Feminism A Feminist Discourse - 1454 Words

Although Western feminism started in the 1900s, yet, it didn’t reach the Islamic world until most recently, a couple of hundred years later than the West. Despite the fact that both of the feminism movements come from totally different back grounds, and they are affected by different history and culture, still, both of them aimed for women’s best interests. Muslim women were profoundly feeling aggrieved by the discrimination they have against them. They stereotypical reputation about them in the West, and their presentation in the Western media didn’t help either. They started and supported a new fight to regain themselves the equal status they were granted by Islam centuries ago. Muslim women didn’t like to be looked at as being backward and oppressed by men in a male-dominant world. According to the feminist historian Margot Badran, â€Å"Islamic feminism is a feminist discourse and practice articulated within an Islamic paradigm. Islamic feminism, whic h derives its understanding and mandate from the Qur an, seeks rights and justice for women, and for men, in the totality of their existence.† (Badran, 2001) To understand how Islamic feminism is different than the Western feminism, Hosseini suggested that we can find the answers by: â€Å"examining the dynamics of Islamic feminism and its potential in the Muslim world. It is diï ¬Æ'cult and perhaps futile to put the emerging feminist voices in Islam into neat categories and to try to generate a deï ¬ nition that reï ¬â€šects the diversity ofShow MoreRelatedUnder Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses1669 Words   |  7 PagesIn her essay, â€Å"Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses,† Chandra Talpade Mohanty explores the simplified construction of the â€Å"third-world woman† in hegemonic feminist discourses. In contrast, in her essay â€Å"US Third-World Feminism: The Theory and Method of Oppositional Consciousness in the Postmodern World,† Chela Sandoval specifically analyzes â€Å"US third-world feminism† and how it is the model for not only oppositional political activity, but also consciousness in the UnitedRead MoreFeminism : Waves Of Debates Within Feminism Essay1658 Words   |  7 PagesGender 208 Assignment 1: Waves of Debates within Feminism Feminism, in simple terms, refers to a collective desire to end the oppression of women. Because oppression takes various forms and affects those who are victim to it in a number of different, yet often connected ways; feminism should accordingly be regarded as a multifaceted set of movements working towards multiple aims and ends. Which is to say that feminism is less a single movement concerned with the oppression of women, and more aRead MoreThe Debate Of Feminists And Cultural Relativists1712 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, critique of human rights discourse has evolved into discrete areas, which include feminism and cultural relativism. Feminists and cultural relativists often take opposing positions, with cultural relativist views seen as dominant over feminist discourse (Byrnes 1992). Not surprisingly, this creates tension between the two and limited their ability to collaborate and create more inclusive human rights discourses. This essay will outline the position of feminists and cultural relativists andRead MoreEvaluation of the Usefulness of Selected Examples of Foucaults Theory951 Words   |  4 Pagesshall evaluate the usefulness of selected examples of Foucault’s theories from a feminist perspective. 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Eminent Domain Use and Abuse Essay Example

Essays on Eminent Domain Use and Abuse Essay The paper "Eminent Domain Use and Abusee" is an outstanding example of an essay on law. Governments are empowered by the law to assume control of the private property for public use, thus constituting the eminent domain. However, in proclaiming eminent domain there are procedures that must be followed for a smooth proclaim (Levy, 2013). Firstly the government must declare a public need by identifying a scarcity in providing and accessing certain public services. Secondly, the government must prove that the intended public utility is of much value that the private utility. Thirdly, the government makes an offer to the owner for compensation. Finally, the government attempts to negotiate a fair value with the owner to purchase the property (Merriam and Ross, 2006). In case the owner does not wish to sell on eminent domain, the government will file a court action in order to exercise eminent domain. The court will schedule a hearing in which the government must demonstrate that it tried to acquire the property in good faith and for public use but no agreement was reached. If the petition favors the government, the process of establishing a fair market value for the property takes place and the required payments are made. Either party may appeal the decision in case the owner of the property is not satisfied with the outcome or the government fails in its petition (Levy, 2013).Government zoning, unlike eminent domain the government does not need to compensate the affected property owners. This is because zoning only entails restricting a certain area to a specific nature of utility. In addition, assuming control of a property through police power the property owner is also not compensated (Merriam and Ross, 2006).In conclusion, two good examples of cases that demonstrate eminent domain are the Harvey Cedar v. Karan case where Harvey acquired a third of Karan’s property and constructed a 22-foot high dune and offered $300.00 compensation. The second case is Kelo v. The city of New London where the court agreed with the Connecticut Municipality to take the privately owned real property of Kelo and other families for a comprehensive development plan.

