THE THIRD WORLD FEMINISM REVEALED IN THE ACTIONS OF JASVINDER AGAINST WOMEN’S FORCED MARRIAGES AS SEEN
IN JASVINDER SANGHERA’S DAUGHTERS OF SHAME
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Levyn Gracia Hanardi
Student Number: 081214022
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
THE THIRD WORLD FEMINISM REVEALED IN THE ACTIONS OF JASVINDER AGAINST WOMEN’S FORCED MARRIAGES AS SEEN
IN JASVINDER SANGHERA’S DAUGHTERS OF SHAME
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Levyn Gracia Hanardi
Student Number: 081214022
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
vi ABSTRACT
Hanardi, Levyn Gracia. 2012. The Third World Feminism Revealed in The Actions of Jasvinder Against Women’s Forced Marriages as Seen in Jasvinder
Sanghera’s Daughters of Shame. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis analyzes the Third World Feminism revealed in the actions of
Jasvinder against women‟s forced marriages as seen in Jasvinder Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame. The novel Daughters of Shame is based on true events of the
main character‟s own experience. It consists of thirty two chapters. The novel tells
about Jasvinder Sanghera‟s actions to help South Asian women against forced
marriages.
The problems that I discussed in this study are: The kinds of actions Jasvinder take to fight forced marriages and Jasvinder‟s efforts to fight forced marriages as a reflection of the Third World Feminism. Based on the problem, the aims of the study are to identify the actions that Jasvinder Sanghera takes to fight forced marriages and to reveal how the Third World Feminism is reflected in the actions of Jasvinder Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame.
I used the feminism approach and the ideas of Third World Feminism in order to answer the problem. In this study, I conducted library research. Jasvinder
Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame is the primary source of this study. There are some secondary sources which are used in order to support the topic discussed, among others are the books related to the theories, articles and online journals. I also included the review of women in Pakistan and India.
From the analysis, it can be concluded that Jasvinder‟s actions in fighting
against forced marriage clearly show the ideas of Third World Feminism. First, she opposes gender inequality faced by women in the Third World countries. She fights against patriarchal power and domestic abuse. Second, she builds a sisterhood between First World and Third World countries. Third, she becomes a women activist by building a charity named Karma Nirvana, choosing to work rather than taking a Ph.D degree, comforting the victims of forced marriage, doing preventive actions against forced marriage in schools, campaigning against forced marriage in public, being a speaker at Women‟s International Conference,
changing her „daughters‟‟ life and hope, and inviting others to continue her actions in fighting forced marriages.
vii
ABSTRAK
Hanardi, Levyn Gracia. 2012. The Third World Feminism Revealed in The
Actions of Jasvinder Against Women’s Forced Marriages as Seen in Jasvinder
Sanghera’s Daughters of Shame. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Pendidikan dan Ilmu Keguruan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skrispi ini menganalisis Feminisme Dunia Ketiga yang terungkap dalam tindakan Jasvinder Sanghera menentang kawin paksa yang terlihat dalam novel
Daughters of Shame. Novel Daughters of Shame ini berdasarkan kisah nyata pengalaman pribadi penulisnya. Novel ini terdiri dari tiga puluh dua bab. Novel ini mengisahkan tindakan Jasvinder Sanghera dalam membantu para wanita Asian Selatan untuk menentang kawin paksa.
Permasalahan yang saya diskusikan di dalam studi ini adalah: Berbagai macam tindakan yang Jasvinder lakukan untuk menentang kawin paksa dan bagaimana perjuangan Jasvinder tersebut terefleksi dalam Feminisme Dunia Ketiga. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut, tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi tindakan Jasvinder dalam menentang kawin paksa dan menyatakan bagaimana Feminisme Dunia Ketiga terefleksikan dalam aksi Jasvinder Sanghera.
Saya menggunakan pendekatan feminisme dan gagasan Feminisme Dunia Ketiga untuk menjawab permasalahan tersebut. Dalam studi ini, saya menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Novel Daughters of Shame menjadi sumber utama dalam studi ini. Ada beberapa sumber tambahan yang digunakan untuk mendukung topik yang dibahas, antara lain adalah buku-buku yang berkaitan dengan teori-teori, beberapa artikel dan jurnal on line. Saya juga mencantumkan ulasan tentang keadaan wanita di Pakistan dan India.
Hasil dari analisis tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa tindakan Jasvinder dalam menentang kawin paksa menunjukan gagasan dari Feminisme Dunia Ketiga dengan jelas. Pertama, dia menentang ketidaksetaraan gender yang dihadapi para wanita di negara Dunia Ketiga. Jasvinder melawan kekuasaan patriarkhal dan Kekerasan Dalan Rumah Tangga. Kedua, Jasvinder membangun hubungan antara negara-negara Dunia Pertama dan Dunia Ketiga. Ketiga, Jasvinder menjadi aktivis wanita dengan: membangun sebuah yayasan bernama Karma Nirvana, memilih bekerja daripada mengambil gelar Ph.D, menghibur para korban kawin paksa, melakukan tindakan preventif dalam menentang kawin paksa di beberapa sekolah, mengkampanyekan perlawanan terhadap kawin paksa, menjadi pembicara dalam Konferensi Internasional Wanita, mengubah kehidupan
dan pengharapan “anak-anak perempuannya”, dan mengajak para penerusnya untuk melanjutkan aksinya dalam menentang kawin paksa.
viii
DEDICATION PAGE
I dedicate this thesis to:
Jesus Christ
,
My Best Friend
Theofilus Hanardi Wiyanto
,
My Superhero Daddy
Herlina Ros Sumiati
,
My Great Mommy
Kristiyan Adi Nugroho
,
My Beloved Man
Everyone who stays in my heart
“
For His mercy and loving-kindness are great
toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the
Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!”
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord and my Best Friend. He always gives me strengths, blessing and guidance during the process of writing my thesis. I realize that He is
always on my side. Without Him, I will not be able to finish my thesis
successfully.
I am also indebted to my advisor, Ibu Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum., for all guidance, advice, encouragement, patience, valuable times from the
beginning until the accomplishment of this thesis. My gratitude also goes to all
my PBI lectures for transfering their knowledge, giving wonderful lessons and
teaching me a lot of things.
