An Analytical View of Women in Politics

An Analytical View of Women in Politics Achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision making will provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of womens perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved. Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995: Article 181 Women represent more than half of the worlds population and just less than half of the global electorate. Nevertheless, women constitute a marginal proportion of representatives in the worlds legislative bodies. In 2008, the average rate of female representation in national parliaments stands at a meager 18 per cent. India has of yet managed notably limited success in rectifying these imbalances, with women currently holding only 8 per cent of parliamentary seats. Although India was one of the first democratic nations to grant women the vote, women are neither represented in the legislative spaces nor contributing towards the formation of national laws.  [1]   I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. B.R. Ambedkar Taking measures to enhance the status and visibility of women is critical for sustainable progress against the range of human development indicators, both because women are particularly vulnerable to social and economic marginalisation when resources are scarce, and because women are critical agents in the development processes. According to various international reports, development in India is being severely hampered by the breadth of the gender gap and limited female participation in traditionally male dominated institutions and social strata. There are countless studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of womens empowerment as a tool for development. For example, Kerala and Manipur have experienced rapid progress in improving health and reducing mortality and fertility rates the benefits of which affect men as well as women and in these states women also play a vital social and economic role. This correlation should not be surprising, given that nutrition and child health gener ally fall within the remit of the womans household decisions. Ultimately, healthy, educated and empowered women are more likely to raise healthy, educated and confident children and engage positively with the life of the community (UNICEF). To eliminate gender discrimination and promote female empowerment, womens decision making capacity must therefore be enhanced within the household, the workplace and the political sphere. Increased political influence should have reverberations for womens equality in the other two realms, which will in turn have implications for Indias performance against all milestones for social progress. Women and Reservation Reservation of seats is a basic, consistent and logical step towards both womens emancipation and inclusive development particularly for a government which promised that the equal access to participation and decision making of women in the social, political and economic life of the nation would be at the heart of its agenda  [2]  . The concept of democracy will only assume true and dynamic significance when political parties and national legislatures are decided upon jointly by men and women in equitable regard for the interests and aptitudes of both halves of the population.  [3]  Whilst there is no universally accepted definition of democracy, any functional analysis must include two fundamental principals: all members of the society must have equal access to power, and all members must enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. The Indian model of democracy also prioritizes representation so as to avoid the pitfalls of majority rule. On this basis, there already exists a quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It is clear from the statistics alone that women do not have easy access to traditional power structures. Their entry into public spaces is persistently disabled by prevailing historical constructions of gender, created and perpetuated by the dominant institutions such as family, religion, education and the State. Nevertheless, the nature of this relationship also means that the same institutions which created the imbalance can take responsibility for its repair. The final objective of reservation is to increase womens visibility in all policy decisions on the basis that all policy decisions affect women as well as men, and affect women differently to men. This applies equally to the harder issues such as trade, industry, agriculture, defence, employment etc., as it does to those softer issues which are traditionally assigned to women politicians. Political participation of all sections of society is essential for building a functioning and representative democracy. Women must therefore be present in new arenas of decision making, with their experiences, perspectives and visions of the future informing public debate. Reservation will provide elected women with the ability to compliment elected men in making the rules that apply equally to both sexes, and which women are equally expected to abide by. The World Economic Forums annual Gender Gap Report (2007) affirmed that there are just six countries Iran, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen performing worse against economic parameters, with women constituting a mere 3 per cent of legislators, senior officials and managers and making up 90 per cent of informal workers in the economy. Against other major indicators, there is also immense cause for concern: India has the largest number of maternal deaths in the world and shocking rates of female malnutrition, and a woman in India has lesser chance of survival than in all but 2 of 128 countries. The oft-discussed imbalance in the sex ratio can be attributed not only to female infanticide, as is often assumed but to sustained neglect from infancy of female health, nutrition and wellbeing. A girl child is up to 3 times more likely to be malnourished than her brother (UN), and is also significantly more likely to drop out of school before completing a full eight years of education. As well as passive neglect, violence against women and girl children is on the rise: the number of rapes per day has increased by nearly 700 per cent since 1971, and thousands of dowry deaths occur each year.  [4]   In 1990, the United Nations Economic and Social Council endorsed the implementation of measures to reach a target of 30% women in national legislatures by 1995. Nearly 20 years later, women occupy only 18% of parliamentary seats around the world, and at the current rate of progress it has been estimated that gender parity in parliaments will not be achieved until the turn of the twenty-second century (Norris: 2004). More countries are therefore deciding to implement a fast track route to tackling structural discrimination and increasing female participation. During the last 15 years, nearly 50 countries have introduced legal quotas for women, which guarantee a minimum representation of women in their highest decision making bodies. Percentage of women representatives in Parliament: Nordic countries 41.4% Americas 21.8% Europe (excluding Nordic countries) 19.1% Asia 17.4% Sub-Saharan Africa 17.2% Pacific 13.4% Arab states 9.6% In the high performing Nordic countries, no constitutional clause or law demands a high representation of women; rather, womens groups have exerted sustained pressure on the major political parties to voluntarily ensure increases in the number and caliber of female candidates being fielded through party lists. However, this was not introduced until women were already present in the Parliament, and already holding between 20 and 30% of the seats. Elsewhere, there have been numerous problems with implementation and enforcement of party quotas. In France, for example, many political parties have preferred to pay fines rather than put their women candidates up for election. In October 2003, Rwanda came closer than any other country to achieving parity between men and women in a national legislature, with reservation of seats securing 48.8% women in the Lower House and 34.6% in the Upper House. Taiwan has introduced an outwardly complicated but well-functioning system of reservation. In a ddition to a stipulated number of seats reserved specifically for women, there is also a policy of reserving every fifth seat in a district for the best performing female candidate. It is therefore in the interests of the parties to nominate women of the highest possible caliber so as to guarantee winning the womans seat. Moreover, the women are directly elected and are therefore treated as legitimate political actors. Currently, women ministers remain concentrated in social areas (14%) rather than legal (9.4%), economic (4.1%), political (3.4%) and executive (3.9%), and there are just 13 female heads of state across the globe  [5]  . The proponents of the policy of reservation state that although equality of the sexes is enshrined in the Constitution, it is not the reality. Therefore, vigorous affirmative action is required to improve the condition of women. Also, there is evidence that political reservation has increased redistribution of resources in favour of the groups which benefit from reservation A study about the effect of reservation for women in panchayats shows that women elected under the reservation policy invest more in the public goods closely linked to womens concerns A 2008 study, commissioned by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, reveals that a sizeable proportion of women representatives perceive an enhancement in their self-esteem, confidence and decision-making ability. Some opponents argue that separate constituencies for women would not only narrow their outlook but lead to perpetuation of unequal status because they would be seen as not competing on merit. For instance, in the Constituent Assembly, Mrs Renuka Ray argued against reserving seats for women: When there is reservation of seats for women, the question of their consideration for general seats, however competent they may be, does not usually arise. We feel that women will get more chances if the consideration is of ability alone. Opponents also contend that reservation would not lead to political empowerment of women because: Larger issues of electoral reforms such as measures to check criminalisation of politics, internal democracy in political parties, influence of black money, etc. have not been addressed, and It could lead to election of proxies or relatives of male candidates The recent UNO report shows that Women hold just over 18 per cent of the seats in parliaments around the world. This represents a 60 per cent increase since 1995 but it is still a long way to go to achieve equality with men in national legislative bodies. During 2008, parliamentary elections and renewals took place in 54 countries and womens representation increased to 18.3 per cent up from 17.7 per cent last year and 11.3 per cent in 1995, the Inter-Parliamentary Union report said. The U.N. Economic and Social Council had set a target of having a minimum of 30 per cent women lawmakers in all parliaments by 1995. According to the IPU, 15 per cent of parliamentary chambers reached the 30 per cent goal for the first time in 2008. That translates to 39 out of 264 chambers in 32 countries. Forty per cent of those chambers are in Europe, 33 per cent in Africa and 23 per cent