Feminism in India Free Essays

Feminism in India  is a set of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for Indian women. It is the pursuit of  women’s rights  within the society of  India. Like their feminist counterparts all over the world,  feminists  in India seek gender equality: the right to work for equal wages, the right to equal access to health and education, and equal political rights. We will write a custom essay sample on Feminism in India or any similar topic only for you Order Now [1]  Indian feminists also have fought against culture-specific issues within India’s  patriarchal  society, such as  inheritance laws  and the practice of widow immolation known as  Sati. The history of feminism in India can be divided into three phases: the first phase, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, initiated when male European colonists began to speak out against the social evils of Sati;[2]  the second phase, from 1915 to Indian independence, when Gandhi incorporated women’s movements into the  Quit India movement  and independent women’s organizations began to emerge;[3]  and finally, the third phase, post-independence, which has focused on fair treatment of women in the work force and right to political parity. 3] Despite the progress made by Indian feminist movements, women living in modern India still face many issues of discrimination. India’s patriarchal culture has made the process of gaining land-ownership rights and access to education challenging. [4]  In the past two decades, there has also emerged a disturbing trend of  sex-selective abortion. [5]  To Indian feminists, these are seen as injustices worth stru ggling against. [6] As in the  West, there has been some criticism of feminist movements in India. They have especially been criticized for focusing too much on women already privileged, and neglecting the needs and representation of poorer or lower  caste  women. This has led to the creation of caste-specific feminist organizations and movements. [7] Contents  Ã‚  [hide]   * 1  Defining feminism in the Indian context * 2  History * 2. 1  First phase: 1850–1915 * 2. 2  Second Phase: 1915–1947 * 2. 3  Feminism: Post-1947 * 3  Issues * 3. 1  Birth ratio * 3. 2  Marriage * 4  Theology * 4. 1  Hindu feminism * 4.   Islamic feminism * 5  Impact * 5. 1  Employment * 5. 2  Globalization * 5. 3  Education * 5. 4  Modernization * 6  Notable Indian feminists * 7  See also * 8  References * 9  Further reading * 10  External links| ————————————————- [edit]Defining feminism in the Indian context Tribal widow and single w omen protesting in  Jawhar,  Maharashtra Women’s role in Pre-colonial social structures reveals that feminism was theorized differently in India than in the West. 8]  In India, women’s issues first began to be addressed when the state commissioned a report on the status of women to a group of feminist researchers and activists. The report recognized the fact that in India, women were oppressed under a system of structural hierarchies and injustices. During this period, Indian feminists were influenced by the Western debates being conducted about violence against women. However, due to the difference in the historical and social culture of India, the debate in favor of Indian women had to be conducted creatively and certain Western ideas had to be rejected. 9]  Women’s issues began to gain an international prominence when the decade of 1975-1985 was declared the  United Nations Decade for Women. [2] Historical circumstances and values in India have caus ed feminists to develop a  feminism  that differs from Western feminism. For example, the idea of women as â€Å"powerful† is accommodated into patriarchal culture through religion,[10]  which has retained visibility in all sections of society. This has provided women with traditional â€Å"cultural spaces. Furthermore, in the West the notion of â€Å"self† rests in competitive  individualism  where people are described as â€Å"born free yet everywhere in chains. † In India the individual is usually considered to be just one part of the larger social  collective. Survival of the individual is dependent upon  cooperation, and  self-denial  for the greater good is valued. [10] Indian women negotiate survival through an array of oppressive patriarchal family structures: age, ordinal status, relationship to men through family of origin, marriage and procreation as well as patriarchal attributes. Examples of patriarchal attributes include:  dowry, siring sons etc. ,  kinship,  caste, community, village, market and the  state. It should however be noted that several communities in India, such as the  Nairs  of Kerala,  Shettys  of Mangalore, certain  Maratha  clans, and  Bengali  families exhibit matriarchal tendencies. In these communities, the head of the family is the oldest woman rather than the oldest man. Sikh  culture is also regarded as relatively  gender-neutral. 10][11] The heterogeneity of the Indian experience reveals that there are multiple patriarchies, contributing to the existence of multiple feminisms. Hence, feminism in India is not a singular theoretical orientation; it has changed over time in relation to historical and cultural realities, levels of consciousness, perceptions and actions of individual women, and women as a group. The widely used definition is â€Å"An awareness of women’s oppression and exploitation in so ciety, at work and within the family, and conscious action by women and men to change this situation. [11]  Acknowledgingsexism  in daily life and attempting to challenge and eliminate it through  deconstructing  mutually exclusive notions of  femininity  and  masculinity  as  biologically determined  categories opens the way towards an equitable society for both men and women. [11] The male and female dichotomy of polar opposites with the former oppressing the latter at all times is refuted in the Indian context because it was men who initiated  social reform movementsagainst various  social evils. Patriarchy is just one of the hierarchies. Relational hierarchies between women within the same family are more adverse. Here women are pitted against one another. Not all women are powerless at all times. [12] There have been intense debates within the Indian women’s movements about the relationship between Western and Indian feminisms. Many Indian feminists simultaneously claim a specific â€Å"Indian† sensitivity as well as an international feminist solidarity with groups and individuals worldwide. [9][13]  The rise of liberal feminism in the West in the 1970s focused deeply on demands for equal opportunities in education and employment, as well as ending violence against women. To a large extent, the emerging feminist movement in India was influenced by Western ideals. These called for education and equal rights, but also adapted their appeals to local issues and concerns, such as dowry-related violence against women,  Sati, sex selective abortion and custodial rape. Some Indian feminists have suggested that these issues are not specifically â€Å"Indian† in nature but rather a reflection of a wider trend of patriarchal oppression of women. [9] ————————————————- [edit]History Kamini Roy  (poet and suffragette) became the first woman Honors Graduate in India in 1886. Unlike the Western feminist movement, India’s movement was initiated by men, and later joined by women. The efforts of these men included abolishing sati, which was a widow’s death by burning on her husband’s funeral pyre,[2][14]  the custom of child marriage, abolishing the disfiguring of widows, banning the marriage of upper caste  Hindu  widows, promoting women’s education, obtaining legal rights for women to own property, and requiring the law to acknowledge women’s status by granting them basic rights in matters such as adoption. 