Call for Expert Interviewees

[Ela Karinas Gerthnerova]

Dear G&E Group Platform members,

let me take the opportunity to ask this knowledgeable and resourceful community for a bit of help. 

Currently I am based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and I am working on analytical study on inequalities in access to education from gender perspective in 8 different countries. The paper is commissioned by a Czech INGO called People in Need (PiN). It is being developed for the purpose of its national campaign on inequalities and disadvantaged groups of population in developing countries. 

 

You may guess that I contact this platform in order to search for expert interviewees, who have been working in India in the gender equality - education context.

 

Those who would be willing and interested to participate, I would like to interview you in order to learn more about the topic of women´s illiteracy with focus on consequences of practising cast system in (rural) India - both challenges and positive developments. If you would rather refer me to someone else (other expert), it is also possible and I am open to any suggestions. 

 

If you (someone else) would agree, the semi-structured interview would take place over skype, would last no more than 60 minutes and would be recorded upon an oral consent.  

 

Just to give you a bit of an overview - apart from India, the paper is going to present other 7 country cases of gender-based inequalities in education presented together with some (hopefully successful) on-going interventions tackling the issues. 

The paper is going to be published at online educational portal called ROZVOJOVKA.CZ which targets both general and academic public working in the area of development cooperation in the Czech Republic/allied NGOs in the European Union. 

Besides India, I am also searching for experts who have more to say to the following topics:

Eritrea - Access to Education of Disabled Girls

 

Bangladesh - Young women and girls living in (urban) industrial zones and their access to education

 

Jamaica - Impact of financial crises on girls school attendance

 

Thank you very much in advance for even considering your participation, I will appreciate any reaction. If you would decide to participate,we will arrange the details later upon your availability and convenience. You can either send me a message through the G&E Forum or to [e-mail] 

 

All the best and lots of success in your own work,

 

Ela

[susan Ajambo]

Dear Ela,

Is Uganda one of the 8 countries from which you are seeking interviews? If yes, then I will be glad to be your respondent.

Thanks,

Susan

[Bhabatosh Nath]

Young women and girls (living in urban industrial zone) in Bangladesh once dropped-out from formal schools don't feel comfortable to again enroll in school. Rather they become interested to join in jobs like in garments, textile factories and other existing small and medium scale industries. There are schools, colleges in the industrial zones. There is no hurdle to enter in to those institutions. Government has provision to support the girls students through providing stipend, supplying text books free of cost. However, for 'women' of age more than 18 and those are married, usually they don't go back to school /colleges. For girls/ adolescents it is not a problem to go to schools. If we consider the girls from well-to-do families, then it is not at all a problem to go to schools and all of them have access to schools /colleges. For the girls from poor families /slum areas, question of 'employing' them in any industries, business centres to 'earn' income for the family becomes a prime issue, and so, many of them don't go to school but join in income generating activities. However, in some areas 'eve-teasing' on the streets by boys and even by adults becomes a threat for the girls and their families, and in those cases girls stop their education. However, in conclusion it could be said here that in Bangladesh "Access" to education is not a problem for a girl or women in any areas including the urban based industrial zones.

[Ela Karinas Gerthnerova]

Thanks for your interest Susan, unfortunately Uganda is not on my list (the only African countries are Eritrea and Ethiopia), if you could by chance refer me to someone who works/worked in those countries and is familiar with the topic, I would be very grateful! All the best with your own work! Ela

susan Ajambo said:

Dear Ela,

Is Uganda one of the 8 countries from which you are seeking interviews? If yes, then I will be glad to be your respondent.

Thanks,

Susan

[Ela Karinas Gerthnerova]

Hello,

these are interesting points you made, would you be willing to talk about that over a skype interview? Especially about the drop-outs and girls from low income families. Thank you for considering it. Ela

Bhabatosh Nath said:

Young women and girls (living in urban industrial zone) in Bangladesh once dropped-out from formal schools don't feel comfortable to again enroll in school. Rather they become interested to join in jobs like in garments, textile factories and other existing small and medium scale industries. There are schools, colleges in the industrial zones. There is no hurdle to enter in to those institutions. Government has provision to support the girls students through providing stipend, supplying text books free of cost. However, for 'women' of age more than 18 and those are married, usually they don't go back to school /colleges. For girls/ adolescents it is not a problem to go to schools. If we consider the girls from well-to-do families, then it is not at all a problem to go to schools and all of them have access to schools /colleges. For the girls from poor families /slum areas, question of 'employing' them in any industries, business centres to 'earn' income for the family becomes a prime issue, and so, many of them don't go to school but join in income generating activities. However, in some areas 'eve-teasing' on the streets by boys and even by adults becomes a threat for the girls and their families, and in those cases girls stop their education. However, in conclusion it could be said here that in Bangladesh "Access" to education is not a problem for a girl or women in any areas including the urban based industrial zones.

[Rituu B Nanda]

Hi Ela,

What is the deadline for these interviews? 

Warmly,

Rituu

[Soniya Billore]

Dear Ela,

I would like to be interviewed for your project. Not that I am actively working on this issue but being an Indian (I worked on immigrant indian women enrepreneurs) and  exposed to rural life to some extent I may be in a position to answer some or all of your questions.

Thanks,
Soniya

[Ela Karinas Gerthnerova]

Hi Rituu,

there is not really a deadline but I should conduct the interviews ideally within upcoming two weeks (approx until 20 October 2013), anyone who is interested is welcomed to contact me. I might have enough participants for India at the moment but I am still searching more experts on Bangladesh, Eritrea and Jamaica! Thanks for your support so far, I very much appreciate it!

Best,

Ela 

Rituu B Nanda said:

Hi Ela,

What is the deadline for these interviews? 

Warmly,

Rituu

[Ela Karinas Gerthnerova]

Hi Soniya,

thanks for your positive reaction, please send me your e-mail and skype details to [e-mail] and we will schedule the interview. Thanks and looking forward!

Ela 

Soniya Billore said:

Dear Ela,

I would like to be interviewed for your project. Not that I am actively working on this issue but being an Indian (I worked on immigrant indian women enrepreneurs) and  exposed to rural life to some extent I may be in a position to answer some or all of your questions.

Thanks,
Soniya

[Soniya Billore]

Hi Ela,

My skype id is soniya.billore

Thanks