Interesting program in India makes it easier for women to join the workforce. Given whatever the costs are, of this program, what do you think the benefits might be?
I think this new railway system started in India definitely represents a sort of social development. It provides women with the opportunity to join the workforce without the usual harassment that they would endure on a morning commute. I believe in the long run these kind of changes will increase the number of women in the Indian workforce.
At the same time though I find the rape and kidnapping statistics to be somewhat disturbing. With the increase in women's rights in India, there has been a stark increase in these kinds of crimes against women. Additionally, it is no secret that many men oppose the new ladies rail. Thus, as the woman states in the last line of the article, there is still a long list of things the government needs to do to truly help the women of India.
I think this is a very interesting and worthwhile program, for which the benefits are numerous and valuable. I think that it will both ensure that working women remain in the workforce, and encourage more to join, as perhaps knowing that they have a safe commute will allow their personal benefits to outweigh their costs. It is worrisome to think about the possible retaliation that might arise from some of the male population, as anger has already been displayed towards the program, and statistics show startling levels of brutality towards women. One would hope that it does not become a target for larger scale violent acts; India does not need to be set back from this progress as there is still much left to do to improve the lives of Indian women.
I think one of the more important things this article expresses is the need to "think outside of the box" when it comes to development. To say that employing women will promote development may seem obvious, but the small step of creating female-only trains to transport women to work can easily be implemented, yet the idea has just caught on. (Even in America, policy makers will argue, "single mothers just need to work. There are jobs out there, but they are too lazy to take them." Transportation is a huge issue in any society, and you can find many stories of American women who take 4 different bus routes over the course of 2 hours just to get to work). The problems of underdevelopment may seem straightforward: lack of food, lack of work, oppression, etc. However, the complex solutions to these problems can first be found on a much more basic level. We need to create a safe and respectable way for these women to get to work. Women have the capability to work, but not always the capability to get there easily, or without safety or sexual harassment risks.
Secondly, this article reflects a large problem mentioned in Banerjee and Duflo's article: a lack of infrastructure.
There are numerous benefits to helping women access the work force: empowerment, production, more income, and ultimately, development. Empirical evidence shows that many countries with patterns of development consequently have higher workforce (and political) participation of women. Furthermore, when these women receive money, they do an excellent job of managing it (A reason why microfinance firms sometimes lend exclusively to women). Women are a necessity for development, and the benefits of these trains certainly outweigh the cost!
I think the investment is definitely worthwhile. First of all, it touches on one of the main core values of development: self-esteem. A woman being able to travel to work in the morning without having to worry about men judging her and catcalling at her can boost her self-confidence and morale. Secondly, many husbands in this culture may be hesitant to let their wives travel in such conditions. Now both the women and their husbands can feel less threatened, and many more women may be able to join the workforce. It's amazing how such a simple idea can change an entire framework.
While the idea is certainly a step in the right direction I can't help but wonder if the program's long term effects will cause more harm than good. In the short term women can more easily commute to and from work and feel safe in their environment. But, I feel as if the implementation of this program skirts the gender inequality issue at hand rather than addressing it. By separating men and women rather than attempting to improve their integration nothing permanent can be accomplished.
This is a investment that is well worth it. For one the attitude of women on their way to work will be so much more positive and will be shown in the workplace, thus having more output. Another great thing about this investment is that there are signs with these trains that there attempts at going against the patriarchal society that exists here. This is one of a many but major problems in developing countries, as the workforce is there, but since it is a patriarchal society, women are allowed to perform to their capability which heavily affects the output of the country. While I see this as a minor step in the grand scheme of things, I feel like this is a positive step in the right direction. However, there still exists a huge divide between the roles of men and women as the need for such a train service for women to exist.
While this program provides a temporary solution, I do not see it as an efficient long-term program. The Indian government should do more to address the actual issue of gender inequality instead of avoiding the situation. As the Indian women become more confident and independent through their new freedom of safely getting to work, it will become more crucial that the society addresses the underlying inequality and work toward achieving a situation where men respect women and thus foster a safe environment.
I don't have too much to add--the previous comments hit the nail on the head. The protests themselves speak to the importance of these special trains. The catcalls and hostility are hints of the mistreatment of women that pervades India. Ladies'Specials highlight the gender inequality in India and gives some women the capability of more freedom to be free from harassment.