15] The 19th century was the period that saw a majority of women’s issues come under the spotlight and reforms began to be made. Much of the early reforms for Indian women were conducted by men. However, by the late 19th century they were joined in their efforts by their wives, sisters, daughters, protegees and other individuals directly affected by campaigns such as those carried out for women’s ed ucation. By the late 20th century, women gained greater autonomy through the formation of independent women’s own organizations. By the late thirties and forties a new narrative began to be constructed regarding â€Å"women’s activism†. This was newly researched and expanded with the vision to create ‘logical’ and organic links between feminism and Marxism, as well as with anti-communalism and anti-casteism, etc. The Constitution of India did guarantee ‘equality between the sexes,’ which created a relative lull in women’s movements until the 1970s. [3] During the formative years of women’s rights movements, the difference between the sexes was more or less taken for granted in that their roles, functions, aims and desires were different. As a result, they were not only to be reared differently but treated differently also. Over the course of time, this difference itself became a major reason for initiating women’s movements. Early 19th century reformers argued that the difference between men and women was no reason for the subjection of women in society. However, later reformers were of the opinion that indeed it was this particular difference that subjugated women to their roles in society, for example, as mothers. Therefore, there was a need for the proper care of women’s rights. With the formation of women’s organizations and their own participation in campaigns, their roles as mothers was again stressed but in a different light: this time the argument was for women’s rights to speech, education and emancipation. However, the image of women with the mother as a symbol underwent changes over time – from an emphasis on family to the creation of an archetypal mother figure, evoking deep, often  atavistic  images. [3] [edit]First phase: 1850–1915 The colonial venture into  modernity  brought concepts of  democracy,  equality  and individual  rights. The rise of the concept of  nationalism  and introspection of discriminatory practices brought about social reform movements related to caste and gender relations. This first phase of feminism in India was initiated by men to uproot the  social evils  of  sati  (widow immolation),[16]  to allow widow remarriage, to forbid child marriage, and to reduce illiteracy, as well as to regulate the age of consent and to ensure property rights through legal intervention. In addition to this, some upper caste Hindu women rejected constraints they faced under Brahminical traditions. 3]  However, efforts for improving the status of women in Indian society were somewhat thwarted by the late nineteenth century, as nationalist movements emerged in India. These movements resisted ‘colonial interventions in gender relations’ particularly in the areas of family relations. In the mid to late nineteenth century, there was a national form of resistance to any colonial efforts made to ‘modernize’ the Hindu family. This included the Age of Consent controversy that erupted after the government tried to raise the age of marriage for women. 2][17] [edit]Second Phase: 1915–1947 Women’s procession during Quit India Movement in 1942 During this period the struggle against colonial rule intensified. Nationalism became the pre-eminent cause. Claiming Indian superiority became the tool of cultural revivalism resulting in an essentializing model of Indian womanhood similar to that of  Victorian  womanhood: special yet separated from public space. Gandhi  legitimized and expanded Indian women’s public activities by initiating them into the non-violent  civil disobedience  movement against theBritish Raj. He exalted their feminine roles of caring, self-abnegation, sacrifice and tolerance; and carved a niche for those in the public arena. Women-only organizations like  All India Women’s Conference  (AIWC) and the  National Federation of Indian Women  (NFIW) emerged. Women were grappling with issues relating to the scope of women’s political participation,  women’s franchise, communal awards, and leadership roles in  political parties. [3] The 1920s was a new era for Indian women and is defined as ‘feminism’ that was responsible for the creation of localized women’s associations. These associations emphasized women’s education issues, developed livelihood strategies for working class women, and also organized national level women’s associations such as the All India Women’s Conference. AIWC was closely affiliated with the Indian National Congress. Under the leadership of  Mahatma Gandhi, it worked within the nationalist and anti-colonialist freedom movements. This made the mass mobilization of women an integral part of Indian nationalism. Women therefore were a very important part of various nationalist and anti-colonial efforts, including the civil disobedience movements in the 1970s. 3] After independence, the All India Women’s Conference continued to operate and in 1954 the Indian Communist Party formed its own women’s wing known as the National Federation of Indian Women. However, feminist agendas and movements became less active right after India’s 1947 independence, as the nationalist agendas on nation buildin g took precedence over feminist issues. [18] Women’s participation in the struggle for freedom developed their critical consciousness about their role and rights in  independent India. This resulted in the introduction of the franchise and civic rights of women in the Indian constitution. There was provision for women’s upliftment through  affirmative action, maternal health and child care provision (creches), equal pay for equal work etc. The state adopted a patronizing role towards women. For example, India’s constitution states that women are a â€Å"weaker section† of the population, and therefore need assistance to function as equals. [15]  Thus women in India did not have to struggle for basic rights as did women in the West. The utopia ended soon when the social and cultural ideologies and structures failed to honor the newly acquired concepts of fundamental rights and democracy. 