a study of three generations of women belonging to six different backgrounds
TRANSCRIPT
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Introduction
The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the
doctor says, Its a girl. Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm was an American politician, educator and author. She was the first
black woman to be elected to Congress and she was also the first major-party black
woman candidate for President of the United States. In 1982 Chisholm told the
Associated Press: "I've always met more discrimination being a woman than being
black. When I ran for the Congress, when I ran for president, I met more
discrimination as a woman than for being black. Men are men."
Women have been one of the most disadvantaged groups; they are the only group in
the world who have/has been idealized into powerlessness as Erica Jong puts it. This
oppression might have found its roots in the physical vulnerability and inability to
perform labor during pregnancy, lactation and menstruation. But, this inability
restricted only to the period mentioned has been blown out of proportion. And the
identity of women has been constructed around these physical aspects. Nursing,
caring for children and management of the household became the role of women. The
work, all by itself, is of great importance as what women do by assuming these roles
is raise the future generation and care for humanity. But to womens greatest dismay,
men havent been able to recognize the importance of this role of women. Value was
attached to income earning abilities of individuals and this meant womens work is
denied recognition and importance.
Ever since birth, the girl child is molded to do household work, to do work of
secondary nature, to do non-remunerative work. This idealization of household
works in the minds of women, throughout history, lead to the acceptance of the
oppression of women by men and women.
It took many centuries, before this abusive societal order was questioned and
consequently, changed, at least to a certain extent. The 18th
century saw the base for
the feminist movements take place in the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason,
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when intellectuals questioned the unequal distribution of power, in order to reform
society and advance knowledge for the greater good. The theme was to propagate
mankind equality, although womens equality was not highlighted. The feminist
movement, which arose later, is divided into three waves. The first wave, dealt with
the fighting for suffrage of women (womens voting rights). The second wave,
involved campaigning for womens equality in politics, culture and society. And the
third wave has been criticized for being a mere continuation of the 2nd
wave.
During the past three hundred years, the campaign for womens equality in all aspects
has brought about awareness and subsequently, changes in attitude towards women.
Earlier, women were confined to household activities, banned from educational
institutions in certain provinces, werent given suffrage, couldnt initiate divorce,
subject to foot binding (in China), subject to Hijab (in Muslim countries), subject to
Sati (in India) and other gender stereotyping. But, now, womens status has been
elevated from class 2 citizen to that of class 1, they have been provided with suffrage,
reservation of a certain number of seats has been made to ensure political
participation, Sati and foot binding has been abolished, education for women is being
promulgated, dowry has been abolished by law. The profile of an average woman has
changed. Her rights have changed, her roles have changed, her position in the society
has changed, and her aspirations for the future have changed. And these changes are
only an overview. But, this doesnt mean that the oppression of women is something
part of history, there are still many women who suffer.
Over the course of the project, I have interviewed eight families and 24 women
belonging to different economic strata, castes, region and level of education to
observe the change in the profile, attitudes, beliefs, status in society and roles of
women over three generations and check for progress (or regress) made by
women.
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Qualification
Generation 1
Most of them had more than 4 siblings. Kamala had 9 siblings Mangala had 7, but 2
of them died before they even turned 4. The table below shows the qualification level
of any one of the male siblings for the ease of comparision.
Name Qualification
Level
Name Qualification
Level
Family
Background
Durga Koneru-1 9th
pass,
Vijaywada
Narasmiha Mudambi B.Sc Mathematics,
Banglore
Educated family
Mangala-1 4rth pass Pachiamuthu 7th
pass Uneducated
Family
Shashi Kala
Doot-1
5th
pass Jinesh Bhandhukwala B.Com North Indian
Family
Prabhavathi
Reddy-1
10th
pass Subba Reddy 11th
pass South Indian
Family
Radha Wadwa-1 3rd
pass,
Ajmer
Ashok Lal B.Com from St
Stephens, Delhi
Rich Family
Kamala-1 Nil Deenabandhu Nil Poor Family
Ronda Sarita-1 11th
Std Vaka Srinivas 9th
pass Upper Caste
Dhanama-1 4rth pass Solomon Nil Lower Caste
When all the families answered these questions, one thing was common. Every single
womans qualification was lower than her siblings of the opposite gender. Except the
Lower Caste familys case because Dhanama was born after 14 years and up until
then they were struggling to make ends meet and Sarita, who was very proud about
the fact that she was the only girl in her class.