The "Ladies Special" trains offer a number of benefits in terms of development. For example, they may improve women's attitudes and increase their productivity at work, which will help with economic growth overall. I imagine that if women are harrassed on the way to work it becomes difficult to focus and work to one's full potential throughout the day. A stress-free ride to work may help alleviate this problem. Also, the elimation of some of the harrassment that women face will likely improve their levels of living in that it will allow them to harbor more self-worth. This, in itself, is one of the three main values of development. Finally, the "Ladies Special" train system will likely promote equality within Indian society. Even if men are angry initially, women will have greater freedom and ability to work. Because of an increase in income earned by women, distribution within the family may become more equal. Perhaps women will eventually get more of a say on how much of their income is allocated to their daughters in comparison to their sons.
I think this program is an interesting application for development and progress. I think over and over again we will notice encouragement for gender equality as having some positive impact on a society. The Ladies Special is just a single example. It offers women a degree of safety - a fundamental human right - that allows them the "capability to function" (in the words of Amartya Sen).
Specifically, the Ladies Special serves as an incentive to pursue employment - the train guarantees safe transportation to and from work Guaranteed transportation alleviates any discouragement of working women that sometimes may cause high numbers of women to abandon employment and independence all together. Women are able to earn an additional salary which, in some cases, may translate into nourishment and education for her children.
While I agree that it does not address many of the underlying issues of gender inequality, I think that the Ladies Special does offer women a sense of gender empowerment. It shows that the government is willing to invest in their saftey and security, and take measures to ensure that they are able to be involved with the work force. The article also addresses the idea that the Ladies Special, by providing women with better transportation to work, is an indirect tool to provide women with greater economic independence. The Ladies special is a strong positive in weighing the pros and cons of seeking employment, abd thus personal income, for women in India. If the trains cut down on many fears-- of rape, molestation, abduction, etc.-- which had become real fears to workforce women, the provde large benfits and freedom for working women in Indian society. Women had been provided with the choice to take to train to work, and with the addition of the Ladies Special, they now can have more utility in using that transportation-- and therefore their capability to function has been increased!
The new railway system's benefits would be almost impossible to count. Getting more women into the workforce is boosting the GDP of India as a whole as well as increasing the disposable income for that women's household (which almost certainly helps out a huge amount).
Women also have a chance to progress once they arrive in the workplace and increase the human capital of India. The more women they can get into the workplace, the bigger the difference they can make. Whether these difference be in the form of fresh new ideas, responsible business practices, or just a gain in marginal productivity, these women are making India a better place. As they work for longer periods of time they develop their human capital and begin the process of specialization.
As the program develops, equality for women will become more and more uniform even though its already goverment regulation. The mother's of today are paving they way for their daughters of tomorrow. The benefits can not just be counted in the present, but the contributions of future generations that will now have an oppourtunity to make a difference must also be counted as well.
I understand where the thought of creating such program came from, but I also have the worry that in the long run, the Ladies Special would only give a wrong impression to the public (including future generation..!) that such is the way (the only way?!) to prevent sexual harassment from happening. Isn't it more correct to educate and punish people who act wrongful rather than to have the innocents ones to change their positions to accommodate the situation? Although I agree that it is necessary to protect women, especially those who may not feel comfortable to jump into super crowded trains and have to worry about if someone might disturb/insult/harass women.. A lot of people have commented above that it'd be safer for women to go to work and would encourage them to devote to workforce. I think it is true to some women who might feel more comfortable and more confident about safety in public areas. But still in general, I just hope this program would not be the only one to solve issues like gender inequality. It could even lead to social segregation if it's not well managed. I remember when I was traveling in Mexico, in Lonely Planet it says some subways in Mexico City have a few separate zones just for women and children. When I was riding their subways, I noticed that although there's such law (don't know how strict they enforce it though), it doesn't seem to me any "zone" of the train really stood out as only for one social or gender group. It could be that the practice was not new and exciting to most people anymore that probably most people didnt care about the distinction; or that simply because there are always so many people who need to use the subway anyway (imagine Mexico City 's population), it's just simply not practical to make 3 zones of a train exclusively for 1 gender or social group. Those are my speculation, but I think there are a lot of social impact to consider when a country or a city carries out such a policy, which could be really detrimental to social segregation. Would you judge a female who chose to sit in a women-only zone in the train and/or a female who chose to hop on a normal one? Silvia Cheng
The Ladies Special is an easy and effective illustration of the government's ability to penetrate social norms for the sake of development. From my limited understanding of the situation, it sounds like an excellent program, one that will allow women a more dignified life. Nevertheless, it must be a temporary solution because the long term consequences of "separate (and apparently unequal)" will be more devastating than the current situation of the misogynist commute.
