Grassroots Leadership Principles �?” a Review of It�??s Your Ship

At the age of 36, Michael Abrashoff was selected to become Commander of the USS Benfold — at the time, the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific Fleet. The immediate challenges that faced him were staggering: Exceptionally low morale with unacceptably high turnover. Few thought that this ship could improve. In many ways, the Benfold was actually an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations today.

As the new head of his own command Michael only became more resolved. “In my induction ceremony, my predecessor left to cheers. The crew was actually clapping as he and his family departed. I knew then that command and control leadership was dead.”

“A lot of people do whatever it takes to secure the next promotion. All I ever wanted to do in the navy was to command a ship. I did not care if I ever got promoted again. And that attitude enabled me to do the right things for my people instead of doing the right things for my career. Along the way, it was my people that created the results that ensured my next promotion.”

The solution was to establish a system of beliefs that Michael calls GrassRoots Leadership — a process of replacing command and control with commitment and cohesion by engaging the hearts, minds, and loyalties of workers.

In his book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from The Best Damn Ship in the Navy, Michael states that, “The most important thing that a captain can do is to see the ship through the eyes of the crew.”

To Michael, this meant interviewing every single person on his ship, from the most senior officer to the newest recruit — an experience that began to generate the most invaluable ideas, often from the most unexpected sources. For example, through one of these meetings Michael was able to address one of the most demoralizing roles of the crew: relentless chipping and painting had always been a standard task for a ship’s youngest sailors, the individuals that Michael most wanted to connect with. One of these sailors simply suggested replacing the rusting hardware with stainless-steel nuts and bolts.

“I took our credit card and bought the stainless steel hardware that day,” Michael commented. “Those guys didn’t pick up a paintbrush the rest of the time I was on board.” Today, the entire navy uses that process — a solution that began from GrassRoots efforts.

GrassRoots Leadership is a philosophy that empowers every individual to share the responsibility of achieving excellence. GrassRoots Leadership has as its core tenets:

]]>

• Lead by Example — GrassRoots Leaders know they must first change their own attitudes and behaviors before expecting their crew to change.

• Listen Aggressively — GrassRoots Leaders don’t simply listen, they hear what their people are telling them. They know that those on the front lines are the most familiar with how operations can be more effective.

• Communicate Purpose and Meaning — GrassRoots Leaders help their crew understand (collectively and individually) how their work contributes to the success of the overall mission, as well as understand how that work supports the personal goals they have for themselves.

• Create a Climate of Trust — GrassRoots Leaders trust and cultivate trust from their crew. Without trust, the barriers that prevent excellent performance will never be lowered.

• Look for Results, Not Salutes — GrassRoots Leaders maximize performance by making their people grow. They succeed only where their people succeed.

• Take Calculated Risks — GrassRoots Leaders know that taking prudent, calculated risks is instrumental in maximizing performance.

• Go Beyond Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) — GrassRoots Leaders look at standard operating procedure as a guideline, because SOP doesn’t change as rapidly as the environment and competition. Therefore, they foster a climate that encourages people to come up with better and more innovative ways to accomplish their mission.

• Strengthen Others/Build Up Your People — GrassRoots Leaders focus on making their people grow and creating an environment where everyone can win, thereby making the entire team stronger.

• Generate Unity — GrassRoots Leaders work to not only change undesirable behaviors but to alter the underlying attitudes. By working toward a mutual respect for everyone, they level the playing field, permitting everyone to perform at their highest level.

• Cultivate Quality of Life — GrassRoots Leaders actively integrate fun into the work experience. They want their crew to have as much fun from 9 to 5 as they do at home from 5 to 9; thereby, gaining the passion, enthusiasm and creativity that they usually lock in their car in the parking lot each morning.

By every measure, these principles were able to achieve breakthrough results. Personnel turnover decreased to an unprecedented 1%. The rate of military promotions tripled, and operating expenses were slashed by 25%. USS Benfold became regarded as the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet, winning the prestigious Spokane Trophy for having the highest degree of combat readiness.

His first book, It’s Your Ship, has sold over hundreds of thousands of copies and is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Seller. While receiving accolades from such business-minded entities as Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and others, perhaps the greatest testament to Michael’s leadership style is represented by one of his crew, who published the following review of It’s Your Ship on Amazon.com:

Reviewer: EW3 Holly (Davis) Simpson from Louisville, KY December 11, 2003

I am a plankowner* of the Benfold and admired Capt. Abrashoff’s leadership. His superior leadership brought the morale of our ship from just ordinary shipboard life to a ship that many in the fleet wanted to become a part of. Our ship was a show-piece and we were proud to carry out his orders.

What could have been a horribly desolate six months on deployment, including the holidays spent in the Gulf in 97-98, turned into a memorable experience for all, thanks to Capt. Abrashoff who even made UnRep a grand event! We learned from him that although we had a VERY important job to conduct, we were rewarded with pride in our accomplishments. Capt. Abrashoff was a very approachable Commanding Officer, an experience I had never encountered in the military and has been rare while employed with state government. He made an effort to see that his crew not only did their jobs exceptionally well, but that we enjoyed the festivities he provided for the ship while in port.

I have read his fantastic book, reliving all the memories of my Benfold life and have used his leadership knowledge to become a successful professional in the “civilian” world. To the readers who feel Capt. Abrashoff is “arrogant” in his leadership style–I think if you had as awesome a ship as the Benfold to be a part of, you would be extremely proud of it and the leadership that made it such a fine place to spend a few years of your life.

*a plankowner is a member of the crew of a ship when it’s first commissioned

Michael Abrashoff is originally from Altoona, Pennsylvania and is a 1982 graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He currently resides in Arlington, Virginia and has recently published his second book, Get Your Ship Together.

Women Entrepreneurship in Asian Developing Countries

INTRODUCTION

In Asian developing countries, entrepreneurship development is currently an important issue related to economic development in the countries. It is publicly believed that the lack of entrepreneurship together with limited capital, skilled workers and technology have been the main important causes of relatively economic backwardness in most of these countries. Realizing this, training in entrepreneurship has been included as an important part of government programs to support the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Asian developing countries. Women entrepreneurship development in Asian developing countries is currently very important since it is part of ongoing national efforts to alleviate poverty in developing countries in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Greater opportunities for women to participate in economic activities either as well-paid employyees or as successful entrepreneurs certainly will help much in poverty reduction. Since entrepreneurship development is usually associated with SME development, this paper focuses on women entrepreneurs in SMEs.

METHODOLOGY

This paper is based on a review of key literature and a descriptive analysis of secondary data, from government sources as well as from International Labour Organization (ILO), or from individual case studies, on women entrepreneurs in Asian developing countries. Since not all countries in the region have enough data and literature, this study only covers all member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and some countries in the South Asia including India and Pakistan

Definitions and main characteristics of SMES

The definition and concept of SMEs vary between countries in the region. There is no common agreement on what distinguishes a microenterprise (MIE) from a small enterprise (SE), or a SE from a medium enterprise (ME), and a ME from a large enterprise (LE). In general, however, a MIE employs less than five (5) full time equivalent employees, although many enterprises of this category do not hire workers, often called self-employment enterprises; sometimes they use family members as helpers or unpaid workers. A SME can range from less than 100 workers in, for instance, Indonesia, to as much as 3000 laborers in China. In Indonesia, Les are those with 100 workers or more, while in Vietnam, they are units with 300 or more full time employees. Comparison between countries becomes more difficult since in some countries, definition of SME based on number of employees, value of fixed or productive assets (excluding land and building) varies, or annual revenues also vary between sectors, e.g. Thailand, India and China, or even among departments or agencies, e.g. Indonesia and Pakistan.

Definitions of SME in some Asian developing countries.

Name of the Country

Employees

Fixed/Productive Assets

MIE

SE

ME

MIE

SE

ME

Indonesia

≤ 4

5-19

20-99

≤Rp>50 m

>Rp50m-≤Rp500m

>Rp500m-≤Rp10b

Malaysia

≤5

5-50

51-150

-

-

-

Philippines

9

19-99

100-199

≤P 3m

>P3m- P15m

>P15m-P100m

Thailand

≤ 4

5-<50

50-200

<THB 50 m

<THB 50 m

THB 50m-THB 200 m

Vietnam

<10

10-49

50-299

-

-

-

Cambodia

<11

11-50

51-100

50,000 US$

50,000 US$ -

250,000US$

250,000US$ -500,000US$

Lao PDR

1-4

5-19

20-99

<70 m. kip

<250 m. kip

<1200 m. kip

China

0-5

<300

300-3000

 

< 40 m. RMB

40 m – 400 m. RMB

India

-

-

-

≤2,5 m. INR

2.5 m – 50m. INR

50m – 100m INR

Pakistan

≤9

10-35

36-99

< 2 m PR

2-20 m PR

21-40 PR

Bangladesh

≤ 50

≤ 50

51-200

≤15 m Tk

≤15 m Tk

15 m – 100 m Tk

Sri Lanka

-

-

-

< m.SR

1m – < 20m SR

20 – < 50 m SR

Nepal

-

-

-

≤200.000 NR

> 200.000 – 30 m. NR

> 30 m – 100 m NR

 

 

Besides using number of employees, annual revenues, or value of invested capital as criterion to define MIEs, SEs and MEs, in fact, MIEs can be obviously distinguished from SEs or MEs by looking at their different characteristics in many business aspects, such as market orientation, social-economic profiles of owners, nature of employment, organization and management system, degree of mechanization (nature of production process), sources of raw materials and capital, location, external relationships, and degree of involvement of women as entrepreneurs.

Main characteristics of MIEs, SEs, and MEs in Asian developing countries

Aspect

MIEs

SEs

MEs

1.Formality

Operate in informal sector, unregistered & seldom pays taxes

Some operate in formal

Sector, some unregistered & some pay taxes

All operate in formal sector, all registered &  all pay taxes

2.Organization

and

management

Run by the owner, no division of internal labor, no formal management & no formal accounting system (bookkeeping)

Run by the owner, no division of labor, no formal management, and no formal accounting system

(bookkeeping)

Many hire professional

managers, have division of labor, formal organizational structure & formal account-ting system (bookkeeping)

3.Nature of

employment

Majority use unpaid family

members

Some hire wage laborers

All hire wage laborers & some have formal recruitment system

4.Nature of

production

process

Degree of mechanization

very low/mostly manual &  level of technology very low

Some use up-to-date

machines

Many have high degree of

mechanization/have access to modern technology

5.Market orientation

Majority sell to local market

and for low-income consumers

Many sell to domestic

market and export & many serve also middle to high-income group

All sell to domestic market and many also export, all serve middle and high income consumers

6.Social and

economic

profiles

of owners

Low or uneducated, from poor households &  main motivation: survival

Some have good education and from non-poor households & many have business/profit motivation

Majority have good education

Many are from wealthy families & main motivation: profit

7.Sources of raw

materials and

capital

Majority use local raw materials and use own money

Some import raw materials

& some have access to formal credits

Many use imported raw

Materials & majority have access to formal credits

8.External

relationships

Majority have no access

to government programs

and not business linkages

with LEs

Many have good relations

with government and have

business linkages (e.g.

subcontracting) with LEs

(including MNCs/FDI).

