WOMEN, MEDIA AND VIOLENCE

In patriarchal societies, all over the world, women experience subordination on a daily basis regardless of the class to which they belong. Women have been treated as the ‘other’ who required subordination, control and differential treatment. Whether it is economic security, food security, health security, personal or political security, women and young girls are affected in very specific ways due to their physical, emotional and material differences and also due to the important social, economic, and political inequalities existing between women and men.
Despite constitutional provisions and affirmative action by the government to bring in gender equality we find that women still face a lot of challenges. The recent spate of violence and rapes provoking widespread public outrage and unprecedented protests has led to a serious debate over the strategies and approaches that need to be evolved to counteract threats towards the safety of women. The book attempts to analyse and understand the myriad issues concerning women in contemporary society. Some of the articles offer media and literary reflections on gender issues. The book will be useful for scholars interested in gender and media studies.

Vidya Jain, Professor of Political Science, Director, Centre for Gandhian Studies and Principal, Maharani College, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur is a scholar of Gandhian and Peace Studies. She is also the Convener of Nonviolence Commission of International Peace Research Association (IPRA). She was Secretary General of Asia Pacific Peace Research Association (APPRA). She is also member of Gender and Peace Commission of IPRA. She has authored four books and one of her books has also been translated in Chinese language. She is actively engaged in spreading Gandhian ideas throughout the globe.

Rashmi Jain, Director, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, and Vice Principal, Maharani College, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur has her interest in the area of Development Communication, Gender Studies and Sociology of Law. She is also Board Member of Research Committee on Sociology of Law of International Sociological Association. She has been raising voice for destitute women and citizen’s issues by collaborating with civil society organizations in Rajasthan.