Prabhavathi Reddy had gotten married when she was in her 8th Std. After shifting to
her in-laws house, her husband wanted her to get a degree. So, he tutored her through
her 9th
and 10th
. But, when she failed her 11th
Std, she refused to study anymore. She
recalls him being angry with her for several weeks for giving up like that.
When asked about why they had stopped their education, most of them put a stop to
their education because they were asked to do so, with the exception of Ronda Sarita
and Prabhavathi.
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When asked, if they wanted to pursue further education at that point of time. ALL of
them said no, except, Ronda Sarita. She wanted to become a doctor, but her father
said no and she didnt put up a fight. So, generation-1 and their parents lacked
interest in pursuing education.
Generation 2
As seen in the previous generation, the qualification levels of men were much higher
than that of women, who were also their sibling.
When the interviewees were asked why their education levels were lower than their
male siblings and what in their opinion was the reason, most of them said that during
the time of their schooling their parents sent them to college/school for basic
education, but didnt really see their daughters pursuing education further or working
Name Qualification
Level
Siblings name Qualification
Level
Family Background
Suguna
Anumolu-11
B.Sc Botany
M.Sc in Applied
Botany
Raghav Koneru B.Tech Banglore
M.Sc California
Educated Family
Suguna-11 10th
Std Vignesh 12th
pass Uneducated Family
Shalini Jhaver-11 B.Com No Brothers - North Indian Family
Sarada Reddy-11 B.A Literature Hari Babu Reddy B. E Civil
Engineering MBA
South Indian Family
Sangeetha
Harlalka-11
Left B.Com in
1st
year
Jagdish Wadwa B. Com Rich Family
Gowri-11 2nd
std Gowtham 5th
Std Poor Family
Rishita -11 B. Sc Botany Ronda Ravi B. Sc
Mathematics
Upper Caste Family
Dheenama-11 5th
Std Yobu 2nd
Std Lower Caste Fmaily
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afterwards. According to Shalini-11, her parents were against her working
immediately and told her she could pursue her career after marriage. But, once
married she didnt feel like working.
So, in generation 2 although many carried a degree or a credible qualification, they
didnt join the workforce due to lack of interest or awareness. Rishitha-11 said she
never even gave it a thought at that point. She new all the while when she was in
college that she was not going to work, but get married after she finishes her degree.
But, Suguna whose father wasnt interested in educating her further, Sangeetha who
was made to leave college in the first year and Gowri and Dheenama who belonged to
poor families said that they werent keen at that point, but hoped their parents had not
rushed them into marriage.
When quizzed about if they would have pursued education or worked, if they were
given the chance to go back to their late teens or early 20s, all of them said YES.
Generation 3
Name Qualification Siblings Name Qualification Family
Background
Srijaya Anumolu-
111
B.Arch 2nd
year, Chennai Tarun Anumolu B. Tech, M. Sc Softwar
California
Educated
Sunita-111 B.E Auto, Chennai Bharath B. E Aeronautics, Chen Uneducated
Vatsala Jhaver-111 Pursuing CA, Chennai Shravan Jhaver B.Tech ECE, Pilani
MBA, Bombay
North Indian
Shreya Reddy-111 B. A Literature, Chennai Shishir Reddy B. Arch, Ahmedabad South Indian
SanchiHarlalka-
111
Vis communication Aditya Harlalka B. Com, Loyola Rich
Sita-111 10th
pass Sunil B. E Mechanical, Chen Poor
Bhuvana-111 B. Tech Mech, Vellore Kiran M.B.B.S , Delhi Upper Caste
Rani-111 B.Sc Nursing, Chennai Sham Kumar 12th pass Lower Caste
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The third generation woman of each family was more qualified than the 1st
and 2nd
generation woman of their respective families or hoped to be. And since, most of the
girls were only pursuing their undergraduate courses, I went one step ahead asked
them if they wanted to do a postgraduate. All of them except Sita and Rani wanted to
do a postgraduate.
When Rani was young her grandmother used to take her to the Kilpauk Medical
College Hospital as she couldnt be left alone at home. Her grandmother was a
sweeper there and when she was at her work, Rani used to spend her time watching
the doctors in the hospital. And thats how the desire to become a Doctor arose in her.