By separating two children who are constantly fighting, one does not solve the problem, but simply mitigates an environment in which the fighting ceases. In the long run, the children will continue to fight and will become further enraged by each other's presence especially if one is given preferential treatment.
WIth that short analogy, I think it is clear that issues of domestic violence and hate-crimes-against-women will become a long term issue if "division" turns out to be the Indian Government's long turn solution.
As we have learned, development is often hindered by the suppression of womens' roles in society and by cultural mores which lead to an inefficient utilization of the potential workforce.
The article takes me back to Sen's capability approach. We not only have to provide resources but also have to ensure that the people are in position to use them. What a person can do with the commodity is more important than the commodity itself. Train systems in the big cities of Delhi, Mumbai are good and functional and are available to all for use. The transportation system facilitates movement and allows men and women to get to work and other places. However, the question to be asked while assessing the use of this resource is - is everyone able to make use of it like they are supposed to? Are the circumstances such that they are "capable" of using the public transport? In our case the answer would be NO. While men are certainly getting full advantage, women due to safety issues are not fully able to utilize the transportation system to their benefit. Hence, we need to customize our commodity or public good in such a way that women get just as much benefit as the men. The Ladies Special enhances women's choices and freedom and hence is step towards development. - Aparajita
The Ladies Special trains in India seem a perfect remedy to the harassment that many Indian women face repeatedly in their efforts to join the work force. The lack of safety for women prevented many of them from being able to join the labor force, but these commuter trains offer a ready and safe method of transportation for productive women. I find this article to be particularly interested because it centers around India, not a country that one would typically think of as having the most gender-neutral priorities and policies. However, the article reminded me that many political leaders within India are women.
To provide transportation to and from work solely for the women of India that already suffer so much prejudice is great. As the article points out, the harassment and taunting of women by the male passengers was definitely out of control. So much so, that I am sure it prevented many women from even going to work. Women should feel safe and secure on a public transportation system to reach work. It is essential that gender equality is still something all countries strive to achieve. Women in the workforce is not a new theme, but it is still very important. The overall benefits of the program are gender equality and more women in the workforce.
Whenever new boundaries are being tested, there is always violent resistance.
As for the benefits, the article seemed to outline them rather clearly. By providing this extremely basic need (security, access to transportation) they are able to help thousands of people help themselves. People in general are not helpless, there are just boundaries keeping them from reaching their potential.
I'm wondering if the men causing most of the problems are the fellows who do not allow their wives or daughters to travel at all, to have jobs, seek education, or attempt to better the family. One would think that men who see the value that the women are contributing would not engage in this behavior.
I'd also like to note that Japan has been doing women only passenger cars for years now because of similar problems, but this is the first time that I've heard of an entire train being dedicated to women!
As for the attitude that it is possibly only skirting the issue, I feel that often when it comes to massive social change such as this, it require a generation for change to really take effect. Children of women who enjoyed these trains and saw the benefits of this arrangement will be more likely to support their existance on top of seeing women working as something that isn't unnatural.
At first glance, this program seems like an interesting, and initially worthwhile program. It addresses the immediate concern of security for women entering the workforce, without (seemingly) significant intrusion into the economy or functioning of society as a whole. Men are not really impaired in their movements or lives as a whole (the might otherwise have to wait for the next train), while women are empowered to work and are provided a safe form of transportation to said employment.
However, this program seems to be more of a Band-Aid then a real solution to the problem of societal security and gender relations in India. The mere presence of this train indicates that the government has failed to protect the basic security and well being of their citizens.
At some point, the Indian government needs to realize that the more small crimes that are permitted (or just not prevented) against any group of citizens (in this case, women), the more larger crimes will follow. Because basic vandalism, petty theft, and sexual harassment are not well prevented, these perpetrators (at least according to the "broken windows" theory) are more likely to commit larger crimes (assault, battery, rape).
While this program seems to be working as an empowerment tool, I feel as though this could be damaging, rather than improving, gender relations in India. I believe, at least in the long term, the government will need to directly attack the problems of sexual harassment and related crimes directly.
I think that this is an interesting, creative alternative to both heighten security and highlight the expanding role of women in Indian society. However, the need for a Ladies Special bus seems somewhat counterintuitive to me. If women have arguably "shattered the glass ceiling" in terms of their involvement in society and in the workforce, illustrated by females holding various political roles, and have broken through the cultural barrier, it seems that there should be no need for this type of security.
