Smriti Irani on Women Issues - Congress Must Watch before Commenting on Her !
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on women's voices, leadership, and global conflict, emphasizing the need for women to be heard and empowered. She shares anecdotes about women's struggles, including a mother in India fighting for her daughter's survival, and highlights India's cultural values of unity and righteousness. The speech calls for global connections based on mutual respect and empowerment, particularly through women's education and leadership. Ultimately, it advocates for a world where both men and women have equal opportunities, driven by a collective commitment to humanity's well-being and peace.
Takeaways
- 💬 Women don't have a problem speaking out, they have a problem being heard.
- 🌍 The platform provided by the Art of Living offers women worldwide an opportunity to speak and be heard constructively.
- 📜 Historical and cultural references, like Lord Rama's decision in the Ramayana, emphasize India's value of the feminine virtue in nation-building.
- 🇮🇳 India champions the idea of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam'—the world as one family—promoting global unity and connection.
- 🎓 Investing in women's education and leadership reduces conflict and fosters stronger nations.
- 👩💼 Female leadership is distinct because it guides people toward where they ought to be, not just where they want to be.
- ⚖️ Legislation alone may not be enough to solve issues like women’s safety and gender-based violence; a change in societal attitudes is essential.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Women globally share common struggles and aspirations for dignity and equality, creating a cultural connection beyond politics and language.
- 💔 Gender-based issues like female infanticide and violence against women remain prevalent, deeply affecting society.
- ✨ True global connection and harmony will come from empowering women and ensuring equality, helping overcome both national and global conflicts.
Q & A
What platform is mentioned in the transcript as providing a space for women to speak and be heard?
-The Art of Living is mentioned as providing a harmonious platform for women from across the world to speak up and be constructively heard.
How does the speaker relate India’s culture to the empowerment of women and nation-building?
-The speaker highlights that India, as a culture, has infused feminine virtues into the pursuit of a strong nation. Through epics like the Ramayana and teachings of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, India promotes the idea that a strong nation is built on righteousness and service to humanity.
What does the speaker suggest is a significant factor in reducing conflict on a global scale?
-The speaker suggests that empowering women and placing them in leadership roles is a significant factor in reducing conflict globally. Women leaders tend to focus on resolving issues related to poverty, illiteracy, and resource ownership.
What does the 1996 study mentioned in the transcript conclude about investing in women's higher education?
-The 1996 study, involving 72 countries, concluded that nations that had invested in women's higher education in 1975 saw a 68% decline in infant deaths by 1985. The same study found that increasing per capita income had no significant impact on reducing infant deaths.
What story does the speaker share to highlight the cultural challenges faced by women in India?
-The speaker shares a story about a woman from Punjab who was forced by her husband and brother to leave her third daughter to die in the cold. However, the daughter survived, and the mother decided to fight for her child's life, symbolizing the strength and resilience of women.
What does the speaker believe is necessary for true empowerment beyond legislation?
-The speaker believes that while legislation is important, it is not enough to truly empower women. Society must embrace change at a cultural level, and individuals must embody the change they wish to see, as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.
How does the speaker define the difference between a leader and a female leader?
-The speaker defines a leader as someone who takes you where you want to be, but a female leader as someone who takes you where you ought to be.
What is the significance of the concept 'Vasudev Kooten' mentioned in the transcript?
-'Vasudev Kooten' is a Sanskrit phrase meaning 'the world is one family.' The speaker uses this concept to emphasize India's philosophy of global unity and serving not just national interests but the welfare of humanity as a whole.
What emotional challenges does the speaker express about raising women's issues in the Indian Parliament?
-The speaker expresses deep emotional pain when raising issues like rape and female infanticide in Parliament. She is heartbroken by the fact that over 1 crore (10 million) girls die in India every year due to sex-selective abortions, and these issues are often ignored because children are not seen as vote banks.
What is the main message the speaker hopes to convey regarding global leadership and conflict resolution?
-The speaker hopes to convey that true global leadership and conflict resolution come from empowering women and fostering connections that go beyond political or national interests. By treating everyone as equals and focusing on the welfare of humanity, the world can overcome conflicts and work towards shared goals.
