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Women Inequality in India

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ST.JOSEPH'S COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
(AUTONOMOUS)
LANGFORD ROAD, BANGALORE-560027

TERM PAPER
STATUS OF WOMEN- THE "SECOND GENDER" IN INDIA
SUBMITTED BY-
NITHYA SURI NARAYAN
11 CEZ 3208

Mrs. Mini Mark Bonjour
Department of English
St. Josephs College (Autonomous)
Bangalore-560027
Karanataka, India
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Ms.Nithya Suri Narayan (11 CEZ 3208) OF B.Sc. 3rd CEZ has completed the term paper, titled 'The Status of women- the "second gender" in India' under the guidance of Mrs. Mini Mark Bonjour (Department of English) for the partial fulfillment of the requirements of B.Sc. Course (Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Zoology) during the academic year from 2013-2014 as prescribed by St.Joseph's College (Autonomous)

Place: St.Joseph's College (Autonomous), Bangalore
Date:

Mrs.Mini Mark Bonjour
Department of English
St.Joseph's College of Arts and Sciences

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the project entitled “Women- The 'Second Gender' of India ” submitted by me to the St. Joseph’s college Bangalore 560027 is based on the review of literature analysis , data analysis and interpretation carried out by me under the supervision of Mrs.Mini Mark Bonjour (English Dept.) The work embodied in the project either in part or full has not been previously submitted for any other degree course

MENTOR'S SIGNATURE STUDENTS SIGNATURE
(Mrs. Mini Mark Bonjour) (Nithya Suri Narayan)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This term paper has been compiled wholly using secondary sources of data from various books, journals, websites and encyclopaedias and a comprehensive list of which can be found in the bibliography section at the end of the text.
I would like to thank my mentor Mrs. Mini Mark Bonjour (English Dept., St.Joseph's College of Arts and Sciences) for supporting me, helping me compile this term paper and encouraging me every step of the way. I would also like to thank my friends and family for providing me with information on the topic.

CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................1 2. MATRIARCHY VERSUS PATRIACHY ............................................................................................ 3. GENDER VERSUS SEX ............................................................................................ 4. CHANGING STATUS OF WOMAN IN INDIA ............................................................................................ 5. PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMAN IN INDIA ........................................................................................... 6. FEMINISM AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT ........................................................................................... 7. WOMEN IN MEDIA ............................................................................................ 8. CRITICAL EVALUATION ............................................................................................ 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................

INTRODUCTION
"You can tell the condition of a Nation by looking at the status of its Women." Jawaharlal Nehru.
‘Gender inequality holds back the growth of individuals, the development of nations and the evolution of societies to the disadvantage of both men and women’.
According to India's constitution , women are legal citizens of the country and equal rights as men do. Because of lack of acceptance from the male dominant society , Indian woman suffer immensely. Women are responsible for child bearing and taking care of the family, yet they are treated as a lower human being and remain in poor health. Most Indian woman are uneducated and are overworked. Although the country's constitution says women have equal status as that of men, they are ill-treated and powerless inside and outside their homes.
India is a very male dominated country and has a patriarchal society. due to this women , especially young girls are not respected and assaulted many a times whether physically or verbally. The dominant gender has always confined women and women’s issues to a private domain. The traditional systems of control with its common saying of ‘what is right and proper for women’ still prevails in urban and rural India and use of violence as means to punish those who defy the so-called rules a women should obey and their supporters.
Though the condition of women is gradually improving in urban India, it remains stagnant in rural regions of the country. Since most of the country's population arises from these villages and towns, more number of women are not treated with justice. Even in the metropolitan cities, many women and girls are subjected to demeaning glares to brutal, inhuman assaults and rapes.
The following chapters encloses how India is of a patriarchal society, the difference between gender and sex, status of women in ancient, medieval and present India, crimes and injustice done to woman, the status of women in the light of the media and my view as a one belonging to the "second gender".

MATRIARCHY VERSUS PATRIACHY
What is matriarchy? matriarchy is a "form of social organization in which the mother or oldest female is the head of the family, and descent and relationship are reckoned through the female line; government or rule by a woman or women." (Oxford English dictionary)
A matriarchal society is when women are the heads and have the central role of political leadership, moral authority, and control of property but does not include a society that occasionally is led by a female (example: prostitution or women's auxiliaries of organizations run by men).
Example of a matriarchal society in India: the nairs of kerala are considered to be matriarchal, the eldest woman is the head of the household and the progeny carry the family name of their mothers. Property is also handed down from mother to daughter.
What is patriarchy?
Patriarchy is a social system in which males are the leading authority figures occupying roles of political leadership, moral authority, and control of property, and where fathers hold authority over women and children. It implies male rule and privilege, and results in female subordination. Many patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning that property and title are inherited by the men of the family only.
Historically, patriarchy has sowed itself in the social, legal, political, and economic organization of a range of different cultures. This culture strongly prevails in all the Islamic countries. It is seen in African, India and other small pockets across the globe but due to slow increase of female empowerment this culture is diminishing.
Patriarchal Society in India
Today's India offers a lot of opportunities to women, with women having a voice in everyday life, the working world as well and political life. Nevertheless India is still a male dominated society, where women are often seen as subordinate and inferior to men. Even though India is moving away from the male dominated culture, discrimination is still highly visible in rural as well as in urban areas, throughout all strata of society. While women are guaranteed equality under the constitution, legal protection has a limited effect, where patriarchal traditions are still embedded. The extent of discrimination against women also varies from one society to another and from state to state - some areas in India being historically more gender bias than others. There are even communities in India, such as the Nairs of Kerala, certain Maratha clans, and Bengali families, which are matriarchal societies, with the head of the family being the oldest woman rather than the oldest man. However, many Indian women face discrimination throughout all stages of their life, beginning at (or even before) birth, continuing as an infant, child, adolescent and adult
Much of the discrimination against women arises from India's dowry tradition, where the bride's family gives the groom's family money and/or gifts. Dowries were made illegal in India in 1961, however the law is over looked in many cases and the practice persists for most marriages. These daughters are often regarded as a liability and made to believe that they are inferior and subordinate to men, where as sons are idolized. The daughter child are considered to be economically and emotionally dependant on men. Due to this train of thinking in Indian families daughters are seen as a demerit while the birth of a baby boy is seen as an omen of prosperity for the family. The extent of this thinking is so vast that the elders of the family bless a newlywed bride and groom by saying “May you be blessed with a hundred sons” .

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