3] [edit]Feminism: Post-1947 Post independence feminists began to redefine the extent to which women were allowed to engage in the workforce. Prior to independence, most feminists accepted the sexual divide within the labor force. However, feminists in the 1970s challenged the inequalities that had been established and fought to reverse them. These inequalities included unequal wages for women, relegation of women to ‘unskilled’ spheres of work, and restricting women as a reserve army for labor. In other words, the feminists’ aim was to abolish the free service of women who were essentially being used as cheap capital. [3]  Feminist class-consciousness also came into focus in the 1970s, with feminists recognizing the inequalities not just between men and women but also within power structures such as caste, tribe, language, religion, region, class etc. This also posed as a challenge for feminists while shaping their overreaching campaigns as there had to be a focus within efforts to ensure that fulfilling the demands of one group would not create further inequalities for another. Now, in the early twenty-first century, the focus of the Indian feminist movement has gone beyond treating women as useful members of society and a right to parity, but also having the power to decide the course of their personal lives and the right of self-determination. [3] ————————————————- [edit]Issues Despite â€Å"on-paper† advancements, many problems still remain which inhibit women from fully taking advantage of new rights and opportunities in India. There are many traditions and customs that have been an important part of Indian culture for hundreds of years. Religious laws and expectations, or â€Å"personal laws† enumerated by each specific religion, often conflict with the Indian Constitution, eliminating rights and powers women should legally have. Despite these crossovers in legality, the Indian government does not interfere with religion and the personal laws they hold. [19]  Religions, like Hinduism, call for women to be faithful servants to God and their husbands. They have a term called  pativrata  that describes a wife who has accepted service and devotion to her husband and her family as her ultimate religion and duty. Indian society is largely composed of hierarchical systems within families and communities. These  hierarchies  can be broken down into age, sex, ordinal position, kinship relationships (within families), and caste, lineage, wealth, occupations, and relationship to ruling power (within the community). When hierarchies emerge within the family based on social convention and economic need, girls in poorer families suffer twice the impact of vulnerability and stability. From birth, girls are automatically entitled to less; from playtime, to food, to education, girls can expect to always be entitled to less than their brothers. Girls also have less access to their family’s income and assets, which is exacerbated among poor, rural Indian families. From the start, it is understood that females will be burdened with strenuous work and exhausting responsibilities for the rest of their lives, always with little to no compensation or recognition. [20] India is also a  patriarchal  society, which, by definition, describes cultures in which males as fathers or husbands are assumed to be in charge and the official heads of households. A  patrilinealsystem governs the society, where descent and inheritance are traced through the male line and men are generally in control of the distribution of family resources. [12] These traditions and ways of Indian life have been in effect for so long that this type of lifestyle is what women have become accustomed to and expect. Indian women often do not take full advantage of their constitutional rights because they are not properly aware or informed of them. Women also tend to have poor utilization of voting rights because they possess low levels of political awareness and sense of political efficacy. Women are not often encouraged to become informed about issues. Due to this, political parties do not invest much time in female candidates because there is a perception that they are a â€Å"wasted investment. â€Å"[15] The female-to-male ratio in India is 933 to 1000, showing that there are numerically fewer women in the country than men. This is due to several factors, including  infanticides, most commonly among female infants, and the poor care of female infants and childbearing women. Although outlawed, infanticides are still highly popular in rural India, and are continuing to become even more prominent. This is due to the fact, most especially in rural areas, that families cannot afford female children because of the  dowry  they must pay when their daughter gets married. Like infanticide, the payment of dowry is also  illegal, but is still a frequent and prevalent occurrence in rural India. [21]  Women are considered to be â€Å"worthless† by their husbands if they are not â€Å"able† to produce a male child, and can often face much abuse if this is the case. [22] [edit]Birth ratio Between the years of 1991 to 2001, the female-male ratio of the population of India fell from 94. 5 girls per 100 boys to 92. girls per 100 boys. [5]  Some parts of the country, such as  Kerala, did not experience such a decline, but in the richer Indian states of  Punjab,  Haryana,  Gujarat, and  Maharashtra, the female-male ratio fell very sharply (the female-male ratios in these states were between 79. 3 and 87. 