When it comes to state of women in India there seems to be two opposite views among the researchers. One set of people propound that Indian women have finally arrived. It has never been so good for her. They believe that Indian women are truly liberated and are demanding and discerning their life. Other set of people advocate a different view that she is still at mercy of the society and has a long way to go to earn true liberation and independence. The first group of people go by the popular urban image of women which is largely portrayed by media wherein a woman takes all household decisions and also has a career to handle. Her kitty is too full and she is shown as a successful super - woman who manages everything with such élan. Let us try to get beyond this image into the reality of a woman’s world and understand the truth behind such tall claims.
Due to burgeoning economic growth and emergence of materialistic attitude the concept of family has changed from a social unit to an economic unit. In this business model the women have a larger role to play rather than only handling household chores. She is expected to contribute to economic prosperity by either earning directly or by taking care of the household so that the earning members perform their task better. Taking a loan to make life better is the new mantra. So everyone has to do whatever they can to improve the standard of living and pay EMIs. Thus in this scenario the women get greater say in the household, more control on their children and their career. In the lower income group more and more women are joining workforce (almost 40%) to ensure a smoother life. As we go higher up the ladder the number of working housewives decreases as she is expected to handle all inside and outside work to make life easier for the more earning members. The new age woman is constantly under pressure as she is torn between her new role as a provider and her old role as a nurturer.
The education and economic position of the Indian woman are becoming more important in marriage decisions. She is better educated now, with more say in her home and about her career and is trying hard to bridge the gap between the sexes. She is getting more freedom and is being treated better. Her rural counterparts are able to wield more social power due to panchayat reservations and inheritance laws. But we have very little to rejoice as the gender ratios in richer states are more skewed. The rate of crime against women is increasing in both rural and urban regions. More and more cases of domestic violence are being reported and divorce rates are increasing. And if anyone goes through the matrimonial column in the newspapers one will feel the pressure on her as old demands of fair, tall, beautiful , homely girls are joined by educated, working, and highly qualified features. Thus we have to see how she comes out this labyrinth and defines a role for herself which suits her and helps her to attain true emancipation.
Well State of Indian women in India is definitely improving. As the nation progresses, the women are bound to progress also. But the sad part is that despite the progress, women are still repressed in this country. They don't get as much education, nutrition or care as they need, especially in rural areas.
Indian government has recently expressed strong commitment towards education for all. Providing education for all has been long in the agenda of all ruling parties. In spite of all such good wishes, India has one of the lowest female literacy rates in Asia. In 1991, less than 40% of 330 million aged 7 and over were literate. This in turn means that today there are over 200 million illiterate women in India. Low level of literacy on only has a negative impact on the lives of the women and their immediate family and children but also on the economic development of the country. Several studies have shown a positive relationship between illiteracy and high levels of mortality and fertility, poor nutritional status and low earning potential and less say in their household. A woman’s education also has an effect on the education and health of her children. A recent study has shown that infant mortality was negatively related to mother’s education. Thus Kerala, with high women education has low infant mortality.
Amidst news of success stories of software giants and other corporate stories these news go unnoticed. No one bothers as they do not affect the so-called urban people like us. But outside the India we know there is another India where such things still exist. I am talking about the age-old custom of witch hunting which still plagues rural India. The belief is so deeply ingrained for generations, both socially and culturally that it cannot be eradicated. Normally it starts with some misfortune striking a community. It can be a child’s sudden illness or death or failing crop. Solution is sought from the “ojha” who is the central figure in the community. He tries to cure with his magical charm. When it fails in exchange of fees he performs some pujas and his divinity helps to locate the culprit.
The culprits are mostly women who are then tortured inhumanly. Most of them die others who survive face extreme humiliation. They are expelled from the community, some are forcibly stripped and paraded in public others have their limbs severed or eyes gouged out. Traditions say that shaming a woman weakens her evil power. Since these acts are sanctioned by the community they mostly remain unreported. In Jharkhand every month five such cases of declaring a woman as a witch are reported. But nationally the figure runs in thousands. And it happens all over India. Be it Jharkhand or Bihar or West Bengal the sordid story of such beleaguered women are same.
In a populous country like India where labour is extremely cheap it is no wonder that hard work put in by women is tend to be overlooked. Women roughly work twice as much as men, be it commercial farming or subsistence farming. A study done in the Indian Himalayas shows that in a one-hectare land a pair of bullocks works 1,064 hours, a man 1,212 hours and a woman 3,485 hours in a year. Even in Andhra Pradesh the work of a woman agricultural labourer lasts for almost 15 hours from morning 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. with one hour break in between while her male counterpart only works for 7-8 hours. Quite interestingly all over India women are forbidden in handling the plough. In some parts of the country they are not even allowed to touch the plough.
Although a lot of NGOs are working on the issue of witch-hunting, still the custom thrives everywhere. The report of one such organization states that the label of “witch” is usually used against woman as a weapon of control. If a woman refuses sexual advances or tries to assert herself she is branded a witch to humiliate her. To settle old family scores or to usurp land or property a woman is often declared a witch. This custom is mostly practiced by those communities who have their own language and culture and exist outside mainstream Indian society. These tribal people are poorest of the country with almost no access to doctors, schools and other facilities. They were mostly displaced from their ancestral homes in the forests and have settled in the fringes of urban society but still carry their age old traditions and beliefs in supernatural.
Only way to eradicate such a horrendous system of witch-hunting is by spreading literacy. Awareness among rural people can only help as in most cases these get unreported and hence no legal action is taken against the culprits. A concerted effort by private and government organizations can only save the unfortunate ones. Preserving their own culture and customs they have to be included in the mainstream society to avoid friction. Only then such superstitions can be dealt with. The vested interest groups amongst them should also be identified and proper actions taken against them. Convicting the culprits will send the right message across and others will think twice before inflicting such cruelty on a woman.
