dialogue on women and social change in india

WOMEN AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN INDIA:SOME SOCIOLOGICAL INSIGHTS

Dr. Manjula Rathaur Senior Fellow, ICSSR, New Delhi,Senior Fellow, ICSSR, New Delhi,Women Studies Programme, JNU.

Three Icons of Women Empowerment-Indira Gandhi, Pratibha Devisingh Patil & Mayavati

20.05.2011 Präsentationstitel 2

Contents

� I. Ideology about Women & Society in Ancient India

� II. Historical Phases of Changing Status of Women in India

� III. Modernization of Indian Tradition

� IV. Major Spheres of Changes about Women in India


IV. Major Spheres of Changes about Women in India

� V. Areas of Present Day Concerns

� VI. Summary

I. Ideology about Women & Society in Ancient India

� “Yatra narystu pujyante tatra ramante Devata”

� Shiva & Shakti Approach- Concept of Ardha Nariswar

� Man & Woman are complementary to each other-Sita Ram, Radhe Krishna.


II. Historical Phases of Women Status

� 3,000 B.C & Before- Vedic Period:Era of Equality

� 1,000 B.C to 600 A.D. Jain & Buddhist Period: Freedom of Spiritual &

other activities

� 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. SMRITI Period: Beginning of restrictions

� 1300 A.D.- 1600 A.D Bhakti Movement Period: Challenge against the � 1300 A.D.- 1600 A.D Bhakti Movement Period: Challenge against the

sexism of Smritis & freedom of expression

� 1400 A.D-1700 A.D- Medieval /Mughal Period(1526-1707):

Deterioration of Women Status( PURDAH/ Child Marriage/ SATI).

� 1700-1947 British Period- Ban on widow burning(Sati & Child

Marriages).

� 1947-2011 Post Colonial Period: Dramatic Developments.


III. Modernization of Indian Tradition(From the colonial to the post-colonial era):

� Social reform Movements(Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra

Vidyasagar, Jyotiba Phulle, Vivekanand, Mahatma Gandhi, Annie

Besant).

� Westernization/Colonial Modernization

� Sanskritization� Sanskritization

� Urbanization & Industrilization

� Democratization

� Education

� Women’s Movement


IV. Major Spheres of Changes about Women & Society

� Legal� Article 14- Equality with man.� Article 39 D- Equal pay for equal work.� Article 15(3) Special provision by the state.� National Policy for Empowerment of Women, 2001.� Law against Domestic Violence, 2005.� Educational � Rise in literacy from 6%(1947) to 65%(2011)� Rise in literacy from 6%(1947) to 65%(2011)� 12% of women in age group 17 & above years are in higher education.� Economic and Occupational� Right to share in family property� Freedom of occupation-largest number professionally qualified women in the

world� 89.5% of female labor in agriculture & allied sector� 30% of workforce in software industry is female� Socio-cultural� Reform of Hindu Personal Law to give right to inheritance� Raising the age at marriage to 18 years� Dowry Prohibition Act 1985� Political� 50% reservation in local self government bodies� National Commission on Women20.05.2011 Präsentationstitel 7

V. Areas of Present Day Concerns:

� Declining Gender Ratio(See the map about gender ratio)

� Maternal mortality- 2nd highest in the world

� Violence against women(see the table about it).

� Female illiteracy( see the map of female literacy)

Feminization of poverty- 35% of BPL Households are female headed� Feminization of poverty- 35% of BPL Households are female headed

( see the map about women in workforce)

� Political marginalization- Less than 10% seats in parliament and state

legislative bodies are occupied by women.


Distribution of Sex Ratio (No. of Women/1000 Men ) (2001)


State Wise Female Literacy Rate(2001)


Female Main Workers(2001)


Empowering Women through Affirmative Action: Percent Seats Held by Women in Parliament and in the Gram Panchayats in 2006

StatesPercent Seats Held by Women in

Parliament Gram PanchayatsAndhra Pradesh 7.1 35.74

Assam 0.0 39.2Bihar 7.5 46.68Gujarat 3.8 33.33Haryana 10.0 36.65Himachal Pradesh 25.0 39.13Jammu & Kashmir 16.7 ⃰

Karnataka 7.1 43.33

Kerala 10.0 35.32Madhya Pradesh 6.9 34.56Orissa 9.5 35.83Punjab 15.4 35.03Rajasthan 8.0 35.3

Tamil Nadu 10.3 33.69Uttrar Pradesh 8.8 38.85West Bengal 9.5 36.63NCT Delhi 14.3 ⃰

All India 8.3 36.75


Source: Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India, 2009.

Percentage of Women Age 15-49 who Have Experienced Physical or Sexual Violence in India and States, 2005-06

State Physical or sexual violenceBihar 55.6Madhya Pradesh 46.8Rajasthan 44.6Tamil Nadu 38.7West Bengal 38.3Uttrar Pradesh 38.1Assam 36.5Orissa 36.2Andhra Pradesh 33.8Punjab 30.9Chhattisgarh 30.1Chhattisgarh 30.1Maharashtra 29.2Haryana 29.0Gujarat 27.8Karnataka 19.9Kerala 17.3Delhi 16.5Jammu & Kashmir 12.9Himachal Pradesh 5.6

India 35.4


Source: MoWCD, Govt. of India

VI.Summary: 5 Stages of Social Change & Women in India since independence

� 1. Women’s Welfare(1950s)

� 2. Women Development(1960s)

� 3. Women in Development(1970s)

� 4. Women and Development(1980S)

� 5. Women in Decision-making (1990s and beyond).


Thank you


dialogue on women and social change in india

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