Name : Goswami mahir pari c.
Sem : 3
Roll no. : 21
Email Id : goswamimahirpari786@gmail.com
Enrollment no : 20691084201180021
Submitted to : Department of English MKBU
Topic : Mrs.Ramsay character with Indian woman condition ( history )
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Mrs. Ramsay emerges from the novel’s opening pages not only as a woman of great kindness and tolerance but also as a protector. Indeed, her primary goal is to preserve her youngest son James’s sense of hope and wonder surrounding the lighthouse. Though she realizes (as James himself does) that Mr. Ramsay is correct in declaring that foul weather will ruin the next day’s voyage, she persists in assuring James that the trip is a possibility. She does so not to raise expectations that will inevitably be dashed, but rather because she realizes that the beauties and pleasures of this world are ephemeral and should be preserved, protected, and cultivated as much as possible. So deep is this commitment that she behaves similarly to each of her guests, even those who do not deserve or appreciate her kindness. Before heading into town, for example, she insists on asking Augustus Carmichael, whom she senses does not like her, if she can bring him anything to make his stay more comfortable. Similarly, she tolerates the insufferable behavior of Charles Tansley, whose bitter attitude and awkward manners threaten to undo the delicate work she has done toward making a pleasant and inviting home.
As Lily Briscoe notes in the novel’s final section, Mrs. Ramsay feels the need to play this role primarily in the company of men. Indeed, Mrs. Ramsay feels obliged to protect the entire opposite sex. According to her, men shoulder the burden of ruling countries and managing economies. Their important work, she believes, leaves them vulnerable and in need of constant reassurance, a service that women can and should provide. Although this dynamic fits squarely into traditional gender boundaries, it is important to note the strength that Mrs. Ramsay feels. At several points, she is aware of her own power, and her posture is far from that of a submissive woman. At the same time, interjections of domesticated anxiety, such as her refrain of “the bill for the greenhouse would be fifty pounds,” undercut this power.
Ultimately, as is evident from her meeting with Mr. Ramsay at the close of “The Window,” Mrs. Ramsay never compromises herself. Here, she is able—masterfully—to satisfy her husband’s desire for her to tell him she loves him without saying the words she finds so difficult to say. This scene displays Mrs. Ramsay’s ability to bring together disparate things into a whole. In a world marked by the ravages of time and war, in which everything must and will fall apart, there is perhaps no greater gift than a sense of unity, even if it is only temporary. Lily and other characters find themselves grasping for this unity after Mrs. Ramsay’s death.
In ancient time women's condition in India.
We have to discuss the position of women during the Vedic, post Vedic and the epic period in order to get a full picture of the status of women in ancient India.
Women in the Vedic and the post Vedic Periods:
The Indian cultural tradition begins with the Vedas. It is generally believed that the Vedic period is spread over from 300 BC to 600 B.C. Some general observations and broad generalization can only be made regarding the status of women during this vast period.
(1) Freedom Enjoyed By Women:
The degree of freedom given to women to take part in public activities indicates the nature of the status enjoyed by women during Vedic period. Women never observed “purdah”. They enjoyed freedom. They enjoyed freedom in selecting their male partner. They could educate themselves Widows were permitted to remarry. Divorce was however not permissible to them. Even men did not have the right to divorce their wives. Women were given complete freedom in family matters and were treated as “Ardhanginis”.
(2) Equal Educational opportunities for women:
Daughters were never ill-treated although male children were preferred to female children. They also received education like boys and went through the “Brahmaachary” discipline including the “Upanayana” ritual. Women studied the Vedic literature like men and some of them like Lopamudra, Ghosa and Sikata-Nivavari figure among the authors of the vedic hymns. Many girls in well-to-do families used to be given a fair amount of education down to about B.C 300.
(3) Position of Women in Matters Relating To Marriage and Family Affairs:
(4) Economic Production and occupational Freedom:
Vedic women had economic freedom. Some women were engaged in teaching work. Home was the place of production. Spinning and weaving of clothes were done at home. Women also helped their husbands in agricultural purists.
(5) Property Rights and
Women rights were very much limited in inheriting property. A married daughter had no share in her father’s property but each spinster was entitled to one-fourth share of patrimony received by her brothers. Women had control over gifts and property etc. received by a woman at the time of marriage but the bulk of the family property was under the control and management of the patriarch.
As a wife, a woman had no direct share in her husband’s property. However, a forsaken wife was entitled to 1/3rd of her husband’s wealth. A widow was expected to lead an ascetic life and had no share in her husband’s property. Thus it could be generalized that the social situation was not in favour of women possessing property and yet protection was given to them as daughters and wives.