8). [5]  This is evidence of natality inequality, and an indication that  sex-selective abortion  has become more pervasive. The Indian parliament has banned the use of sex determination techniques for fetuses due to this, but enforcement of this law has been largely ignored. [23] [edit]Marriage Most of the average Indian woman’s life is spent in marriage; many women are still married before the legal age of 18, and the incidence of non-marriage is low in India. Childbearing and raising children are the priorities of early adulthood for Indian women. Thus, if they enter the workforce at all, it is far later than Indian men. Urban Indian men reach the peak of their labor force participation between the ages of 25 and 29, while urban Indian women do so between the ages of 40 and 44. [4]  Because of this, women have less time for the acquisition of skills and fewer opportunities for job improvements. There is a poor representation of women in the Indian workforce. Females have a ten percent higher drop-out rate than males from middle and primary schools, as well as lower levels of literacy than men. Since unemployment is also high in India, it is easy for employers to manipulate the law, especially when it comes to women, because it is part of Indian culture for women not to argue with men. Additionally, labor unions are insensitive to women’s needs. Women also have to settle for jobs that comply with their obligations as wives, mothers, and homemakers. [4][21] ————————————————- edit]Theology [edit]Hindu feminism In the  Hindu  religion, there has been partial success in terms of gender equality reform laws and family law. While this is a major advancement relative to other religions in India, it is still not a complete triumph in terms of feminism and reliev ing oppression. [19]  Gandhi  came up with the term  stree shakti  (women power) for the concept of womanhood. In the Hindu religion, Gods are not exclusively male. Hinduism sheds a positive light on femininity; females are considered to compliment and complete their male counterparts. It is important to note that the deities of both knowledge and wealth are female. [15] There has been some criticism from  Dalit  groups that Indian feminism tends to represent â€Å"upper caste† and upper class Hindu women, while ignoring and marginalizing the interests of Dalit women. Debates on caste and gender oppression have been furthered by  Other Backward Class  (OBC) members of different political parties, arguing in state assemblies that â€Å"lower caste† women’s interests are best represented by women from these castes. 7]  Working towards this end, women within Dalit castes have formed organizations such as the All India Dalit Women’s Forum and the National Federation of Dalit Women and Dalit Solidarity, which focus on the gendered implications of caste based violence and oppression, such as the ways in which Dalit women suffer from urban poverty and displacement. [7] [edit]Islamic feminism The Hindu and Muslim communities in India w ere treated differently by the government in that separate types of concessions were made for each community in order to accommodate their separate religious laws and regulations. The case of  Shah Bano  begun in 1985 was one such example of  Rajiv Gandhi  attempting to make â€Å"concessions† for the Muslim community to in turn secure support for the Congress. Shah Bano, a 73-year-old Muslim woman, was divorced by her husband after forty-three years of marriage. According to the Sharia or Muslim Law, her husband was not required to pay her alimony. Shah Bano challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in her favor and ordered her husband to pay her a monthly maintenance allowance. This caused chaos amongst the Muslim clerics who denounced the judgement and suggested that their religion, Islam was under attack in the country. In a fear of losing overall Muslim support, Rajiv succumbed to the pressures of the Muslim community and his own party and backed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Bill that overruled the Supreme Court’s decision. This caused an outcry from Hindu nationalists who found the appeasement of minorities by the Congress for political purposes wrong and opportunistic. 24] Feminism was challenged by various minority groups for not entirely addressing the needs of minority populations. It was suggested that ‘mainstream’ feminism was upper caste and Hindu in its orientation and did not address the concerns of minority women. This led to the formation of the Awaaz-e-Niswaan (The Voice of Women) in 1987 in Mumbai in largely Muslim part of the city. The Muslim community has been subjected to personal laws that often were considered harmful to the rights of Muslim women. [25] ————————————————- [edit]Impact Western-educated Indians introduced  equality  in the early nineteenth century. However, the term did not gain meaning or become an operational principle in Indian life until the country gained independence in 1947 and adopted a democratic government. [15]  The  Indian Constitution  then granted equality, freedom from discrimination based on gender or religion, and guaranteed religious freedoms. [19]  Also, seven  five-year plans  were developed to provide health, education, employment, and welfare to women. The sixth five-year plan even declared women â€Å"partners in development. [15] [edit]Employment In general in the uneducated and rural section of the Indian society, which forms a major percentage of the total population, women are seen as economic burdens. Their contributions to productivity are mostly invisible as their familial and domestic contributions are unfairly overlooked. Indian women were contributing nearly 36 percent of total employment in agricult ure and related activities, nearly 19 percent in the service sector, and nearly 12. 5 in the industry sector as of the year 2000. The unfortunate reality is that the high illiteracy rate among women confines them to lower paying, unskilled jobs with less job security than men. Even in agricultural jobs where the work of men and women are highly similar, women are still more likely to be paid less for the same amount and type of work as men. [26]  However in the urban section of Indian society, women are empowered with laws such as IPC 498a which are heavily biased against the men in the society. Educated women are sometimes accused of using such laws to unleash legal terrorism on husbands by disgruntled wives. 24] [edit]Globalization Feminists are also concerned about the impact of globalization on women in India. Some feminists argue that globalization has led to economic changes that have raised more social and economical challenges for women, particularly for working class and lower caste women. Multinational companies in India have been seen to exploit the labor of ‘young, underpaid and disadvantage d women’ in free trade zones and sweat shops, and use â€Å"Young lower middle class, educated women,† in call centers. These women have few effective labor rights, or rights to collective action. [27][28] In addition to this, multinational corporations are seen to advertise a homogenous image of ideal women across the country is argued to cause an increase in the commodification of women’s bodies. This is also manifested in the form of nationalist pride exhibited through Indian women winning international beauty pageants. According to some feminists, such developments have offered women greater sexual autonomy and more control over their bodies. However, many other feminists feel that such commodification of female bodies has only served the purpose of feeding to male fantasies. [27] [edit]Education Girls in Kalleda Rural School,  Andhra Pradesh. Some of the main reasons that girls are less likely to reach optimal levels of education include the fact that girls are needed to assist their mothers at home, have been raised to believe that a life of domestic work is their destined occupation, have illiterate mothers who cannot educate their children, have an economic dependency on men, and are sometimes subject to child-marriage. 