Acharya Tulsi
The summit conference of the South—East Asian Regional Co-operation, shortly called SARC, was held at Islamabad towards the end of 1988. The member countries of the SARC are India., Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Shri Lanka, and Maldives. At this conference the Presidents, the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of these counties met collectively as well as individually. They concentrated their attention on programmes for fulfilling the basic needs of the people of this region. They considered ways of developing mutual cooperation in business and industry, and particularly they discussed ways of keeping the region completely free from nuclear weapons, and reducing the number of traditional weapons. The noteworthy point is that it was Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mr.Yaqub Khan who called for putting an end to the armament race.
The issue of harmonious relations between the SARC countries, of industrial development and disarmament naturally attracted attention, but even more important is the decision of the Foreign Ministers of the seven countries to observe the year 1990 as the SARC Girl Year. In the welcome assurances of a number of welfare programmes to be started in the SARC countries, the women of the region must have found a new ray of hope. That these assurances and pronouncements are carried out and do not merely remain verbal, would require watchfulness on the part of all concerned.
The year 1975 was observed as the International Woman year. At the end of the year, an announcement was made about the celebration of the International Woman Decade. The year passed; the decade also passed. What lasting programme was initiated during this period for the development of woman? One may ask. International Women Conferences were organised under the auspices of the U.N.O. during the Woman year and the woman Decade. The first World Women Conference was held at Moscow from 19 June to 2 July 1975. Women from 133 countries participated in that conference. Then again in 1980, a U.N.O.—sponsored Women Conference was held in Denmark. Later, in 1985, a Women Conference was held at Nairobi (Kenya), where the achievements of the International Woman "Decade were appraised. On the completion of the Woman Decade, the Fourth International Women Conference was held in June 1987 at Moscow, in which more than 800 delegates of women- organisations from 154 countries participated. Meanwhile, a wave of freedom for women swept the Western countries, a slight impact of which was felt in India, too. A full appraisal of the Woman Decade does not seem to reveal any great difference in the condition of women before and after.
Some of the prominent issues raised at the SARC conference regarding young girls were:
- To prevent the kidnapping and the purchase and sale of young girls;
- To halt the trend of forcing young girls into prostitution;
- To foster the psychological will to end discrimination from birth in the bringing up of young boys and girls; and
- To put an end to the apathy to a young girl's food, education, etc., just because she is a girl.
Whether it is India or Pakistan, Nepal or any other country, the incidents of exploitation of and indifference towards young girls only serve to stain that country's glory. If the citizens of a free country enjoy no peace or security, such freedom is of little worth. If in the SARC Girl Year, the evil tendencies are effectively countered, at least in seven countries, the woman will be delivered from a long-term tragedy. l am optimistic and want women to exercise their right of leading their lives with dignity. But this is easier said than done. For it to become possible, the mentality of women will have to be changed in the first instance. As long as women look upon their daughters as being inferior to their sons, the exploitation of girls will continue.
For the implementation of the proposals and decisions taken at the SARC conference as regards women and girls, some well- considered plan will have to be formulated, under which efforts will be made to awaken self-confidence and self—respect in young girls, to make their guardians more conscious of their responsibilities, to reduce women's financial dependence on others, to undertake effective campaigns to end the dowry system and dowry murders and to cope with the problem of foeticide. Otherwise, malnutrition, the lack of care and fear of insecurity would continue to haunt women posing a serious danger to their free existence. The decrease in the ratio of women as compared to men because of increasing female foeticide would create a new kind of imbalance. The situation calls for timely and adequate action. We hope that the year 1990 would save young girls from probable exploitation and increase their spiritual powers. With this belief I would like to call upon women to put on the armour of Anuvrata and take the initiative to rouse and uplift the women community, now disintegrating under individual and social onslaughts, and to engage it in constructive work.
