1830 to 2030 - What has changed for women in India in two centuries?
- girlupshine
- Jan 9, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 18, 2022
India has been a patriarchal society since the beginning of time. Biological differences transformed into dominative and submissive attitudes still haunt the feminine cult.
After the ancient period, women were exposed to learning and education on a small scale while moving ahead on the chronological scale. But the Medieval period overburdened women with household and marital responsibilities, meanwhile fighting against oppression. Pre-Independent India experienced emerging leaders who fought for the pre-existing evils of our society - the Sati system, Parda system, and child marriages being some of them. India's first prime minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru once said, "You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women."
The status of women in our country has been changing, owing to social and technological advancements. Women acquired several rights and laws in their favour while the timeline proceeded; Hindu Widow Remarriage Act (1856), Hindu Marriage Act (1955), and Triple Talaq Abolition, to name a few. In terms of employment, women have gathered positions and pay scales restricted only to men earlier. The modern era has been somehow liberating to women and has opened them up to new and better opportunities. According to a research paper by Mitra Toossi, the female labour force is projected to increase by 30% by 2030.
Although this cites a positive future for women, we cannot ignore the fact that women are still paid worse than men. The top executive positions stagnantly remain occupied by men. Women who pave their way to powerful positions face sexism in their workplace. Women are expected to be readily available for their households rather than build up their careers with heart and soul. Society expects a female to use their energy and passion working towards the betterment of their family and children rather than climbing the earning ladder because men are supposed to be doing that for the household. Women in the modern era have been breaking down these notions of oppression, but there is still a lot to be done.
Modern developments and research show that more women than men have joined corporations as new members, increased the numbers of women initiating new projects, and a remarkable 100% payback rate on loans made to women. These changes lead to an increased sense of self-esteem among the women, who now have greater confidence to speak and participate in the affairs of the corporations.
Devising better policies in the workplace which give equal rights to everyone irrespective of their gender can be the first step in achieving our goal for a 50-50 world. Apart from altering crucial parameters like workplace environment and pay scales, women should also be given some leash in household chores. Society should contribute towards this regard and accept that women are no longer subordinates to men, but they can walk along with men in growing organisations and live their dream just as every other man.
Women today live a life that their mothers and grandmothers would never have dreamt of. But, a sense of equality is still missing. We aspire to live in a world where becoming a top executive depends not on your gender but your capabilities and qualifications. Women today are self-sufficient; they can build up everything on their own. All they need is a restriction-free path.
By- Jhalak
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