WOMEN'S DISADVANTAGEOUS STATUS :The Quest for Women's Independence in Society
The struggle for women's independence has been a long and arduous journey, marked by societal norms that have historically placed women in positions of dependency. This essay delves into the core issue of this struggle—women's autonomy over their sexuality—and explores the cultural factors that have perpetuated gender inequality. It also examines the transformative factors that can lead to the empowerment of women in society
Interestingly, women's class status within their family and community is seldom altered, even in cases of their economic self-sufficiency. Cultural forces tend to marginalize them regardless of their financial independence.
In India, as in many other cases, the intersection of class and caste plays an important and striking role. Women from upper-caste families often have a more disadvantaged status in their families compared to women from lower or backward castes. Here, culture is so powerful that even better education and economic status do not make upper-caste women comparable to their counterparts from backward and lower castes.
However, this is more relevant in rural and urban settings than in big cities, although such cultural intersection of caste with class is almost present in all areas.
There is a complex interplay between gender, class, and culture. It highlights a significant issue where women's economic achievements are often overshadowed by cultural norms and practices that perpetuate gender inequality. This is particularly evident in the context of India, where the intersectionality of caste and class further complicates the social dynamics.
It's important to note that women from upper castes may face more disadvantages within their families compared to those from lower or backward castes, this is a broad generalization and may vary in different regions and communities . The reality is that women across different castes and classes can experience varying degrees of marginalization or empowerment, influenced by a multitude of factors including location, education, and individual family values.
The observation that cultural influences on class status are more pronounced in rural and urban settings than in big cities could be attributed to the fact that urban areas often have more diverse populations and progressive attitudes, which can lead to a greater acceptance of women's economic independence. However, the cultural intersection of caste with class is a widespread phenomenon in India, affecting women's status to varying degrees across the country.
It's a reminder that while economic self-sufficiency is crucial, it's not the sole determinant of a woman's class status within her family and community. Cultural forces and societal structures play a significant role in shaping these dynamics, and addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that considers all these intersecting factors.
A question then arises: How can women achieve more equal status? To find the answer, we should explore the reasons and factors that give men an advantageous status.
The Quest for Women's Independence in Society
The struggle for women's independence has been a long and arduous journey, marked by societal norms that have historically placed women in positions of dependency. This essay delves into the core issue of this struggle—women's autonomy over their sexuality—and explores the cultural factors that have perpetuated gender inequality. It also examines the transformative factors that can lead to the empowerment of women in society.
In my considered opinion, the most significant reason for the lack of women's independent status in society, comparable to their male counterparts, is their lack of autonomy concerning their sexuality. Unlike females, males enjoy almost absolute freedom in matters of controlling their sexuality. Associating family honor with women's chastity is one of the greatest deceptions played on women by their male counterparts. All other inequalities, such as educational, economic, nutritional, and social deprivation, are influenced by this cultural deprivation. Wherever this cultural deprivation is overcome, a subsequent decline in other forms of deprivation naturally follows.
The question then arises: which factors can lead to a decline in this cultural deprivation of women in general? It is an established fact that when a society is characterized by increased religiosity, patriarchal and masculine trends, and value systems are reinforced. Therefore, the first requirement is the moderation of religiosity in society.
Secondly, there should be more openness to other cultural values and peoples, which ought to be deliberately encouraged. This leads to the assimilation of various cultures and the synthesis of diverse practices, which, to a certain extent, liberate women from male orthodoxy.
Thirdly, modern education and skills-based economic activities instill liberal feminist values among the masses.
Fourthly, convenient transport facilities enhance urban and rural interconnections. Simultaneously, the fifth factor—a peaceful and orderly ecosystem of law and order—further promotes women's liberation. The sixth is legislation and a swift, women-oriented judicial system, and the seventh is government-enforced protective discrimination for women, which provide additional momentum.
All these factors contribute to changing the societal value system in favor of women, thereby helping them gain ground in society.
As we reflect on the factors that can catalyze the liberation of women, it becomes clear that the journey towards equality is multifaceted. It requires a collective effort to dismantle the deep-rooted cultural barriers that hinder women's progress. By fostering a society that values moderation, openness, education, connectivity, and legal support, we pave the way for a future where women can stand as equals, free from the shackles of cultural deprivation. The realization of this vision is not just a victory for women but a triumph for humanity as a whole.
Evidence based analysis supports the above arguments as evident from the examples health with in the following paragraphs
To support the arguments presented in the essay, let's consider the following evidence and data:
Educational Empowerment:
Women's educational levels are a crucial predictor for empowerment. Studies have shown that as women's education increases, they gain more household autonomy and freedom of movement. For instance, the Indian National Family Health Survey (1998-1999) revealed that 43% of women with higher education levels had high household autonomy⁶.
Political Representation:
Globally, women's political representation has doubled in the last 25 years, indicating progress towards gender equality. However, women still hold only about 1 in 4 parliamentary seats, highlighting the need for continued efforts⁷.
Economic Participation:
The Fortune 500 milestone in June 2019 saw the most women CEOs on record, yet they represented less than 7% of the total. This underscores the persistent gender gap in the highest echelons of economic leadership⁷.
Cultural and Social Norms:
Efforts to combat deeply entrenched occupational segregation and social norms have seen some success. For example, the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage has significantly declined, contributing to the empowerment of women¹.
Legal Frameworks
Legislation plays a pivotal role in women's liberation. In countries where laws specifically protect women from domestic violence, there has been a marked decrease in such incidents. Conversely, in at least 45 countries without such laws, women continue to face high risks of partner violence
UN Sustainable Development Goals:
The UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes gender equality as a key goal. Progress reports show gains in various areas, such as a decline in extreme poverty among women and girls, though challenges remain, particularly for those from poor, rural, and marginalized groups¹.
These pieces of evidence and data highlight the multifaceted nature of women's empowerment and the interplay of education, politics, economics, culture, and law in advancing gender equality. They provide a factual basis for the essay's arguments on the factors contributing to women's independence in society.
(1) Evidence of women's empowerment in India: a study of socio-spatial .... https://www.jstor.org/stable/41148054.
(2) Visualizing the data: Women’s representation in society. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/multimedia/2020/2/infographic-visualizing-the-data-womens-representation.
(3) What progress has been made on achieving gender equality?. https://data.unwomen.org/features/what-progress-has-been-made-achieving-gender-equality.
(4) Global Annual Results Report 2021: Gender equality | UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/reports/global-annual-results-2021-gender-equality.
(5) Homepage | UN Women Data Hub. https://data.unwomen.org/.
(6) Data | UN Women Data Hub. https://data.unwomen.org/data-portal.
(7) The World’s Women 2020: Trends and Statistics | United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/desa/world’s-women-2020.
(8) India at 75 | The status of women in Independent India. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/independence-day-women-status-and-freedom/article65771135.ece.
(9) undefined. https://www.un.org/en/desa/world.
Comments
Post a Comment