I also agree with many classmates that the program might further divide people across gender lines and inhibit further growth in terms of gender relations. Additionally, if the program is largely in response to security issues, simply having a separate bus will not be much of a barrier against angry men. Overall, I applaud the creativity in problem solving, but argue that the new transport system may be more of a bandaid over the issue that will spark further problems down the road.
I think that this program is beneficial and necessary for the society right now. While it may harm women in the short run by creating animosity from men, women need a safe and secure way to work. This program shows that the government supports women joining the workforce and will make women feel more comfortable with the idea.
The increasing statistics of rape and violence against women is troubling and does make you reconsider whether this program is helping or hurting. I would like to believe that in the long run it will help because it is starting a tradition of respecting women and the fact that they are in the workforce. Women will gain more power from being at work and having an income, and men will inevitably have no option but to respect them more as time goes on. Hopefully it will become more of a norm for women to work and that this program can become unnecessary.
It is obvious from the article that the program has boosted women's morale, which can be a critical factor in their level of productivity. As my classmates already mentioned, it does make it easier and safer for women to join the workforce, but it is my impression that this will not last long because of the men's reaction. Their behavior might get worse which will create such a tense situation that the women might even feel uncomfortable riding the train. I agree that this solution does not directly address the gender issue and I would conclude that in the long-run, the costs (not only financial) will outweigh the benefits.
Needless to mention about womens' safety and comfort, I would like to think about how men can benefit from this "Ladies Special train". As mentioned in one of the comments, Japan (especially in urban areas such as Tokyo) sets a certain time (for exmaple, weekday 700~900) designating the front carriage as women-only carriage, and this was probably due to the same reason as India (increase in sexual harassments). More than 99 percent of the accused face convictions, however, on the other hand, there are significant cases which men are arrested for false accusations, and that is also included in the number shown above. Therefore those of men who do not want to take risks of getting sued falsely can get on the second carriage, which is usually full of male commuters since most of the women would rather prefer the front carriage.
I think the idea of "Ladies Special" would certainly make both men and women better off, especially for those people who have serious mental problems to be kept in carriage full of opposite sex. However, questions of whether we should increase the number of the "Ladies Special" should arouse followed by the increase in women commuters in near future. Lets see how Japan or other countries having this system would react to this long-term situation.
This is evidence of the ability of policy to impact social norms. Since we have established that development is only possible if certain elements of the culture that may hinder growth are dealt with properly, this train policy in India is encouraging for India's growth prospects. We have said that we are concerned with several elements of economic development, including the distribution of growth. For the distribution to be optimal, women must get their fair share, which will only come if obstacles in the way of employment are destroyed. One of those obstacles is simply the anti-feminist attitude in the Indian society. This program has apparently helped to move this obstacle out of the way and allowed women to get to work, giving them an opportunity to get a share of the growth.
This seems like a really interesting program. Obviously it is working, because women are not in direct danger on their train to work. It is a shame that a program like this had to be implemented in the first place, but parties in power seldom accept change that benefits emerging power. These men are insecure about their futures, and are embarassed that a woman acan be more succeful than they are. While this solution keeps the women safe on their way to work, the problem is much more deep-seeded than transportation. The Indian Government is treating the symptoms, which may be necessary, but not sufficient to offer a solution to this institutional problem.
I do not have much to add, as it seems to have all been pretty much said. I agree that this is necessary and beneficial to women in the short run. The Ladies' Special trains allow women to commute to work in an environment in which they feel safe. This is vitally important to empowering women, as transportation is a barrier to employment around the world (a few of the posters mentioned women in the US). I also have to agree with several of my classmates in that this program seems a bit like a band-aid. There seem to be deeper issues than that of safe transportation for women that need to be dealt with. I think Ben Ersing's example of two fighting children is an extremely good description of this situation. The Ladies' Special trains are necessary for the time being, but if the deeper gender inequality issues are not dealt with, in the long-run, gender separation on the commute to work will not solve the problem.
I do appreciate the creativity of this program. Out of the box thinking is necessary to solve these types of gender inequality issues in the developing world. Although many of us, myself included, have called this a band-aid initiative, the staggering rape and sexual assault statistics mentioned in the article make this program seem to me like a very important and necessary band-aid, at least (and hopefully only) for the time being.