I would also like thank Sr. Margaret O Donohue FCJ, Bp. Hendra Kurniawan, S.S, and Bp. Peter Bambang Siswanto, S.Pd, who have given their time to read and correct my thesis. I thank them for the helpful comments in the
process of writing my thesis.
I would like to thank all the people I love. My deepest gratitude goes to
my father, Theofilus Hanardi Wiyanto, S.Pd and my mother, Eoudia Herlina Ros Sumiati, AMK., who always pray for my success. I thank them for their support, prayers, trust and unlimited love. No words can ever be good enough to
x
I also thank my boyfriend, Kristiyan Adi Nugroho, who never stops loving me. He always encourages me when I give up. I thank him for his care
when I am really down. He is so meaningful for me.
I must thank Irine Puji Telisadewi, Monika Asri Lestari, and Kresentia Yosta Dhinda Aprillia for being my great friends forever. They are really my unforgettable best friends. I love them.
Special thanks go to my friends, Nieza, Mila, Adi, Dimas, Yuanita, Ayu Ganjar for being my friends during the first until the last semester in Sanata Dharma University.
Last but not least, I thank those who have supported and encouraged me to
finish my thesis. God always be with us.
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE... i
APPROVAL PAGES... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY... iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI... v
ABSTRACT... vi
ABSTRAK... vii
DEDICATION PAGE... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS... xi
LIST OF APPENDICES... xiv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A.Background of the Study... 1
B.Problem Formulation... 4
C.Objectives of the Study... 4
D.Benefits of the Study... 4
E. Definition of Terms... 5
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories... 8
1. Feminism Approach... 8
xii
a. Feminism in General... 10
b. Third World Feminism... 13
B. Review on Women’s Life in Pakistan and India in 2000s ... 17
1. Women in Pakistan... 17
2. Women in India... 19
C. Theoretical Framework ... 22
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A.Object of the Study... 24
B.Approach of the Study... 25
C.Method of the Study... 26
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A.The Actions done by Jasvinder to Fight Forced Marriage... 28
1. Building a Charity named Karma Nirvana... 28
2. Choosing to Work rather thanTaking a PhD Degree ... 30
3. Comforting the Victims of Forced Marriage... 32
4. Doing Preventive Actions against Forced Marriage in Schools... 33
5. Campaigning against Forced Marriage in Public ... 35
6. Being a Speaker in Women International Conference... 36
7. Changing Her ‘Daughters’s’ Life and Hope... 37
xiii
Forced Marriage... 39
B. Jasvinder’s Actions in Fighting Forced Marriage
as a Reflection of Third World Feminism... 40
1. Opposing Gender Inequality faced by
Women in the Third World Countries... 40
a. Fighting against Patriarchal Power... 41
b. Fighting against Domestic Abuse... 44
2. Building A Sisterhood between First World and
Third World Groups ... 45
3. Being a Women Activist... 49
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
A.Conclusions... 50
B.Implications for Education... 55
xiv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
APPENDIX 1 Summary... 66
APPENDIX 2 Biography of Jasvinder Sanghera... 68
APPENDIX 3 Pictures... 70
APPENDIX 4 Testimonial From One Of
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts. They are background of the study,
problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition
of terms. In the first part, I state the reason why the novel Daughters of Shame is
chosen. Then, two research problems are formulated. Third, the goals of this study
are stated as objectives of the study. Fourth, the benefit of this study that
contributes the conducted study for the development of knowledge is stated. The
last is the definition of terms that explains some important terms used in this
study.
A. Background of the Study
There are a lot of examples in literary works, such as novels, poems,
essays and plays. In this study, I decide to work on a novel because it is
interesting and it can describe about certain situations, period, setting and events
that occur in the novel. The novel is a reflection of the writer‟s life. Through the
series of events experienced by the characters, the reader will be involved in the
situation that the characters feel. The reader will feel, think about the problem,
understand the points of view and begin to solve the conflicts that occur in the
novel. At the end, the reader can obtain the message or values that are revealed in
Feminism is an interesting issue to be discussed because it concerns the
movement to achieve the equal position between men and women, the freedom of
women and women‟s rights in the world. It states about women‟s struggle to be
independent in regulating herself.
The movement to reach women‟s freedom is not an easy thing to do but it
needs hard struggles and commitments. Humm (1992) stated that the feminist
movement came from France in the 1960s and 1970s. It began when women felt
constrained. At that time, when people heard about the word „woman‟ they would
think about a person who worked in a kitchen, took care of her children and
husband. Besides, a woman would not have any good position in the workplace,
education and politics. Those conditions confirm that fact that women were not
treated fairly in the society. It arouses a strong tendency from many people that
women are weak creature.
Based on Jasvinder Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame, I can see that there
are some cases that indicate the inequality between men and women. The story
happened in the last decade. All parts of the novel tell about the story of women
who have bitter experiences in forced marriage. Most of the victims of
discrimination, inequality, and sexual harrasment are always women. According
to German (2003), in 2000, there were many feminists who worked for women‟s
freedom. Some of their struggles could be successfully achieved but the rest was
the responsibility of the next generation.
The setting of Jasvinder Sanghera‟s Daughter of Shame took place in
countries such as India and Pakistan. Robinson (1988) stated The South Asian
region such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and
Maldives were counted in the Third World countries. Humm (1994) stated
The term “Third World” is frequently applied both to geographical entities
and to oppressed „underdeveloped‟ peoples. At the 1987 annual NWSA (National Women‟s Studies Association), to be Third World means the
country have been de-centered from any point of power in order to be used as the negative pole against which the dominant power can then define themselves. Third World feminism focuses on three major issues: on the politics of universalism; on cultural controls and misinterpretations; and on the homogeneity of the canon (p.256).
Sanghera has produced a good work about feminism. She does not only
write about the fiction story but also a real story based on her own experience.
The real story tells about her struggle to help other women. Jasvinder has posed
an unrevealed problem that really happens in her life and some women around
her. The atmosphere of feminism is very strong because I really can imagine the
struggle of Sanghera. Although women are posed to be weak creatures in one
side, I can also feel that women are strong human beings. Women can survive in
bad things which happen in their life. By looking at Sanghera‟s Daughters of
Shame, I highlight the feminism which attempts to prove that male and female
have to be equal in marriage and household. This novel inspires me to dig a
deeper understanding about the Third World feminism.