Majority have good access to government programs & many have business linkages with LEs (including MNCs/FDI)

9.Women

entrepreneurs

Ratio of female to male as

entrepreneurs is high

Ratio of female to male as

entrepreneurs is high

Ratio of female to male as

entrepreneurs is low

Recent development of SMEs

Asian developing countries have touted SMEs as the engine of economic growth and development, the backbone of national economies, the highest employment-generators, and a potential tool of poverty alleviation by creating self-employment avenues. In Southeast Asian countries alone (that is Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar), notwithstanding various definitional issues and data problems, by combining all sources which are available (Tambunan, 2008; Wattanapruttipaisan, 2003; Lim, 2008) there is an estimated total of around 52 million SMEs, with Indonesia as the largest contributor According to a report from the Secretary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (ASEAN Development Blueprint for SMEs 2004-2014), these enterprises employ about 75-90% of the domestic workforce, especially adult persons and women (Lim, 2008). These enterprises play strategic roles in private sector development, especially in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In some member countries, as their economies modernize or industrialize, SME provide the much-needed inter-firm linkages required to support LEs to ensure that they remain competitive in the world markets. In this region as well as in East Asia (e.g. China and South Korea), the total number of SMEs account, on average, for more than 99%.

Number of SMEs in selected Asian developing countries

Name of the Country

Number (‘000)

% of total enterprises

Indonesia

48,936.80

99.9

Malaysia

519.00

99.2

Philippines

72.70

99.5

Thailand

2,274.53

99.8

Vietnam

98.23

96.8

Cambodia

28.75

99

Lao PDR

26

99.4

China

2,370.26

99.7

]]>

India

12.34

90.0-99.7

Pakistan

2,880.00

90.0

Bangladesh

6,000.00

99.0

Singapore

72.00

97.8

Nepal

3,485*

98

 

SMEs’ contribution to total value added or gross domestic product (GDP), on the other hand, are much smaller than their share in total employment. This is indeed a general characteristic of SMEs in developing countries as compared to those in developed countries. In developing countries, SMEs are not yet so important from output contribution perspective due to their low productivity because they lack advanced technologies, sophisticated methods of production and skilled workers. However, in some individual countries, SMEs have GDP shares on average above 50%, such as Cambodia at almost 77% in 2001, Indonesia which reached almost 57% in 2003, and Brunei at 66% in 1995. In China, the ratio is about 60%.

Development of women entrepreneurship

As in other parts of the world, women’s entrepreneurship development in Asian developing countries has also a tremendous potential in empowering women and transforming society in the region. Yet in many countries, especially where the level of economic development, reflected by the level of income per capita and the degree of industrialization, is still low, this potential remains largely untapped. Sinhal (2005), for instance, observed that less than 10% of the entrepreneurs in South Asia, comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Categories of Women Entrepreneurs

There are three categories of women entrepreneurs, that is. “chance”, “forced” and “created” entrepreneurs.

Categories of women entrepreneurs (by reasons/motivations for starting the business) in Asian developing countries.

Category Main reason/motivation

Chance entrepreneurs                          -to keep busy

-was hobby/special interest

-family/spouse had business

 

Forced entrepreneurs                          -financial/needed the money

-control over time/flexibility

-challenge, try something on one’s own

-show others I could do it.

 

Created or pulled entrepreneurs          -to be independent & self satisfaction

-example to children

-employment to others /do something worthwhile

 

These different categories are based on how their businesses got started, or the main reasons or motivetions behind starting their own businesses. Chance entrepreneurs are those who start a business without any clear goals or plans. Their businesses probably evolved from hobbies to economic enterprises over time. Forced entrepreneurs are those who were compelled by circumstances (e.g., death of a spouse, the family facing financial difficulties) to start a business, their primary motivation, hence, tend to be financial. Created entrepreneurs are those who are “located, motivated, encouraged and developed” through, for instance, entrepreneurship development programs. Although, within the developing countries, the degree varies by country, depending on many factors, including level of economic development, reflected by the level of income per capita, and social, cultural and political factors. Gender equity has many dimensions and it is not easy to measure, due to the lack of accurate, gender discriminated social indicators in many countries, especially in the developing world.

Two indices often used to measure gender equity are Gender Development Index (GDI) and Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) constructed by UNDP. GDI is human development index (HDI) adjusted for gender inequality, and HDI measures the average achievements of the country in terms of the extent to which people lead a long and healthy life, are educated and knowledgeable, and enjoy a decent standard of living. GDI measures achievements in the same basic dimensions as HDI but in addition captures inequalities between women and men. Together GDI and GEM attempt to capture the level of development of women and the extent to which women are free from discrimination in building their capabilities and in gaining access to resources and opportunities.

In 2008, the GEI ranks the 2008 situation of 157 countries, based on the most recent statistics available, and is able to determine evolution trends in 133 by comparing their present index with that of five years ago. The following table  presents the GEI for selected Asian developing countries.

Gender Equity Index 2008 for selected Asian developing countries

Country/Economy

GEI 2008

Dimensions

Education

Economic activity

Empowerment

Philippines 

76

100.0

63.5

65.5

Hong Kong

72

98.5

66.0

51.8

Viet Nam

71

88.6

81.2

44.0

Thailand

70

98.7

71.7

39.7

China

69

95.1

73.3

38.2

Singapore

66

89.6

58.6

48.7

Brunei Darussalam

63

98.7

48.4

41.2

Cambodia

60

76.3

83.5

21.0

Malaysia

58

98.1

46.6

29.1

Korea, Rep.

54

84.2

53.9

23.5

Sri Lanka

53

83.7

42.9

32.1

Indonesia

52

91.7

52.8

12.4

Bangladesh

51

82.3

53.5

17.6

Nepal

44

61.1

57.0

15.3

Pakistan

42

73.2

34.2

17.5

India

40

77.5

36.6

6.3

World Economic Forum (WEF) also produces annual report on global gender gap ranking, based on gender gap index (GGI). The index is based on four critical areas of inequality between men and women:

Economic participation and opportunity: outcomes on salaries, participation levels and access to high-skilled employment.
Educational attainment: outcomes on access to basic and higher level education.
Political empowerment: outcomes on representation in decision-making structures.
Health and survival: outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio.

 

The index scores are on a 0 to 1 scale (0.00 = inequality, 1.00 = equality) but can be roughly interpreted as the percentage of the gender gap that has been closed. The index scores can be interpreted as the percentage of the gap between women and men that has been closed.

Another important institution which produces annual report on global employment trends for women is the International Labour Office (ILO). Its 2008 report shows that most regions in the world are making progress in increasing the number of women in decent employment, but that full gender equality in terms of labour market access and conditions of employment has not yet been attained. According to the report, economic empowerment for women has a lot to do with their ability or inability to participate in labour markets and with the conditions of employment that the women who do manage to find work face. The report shows that labour force participation rates in South Asia have traditionally been low due to the low rates for women. Compared to 100 men active on labour markets only 42 women participate by either working or looking for work. The low participation is also reflected in the employment-to-population ratios: in 2007, only 3.4 out of 10 women of working-age actually worked (34.1%), and over the last ten years the female employment-to-population ratio slightly decreased. For the same period, the share of women as own-account workers, increased by 7.9% and as employer declined by 0.2% m.

 

Distribution of female status in employment in South Asia, 2007 (% change from 1997 in parentheses)

Whereas, according to the report, East Asia, which has been the most successful region in terms of economic growth over the last decade, is also the region with the highest regional labour force participation rate for women, low unemployment rates for both women and men and relatively small gender gaps in sectoral as well as status distribution. In this region, the gender gap in economically active females per 100 males continues to be among the smallest in the world. For every 100 active men, there are 79 women participating in labour markets. Between 1997 and 2007, the shares of women as own-account workers (that is self-employed without employees) and as employer (that is self-employed with employees), respectively, increased by 11.1% and declined by 0.9%.

 

Distribution of female status in employment in East Asia, 2007 (% change from 1997 in parentheses).

Those changes in shares of women as own-account workers and employers can be seen as the development of women entrepreneurship.

Unfortunately, only few countries have national data and enough literature on women entrepreneurs, including Indonesia and Pakistan. In Indonesia, women entrepreneurs especially in SMEs have also been increasing since the 1980s during the new order era (1966-1998) when the country achieved rapid economic growth leading to rapid increase in per capita income. Data from the National state of the art of women entrepreneurship participation, then the table may suggest that becoming an entrepreneur, especially in larger, modern and more complex Labour Survey confirm this, looking at self-employed category by gender. Although, there are more males than females who are self-employed in businesses with or without employees, or the share of females engaged in businesses is lower than that of male entrepreneurs. According to a number of studies (Manning, 1998; Oey, 1998), the reason for the increasing number of womenowned enterprises are partly due to the increase of women’s educational level, and to the economic pressure the women faced in their households.

With respect to sectoral distribution within the manufacturing industry, most of the women entrepreneurs are in the food, beverages and tobacco industry, followed by textile, garment and leather, and non-metallic mineral products. In basic metal and fabricated metal products, the proportion of women entrepreneurs is always very small, not more than 1%. This indicates that women entrepreneurs in manufacturing industry tend to do businesses that do not require high skills and expertise. Indeed, in Indonesia, beyond the manufacturing industry, women entrepreneurs are more likely than male to be involved in these sectors, mostly as ownaccount traders having small shops or as owners of small restaurants or hotel (Tambuan, 2006, 2007).

In Pakistan, the rate of women as employers in the past 10 years does not change; while, that of those as selfemployed increased slightly. One important indication from this survey is that women working as entrepreneurs are still lower than that of their male counterparts. As in other countries in the region, women entrepreneurs in Pakistan are mainly found in MIEs (that is self-employed units) (Goheer, 2003; Sinhal 2005; Roomi and Parrot, 2008).

