Global Women's Voices: An Online Dialogue In recognition of International Women's Day, March 8, women leaders from Brazil, India, Uganda, and the United States, discussed the successes and challenges facing women in different parts of the world. Global Women’s Voices: An Online Dialogue is a joint initiative of OneWorld U.S., Feminist Majority Foundation, PLANetWIRE.org, Women’s EDGE, Global Health Council and Digital Freedom Network. Wednesday, March 6 12-1 pm ET Dr. Vineeta Gupta Dr. Vineeta Gupta, a medical doctor served for 10 years in Punjab Civil Medical Services before resigned under protest in 1997. Presently She is doing her Law degree completing in 2002. She is founder General Secretary of INSAAF International, an organization working for Social, Economic and political Rights of the people, in particular for the marginalized and vulnerable sections of society especially women. She investigated and reported many cases of human Rights violations, corruption in government and World Bank funded Projects at a grave risk to her career and person. She is involved as a volunteer in awareness, advocacy, and mass protests against the human rights violations, corruption by domestic rulers and oppressing economic policies of International Financial Institutions. She is subjected to constant persecution, humiliation and harassment. Her case of harassment is well documented by many National and International organizations like National Human Rights Commission of India and Amnesty International. She has contributed in various publications on the issues of women’s empowerment, human rights and corruption. Has traveled widely in India and abroad in relation to building up solidarity and campaigns on these issues. Rotary Manav Sewa Award 2001” (Rotary Service to Humanity Award 2001) was conferred on her in recognition of her relentless fight against crime and corruption in public life and for upholding ethical standards in society, presented by former Chief Justice of India, Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah on 24.3.01. Continue the discussion on our Bulletin Boards!

Moderator: Welcome to the Global Women's Voices chat. Please use the form above to submit your questions.

Cassandra: How has globalization affected women in developing nations? Vineeta Gupta: It starts from the social sector. It has taken access to health care out of the hands of the poor people. It has affected women, because they are the poorest of the poor. It has affected the other sectors like labor for women and standards for living. It has exploited women at every step.

Womanpower: What can people in the U.S. do to help women in India, and around the world, receive adequate healthcare? Vineeta Gupta: Even U.S. women face the same problems that women do in India. Healthcare is inaccessible to both. We have to fight together. It is not one country helping another, it is a mutual fight.

Twyla: I saw that you are pursuing a law degree, how will it help your work? Vineeta Gupta: I feel that I will be able to research more on human rights law and try to address better human rights problems that we are facing using national and international law.

Lisa: How sensitive to gender issues is the World Bank? Vineeta Gupta: I don't think that there is any sensitivity to gender issues in the World Bank. For example, in the health sector, before taking any project they don't hear impact statements on how the projects will affect women. In Punjab, the state health sector has undergone corporatization, and this affects women's access to health care. The World Bank is pushing such policies.

hkl: With women from so many different cultures celebrating international women's day, what is universal about the struggle for women's rights all over the globe? Vineeta Gupta: We are fighting for gender equality -- that is an issue all over the world that is similar. We are fighting the exploitation of women all over the world. We are all facing challenges from a new socioeconomic order.

Campbell: What has been the impact of World Bank policies on healthcare in India? Vineeta Gupta: It has increased user fees and has taken health care out of the hands of women, denying justice. The poor must now pay in order to get examined. If a woman is beaten and thrown out of her house and cannot afford to pay for health care, she cannot have her injuries examined. Even reproductive rights are affected. The health policy is such that women are the target for family planning, and they face very bad conditions. They are dying because they don't have access to reproductive health care or general health care services.

Arlington, VA: Please describe your activist background in India -- are there correlations between what is happening to women in India and those in America? What types of harassment have you experienced due to your activism? Vineeta Gupta: I have been very active since 1986, and I have been observing how the social sector has treated the poor. The connection between Indian women and U.S. women is very similar. In the U.S., every third woman is a victim of violence. It's the same in India but the violence is different and greater. In India, it starts at birth. Indian girls don't have the right to be born.

Ericka: How did you come to do this work and what inspires you to continue? Vineeta Gupta: I was brought up in an environment which promoted resisting and fighting injustice, and I started working with my father in the human rights movement. Then, the state oppression on me in retaliation of my activities made me understand more effectively how people are oppressed and the need to fight that. As a medical doctor, I observed and shared the plight of poor people and women who are fighting gender conditioning. A few incidents made a deep impression on my mind and my father has been a great inspiration for me. My interaction with the common people inspires me to work more and more, and I am now a full time volunteer.

Marion: What are some of the challenges you have encountered in your work? Vineeta Gupta: I have encountered great resistance from the government. The state is an opponent rather than collaborative in solutions to human rights situations. Poor people don't have access to education, making outreach difficult. And social conditioning of women has made them silent bearers of oppression. They must bear oppression silently.

Hanley: What are some of the successes of the women's movement in your community, country or region? Vineeta Gupta: The women's movement is a young movement and its scattered, so we have achieved small achievements in all parts of the region. But, we have yet to achieve significant results. All the people working on these issues need to collaborate and coordinate their local struggles to produce results.

beth: what kind of violence are Indian women exposed to? Vineeta Gupta: It starts from birth. They are killed before they are born. Girls are also subjected to gender discrimination. For example, in education they are forced to take care of their siblings rather than go to school. When they are young, they are married off and then are subjected to dowry crimes. They are murdered and tortured. They are second class citizens at every stage of their lives and in every sector. They are treated like property. For example, in a family dispute, women will have their clothes torn off and will be paraded nude in the middle of their villages to end the dispute. In Pakistan, India, and in a number of other countries, honor killings are also very common.

beth: Do you think that things have improved at all for women in India? Vineeta Gupta: It looks like it has, but in reality it has deteriorated. It is very evident from the fact that more and more people wouldn't want to give birth to a girl child. The number of females is decreasing very fast because they are killed before birth. Crimes against women are increasing. There are more and more small children forced into prostitution, and the government is silent on all of that. Lots off publicity has been on gender equality, but in practice we have opposite. There is a difference between what the government says and what it does.

Beth: What kind of programs are you involved in with helping women's conditions in India? Vineeta Gupta: We are doing work on challenging oppressive policies that have had a negative affect on women. We are scheduling awareness campaigns in villages for rural women, and we are opposing the imposition of the user fee in various World Bank programs in India. On March 8, we will submit a memorandum to the government of our state asking for the repeal of the user fees. We have reported many cases where women have received bad healthcare. They are treated like animals.

beth: what kind of opposition do you face that would pose a threat to your work for women's rights in India Vineeta Gupta: I face opposition from the bureaucracy, the government. For example, we had a gang of kidnappers who were kidnapping young girls to make them prostitutes. One girl was only four years old. We tried to have the kidnappers arrested, but the state police is protecting them. The police are threatening the parents to take back their charges and are saying that the parents do not want to find their daughters. The police are taking bribes from the gang, but they re being protected. Most of the opposition I face is from law enforcers, like the police, and the government.

Meaghan: Do you think that men have a role in the fight for better healthcare for women? Vineeta Gupta: I believe in addressing women's rights in human rights language, so men do have a role as human beings. I feel that treating women's rights as an issue for women only, is discrimination in itself. It is as human beings that we have to fight for the rights of the gender that is oppressed, so men have an equally important role as women.

Moderator: Thanks to our speaker and everyone who joined us for this chat. Don't forget to visit our Campaign page to take action. After the chat, continue the discussion on the FeministCampus.org Bulletin Boards! Vineeta Gupta: This is a great initiative. I really enjoyed the chat and hope that we can collaborate and coordinate our struggles all across the globe.