Based on the facts above, the exploration of the deepest meaning of
feminism especially the Third World feminism can be found in Jasvinder
Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame. I investigate the kinds of actions that the
B.Problem Formulation
Looking at the background of the study, I can clearly see that this study
poses two problems that can reveal the Third World Feminism movement. The
two research problems are formulated as below
1. What kinds of actions does Jasvinder take to fight forced marriages?
2. How does Jasvinder‟s efforts to fight forced marriages reflect the Third World
Feminism?
C.Objectives of the Study
This study has two objectives. The first objective focuses on identifying
the actions that Jasvinder Sanghera does to fight forced marriages. The second is
to reveal how the Third World Feminism is reflected in the movements of
Jasvinder Sanghera‟s Daughters of Shame.
D.Benefits of the Study
The content of this novel is full of moral values and knowledge for all
readers. Therefore, this study is able to give beneficial contribution for the readers
and especially for the students of English Education Study Program. For the
readers, it is expected that it can give some characteristics of the Third World
Feminism as reflected in Jasvinder Sanghera‟s actions to fight forced marriages in
South Asian. The reader will appreciate that the actions in reaching women‟s
freedom needs hard work and tears because it is not an easy thing to do. For the
novel like Daughter of Shame in the other points of views. Besides, this novel can
be applied in teaching English.
E.Definition of Terms
This part provides definitions of meaning of the terms which are
frequently used in the entire parts of this study. The terms are feminism, the Third
World and forced marriage. The explanations are:
1. Feminism
In this study, I present feminism as a way to gain equal rights as a woman
to obtain her freedom in thinking, acting and living. According to Humm (1992:1)
the word “feminism” can stand for a belief in sexual equality combined with a
commitment to eradicate sexist domination and to transform society. Feminism is
women‟s assertion of their equality with men and their demand for access of those
roles and positions of public life traditionally regarded as the province of men
(Davies, 1996). Feminism can be described as a belief and a commitment to equal
rights and opportunities (Terrey, 1989).
Humm in The Dictionary of Feminist Theory states that feminism
incorporates both doctrines of equal rights of women ( the organized movement to
attain women‟s right) and an ideology of socail transformation which aim to
create a world for women beyond simple social equality (Humm 74). It means that
there is social transformation fow women to gain social equality. She also states
sexuality, are used to sum up the basis experiences of women. (as cited in
Setyorini, 2009 p.5)
2. The Third World
In this study, Kurian (1982) states the Third World is defined as the
politically non aligned and economically developing and less industrialized
nations of the world.
The emergence of the Third World has been one of the most significant phenomena of the post-World War II world. Forty of these countries are the poorest in the world and nearly 1.2 billion of its inhabitants- 60% of
the Third World‟s population – subsist in chronic poverty. The economic and social indicator show in stark and frightful numbers the condition of
this quarter of the planet‟s population. Many Third World countries have become closed societies from which little reliable information is permitted to filter out to the West. (p.237)
Kurian (1982) states many Third World countries are located in Africa,
Latin America, and South Asia. They are often nations that were colonized by
another nation in the past. The populations of third world countries are generally
very poor but with high birth rates. In general they are not as industrialized or
technologically advanced as the first world. The majority of the countries in the
world fit this classification (p.239)
3. Third World Feminism
In this study, Third World Feminism takes place in South Asian countries,
India and Pakistan. According to Bruno (2006), the ideas of Third World
Feminism are expressed in the World Conferences in the 1990s. The ideas are: a)
Sex inequality constitute the main problem faced by women in the Third World,
analytical categories such as race, class or position in national structures are less
important than gender, d) A sisterhood between First World and Third World
groups is an effective tool to advance sex equality e) Women activism and
feminist mobilization is an effective tool to promote changes in the sphere of
women‟s rights. The principal struggle of Third World women should be centered
around the satisfaction of basic needs, understood as basic rights (as cited in
Bruno, 2006, p.7).
4. Forced Marriage
According to Jain (2008) Forced marriage is a marriage in which the bride,
groom or both do not want to get married but are forced to by others, usually their
families. People forced into marriage may be tricked into going abroad, physically
threatened and/or emotionally blackmailed to do so. In this study, forced marriage
Unlike forced marriages, in an arranged marriage both the bride and groom
choose whether or not they want to marry the person suggested to them by their
families. In a forced marriage there is no freedom of choice.
Jain (2008) states a forced marriage is considered to be domestic violence.
Victims of forced marriages often experience physical violence, rape, abduction,
torture, false imprisonment and enslavement, sexual abuse, mental and emotional
8
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter explains some theories related to the study. Review of related
literature covers three parts. The first part is the review of related theories. The
second part is the review of women in Pakistan and India in 2000s. The last part
explains the theoretical framework.
In this chapter, I explain theories related to the topic of the Third World
feminism as seen in the actions of Jasvinder Sanghera in the novel Daughters of
Shame. The theories are the theory of feminism which consists of feminism in
general, the Third World feminism ideas and review of women in Pakistan and
India.
A.Review of Related Theories 1. Feminism Approach
Rohberger and Woods say that literature is one of the works of art that has
aesthetic values. Literature is written by human as expression of particular
personalities and from all sorts of motives. Literature are works that are merely
potential until they are read and understood by the readers. In their book entitled
An Introduction to Poetry, Kennedy and Gioia state that literary criticism is more
than a discussion about literature. It is not an abstract or an intellectual problem; it
is a natural human response to literature. Literary criticism just tries to help
In this study, I use feminist criticism to support the critical approaches.
Humm (1992) states feminist criticism gives more adequate attention to women
writers, a space to the women critic, and space to the idea of women theorists.
According to Humm, feminist criticism shares three basic assumptions. The first
means that gender influences the writing style and the ideology of each gender
can be seen from a literary work. The style shows the ideology of each gender.
For this reason, feminist criticism needs to include general interpretations of the
cultural theory or ideology of each individual writer (p. 6-7). The second major
assumption is that there are sex-related writing strategies. Men and women use
language in different ways on writing their literary work. They use different
vocabularies and different kinds of sentences (p. 7-8). The last assumption is that
even if some male critics acknowledge the first two criticism above, the
continuing traditions of which it is a part, uses male norms to exclude or
undervalue female writing and scholarship (p.8).
