Throughout history, the status and role of women have been subject to significant evolution, influenced by cultural, social, political, and economic factors. From the constraints of traditional gender roles to the modern-day fight for gender equality, women have navigated complex landscapes in their pursuit of recognition, rights, and opportunities. Across different societies and time periods, women have played diverse roles, often shaped by prevailing ideologies and power structures. While progress has been made in many parts of the world towards achieving gender parity, persistent challenges such as discrimination, gender-based violence, and unequal access to resources continue to hinder the full realization of women’s rights and potential. Understanding the dynamic interplay between the status and role of women is crucial for fostering inclusive societies and promoting sustainable development.
Status and Role of Women
- Status means the place you have in society, with certain rights and duties that come with it.
- For example, being a mother is a status that has certain rules for how you should behave and certain responsibilities and privileges.
- A role is the active part of a status. You have a status because of who you are, but you play roles in different situations. You can think of a status as a role that’s been made official, regular, and formal in society or in specific groups within society.
- Women carry out their roles based on what society expects from them. This means they take on certain roles and act them out.
- For example, a girl learns to behave in a way that she knows her parents, relatives, and friends will approve of.
- In a nuclear family, the husband often takes on the “instrumental” role as the breadwinner, while the wife usually handles the “affective” or emotional role in the home.
Status of women in India:-
In early vedic age
Women enjoyed good status and respect in society. Worship of goddesses depict the respect women had in society.
- Woman had overall freedom regarding:
- Could Select their partners (swayamvara)
- Live as spinsters
- Widow could remarry
- Women were Educated
- No child marriage
- No sati
- Dowry only existed symbolically, not as social evil
- Could take part in religious activities like husband and wife performed yagna together
- Women were considered equal to men. The concept of “Ardhangani”i.e. equal half, was prevalent
- Women were very educated and just like man, went through brahmachary” discipline including “upanayana” ritual
- Woman contributed largely to vedic literature as is apparent from the famous woman scholars like Ghosha, Visvavara, Maîtri, Gargi, and the like
- The great Indian epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, also depict woman playing an important role in society
Later vedic periods saw the decline of status and position of women in society.
It degraded further in the Mughal period and had hit rock bottom by the time the British arrived in India.
When foreigners invaded India, they brought with them their own culture. For the muslim invaders, a woman was the sole property of her father, brother or husband and she did not had any will of her own. This type of thinking crept into the minds of Indian people and they also began to treat their women like this.
Imposition of Brahmanical austerities on the society and rigid restrictions imposed by the caste system further dented the status of women in society.
The Profile of Women in India
- As per World Economic Forum survey, India’s Global Gender Gap Index, 2023 ranking is 127th among 146 countries, countries like China (107th), Sri Lanka (115), Nepal (116), Bhutan (103), and Bangladesh (59th).
- The country has improved by 1.4 percentage points and eight positions since the last edition, marking a partial recovery towards its 2020 parity level.
- India had closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap.
- The gender gap in economic participation and opportunity stands at 60.1% globally, highlighting the persistent challenges in achieving gender equality in the workforce.
Women’s Health-
Research on hospital records reveals that men receive more medical care than women. In India, more than half of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have anemia, a condition where you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. This anemia issue has been a problem for the past 20 years. About 12% of women in the country have had many pregnancies, with 80% of their productive years spent being pregnant, and they often lack proper nutrition.
Literacy-
Literacy rate in both rural and urban areas is higher among males than females.
Political status-
- Women have a very low status in the political scenario in the country.
- Women candidates tend to receive less funds from donors when contesting against male candidates. Due to the entrenched patriarchy, women candidates are also considered to be less capable than their male counterparts by the voters.
- The number of women in the Parliament has never crossed the 20% mark till now. 50% of the population is represented by less than 20% participation is a clear indication of the poor political status of women.
- In the Panchayats, 33% of the seats are reserved for women. This has led to development of many women leaders, but in many places the concept of sarpanch pati has emerged where a woman is just the nominal sarpanch, whereas her husband is the real decision-making authority.
Reasons behind such a low status being accorded to women in India.
- Gender inequality is often seen as something that’s just part of how things naturally are because of the physical differences between men and women.
- However, scholars have shown that these inequalities are more about how society is organized than about nature.
- For example, there are no biological reasons that can explain why so few women hold powerful positions in the public. Nature also can’t explain why women typically get less or no share of family property in most societies.
- There are examples from matrilineal societies like the Nairs in Kerala and the Khasis in Meghalaya where women can be inheritors and heads of families, showing that it’s not about biology but about how society is set up.
FAQs
Q: What is the current status of women in society?
A: The status of women varies greatly across different societies and cultures. In many parts of the world, women have made significant strides towards equality in areas such as education, employment, and political representation. However, challenges such as gender discrimination, unequal pay, and limited access to healthcare persist in many regions.
Q: What are some key factors influencing the role of women in society?
A: Several factors influence the role of women in society, including cultural norms, religious beliefs, economic conditions, and government policies. Access to education, reproductive rights, employment opportunities, and representation in decision-making processes are also critical determinants of women’s roles.
Q: How does gender inequality affect women’s lives?
A: Gender inequality has far-reaching consequences for women, impacting their health, education, economic opportunities, and overall well-being. Women may face barriers to accessing quality healthcare, experience limited educational and career prospects, and endure higher rates of violence and discrimination. These inequalities perpetuate cycles of poverty and restrict women’s autonomy and agency.
Q: What are some strategies for promoting gender equality and empowering women?
A: Promoting gender equality requires concerted efforts at multiple levels, including legal reforms, educational initiatives, economic empowerment programs, and cultural shifts. Governments can enact policies to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women, while businesses can implement gender-sensitive practices in hiring and promotion. Community-based initiatives and advocacy efforts also play a crucial role in challenging discriminatory attitudes and promoting women’s empowerment.
Q: What are the benefits of gender equality for society as a whole?
A: Gender equality is not only a matter of social justice but also essential for sustainable development and economic growth. When women are empowered and have equal access to resources and opportunities, societies benefit from increased productivity, improved health outcomes, and enhanced social cohesion. Gender equality fosters innovation and creativity, leading to more inclusive and resilient communities. Additionally, promoting women’s rights and agency contributes to achieving broader goals of peace, security, and human rights for all.
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