Main barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in the study area

In Asian developing countries, as in any other part of the world, though the entrepreneurial process is the same for men and women, there are however, in practice, many problems faced by women, which are of different dimensions and magnitudes, which prevent them from realizing their full potential as entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship by definition implies being in control of one’s life and activeties. It is precisely this independence that societies in the region have denied women. According to Sinhal (2005), the situation is more critical in South Asian countries, as compared to other parts of Asia. The business environment for women, which reflects the complex interplay of different factors (e.g. psychological, social/cultural, religion, economic and educational factors) in the South Asian region ultimately results in the disadvantaged status of women in society.

In Bangladesh, a large number of women’s enterprises are operating on an informal basis and they are not identified in the country’s economy. These enterprises lack the basic forms and information, marketing opportunities, regulatory and social supports (ADB, 2001b).

In Nepal problems faced by women entrepreneurs in Nepal are mainly low access to credit and marketing networks, lack of access to land and property and reduced risk-taking capacity, lack of access to modern technology, lack of personal security and risk of sexual harassment, severe competition from organized units both in the domestic as well as the international markets, low level of self-confidence, and social and cultural barriers such as exclusive responsibility for household work, restrictions on mobility (ADB, 1999a).

In Pakistan, Roomi and Parrot (2008) found that women entrepreneurs do not enjoy the same opportunities as men due to a number of deep-rooted discriminatory socio-cultural values and traditions. These restrictions can be observed within the support mechanism that exist to assist such fledgling businesswomen. The economic potential of female entrepreneurs is not being realized as they suffer from a lack of access to capital, land, business premises, information technology, training and agency assistance. Inherent attitudes of a patriarchal society, that men are superior to women and that women are best suited to be homemakers, create formidable challenges. Women also receive little encouragement from some male family members, resulting in limited spatial mobility and a dearth of social capital. Their research suggests that in order to foster development, multiagency cooperation is required. The media, educational policy makers and government agencies could combine to provide women with improved access to business development services and facilitate local, regional and national networks. This would help integration of women entrepreneurs into the mainstream economy.

In Indonesia, the low representative of women entrepreneurs can be attributed to at least four main factors.

First, low level of education and lack of training opportunities. It is especially true for women living in rural areas or in relatively backward provinces. This fact is consistent with a report on gender mainstreaming in the education system in Indonesia cited in Suharyo (2005) which shows that, the illiteracy rate for women is still higher than men, and the gap between men and women in rural areas is much higher than that in urban areas.

Secondly, heavy household chores place a demand on women especially those in rural areas who have more children. They are required to perform their traditional role as housewives and therefore, they have fewer hours of free time than men, both during the weekend and on weekdays.

Thirdly, there may be legal, traditions, customs, cultural or religious constraints on the extent to which women can open their own businesses. Especially in rural areas rather isolated from big cities like Jakarta. Islamic-based norms have stronger influence on women daily life. This makes female behavior or attitude in rural areas less open than male (or than urban women) to “doing modern business” culture. In such society, women must fully comply with their primary duty as their husband’s partner and housewife, they are not allowed to start their own businesses or to do jobs that involve contact with or managing men, or simply they are not allowed to leave the home alone.

Fourthly, there is lack of access to formal credit and financial institutions. This is indeed a key concern of women business owners, in fact not only in Indonesia but also in other Asian developing countries. This is found to be more problematic for women in rural areas or outside of major metropolitan areas such as Jakarta and Surabaya.

In Malaysia, the problems faced by women entrepreneurs are the same as those in Indonesia. In addition to these problems, Ming-Yen et al. (2007) found that women entrepreneurs in Malaysia also faced a shortage of peer support networks compared with men even though various women entrepreneurs and industry associations have been formed which generally serve as a platform for women entrepreneurs to establish networks and exchange information and experiences as well as to conduct training programmes, seminars and workshops on motivation, leadership and entrepreneur development and to provide other means of support. According to their study, this is due to the fact that women may not join these associations as they might be overloaded with business and family responsibilities. This limits the women entrepreneurs’ ability to seek informal advice and peers financing as well as the information networks needed for survival and growth. This might pose a challenge to women entrepreneurs in establishing networks which are helpful to the survival of their businesses.

Conclusion

Based on limited data and literature, this paper has tried to examine the participation of women as entrepreneurs in SMEs in Asian developing countries. The main issue of women entrepreneurship development discussed in this paper is the main constraints facing women to become entrepreneurs or existing women entrepreneurs to sustain or grow. The paper shows a number of interesting facts. In Asian developing countries, as they accounted, on average, for more than 95% of all firms, thus the biggest source of employment, providing livelihood for over 90% of the country’s workforce, especially women and the young. Women entrepreneurs are mainly found in MIEs that is, traditional and low income generating activities. Majority of women entrepreneurs in the region were not drawn to entrepreneurship by “pull” factors, such as the need for a challenge, the urge to try something on their own and to be independent, to show others that they are capable of doing well in business, to be recognized by the society (self-esteem), hobby, or to use spare time, but by “push” factors such as poverty, unemployment, the need to have more cash income to support the family daily expenditures, and precaution motives (anticipation if husband is laid-off or unemployed, and other emergency needs). This may suggest that when women in the region are better educated and have greater well-paid employment opportunities, their participation in SMEs may decline.

References

v  Charumathi B (1998). “Women entrepreneur’s challenges and prospects”, in C. Swarajya Lakshmi (ed.), Development of Women Entrepreneurship in India: Problems and Prospects, New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House.

 

v  Dhameja SK, Bhatia BS, Saini JS (2002). “Problems and constraints of women entrepreneurship”, in D.D. Sharma and S.K. Dhameja (eds.). Women and Rural Entrepreneurship, Chandigarh: Abhishek Publications).

 

v  Dhillon P (1998). Women Entrepreneurs: Problems and Prospects, New Delhi: Blaze Publishers and Distributors.

 

v  Giovannelli C, Gunnsteinsdottir H, Me A (2003). “The status of statistics on women and men’s entrepreneurship in the UNECE region”, paper presented at Workshop on Improving Statistics on SMEs and Entrepreneurship, OECD, Paris, 17-19 September.

 

v  ILO (2008). Global Employment Trends for Women 2008, March, Geneva: International Labour Office.

 

v  Seymour N (2001). “Women entrepreneurs in the developing world”, CELCEE Digest No. 01-04, Kansas City, Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Clearinghouse on Entrepreneurship Education, August, http://www.celcee.edu/.

 

v  WEF (2007). The Global Gender Gap Report 2007, Geneva: World Economic Forum.

 

v  UNDP (2008). The Human Development Report 2007/2008, New York: United Nations Development Programme.

 

v  Sinha A (2003). Experience of SMEs in South and South-East Asia, Washington, D.C. SEDF and World Bank.

 

v  Sinhal S (2005). “Developing Women Entrepreneurs in South Asia: Issues, Initiatives and Experiences”, ST/ESCAP/2401, Trade and Investment Division, Bangkok: UNESCAP.

 

Women and Business: What Does a Woman’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Look Like?

Today’s successful women entrepreneurs are sharp, savvy and highly skilled. Some have solo-enterprises, while others run multi-national organizations. All have one thing in common – an entrepreneurial spirit that just won’t stop.

More and more women are entering the world of business. In fact, we’re starting businesses twice as fast as men, and on the whole, we’re more successful doing it. One of the reasons is the bevy of women re-entering the workforce after rearing children. While many may have previously worked in corporate America-type jobs, they are finding at this stage of their lives, they want more autonomy and control over their work time and work demands, especially if returning to their former workplaces leaves them in new situations that do nothing but stifle their need to contribute in a meaningful way.

Plus the Internet has opened up a whole new world for women. They can not only start, run and grow a successful online business (at any age) but they can choose when they work because the Internet is open 24-7. In stark contrast to their working mothers who did the typical 9-5 stint, today’s women entrepreneurs can easily schedule their work around their family as well as their own needs.

But are all women born entrepreneurs?

]]>

It’s true we’re biologically wired for multi-tasking and juggling family and work. However, that doesn’t mean that every woman has what it takes to make the grade.

So how do you know if you fit the entrepreneurial profile? There are certain stand-out traits according to Susan L. Reid, author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success

Here is the list of the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Top 10 Characteristics

1. You have a strong desire for autonomy, to be your own boss, and live life on your own terms.

2. You are an independent self-starter, not needing or wanting others to tell you what to do.

3. You have a powerful drive to make money and accumulate wealth.

4. You are a calculated risk-taker with a higher-than-normal tolerance for failure and consider failure a non-issue.

5. You like to be in control and call the shots.

6. You are highly self-motivated and are indefatigably fearless when it comes to getting the job done.

7. You had childhood experiences as a budding entrepreneur and/or entrepreneurial parents, grandparents, or relatives.

8. You have a high level of energy that is sustainable over a long period of time.

9. You are creative and innovative, a strong decision maker, and able to think quickly on your feet, and set things in motion.

10. You are a big-picture thinker capable of seeing how everything relates to each other.

It is my belief that you don’t have to necessarily have all 10 of these traits in your genetic make-up. If you have the drive and determination to work at obtaining what traits you may be missing, that’s a huge part of the equation.

I suggest you go on a fact-finding mission. Talk to women entrepreneurs you admire. Read up on the latest trends on women in business. Do whatever you can to seek out the answers you need and then dig deep inside and ask yourself if this is really want you want to do.

Make no mistake. You have to be prepared. Businesses have their ups and downs, growth spurts and setbacks. The road to success can sometimes be paved with long hours, heartache, pinching pennies and carrying on when the chips are down. No one is immune to the challenges, but if you do your homework thoroughly and delve into entrepreneurship with your eyes open and your feet on the ground, without a doubt, you’ll find a way to succeed. And that is true entrepreneurial spirit!

 

Should All World Leaders Speak in English?

Language allows people to communicate, learn, and grow which is the fundamental underpinning of society’s progress. In recent years, more people have begun discussing the question of whether all world leaders should speak English. Whether they should speak English or not depends on if there is a need for a common language, and if English is becoming one of the most commonly spoken languages throughout the world.

Many experts believe that there should be one common language that can be used as a method of conversing with people from all countries. It can reduce misunderstandings and help build bridges between cultures. English is the leading worldwide language in such areas as entertainment, science, business, and diplomacy. Approximately 85% of all information in the world is available in English. As well, English is studied as a second language more than any other language of the world. In most careers, speaking English can help one get a promotion, open the door for more opportunities, and earn more money. Governments around the world are providing funding for their citizens to learn English. The reason is not because English is a superior language, but because the language has spread across the globe. For instance, there are more people in China who speak English than in the U.S.A.