26] In 1986, the  National Policy on Education  (NPE) was created in India, and the government launched the program called  Mahila Samakhya, whose focus was on the empowerment of women. The program’s goal is to create a learning environment for women to realize their potential, learn to demand information and find the knowledge to take charge of their own lives. In certain areas of India , progress is being made and an increase in the enrollment of girls in schools and as teachers has begun to increase. By 2001 literacy for women had exceeded 50% of the overall female population, though these statistics were still very low compared to world standards and even male literacy within India. [29]  Efforts are still being made to improve the level of education that females receive to match that of male students. [26] [edit]Modernization Modern influences are affecting the younger generations in parts of India, where girls are beginning to forgo the more traditional ways of Indian life and break gender stereotypes. In more flourishing parts of the country, the idea of â€Å"dating,† or more specifically  openly  dating, has come into play, and the terms â€Å"girlfriend† and â€Å"boyfriend† are being used. Some women have landed highly respectable careers, and can be seen across  Bollywood  billboards and advertisements. However, this is not the norm throughout the country; such modernizations and the women behind them face serious resistance from anti-liberalists. The country is still severely male-dominant and unwelcoming to such movements that go against sex and gender traditions in India. Hasselrlis, Kaj. â€Å"Making a Statement. †Ã‚  Herizons  23. 2 (2009): 33-35. How to cite Feminism in India, Essay examples

Marketing Strategies of Newman Apparels-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Marketing of Newman Apparel situated in Wellington, New Zealand. Answer: Introduction Strategic marketing is used by the organization to make a plan for reaching the customers and to satisfy the needs of the customer while increasing efficiency and viability of the organization. Basically organization create strategic marketing plan in written which will direct the type of program of marketing is to be used for particular situation and implementation of the programs. Strategic marketing also help business in becoming innovative and to know how to cover the market (Freeman, 2010). Newman Apparel is a website of online shopping and established in Wellington, New Zealand and was founded in the year of 2016. The founder of Newman Apparel is Justin Newman. It is solely in the business of selling gym ware at the lowest price and provide best quality products (Newman Apparel. 2017). It offers free delivery of the cloths over New Zealand. It has its business only in New Zealand with single office. It faces huge competition from other shopping websites. Marketing Analysis A marketing analysis is a valuation that permits you to determine how appropriate a specific market is for the business. Marketing analysis is used to evaluate the present market or search new market (Pestle analysis. 2015). The factor of marketing analysis is SWOT analysis in which we identify businesses strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Tech Target. 2017). SWOT Analysis of Newman Apparels Strength OF Newman Apparel Customer segment: People of New Zealand prefer going gym and want themselves to be fit. So, it is a market for the companies providing products related to fitness. Therefore, Newman Apparels have three segments such as people going to the gym regularly, first-timers and people who are health-conscious. The given three segments involve the use of same type of product that is why it is a strength for Newman Apparels and can concentrate on these segment. Prices of the product- Newman Apparels charge less prices for their offerings with qualitative products as compared to its competitors. Even Newman Apparels do not charge any amount for delivery of the products over New Zealand. Newman Apparels is situated in Wellington of New Zealand, therefore it is very convenient for the people live near Wellington to access their services. Weaknesses of Newman Apparels Customer base- Customer base of the Newman Apparels is very less as many customers buy the products only one time and do not come back. To maintain the good relations with the customers is very important for the business to survive. In the case of Newman Apparel it seems to be missing as customer loyalty is also missing and it is a weakness of Newman Apparel. Opportunities of Newman Apparels Increase market share- Newman Apparel deliver their product very easily only in and around Wellington, they should make their process smooth for delivering their product in other places. In addition to this they should start delivering their product internationally to increase their market share. Threats of Newman Apparels Resources- Newman Apparels should hire more staff members as less members cannot handle the work future because of their expansion. They should also implement better technology and should order new computers which will increase the speed of processing. Implication of Blue ocean strategy BOS- Blue ocean strategy is a set of strategic methodologies, tools and principles that provide assistance to the business in generating an increase in value and profit by observing outside the boundaries of outdated competitive strategy. It provide a thought to them who work in the planning of marketing and strategies to look outside the existing demand, recreate the marketplace and make relevant competition (Kim Mauborgne, 2014). Value Innovation, strategy canvas and ERRC grid are known as the key principle and tools of Blue Ocean strategy. Source [https://deams.units.it/sites/deams.units.it/files/VALUE%20INNOVATION.pdf] Value Innovation- Value innovation is the keystone of Blue Ocean strategy. Its main focus is that business should give equal importance to innovation and value. If business will only focus on creating the value of product and services without innovation then the value may increase for the customers but it will not show anything different or will not have a successful position in the market. Innovation only is frequently advanced and technology determined. Generally it fails to encounter the value wants and needs of the customers for which they are ready to pay. It totally avoids them. Innovation for