I think this new railway system started in India definitely represents a sort of social development. It provides women with the opportunity to join the workforce without the usual harassment that they would endure on a morning commute. I believe in the long run these kind of changes will increase the number of women in the Indian workforce.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time though I find the rape and kidnapping statistics to be somewhat disturbing. With the increase in women's rights in India, there has been a stark increase in these kinds of crimes against women. Additionally, it is no secret that many men oppose the new ladies rail. Thus, as the woman states in the last line of the article, there is still a long list of things the government needs to do to truly help the women of India.
-Ryan Welsh
I think this is a very interesting and worthwhile program, for which the benefits are numerous and valuable. I think that it will both ensure that working women remain in the workforce, and encourage more to join, as perhaps knowing that they have a safe commute will allow their personal benefits to outweigh their costs. It is worrisome to think about the possible retaliation that might arise from some of the male population, as anger has already been displayed towards the program, and statistics show startling levels of brutality towards women. One would hope that it does not become a target for larger scale violent acts; India does not need to be set back from this progress as there is still much left to do to improve the lives of Indian women.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the more important things this article expresses is the need to "think outside of the box" when it comes to development. To say that employing women will promote development may seem obvious, but the small step of creating female-only trains to transport women to work can easily be implemented, yet the idea has just caught on. (Even in America, policy makers will argue, "single mothers just need to work. There are jobs out there, but they are too lazy to take them." Transportation is a huge issue in any society, and you can find many stories of American women who take 4 different bus routes over the course of 2 hours just to get to work). The problems of underdevelopment may seem straightforward: lack of food, lack of work, oppression, etc. However, the complex solutions to these problems can first be found on a much more basic level. We need to create a safe and respectable way for these women to get to work. Women have the capability to work, but not always the capability to get there easily, or without safety or sexual harassment risks.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, this article reflects a large problem mentioned in Banerjee and Duflo's article: a lack of infrastructure.
There are numerous benefits to helping women access the work force: empowerment, production, more income, and ultimately, development. Empirical evidence shows that many countries with patterns of development consequently have higher workforce (and political) participation of women. Furthermore, when these women receive money, they do an excellent job of managing it (A reason why microfinance firms sometimes lend exclusively to women). Women are a necessity for development, and the benefits of these trains certainly outweigh the cost!
I think the investment is definitely worthwhile. First of all, it touches on one of the main core values of development: self-esteem. A woman being able to travel to work in the morning without having to worry about men judging her and catcalling at her can boost her self-confidence and morale. Secondly, many husbands in this culture may be hesitant to let their wives travel in such conditions. Now both the women and their husbands can feel less threatened, and many more women may be able to join the workforce. It's amazing how such a simple idea can change an entire framework.
ReplyDeleteWhile the idea is certainly a step in the right direction I can't help but wonder if the program's long term effects will cause more harm than good. In the short term women can more easily commute to and from work and feel safe in their environment. But, I feel as if the implementation of this program skirts the gender inequality issue at hand rather than addressing it. By separating men and women rather than attempting to improve their integration nothing permanent can be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThis is a investment that is well worth it. For one the attitude of women on their way to work will be so much more positive and will be shown in the workplace, thus having more output. Another great thing about this investment is that there are signs with these trains that there attempts at going against the patriarchal society that exists here. This is one of a many but major problems in developing countries, as the workforce is there, but since it is a patriarchal society, women are allowed to perform to their capability which heavily affects the output of the country. While I see this as a minor step in the grand scheme of things, I feel like this is a positive step in the right direction. However, there still exists a huge divide between the roles of men and women as the need for such a train service for women to exist.
ReplyDeleteWhile this program provides a temporary solution, I do not see it as an efficient long-term program. The Indian government should do more to address the actual issue of gender inequality instead of avoiding the situation. As the Indian women become more confident and independent through their new freedom of safely getting to work, it will become more crucial that the society addresses the underlying inequality and work toward achieving a situation where men respect women and thus foster a safe environment.
ReplyDeleteI don't have too much to add--the previous comments hit the nail on the head. The protests themselves speak to the importance of these special trains. The catcalls and hostility are hints of the mistreatment of women that pervades India. Ladies'Specials highlight the gender inequality in India and gives some women the capability of more freedom to be free from harassment.