Many believe that the proliferation of the English language throughout the world is a result of America’s rise as the central superpower. International relations and business are basically tied to the United States. America is an English speaking country so other countries have recognized the value of speaking English when conversing with Americans. The result has been a surge in people learning the English language. According to a recent report by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, “between 96 and 100 percent of people in China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam believe children should learn English.” Many see learning English as an essential tool to success. Chris Gibson, the British Council’s director for South India, “aims to have every South Indian speaking it by 2010, at which point he believes that English will be a codified world language” In 2007, the International Herald Tribune stated that “English is spoken in some form by three times as many non-native speakers as native speakers.” As well, the IHT wrote, “English is a first language for 400 million people, and a fluent second for between 300 and 500 million more.

The trend to learn English suggests that the use of the language will be increasing in the coming years. The Director of Asia for the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that “By 2100, the world will go from a 7,000-language planet to a couple of hundred languages at the most…English will be the major medium of communication in many countries.”

It is projected that half the world’s people will be speaking English by 2015. Many people believe English is on the path to becoming the world’s unofficial language The spread of the English language throughout the world should not only cause world leaders to consider learning the language, but it should also cause the citizens to consider taking advantage of learning English in order keep all opportunities in life available.

Cunnilingus Techniques – 3 Cunnilingus Techniques To Give Your Woman Powerful Orgasms

Cunnilingus is the best way to give your partner powerful orgasms and please her during lovemaking. Research has shown that only 68% of women felt that intercourse is pleasurable and believe it or not, these women experienced an orgasm only 25% of the time!

The above means that out of every four times these women engaged in sexual act, only once did they reach orgasm. However, when it comes to cunnilingus, these same women reach orgasms a whopping 81% of the time. This shows that if you really want to please your partner during lovemaking, you need to know how to give cunnilingus properly.

Before we talk about the 3 powerful cunnilingus techniques, one thing to note is that moves and techniques need to be varied and repeated in order to bring your partner to orgasms. Keep her guessing!

Sweeping. This is a fairly easy technique and should be always included in a cunnilingus session as women just love this move. Position your tongue either on the left or right hand side of the clitoris and move from side to side as though you are sweeping the floor. Circles. This technique can be considered the most pleasurable clitoral technique in cunnilingus. To start off this technique, position your tongue either to the left or right hand side of the clitoris. Then move your tongue either in a clockwise or anti-clockwise around the clitoris only. This technique will make your partner feels excellent when she is fairly aroused as it gives the clitoris plenty of stimulation outside the hood. ABC’s. This technique may sound funny but I think it is the best overall cunnilingus technique that you can ever try on your partner. Position your tongue either to the side or top of the clitoris and begin using it to draw your ABC’s. The ABC stroke is very powerful as it gives just the right amount of contact to both the clitoral hood and clitoral head while mixing things up.

When dealing with a woman’s clitoris, it is more than just sticking your tongue out and start poking around. Bear these 3 cunnilingus techniques in mind to give your partner a pleasurable cunnilingus session.

Do you know that women easily achieve better orgasms from good oral sex when compared to penetration? Get more oral sex techniques and positions from the website below to give her maximum pleasure now:

Secrets Of Leadership Success – Good Leadership Skills

The thing that sets great leaders apart from the ordinary ones is their knowledge about the secrets of leadership success. Mentors teach different types of leadership styles; it also learned through attending seminars and also exists as part of an individual’s innate personal leadership skill that has been developed over the years and more importantly, existing possibly since birth. Natural leadership abilities combined with nurturing these skills and abilities through leadership development is what defines one’s leadership style.

Click Here to Learn How to Lead Effectively!

One of the most important factors that play a very important role to be an effective leader is to be able to communicate well to other people; he should have the ability to convey the organization’s visions and goals. In addition to that, knowledge and other technical expertise must be clearly communicated and imparted to all the people around him.

]]>

Contrary to what other people may think, leadership is not about power, it is not about driving individuals to do what you want to accomplish through fear and intimidation. This is definitely a wrong way to lead people. To be a great leader and an effective one, you must be able to influence and inspire those people under your leadership to accomplish a particular goal or an objective of the team or an organization.

In order to be a good leader, it takes a lot more than being knowledgeable in their chosen career. It is not just all about taking charge and delegating works to be done to others. A remarkable leader is someone who has the ability to recognize everyone’s greatest value in their area of influence, and in order to do this he has to see others with insight and compassion.

There’s no doubt that a group or an organization will be able to perform to its maximum level effectively, when there is a good leader to guide the members or employees, and keep them motivated towards the path of success. In order to be a remarkable leader, an individual must possess very effective leadership qualities, and these are very important factors about the secrets of leadership success.

Click Here to Learn How to Lead Effectively!

Team Building Maneuvers and the Team?s Leadership

Conquering the Challenge of “Change” through Team Building Maneuvers

Leading teams into qualitative team building maneuvers prevails over the challenge of change at a time that change is definitely required in most organizations. In order to experience successful change, the “fear to change” must be addressed. Change is the one constant when uncertainty shows itself in life and change undoes the way process is both managed and executed. Change is natural and good, but people’s reaction to change is both unpredictable and irrational. It can be managed if done right – but when reacting to the uncertainties exhibited by the stimulus for change, mistakes are made and can be very costly. Managing the process that leads to change means managing people’s fear. 

Nothing is as upsetting to your people as change. Nothing has greater potential to cause failures, loss of production or failing quality. Yet nothing is as important to the survival of your organization as your people and their response to change. 

Research tells us that 70 percent of all change initiatives fail (Source: Author Peter Senge, “The Dance of Change,” Doubleday Press, Toronto, Ont. 1999, p. 3-4). Beyond a doubt, the likelihood of your change initiative failing is overwhelming. Since 2004, I’ve studied, facilitated and taught change processes and experience tells me that change efforts fail for one, two, or all of the following three reasons: 

1. Failure to properly define the Future Picture and the impact of the change.

All too often, the “change” initiative addresses the symptoms of current challenges and problems rather than the future the organization wants or needs to create. Change is about creating a desired future, not just correcting current problem/symptoms.  

2. Failure to properly assess the current situation, in order to determine the scope within the requirements for change.

Organizations perpetually assess the current situation against current measures of performance. However, change is not the same as problem-solving or project management. Rather, managing change is about moving an organization strategically forward to achieve its vision of the future. 

3. Failure to effectively manage the transition of moving from the present to the future.

Experience demonstrates that failure to effectively manage the transition/transformation need is the leading cause of failure for strategic change initiatives. The change itself is not the problem. Change is an event; it is situational: deciding to implement a new system, target a new market, acquire or merge two organizational cultures (Source: Author William Bridges, “Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change,” Addison Wesley, Don Mills Ont., p.3). The problem occurs with what happens within the gap between the present and future, after the “change” and before you get to “there.” The reality of change is that change is about people not structures – people are the reasons for stop gaps in change initiatives!   

Failure to successfully execute often comes from seeing the change as solely structural, so once the new system is designed and ready for implementation, the new organization is agreed upon and the doctrine papers are signed to legalize the “deal,” everyone, including the CEO, walks away from what is considered (prematurely) a “done deal.” This is a mistake that goes on all too often like a broken record. History is full of examples of organizations and teams that failed when experiencing changing environments (most of them are now extinct). The secret to successfully managing change, from the perspective of the people within the organization and their teams, is “definition” and “understanding.” To make it clear, I’ll explain them in subsets. 

Definition and Understanding for the “WHAT” in Teams 

It is important to understand that not everyone who works together or in close proximity is a member of a team. This concept is a misnomer for a lot of people. A clear explanation of a team is a group of individuals who are interdependent with respect to intelligence, information, transferable skill sets, resources, and tools and who seek to combine their efforts to achieve a shared-vision towards a common goal. A team, for instance, is either building or falling apart. An essential aptitude for true team building and the maneuvers they require is leading the team into building on a continuous basis. Team building maneuvers lead a group into higher levels of team spirit, cooperation and interpersonal communication. Building teams is the process of developing on the team-dynamics and interpersonal relationship of the people that come together to make-up the unit. Team spirit either grows or it dies based on the dynamics of the unit. 

Teams have specific characteristics that should be addressed: 

Teams must be constructed to achieve a shared-vision for a shared goal. Team associates are interdependent regarding some common interests; teams are the instrument of sustained and enduring success in leadership and management. Teams use strategic thinking, acting, and influence – associates each possess the authority to manage their own stimulus for change. A team is a type of group, but not all groups are teams – team leaders know this to be true. Teams are formed to best facilitate learning and peak performance while operating in a socialist environment. Team associates are not responsible to “self,” but to their team and its mission; their obligation is to guide the unit to find its voice, while strategically and flawlessly executing. Teams learn to navigate positive transition to disseminate authority and power for change – and, they understand when it is a “must” to move into greater levels of performance (the difference between ordinary and extraordinary high performance teams).

The difference between ordinary teams and high performance teams are its people and their abilities to overcome the fear of change. High performance teams place a focus on the people who drive the overall performance within the system: “how do you define a high-performance team?” A high performance team is a group of people who are led by an exception leader, ALL having complementary skills, who understand roles and goals, and who are committed to achieving those goals through a shared-voice, as one unit or body, to demonstrate strategic and flawless execution measures for overcoming changing environments.

This team format learns quickly how-to work together toward mutual goals using their individual skills to support one another regardless of the situation they are engaging or any amount of resistance to change from a fear of the unknown or an expectation of loss or failure. 

The “alpha” of the high performance team’s resistance to change is how they perceive the change. The “omega” is how well they are equipped to deal with the change they expect. The team member’s degree of resistance is determined by whether they perceive the change as good or bad, and how they expect the impact of the change to be on the entire unit. Their ultimate acceptance of the change is a function of how much resistance the team member has and the quality of their coping skills and their support system. The job role of the team leader is to address their resistance from both perspectives by helping each member reduce it to a minimal, manageable process level. The success of the response depends on the leader’s ability to lead by example, their level of trust from the members on the team and their ability to persuade the members to overcome their resistance so the unit can move ahead. When the leader is able to communicate a low threat level and/or limited risk, the member’s perception will be one of trust for engaging the objective. Simply, it will all come down to the leader’s relationship with the team; hence, the success of the team not only depends on its members, but also on the leadership they follow.  

