Women of no recognition!
NO RECOGNITION FOR THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES DONE AT HOME.
In an attempt to understand ‘actual’ socio- economic condition of women, we conducted a schedule taking a sample of 40 women starting with 18 years and above from areas of Rohini and Jamia Nagar. The figures and facts that we came up with are startling and show how reality differs from world of policies and legal framework. The questions included in schedule were based on the basic criterion for judging socio-economic condition of women like health, crime, education, income and occupation. As the passing years are making independence grow older, economic condition of female in our country is deteriorating no matter how many policies we have. The fact that taking care of children and household in a family is responsibility of a woman is taking greater recognition by the patriarchs in our society, thus increasing their role as home-maker. Recent news from Saudi Arabia states that ‘No woman can go to library alone without a male accompanying them’ proving the entire propaganda of blocking the liberation process by restricting their access to education. “Mere papa ko nahi pasand main modeling jaise course karun,” says Rita (name changed) while explaining why she chose to diploma in home science instead of going for her passion i.e. Modeling. 34% of single women take tuitions for economic independency and also contribute to household but this rate declines as soon as we shift to data for married women. It is only 9% women who take tuitions and that is also before the age of 25 and after 35 year. Interestingly we found when the schedule (questionnaire) was given to the sample directly, 90 % of them couldn’t understand the basic Hindi and English questions and answered them wrong but when they were explained about the questions in one to one conversation 100% could answer it appropriately making it clear that the learning pattern have loopholes, which gives a reason enough to believe that we have lesser women at top or priority positions. Judging the different colors of patriarchy we found , the families where father or husband are in business, 89% of women there are neither working nor taking part in economic decisions of the family (like handling the finances) whereas the service class families (so called collared babus) are found to be better aware . The maximum numbers of women who are going out of home to work are due to necessity and to meet financial crisis in the family. In an appalling confrontation it came as a microscopic vision that 59% women didn’t know how their salaries/ wages are used and invested. The male member of the family took decisions for the same. In an effort to study the advertisements on women heath, we came across with the fact that a lot of them were on increasing awareness about the low iron and calcium levels in women. High percentage of women generally skip one meal per day, don’t consume even a glass (500ml) of milk or regularly eat fresh fruits whereas they serve their children and husband with the same regularly. In a negotiation about the health checkups we found that 43% of women went to doctor for a checkup only after they suffer from a disease. ANALYSIS While walking down the street my vision was stuck on a woman who was cleaning the dust, kept an eye on the boiling milk and also was singing a lullaby to her resting child. Out of curiosity when I asked her ‘What do you do? She said , “I do nothing. I am just a HO– USEWIFE!” You can know the condition of a country by their treatment towards women. In a country where 50% (approx) population is still living in fear and inferiority complex we aim to achieve development in the blink of an eye. The acceptance to the fact that the money they earn is their and is required to be used by them is less due to the subaltern beliefs ‘of them being incapable of handling the financial issues’ and it is men’s cup of tea. In a heterogeneous country like India it is really difficult to break the walls and impart the knowledge of not being a submissive because even the ones who are educated stand at no great positions. Yes, it is indefinitely true that country need great mothers to produce a great nation. But what is that ‘mother ‘ made of or does? Gave birth to a child? Take care of him? No! The mother becomes independent and thus teaches what she preaches and eradicate this gimmick of being a great mother aka house maker. The schedule leaves a big question in the face of pseudo-empowerment happening in our society. “Enabling this dogma devalues the unpaid labor of rearing children as much as it strategically devalues women’s worth at work. If being a mother were a job there’d be a selection process, pay, holidays, a superior to report to, performance assessments……… It really is time to drop the slogan. It only encourages mothers to stay socially and financially hobbled, it alienates fathers, discourages other significant relationships between children and adults and allows men to continue to enjoy the privileges associated with hetero-normative roles in nuclear families ” The Guardian (Catherine Deveny, 18-11-2013).
————– About the Author: This Research is conducted by Snigdha Jindal, our Guest Writer. Snigdha is a student of development communiction in AJK MCRC Jamia Millia Islamia. She constantly wishes to put her effort in understanding and improving the problems of Women at the root level via writing, photography or any other medium which incites the general interest.
