It is well known and documented across the globe that working class women and women of the working poor in rural areas have been the worst victims of neo-liberal policies and imperialist globalisation. It is not as though working men have gained at the expense of women. Debates on the feminisation of poverty must be situated within the reality of the main feature of globalisation, namely increasing inequalities, between the rich and the poor between and within nations. Within a general deterioration of the livelihood and living standards of the working people, women have been more affected.
In the social sphere the all pervasive market based cultures have tended to further the commodification of women’s bodies. In social life, violence against women has increased. Globally, the most shocking trend is the huge increase in the trafficking of women both for labour and as objects of sexual exploitation. Indeed trafficking constitutes one of the fastest growing “industries” in the world.
Pramila Pandhe, a veteran leader of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) passed away on October 31, 2021 after battling prolonged illness. AIDWA organized a memorial meeting to pay…
With its long 40-year history, and antecedents that span at least till the early 1940s, the AIDWA has a rich history of working amongst working class and peasant women and has several old and rare…