But due to the families financial constraints she could not pursue MBBS, but decided
to do pursue nursing instead. Her father was against the girl child continuing
education, especially since, her brother had quit after school to go and work at the
oilrigs in Mumbai. When he tried to stop her many times. She complained to him
saying- You are trying to take away my eyes by not allowing me to pursue
education. He often screams at her to stop studying and learn some household work,
which will be useful for her when she joins her in-laws.
When asked if they wanted to work after education, all of them said yes.
Income & Access to resources
The interviewees were asked to answer these questions based on their
status/experience when they were between the ages of 20-50.
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1st
generation and access to resources
With respect to income, only 3 out of 8 women belonging to the first generation said
that they earned an income. But, the management was left to their respective
husbands.
Similarly, when it came to property in their name, every one said that they didnt have
any property in their name. The only exception was Durga Koneru-1 who said she
came to own property only in the late 1980s.
In Ancient days, the law followed was that women could own a property. But, many
women didnt because of the patriarchal set up. But, this slowly changed as a result of
Womens right to property Act of 1937, Hindu Succession Act 1956 and the Hindu
succession act 2005. The first one gave women legal status as property owners. The
Name
Familybackground
Didyouhaveanysort
ofincome?
Ifyes,whomanage
dit?
Didyouhaveany
assets?
Ifyes,whomanage
dit?
Didyouhaveany
savings?
Ifyes,whomanage
dit?
Didyouacquirean
equalshareinwealth
asyoursibling?
Did you have access to
affordable
Healthcare
Education
Food
Housing
Durga Ed Yes Husban Yes - - - No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mangala Uned No - No - - - No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Shashi NI No - No - - - No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Prabha SI No - No - - - No (L) No Yes Yes Yes
Radha Rich No - No - - - No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kamala Poor Yes Husban X X - - No (M) No Yes Yes Yes
Sarita UC No - No - - - No (L) Yes No Yes Yes
Dhanam
a
LC Yes Husban X X - No (M) No No No No
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second, allowed women to inherit property of a deceased father when there is no
will/settlement left behind by him. And the third gives women the same rights as their
male siblings.
When it came to acquiring the same amount of wealth as your siblings, all the women
belonging to privileged groups seemed to be on the losing end, as the first generation
women belonging to Lower Caste and Poor families acquired more wealth. These
women didnt reveal the reasons (because I didnt question them). But, a little
research revealed that poor families tend to give a lot of money as dowry/ share in
wealth to their kids, to attract or keep their in-laws happy, so that they would treat
their girl child properly. One of the main reasons for heavy farmer debt was found to
be dowry.
Access to essentials/Necessities
In case of poor families it is about affordability and parental support. And, in the case
of privileged families it is a question of parental support only.
Education-
For, Sarita it was her parents and for Dhanama and Kamala, it was affordability.
Dhanama also shared that even if she could have afforded it at that point, her parents
and even herself for that matter wouldnt have been to keen. When I asked her why,
she said- Kaalam apadee- translated into English means, the ages were of that sort.
Healthcare
Pretty much all of them could afford healthcare, except for Kamala and Dhanama
who belonged to poor households.
Food & Shelter
Everyone said they could afford food and housing, except Dhanama who said the
family could not make ends meet for many years, initially.
2nd
generation and access to resources
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Suguna-11 (Ed), Shalini-11, Sangeetha-11 and Sarada-11 are all housewives but all of
them earn an income due to investments or return on bank deposits. But only two out
of these four manage their Income. Even, Gowri-11 and Dheenama-11 earn an
income by doing work. Gowri-11 sells tea, snacks and flowers throughout the day.
And Dheenama-11 works as a maid. But, even they reported that they dont have
control over their income and that their husband manages their income.
When quizzed about savings all of them said that they had some savings exceptDheenama. These women who saved didnt have any control on these savings though,
except Gowri-11, who also mentioned that her husband is not aware of her savings.
Keeping the trend in the previous generation, the women belonging to the poorer
families acquired a larger share in the wealth than their male siblings. Except for
Shalini-11 and Sangeetha-11. Shalini said she had no male siblings and thats why her
parents gave both an equal share in wealth. And Sangeetha said it was her fathers
decision. Since, I knew her, I asked her why and she said because she was his favoritechild.
Name
Familybackground
Doyouhaveanysortof
income?
Ifyes,whomanagesit?
Doyouhaveanyassets?
Ifyes,whomanagesit?
Doyouhaveany
savings?
