Today we fool ourselves into believing the world is a happy, equal place. In reality, it is not. In many, if not all places, women often face inequality and subjugation in different forms. Some are not as severe as others are, but they almost always exist. Women are seen as lesser, or viewed as not as competent. Society and the resident culture’s population use stagnant stigmas and stereotypes in order to guide women into roles they believe suit the woman, disallowing the woman any right to do what she wants. A hotbed for activity such as this is India. Women are restricted in terms of their role in society and cultural/societal expectations guide the role of women as being domestic, obedient, passive partners.
Indian women are strong, smart, funny, beautiful women. The world does not often get to see this, however, because of the societal and cultural pressures placed on Indian women that guide them straight from the cradle into a marriage before they have time to decide who they want to be in the world. For example, according to, “Gender Competitiveness, and Socialization at a Young Age: Evidence from a Matrilineal and Patriarchal Society,” young girls in India are socialized to seek male approval not for their looks, but for their faith in religion and for their skills as a housekeeper. If the young girl is skilled at keeping house, she is seen as an asset. Even better, if she minds her parents, primarily the father, she is seen as even more valuable to a potential marriage; wives mind their husbands obediently in India, making this a desired trait in a wife .
Although some sections in India still deny women the right to education, in the contemporary Indian society, girls who are brought up in urban areas are educated sometimes even up to the level of post graduation. Women also hold important positions as evidenced by the late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi and some of the women politicians and businesswomen. However little has changed within the four walls of the Indian households. Women, who wish to step out of their homes and pursue careers or even simply work to augment the family income, are still expected to take full responsibility of the household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. For example in a family where both parents work, it is the woman of the house who is expected to take off from work to attend school meetings, and tend to ailing children. This, not withstanding the importance of her role at work. While it is acceptable for a man to travel out of the city and even the country for work, the women cannot do so since she “has the responsibility of the house”. Women in India have to seek their husband’s permission to visit their maternal home. Contemporary India ostensibly allows women to go wherever she wishes since she is allowed to work out of the home. However, she is expected to adjust to the needs of not only her husband but also his entire family. Indian society considers it improper for a woman to socialize independently. Socially the members of the society expect to see the woman with her husband or if she is unmarried then with her maternal family. Although women in India have begun creating a friends’ circle, the practice is still frowned upon by many.
This life sounds miserable to those outside of the culture. It is as if Indian women are forced to jump through hoops only to prove they are capable of washing a man’s dishes and taking his direction. Women in India have been conditioned for centuries to bow to the wishes of the male members of the family. They spend a good part of her life caring for their children and attempting to make their husband happy. Women strive to display the traits expected of them. It is asked of them by their mothers, when these girls see their mothers act this way. It is asked of them by their fathers and brothers, as well, when they see how happy this behavior makes these men, whom the women trust. It is asked of them every time a woman in India is accused of “stepping out of line” for being independent, being unmarried, dressing differently, or doing anything that is not seen as the norm. Unfortunately, even if she is married, this potentially strong, smart, beautiful Indian woman in question will likely face abuse at the hands of her husband; her only comfort will be in this situation she will know her attacker.
The unfortunate truth is India’s society and culture approve of treating women not only differently, but also poorly. From the moment a girl is born, assuming she is not aborted or killed, she is treated differently. She receives less food than a male; sometimes she receives no food. She is essentially alive to be somebody’s wife, seen only as a drain on the family’s resources. Men get education and jobs, while women are taught chores and child rearing; they do not believe women need educations, but husbands instead. Despite the societal stigmas, women are attempting to make change. They are trying to stay in school, go back to school, hold on to their daughters, and leave bad marriages. While this is upsetting to hear, the women of India are not done fighting back. They are only just beginning to take a stand against the years of oppression that have placed them in this vicious cycle of abuse.
Works Cited
Alesina, Alberto F., Paolo Giuliano and Nathan Nunn. "On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough." The Quarterly Journal of Economics (2011): 469-530. Article.
Brink, Judy and Joan Mencher. Mixed Blessings: Gender and Religious Fundamentalism Cross Culturally. New York: Routledge, 2014. Book.
Nanda, Serena. Gender Diversity: Crosscultural Variation. Sacramento: Waveland Press, 2013. Book.