in Latin America, the report said International conventions and Indias stand: The Constitution of India is a progressive document that guarantees equal rights for both sexes, and entitles women to enjoy economic, social, cultural and political rights on an equal footing with men (Article 325). It proceeds to consider the appropriate use of legislation to redress inequality and prevent the further infringement of womens fundamental democratic freedoms and human rights. Under Article 15 (3), the State is thereby empowered to make special provisions, legislative or otherwise, to secure womens socio-political advancement. Indian case law has already interpreted the Equal Protection provisions to allow for affirmative action for women. In addition, India is a signatory to a number of international agreements that support proactive state measures for womens political development: The Convention on the Political Rights of Women provides for equal political rights for women  [6]  . Under this Convention, states are obligated to ensure that women have the right to vote in elections, to be elected to publicly elected bodies, and to hold public office on equal terms with men. Women are entitled to be free from discrimination in the exercise of these rights. Articles 1 and 2  [7]   provide for the right to vote and to be elected to publicly elected bodies, such as parliaments, established by national law. These are the basic rights which all people must have to express their interest and protect themselves against discrimination or deprivation of liberty. The Charter of the United Nations reaffirms in its preamble the principles of equal rights for men and women. The first General Assembly endorsed these rights when it unanimously adopted the resolution recommending that all member states, which had not already done so, adopt measures necessary to fulfill t he purposes and aims of the Charter in this respect by granting to women the same political rights as men. This convention spells out this recommendation in clear and practical terms, on which all parties in a country can unite. Article 3  [8]   of this convention goes beyond the basic rights in articles 1 and 2 into the matter of public office. It provides that women shall be entitled to hold public office established by national law on the same terms as men, and to exercise all public functions in the same way. The object of this article to encourage opportunities for women in government service. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified by India in 1993. Article 3 discusses appropriate measures, including legislation, to ensure the full advancement of women and Article 7 affirms that signatories should take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country. The Inter Parliamentary Unions (IPU) Universal Declaration on Democracy (1997) asserted that the achievement of genuine democracy presupposes a genuine partnership between men and women in the conduct of the affairs of society in which they work in equality and complementarily, drawing mutual enrichment from their differences. The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), 1995 affirmed that womens persistent exclusion from decision making was substantially hampering the achievement of democratic transformation, womens empowerment and achieving the goals of sustainable development. The BPfA therefore endorses affirmative action for women in the political spheres. The Mexico Plan of Action (1975), the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies (1985), the Beijing Declaration as well as the Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome Document adopted by the UNGA Session on Gender Equality and Development Peace for the 21st century, titled Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action have been unreservedly endorsed by India for appropriate follow up. NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN (2001) Goal and Objectives The goal of this Policy is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. The Policy will be widely disseminated so as to encourage active participation of all stakeholders for achieving its goals. Specifically, the objectives of this Policy include (i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential (ii) The de-jure and de-facto enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres political, economic, social, cultural and civil (iii) Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political and economic life of the nation (iv) Equal access to women to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public office etc. (v) Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (vi) Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women. (vii) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process. (viii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and the girl child; and (ix) Building and strengthening partnerships with civil society, particularly womens organizations. Women in local bodies: The Panchayat Raj, a system of self-governance, was introduced in 1959, following the submission of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee Report of 1957. The 64th Constitutional Amendment Bill was introduced in Parliament in 1989, which provided for 30% reservation for women. But it could not be passed. The Bill was defeated by a narrow margin in the Upper House. The Bill was reintroduced in September 1991, as the 72nd 73rd Constitutional Amendment Bills with an additional provision such as one-third representation for women in chairperson positions. The Bills were finally passed on December 1992. Ratified by half the states by April 1993, they came into operation as 73rd 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India on 24th April 1993. But very recently Union Cabinet approved a proposal for amending the Constitution to increase the women reservation in urban local bodies from one third to 50 percent. Increased representation of women is likely to yield significant benefits in terms of higher priority to womens issues in critical areas of urban Governance and service delivery such as water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, education and health etc.  [9]  Reservation policies clearly have a strong impact on womens representation. Women participate more in the political process in Gram Panchayat in which seats are reserved for women. In that Gram Panchayat, there are significantly more investments in drinking water, road construction, health, public toilets etc. Womens experience of being involved with the PRI has transformed many of them. They have gained a sense of empowerment by challenging men. They have become articulate and conscious of their power. They have used their elected authority to address, critical issues such as education, drinking water facilities, family planning facilities, hygiene health, quality of healthcare village development. They have also brought alcohol abuse domestic violence onto the agendas of political campaigns. In these and other ways, the issues that women have chosen differ from conventional political platforms, which are usually caste/ethnic/religion based.  [10]   Women Reservation Bill: In Valsamma Paul (Mrs) v. Cochin University and others, the Supreme Court had occasion to refer to the human rights of women and this is what it says: The human rights for women, including girl child are, therefore, inalienable, integral and an indivisible part of universal human rights. The full development of personality and fundamental freedoms and equal participation by women in political, social, economic and cultural life are concomitants for national development, social and family stability and growth cultural, social and economical. All form of discrimination on grounds of gender is violative of fundamental freedoms and human rights In 1996 the United Front government led by Deva Gowda introduced the reservation bill in the Parliament but the bill was rejected in an uproar with, some male politicians arguing that women should stay at home where they really belonged. The media had described the debate as the battle of the sexes. The Womens Reservation Bill is a powerful normative signal about the desirability of the empowerment of women. It comes against the backdrop of profound social change. Women have, by the dint of their capabilities and efforts, torn down so many barriers.  [11]  In 1993 the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution came into force, affecting the Indian rural governing bodies, the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The Amendment, at focal point for this thesis, provides a 33% reservation for women as members and as chairperson in the PRIs three-tier system. The reservation has led to a tremendous mobilization of women in the countryside, resulting in one million elected representatives.  [12]   Women have already captured 40 per cent (numbering more than a million) of the seats in panchayati raj institutions, exceeding the constitutionally mandated one-third. It is good that the Government is all set to raise this to 50 per cent soon. However, women form only 15 per cent of the civil service, although many of them have risen to high positions in Government, bureaucracy, police, armed forces, professions, science and technology, business, industry and the corporate world. Their proportion in State and national representative institutions has regrettably been small, disabling them from making their full contribution to the political process in matching strength. Compared to men, they are found to be more assiduous, more result-oriented, more earnest, more successful in getting the best out of those they work with, more disciplined and more particular about adhering to norms of propriety, prudence and probity.  [13]   Conclusion: In C. Masilamani Mudaliar and others v. Idol of Sri Swaminathaswami Thirukoil  [14]  ,the Supreme Court construing Article 21 of the Constitution of India as encompassing the right to equality, to dignity and to development, held that women are entitled to enjoy all these and without it, the right of life would be shorn of its meaning and purpose. A democracy grants political sovereignty to the people: the people must therefore retain a fundamental belief in its ability to represent their needs and act in their interests. In terms of countering apathy, reservation for a sub-group of the population can open up the system and demonstrate that a democratically elected government works for them, and that is not just an elite bureaucracy functioning solely for the dominant sections of society. Indeed, economic and social empowerment cannot be sustained unless women are politically aware, active participants in all levels of decision making. It is thereby imperative that women are politically mobilised and engaged with political processes, and for this to happen they must believe that their voices are being heard within the legislative spaces. Womens political participation can provide the inspiration for women to take action on a vision of a better and more equal society, and to make meaningful contributions towards inclusive natio nal development. There can be no equal society until women help to elect lawmakers and make laws. There is an old saying that, educate one man only one man is educated. However when a woman is educated whole family is educated. Similarly when one woman is empowered whole family is empowered.