Feminist theory critics or feminist approaches attempt to explain how men
and women imbalance, due to gender, are reflected in literature text. In its
diversity, feminism is concerned with the position of women in a secondary
position, where women do not gain equal position with men. According to
Goodman in Literature and Gender, feminist literary criticism is an academic
approach to the study of literature which applies feminist thought to the analysis
of literary texts and the contexts of their production and reception. It has
language, set of theories and a vocabulary all its own (as cited in Setyorini, 2009
p.9)
2. Feminism
a. Feminism in general
Montagu (1958) says that in the society there is a conditioned norm, which
states what women can do and cannot do. In almost every society there is a belief
that men are superior and women are inferior, women also think that belief is
right, because it believes as what really happens (p.23). They are not given the
chances to develop their intelligence and skills and they have different
opportunities from men (p.38). The statement means that women are conditioned
as weak creatures. Women‟s position is always under men‟s position in every
aspect of life.
According to Montagu people believe that women do not have abilities to
do the work better than men. Therefore, feminism believes that women and men‟s
position in society is the result of social factors, not natural or biological factors.
Feminism tries to see women to be equal to men. Feminism theory reveals the
importance of women‟s individual and shares experiences and women struggles.
Women struggle for equal opportunities and for equal rights. Women try to fight
against unfair condition and strive for their rights (p.40).
Harley states men from one generation to the next generation exploit
women. Gender discrimination is a great burden for women, because they have to
conditioned from time to time. Women are not only physically oppressed but also
mentally oppressed (as cited in Setyorini,2009 p.15)
Fakih (1996) explains about the feminist struggle. The most important thing
about feminist struggle is finding out the equality, dignity and freedom. The ideas
of feminism are:
1) Equality
The definition of feminism deals with both equal rights for women and in
a way to create a world for women beyond social equality. All human beings are
born free, have equal dignity and rights. Men and women should have equal
rights. In the equality, there is no difference between human beings. Leclerq
(1942) in his book says
Like the man, the woman is a human person, with all the dignity of a human being. But she is a human person in another manner than man. She has, therefore, the same right to seek after her perfection. Yet she is different, and as a consequence her personality unfolds itself under other conditions. The rule of equality between man and woman is a rule of differentiated equality. The woman not only has an equal right with the man to the full development of her being; she has an equal right to develop
herself in different way. To impose man‟s manner of life upon the woman,
or to give her the same status, is to violate her right, which is to be different from him (p.292).
2) Liberty
Women have the right to live, work and feel free. Women have their own
freedom and rights to do anything they want. The main point is that women are
born free and equal to men. They are supposed to be subjected to men. Therefore,
women no longer put up with being dependent on men. Leclerq states that
than in the man. She reasons less and feels more. This is not to say that she is less inteligent: she is intelligent in a different way. In the woman
intelligence is more closely linked with feeling. It is from this that she derives her gifts of intuition, an esential trait of feminine intelligence, and this likewise accounts for her slight taste for reasoning and abstract thought (p.295).
3) Women’s Right to be Herself
Feminism believes that women‟s first right is to be women that they do not
imitate the men when they develop their ability. Leclerq states that woman must
accept her nature: her development, her happiness, her perfection, her glory lies in
her woman‟s nature.
4) Opportunity of Career
Feminism means freedom for all aspects of women‟s active expression. It
is the elimination of all structural and psychological handicaps to women‟s
independence. Feminism demands for the women equality in education and in
accessing the profession. Women should have an equal role with men in achieving
her satisfaction through her own abilities.
The theories of feminism support the feminist ideas and also the theories of
superior feeling. Actually women are not inferior as men and others say. Women
have many superior characters. The feeling of superiority can make women
realize their power. It is true that women are not emotional than men but they can
handle their feelings. Women have good abilities in expressing their feelings. This
fact makes them more realist than men. They are better in handling the bad
conditions they face in their life, like starvation, exposure, fatigue, shock, and
Women do not only have the superior feeling but they also know what is
good and bad in the way they use their feeling of superiority. Montagu says that
women know their power and use them for good deeds (1953:143). From her
statement we can conclude that women are more realistic. They can control their
feelings effectively and use their power for good purposes.
b. Third World Feminism
According to Humm (1992) Third World feminism is the third wave and
fifth gear feminism which areas are in India, Latin America, and Australia.
The term„Third World is frequently applied both to geographical entities
and to oppressed „underdeveloped‟ people. Women in The Third World are
not necessarily more „underdeveloped‟ or oppressed than Western women, White or Black. The distinction between „First‟ and „Third‟ Worlds carries with it other problems: the issue of spatial barriers and the dangers of a binary- the West/ Others. Third World feminist critics attack the traditionalism/ modernism dichotomy characterising the rigid capitalist Third World/First World binary. The example is the growing number of women in higher education, the establishment of writing workshops enabling women to research a female tradition to emphasize both the quantity and variety of women‟s writing (p.256).
Sen and Grown (1987) states the principal struggle of Third World women
should be centered around the satisfaction of basic needs, understood as basic
rights. They believe women should attain freedom not only from gender related
inequalities, but also from those related to race, class and national asymmetries,
since these categories are mutually intertwined in the concrete and real lives of
women. For a vast majority of women in the Third World, injustice as a result of
class, race and nationality divisions is closely related to the oppresive situations
Saunders (2002, p.6) says that an important difference between western and
Third World feminism is found in their conceptualization of women as the subject
of struggles.
While western feminists make equality between men and women the center of their struggles, Third World feminism stresses satisfaction of basic material needs as a pressing issue in the context of disadvantageous international economic order. It means that the situation of women is perceived not only as the result of unequal gender relations, but as the consequence of a wide range of oppresive situations that transcend gender categories and are also related to race, class and citizenship cleavages (p.7).
According to Bruno (2006), encounters between Western and non Western
feminist creating the ongoing debate, the both sides between Western feminist and
Third World feminist expressed the ideas of Third World Feminism. The ideas are
expressed in the World Conferences in the 1990s. The ideas are:
1) Sex Inequality Constitute The Main Problem faced by Women in The Third World
Niaz (2003) states women are generally treated as second class citizens
and wives are battered for misconduct or minor mistakes. In India and Pakistan,
nearly 25% of women had suffered from physical abuse. In January 2001, about
130 cases of physical abuse occured a result of which 68 women were brutally
killed (p.177).