Outlines
🎤 Women and the Struggle to be Heard
The speaker, Eugenia Guru GK Chernova Vanden, begins by discussing how women often face challenges not in speaking, but in being heard. She praises the platform provided by the Art of Living, which allows women from across the world to express themselves and be constructively listened to. She shares insights from senior women leaders on global connectivity and conflict, reflecting on the influence of national identities and India’s cultural values, as inspired by the Ramayana and other epics. These values emphasize the pursuit of a strong nation through the integration of feminine virtues.
🌍 The Global Impact of Women’s Education
The speaker shifts to discussing research that shows how investing in women's education can drastically reduce infant mortality rates, emphasizing that empowering women is essential for global progress. She reflects on a conversation with Guruji about women leaders, highlighting that true female leadership is about taking people where they ought to be, rather than where they want to go. The speaker addresses women's security challenges in India, the heartbreaking statistics of female infanticide, and the need for not just legislation, but societal change to truly empower women.
👩👧 A Mother's Struggle Against Tradition
In this paragraph, the speaker recounts a powerful story of a woman in Punjab who was pressured by her husband and brother to abandon her third daughter, as female children were not valued. The woman initially complied, leaving her infant daughter to die in the cold, but after the baby survived the night, she decided to fight for her child's life. This story underscores the strength women must show in standing up to oppressive traditions and societal expectations, symbolizing the resilience required to ensure that every woman has the right to live with dignity.
💪 The Role of Women in Global Leadership
The speaker concludes by quoting ancient Indian texts, highlighting how true leadership begins with overcoming personal flaws before addressing external challenges. She stresses that for nations to progress and connect globally, it is crucial to educate, employ, and treat women as equal human beings. The speaker reflects on the shared goals between herself and other women leaders from around the world—women who seek to build a world where every woman can live in dignity, peace, and equality. She ends with a call for a global community, inspired by the Indian ethos of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' meaning the world is one family, rising above conflicts for the greater good of humanity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Women Empowerment
💡Global Connect
💡Conflict
💡National Identity
💡Vasudev Kutumbakam
💡Infant Mortality
💡Legislation
💡Mahatma Gandhi
💡Ramayana
💡Female Leadership
Highlights
The speaker acknowledges the importance of giving women a platform to speak and be heard, attributing this to the Art of Living organization.
Reflections on how India's cultural epics like the Ramayana shape the nation's values, particularly emphasizing Lord Rama's decision to value his homeland over material riches.
India's culture is highlighted for infusing feminine virtues in its pursuit of national strength, aligning individual service with both national and global causes.
The concept of Vasudev Kutumbakam is explained, emphasizing the philosophy that 'the world is one family' and India's role in promoting global unity.
The speaker references a study from 1996, highlighting the significant impact that investing in women's education had on reducing infant deaths across 72 countries.
A personal conflict between the speaker and Rita Bahuguna Joshi is mentioned, underscoring how women from different political ideologies can still connect through shared experiences.
A heart-wrenching story about a mother from Punjab who almost let her third daughter die due to societal pressures, but ultimately decided to fight for her daughter's life.
The speaker reflects on how conflict decreases when women are in leadership positions, suggesting that empowering women is essential for global peace.
Legislation alone is not enough to empower women; the speaker stresses that societal change requires action beyond just laws.
The speaker expresses emotional turmoil over having to raise issues like rape and female infanticide in Parliament, acknowledging the deep-rooted societal challenges.
The impact of women's education and per capita income on social progress is discussed, with statistics from 72 nations highlighting the link between women's empowerment and national health outcomes.
The speaker emphasizes that for true global connection and conflict reduction, empowering women worldwide is a critical first step.
The speaker recounts a conversation with Guruji, where they discussed how female leaders guide society toward what it ought to be, not just where it wants to be.
The need to overcome internal challenges, as described in Kautilya's Arthashastra, is framed as essential for effective leadership and global unity.
The conclusion calls for global unity inspired by India's philosophy of Vasudev Kutumbakam, encouraging the world to rise above individual national interests and focus on collective humanity.