Ifyes,whomanagesit?
Didyouacquirean
equalshareinwealth
asyoursibling/s?
Do/Did you have access to
(affordable)
Healthcare
Education
Food
Housing
Suguna-
11
Ed Yes Mys Yes Mys Yes Hus No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Suguna-
11
Ue
d
No - No - Yes Hus No (L) Yes No Yes Yes
Shalini-11 NI Yes Mys Yes Sis Yes Hus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sarada-11 SI Yes Hus Yes In-laws Yes Hus No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sangeeth-
11
Ric
h
Yes Hus Yes Hus Yes Hus Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Gowri-11 Poo
r
Yes Hus No - Yes Mys No (M) No No Yes Yes
Rishita-11 Uc No - No - Yes Hus No (L) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dheenam
a-11
Lc Yes Hus No - No - No (M) No No Yes Yes
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Access to Essentials/Necessities
Education
Surprisingly, more women in the 2nd
generation informed that they didnt have access
to education despite the qualifications being higher in the 2nd
generation. I can just
infer, here, and say that in the 1st
generation women themselves were not keen and
therefore, their parents not being supportive didnt matter, whereas in the 2nd
generation women seemed more keen and their parents were not supportive and this
conflict of interest might have made it look like the parents denied them further
access to the education of their choice.
Healthcare
Only the poor households didnt have access to healthcare.
Food & Shelter
All of the women belonging to the 2nd
generation had access to food and
housing/shelter.
3rd
Generations access to resources
Name Family Do you have access to the following resources This
access is
due to
the
support
provided
by the
parents
Background Healthcare Education Food Shelter
Srijaya Ed Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sunita Ued Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vatsala NI Yes Yes Yes Yes
Shreya SI Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sanchi Rich Yes To an extent Yes Yes
Sita Poor Yes No Yes Yes
Bhuvana Uc Yes Yes Yes Yes
Rani Lc No No Yes Yes
Ranis problem is the affordability one. She wanted to pursue medicine, but had to
settle for nursing, due to the expenses involved. And just a year back, she went
through an expensive Kidney transplantation, which according to her family was very
expensive.
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Sita said her parents did not want her to pursue education as her brother just a year
earlier had completed B.E Mech and didnt get a job. So, when it was her time to go
to college, her father had said - nothing has come out of education other than huge
bills, in your brothers case. And you are a girl, what good will education do/give to
you? You should get married.
Decision Making
(General)
1stGeneration
Who made the decision with respect to the following events?
Name
Family
Background
Yourage&
time
of
marriage
Whom
you
should
get
marriedto
When
you
shouldhave
children
&
howmany?
Childrens
education?
Choice
of
doctor
Beinga
housewife
ora
workingwo
men,whose
decision
wasit?
Durga-1 Ed Father Father Hus & Mys Husband In-laws Mine & Husbands
Mangala-1 Ued Father Fath & Mo Husband Husband Husband In-laws
Shashi-1 NI Father Father In-laws Husband Husband Parents & In-laws
Prabhavathi-1 SI Father Father Husband Husband Husband In-laws
Radha-1 Rich Father Father Husband Husband Husband Husband
Kamala-1 Poor Father Father Husband Husband Husband Husband
Sarita-1 Uc Father Fath & Mo Hus & Wf Husband Husband Parents
Dhanama-1 Lc Father Father Hus & Mys Husband Husband In-laws
For the women belonging to the first generation, as can be seen in the 3rd
column, the
father made the decision regarding when they should get married, when enquired they
replied that they werent given any choice with respect to the age. Prabhavathi Reddy-
1 let us know that her father had returned from a days work when she was in class 8th
and told her she was to get married to a certain man called Venkat-1. In her case, the
boy was entirely her fathers choice and till the day of marriage she and her mother
hadnt even seen him. The same goes for the other women from the first generation
they didnt have a choice about the age and boy, even their mothers didnt seem to.
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When it came to the choice about when and how many children to have, 3 out of 8
said it was a mutual decision by their husbands and themselves. But 3 said it was their
husbands and one, in-laws. Shashi had 2 daughters and she didnt want to have more
kids and but her in-laws wanted her to have a boy, but she never got pregnant after
that.
Decisions regarding childrens education was completely their fathers domain.