Papp (2010) states children learn from an early age that boys are more
valued than girls. Boys are given more freedom both inside and outside the house,
and they are encouraged to participate in decision-making, while girls are
restricted. Boys have inherent value. The only way for girls to attain value is
through their relationship to men, mainly as wives and mothers of sons.
Therefore, it is important for girls to be educated but not too ambitious. Girls‟
primary function is to marry well; bound by duty, they are to be self-sacrificing
wives, providing services and producing sons for their husband (p.13).
2) Patriarchal Power takes Priority in The Analysis of Women Status
Napikoski (2012) defined patriarchal as a general structure in which men
have power over women. Society is the entirety of relations of a community.
A patriarchal society consists of a male-dominated power structure throughout
organized society and in individual relationships. Pilcher (2004) stated patriarchy
means rule by the male head of a social unit (a family or tribe).
Papp (2010) states the transfer of a woman, like a property, from her
father‟s control to her husband‟s, combined with the belief that her destiny is duty
to her husband, normalizes the occurence of rape and other forms of violence in a
marriage and makes it more difficult for women to reveal abuse. He says the
South Asian patriarchal structure controls female sexuality not only in a physical
manner but also in a psychological one, by making explicit the link between
3) Other Analytical Categories such as Race, Class or Position in National Structures are Less Important than Gender
The third ideas of Third World Feminism is gender. In Third World
countries, gender is the most important than others. Race, class or position are less
important than gender. American Psychological Association (2011) described the
term gender as the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a given culture associates
with a person‟s biological sex. Therefore, gender inequality was the condition in
which the position and rights of women were not equal to men.
In Third World countries such as India and Pakistan, there are many kinds
of action in order to respect gender. One example was honour killing or
honour-based violence. According to Papp (2010) honour killing was an ancient practice
in which men murder female relatives in the name of family “honour” for forced
or suspected sexual activity outside the marriage, even when the women have
been victims of rape.Niaz (2003) states that gender is the most important in South
Asian.
Cultural norms around violence, gender and sexual relationship are not only manifested at the individual level, but are also re-enforced or not by the family, the community and within the broader social context, including
the media. Husband‟s domination over wives, including the use of
violence, has been sanctioned by cultural beliefs (p.177).
4) A Sisterhood between First World and Third World Groups is an Effective Tool to Advance Sex Equality
To advance sex equality, a good relationship between First World and
The term "First World" refers to so called developed, capitalist, industrial countries, roughly, a bloc of countries aligned with the United States after World War II, with more or less common political and economic interests: North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia. First World
Countries are the most advanced economy, highest standard of living, the most advanced technology, the greates influence in the world.
The term could also mean: industrialized nations, developed countries, rich countries or the civilized world, in contrast to the poor, under developed, un-civilized, exploited nations of the so called Third World (p.2).
Sen and Gita (1987) states that it must be remembered, however, that poor
Third World women, peace and the struggle against violence can not be struggle
for basic needs, economic justice, national liberation and a development oriented
toward these goal without First World (p.74).
5) Women Activism and Feminist Mobilization is an Effective Tool to Promote Changes in The Sphere of Women’s Rights
Brown (1992) says women‟s struggles are routinely made aware of the
limitation of the protection offered by legislation and court orders. This they do
through many different strategies, for example by making themselves heard in
public arena, both directly in their own voices and also in other‟s words (as cited
in Afshar (2005), p.37).
B.Review
1. Review of Women in Pakistan
According to Niaz (2003) In Pakistan,
comply with tribal beliefs and traditions. Any woman who deviates from these traditions, such as being seen with a man to whom she is not related or married can suffer penalties including death (p.8)
In Pakistan, there is a tradition called honour killing which closely related
to forced marriage case. Niaz (2003) Honour killings (Karo Kari) are carried out
by men who assume that their wives, daughters, sisters have, in some way,
violated norms relating to the behaviour of women, which damages a man‟s
honour. Papp (2010) stated honour killing is an ancient cultural practice in which
men murder female relatives in the name of family “honour” for forced or
suspected sexual activity outside the marriage, even when the women have been
victims of rape. Since 2002, 12 murders of women were identified as honour
killings; three other murders that were identified as domestic violence also have
the hallmarks of an honour killing. Each year, male family members murder
thousands of girls and women across the globe in the name of family honour and
shame. At least 266 women had been victims of honour killing in and around
Lahore (p.179).
According to UNICEF (1999), in year 2000, about 206 women died of
stove-burning. According to Progressive Women Association, in all the cases
more than 30 percent of the body was burnt and in some cases it exceeded up to
60-90 percent. Its report “Dimensions of Violence”, noted that 163 stove-death
had taken place in an 11-month period in Lahore alone in year 1999 (as cited in
2. Review of women in India
According to INCLEN Survey (2000), the women issues in India include
rape, sexual harassment, importation of girls/trafficking, dowry related murders,
domestic violence, suicide, child sexual abuse.
An increase of 6.7% in the incidents of rape was seen between 1997 until
2002. Based on the survey, 16,373 women were raped during the year. 45 women
were raped every day and 1 woman was raped every 32 minutes.
The second fact is sexual harrasment. 44,098 incidents of sexual
harassment were reported. Every day 121 women were sexually harassed and 1
woman was sexually harassed every 12 minutes. An increase of 20.6% was seen
in incidents of sexual harassment between 1997 until 2002.
The third fact is girls/ women trafficking or importation of girls and
women. 11,332 women and girls were trafficked. 31 women and girls were
trafficked every day. 1 woman or girl was trafficked every 46 minutes. 14,630
women and minor girls were kidnapped or abducted. 40 women and minor girls
were kidnapped every day. 1 woman or minor girl was abducted every 36
minutes.
The fourth fact is dowry related murders. 7,895 women were murdered
due to dowry. 21 women were murdered every day. 1 woman was murdered due
to dowry every 66 minutes.
The fifth fact is domestic violence. 49,237 women experienced domestic
violence in their household. 135 women were tortured by their husbands and
minutes. Domestic violence constitutes 33.3% of the total crimes against women.
