ESSAY ON MODERN INDIAN WOMEN : The women of India who form 50% of the population have equal opportunities and rights and can aspire for any position and status in the society. Many of them are in top positions in various fields of life. A few of them have been great and big political leaders, entrepreneurs, administrators and business Persons. This marked change in their outlook, social and economic status reflects the fact that their emancipation has been almost complete.
ESSAY ON MODERN INDIAN WOMEN FOR STUDENTS
Since independence there has been much improvement in the
lot of women in India. They enjoy perfect equality with men. They have all the
rights and privileges possessed by the males. Our constitution guarantees them
all those rights, freedoms, and privileges enjoyed by the male. Consequently
they now feel much emancipated and free.
The women of India who form 50% of the population have equal
opportunities and rights and can aspire for any position and status in the
society. Many of them are in top positions in various fields of life. A few of
them have been great and big political leaders, entrepreneurs, administrators
and business Persons. This marked change in their outlook, social and economic
status reflects the fact that their emancipation has been almost complete. It
is a fact that Indian women have much better status than their counterparts in
many other developing countries.
Today women in India are well conscious of their rights and
privileges and they are politically, socially, economically and educationally
no more backward. Their participation in democratic process and elections has
been quite impressive. In a large number of constituencies women voters
outnumber men voters on the days of polling.
They are contesting elections on various levels in far
greater members. Their political wisdom and social sagacity has now been fully
recognized. The status of women in India in modem times has undergone a sea
change. During the last few decades India has produced many great women leaders,
social workers, administrators, reformers and literary personalities like Mrs.
Annie Besant, Mrs. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani, Mrs. Indira
Gandhi, Raj Kumar Amrit Kaur, Padmaja Naidu, Mother Teresa, Mahadevi Verma,
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Amrita Pritam etc. India really feels very proud
because of these great women and their great achievements in various fields of
our life.
Their contribution in the fields of art, science etc. has
also been equally significant memorable. Their active participation in our
various social, political, economical, educational, scientific and other nation
building activities as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters has been of vital
importance in taking the country to greater heights of achievements and fulfillment.
And yet there is no room for any complacency.
They are doubly burdened as they have to work hard both as
employed women and housewives. Ours is still a male dominated society and women
have to depend on men for protection and help at every stage of life. As a
daughter she needs protection from father, as a married woman she has to depend
on her husband, and in old age again she has to depend upon her husband or son.
Women in India are still exploited and abused. They are
still regarded inferior to men. The birth of a female child is considered a
curse in many of our families. Daughters are considered a liability because of
many social evils like dowry etc. In spite of full legal and constitutional
Protection women in practice are still much exploited and abused. Their
condition in villages is fiat worse. They are illiterate uneducated and
backward. They are not aware at all about rights and privilege and fully depend
economically on men. Even very highly educated and gainfully employed women in
urban India cannot spend their earnings as they like.
The strings of their purses are controlled by their men
folk. This unhealthy attitude of men towards women with regard to their
privilege to spend their hard-earned money has been a. source of much tension
in the families. Thus, in our tradition-oriented society the male dominance
still prevails. A husband has a far superior position over his wife and all
major decisions are taken by him without taking into consideration the wishes
and aspirations of his wife.
This has created an imbalance and disharmony in the
families. There has been appreciable change in our attitude as far as the
employment of women is concerned. We do like that our wives, daughters or
sisters are gainfully employed hut as far as their right to spend their
earnings is concerned, our attitude is still unchanged and conservative.
A working woman helps her husband by bringing additional
income, but as a housewife she has no help from her husband. Men regard
household chores below their dignity and so never help women in their household
work. Thus, women are doubly burdened, which often causes tension,
maladjustment and family problems.
There is much to be done towards emancipation of women in
India. They are still subdued and dominated by men and cannot assert their
equality as desired in every walk of life. In a number of our states there
still exists child marriage, but widow marriages are not allowed. Girls are
still given away in marriages against their will.
Then there is dowry system. Poor parents cannot afford to
give dowry and so are obliged either to keep their daughters unmarried or give
them away in marriages to unmatched husbands. In spite of equal status of women
granted by our law, the women are discriminated against. The vast gap between
theory and practice is too obvious not to be noticed. Women, especially in
rural India, still find themselves weak, helpless and exploited. The rate of
literacy among them is quite low. Sometimes they are treated no better than
commodities.
They are still, confined to the four waits of a house
engaged in the household drudgery. They have been forced by arrogant men to
play a totally subordinate role because they are economically and socially not
self dependent. This has been further helped by our old, outdated and
conservative customs. Their hard work and toil as housewives and workingwomen,
though significant enough to run a household and family, still go unrewarded
and unrecognized.
The present status of women in India has to be further consolidated
and improved. It cannot be achieved unless women themselves come forward and
organize themselves as a power to be reckoned with. They should stop thinking
in terms of weaker sex. They should rise as one powerful body and fight the
menace of dowry and child-marriage. They should fight tooth and nail wherever
there is their abuse, exploitation, humiliation and injustice. They should
raise their voice in unity against all social evils and male arrogance. They
should wage a relentless war against "apartheid of sex".
They should come forward and take more active part in
political, affairs of the country and get themselves elected to greater number
of public offices. Their representation in our various legislatures is still,
too meager. Unless the women of India organize their own movements in a
powerful manner they would be left out of taking vital decisions. They should
assert and achieve economic independence so as to be able to play their proper
and legitimate role in the society.
Indian women are intelligent, hard-working, courageous and
full of love, pity, and compassion. With all these qualities of head and heart
they are quite competent in shattering all the bondages that bound them in
traditional subordination and slavery. Endowed with the qualities of beauty,
love, strength, tolerance, sacrifice, creativity etc. they can do wonders for
themselves and for others.
In the present day Indian world they can further consolidate
their position and redefine their relationship with men based on equality and
mutual respect by using their strengths more wisely. It is of no use to curse
and bemoan their fate as weaker sex and housewives.
They should unite and struggle against injustice,
discrimination, ill-treatment, abuse and exploitation. Much really depends on
women themselves. The future of women in India seems bright but it is women
themselves who can ensure it by being vigilant alert and united.
They will have to raise their voice against any violation of
their rights and privileges. It is said that God helps those who help
themselves and it is equally true in case of the equality and liberty of women
in India.
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