Definition and Understanding for Accepting “CHANGE” on Teams and Organizations 

Now, we’ll look at how teams can manage change and fear, and overcome them both to perform at its peak as a unit, and pronounce its leadership style to permeate peak performance across an entire organization. The “alpha” here begins by looking at change as an emotions state that is synonymous with fear. Fear stipulates an uncomfortable emotional response to potential threats and a way of life. It is a basic survival mechanism that occurs in response to specific stimulus of future events, such as worsening of a situation or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable. It needs to be addressed by the leadership personnel in as much detail and as early as possible. Leadership must be able to provide updates as things develop and become clearer if any chance is possible for overcoming the fears that are the precursor for change. 

“Definition” is a two-way street. In addition to defining a problem that causes fear, team leaders need to get their members to a point that they feel comfortable defining the reasons behind their resistance. “Understanding,” the “omega” here is also a two-way street. Team leaders must be prepared to clearly explain to their members what is changing and why. They must also be clear about the member’s reluctance. Here are a few things that the team leaders must be aware of: 

Team leaders must not try to rationalize the issues, but focus on opening and maintaining clear channels of communication with their team members so they understand what is coming and what it means to them and the unit. Team leaders must be able to help their member gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation at hand, both the positives and negatives. Team leaders must inform their members what the change will be, when it will happen and why – what is not changing and how the anchors on the team (the characteristics, such as “trust” that holds the team together) will be affected as they face the winds of uncertainty and change. Team leaders must be able to understand the specific fears of each member. What their concerns are and how strongly they feel about the potential outcomes, both the positives and negatives (do they perceive it as a good or a bad thing?).   

The Bottom Line: Definition and Understanding 

Conquering the challenge of “change” through team building maneuvers requires innovation, creativity and some good old fashion “leadership.” People yearn for ideas (big and small ones) and think that if they just had that one “right” idea for the team or organization, success would surely come. Certainly, we can all do things to be more creative, but having ideas isn’t the biggest, or even first, source of our challenges. 

Think about it this way. You’ve experienced what is believed by you to be the greatest workshop ever attended, so you go back to the workplace to integrate what you’ve learned – only, you never do. You’ve thought about trying a new approach to your meetings, but never did. You’ve had a great idea that never went anywhere. You’ve had an idea for a new process, but failed to introduce it to other the leaders. The list can go on and on and you’ll see that there’s no shortage of ideas or creativity that is stopping you. What is stopping you is fear, the fear of change or the fear of failure. Either way you look at it, fear is the stimulus that stops great people from doing great things – the action that is required for successful progress in life and in the workplace. 

Change and Failure (Breakdown)

Failure and success are the outcomes of change. No matter how you look at them both, they each have a constant that cannot go unnoticed, “leadership.” We cannot succeed at higher levels of performance if we maintain status quo, but inherent in change is the possibility that we might fail or experience a breakdown in process. So any discussion of the “fear of change” or the “fear of failure” needs to start with a discussion on transition and transformation. While there are downsides and risks involved in change (including the risk of failure) think of all of the positives that can come from change: 

Process Improvement to Leadership and Management, Overall Employee Performance Increases, Team Development, Transition and Transformation, Greater Satisfaction (Individual) – Personal Proficiency,   Organizational Renewal – Professional Mastery, and  Marketplace Expansion, and much more.  

]]>

And these are just a few. The next time you feel the fear of failure, think about how you feel about change and how it impacts your level of fear. All change involves a certain amount of uncertainty and ambiguity and those two conditions provoke anxiety. This is a reason to hold onto the past for lessons learned; it’s familiar, and as the adage goes, “better what you know versus whet you don’t know.” So, although change has the ability to promote new systems, structures, organizations and teams, people will always conform to the “same old~same old,” unwilling to let go of the past. That is why looking at the positives and keeping an open mind is so critical to the success of experiencing change. 

Structuring Failure and Success (Breakthrough)

One individual’s failure is another individual’s success; it’s all based on a decision that “must” be made at some point. Sun Tzu, arguably the greatest military strategist that many still follow, had his say on success and failure: “Consideration and analysis of The Five Elements, “Dao” – Moral Unity, “Tian” – Weather Condition, “Di” – Geographical Condition, “Jiang” – Leadership Quality, “Fa” – Discipline and Organization Structure, a must know for all commanders. Victory to those who understand and no victory to those who does not. The Five Elements will determine success or failure of conducting war.” 

Here’s an explanation of Sun Tzu’s statement through comparison and an analytical lens. The Five Elements will reveal the factors of success and failure of all battle, namely: Moral Unity, Weather Condition, Geographical Condition, Leadership Quality, Discipline and Organization Structure.

Moral Unity determines the cohesiveness between the ruler and his subjects, the leader and his followers, the general and his soldiers. Ultimately, to achieve full support by fellowman, putting aside life and death matters and share the view of the ruler’s is the goal of Moral Unity. Only when a view or decision is fully supported, can orders be carried out smoothly by the team.

Weather Condition such as summer/winter and drought/flood will have significant affects on how plans are executed. When weather is an element that no one has any control, the best strategy will be take full advantage of the conditions when able. Going against the force of nature may prove rewarding when one overcomes, but it usually spells destruction.

Geographical Condition here refers to distance of near/far, terrain/mountainous/flat regarding the battle space, wide/narrow the battle field and whether the location chosen to engage the battle favors attack/defense. 

This will limit the size, type and performance of the troop. The same for business – this will also determine the team’s reaction to the mission and the amount of resources – people, process and management of initiative that will be required to win.  

Leadership Quality (my favorite) concerns the general/commander’s leading capability. There are five qualities of a good leader: “wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence and deportment, courage (both physical and emotional) and sternness (temperament).” These five qualities will affect the leading capability of a commander, his culture and climate for organizational behavior effectiveness within the environment and the efficacy and value of his command being carried out by the people under his leadership.

Discipline and Organization Structure is the system of open communication and the vehicles used to do so – how each level within the organization manages and leads the people and process, including logistics. It requires a fair, consistent and clear communication to everyone. Communication is the greatest resource in all of life, not only in organizations, but in all we set out to accomplish. Effective communications is leadership’s greatest tool to win its people, systems, processes and management of functions.

As The Five Elements are inter-related, no leader can either ignore or fail to understand the constructive/destructive nature of each element. Victory will overcome “failure” and “success” will fall upon those who analyze and clearly understand The Five Elements. Therefore, by asking who offers fairest reward and punishment, whose troop, team or organization is best trained and led, whose equipment and resources are more efficient and plentiful, who can deliver and communicate order/leadership smoothly, effectively and thoroughly, who has better geographical/weather advantages (culture and organizational climate), who has more resourceful leaders and followers – teams, whether the appointed leader/leadership is wiser, more strategic in their thinking, tactical in their approach to engage and has virtue… the winner is clear, defined and understood. 

Constructing it all to Enhance Leadership for Teamwork as an Essential Goal  

What am I referring to in the term “Leadership for Teamwork?” Organizations can try to influence leaders to work as a team, but only leaders themselves can make it work. Why should you want to be a team-oriented leader, and how can you take steps to make it happen, even when the status quo is not favorable? A strong motivator to becoming a better cohort with your leaders-colleagues-peers is to take stock of what “not” collaborating is costing you during the tough times (and, even the not so tough times). 

As you attempt to lead others and yourself, it is important to keep in mind your quintessential intention to enhance, deepen and strengthen the spirit of “we are absolutely on the same team, sounding with one unified voice, and committed to achieving the same outcome/ Future Picture for one another.” Integrate the improvement of the quality of leadership for effective teamwork into your objective, strategy and tactics. Include it in the vision and mission and ensure that all members across each level of the organization understand and can communicate it without fail. It must not “only” be written on a fancy picture and placed on the wall (the all too common inspirational). It must run like blood through veins and become as important as the air we breathe. 

Express your value of Leadership for Teamwork and team fortitude by ensuring that the cost factor is not as important in the decision to remain on a continuum to train organizational behavior, transformational leadership, strategic execution and team building maneuvers as the decision to make all allocations to do so. The cost of not doing it, even when things are tough, offers a far more potential for failure.  

If you overlook Leadership for Teamwork and effective team building maneuvers by focused exclusively or excessively on the outcome you want teamwork to accomplish, you’ll place your team and organization in a position to neglect the means to your end and eliminate the solution-centric outcomes in your future. This would be like a U.S. Marine purposely neglecting to adequately care for his weapons while on the battlefield. 

How you think about each individual and team in the organization is the most critical aspect in Leadership for Teamwork. By leading your own thoughts, you begin leading in the most significant way. So discipline yourself to think about those you are responsible for leading as members of your team, and not as your problems, adversaries or competitors. You have to “mentally embrace” them as for you, and not against you, particularly when they demonstrate difficult conduct. This is the truest form of selflessness that, in most cases, is forgotten. 

An effective and easy tool to form the greatest disciplines in Leadership for Teamwork is for everyone to do his best to interpret the behaviors of others, however dissonant, as a sign of a core challenge or initiative that needs immediate attention. It’s important to realize that behaviors are a form of communications to address Leadership for Teamwork and this action can transform bad feelings of resentment into positive organizational behaviors and gratitude. Our President Barack Obama, the 44TH of the United States, used similar techniques to successfully win the elections to lead the American people; “CHANGE and Leadership for Teamwork!” His message rings true around the world and is also being used to bring communities and Governments (also forms of teams) together in ways that at one time, would never have been thought of. Marcus Aurelius said, “Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”    

This statement can be applied to teams and defines the true meaning of Leadership for Teamwork. The team that is not overwhelmed with being productive and full of life is far too busy dying. Life is born from every member and led by every member. Regard Leadership for Teamwork as an essential means for overcoming fear, winning change and leading through cooperation to experience peak performance that takes the organization to the next level. 

How to Lead your Team to the Next Level  

What is the worst thing that could happen? Actually, people will ask a more rhetorical question: “what could happen?” But, they never really get the answer they are hoping for because of fear. Most of the time, just asking the question seems like progress is being made or, a significant amount of time (meetings to schedule more meetings that promotes nothing but time and talk) planning and not executing. This is a question that simply hangs in the spam folders, lost in internet space or on a memo at the water cooler. Don’t let it become a technical “error message” that requires someone else to get it done. Take the initiative to go against the status quo and get the question answered yourself. Consider the very worst thing that could happen; answering the question for yourself can and will stimulate movement in a positive direction. Often, the absolute worst case isn’t as bad as might think. 