The Population Problem Essays -- essays research papers fc

The Population Problem Two hundred years ago, Thomas Malthus, in An Essay on the Principle of Population, reached the conclusion that the number of people in the world will increase exponentially, while the ability to feed these people will only increase arithmetically (21). Current evidence shows that this theory may not be far from the truth. For example, between 1950 and 1984, the total amount of grain produced more than doubled, much more than the increase in population in those 34 years. More recently though, these statistics have become reversed. From 1950 to 1984, the amount of grain increased at 3 percent annually. Yet, from 1984 to 1993, grain production had grown at barely 1 percent per year, a decrease in grain production per person of 12 percent (Brown 31). Also strengthening to Malthus' argument is the theory that the world population will increase to over 10 billion by 2050, two times what it was in 1990 (Bongaarts 36). Demographers predict that 2.8 billion people were added to the world population between 1950 and 1990, an average of 70,000 a year. Between 1990 and 2030, it is estimated that another 3.6 billion will be added, an average of 90,000 a year (Brown 31). Moreover, in the 18th century, the world population growth was 0.34%; it increased to 0.54% in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century to 0.84% (Weiskel 40). Neo-Malthusians base their arguments on the teachings of Thomas Malthus. Of the Neo-Malthusians, Garrett Hardin is one of the most prominent and controversial. Hardin's essays discuss the problem of overpopulation and the effects it will have on the future. In Lifeboat Ethics, he concludes that continuous increases in population will have disastrous outcomes. Neo-Malthusian arguments come under much scrutiny by those who believe that the population explosion is only a myth. Those who hold these beliefs state that the evidence Neo-Malthusians use to justify their views is far from conclusive. Critics hold that the Neo-Malthusian call for authoritarian control is much too radical. Thus, these critics belittle the theories of Neo-Malthusians on the basis that population is not a problem. However radical Hardin's theories may be, current evidence shows that he may not be too far off the mark. It is hardly arguable that the population has increased in the past few decades, for current statistics show that this a... ...gy, November 1993, pp. 88-92. Day, Henry C. The New Morality: A Candid Criticism. London: Heath Cranton Limited, 1924. Douglis, Carole, and Gaylord Nelson. â€Å"Images of Home.† Wilderness, Fall 1993, pp. 10-23. Hardin, Garrett. Stalking the Wild Taboo. Los Altos, California: William Kaufmann, Inc., 1978. Hardin, Garrett. The Limits of Altruism: An Ecologist's View of Survival. London: Indiana University Press, 1977. James, Daniel. â€Å"Close the Borders to all Newcomers.† Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Political Issues. Ed. George Mckenna and Stanley Feingold. 9th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc., 1995. Malthus, Thomas Robert. An Essay on the Principle of Population. Ed. Phillip Appleman. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1976. Mandel, Michael J., and Christopher Farrell. â€Å"The Price of Open Arms.† Business Week, 21 June 1993, pp. 32-35. Morganthau, Tom. â€Å"America: Still a Melting Pot?† Newsweek, 9 August 1993, pp. 16-23. Thomas, Rich, and Andrew Murr. â€Å"The Economic Cost of Immigration.† Newsweek, 9 August 1993, pp. 18-19. Weiskel, Timothy C. â€Å"Can Humanity Survive Unrestricted Population Growth?† USA Today Magazine, January 1995, pp. 38-41.

Produce a clear understand of the Coca-Cola Company in Australia Essay

This report was written to satisfy the pass requirements of Marketing in Principles at Sydney Western International College. This study is aims to produce a clear understand of the Coca-Cola Company in Australia. The analysis of the Coca-Coal company brings an overview of how does the company has achieved its goals, their strategies and future growth. The investigation was also seek to find out how this well populated Coca-Cola products satisfied the customers and how they are different from other companies upon their marketing strategies. In order to achieve the objectives literature search was conducted by using websites, books, newspaper articles and journals. These categories help to compare the general marketing strategies with the Coca-Cola company strategies. Useful information regards to marketing help us to study the environment of the company. The final outcome of the report was that they have followed a complete theory on marketing to achieve its goals. Even the company had to face for the decline stage, the performance of the good management and advertising tools assist the organization to win the market and avoid distractions. The biggest challenge was been the Pepsi company which had a diametrical increase within a short time and populated in all over the world as Coca-Cola changing the whole marketing situation and attracting other companies consumers to their product. In conclusion this research was able to carry out current marketing situation, SWOT analysis, Issue Analysis, Company objectives, Marketing Strategy, Action Programs and