Deconstructing proverbs and missing entries

Gender Biswakosh (Encyclopedia of Gender, Vols. 1 & 2) edited by Selina Hossain & Masuduzzaman; Dhaka: Mowla Brothers; 2006

The strength of the encyclopedia lies in its tireless exploration, inclusion and exposition of every day Bengali proverbs, popular myths, ancient folk and classic literary characters proving how social and cultural influences have structured and shaped gender-related roles and behavior. It has presented numerous women personalities from nineteenth and early twentieth centuries along with contemporary South Asian women activists, which proves that every era has its own defining women's movement, whether it is against patriarchy, colonialism or religious fundamentalism.

Conversely, the encyclopedia's weakness is that it doesn't give the same amount of effort and attention toward the thoughts and practices that shape today's multidisciplinary gender studies. In her book Gender Trouble (1990), Judith Butler writez that gender is a performance; it's what you do at particular times, rather than a universal who you are. This idea of identity as free-floating, connected to performance, questions the dominant notion and practice of sexuality and gender.

Since identity politics remains at the core of contemporary gender studies any gender encyclopedia must serve as a reference source for understanding issues related to it. Unfortunately there are not very many clues provided in this volume for those who want to engage in contemporary feminist discussions on identity and sexuality. Absent are such commonly used terms and concepts of sexuality like 'heteronormativity' and 'homophobia.' It doesn't include 'transgender,' 'transvestites,' and transsexuals,' and also excludes 'queer theory' and 'sexual rights.' It is also a little shocking that the encyclopedia does not care to include the hijra community, which could shed light on the idea that gender is a performance along with how biological deformity or difference perpetuates discrimination by producing a marginalized community.

It is surprising to note that though the encyclopedia challenges the reader to revise established beliefs by deconstructing everyday proverbs and conversations that cultivate misogyny and subjugation of women in a patriarchal culture, yet 'misogyny' as a concept is absent from the whole publication. It has provided substantial space on how gender is incorporated in development work, and included terms and practices ranging from 'gender planning,' 'gender audit,' 'gender development indicator,' 'gender need' all the way to 'gender research' and 'gender policy institutionalization,' yet--no doubt unintentionally--missed defining 'gender mainstreaming,' under which all the aforementioned practices belong.

While forms, practices and legal punishment of and for 'violence against women' received detailed entries diverse development initiatives and recognition on 'domestic violence' was not found.

Thus, 'Oedipus Complex,' a much-debated issue on sexuality, has been given an entry, but disappointingly enough Sigmund Freud and his essays on theories of sexuality, including his psychoanalytic works on women as well as his views on women's desire and pleasure, failed to get separate entries. As Freud is absent, so arethe feminist critics who have presented seminal counter-analyses on Freud like Nancy Chodorow and Julia Kristeva. Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan are given considerable space but how they confronted Freud wasn't mentioned.

Psychoanalysis as a tool has been also used at great length in feminist film analysis, where an outstanding figure like Laura Mulvey cannot be avoided. Yet just as Mulvey is absent, so too expectant readers who want to explore the complex territory of feminist films are also destined to miss the widely recognized concepts coined by her like 'male gaze' and woman's 'to-be-looked-at-ness.'

In fact, representation of women in popular culture and media is an inevitable part of gender studies, which doesn't get its due importance in the encyclopedia. Confined in limited space very few entries like 'film theory,' 'women in film', 'lyrics and songs of film' or 'women in mass media' have just sporadically been touched. Similarly feminist debates centering on pornography, women's sexual desire and pleasure are largely absent. Two fundamental entries relating to pleasure; 'clitoris' and 'orgasm' are simply therefore missing!

It is quite disappointing to find that the encyclopedia abstains from introducing feminist debates on globalization, along with on going world wide protest against international organizations like the World Bank and IMF. It is clear that World Bank/IMF pressure on Third World countries to adopt SAP and PRSPs often contribute to further discrimination and poverty which leave women in more vulnerable conditions than ever.

We do not find adequate clues to the adverse affects of trade policies on women either. We also miss feminist concerns on influences of technology on women. We find that rapid climate change and environmental disaster with its damaging effects on women weren't given space. These are the issues that determine the future of women gaining control over their body, economy, territory and cultural identity. Any gender encyclopedia cannot therefore afford to avoid mentioning the path contemporary feminism takes and fights for. The plea here is not for extensive discussions but just an introduction to the issues that can guide the eager and active reader in the right direction. In fact, that should precisely be the job of an encyclopedia: to elucidate what the issue is and where to go to find out more.

The editors, however, are sensitive to the problem. In keeping with the spirit of an encyclopedia, Selina Hossain in her introduction rightly states that she wants this book to be a living document which will keep growing instead of being static and coming to an end in one single edition. We then can certainly expect that in subsequent editions themes, incidents, personalities from other cultures and disciplines will be included and adapted to South Asian contexts overcoming the language barrier. It would also be beneficial to readers if it could also include an alphabetical outline of contents appearing at the beginning of each volume, and an author and subject index at the end. Additionally, in order for the volume to truly be encyclopedic, eventually it will also need an outline, a glossary of relevant concepts, cross-references, and a suggested reading section.

S. M. Sultana Roma works for South Asian Partners, an NGO.