalyptus cultivation have impoverished small farmers, pushed them off land and forced to seek factory empl. • The sale of manufactured goods destroyed the local cottage industry

  9. Gender, Drought and State • Nationalisation of river banks • Several riverbeds and wells have gone dry and the pipe water scheme is not able to supply adequate water esp. in summers • Privatisation of water resources • Water scarcity is not taken as seriously as crop failure

  10. Natural Resources vs Govt. • Soon after the independence, the Indian govt. gave a free hand to the mushrooming industries at the cost of natural resources. • Modern Indian industry is heavily dependent upon forests and water. Almost half of the industries are based on biomass production and exert enormous pressure on country’s ecology. • State policies for use and management of water are anti poor and pro-industry.

  11. Natural Resources vs Govt. • India has the dubious distinction of having the largest no. of dams in the world. • Deforestation and soil erosion have increased. Soil erosion due to recurrent of flood. • Ground water irrigation has also led to alarming drops in the water tables across the country.

  12. Women, Ecology and Agency • Wood fuel crisis & Time mgmt. • Endangered basket weaving industries • Disappearing herbs and medicinal plant species • Water Problems • SHGs • All Women Organisations

  13. References • Brinda Rao. , Dry wells and Deserted Women • Patrick MuCully, 1998 Silenced Rivers: The ecology and Politics of Large dams • https://www.damsbooks.com/no14755.htm • http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0046-3663%28199221%2918%3A1%3C119%3ATGAEDL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q&size=SMALL • http://www.haworthpress.com/store/E-Text/View_EText.asp?a=3&fn=J014v21n02_TOC&i=2&s=J014&v=21

  14. Thank You!!!!!!!!!!

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