What is the best possible outcome? Seriously, what is the best thing that could happen? Think about the scenario where everything goes perfectly. Will this be your outcome? Maybe not, but your worst case scenario likely won’t happen either. It takes both of these questions to really understand your situation. Chances are, your results will be somewhere between the two. Once you have considered the range of possibilities, you are in a better position to decide whether to proceed or not, and you will have definitely reduced your fear of failure if you do take that step forward. 

Next, you can explore the development of a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) for the team. This is designed for people to learn broadly, to inspire the service out of generosity for others, and to prepare them to lead courageously into the future. A Memorandum of Understanding encourages a perspective to become firmly grounded in the potential for successful growth using a series of constructs – a portfolio management approach – that everyone buys into for effective deportment and forward movement. A Memorandum of Understanding acts as the blueprint for strategic leadership on the teams and across the organization.   

Are you wondering how to build an organization in which executive leaders, team leaders, middle managers and front line staff will flourish? To build an environment where people, teams and organizations will flourish and achieve peak performance, you must get the best leaders to pay close attention to the design of the elements around them (situational awareness). 

The Memorandum of Understanding articulate a lucid purpose, helps to create effective leadership teams, prioritize their initiatives carefully, redesign organizational structures, employ strategic intent meets strategic agility to result flawless and strategic execution and, most importantly, integrate all these tactics into one coherent strategy. 

The Memorandum of Understanding must include the following constructs: 

The Cardinal Rules, The Guiding Precepts, The Forms of Disposition,  The General Orders, The Strategy Forward – Establishing Professional Mastery, and The Centers of Gravity.  

The Cardinal Rules are a set of guidelines that are invaluable for people and organizations to follow while planning and executing at the strategic or tactical level. These rules, once established by the individual(s) or teams are the rules that govern forward movement and must not change (i.e. To manage by mind, lead by heart).  

The Guiding Precepts are designed to inform people what they should and should not be doing in accordance with executing a well designed strategy to win. They also inform of the reasons “why” an action must occur and the repercussions should the individual and/or organization fail at meeting such a task (i.e. Unselfishness; this trait is the avoidance of providing for one’s personal comfort and advancement at the expense of others. The comfort, pleasure, and recreation levels should be placed above everything. Looking out for the needs of others is the essence of self-leadership).  

The Forms of Disposition offer a substantive transformation in “thought” about how people achieve a perspective on things in life. It refers to an orchestrated, systemic and revolutionary new world-view resulting in a “change” of societies, cultures, and marketplaces due to behavioral perspective. This is today often called “systems theory,” which sees a web of relationships coalescing to become something greater than the parts. Individuals must be able to look at things from a perspective that they are always changing and evolving into new forms – thinking “out-of-the-box!” We are doomed to a slow death unless radical change occurs in the way we think. Change your way of thinking or die a slow death (i.e. Mistakes are a fact of life that requires an eraser; it is the ability to respond to error that counts. You can’t live without an eraser).   

The General Orders are broad, community-wide “need statements,” designed to encompass a variety of related issues in a person’s life or within the life cycle of an organization. These related issues are referred to as “Guiding Objectives,” which are specific items that need to be addressed. The Guiding Strategies (developed to fit current and future circumstance) are the methods identified for addressing the Guiding Objectives, and the Guiding Policies are the specific action steps that are recommended to implement the Guiding Strategies. The General Orders, all eleven of them, offer the ability to explore implications in an open and reflective manner and reinforce each other in providing a coherency and wholeness often lacking in life cycles (i.e. Know yourself as a “Leader” and seek continuous improvement).  

The Strategy Forward – Establishing Professional Mastery. The traditional values are the foundation of the modern day; that was yesterday. Tomorrow, you have an opportunity to create commitment and the needed momentum to establish, publish, share, and teach a different set of life’s code, values, and ethics to journey into the future. After much hard work, you are prepared to develop a strategy to move forward and plan the next steps to target critical successes for winning the Future Picture. What a legacy you will leave when executed with personal and professional bearing for others to follow. This is the way of the future. This is a new chapter (i.e. Remove the Jars’ Lid: Allow for profound growth by employing Transformational Thinking to navigate the maze of organizational politics – and the schedule to do so – to accept change).     

The Centers of Gravity. Just as time changes, so does the internal and external influence in your life and in the life cycle of an organization. The Centers of Gravity are the dynamics within a process that offer the greatest impact on the overall system when change happens. They offer a high level of “value” and return on your energy “investment.” When combined with the concept of parallel deposits (creating energy from various perspectives in a short period of time), the Centers of Gravity make possible the seemingly impossible task of realizing success in changing paradigms.

The Centers of Gravity places significant influence on the five established epicenters of any changing system to receive desired effects: Leadership, Processes, Infrastructure, Population, and Action Units.      

In summary, a Memorandum of Understanding, your blueprint for strategic leadership, offers an opportunity to free up our actions as public servants. It is empowering, it is enabling and it grounds us in a public way on the fundamentals that we all must share. There is no ethical malaise. It is important to realize that the new is not a finding from what has been lost. Rather, we are like the journey of the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz story in search of a brain (brain power in this context); the Tin Woodsman in search of a heart, and the Cowardly Lion in search of courage. Your value system is intact and has been with you the entire way thus far. The Memorandum of Understanding simply articulates and reaffirms the core value and behavioral perspective that already underlie your personal and professional appearance and conduct to achieve significant growth. 

Develop, learn and instruct the Memorandum of Understanding well. It will make the difference between winning and losing in every aspect of your life – personally and professionally – and maintain a positive team building attitude. 

Finally, Maintain a Positive Team Building Attitude

To lead most effectively, the leader’s attitude needs to be strongly and deeply rooted in the dynamics of the team and its fortitude, particularly when relating with individuals who are also seeking to grow themselves and the organization they are a part. The Memorandum of Understanding has been used to lead successful transformation efforts for organization and teams to achieve their goals in and away from the organization and the battlefields of life. A paradigm-changing approach, the Memorandum of Understanding concurrently addresses multiple disciplines across the entire transformation life cycle; enabling leaders and teams help people build a stronger, more responsive and resilient organizations.

It all begins with three creeds: one for achieving Personal Proficiency, one for achieving Professional Mastery and the last for achieving strategic execution while remaining strategically agile; a message in the form of a poem to help you with overcoming your deepest fear; and finally, something my team and I refer to as, “The Entitlement.”  

Rather than relating to a series of ongoing problematic behaviors as a hindrance or as a threat to your objective, relate to the development of your Memorandum of Understanding as a guide for how you need to build teamwork and team spirit and fortitude to meet the inevitable challenge of change and effective leadership. 

The Leader’s Creed – Individual Leadership 

“I possess my own weapon. There are many like it but this one is unique. It is my life. I must master it as I must master the discipline that allows me to be. Without my weapon, I am useless. I must fire my weapon as a rifle. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is aiming at me. I must win him before he wins me. I will! My weapon is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. My weapon and I know that what counts in personal war are not the rounds we fire. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit! I will keep my weapon clear and free, even as I am clear and free. My weapon and I are the defenders of my soul. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the standard of generations to follow – Failure is never an option, Ductus Exemplo!” 

The Leader’s Creed – Instructors 

“These are my future leaders. I will train them to the best of my ability. I will develop them into smartly disciplined, mindful-physically fit, basically trained specialists, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of personal leadership. I will demand of them, teach them to demand of themselves, excellence and demonstrate by my own example the highest standards of personal conduct, morality, and professional skill.”

The Strategic Executor’s Creed 

“My loyalty to my team and organization is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow colleagues, always ready to defend against the enemy’s force that is trying to diminish our progress. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own. I serve with sincere gratitude on and away from my team to impact my teams’ responsibility on the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from others. … In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. … I will never quit nor will I ever conclude my pursuit for excellence. I remain agile to strike with speed and force and thrive on adversity. My team expects me to be mentally stronger and strategically smarter than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, each and every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of emotional strength and ability to protect my teammates, the mission and the organization to ensure success. I am never out of the fight and forever in debt to self, my teammates and the mission.” 

Your Deepest Fear

“Conditions are never just right. People who delay actions until all factors are favorable are the kinds who do nothing.” – William Feather 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Storms come and go, but it is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We must ask ourselves, why are we chosen to accept brilliance? In actuality, why would we not want to be chosen? And, chosen by whom? You? Me? It’s impossible to thrive without constantly updating ourselves with the knowledge used to execute life’s journey. Individuals who see themselves as visionary’s grasp this concept better than most. They remain on a continuum for growth, personally and professionally, to stay ahead of the learning curve within our ever changing global economy. 

Accepting your personal call to duty may require you to walk slower so that people won’t feel insecure as you embark upon a personal rite of passage. We are meant to live for greatness and the time to shine is now. Are you ready? You have no choice but to be prepared to influence others to be ready for finding their voice as you have learned to find your own. It requires a choice for changing reality and for some, that choice is easy. As we decide to become a beacon of light, we must be willing to step out on faith, work towards greatness, and be fully aware that all storms have a time to be over. Liberation found within our personal convictions unshackles our souls to guide us unconsciously into becoming a Champion of Change.  

The Entitlement 

No one alive can buy it or rent it and it can not be lent for any price

…If ignored both of your enemy and yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle 

Truth must always protect the covenant of integrity and honor amongst good

…knowing how to subdue the enemy without fighting is the ultimate objective 

It can not be inherited nor can it be purchased

… the laws of success are to avoid the enemy’s strength and strike his weakness 

You alone and our own have earned it with our passion, heart, sweat and tears

…it is a doctrine in battle, that supreme training gleans a presence and makes our position invincible 

You own it forever, the attribute & title: The “LeaderShaped Leader!” 

If you would like to receive a copy of our Memorandum of Understanding to guide you with developing your own, simply send me an email at Dpitts@thebisongroup.com. God Speed as you continue on your path to experience your own unique state of Leadership for Teamwork, using team building maneuvers to take your people and team to new levels and conquer the challenge of overcoming the “fears of change” across the organizations and teams you are leading.

How will world women be perceived in the 21st century?

Now it has been established that the 21st century will predominate with women’s leadership the world over. So far men have dominated the world via their arrogance, hard heartedness and demonic physical might but henceforth nothing of this will be seen.