A steep rise of 34.5% in domestic violence cases was witnessed between 1997
until 2002. Over 40% of married Indian women faced physical abuse by their
husband. 1 in every 2 women faces domestic violence in any of its forms:
physical, sexual, psychological and/or economic.
Between 1997 and 2001, 10,424 housewives committed suicide and
accounted for 52% of the total female suicide victims. There are 12,134 women
were driven to commit suicide due to dowry.
The last fact is child sexual abuse. 63% had experienced sexual abuse at
the hands of family members. 25% had been raped, forced to masturbate the
perpetrator or forced to perform oral sex. Nearly 33% said the perpetrator had
been a father, grandfather or male friend of the family.
The government records show high incidence of crimes against women in
India. The National Crime Records Bureau reported in 1998 that the growth rate
of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth rate by
2010. Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social
stigma attached to rape and molestation cases. Official statistics show that there
has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women
(Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2002, p. 5).
The feminist activists in India picked up momentum during later 1970s.
One of the first national level issues that brought the women's groups together was
the Mathura rape case. The acquittal of policemen accused of raping a young girl
protests were widely covered in the national media, and forced the Government to
amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code
and introduce the category of custodial rape.Female activists united over issues
such as female infanticide, gender bias, women health, and female literacy. The
issue of rape received increased political and social attention during the year.
The press consistently reported that violence against women was increasing,
although local women's organizations claimed that there simply had been
increased reporting. Only 10 percent of rape cases were adjudicated fully by the
courts, and police typically failed to arrest rapists, thus fostering a climate of
impunity. Mass rapes often formed part of the tactics of intimidation used by
upper caste gangs against lower castes, and gang rapes often were committed as a
punishment for alleged adultery or as a means of coercion or revenge in rural
property disputes. Numbers of reports of rape and the extent of prosecution varied
from state to state. Madhya Pradesh had the highest rates of rape reported. In
Assam 30 percent of rape cases involved girls below 18 years of age. Most of the
victims were maidservants, some as young as 6 years old. On November 24, a
medical student allegedly was gang raped in broad daylight in New Delhi.
Police arrested a man and three suspected accomplices and charged them with
rape, robbery, and criminal conspiracy (Country Reports on Human Rights
C.Theoretical Framework
The focus of the study is on the reflection between the characteristics of
Third World Feminism and the action that Jasvinder Sanghera takes to fight
forced marriages. Theories related to the study must be used to accomplish the
analysis. The theories of feminism consist of feminism in general and the Third
World Feminism itself.
Firstly, the definition of feminism in general is needed to be used in order to
give a clear definition about feminism. It can be defined by using the theories of
Montagu and Fakih. Montagu describes the definition of feminism. Fakih tells
about the feminist struggle and the ideas of feminism. After that, by using
Humm‟s theory the kind of feminism that Jasvinder does in the novel can be
recognized. In this study, the kind of feminism is Third World Feminism.
Saunders, Sen and Gita‟s theories are also needed to be used in order to give
explanation of the important difference between Western and Third World
Feminism. In recognizing the ideas or concept of the Third World Feminism, I
used Bruno‟s ideas of the Third World Feminism which is expressed in the World
Conferences in the 1990s. The ideas are used to answered the second problem
formulation in the analysis.
I also attach the data from U. Niaz, UNICEF, INCLEN Survey 2000 and
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices about women in Pakistan and India.
The data is needed to be reviewed in order to give some descriptions about the
real situation of women and gender inequality that happen in India and Pakistan.
marriage, rape, sexual harrasment, dowry related murders, domestic violence, and
24
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses the methodology in conducting this study. This chapter
consists of three parts. The first part discusses the object of the study. It contains a
brief description of this novel. The second part presents the critical approach that
is used in the study. The third part tells about the research procedure which
discusses the steps done to answer two questions in problem formulation.
A.Object of the Study
Daughters of Shame written by Jasvinder Sanghera. She is a novelist and
the co-founder of Karma Nirvana, a community-based project that supports South
Asian women affected by domestic violence and honour-based crimes. She was
born in Derby. Following the publication of her own stroy in Shame, Jasvinder has
brought the issue of forced marriage into the public eye and helped the Forced
Marriage Bill to go through Parliament. In 2007 she received one of the pretigious
Women of the Year awards for her work. She has also received the Mc Whirter
Foundation Award 2007, Best magazine Bravest Woman Award 2007, and the
Inspiration Award for Women 2008. Jasvinder was made an Honorary Doctor of
the University of Derby in 2008.
This study uses Jasvinder Sanghera’s novel, Daughters of Shame, as the
primary data. This novel consists of 290 pages. It was published in 2009 by
chapters and each chapter tells about the process that Jasvinder do to save other
women from unexpected marriages. Before saving others, Sanghera even become
the victim of forced marriages. After escaping from the unexpected marriage, she
promises to help others who are trapped in unexpected marriages. She adopts
some girls who successfully escape from forced marriages and they are named as
Sanghera’s “daughters”. They are Shazia, Sanah, Kiren, Shabana, Yasmin, Maya,
Surjit, Fatima, etc.
Jasvinder Sanghera’s Daughters of Shame reveals the stories of young
women such as Shazia, kidnapped and taken to Pakistan to marry a man she had
never met. Daughters of Shame is a novel which contains of biographical true
events. The setting is in Derby, United Kingdom during this modern era. This
story is told by women who have been drugged, beaten, imprisoned, raped and
terrorised within the walls of the homes they called as family. Jasvinder Sanghera
knows what it means to flee from your family under threat of forced marriage.
She also knows how to face the terrible consequences that follow. Jasvinder is
now at the frontline of the battle to save women from the honour-based violence
and threat of forced marriage that destroyed her own youth.
B.Approach of the Study
In doing this study, I use feminist approach as the appropriate approach to
deal with feminism revealed in Sanghera’s struggle in Daughters of Shame. By
using this approach, I can analyze the life experience, the action to achieve
According to Barry in his book entitled Beginning Theory: An Introduction
to Literary and Cultural Theory., feminist criticism accept the conventions of
literary realism, and treat literature as a series of representation of women’s lives
and experience which can be measured and evaluated against reality. Considering
this approach, I am interested in knowing the most appropriate kinds of feminism
that Jasvinder does in her novel. By using the approach, the analysis of feminism
as revealed by Jasvinder Sanghera could be proven.