innovations sake. Therefore, it is very important to have an innovation that involve value for the success of the product or business (Lv, 2017) Strategic Canvas- A strategy canvas is both an action and investigative framework for constructing a convincing strategy of Blue Ocean. It captures the present position of the business in the market space. This helps to analyze the investing strategy of the competitors, factors to be considered in the product, service and delivery for the competition and what are the offerings for the customers in the existing market. The horizontal axis represents the series of aspects the business participates or invests in. The vertical axis represents the level of offers that buyer obtains through all these key challenging factors (Tracogna, 2017). The value curve then delivers a graphic illustration of a performance of company across business competition factors. Value Curve- It is a tool used to make a graphical illustration of the market place of the business covered by present assistances in the market. The tool is used to determine gainful and vacant places (Birajdar Mankar, 2017). Steps that are involved in this- Step 1: Define the key aspects of price and performance. Step 2. Plan existing offerings. Step 3. Make value-adding adjustments to match hidden demand to vacant places. ERRC Grid for Newman Apparel- Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create Eliminate Reduce Factors of Competitive market Local market strategy Raise Create Product line Advertisement Expand variety of product The ERRC grid is a tool that help new business or any company to recognize the new opportunities in the market, services or product or a model of business to distinguish it from the competition. It assists in classifying the elements on which a company work on to stand out in the market (Alamoudi Alandijany, 2017). Eliminate- The factors must be eliminated those are not adding value besides the company has worked on lot on it to compete (Kim, 2016). Newman Apparels is not so much famous in the market as it has started operating in 2016 year. Thus, it faces huge competition from the shopping websites that already exist in the market. Therefore, Newman Apparel should focus on eliminating those factors that arise in the competitive market. Reduce- Factors that involve huge cost for maintaining them and are just giving little profit to the business must be reduced (Gander, 2017). Local market strategies must be reduced by the Newman Apparel if it is not increasing their market and finally the business profit will not increase. Raise- The factors that can add value to the existing customers should be raised in the business (Egypt Innovate. 2015). Newman Apparel should not only focus on gym wears they can sell other type of wear or can add a footwear option. Create- New factors should be created that were not added before and can add value and can attract the customers (Ng, Lau Ismail, 2014). Newman Apparel should do attractive advertisement to attract customers and to make their business famous. Along with this they should expand their product line and can provide variety of products. Marketing and Company resources for the value innovation Company Resources- Financial resources and human resources are included in companys resources. For utilizing the opportunity of the business, it is very essential to manage the resources of the company (Chuang Lin, 2017). In the matter of Newman Apparels, business should manage the human and financial resources properly. They should focus on providing quality of gym product so that health conscious people can be attracted for this they need an idea that is innovative for improving the feature of their product. This can be achieved by properly managing the financial and human resources. Thus, strong human resource is needed for promoting the product through social media. Marketing Resources Resources of marketing are energy, expertise, money and time. These four resources are very important for business to bring the product into the market by using the opportunities (Sok, Miles, 2016). In the matter of Newman Apparels, to grasp the international market opportunities they need lot of money to invest. Thus, money is said to be the major element for the business to hire the expertise and workforce. Though, Newman Apparel is an online based shopping website therefore, they need expertise staff with technical and non-technical skills for marketing their product. For creating attractive advertisement and promoting the product to increase the number of customers business need talented marketing executives. Technical experts should be involved and operate the whole online marketing. Another important element of marketing is Time. For increasing the market share of the business in the international market Newman Apparel have to give more time to its business plan and its development. On the other side, business should give more time in the research of market for understanding the different market needs. If Newman Apparel want to expand their business in the international market they require an effective marketing plan, which will time more time. Energy means the ability of a business to convey their marketing operation. Positioning Strategy for Newman Apparel Newman Apparel should start delivering their products outside New Zealand so that other people can also know about their business and can get famous. Besides this, Newman Apparel have small office in Wellington in its Upper Hutt, they should focus on extending their business as well as their offices in other countries. Other than this, Newman Apparel faces huge competition from the shopping websites already existing in the market with variety of products online. Thus, to surviving in the competitive market they should offer variety of products instead on selling only gym wear. Further, for the development of the business and to make business famous with increasing its profit they need to make attractive advertisements. Marketing Mix The marketing mix known as the set of tactics, strategies and actions used by a business for promoting its product in the market. The Marketing mix involve 4Ps i.e. Product, Price, Place and Promotion (The Economic Times. 