Transcripts
[Music]
da-da-da-dah
Eugenia guru GK Chernova Vanden and a
very warm Graf's known to all you ladies
and selected gentlemen this afternoon
during the lunch break her lady remarked
at the table the women should speak out
more and very instinctively I turned
around and said well women don't have a
problem in speaking they have a problem
in being heard and today I would like to
thank the art of living for giving a
harmonious platform to women from across
the world so that they can come here
speak up and also be very constructively
heard
[Music]
I had two very senior experienced ladies
give the world view with regards to
global connect and conflict while I was
listening to one of the pioneers in the
women's movement in Europe I heard her
talk about nations in pursuit of
protecting national identities I heard
miss Anderson quote Mahatma Gandhi and
while I was reflecting on this pursuit
for preserving national identity my
thoughts went to the lady from Sri Lanka
who is sitting here we all in our
country that is India absorb and follow
a lot of values from so-called epics
like Ramayana and in Ramayana
when Prabhu Ram had been victorious over
Ravan and he was leaving back for home
he was told by a vision that Lord Rama
now that you are victorious you can
stake a claim to the golden city of
Lanka and at that time Lord Rama turned
around and said Janani Janmabhoomi sure
Sargodha piggery I see that my
motherland my mother is so beautiful
that she is greater than all the heavens
that human beings seek to achieve it is
because India as a culture has infused
the feminine virtue in pursuit of a
strong nation that we serve as
individuals not only a national cause
but also the cause of humanity India as
a nation as a culture has defined for
the world
Vasudev Kooten become which means the
world is one family India has been
blessed by Geeta wherein lord krishna
said that if you walk on the path of
Dharma if you absorb if you follow the
path of righteousness then you not only
emerge as a true leader you
also serve and drink about a stronger
nation and a stronger universe a
stronger world and it's interesting that
today in this very nation through this
very platform we talked about globally
connecting we talked about leadership
that helps us connect miss Anderson
spoke about conflict which is one of the
varying factors when people converge on
a global platform and talk about nation
building national interests and interest
of humanity well to downsize it a bit
miss Anderson I have been forever being
in conflict with a lady called Rita
Bahuguna Joshi who belongs to a
political ideology not similar to mine
but when I walked in she embraced me
warmly and with a wink and a smile she
said I embrace you not because you're
BJP I embrace you because you're a woman
[Music]
I didn't went and when I was about to
sit I was warmly greeted by dr. Kazan
for from Afghanistan a lady who serves
as the minister of Women's Affairs we
don't know each other's language but we
all knew just one thing that we
culturally connected and specially so
because we are both women in the field
of politics I know that conflict arises
when there is widespread poverty
conflict arises when there is illiteracy
conflict arises when there is a race to
take ownership of resources but I also
know that when women are put at the helm
of affairs conflict has this very
unnatural way of decreasing in 1996 a
study was put out by mr. Subaru and L
Rainey with said there is a nation and
72 countries were a part of this study
that if nations in 1975 had invested in
women's higher education then in 1985
those nations would have seen a decline
in infant deaths by 68 percent if those
same 72 nations had put in all their
resources to increase per capita income
of every citizen in those 72 countries
the impact on infant deaths would have
been zero today when I stand here as a
woman I'm of the opinion that if you
truly want to globally connect on issues
of humanity if you truly want to reduce
conflict then one of the first steps
that we as a nation way as a world need
to make is to empower woman I was
speaking to Guruji who has invited me to
this conference and I told her then when
people asked me to define women leaders
I tell them that
reader is someone who takes you where
you want to be but a female leader
someone who takes you where you ought to
be
miss Andersen spoke about legislation as
a parliamentarian in India we've had
quite a few challenges in the past one
and a half years with regards to women
security does it break my heart every
time I need to raise my voice in
Parliament about a woman getting raped
yes it does does it break my heart when
I discuss statistics with regards to
infant girls being killed just because
they're girls yes it does it breaks my
heart when I recognize and I realize
that over 1 crore girls died in our
country every year in a mother's womb
and nobody speaks out for them because
children are not vote banks at the same
time I wonder his legislation enough if
you truly seek to empower our nation's
our society the world at large will
