Place of Women in Society
In ancient India, women enjoyed a
place of pre-eminence. They were equal partners of men. Some of them were great
scholars and were held in high esteem. It is said that many of the hymns in the
Vedas were written by women. Even during the periods of the Ramayana and the
Mahabharat there lived women of great virtue, wisdom and respectability, thus
we had women like Sita, Savitri, Gargi, Draupadi and Damyanti.
It was, however, during the
medieval period that women were pushed behind the purdah. Not long ago, they
had to live within the four walls of the house. They were deprived of education
and all opportunities of progress. They had to do all the menial chores of the
house and live like slaves. Whereas the western women had long ago won their
right to vote liberty and education, Indian women still wallowed in illiteracy.
Ignorance and squalor. At the most they were treated as objects of enjoyment.
They had no voice in their husband's mundane activities. Only shyness and
subservient submissiveness was their ornament. They had no right to love and
even to choose their own partners. Particularly in the rural areas, women were
prohibited from wearing fashionable and attractive clothes.
Independence has brought about a
virtual emancipation to at least the urban women in India. Now they do not lag
behind men in any field. Indian women have got equal rights and march shoulder
to shoulder with men. There are women teachers, doc-tors, nurses, scientists,
engineers, officers, sportswomen, journalists, magistrates, architects and even
pilots and drivers. Who can forget the women world leaders like Mrs. Indira
Gandhi, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Mrs. Bandarnaike, Mrs. Golda Meir, Mrs.
Vijayalakshmi Pandit and others.
In the field of education, women
out-do men. There are more women in higher educational institutions than men.
Most of the top positions in all university examinations are bagged by women.
Even in extracurricular activities, women do not lag behind men.
Now Indian women are conscious of
their rights. Their voice can no longer be suppressed. They raise their voice
in choosing their life partners and in the choice of profession of their
liking. They mix up with men freely and participate in poetical competitions,
musical concerts and even express abundantly their debating skills. They no
longer believe in purdah or seclusion. They even learn judo and karate to
ensure security.
It must, however, be admitted
that some women cross the limits of decency. They wear gaudy and scanty dresses
and expose their limbs. They read morbid literature and are fond of erotic
songs and films. They thus misuse their liberty. At the same time, all is not
rosy for all women. Most of the women in rural areas, particularly those
belonging to lower castes, are illiterate, ignorant and superstitious. They
have no awakening and they cannot rear up their children well. They know
nothing about family planning or dangers of population explosion. Crimes against
women are also increasing, thanks to the overall rise in goondaism.
Although something has been done
for women, much remains to be done. Let us not forget 1991 - The Year of the
Girl Child.
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