Women didnt take decisions in either of the 8 families and when quizzed about how
they felt about (not part of the questionnaire), Radha said she didnt mind as whatever
little she new about education in those days was from her husband and it was he who
interacted with various people outside the house and knew what was best. So, it made
sense for him to choose.
Even when it came to the choice of doctor it was mostly the husbands decision. But,
in the poor families like Dhanama and Kamalas case they said whatever was
affordable and it wasnt really their husbands or their choice, in particular. Dhanama
said they would just go to an affordable hospital, something like the RGGGH and
they will be directed to a doctor, so they dont really choose the doctor.
In the 1st
generation all of them were housewives none of them worked, with the
exception of Durga who managed a camphor business in her backyard. And the
decision was both her husbands and hers. Most of them said it was expected of them
to become a housewife and didnt really think anything else was possible at that time.
But, Kamala and Dhanama had to work to make ends meet, out of financial
constraints. Both said it was their decision along with their husbands.
Expenses
Family Who took decisions with respect to the following?
Name Background Everyday
expenses
Monthly
expenses
Any large
expense
Investment
Durga Ed Wife Hus & Wife Husband Husband
Mangala Ued Wife Husband Husband -
Shashi NI Wife Wife Husband Husband
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Prabhavat
hi
SI Wife Wife Husband Husband
Radha Rich Wife Wife Husband Husband
Kamala Poor Husband Husband Husband XSarita Uc Wife Wife Husband -
Dhanama Lc Wife Husband Husband X
Even in the first generation women seemed to have taken the decisions on everyday
expenses. But the decision on monthly expenses were taken by the women or men and
women in the privileged families, but in the poor families it was mostly the men who
called the shots with respect to monthly expenses. All the eight families gave a
monotonous answer with respect to huge expenses that it was the husband who made
the decision.
In the decision on investments case, some women said that their families hadnt
invested at that point and those who remember investing said it was completely their
husbands decision.
2nd
generation
Family Who took decisions with respect to the following?
Name Backgr
ound
Yourage&time
ofm
arriage
Whomyou
shouldget
marriedto?
Whenyou
shouldhave
chil
dren&how
many?
Chi
ldrens
education?
Cho
iceofdoctor
Beinga
hou
sewifeor
workingwomen
whosedecision
was
it?
Suguna-11 Ed Father Father (C) Hus & Wife Children In-laws
doctor
Mine
Suguna-11 Ued Father Father Husb &
Wife
Husband Husband Mine
Shalini-11 NI Father Father (C) Hus & Wife Children Sister Mine
Sarada-11 SI Father
(C)
Father (C) Husband &
Wife
Husband
& Wife
Mother-in-
law
Mother-in-
laws
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The women belonging to the 2nd
generation also didnt have a choice with respect to
the age at which they were to get married. None of them were asked if they wanted to
get married at a particular age except Sarada, who said her parents had consulted herbut her father made the final decision. When it came to selecting the boy, the women
belonging to the 2nd
generation were given the liberty to state a few qualities that they
want the guy to possess. But, again, this was mere consultation. The final decision
was left to their fathers. Not, in one case did the mother have a say entirely.
Unlike in the case of the 1st
generation, in-laws didnt play a role in deciding the
number and the time at which they should have children. Seven out of eight women
said that both their husbands and themselves made the decision. Dheenama alone said
that her husband decided when she should have her children and how many.
Regarding education, two out of eight said that the decision was entirely their
childrens. And among the rest, women participated in deciding their childs
education in exactly three families. The participation was missing in poor,
Uneducated and Rich household.
When quizzed about whether it was their decision to take up a job or be a homemaker.
All of them said it was their decision, except Sarada-11 who shared a small story with
me. She told me that after the birth of both of her children, she was preparing for a
Bank Job entrance exam, which her mother-in-law was against from the beginning.
And on the day of the exam she was at the examination center when her mother in-
law called and informed her that she wouldnt take care of the children and that both
Sangeeth-11 Rich Father Father (C) Hus & Wife Husband Husband Mine
Gwori-11 Poor Father Father &
Mother
Husband &
Wife
Husband In-laws
doctor
Mine
Rishita-11 Uc Father Father Husband &Wife
Husband& Wife
Husband Mine
Dheenama-11 Lc Father Father Husband Husband
& Wife
Husband Mine
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of them were crying. Sarada-11 didnt have a choice but to come back home without
taking the exam
Expenses- 2nd
generation
In the 2nd
generation, all women gave a unanimous answer with respect to the one
who manages and decides on everyday expenses, it was they themselves. The
husband didnt interfere in everyday expenses. Even monthly expenses were left
mostly for women to decide, except in the poor households. And when it came to
large expenses men and women have an equal say six out of eight families. The
exceptions being the less privileged households.