2017). Product- Product is the item sold by the business (Patil Bach, 2017). Newman Apparel should provide good quality of wears they are selling and that should deliver minimum level of performance. If it will not be done then the other strong efforts will not make any sense. Price- Price is the amount which is decided for a product while placing it for sale in the market or website. It is depend on the production cost, ability of the customer to pay, demand and supply of the product. Newman Apparel provide their gym wear at low cost that makes their clothes affordable of all the customers with best quality. Place- Place means the point where business sell its products. The main aim of place strategy is to catch the attention of the customers and make easy for the customer to come and buy it (Fan, Lau Zhao, 2015). Newman Apparel sell their products online as it is online based shopping website. Thus, it makes easy for the customer to buy as in todays scenario most of the public is technology centric and feel comfortable in online shopping. Further, Newman Apparel should deliver their product outside the boundary of New Zealand. Promotion- Promotion involve all the activities that are important for placing the product in the market and known to the user (Huang Sarigll, (2014). Newman Apparel should promote their product with attractive advertisement to make their business famous and to increase their profit and customer base. Strategic Marketing implementation and control Implementation In the process of strategic marketing implementation phase business should concentrate and make sure that the use of all the business resources such as human, capital and marketing should be efficient. Assortment of the strategy has an important influence on the preceding working of the company, since its administrative structure need to be flexible to strategy. Effectiveness of the Strategic marketing is mostly depends on the executive leadership level of involvement in the marketing task implementation (West, Ford Ibrahim, 2015). Behavior, attitude and skills of the staff are the factors considered very important for the implementation of the strategic marketing. Factors on which quality of management depends are- Involvement of the top management in the process of planning. It is important for the business for smooth functioning of the business and for its success. It is very important to have a good coordination between the different units of the business or organization. The flow of communication must be smooth and information should transfer vertical and horizontal way. The selection of the personnel in the business should be done properly as they are the resource of the business. Besides this, training and evaluation process of the staff should be effective. Resources of the organization such as methods of management, building of the business, IT system must be managed properly. The incentive plans of the business must be attractive that can motivate the employees of the business to work hard and give their best in achieving the objectives of the business. The relation between the different units of the business should be effective which that are part of the organizational structure. Control Control is another important aspect of the process of Strategic Marketing. The important points of the control phase are- Indicators value- Value indicators must be set properly as they observe and measure the performance of the business and even control its performance. For example- Stock rotation, market share and sales volume. Tolerance range- The control phase also depends on defining the tolerance ranges from scheduled standards. Measurement- Value indicators such as stock rotation, market share and sales volume must be measured. Comparison- Comparison of scheduled standards, to define deviations and provide clarification of their roots. Eliminate the deviations- Preparation of applications to remove the identified deviations or modification of values of indicators. Conclusion This report is based on the strategic marketing plan of Newman Apparels of New Zealand. It is an online based shopping website that sells only gym wears. Strategic marketing is created for reaching the customers and to increase the market share of the business. Marketing analysis has been done to identify the Strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat of the Newman Apparel. Further, Blue Ocean Strategy and its tools such as value innovation, strategic canvas and ERRC grid is explained in this report as it provide assistance to business and will help Newman Apparel to increase their business. Marketing and company resources will help Newman Apparel for its success. In addition to this, marketing mix shows that Newman Apparel should focus on promoting their products and increasing the market share by delivering their product outside New Zealand. Therefore, Implementation and control of strategic marketing should involve the participation of all the unit of the business as it will l ead to the development of the Newman Apparel business. References Alamoudi, R. H., Alandijany, B. A. (2017). Developing a Framework for Entrepreneurs to Transform Their Ideas into Businesses: A Case Study in the Food Sector. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 7(04), 444. Birajdar, G. K., Mankar, V. H. (2017). Blind image forensics using reciprocal singular value curve based local statistical features. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 1-23. Chuang, S. H., Lin, H. N. (2017). Performance implications of information-value offering in e-service systems: Examining the resource-based perspective and innovation strategy. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 26(1), 22-38. Egypt Innovate. (2015). ERRC GRID - BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY. Retrieved from: https://egyptinnovate.com/en/%D8%A3%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B1/errc-grid-blue-ocean-strategy Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., Zhao, J. L. (2015). Demystifying big data analytics for business intelligence through the lens of marketing mix. Big Data Research, 2(1), 28-32. Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge university press. Gander, J. (2017). Strategic analysis: a creative and cultural industries perspective. Taylor Francis. Huang, R., Sarigll, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. In Fashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors, (pp. 113-132). Springer New York. Kim, M. S. (2016). A Techno-Economic Analysis with Blue Ocean Strategy for New Technology: Case of an RFID System. 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The performance advantages for SMEs of product innovation and marketing resourcecapability complementarity in emerging economies. Journal of Small Business Management, 54(3), 805-826. Tech Target. (2017). SWOT analysis. Retrieved from: https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/SWOT-analysis-strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-and-threats-analysis The Economic Times. (2017). Definition of Marketing Mix. Retrieved from: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/marketing-mix Tracogna, A. (2017). Value Innovation and Blue Oceans. Retrieved from: https://deams.units.it/sites/deams.units.it/files/VALUE%20INNOVATION.pdf West, D. C., Ford, J., Ibrahim, E. (2015). Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press, USA.