(6) Role in the Religious Field:
In the religious field, wife enjoyed full rights and regularly participated in religious ceremonies with her husband. Religious ceremonies and sacrifices were performed jointly by the husband and the wife. Women even participated actively in religious discourses. There was no bar for women to read or study any of our sacred literature.
Role of Women in Public Life:
Women could shine as debaters in public assemblies. They usually occupied a prominent place in social gatherings but they were denied entry, into the “Sabhas” because these places besides being used for taking political decisions were also used for gambling, drinking and such others purposes. Women’s participation in public meetings and debates, however, became less and less common in later Vedic period.
It may thus be concluded that in Vedic India, women did not enjoy an inferior status rather they occupied an honourable place. They had ample rights in the social and the religious fields and limited rights in the economic and the political fields. They were not treated as inferior or subordinate but equal to men.
Status of women during the Epicperiod:
Women during the Period of Dharmashatras and Purans:
During the period of Dharmashastras and puranas the status of women gradually declined and underwent a major change. The girls were deprived of formal education Daughters were regarded as second class citizens. Freedom of women was curtailed. Sons were given more weightage than daughters Girls were prevented from learning the Vedas and becoming Brahma charinis.
Manu, the law giver of Indian society gave the statement that women have to be under father during childhood, under her husband during youth and under her son during old age”. At no stage shall she deserve freedom. However he balanced this with the statement that a society in which the woman was not honoured would be condemned to damnation.
Due to the various restrictions imposed on the freedom of women some problems started creeping in. In the social fields, pre-puberty marriage came to be practiced, widow remarriage was prohibited, husband was given the status of God for a woman, education was totally denied to woman, custom of ‘Sati’ became increasingly prevalent, purdah system came into vogue and practice of polygyny came to be tolerated.
In the economic field a woman was totally denied a share in her husband’s property by maintaining that a wife and a slave cannot own property. In the religious field, she was forbidden to offer sacrifices and prayers, practise penance and undertake pilgrimages.
Factors That Caused the Degradation of Women:
Prabhati Mukharjee, the renounced sociologist has identified some reasons for the low status of women in post Vedic period. These reasons are imposition of Brahmanical austerities on the entire society, rigid restrictions imposed by the caste system and the joint family system, lack of educational facilities for women, introduction of the non-Aryan wife into the Aryan house hold and foreign invasions.
Women in the Buddhist Period:
The status of women improved a little during the Buddhist period though there was no tremendous change. Some of the rigidities and restrictions imposed by the caste system were relaxed. Buddha preached equality and he tried to improve the cultural, educational and religious statuses of women. During the benevolent rule of the famous Buddhist kings such as Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Sri Harsha and others, women regained a part of their lost freedom and status due to the relatively broadminded Buddhist philosophy.
Women were not only confined to domestic work but also they could resort to an educational career if they so desired. In the religious field women came to occupy a distinctly superior place. Women were permitted to become “Sanyasis”. Many women took a leading role in Buddhist monastic-life, women had their sangha called the Bhikshuni Sangha, which was guided buy the same rules and regulations as these of the monks. The sangha opened to them avenues of cultural activities and social service and ample opportunities for public life. Their political and economic status however remained unchanged.
Status of women in the Medieval India:
The Medieval period (Period between 500 A. D to 1500 A.D) proved to be highly disappointing for the Indian women, for their status further deteriorated during this period. Muslim invasion of India changed the direction of Indian history. The influx of foreign invaders and the Brahmanical iron laws were main causes for such degradation.
As far as a woman was concerned, her freedom was curtailed, knowledge of not only the scriptures but even letters was denied to her and her status was reduced to that of an appendage on man. Caste laws dominated the entire social life widow remarriage and levirate’s were disallowed. Women could not inherit property. Girls were treated more as burdens or liabilities than as assets.
Moreover the status of women reduced to the status of slaves during medieval period. The women faced many problems such as child marriage purdah system, practice of Sati etc. Throughout the medieval period, the status of women went on declining.
However, during the 14th and 15th centuries, the social situation had undergone some change Ramanujacharya organised the first Bhakti Movement during this period which introduced new trends in the social and the religious life of women in India. The great saints like chaitanya, Nanak, Kabir and others fought for the rights of women to religious worship. Really the Bhakti Movement unlocked the gate of religious freedom to women. As a result of this freedom, they secured certain social freedom also. The purdah system was abolished women could go out of their families to attend pravachanas, Krirtans, Bhajans, and so on.
The system “Grihashram” of Bhakti Movement did not permit saints to take to sanyas without the consent of wife. This condition gave some important right to women. The saints of the Bhakti Movement encouraged women to read religious books and to educate themselves.