No longer will economic management and political governance will stand on that foundation as is seen today. People will earn money in an apt way but nowhere will wealth be hoarded which has dire reactions like oppression, suppression and various crimes. Even the utility of physical might will end. Weapons will be used in such a way that none will have to make special arrangements for their personal security. Fraud can persist in world society today because there are men who support it. But in future when the very basis of social management will be rooted in ethics and social development none will get the chance to spread the net of fraud and none will get entangled in it. The cloth of true justice will be weaved in such a way that wherein fraud and cunningness will get no place. Those who dare oppose all this will be caught and punished severely. At that time all of today’s arrogant monopoly enjoyed by male society will be nipped in the bud. Those great qualities, generosity and sensitive emotions that will be required by world society in the New Age will be seen predominating in world women and naturally she will face no difficulty in attaining her basic human rights. Those hard core fundamentalists who obstruct women getting their rights by insisting on following blind beliefs will have to perforce change their views.

According to ‘State of World Population’ by the end of 20th century the number of women will exceed those of men by 2 billion. Today the world’s population is 50 billion and in half the number is women. But as per today’s needs the number of women will exceed those of men. More girl children will be born. Even today this does happen but because of being ignored, by the time girls reach 14 years they lag far behind than boys. Grown up girls facing lack and censure lose their lives. In future this shall not happen and all those fruits put on a tree by nature will get full protection by it. Very naturally the population of world women will rise. This will continue in future and according to wise thinkers by the time the 21st century ends 2/3rd of the world population will be women and only 1/3rd will be men. Nature is known to destroy that which is useless. When majority of the tasks of men are executed by machine based technology their utility value starts diminishing. Only tasks of security will be handed over to men.

]]>

Women have always led in the intellectual arena. In the designing of her psyche creativity, affection, self control, discipline and apt management have predominated. Since quite a bit of all this was snatched away and that she was not given apt opportunities these qualities were rendered handicapped and lacked progress. But when ever women got due encouragement, guidance and opportunities they exhibited these more cleanly and deftly. Regarding various exams not only India but the record of the world has been that it is women who have passed them in greater number and with flying colors. No doubt her bodily anatomy is not tough yet she oozes with delicate sensitivity and power of endurance.

There are many more incidences wherein the deftness of women has augmented in a mind blowing fashion. We can call her a goddess of all artistic skills. It appears as though music, dance and acting skills were actually carved for her sake only. In fact women have entered this field in a very forceful manner.

Old age is always looked upon as that with blooms with wisdom. In this sense, women despite crossing the age of 50 years remain wise and youthful too. Her motherhood ends much before 50 years of age. Even sexual passion diminishes accordingly but men even after crossing middle age makes ‘efforts’ to destroy all such powers of his. Under such situations women live longer than men. Widows are known to outnumber widowers.

Within the tiny periphery of her household women work hard and carry out various duties. Her apt family management should not be looked upon as any less important. It oozes with brilliant talent and specialty too. Lest with reference to this if after increasing her literacy skills and other capabilities she is handed over great important tasks of world society then she will succeed much more than expected.

Certain departments in developed countries have been handed over to women. In tasks related to health, medical healing, education, social welfare schemes, children’s upbringing, agriculture, animal breeding and various offices women have been handed over their duties and instead of relegating the energy of half the world’s population useless its wholesome usage is made.

Of what stature should be the new generation? Which special qualities should pervade their character, actions and inner personality? This responsibility can be shouldered by women only. A major portion of the personality of a child gets developed within the first 10 years of his life albeit in seed form. Till then he is under the jurisdiction of his mother. A major portion of one’s childhood is spent living with one’s family. In this family reside the mother and other elderly women. Under their tutelage a child’s physical and mental growth takes place. In a certain sense these women can be called teachers. Via their utterances and actual behavior they mold the mind and body of a child. This nature remains with the child for his entire lifetime. In between very rarely a gigantic change is seen.

Time is changing speedily. That noose which so far forced world women to remain backward in life is now unloosening and will break up totally very shortly. Where an atmosphere of facilities appeared, women too got an opportunity to showcase their brilliant talent in useful tasks. Today she no longer is weak and in fact has manifested her potent form.

Although people say that poverty is the worst hardship and is called the mother of all dire problems yet the truth is quite different. In fact it is regressive backwardness that renders mankind weak and lacking progress. In the form of women half the world’s population has been rendered demeaned thus. If this state is uprooted when times change it is definite that women’s greatness and brilliant talent will shine radiantly. The extraordinary benefit of this attainment will be accrued by entire world humanity.

Lesbian Dating Agency – a Great Resource for Women Seeking Women

A well established lesbian dating agency receives about 1000 visitors a day with the sky rocketing number of lesbians in the world today. A few years back, admitting that you are a woman lover when you are a woman yourself would subject one to cultural punishments. Even the public criticism and stigma was a punishment enough to make a lady denounce her sexual orientation. Nowadays, there are very many women seeking women publicly with no apologies to make whatsoever. The world is becoming a more liberal place with even laws protecting lesbians and homosexuals. They have a right to choose who they prefer to love and who they want to hate. Lesbians feel loved and accepted in an environment which they identify with.

Lesbian dating agency helps women seeking women since it is very hard to find them along the streets and in any social gatherings. They can be only found in lesbian clubs or agencies. Few people declare their interest in fellow women and so social gatherings are not the perfect setting for lesbian to meet and date. There are very strange scenarios where dating between two women have happened in the public. The dating is always done from the underground. In fact most lesbians have confessed to living double lives. They are heterosexuals as well as lesbians. Some habits are hard to break and so they meet other women in privacy but go home to their husbands at night. This kind of double life is very exhaustive but it is done to avoid public criticism.

Women seeking women are usually driven by the need to fulfill their sexual needs. According to a recent survey, heterosexual women have confessed that lesbian dating is comparably more satisfying. This they have attributed to the men’s sexual behavior. Women are put off by the selfishness of men, they will engage in sexual intercourse without caring first to arouse the woman. Women and men are very different sexually. Men are easily turned on while women find pleasure in foreplay. In fact 75% of women reach orgasm through clitorial stimulation. Only women with a G-spot who are more likely to reach an orgasm through penetration. This explains why most women resent guys who are not patient with their bodies. If you have liked an experience with a woman, lesbian dating agency can help you seek one.

I recently read from the media of a case where a husband busted his wife with another woman in bed. The wife upon interrogation complained of her husband’s poor sexual performance. She felt the need to get engaged with another woman who understood her agony. A fellow woman will certainly know your most erogenous zones and will use the right temple to give you a stunning climax. Most men run away from their matrimonial beds due to lack of sexual satisfaction. If your woman is not well aroused, she rarely releases vaginal lubricants. This turns sex from being pleasure to work. Dry sex is painful and depressing and it will be understandable when your woman loathes sex. Some women seeking women have a good cause to get active in browsing through a lesbian dating agency.

Impact of Education on Domestic Violence and Development of Women Through Education

Impact of Education on Domestic Violence and Development of Women through Education

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

INTRODUCTION

You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.

- Jawaharlal Nehru

“Literary education is of no value, if it is not able to build up a sound character.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

 

            Education has been regarded as the most significant instrument for changing women’s subjugated position in the society. It not only develops the personality and rationality of individuals, but qualifies them to fulfill certain economic, political and cultural functions and thereby improves their socio-economic status. One of the direct expectations from educational development in a society is the reduction in the inequality among individuals and that is why Education was included as the basic right of every human being in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The constitution of UNESCO also directs its efforts to achieve `The ideal of equality of educational opportunity without regard to race, sex or any distinction, economic or social’.

            Domestic Violence (sometimes referred to as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. Domestic violence often refers to violence between spouses, or spousal abuse but can also include cohabitants and non-married intimate partners. Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; people of all races, ethnicities, religions, sexes and classes can be perpetrators of domestic violence. Domestic violence is perpetrated by both men and women, occurring in both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.  

What Is Domestic Violence?

            Domestic violence is controlling behaviour and includes all kinds of physical, sexual and emotional abuse within all kinds of intimate relationships. The perpetrators of domestic violence or abuse are usually men and the victims or survivors are usually women and children that they know. It includes:

• Punching and slapping

• Kicking and hair pulling

• Biting and pinching

• Pushing and shoving

• Being forced to have sex

• Being beaten or cut with other objects

• Disrespect, neglect and emotional blackmail

• Verbal abuse and swearing

• Being prevented from going out or seeing people – being isolated

• Lying, harassment and putting pressure on you through threats

            1:4 women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives and 1:10 will be experiencing domestic violence today

WOMEN VIOLENCE IN DIFFERENT STATES OF INDIA

            Over 37 per cent married women in the country were victims of physical or sexual abuse by their husbands with Bihar topping the list. Women in Himachal Pradesh faced less violence at home compared to other states in the country. The latest National Family Health Survey-III found that 37.2 per cent women had experienced violence and cited lack of education as the key reason behind their woes. “Women with no education were much more likely than other women to have suffered spousal violence. However, spousal abuse also extends to women who have secondary or higher secondary level education, with 16 per cent reporting abuse,” the survey said.

            The survey showed that countrywide more women face violence in rural areas (40.2) as compared to those in the urban areas (30.4).

            In Bihar, women in urban areas fared worse than those in rural areas. While 62.2 per cent underwent the trauma in urban areas, it was 58.5 per cent women in villages.

            It is followed by Rajasthan (46.3) Madhya Pradesh (45.8), Tripura (44.1), Manipur (43.9), Uttar Pradesh (42.4), Tamil Nadu (41.9), West Bengal (40.3) and Arunachal Pradesh (38.8).

            Among the metros, the fairer sex was better off in Delhi (16.3) and Mumbai (19.5) recorded relatively low percentage as compared to Chennai (40.6) and Kolkata (26.7).

            Nearly, 17 per cent women in Goa have experienced violence, with 17.2 women in rural areas at the receiving end as compared to 16.4 per cent women in urban areas.

            In Chhattisgarh, a total of 30 per cent women suffered at the hands of their husbands, while in Jharkhand, the figure was 37 per cent. About 40.8 per cent women in Jharkhand villages found the going tough as compared to 24.6 per cent in the urban areas.

            In the hill state of Uttarakhand, nearly 28 per cent women experienced violence, with those in villages (29.8) fared worse than their urban counterparts (22.8). After Himachal Pradesh, women fared relatively better in Jammu and Kashmir (12.6), Meghalaya (13.1), Nagaland (15.4), Sikkim (16.5) and Kerala (16.4).

Other states where women find themselves vulnerable are Assam (39.6), Arunachal Pradesh (38.8), Orissa (38.5), Maharashtra (30.7), Andhra Pradesh (35.2), Haryana (27.3), Gujarat (27.6) Punjab (25.4), Mizoram (22.5) and Karnataka (20).