C.Method of the Study
In doing this study, I used library research because the data were gathered
by analyzing the novel and reading books. According to George (2008) one of the
goals of library research is to understand human motivations for actions.
Library research is a form of structured inquiry with specific tools, rules, and techniques. It is unpredictable, sometimes frustating, but ultimately rewarding as you examine your findings, then add your own insights to make a compelling case. Library research involves identifying and locating sources that provide factual information or personal/ expert opinion on a research question; neccesary component of every other
Pakistan, in 2000s and the ideas of the Third World Feminism.
There were some steps taken in doing this study. The first step was reading
deeper understanding, to find the important information and to know the
characters well. I took notes to gain a clear description about Jasvinder Sanghera
as the object of analysis. When I was interested in revealing feminism depicted in
Sanghera’s actions, I needed to analyze Sanghera’s actions. Secondly, I
formulated two problems. The problems could be formulated by knowing the
kinds of actions that Jasvinder took to fight forced marriages. Then, the Third
World feminism as reflected in her actions needed to be revealed. Thirdly, I found
some significant references that could guide me to comprehend the issue.
Feminism approach especially in the Third World country and the ideas of Third
World Feminism were used in analyzing the novel. I also used the data from
related books and internet in order to enrich the further information needed as the
references. The purpose of the references was to help in answering the problem
formulation.
In answering the result of the study, first I identified all of Jasvinder
Sanghera’s actions. Then, I classified them into some categories. After that, I
matched the ideas of the Third World Feminism and Jasvinder’s actions to fight
forced marriages.
After finishing all steps, the result of the study was concluded. I also gave
implication for education and suggestion for future research. Then, I included the
appendices which contained the summary of the novel, the biography of the
author, the pictures of Jasvinder’s actions in fighting forced marriage, and the
28
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter is divided into two parts based on the two problem formulations.
The first part analyzes the kinds of actions that Jasvinder takes to fight forced
marriage. Then, the second part reveals how Jasvinder‟s actions reflect the ideas
of the Third World Feminism.
A.The Actions done by Jasvinder to Fight Forced Marriage
In order to answer the first problem, I analyze the kinds of action of
Jasvinder Sanghera against forced marriage. There are eight actions revealed from
the novel. Those actions are :
1. Building a Charity named Karma Nirvana
Jasvinder Sanghera had a big vision to help the victims of forced marriage.
Her life was called to support other women. In the past, she had a bitter
experience about being forced into marriage but she could escape. Therefore, her
family disowned her. After she escaped from home, she had a commitment to help
other victims of forced marriage. First, she met Ayesha and she said to Ayesha
that she was not the only Asian woman who had been forced into marriage. The
story of Ayesha‟s life made Jasvinder become stronger to fight forced marriage.
Ayesha was raped by her brother when she was eight. Her mother knew it but she
As time went by, Jasvinder built a foundation namely Karma Nirvana.
After she built the charity, she could easily meet some victims of forced marriage.
“Karma Nirvana is the charity that has a purpose to help women who live in suffer
and Ayesha was one of its first clients” (Sanghera 2).
When Jasvinder listened to Ayesha, she realized that she became a witness
to her suffering. She wanted to make her feel valued as an individual. She wanted
to give a better future for the victims of forced marriage. Therefore, “Karma
Nirvana had a purpose to support forced marriage victims like Ayesha – who
suffered so often. It became the main concern of Jasvinder Sanghera when she
helped other women. It was the cornerstone of everything Jasvinder did (Sanghera
12)
Karma Nirvana‟s vision was inspired by the bitter experience of
Jasvinder‟s sister, Robina. Robina commited suicide by burning herself to escape
from her husband. Therefore, Jasvinder‟s life was driven by pain and guilt. She
was unable to reconcile herself to the fact that she did not prevent Robina‟s death.
I was inspired by the terrible death of my sister Robina, who burnt herself to death to escape her husband. It seemed to me then hers was a uniquely awful fate. Out of morass of emotion came my vision for a charity that would help women like Robina and my mum, women whose lives were being blighted by cultural and language difficulties
(Sanghera 8-9).
Jasvinder knew that the victim of forced marriage could call Karma
Nirvana anytime. Therefore, Karma Nirvana had a commitment to always listen to
the voice of women who needed help. Karma Nirvana‟s phone number was
always available for twenty-four-hours. The staff always listened to the screams
office and had the endless women‟s voice on the phone whispering their fears.
They needed to be rescued.
Detective Superintendent, Tony Hutchinson from Cleveland police
appreciated Jasvinder‟s action. He knew nothing about forced marriage until he
went to a conference in London. At that event, Jasvinder was invited to attend as a
speaker. Jasvinder could give a clear explanation which changed Tony‟s idea. He
saw his phone line as a local project.
Tony‟s idea – like Karma Nirvana when it first started out – was small scale and very practical. He wanted to introduce a twenty-four-hour free phone number, manned by up to twenty volunteers, which would be dedicated to callers ringing about forced marriage or honour-based violence (Sanghera 164).
Karma Nirvana had been established for a year in Derby. Day by day,
Jasvinder proudly introduces herself as the worker of women‟s freedom. She
fought for women who had been the victims of forced marriage. She said that she
worked for Karma Nirvana, a Derby-based organisation helping south Asian
women who had been the victims of honour-based violence and forced marriage.
2. Choosing to Work rather than Taking a PhD Degree
Early that summer, Gordon Riches, who had been Jasvinder‟s tutor when
she was an undergraduate at Derby University, came to Karma Nirvana. He tried
and persuaded Jasvinder to do a PhD on honour-based violence. As soon as she
started her PhD proposal, she knew that the work was what she really wanted to
Very few of the books I found in the library contained anything relevant; there was quite a lot of feminist material which touched on the subject, but I found it either strident or dry and nothing came close to examining why survivors survive. I began interviewing disowned women – there was a steady stream of them approaching Karma Nirvana – and looking for trends in their behaviour, common patterns and reactions. (Sanghera 150).