Gender Activity Profile
1st
and 2nd
generation
Family Who took decisions with respect to the following?
Name Everyday
expenses
Monthly
expenses
Any large expense Investment
Suguna-11 Ed Wife Hus & Wife Husband & Wif Husband & Wife
Suguna-11 Ued Wife Wife Husband & Wif Husband
Shalini-11 NI Wife Wife Husban & Wife Husband & WifeSarada-11 SI Wife Wife Husban & Wife Husband & Wife
Sangeetha-11 Rich Wife Wife Husband Husband
Gowri-11 Poor Wife Husband Husband & Wif X
Rishitha-11 Uc Wife Wife Husband & Wif Husband & Wife
Dheenama-11 Lc Wife Husband Husband X
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Name
Family
Background
Bringinghomegro
ceries
Cooking
WashingDishes
Washing&Drying
clothes
Nursing&Supervising
Kids
Nursingin-laws
Nursingin-lawsparents
Nursingparents
Gardening
Sweepingthefloor
Wipingthefloor
Cleaningthebathroom
Dusting
Ironing&Folding
Clothes
Supervisingmaid
Non-householdwo
rk
Durga-1 Ed
Suguna11 Ed
Mangala-1 Ued
Suguna-11 Ued
Shashi-1 NI
Shalini-11 NI
Prabhavathi
-1
SI
Sarada-11 SI
Radha-1 Rich
Sangeetha-
11
Rich
Kamala-1 Poor
Gowri-11 Poor
Saritha-1 Uc
Rishitha-11 Uc
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Nursing & Supervising Children
The women belonging to the 1st
generation had more children, on an average, than the
women belonging to the next generation. For instance, Durga Koneru-1 had 7
children, where as her daughter Suguna Anumolu-11 had only 2 children. Similarly,
Kamala-1 had 9 children were as her daughter Gowri-11 had only 4 children. This
resulted in lesser work for the mothers.
Break down of the Joint family (Nursing for in-laws/ nursing for in-laws)
5 out of 8 women belonging to the 2nd
generation said that they didnt have any in-
laws living with them. But, in the previous generation all 8 said that they had to nurse
and look after their in-laws needs. The Husbands of the 2nd
generation women had to
move away for various reasons such as in search of job and business. In the case of
Dheenama, the in-laws also lived in Chennai, but in the outskirts, where as Dheenama
lived in Koyambedu. The breakup of the joint family has resulted in lesser work for
Dheenama. This applies to all the 5 women of the 2nd
generation who live in a nuclear
family model.
Men and domestic/Household work
When quizzed about mens household activity, ALL the women belonging to the 1 st
generation replied negatively and said that their husbands have never done any
household activity.
But, the 2nd
generation had something different to say. Some of them said their
husbands cooked food on weekends and made tea and coffee through out the week.
All these women belonged to privileged families. Sadly, the same is not reflected in
poor families.
More work performed by the maids for the 2nd
generation women
If you take the example of Durga and her daughter Suguna, Durga used to buy
groceries, cook, wash dishes, nurse & supervise her children, nurse her in-laws and
Dhanama-1 Lc
Dheenama-
11
Lc
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her father-in-laws mother, iron & fold clothes, supervise maid and also manage a
Camphor business in her backyard. But, her daughter Suguna only cooked, nursed &
supervised kids, folded clothes. The rest was taken care of by the maid/s. She had a
lot more leisure time than her mother. The same is seen in Shashi Kala Dhoot and her
daughter Shalini, her mother used to perform a lot more activities than her.
But, this luxury is not experienced by the less privileged women belonging to poor
and lower caste families. Their work seems to remain the same from the previous
generation.
3rd
Generation Gender roles
Girls belonging to rich, educated, uneducated, South Indian, North Indian and Upper
Caste family said that they dont do any household work. But Vatsala-111 who
belonged to the North Indian family said she does household work once in a while.