legislation be enough and that's when I
reminded myself of a quote by Mahatma
Gandhi who said be the change you wish
to see in the world
--kavitha ji has been more than generous
in introduct in my introduction apart
from the role of to see the
quintessential bahu I also had the
privilege of discussing socio-political
issues on various platforms and during
one of my shooting schedules I walked
into a studio and met a lady who was
quietly sitting at a corner of a room
and I was told that this is the lady of
the day and I have to interview her when
I walked up to her I asked how could you
give me a little bit of an introduction
so that I can say that to the camera she
looked at me with a very very subtle
smile and said well introduce me as the
mother who tried to kill her daughter
that should suffice
when I asked her why such an
introduction because that seemed quite
cruel and inhuman she said well that is
the fact that I need to embrace and
people need to recognize me for what I
am I asked her why she defined herself
so and she said well I gave birth to two
daughters and my husband told me that if
thought was a daughter as well then I
need not take the trouble of coming back
home the third child I gave birth to was
a daughter as well my brother came to
the hospital because my husband refused
to see my face for two days and my
brother said let me go back and persuade
your husband so the two men sat down and
brokered a deal the husband said if your
sister can make do and wish away the
third child she will be given the
permission to enter home the brother
without consulting the sister said well
my sister shall do as you please we will
make sure the third child doesn't see
the next month the woman comes back with
her three daughters the youngest being
three days old it is December in the
state of Punjab in a village in Punjab
where it's absolutely chilling in
December one night she lays her daughter
in the courtyard on a bed without a
piece of cloth on the daughter's body
the woman prepares for the daughter to
die and she says that if she died in
that winter all I would do is feign
ignorance for the policeman who would
knock on my door the next morning she
went and she sat at the side of the
courtyard waiting for her daughter to
die she was so tired looking after three
daughters in a household and giving
birth after three days that she happened
to go to sleep when she woke up the next
morning she realized the Sun was up and
before the police got here she wanted to
scream and shout so that they could see
a mother completely immersed in pain for
the child's death but when she walked up
to the bed she saw that her infant
daughter was blue from head to toe but
was alive and that's when the woman
turned around and told me that I decided
if my three-year-old three day old
daughter would fight death all night
don't I have the capacity to fight for
her life and stand up to my husband
[Music]
[Applause]
cotillion arthashastra had said for a
good leader it is not enough to exercise
control of be victorious over external
forces and enemies for a good leader the
first priority is to come over overcome
your own burdens overcome your own flaws
reassert your own humanity fight your
internal enemies and then you can truly
lead the world I feel for the globe to
connect for nations to be empowered it
is extremely essential for the women in
that country to be educated to be
employed to be treated as human beings
as Miss Anderson said and I think that
is when we can truly connect because
what connects me to miss Anderson almost
doctor goes on first from Afghanistan is
not that we have a political cause that
we pursue not that we have a human
rights cause that we pursue but the only
one fact that we are all women who want
to pursue that world where every woman
is given the right to live her life with
dignity the right to live her life in
peace and the right to live her life in
such a fashion that she can encourage
others to treat everyone as equals and
to provide those opportunities to men
and women alike so once again a nation
that defined its own cultural ethos by
saying Biogen tsukai Bahujan heath i
that we as a nation are dedicated to the
happiness and welfare of all i am hoping
that the global connect we seek is a
global connect that is inspired by
India's idea or Vasudev couldn't become
that we are one family who will
solve and rise above every conflict for
me as a world come together and serve
not individual national interests but
also interest of humanity at large thank
you so much
浏览更多相关视频
U.S., Japan, and Republic of Korea on Women, Peace, and Security | Security Council | United Nations
Malala Yousafzai UN Speech: Girl Shot in Attack by Taliban Gives Address | The New York Times
The political progress women have made — and what's next | Cecile Richards
What Islam really says about women | Alaa Murabit
Sojourner Truth Speech of 1851, "Ain't I a Woman"
Keren! Maudy Ayunda Bicara Sosok Ibu Kartini dan Kesetaraan Gender #kartinimasakini #jokowi #g20
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)