Thus the Bhakti movement gave a new life to women but this movement did not bring any change in the economic structure of the society and hence women continued to hold low status in the society’. The revival of ‘Sati’ the prohibition of remarriage, the spread of “Purdah” and the greater prevalence of polygamy made her position very bad. Thus there was a vast gap between the status of woman in the early Vedic period and that in the Medieval period and onwards.
Women held and honored position in the vedic age and was quit competent to take part in every aspect of the social, intellectual and spiritual life of the race.
During the period that followed the Vedic Age, there was gradual deterioration in her position, but she still retained a large measure of freedom in the disposal of her own person and fortune. But with the advent of Islam, new social forces appeared on the Indian horizon. The position of women altogether changed to a great extent. Some of the special features of the condition and position of women during the Mughal period are described in below paragraphs.
The Pardah system, in all probability was unknown in ancient India.“Its general
adoption,” according to Dr. A.S.Altekar, “is subsequent to the advent of Muslim rule in India.” Pardah was strictly observed in their native lands. Naturally in a foreign country like India grater stress was laid on it. Even a liberal king like Akbar had to issue order that “If a young woman was found running about the streets and bazaar of the town and while so doing did not veil herself or allowed herself to become unveiled….. she was to go to the quarters of the prostitutes and take us the profession.”
Pardah was strictly observed among high class families of both the communities during the Mughal period. Ovinton writes, “All the women of fashion in India are closely preserved by their husbands who forbid them the very sight of strangers.” Even male doctors were not allowed to face the ailing ladies of noble and princely families. Della Valle writes that unveiled ladies were supposed to be either poor or dishonest. There is very interesting to note that when a princess desired to ride on an elephant, the animal was made to enter a tent near the palace-gate and the Mahout covered his face with a clothe so that he might not see the princess when she entered into the covered howdah. If for any reason a Muslim lady of rank discarded Pardah even for a temporary period, the consequences for her were disastrous, However, Nurjahan was a notable exception who came out in public unveiled.
Pardah was no less strictly among middle class Muslim ladies who dared not move out of doors without a veil. But no such coercive Pardah system seems to have been observed among the Hindu middle class and certainly not among the Hindu masses. Hindus, however, adopted Pardah for two reason-first as a protective measure to same the honor of their women-folk and to maintain the purity of their social order and secondly as a tendency to imitate the ruling class. Hindu women had sufficient liberty to go out and enjoy the open air. They helped their husbands in their respective works.
The birth of daughter was considered inauspicious. The very silence with which a female child was received was indicative of of disappointment. Even in the royal families it were the women who rejoiced and feasted on the birth of a daughter, whereas the whole court used to participate in the celebration. If a Prince was born. Even Akbar had “resolved within himself that if Almighty God should bestow a mausoleum, a distance of about 140km’s.”A wife who unfortunately happened to give birth to girls in succession was disposed and even sometimes divorced. Female in fanaticize as also popular is among the uncultured stratum of Rajput society.
The Quran, no doubt, permits a Mohammedan to marry four wives at a time, but monogamy seems to have been the rule among the lower stratum of society in both the communities, during the Mughal period. Akbar had issued definite orders that a man of ordinary means should not possess more than one wife unless the first proed to be barren. He considered it to be highly injurious to a man’s health as well as economy to keep more than one wife. Mirza Aziz Koba’s well-known proverb deserves mention. He used to say that “a man should marry four wives, a Persian to have somebody to take to, a Khurasani for his housework, a Hindu woman for nursing his children and a woman of Mavarunnahar to have someone of the whip as a warming for the three.” The co-wives rivaled each other and thus domestic unhappiness was the natural outcome.
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Hindus, with the exception of a small number of prices and very wealthy persons, strictly restricted themselves to monogamy as enjoined by their social custom. Della Valle writes. “Hindus take but on a wife and never divorce her till death, except for the cause of adultery. In the extreme case, if a wife proved to be barren, they had the liberty to marry another with the consent of the Brahmins.
On account of political and socio-religious circumstances of the time, childmarriage in medieval Indiaparents tried to marry their daughters as early as possible. The custom in those days did not allow, for whatever reasons, the girl to remain in the parent’s home for more for more than 6 to 8 years after their birth. One of the Brahmins generals of the Peshwa was filled with great anxiety because his daughter’s marriage could not be arranged at the age of nine. “If the marriage is postponed to the next year”, he wrote from the battlefield, “the bride will be as old as ten. It will be a veritable calamity and scandal.” Child-marriage left no room for either the bride or the bridegroom the have time to think of a mate of their own choice. Money played an important part when a marriage was arranged between persons of unequal ages or social status.
