THE WOMEN OF INDIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 17

THE WOMEN OF INDIA

AN INTERVIEW WITH MISS JEAN BEGG Interest in India, and particularly in India’s women, is gi-owing so steadily nowadays that the views of an intelligent woman who has recently been in India are well worth while recording. Miss Jean Begg, national general secretary of the Y.W.C.A. of India, Burma and Ceylon, and at present on holiday in Dunedin, is one such woman, and has much enlightening information to give on the subject. Naturally, her talk deals largely with India as seen from a Y.W.C.A. point of view: but when it is realised that the Y.W.C.A. embraces non-Christian as well as Christian women, and that every Indian creed and sect is represented in it, the breadth of that point of view is seen to be enormous. Year by year with gratifying rapidity the women of India are beginning to take an interest in the affairs, not only of their country, but of the world in general. Education is going apace to such an extent that there is now in India a distinct educated better class growing up, and splendid high schools for girls, run by missionaries, the Government, or a committee of non-Christians and university colleges, provide means of education up to the best European standards. Only this year fromten to twenty thousand girls sat for matriculation in India; and when it is remembered that the whole examination was conducted in English, it is possible to realise how a common language makes interchange of thought possible among women from the provinces speaking such different dialects us, for instance, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujerati, Madrassi and Malayali. Women educated like this are a power in the community, and it is remarkable the way they are exerting themselves in order to make their voices heard, and, what is more, succeeding in their effort. They are to be found in all the professions—medicine, law, banking and so on —and little by little are proving their worth as leaders in matters of reform. When a women’s conference of any kind is held in India nowadays, the work done, and the views expressed, are considered very carefully by the Government. For instance, at the last All India Women’s Conference the following educational and social reforms were considered;— The encouragement of co-education in schools. The efficient introduction of compulsory education (which would affect the “ Untouchables ” as well as all other classes in India). The extension of education among adults. Compulsory medical Inspection (by women) of girls at school for the purpose of raising the general standard of physical health. More training colleges of all grades for women teachers. The removal of legal disabilities of women. The advisability of having social service training centres established. The censorship of films and posters (either imported or manufactured In India) and the advisability of having women on censorship boards. The enforcement of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. In reference to the question of traffic In women and children, a concerted attempt to secure such progressive health and moral welfare education as shall tend to a higher standard of personal conduct as well as a high standard of public opinion in the matter. A strong disapproval against the practice of polygamy. (It Is interesting to note that, when the vote tor this was taken, the Mohammedan women at the conference, though expressing their disapproval of polygamy, refused to record a vote In case their husbands should divorce them.) On account of the low standard of physique of women, high infant mortality, and increasing poverty of the country, instructions In methods of birth control through recognised clinics is a necessity. (Several women refrained from voting here, the results being 50 votes against

The conference also decided to give support to Mr Gandhi, who as president of the All India Village Industries Association is well known for his earnest endeavour to bring peace and happiness to his country. The powerful position of the Y.W.C.A. in India, says Miss Begg, is largely due to the fact that the ideals it embodies are all international ones. Non-Christian Indian women travelling abroad, realising, the association’s international importance, return to India and ask to be made associate members, so that they may share its benefits. It has nearly 7000 members and 101 branches. Indian Y.W.C.A. activities in the big towns are similar to those of the association in other parts of the world, but the unusual feature is that the members are a mixture of British, Indian and Anglo-Indian people, all existing in the friendliest and most sympathetic relations. The further cosmopolitanism of the association is seen during vacation time, when holiday homes, summer schools and conferences are featured and work dealing with the training of women for leadership apart altogether from missions is carefully gone into. Indeed, as a headquarters for international help and information, the Y.W.C.A. in India is invaluable —a sort of colossal bureau, it may be called. Miss Saker, the Indian student at present at Studhohne House, was given the idea' of coming to New Zealand by the Y.W.C.A., the student work of which brings it into contact with students in all sorts of university colleges. It is, in short, looked upon as an association particularly concerned in training women for leadership in India to-day. Miss Jean Begg, whose organising abilities and business head are well known in Dunedin and who is particularly fitted for the post she holds in. India, speaks with delight of the general advancement of women to-day. particularly in the East. Throe New Zealand women other than missionaries with whom she has come in contact in India are Miss Doris Gavin, national student secretary of the Y.W.C.A. for India, Miss W. Opie, head of an important women’s college in Colombo, and Miss Maureen Frenchey, who is doing home science work in the Lady Irwin College, of Delhi, and. in a community composed entirely of Indian women, is

working out a scheme that will make this particular college more truly Indian than most. Miss Begg has also travelled a good deal, last year visiting England at the invitation of the British Overseas Committee of the Y.W.C.A., and then proceeding to Geneva, where she attended the World’s Council of the Y.W.C.A., studied at the International Labour Office, and visited the Assembly of the League of Nations, where she was particularly impressed by the efficient work being done by women on the secretariat. She loves her work, but is always glad to come back to New Zealand again. Indeed, so great is her affection for Dunedin, her home town, that she would like to erect a large umbrella at the corner of Rattray street at a rush hour, and, sitting there, watch the hurrying progress of the crowds which to her spell “ home.’’