But Rani and Sita who belong to the Lower caste and Poor family respectively said
that they perform household chores. Rani not as much, but Sita who is only a 10th
pass
says she cooks breakfast and tea with her aunt for their eatery in the morning and then
assists her aunt in making lunch as well. After that she comes back knits flowers and
sells them in the evening next to Vadapalini temple. After selling her flowers she goes
back home around 7 helps her mother in cooking rice and putting her brother to sleep.
Health
Name Fb Health Complications Causes according to them
Durga -1 Ed Thyroid, Hyper tension, Fibroids, Diabetes Worked a lot when I was young
Suguna-11 Ed Spondylitis -
Srijaya-111 Ed Thyroid Hereditary
Dhanama-1 Lc - -
Dheenama11 Lc Anemic We dont eat a lot of vegetables
Rani-111 Lc Anemic, Kidney Failure We dont eat a lot of vegetables
Kamala-1 Pr - -
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Gowri-11 Pr - -
Sita-111 Pr Excessive tiredness Due to continuous work
Shashi-1 NI Thyroid, High Cholesterol Old age
Shalini-11 NI - -Vatsala-111 NI Iron deficient, Had Ulcer, Some tissues are numb I never ate properly when I was a
kid
Durga Koneru-1 (Ed) worked a lot when she was in charge of her household. Apart
from the regular household work, she managed camphor business in her backyard and
she never really spent much time cooking. She said their lunch mostly comprised of
pickle rice and that they never had many vegetables. According to her, during her age,
the vegetables consumed by the family were vegetables grown by her father-in-law in
their pollum which when translated into English means fields, and because of this
the types of vegetables consumed by them were very small in number. Unfortunately,
her granddaughter also has thyroid just like her. The cause is said to be hereditary, in
the granddaughters case.
One of my most surprising findings was that Dhanama and Dheenama despite
belonging to a Lower Caste household suffered from no serious health complications,
although, both Dheenama and her daughter Rani suffered from anemia. Rani,
unfortunately even went through kidney failure and got her kidney transplantation
done last year.
Even in the poor household, the first generation woman didnt suffer from any health
complications, where as the 2nd
and 3rd
generation woman had anemia. And Sita-111,
further, complained of tiredness. This might be due to her strenuous schedule
mentioned earlier.
In the North Indian family, Shashi Kala Dhoot-1 belonging to the first generation had
minimal complication caused due to old age. And her daughter Shalini-11 is
completely healthy, in her words. But, vatsala-111 doesnt share the familys
healthy history. She is Iron deficient, had Ulcer and some tissues in her body are
numb.
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Saritha-1 belonging to the upper caste family suffered from Cancer and has completed
her treatment. And daughter Rishitha-11 and granddaughter-111 Bhuvana are
Anemic.
There is nothing to discuss with respect to the health of the 3-generation women
belonging to the rich family, South Indian and the uneducated family. None have any
health complications.
Pregnancy & Abortion
Name Family
Background
Did you perform
household chores
during pregnancy
(last 2 months)
Did anyone
assist you
during your
pregnancy?
Mention who
Complications
during
pregnancy &
Abortion
Durga-1 Ed Yes Mo & Mo-in-l No
Suguna-11 Ed Yes Mother No
Mangala-1 Ud Yes Mother No
Suguna-11 Ud Yes Mother No
Shashi-1 NI Yes Mother Yes-Complicat
Shalini-11 NI No Sister-in-laws No
Prabhavathi-1 SI Yes Mother No
Sarada-11 SI Yes Mother No
Radha-1 Rich Yes Mother Yes-Complicat
Sangeetha-11 Rich Yes Mother-in-law Yes-Complicat
Kamala-1 Poor Yes Mother No
Gowri-11 Poor Yes Mother No
Saritha-1 Uc Yes Mother No
Rishitha-11 Uc No Mother Yes-Complicat
Dhanama-1 Lc Yes Mother No
Dheenama-11 Lc Yes Mother No
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All the women belonging to the first generation said that they performed household
activities even into the last two months of pregnancy. The 2nd
generation also said the
same thing, with the exception of Shalini-11, who said she stopped all household
activities in the 6th
month. In the case of assistance during pregnancy, everyone
replied positively. All of them had received help from either in-laws or their mothers.
When quizzed about complications during pregnancy three out of sixteen said that
they had complications. And with respect to abortion, most of the first generation
women said that they did not have access to abortion facilities or even the need to
abort.