ReplyDeleteThe "Ladies Special" trains offer a number of benefits in terms of development. For example, they may improve women's attitudes and increase their productivity at work, which will help with economic growth overall. I imagine that if women are harrassed on the way to work it becomes difficult to focus and work to one's full potential throughout the day. A stress-free ride to work may help alleviate this problem. Also, the elimation of some of the harrassment that women face will likely improve their levels of living in that it will allow them to harbor more self-worth. This, in itself, is one of the three main values of development. Finally, the "Ladies Special" train system will likely promote equality within Indian society. Even if men are angry initially, women will have greater freedom and ability to work. Because of an increase in income earned by women, distribution within the family may become more equal. Perhaps women will eventually get more of a say on how much of their income is allocated to their daughters in comparison to their sons.
ReplyDeleteI think this program is an interesting application for development and progress. I think over and over again we will notice encouragement for gender equality as having some positive impact on a society. The Ladies Special is just a single example. It offers women a degree of safety - a fundamental human right - that allows them the "capability to function" (in the words of Amartya Sen).
ReplyDeleteSpecifically, the Ladies Special serves as an incentive to pursue employment - the train guarantees safe transportation to and from work Guaranteed transportation alleviates any discouragement of working women that sometimes may cause high numbers of women to abandon employment and independence all together. Women are able to earn an additional salary which, in some cases, may translate into nourishment and education for her children.
While I agree that it does not address many of the underlying issues of gender inequality, I think that the Ladies Special does offer women a sense of gender empowerment. It shows that the government is willing to invest in their saftey and security, and take measures to ensure that they are able to be involved with the work force. The article also addresses the idea that the Ladies Special, by providing women with better transportation to work, is an indirect tool to provide women with greater economic independence. The Ladies special is a strong positive in weighing the pros and cons of seeking employment, abd thus personal income, for women in India. If the trains cut down on many fears-- of rape, molestation, abduction, etc.-- which had become real fears to workforce women, the provde large benfits and freedom for working women in Indian society. Women had been provided with the choice to take to train to work, and with the addition of the Ladies Special, they now can have more utility in using that transportation-- and therefore their capability to function has been increased!
ReplyDeleteThe new railway system's benefits would be almost impossible to count. Getting more women into the workforce is boosting the GDP of India as a whole as well as increasing the disposable income for that women's household (which almost certainly helps out a huge amount).
ReplyDeleteWomen also have a chance to progress once they arrive in the workplace and increase the human capital of India. The more women they can get into the workplace, the bigger the difference they can make. Whether these difference be in the form of fresh new ideas, responsible business practices, or just a gain in marginal productivity, these women are making India a better place. As they work for longer periods of time they develop their human capital and begin the process of specialization.
As the program develops, equality for women will become more and more uniform even though its already goverment regulation. The mother's of today are paving they way for their daughters of tomorrow. The benefits can not just be counted in the present, but the contributions of future generations that will now have an oppourtunity to make a difference must also be counted as well.
I understand where the thought of creating such program came from, but I also have the worry that in the long run, the Ladies Special would only give a wrong impression to the public (including future generation..!) that such is the way (the only way?!) to prevent sexual harassment from happening. Isn't it more correct to educate and punish people who act wrongful rather than to have the innocents ones to change their positions to accommodate the situation? Although I agree that it is necessary to protect women, especially those who may not feel comfortable to jump into super crowded trains and have to worry about if someone might disturb/insult/harass women.. A lot of people have commented above that it'd be safer for women to go to work and would encourage them to devote to workforce. I think it is true to some women who might feel more comfortable and more confident about safety in public areas. But still in general, I just hope this program would not be the only one to solve issues like gender inequality. It could even lead to social segregation if it's not well managed.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was traveling in Mexico, in Lonely Planet it says some subways in Mexico City have a few separate zones just for women and children. When I was riding their subways, I noticed that although there's such law (don't know how strict they enforce it though), it doesn't seem to me any "zone" of the train really stood out as only for one social or gender group. It could be that the practice was not new and exciting to most people anymore that probably most people didnt care about the distinction; or that simply because there are always so many people who need to use the subway anyway (imagine Mexico City 's population), it's just simply not practical to make 3 zones of a train exclusively for 1 gender or social group. Those are my speculation, but I think there are a lot of social impact to consider when a country or a city carries out such a policy, which could be really detrimental to social segregation. Would you judge a female who chose to sit in a women-only zone in the train and/or a female who chose to hop on a normal one?
Silvia Cheng
The Ladies Special is an easy and effective illustration of the government's ability to penetrate social norms for the sake of development. From my limited understanding of the situation, it sounds like an excellent program, one that will allow women a more dignified life. Nevertheless, it must be a temporary solution because the long term consequences of "separate (and apparently unequal)" will be more devastating than the current situation of the misogynist commute.
