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Dr. Dastoor was the first UNICEF Global Coordinator for women and children affected by landmines and focal point for child Soldiers. Dr. Tehnaz J. Dastoor, has a Doctoral degree specializing in Political Economy from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Today, she is one of the prime social influencers and thought leaders and set up the TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Women’s Entrepreneurship Group. Dr. Dastoor continues to consult with various educational institutions, provides training to NGOs and CSR- Focused assistance on program planning and implementation to corporates.
Qs. Despite a higher GER for women in higher Ed, women’s work force participation has been declining. What special steps must be taken to ensure that women not just choose to work but continue to sustain and grow?
Higher education syllabi need to include employment-linked vocational training (professional and market-driven) courses and technical programs in sectors which require additional labor. In addition, the typical stereotyping of certain professions for women such as education and nursing needs to be broken and women need to be encouraged to enter more STEM programs.
The more productive sectors of the economy (manufacturing and services) have not generated enough employment, especially for women.
In India, the manufacturing and services sectors of the economy have not generated enough employment opportunities for women and some government interventions need to be taken here. It is important to bring women into the ambit of skilled labor in the organized sector and encourage women’s entrepreneurship in MSMEs.
Further, employment opportunities which require a lot of travelling inhibits women from applying for these positions as some socio-cultural norms may prohibit them from travelling long distances from their homes. Perhaps employers need to take this into account too.
Family restrictive pressures on women to marry at an early age need to be altered through education; and offices that terminate women on small pretexts during their pregnancies or prohibit promotions when pregnant need to change their HR policies.
Qs. CSR projects are often short term. Are there models in which corporates can work together to create Co-aligned projects which are long term and outcome oriented.
Together with others, I was instrumental in creating the CII- UNICEF CSR Hub where UNICEF had prepared project proposals after intensive research and presented it to the CII funding committee. Initially raising funds was an uphill task, but after a few years we received generous donations from corporates towards our project which has received continued and sustained support over the years.
We had decided to create “model” Anganwadis in one of the largest urban slums in Kolkata. We utilized the expertise of the health, WASH, education and nutrition experts from UNICEF who worked closely with the local government authorities. After a visit by the Health Minister the government decided to ramp up over 114,000 Anganwadis based on our model. The project has been monitored throughout the years and evaluated with reports prepared and shared with the government as well as the donors.
Qs. For our students who emerge from an education system that encourages rote learning, how can we get children to become efficient members of the 21st century workforce?
This is a rather thought-provoking question. As someone who studied both in India as well as the US in some of the premier educational institutions, I can tell you that in India I was taught self-sufficiency, manners, morality, self-confidence and a sense of being which I took with me to the US.
In the US, there was little to no spoon-feeding and students were encouraged to think for themselves. There was a lot of discussion, debate and stimulating classes quite unlike the Indian collegiate education. I believe that at the college level, the Indian academic system needs to be re-hauled and teachers and professors need a total re-education in modern teaching methodologies and techniques. There is little or no interaction between the professors and their students or among students during classes, it’s more of a one-way system. Students are not encouraged to take part in more extra-curricular activities and explore other communities. For example, history is taught through rote learning but there is no ‘living history’ shared with the students. Children are not encouraged to bring in their grand-parents who may have been freedom-fighters to speak about their experiences – thus enhancing their views on the subject matter or have people who have military personnel share their experiences of the wars in which they participated and talk about their experiences dispassionately, thereby giving everyone a different perspective of history. Students are seldom taken on field trips or shown relevant audio-visuals that help to enhance the learning experience.
Qs. CSR Is Taking Center Stage. With many CSR interventions focusing on youth skill development in micro-entrepreneurial ventures like handicraft, art, and beauty related ventures, is there any need to expose them to more ambitious career choices?
I believe that there is nothing wrong with providing skill development in micro ventures related to handicraft, art and the beauty industry as many of the youth are interested in these skills but together with this they should also be taught financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills so that they can at some point (should they wish to) establish their own businesses. Other subjects which could help them on this journey are banking norms and access to loans, business planning and career counseling. They must be made aware of creating sustainable business models which can be scaled up with minimum environmental damage. They should also be exposed to computer and other technology-based education which may enhance their skills and help in their working environment.
Qs. For a nation to prosper – each citizen has to be accountable. Your views – if individually responsible citizens live as socially responsible citizens?
I believe that to be a global citizen we must inculcate certain values in our children that make them aware of our planet and how we treat it. The consequence of ‘global warming’ must be taught in our schools and each and every child should be given certain projects from the 1st grade to be carried through to the 12th grade so that they can see things to its culmination. Planting of trees, re-cycling water, sustainable waste management in terms of recycling, reusing, composting etc. should be taught and practiced by all. Schools should encourage students to join various outreach programs, and part of the syllabus should entail working with NGOs and other charitable organizations. Children should not grow up feeling entitled but share a bond with others less fortunate and understand the meaning of working for society and societal norms and goals, rather than individual ones. Financial management and accountability should also be taught from a young age. For example in Japan, children, from KG are made to set goals and each month they are taken to the bank where they deposit a little money into their accounts towards their goals. This teaches kids to set goals, save their money as well as understand the importance of this exercise.
Qs. Your take on philanthropy vs. corporate social responsibility. Are they alike?
To me philanthropy is a charitable act where the individual or corporation decides to donate to their favorite causes. It’s unstructured and can be for any purpose. And there is little accountability. On the other hand CSR is mandated by the government, not only is the amount stated clearly (2% of net profits) but the various verticals towards which funding can be provided are also identified. The entire activity has to be monitored and evaluated, it must be sustainable and the outcomes measureable and reported.