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA

·        One crime against women every three minutes

·        One rape every 29 minutes

·        One dowry death case every 77 minutes

·        One case of cruelty by husband and relatives every nine minutes

·        Once suicide every 240 minutes.

Source: National Crime Records Bureau       

CHILD VIOLENCE

           Children are the nation’s assets. A happy child will make his/her home and the country happy. The future of any country depends upon the right upbringing of its children, for which a congenial environment and adequate opportunities for wholesome development are essential.

According to UNICEF’s  “The State of the World’s Children,” report for 2006, one-third of the world’s children lack adequate shelter, 31% lack basic sanitation and 21% have no access to clean, potable water.  Illness, malnutrition, and premature death are common when children lack the most basic protection.

            A government commissioned survey has found that more than 53 per cent of children in India are subjected to sexual abuse, but most don’t report the assaults to anyone.

            The survey, released last April and which covered different forms of child abuse physical, sexual and emotional as well as female child neglect, found that two out of every three children have been physically abused.

]]>

            Parents and relatives, persons known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility were mostly found to be the perpetrators of child sexual abuse in the country. According to the women and child development ministry-sponsored report, which assumes greater significance in the backdrop of the Nithari killings that brought into focus the issue of children’s safety, those in the age group of 5-12 years reported higher levels of abuse.

            While releasing the survey, Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury said, “Child abuse is shrouded in secrecy and there is a conspiracy of silence around the entire subject. The ministry is working on a new law for protection of children’s rights by clearly specifying offences against children and stiffening punishments.”

            The survey carried out across 13 states and with a sample size of 12,447, revealed that 53.22 per cent of children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse, with Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Delhi reporting the highest percentage of such incidents. In 50 per cent of child abuse cases, the abusers were known to the child or were in a position of trust and responsibility and most children did not report the matter to anyone.

            The survey, sponsored by WCD ministry and carried out by the NGO Prayas in association with UNICEF and Save the Children, found that more than 50 per cent children were subjected to one or the other form of physical abuse and more boys than girls were abused physically. The first-ever survey on child abuse in the country disclosed that nearly 65 per cent of school children reported facing corporal punishment beatings by teachers mostly in government schools.

            Of children physically abused in families, in 88.6 per cent of the cases, it was the parents who were the perpetrators. More than 50 per cent had been sexually abused in ways that ranged from severe such as rape or fondling to milder forms of molestation that included forcible kissing.

            The study also interviewed 2,324 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, almost half of whom reported being physically or sexually abused as children. When it comes to emotional abuse, every second child was subjected to emotional assault and in 83 per cent of the cases, parents were the abusers.

Children living with domestic violence may:

 

• Express behavioural problems.

• Be more likely to truant or have difficulties at school.

• Turn to alcohol or drugs.

• Self-harm or attempt suicide.

            According to the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) of Children living with domestic violence:

 

Ø      100% are emotionally abused.

Ø      48% are psychologically abused.

Ø      26% are physically abused.

Ø      13% are accidentally injured.

Ø      7% are sexually abused.

Recent figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that:

v     Globally, 1 in 6 children work.

v     218 million children aged 5 – 17 are involved in child labour world wide.

v     126 million children work in hazardous conditions.

v     The highest numbers of child labourers are in the Asia/Pacific region, where there are 122 million working children.

v     The highest proportion of child labourers is in Sub Saharan Africa, where 26% of children (49 million) are involved in work.

DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION       

 

        Education is the process of instruction aimed at the all round development of boys and girls. Education dispels ignorance. It is the only wealth that cannot be robbed. Learning includes the moral values and the improvement of character and the methods to increase the strength of mind.

            Once the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “you can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women”. This is absolutely true. Woman of any nation is the mirror to its civilization. If women enjoy good status it shows that the society has reached a level of maturity and sense of responsibility while a decadent image conjures up if the opposite is true. The story of Indian women is as old as the history of Indian civilization.

            Kumud Sharma of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies in New Delhi traced the correlation between education and domestic violence to patriarchal attitudes. “Educated women are aware of their rights,” she said. “They are no longer willing to follow commands blindly. When they ask questions, it causes conflicts, which, in turn, leads to violence. In many Indian states, working women are asked to hand over their paycheck to the husband and have no control over their finances. So, if they stop doing so or start asserting their right, there is bound to be friction.”

Female Literacy in India

            According to last census held in 2001, the percentage of female literacy in the country is 54.16%. The literacy rate in the country has increased from 18.33% in 1951 to 65.38% as per 2001 census. The female literacy rate has also increased from 8.86% in 1951 to 54.16%. It is noticed that the female literacy rate during the period 1991-2001 increased by 14.87% whereas male literacy rate rose by 11.72%. Hence the female literacy rate actually increased by 3.15% more compared to male literacy rate.

 

WOMEN UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA

 

Ø      Andhra Pradesh

      Sri Padmavati University, Tirupati

Ø      Delhi

      Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Lajpat Nagar

Ø      Maharashtra

      SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai

Ø      Rajasthan

      Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali

Ø      Tamil Nadu

      Stella Maris College, Chennai

      Women’s Christian College, Chennai

      Madura College, Madurai        

 

            It is necessary to establish some more universities and colleges for women in India. Education is a solution for any type of problem in the society. Education gives strength, power and character. Education helps to improve economic position also in the society.

            The number of women job seekers has increased from 99.3 lacs in 1999 to 106.1 lacs in 2004. Thus the percentage of women job seekers to the total job-seekers has also increased from 24.6per cent in 1999 to 26.2per cent in 2004.

Table 1: Number of Women Job Seekers

Year

Number of Women (in lacs)

Percentage to total

1999

99.3

24.6

2000

104.5

25.3

2001

108.8

25.9

2002

106.0

25.9

2003

107.5

26.0

2004

106.1

26.0

      Number of Educated Women Job Seekers as on December 2004 was 7537.7 thousand. Educated Women at the end of 2004 accounted for 25.8per cent of the total educated job-seekers.

Table 2: Number of Educated Women Job Seekers

Year

Number of Women

Percentage to total

2000

7911.7

27.1

2001

8525.6

28.1

2002

7921.4

26.8

2003

8032.4

26.6

2004

7537.7

25.8

 

Vision of National Commission for Women

 

            Dr.( Miss. ) Girija Vyas took over as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women on 16th February, 2005.

            The Indian Women of Today Culturally rooted, Globally oriented Healthy, Educated, Self Reliant Secure in her Home and Safe Outside With Access to all the Rights of a Citizen With Opportunity to Contribute in all walks of life.

 

MODERN INDIAN WOMEN

 

            The status of women in modern India is a sort of a paradox. If on one hand she is at the peak of ladder of success, on the other hand she is mutely suffering the violence afflicted on her by her own family members. As compared with past women in modern times have achieved a lot but in reality they have to still travel a long way. Their path is full of roadblocks. The women have left the secured domain of their home and are now in the battlefield of life, fully armored with their talent. They had proven themselves. But in India they are yet to get their dues. The sex ratio of India shows that the Indian society is still prejudiced against female. There are 933 females per thousand males in India according to the census of 2001, which is much below the world average of 990 females. There are many problems which women in India have to go through daily. These problems have become the part and parcel of life of Indian women and some of them have accepted them as their fate.

FIRST WOMAN OF INDIA

            Women had played an important role in the Modern World. Here are some of the most successful & first women of the world, who lead a Nation, a Party, a State, etc.

·        First woman President of Indian National Congress — Annie Besant (1917)

·        First Indian woman President of Indian National Congress — Sarojini Naidu (1925)

·        First woman Ambassador from India — Vijay Lakshmi Pandit (to USSR from1947-49)

·        First woman Governor of an Indian State — Sarojini Naidu (UP from 1947-48)

·        First woman Minister of an Indian State — Vijay Lakshmi Pandit (UP)

·        First Mayor of Delhi — Aruna Asif Ali (1958)

·        First woman Central Minister — Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

·        First woman Film star to be a member of Rajya Sabha — Nargis Dutt

·        First woman Chief Minister of an Indian State — Sucheta Kriplani (UP from 1963-67)

·        First woman Prime Minister of India — Indira Gandhi (1966-77 & 1980-84)

·        First woman Speaker of an Indian State — Shano Devi

·        First woman winner of the Bharat Ratna — Indira Ghandi (1971)

·        First woman Judge of the Supreme Court — Justice M Fatima Bevi (1989)

·        First woman Chief Justice of a High Court — Leila Seth (CJ of Himachal Pradesh 1991)

·        India’s officially recognized billionth citizen — Aastha (Born on May 11, 2000 at ND)

CONCLUSIONS

            Indian women have mastered anything and everything which a woman can dream of. But she still has to go a long way to achieve equal status in the minds of Indian men. The desire of Indian women can be best summed up in the following lines of ‘Song of an African Women’:

I have only one request.
I do not ask for money
Although I have need of it,
I do not ask for meat . . .
I have only one request,
And all I ask is
That you remove
The road block
From my path.

            Educate all the children in the family. Education is the most powerful instrument for the development of women and children in the society.8th March is observed as International Women’s Day. It is necessary to celebrate International Women’s Day every year in a grand manner. Our present president Pratibha Patil is also a woman. It is the power and credit of woman. It is also very important to celebrate Children’s Day on November 14th and Mother’s day.  

Reference:

1.      National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2001). The National Reading Panel: Reports of the Subgroups.

 

2.      UNESCO Institute for Statistics: Literacy rates, youth (15-24) and adult (15+), by region and gender (September 2006 Assessment).

 

3.   Heilbroner, R. L. (1995) Visions of the future: the distant past, yesterday, today,      

     and tomorrow (New York: Oxford University Press).

 

4.   Child and Women Development Report, (2006), Ministry of Women and Child  

      Development, Government of India, New Delhi.

 

5.    National Family Health Survey, (2006), Government of India, New Delhi.

 

6.    National Crime Records Bureau, (2007), Government of India, New Delhi.

 

7.   Census of India, (2001), Government of India, New Delhi.

 

 

.

 

*****

Next Page »

• Categories

  • Women Leader

• Archives

  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007

• Links

  • Find Local Dentist

• Meta

  • Log in
  • WordPress
  • XHTML

• Recent Posts

  • Womens Issues’And Self Help
  • Health Insurance Directory – Free Health Insurance Quotes
  • Student Unions: Equality of Opportunity is Crucial for Learners
  • How to Run a Leadership Activity
  • Sony Ericsson ? Leader of Walkman & Cybershot Mobile Phones