Access to abortion facilities increased only in the later half of the 20th
century, so
most of the 1stgeneration women didnt have an option but to give birth, if they go t
pregnant. The following is a note with respect to the Indian abortion law, its legal
status-
As per Indias abortion laws only qualified doc stipulated conditions, can perform
abortion on a woman in an approved clinic or hospital. The Indian abortion laws fall
under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, which was enacted by the
Indian Parliament in the year 1971. The MTP Act came into effect from April 1, 1972
and was once amended in 1975. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act
of India clearly states the conditions under which a pregnancy can be ended or
aborted, the persons who are qualified to conduct the abortion and the place of
implementation.
Awareness of gender Issues and View on gender equality
The following table shows the interview results of all the families-
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Name
FamilyBackground
Wouldyouhave(had)morechildrenifyouhave3girl
children,initia
lly?
Doyouthink
amajorityofwomenares
uppressedby
traditional,religiousandstereotypicalattitudes?
Ifandwhen
youhaveadaughter-in-law
,wouldyou
supportherif
shesaysthatshewillnotbe
abledoany
Doyouthinkm
enaremoredominatingthenwomen?
Wouldyoubecomfortablewithamandoinghousehold
activitiesalone?
Durga-1 Ed No Yes No Yes No
Suguna-11 Ed No Yes No Yes No
Srijaya-111 Ed X Yes Yes No Yes
Mangala-1 Ued No Yes No Yes NoSuguna-11 Ued No Yes No Yes No
Sunita-111 Ued X Yes No Yes Yes
Shashi-1 NI No Yes Yes Yes No
Shalini-11 NI No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vatsala-111 NI X Yes Yes No Yes
Prabhavathi-1 SI Yes Yes No Yes No
Sarada-11 SI No Yes Yes No YesShreya-111 SI X Yes Yes No No
Radha-1 Rich Yes Yes No Yes No
Sangeetha-11 Rich No Yes No Yes No
Sanchi-111 Rich X Yes Yes No Yes
Kamala-1 Poor Yes Yes No Yes No
Gowri-11 Poor Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Sita-111 Poor X Yes Yes Yes No
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One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but
that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man.
This might be the biggest challenge for women in their fight for equal status.
Although the sample interviewees were not subject to any extreme forms of
oppression, they definitely had a taste of gender biasness at some point of their life. In
the first generation, the difference between qualifications of the women and their
siblings was the widest. Perhaps their parents didnt know Bright Young who said-
You educated a man; you educate a man. You educate a women; you educate a
generation
The education levels of women belonging to the 2nd
generation were higher and the
gap between their education and their siblings education was also lesser. And, it came
down even further in the third generation, but, we cant say that. But, this didnt help
the women belonging to the poor household and Lower caste household improve their
livelihood over the generations. Access to certain resources had definitely improved,
but control and management is still a problem. Some women belonging to the poorer
sections, earn an income of their own, but leave control and management of the
income to their husbands. But, we are yet to see if the women belonging to the third
generation would do it differently. Women had more authority to make decisions in
the 2nd
generation than the first decision. But, for Dheenama-11 who belonged to the
lower cast family, decisions of any kind were mostly taken by her father before
marriage and by husband after marriage. With respect to activity profile i.e. work
performed, homemakers from the 2nd
generation and belonging to privileged
households worked much lesser than their mothers from the previous generation. But,
the same relief hasnt been observed in the poor households.
Among all the interviewees belonging to the 1st
generation and 2nd
generation, it was
only women belonging to poor and lower caste households that went out to perform
any economic activity outside the four walls of their house. Even in the 2nd
generation
this was noticed. In the richer households, women-11 still earned an income due toinvestments or home based work like investing in the share market. The third
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generation whether belonging to a privileged or unprivileged household said that they
see work outside the house as part of their plan for the future.
There is absolutely no doubt that the way forward is a bright one for women, because
education has that kind of an effect. We still havent entered a society where the
parents and their children are educated, mostly. If you see the result of the question on
whether women find men more dominating, each and every women belonging to the
first generation said yes, one out of eight women in the 2nd
generation said no and in
the 3rd
generation four out of eight women said no. Looking at this trend, I can only
say that the number will improve in the future. But, that doesnt mean women can sit
back and let it all happen. Nothing in life comes for free and there is no point in
fighting for equal rights, when they are not proactively taking part in male-centric
activities and not saying No when they are pushed back a few steps or forced into
doing something. As my mother says- You have to believe in it before you try and
convince others about it.