ReplyDeleteBy separating two children who are constantly fighting, one does not solve the problem, but simply mitigates an environment in which the fighting ceases. In the long run, the children will continue to fight and will become further enraged by each other's presence especially if one is given preferential treatment.
WIth that short analogy, I think it is clear that issues of domestic violence and hate-crimes-against-women will become a long term issue if "division" turns out to be the Indian Government's long turn solution.
As we have learned, development is often hindered by the suppression of womens' roles in society and by cultural mores which lead to an inefficient utilization of the potential workforce.
The article takes me back to Sen's capability approach. We not only have to provide resources but also have to ensure that the people are in position to use them. What a person can do with the commodity is more important than the commodity itself. Train systems in the big cities of Delhi, Mumbai are good and functional and are available to all for use. The transportation system facilitates movement and allows men and women to get to work and other places. However, the question to be asked while assessing the use of this resource is - is everyone able to make use of it like they are supposed to? Are the circumstances such that they are "capable" of using the public transport? In our case the answer would be NO. While men are certainly getting full advantage, women due to safety issues are not fully able to utilize the transportation system to their benefit. Hence, we need to customize our commodity or public good in such a way that women get just as much benefit as the men.
ReplyDeleteThe Ladies Special enhances women's choices and freedom and hence is step towards development.
- Aparajita
The Ladies Special trains in India seem a perfect remedy to the harassment that many Indian women face repeatedly in their efforts to join the work force. The lack of safety for women prevented many of them from being able to join the labor force, but these commuter trains offer a ready and safe method of transportation for productive women. I find this article to be particularly interested because it centers around India, not a country that one would typically think of as having the most gender-neutral priorities and policies. However, the article reminded me that many political leaders within India are women.
ReplyDeleteTo provide transportation to and from work solely for the women of India that already suffer so much prejudice is great. As the article points out, the harassment and taunting of women by the male passengers was definitely out of control. So much so, that I am sure it prevented many women from even going to work. Women should feel safe and secure on a public transportation system to reach work. It is essential that gender equality is still something all countries strive to achieve. Women in the workforce is not a new theme, but it is still very important. The overall benefits of the program are gender equality and more women in the workforce.
ReplyDeleteWhenever new boundaries are being tested, there is always violent resistance.
ReplyDeleteAs for the benefits, the article seemed to outline them rather clearly. By providing this extremely basic need (security, access to transportation) they are able to help thousands of people help themselves. People in general are not helpless, there are just boundaries keeping them from reaching their potential.
I'm wondering if the men causing most of the problems are the fellows who do not allow their wives or daughters to travel at all, to have jobs, seek education, or attempt to better the family. One would think that men who see the value that the women are contributing would not engage in this behavior.
I'd also like to note that Japan has been doing women only passenger cars for years now because of similar problems, but this is the first time that I've heard of an entire train being dedicated to women!
As for the attitude that it is possibly only skirting the issue, I feel that often when it comes to massive social change such as this, it require a generation for change to really take effect. Children of women who enjoyed these trains and saw the benefits of this arrangement will be more likely to support their existance on top of seeing women working as something that isn't unnatural.
~ Danielle Ausems
At first glance, this program seems like an interesting, and initially worthwhile program. It addresses the immediate concern of security for women entering the workforce, without (seemingly) significant intrusion into the economy or functioning of society as a whole. Men are not really impaired in their movements or lives as a whole (the might otherwise have to wait for the next train), while women are empowered to work and are provided a safe form of transportation to said employment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this program seems to be more of a Band-Aid then a real solution to the problem of societal security and gender relations in India. The mere presence of this train indicates that the government has failed to protect the basic security and well being of their citizens.
At some point, the Indian government needs to realize that the more small crimes that are permitted (or just not prevented) against any group of citizens (in this case, women), the more larger crimes will follow. Because basic vandalism, petty theft, and sexual harassment are not well prevented, these perpetrators (at least according to the "broken windows" theory) are more likely to commit larger crimes (assault, battery, rape).
While this program seems to be working as an empowerment tool, I feel as though this could be damaging, rather than improving, gender relations in India. I believe, at least in the long term, the government will need to directly attack the problems of sexual harassment and related crimes directly.