Controls of the Coca-Cola Company. Strengths in Coca Cola Company (sponsorships) 1. In August 1993, FIFA working in co-operation with The Coca-Cola Company introduced a ranking system for football (soccer) men senior national teams. The system makes it possible to publish comparisons of the relevance strengths of internationally active teams at regular intervals. Since its introduction, the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking has proved to be a reliable measure for comparing national A-teams. To ensure that the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking always reflects the current status, FIFA primarily evaluates matches played in the 12 months prior to the date on which it is issued. Performance over the previous years is also taken into account, however. Basically, the score obtained from the current 12 months is added to that of the immediately preceding seven years with each previous year being devalued continually. The company help for sports it is a charity work 2. Healthy eating, physical activity what promotes healthy bones in growing children and youth? According to a decade of significant research, a combination of exercise and adequate calcium intake encourages good bone development in adolescents and children. To absorb calcium properly, a child also needs sufficient Vitamin D. Some parents wonder if other food and beverage ingredients could influence bone development. Studies on phosphorous and caffeine — both used in small amounts in soft drinks — have shown they have no significant effect on bone mass. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, as well as other sources, report no appreciable connection between these nutrients and an individual’s calcium balance. This position counters a small body of work that has suggested associations between soft drink consumption and bone fractures in teen girls. The company help for children’s activities 3. Community works Society advances on the strength of community: people sharing their ideas and resources to reach common goals. We seek to strengthen local communities worldwide through our support for education, through partnerships with other organizations and through acts of citizenship by the people of Coca-Cola. We support education because of its power to expand opportunities for individuals and increase understanding between cultures. We partner with national and international organizations to alleviate economic disadvantage and help improve the quality of life in local communities. Together with our local bottling partners, we strengthen communities by giving with our hands and our hearts, as partners in the promise of a better life. (Strength, 2004) Weaknesses in Coca Cola Company. The threat of Coca Cola Company is that as their business too much vast compare to this their branches all around the world are not enough. (Our company, 2004) Opportunities in Coca Cola Company In regard to opportunities of Coca Cola Company are the western Philippines island of Pal wan, poverty-stricken children at rural schools have been known to look for edible plants to eat during recess. The Philippines Division of The Coca-Cola Company has launched a community initiative called â€Å"NutriBreak† to improve the daily nutrition intake of underprivileged children who attend Little Red Schoolhouses. Under the nutrition program, the government’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute and Banquet State University have partnered to develop a nutritious snack for the schoolchildren. The snack provides kids with the daily requirement of protein and carbohydrates and is served with our vitamin-fortified Eight O’clock orange juice drink, as a part of the Philippines Division’s Active Lifestyle (AL) program. The Little Red Schoolhouse Project, the flagship program of The Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, has already built fifty schoolhouses in the Philippines’ remote areas. The â€Å"NutriBreak† nutrition program will ultimately reach all fifty Little Red Schoolhouses They try to expand children’s charity works (our company 2003) THE COCA-COLA COMPANY INCREASES ANNUAL DIVIDEND BY 11 PERCENT 40th Consecutive Annual Increase Atlanta, February 21, 2002 – The Coca-Cola Company’s Board of Directors today announced it has increased the quarterly dividend from 18 cents to 20 cents per common share, equivalent to an annual dividend of 80 cents per share. This increase reflects the Company’s significant free cash flow generation. This is the Company’s 40th consecutive annual increase of its dividend. The dividend is payable April 1, 2002, to share owners of record as of March 15, 2002. They increased their board of directors Threats in Coca Cola Company The have only one company to challenge for their products it is Pepsi cola company. But however they have a complete control over it. (Threats, 2004) Action Programs As for as new products are concerned they are looking for health-conscious consumers should as consumers first look to nutrient-rich foods to obtain their daily nutrition. In this regard their Chef Barr Hogen is working out. (New releases, 2004) Four New Products, Super Nutrition The new Odwalla juice beverages – Blueberry Smoothie, Protein Tropic ale(tm), Passionate â€Å"C†(tm) and Organic Orange Juice – are available in 1.5 litre (50.8 fluid oz.) multi-serve recyclable-plastic bottles. Blueberry Smoothie and Protein Tropic ale(tm) are also offered in a new 11 fluid oz. size bundled into handy 4-packs. Suggested retail price for the multi-serve and 4-packs are $3.99 each, providing an affordable price for such premium juice products. These new products will be stocked in the refrigerated juice case, making it convenient for consumers to find them in the store. Drink It and Thrive At Odwalla, they chosen a variety of great-tasting and nutritious fruits, as well as other ingredients call ‘super foods’ – for these new juice beverages and Smoothie,† are for healthiness and Wellness. As health-conscious consumers should first look to nutrient-rich foods to obtain their daily nutrition. Too often, consumers turn to pills and powders for what they think is an easy nutritional fix. Juices, however, are a convenient, flavourful and hydrating form of natural nutrition.† Chef Hogen’s newest product recipes include a line-up of four delicious tasting products: * Odwalla Blueberry Smoothie is a blend of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries combined with oranges, apples and bananas to make a sweet and silky Smoothie. The bluesy blueberries boast a blow to free radicals, with a rhapsody of antioxidants and anthocyanins. This 100% fruit juice blend contains no added sweeteners. * Odwalla Protein Tropic ale is a tantalizing blend of tropical fruit juices and purees such as pineapple, mango and passionfruit, combined with 4 grams of soy protein per serving. * Odwalla Passionate â€Å"C† is a scrumptious sipper of orange, apple, mango, banana, strawberry, and acerola cherry (one of nature’s highest vitamin C-packed fruits) and passionfruit. Each vibrant 8 fluid oz. serving provides 470% of the Daily Value for vitamin C. * Odwalla Organic Orange Juice, made only from certified 100% organically grown oranges, underscores the company’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and natural-resources conservation. The Coca-Cola Company objectives Marketing Objectives The company is dedicated to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for its employees, suppliers, contractors and customers. As the company is large it is hard to continue to grow at a steady space. The competition is higher than ever before. And the forthcoming competition and challenge for the company in the targeting markets leads them to be more accurate and more efficient. The company has faced for the big challenge with its main against competitor â€Å"Pepsi†. Since the time the company met this new competitor it has to change its strategies, directors, distribution methods and promotion system. As consumers are drinking more and more new beverages, coca-cola company plan to improve their products with respect to the prices. The following objectives have been taken into consideration (Coca-ColaCCA, 2003) Market Place * Improve the quality of the product and deliver that quality without any changes to every market place. * Gain the success of suppliers, distributors and retailers who connected with the coca-cola network. * Provide more jobs, facilities, and marketing in the local market as well as in the global market. * Reduce the price but remain the quality of product or increase the quality of the product. * Innovation in the products they offer, the process they use to make them, the package they develop and ways they bring them to the market will change to a proper way and increase the efficiency,. The delivery system will faster than ever before. Work Place * Improve the safety of the work place. * Make it as the most diverse organization on the earth, with talented employees who bring a variety of intellectual, professional, ethnic and cultural perspectives to the company. * Make the policies to foster an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to develop and perform to their fullest potential. Consumer Needs * Improve the tasty and provide more hygienic beverages than today. * Offer a valuable price, which satisfied the customer. * Readily available in every time in the market place, especially where in places that the product is well consumed. * Fulfil the consumer’s expectation in order to satisfy the consumers and win the market place. *Growth Drivers, which company targeting on, are; -Profitable profit generation -Cost reduction -Customer service improvement -Capital Management -The Coca-Cola company relationship Financial Objectives The company is now focusing on the earning per share. They are expecting to increase the earning per share from 12% to 15%. Also expect to increase the net profit from 10% to 15% and return on capital employed growth from 1pt to 1.5pts. The changes of financial performance over the previous years indicate the future growth of the company (Refer Appendix- A and B and C). Current Marketing Situation ? Market Situation The company has a strong place in the market. The head of the marketing Mr. Sergio Zyman develop the company strategies to promote their product more efficiently than other competitors. From the whole beverage the Coca-Cola Company has achieved market more than 78%. With its indulgency, the company has the best selling and quality assurance comparing to other beverages. ? Service Situation The company performs a standard