WORKSHOP AND PLENARY

2½ of the last 3 days of the HRD programme were allocated for workshop and plenary. These were devoted to discussions in small groups. The workshop sessions afforded an opportunity to the participants to review the input sessions and bible studies of the past weeks, as well as their experiences during the exposure, and to present a response to the regional and global issues of women in conjunction with the theme of this year's conference,

The groups were asked to organise their discussions in relation to:

1. Asia/Pacific Reality

2. Vision

3. Strategy for Action

1. Asia/Pacific Reality

The whole general structure of the AP society (social, political, economic, cultural and religious) is traditionally and basically patriarchal. Men of the social ruling class control the structures and perpetuate them through militarisation and ideological control.

The struggle of women against this system of male domination is clearly linked to the struggles of workers, peasants, and racial minorities against economic, class and cultural domination.

1.1 Economic Reality

Women in this region are mainly involved in routine or strenuous work; work that is menial, ill-paid, low-skilled and without status. They have generally less job opportunities than men owing to their lack of technical skills and formal education.

There are no facilities such as nurseries and feeding-rooms in the workplaces for women workers who are mothers to care for their children, and would-be mothers are denied maternity benefits.

There is also discrimination in the employment of women, where women are hired not on the merits of their capabilities but on their physical appearance.

The economic system does not account for domestic work, Women are indispensable but this work is not acknowledged. In a money economy where autonomy and prestige depend upon currency, these are highly significant against women as this forces them to be economically dependent on the patronage of men for their own survival. Women cannot struggle against political, cultural or religious oppression while they are economically insecure.

1.2 Political Reality

Women are excluded from decision-making

a) in the home/family

b) in the workplace/unions

c) in formal politics and government

d) about their own destiny

e) about their own bodies/sexuality.

They are trained to derive power only from their relationships with men. They are denied the opportunity to develop their own independent identities.

Through confinement in the home and competitive work processes, women are isolated from one another. This robs them of the chance and time to organise, resulting in political inexperience.

Women are controlled in their thoughts, actions, behaviour and movement by the threat of overt/covert violence. The fear of rape controls a woman's movement at night; fear of being a social/sexual outcast controls her intellectual development.

They also suffer discrimination under the law through

a) inheritance

b) marriage/divorce/family/polygamy/dowry

c) sexual violence

d) prostitution laws.

The law and police/court processes for women are ineffective. Often cultural or religious considerations prevail over the law.

1.3 Social Reality

The family unit is seen as the chief institution of patriarchy. It is here that the first phase of "socialisation" takes place, where the human personality is nurtured through stereotyped lines of sex category (masculine and feminine).

Women are brought up to be submissive, meek and passive. Their role in society is mainly confined to the service of men and the family. They are responsible for child-rearing, child-caring and domestic work. They have no reproductive and marital rights, and are also exposed to incest.

In educational institutions, courses are categorised under "women's courses" and "men's courses"; women are engaged in soft education such as health education and home economics. This further reinforces the delineation of the gender roles for men and women.

Women face sexual discrimination and sexual degradation (sexual violence/harassment, women considered as commodities/sex objects) through culture and media. They are regarded as being inferior, weak, passive and incapable.

The social position of women in a patriarchal system is defined only:

1) by their relationship to men (e.g. "John's wife", "Mrs. Aug")

2) according to their sexuality. Female sexuality is defined by patriarchy and any active or independent attempt to differently express female sexuality by women is repressed by culture and men are taught to fear it. Active female sexuality is considered evil and women themselves Evil as a result.

Religion gives sanction to myths that men are created above women and it has also been used to manipulate and reinforce unjust social structures. Religion promotes "woman as evil" ideas and theology has been distorted so that Man is God!

2. Vision

The following is a summary of the visions expressed by the groups:-

i) A vision where all people are aware of and educated about their roots, and forces that make and oppress them.

A Working Group

ii) A vision of a society where equality, dignity, freedom, justice, love, peace, self-determination prevails, for every human being.

iii) A vision where woman has the power to develop her own individual self, where she has the right to exist as a human being with worthiness and dignity while seeking the wholeness and meaning of life.

iv) A vision where both men and women are constantly expressing solidarity with the oppressed, with women of all classes, race and ethnic groups.

v) A vision where there is unity in the sharing of equal rights and equal responsibilities between men and women in all areas. Sharing should be mutual and unexploitative.

3. Strategy for Action

The strategies suggested are as follows:

i) Education

– establish leadership training courses and educational programmes; women should be taught leadership and technical skills. The formulation of educational programmes that counter the patriarchal conditioning of men and women, programmes that place heavy emphasis on human development rather than the moulding of people according to the economic and material needs of a capitalistic country.

– advocate non-gender-specific literature and teaching aids in school.

– encourage men to take up courses in cooking, sewing, etc. In fact these courses should be made compulsory to men!

ii) Sexuality

– lobby scientists and governments for the development of male contraceptive pills.

– promote awareness of birth control and the need for it, availability of birth control and abortion.

– publications, discussions about expression of sexuality, control and embarrassment of sexuality.

– human-relationships-oriented sex education.

iii) Work

– conscientise people of workers' rights through seminars, training programmes, etc.

– work diligently for the formation of unions that genuinely cater to the interests of workers.

– expose foreign intervention/domination in economic affairs through the media.

iv) Society

– form lawyers' association, legal aid and paralegal organisations committed to the struggles of the people.

vi) Culture

– promote critical consciousness among men and women.

– promote alternative media.

– engage in protest actions (e.g. registering complaints about sexist advertising).

– promote values of a liberating religion, not a culture bound or repressive religion.

– establishment of a new language void of sexist terms.

– establishment of a new theological language where God is described in non-sexist terms.