When Jasvinder was on in the process of taking her PhD, she did her
research and also did her actions at the same time. To make it easier, she classified
the characteristics of the survivors.
I made a list of the characteristics common to women who find the courage to flee their oppressive families of their forced marriage- the survivors. The first thing on the list was that all of them, every single one, claimed to have been the black sheep in her family, just as I was in mine. Iwas a breech baby and my mum always said to me, You were difficult
from the start.‟ (Sanghera 199).
When Jasvinder began to take her PhD, she was pushed by some
arguments which stated her actions were wrong. The police called her. She had to
face a dilemmatic fact that she had to finish her PhD or work very hard at Karma
Nirvana to help the victims. She was tired and she began crying. She thought it
was time to stop. However, she did not.
By the time I got to stand beside her, to support and encourage her, she was so battered by circumstance, so entrenched in her victimhood. The stories she had told me – long convoluted stories in which physical violence, rape, deprivation and endless cruelty and callousness all pile in on one another –exhaust me. If I‟m honest, I‟d rather not think about them. But I have to (Sanghera 204).
Jasvinder sometimes felt hesitant about her decision to do her PhD. The
trouble was there were so many things to do at Karma Nirvana which had to be
her priority. She had a commitment to dedicate her time, her effort and her ability
struggling for it. She thought it was best to forget her PhD and go back to work.
Gordon Riches could understand her decision.
The trouble was that with so much going on at Karma Nirvana, that had to be my priority. The PhD felt like my own private pleasure and I wanted to go on with it but I was struggling, Gordon, bless him, understood. He made me work out – realistically – how much time I could give to my
studies and then he said, „Face it Jasvinder, it‟s not enough. You mustn‟t
let this hang like a dead weight round your neck. Why don‟t you put it on
hold.‟ I left his office feeling that a burden had been lifted off my
shoulders; for the first time in months I was confident that I could get my life back under control. (Sanghera 259)
3. Comforting the Victims of Forced Marriage
Jasvinder imagined a support system for young women who had recently
left their homes and been rejected by their families. Jasvinder did not only provide
a charity to protect the survivors but also comforted the survivors. First, she
comforted Shazia. Shazia was a victim of forced marriage and she is a survivor
today. When she was seventeen, her parents took her to Pakistan. Her parents said
it was for a holiday but after two weeks they told her that she was getting married
to a man she had never met before. She could escape and she met Jasvinder.
Jasvinder said to Shazia when she believed in Jasvinder, she did not work alone
but Jasvinder would help her.
Her next client was Kiren. Jasvinder received a phone call when she
accompanied her children in the Park. She thought there was a young woman
hundreds of miles away who was desperate and need reassurance. She could not
refuges and people who supported her. Kiren had to believe in Jasvinder and her
life would be okay.
The next client was Shabana. She escaped from her home and she was
waiting to make sure that her identity would be protected. She felt sure her parents
would try to find her. She started talking about suicide. Jasvinder suddenly felt
choked by worrying Shabana. Jasvinder sent a text, asked when she could ring
Shabana and she needed to reassure Shabana that there was hope for her.
After Shabana, Jasvinder still had many clients. One of them was Maya.
She had an alcoholic husband. Her husband was quite violent towards her. He
would twist her wrist, slap her when he was drunk and pulled her backwards if she
tried to walk past him. Her husband became very controlling. He forced her to
give up an accountancy course she had started, prevented her from going out
alone, forbade socialising, monitored her calls. He called his wife „fat bitch‟. She
had been abused by her family and husband, kidnapped, forced into marriage.
Jasvinder reassured her and she promised to accompany Maya in solving her
problem.
„ I took her hands in mine, squeezing them tight as if I could pump hope into her. Look how strong and brave you are: after all you‟ve been through
you have held yourself together because you want your girls back. You
have to focus on that. Everything you‟ve done so far you‟ve done by yourself but now I‟m going to support you. You no longer have to walk alone.‟ (Sanghera 220)
4. Doing Preventive Actions against Forced Marriage in Schools
Jasvinder came to some schools in her surrounding. It became one of her
suspected had to know their fate before it happened. Some of them had no idea of
where to turn for help. Therefore, Karma Nirvana took the preventive action and
schools were one of their early targets.
I keep in touch with all the schools in our locality; I ask to speak to the person in charge of child protection and try to make them aware of the issues surrounding teenage girls and forced marriage. It‟s not always easy. A lot of the schools don‟t want anything to do with me. They say the
things I‟m talking about are „culturally sensitive‟ and they don‟t want to
upset parents (Sanghera 9 -10).
She kept in touch with all the schools in her locality; she asked to speak to
the person in charge of child protection and tried to make them aware of the issues
of forced marriage. She explained that some of the victims of forced marriage are
being abused at home. It means they had to escape from home and they had no
place to live.
The charity I run, Karma Nirvana, helps women overcome cultural and language barriers. Most of the women who contacts us are south Asian, a lot of them are young, like you. A lot of them are being abused at home by their families, or their in laws. Some of them are afraid of being forced into marriages (Sanghera 12).
„ I‟ve recently given evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee which is investigating domestic violence, forced marriage and honour-based violence, and several of my staff have done the same: at last the
5. Campaigning against Forced Marriage in Public
She did not only work at Karma Nirvana office, but she also gave
presentations in front of police forces, social activists, health visitors, schools and
some institutes which cared about women. She had to handle those invitations
because there were at least forty invitations where she had to speak in public.
Anna handles my appointments now that things have got so busy. Each month I get about forty invitations to speak to police forces and social services, health visitors, schools, primary care trusts, even the Women‟s Institute. I hate to turn any of them down but realistically, with all the
travelling it involves, I can‟t manage more than twelve each month
(Sanghera 80).
Early in 2007, I received an invitation to the House of Lords from the Liberal peer, Lord Lester. He invited me to attend the second reading of Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act; a bill that he had introduced in order to try and prevent people from being forced into marriage. Of course I accepted; this subject is so close to my heart (Sanghera 108).
On the bill, Lord Ahmed pointed out that there was no religion –
Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism or Islam – condoned that practice. In
fact, they condemned it. Lord Ahmed also gave a really clear answer to the
question that Jasvinder asked. It was her first time that she had heard the issues
that she was battling with everyday. The discussion gave her hope and it might be