delivery service, which runs on time basis. Services are spread into every state including NSW, Victoria, Perth, and Queensland. High quality service guarantees that the company product exists in the market better than before. Marketing executives of the company always capable and available to help for their customers and resellers. The company well conducted with their wholesalers and retailers in order to encourage them and to be with them. Attract to another competitor is neglected upon this situation. ? Distribution Situation The company has the best selling images. It reserves more on advertising and it’s been useful and beneficial to increase their profit and production. Introductions like ‘fast-lane merchandisers’ are continually increase each period. Agreements with colleges, universities and other public and private sectors help them to keep their product in one whole market and avoid entering of other competitors. (Schermehorn etal, 2004 p 46) Conclusion From all above facts and figure of the company. The strength of the company more than the weakness and likewise opportunities with compare to threats it concludes that company has strong swot analysis, which is a positive sign. As for as Current Marketing Situation is concerned with respect to market situation, service situation and distribution situation is much better than its competitors (Pepsi). The company is dedicated to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for its employees, suppliers, contractors and customers; the coca cola company also have many campaigns in markets. Financial Objectives the Coca-Cola Company objectives are increasing day by day which shows that company will increase its sale ratio annually from 11% of the previous year to 20% in next coming 5 years. Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C KEY FINANCIALS 2003 2002 2001 2000 Change in 2000-2003 Revenue ($ million) 1,882.9 1,776.8 1,675.1 1,558.1 +6.5% Volume (million unit cases) 301.2 285.8 275.1 263.3 +4.6% Revenue per Unit Case ($) 6.25 6.22 6.09 5.92 +1.8% EBIT ($ million) 377.7 317.0 288.9 272.0 +11.6% EBIT margin (%) 20.1 17.8 17.2 17.5 Capex to Revenue (%) 5.2 1.7 3.5 4.8 Reference List Coca-ColaCCA, 2003 the CCA World [online] http://www.coca colacca .com _20020301 .html (Accessed: 29-04-04) My company, 2003 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/whatsnew_20030404 .html – 24.2KB – in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, opportunities in.: 25 (Accessed: 29-04-04) New releases, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2cocacolacom/pre sscenter/nr_20030204_odwalla_new_juices.html (Accessed: 15-05-04) Our Company, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/whatsnew_20020301 .html – 23.5KB – in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, weaknesses in.: 23 (Accessed: 29-04-04) Schermehorn etal, 2004 p46. Marketing Strategies: Ed: 4 New York (29-04-04) Threats, 2004 The Coca Cola Company [online] http://www2.coca cola.com /our company/whatsnew_20020301.html – 23.5KB – in: 1, Coca: 1, Cola: 1, Company: 1, weaknesses in.: 23(Accessed: 05-05-04)

The Medici; Heroes of the Rennaissance - 988 Words

The Medici; Heroes of the Renaissance In the year 2004, PBS broadcasted the series, â€Å"Medici; Godfathers of the Renaissance†. This four-part documentary, in attempt to gain viewer interest, compared the Medici to the mobsters found in Francis Ford’s â€Å"The Godfather†. The relation of the Medici to Italian mobsters in the PBS Medici series is in no way accurate, for they were not villains of the renaissance, but heroes. The Medici were very connected with the church, and used their extensive wealth to promote religion. The Medici became powerful as a result of being the official Papal bankers. They used a lot of their power and wealth to give back to the church throughout their lives. Throughout the Medici timeline there were a†¦show more content†¦By supporting a questioning society, proving their power through patronizing, and discovering their own ways of gaining power, the Medici changed the political ways of the renaissance. Before the ren aissance, the church was the most powerful and controlling leader. However, it only had power as long as their followers remained loyal. The Medici were household members with, and big supporters of ,the very intelligent, church-defying Galileo Galilei. Galileo’s completely valid discovery that the Earth travels around the Sun defied the teachings of the Old Testament. Galileo published a book of his discoveries disguised as a fiction novel. This was not the first scientific discovery to defy Bible teachings, however it was the most publicised. This caused society to begin to question the teachings of the Bible, and everything they had been taught. This theme of questioning lead to less loyal followers of the church, and more loyal followers of non-religion based rulers. The Medici also introduced power through patronage. Rather than fighting to prove power like in the past, the Medici found creating the most beautiful city was just as rewarding. Their rise to the very top a fter completing the dome of the Sistine Chapel proved this theory completely. Most of the Medici valued public involvement, modesty, and connections, for that was how they gained power. According to Pope Puis II Cosimo di