-Jarrett Brotzman
I think that this is an interesting, creative alternative to both heighten security and highlight the expanding role of women in Indian society. However, the need for a Ladies Special bus seems somewhat counterintuitive to me. If women have arguably "shattered the glass ceiling" in terms of their involvement in society and in the workforce, illustrated by females holding various political roles, and have broken through the cultural barrier, it seems that there should be no need for this type of security.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with many classmates that the program might further divide people across gender lines and inhibit further growth in terms of gender relations. Additionally, if the program is largely in response to security issues, simply having a separate bus will not be much of a barrier against angry men. Overall, I applaud the creativity in problem solving, but argue that the new transport system may be more of a bandaid over the issue that will spark further problems down the road.
I think that this program is beneficial and necessary for the society right now. While it may harm women in the short run by creating animosity from men, women need a safe and secure way to work. This program shows that the government supports women joining the workforce and will make women feel more comfortable with the idea.
ReplyDeleteThe increasing statistics of rape and violence against women is troubling and does make you reconsider whether this program is helping or hurting. I would like to believe that in the long run it will help because it is starting a tradition of respecting women and the fact that they are in the workforce. Women will gain more power from being at work and having an income, and men will inevitably have no option but to respect them more as time goes on. Hopefully it will become more of a norm for women to work and that this program can become unnecessary.
It is obvious from the article that the program has boosted women's morale, which can be a critical factor in their level of productivity. As my classmates already mentioned, it does make it easier and safer for women to join the workforce, but it is my impression that this will not last long because of the men's reaction. Their behavior might get worse which will create such a tense situation that the women might even feel uncomfortable riding the train. I agree that this solution does not directly address the gender issue and I would conclude that in the long-run, the costs (not only financial) will outweigh the benefits.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to mention about womens' safety and comfort, I would like to think about how men can benefit from this "Ladies Special train". As mentioned in one of the comments, Japan (especially in urban areas such as Tokyo) sets a certain time (for exmaple, weekday 700~900) designating the front carriage as women-only carriage, and this was probably due to the same reason as India (increase in sexual harassments). More than 99 percent of the accused face convictions, however, on the other hand, there are significant cases which men are arrested for false accusations, and that is also included in the number shown above. Therefore those of men who do not want to take risks of getting sued falsely can get on the second carriage, which is usually full of male commuters since most of the women would rather prefer the front carriage.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of "Ladies Special" would certainly make both men and women better off, especially for those people who have serious mental problems to be kept in carriage full of opposite sex. However, questions of whether we should increase the number of the "Ladies Special" should arouse followed by the increase in women commuters in near future. Lets see how Japan or other countries having this system would react to this long-term situation.
Kotaro Watanabe
This is evidence of the ability of policy to impact social norms. Since we have established that development is only possible if certain elements of the culture that may hinder growth are dealt with properly, this train policy in India is encouraging for India's growth prospects. We have said that we are concerned with several elements of economic development, including the distribution of growth. For the distribution to be optimal, women must get their fair share, which will only come if obstacles in the way of employment are destroyed. One of those obstacles is simply the anti-feminist attitude in the Indian society. This program has apparently helped to move this obstacle out of the way and allowed women to get to work, giving them an opportunity to get a share of the growth.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a really interesting program. Obviously it is working, because women are not in direct danger on their train to work. It is a shame that a program like this had to be implemented in the first place, but parties in power seldom accept change that benefits emerging power. These men are insecure about their futures, and are embarassed that a woman acan be more succeful than they are. While this solution keeps the women safe on their way to work, the problem is much more deep-seeded than transportation. The Indian Government is treating the symptoms, which may be necessary, but not sufficient to offer a solution to this institutional problem.
ReplyDeleteI do not have much to add, as it seems to have all been pretty much said. I agree that this is necessary and beneficial to women in the short run. The Ladies' Special trains allow women to commute to work in an environment in which they feel safe. This is vitally important to empowering women, as transportation is a barrier to employment around the world (a few of the posters mentioned women in the US). I also have to agree with several of my classmates in that this program seems a bit like a band-aid. There seem to be deeper issues than that of safe transportation for women that need to be dealt with. I think Ben Ersing's example of two fighting children is an extremely good description of this situation. The Ladies' Special trains are necessary for the time being, but if the deeper gender inequality issues are not dealt with, in the long-run, gender separation on the commute to work will not solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate the creativity of this program. Out of the box thinking is necessary to solve these types of gender inequality issues in the developing world. Although many of us, myself included, have called this a band-aid initiative, the staggering rape and sexual assault statistics mentioned in the article make this program seem to me like a very important and necessary band-aid, at least (and hopefully only) for the time being.