Women Empowerment

 

In the last chapter, we discussed how socially created biases undermine the work done by women and regard it to be economically unproductive. Even though according to NSS 61st Round survey (2004-05), in India, 83.6 per cent women are engaged in agriculture, yet the work done by them goes unrecognised. In fact, Some experts are of the opinion that if we take account all the work done by women then the Gross Domestic product (GDP) will increase notably. With changing times more and more women are going out to work, yet traditional stereotypes limit the opportunities for women. Stereotypes prevent them from opting for unusual professions.

As discussed in Class VI, stereotype is a group of traits linked with all members of a specific social group and it results from narrow-mindedness. Social norms compel women to take up roles that are related to the part of a caregiver. Traditional values tend to influence even the choice of subjects in schools. It is supposed that girls should not venture into science and technology, as they are not competent in dealing with technical things. Since they are seen as the weaker Sex, they do not get adequate support in the field of physical education.

Breaking Stereotypes -

Sampada Sawant -

Sampada Sawant is underneath the chassis of a car, her top full of grease stains. A range of spanners lie on one side and her son's school bag on the other. Sampada Sawant, owner of Sharvaj Motors in Kandivili, Mumbai, is one of the city's few female mechanics.

Sampada says, "I wanted to do something different." Ten years ago, she was the first woman to join the two-years motor vehicle mechanic course at an Industrial Training Institute. Four years ago, she set up her own garage. Nevertheless, today, more and more women are opting for unconventional trades at these institutions that coach college dropouts in a variety of careers.

(Women break stereotypes, take up new trades, by Kiran Wadhwa, Hindustan Times, Mumbai, 20Dec 2009).

Due to the prejudice or stereotypes, people, especially children, face a lot of pressure if they refuse to follow the diktats of the society. Sometimes these come in the form of peer pressure, while most of the time it is the demands of the adults. From a very young age, it is instilled in the minds of boys that they have to run the family in future so they need to opt for subjects and careers that are economically rewarding. On the other hand, girls are encouraged to be mild mannered and docile. From a very early age, girls learn to do household chores and are expected to choose a conventional profession that is not very demanding. 'Do not be timid like a girl', 'boys do not cry', 'girls should be sensitive and friendly' are all cliched comments that promote gender inequality.

Women and Learning In The Past

Today, going to school is a vital part of our life. With so many schools and colleges coming up in every nook and corner of the country, it is difficult to believe that education might have been out of bounds for some in the past. Very few people mastered the skill of reading and writing, most young boys learnt the family trade. The situation was worse for girls as they were forbidden to read and write. Even in artisan families, women only performed supportive functions but could never be masters. For example, when an ironsmith prepares tools, the woman pulled the bellows or in case of potter, the women collected, kneaded and prepared the mud, but they never were masters.

The 19th century was an age of new awakening as many new thoughts about education and learning surfaced. New educational institutions were established but the situation did not change for the women. Women struggled to become literate. Many women of that time challenged the traditional beliefs and set up schools for girls, soon, they began questioning the societal norms, inequalities prevalent in the society and even suggested New ways of establishing an unbiased social order where there was equal opportunity for all. Pandita Ramabai, Rashsundari Devi and Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain were the torch bearers of the age who rebelled against discriminatory customs and fought for womens educational Rights.

Pandita Ramabai never went to school, but learnt to read and write Sanskrit- an extraordinary feat for a woman of her time. She fought for the cause of women's education and opened Mukti Mission in khedgaon near Pune in 1898 that still exists and continues to work for the upliftment of women. Here, poor women and widows are not only imparted education but also taught an array of unconventional skills like carpentry and running a press.

Rashsundari Devi taught herself to read and write behind closed doors, in an age when it was thought that if a woman learnt to read and write she would bring bad fortune to her husband. After learning alphabets, she first read Chaitanya Bhagabat. Through her life story Amar Jiban ( first autobiography to be written by an Indian woman), she threw light on the tiresome daily life and experiences of the women of that age.

ROKeya SAKHAWAT Hossain, born in a rich family, was fluent in Urdu but was not allowed to learn Bangla and English. It was believed that these two languages would expose one to new ideas that were not good for women. However, she learnt Bangla and English with the help of her elder sister and brother and eventually became a writter. She wrote Sultana 's Dream in English, in 1905, about a place called Ladyland where gender responsibilities were reversed. She wrote àbout innovations by women like flying air cars, controlling rain, etc. In an age when girls could not attend School. She also started the Sakhawat Memorial Girls High School at Bhagalpur that was later shifted to Kolkata.

Women and Learning Today -

Providing the same schooling facilities to children of all communities and class, especially girls continues to be a big challenge. As per the 1961 census (in a census, detailed information about the population of the country is collected after every ten years), 40 per cent of men over the age of seven were literate, that is, could write their name, while only 15 per cent women were literate. In the 2001 census, the figures rose to 76 per cent for men and 54 per cent for women but the gap continues to exist. If you analyse the literacy rate table as per the 2011 census, you will find that there is still a wide gap in the literacy levels of females and males, especially in rural areas. Still in many parts of the country, girls do not get equal opportunity in matters of education. They are expected to do household work. Even when they are sent to a school due to societal pressure, they are married off at an early age and so, are compelled to leave the school.