As a wife, the Indian girl was under the command of her mother-in-law. She had to please every member of the family and do all sorts of domestic works, including the cleaning of cooking pots and utensils. But when grown up and away from this dominating influence of her mother-in-law, a middle-class lady had large powers in the management of the household. She had considerable say in the administration and management of her household.
widow condition in medieval India
Divorce and marriages, common among Muslims were prohibited to Hindu women. Widow-remarriage, except for the lower caste people, had disappeared almost completely in Hindu society during the early medieval age. This custom suffered little change during the Mughal days and was even more rigorously enforced. Sati was a prevalent practice, in spite of the efforts of the Mughals to check it. Even the betrothed girls had to commit sati on the funeral pyres of there would be the headband. Widowhood was considered a punishment for the sins of one’s previous life. Society looked upon them.
Whatever might have been the position of woman as a girl, bride, and widow, she certainly occupied a most respectable position in society as a mother. Manu emphatically asserts that a mother is more to be reversed than a thousand fathers.” Apastambha writes, “women as mothers are the best and the foremost preceptors of children.” The Mohammedan religion, too, enjoins upon its followers to king down to the peasant, all had the greatest respect for their mothers and for elderly women whose commands were invariably obeyed.
But perhaps no people showed greater regard for their mothers than the Rajputs. We can find no better illustration than to quote the ever recurring simile that make them mother’s milk resplendent.
So far as property rights were concerned, Mohammedan ladieswomens property rights in medieval indiawere much better off that their Hindu sisters; A Muhammadan lady were entitled to a definite share in the inheritance with absolute right to dispose of it. Unlike her Hindu sister, she retained this right even after marriage. Another method adopted to safeguards the interests of Muslim ladies after marriage was Mahar or inner spatial settlement, whereas a Hindu lady had no right to the property of her husband’s parents. It appears that eh constant seclusion brought about the social, political and intellectual stultification of women who could not exert themselves for their legitimate rights. From the legal standpoint, they were reduced to a position of dependency in every sphere of life.
Indian women helped their husbands in their professions. Some of them engaged themselves in an independent profession like medicine, midwifery, tailoring etc.
In spite of the Pardah which obstructed high-class ladies from participating in the social life of the nation, quite a large number of talented women mad a mark in different sphere during the two centuries of Mughal rule in India.
Gulbadan Begum, the author of the Humaynama and Jahanara, the biographer of Shibyah and Munisal Arwah, hold and enviable position among the literary figures of that age. Jan Bugum, the daughter of Khan-e-Khanan, is said to have written a commentary on the Quran. Mira Bai, Salima Sultana, Nur Jahan, Siti-un-nisha, the tutoress of Jahanara and renowned as “the princess of poets” and Zeb-un-nisha, the eldest daughter of Aurangzeb, were poetesses of distinction. In Maharashrta Aka Bai and Kena Bai, disciples of Ramdas Swami, were considered important literary figures in the 17th century.
In the administrative sphere too, they did not lag behind. Some of the greatest women administrators of all ages belong to this period. Maham Anaga, the chief nurse, and muse of Akbar, controlled affairs of the state for full four years (15060-64) by sheer audacity and cleverness. Rani Durgawati, the chandel princess of Gondwana, “famous for her beauty and accomplishment “governed her country with great courage and capacity. Vicent Smith comments: “Her country was better administered and more prosperous than that of Akbar the Great.” Chand Bibi’s name shines brilliantly in the annals of Ahmadnagar. Nurjahan was the real power behind the throne of Jahangir. Even the proudest peer of the realm paid their homage to her, knowing full well that a word from her would make or mar their career.
Indian women belonging to royal and noble families, particularly the Rajputanis were trained as soldiers and often displayed great bravery, courage, and heroism. For example, Nurjahan gave ample proof of her martial capabilities in leading an attack against Mahabt Khan.
women's literature in medieval india
Several travelers on different occasions have made special mention of the high character of Hindu ladies. The chastity of Hindu women was proverbial. Tavernier remarks that Adultery is very rate among them and as far sodomy, I never heard it mentioned.” Grose writes: If anyone looked at them deliberately in the bazaar or even while they stood at their doors, they resented it as a high affront and uttered “Dekh na mai”(look here and don’t you die).
Death had no terror for these heroic ladies when their honor was at stake. It was certainly less dreadful than dishonor and captivity. Such was the ideal of India’s womanhood during the Mughal age.
Status of Indian Women began to change radically during the modern period. Historically the period after 1750 A.D is known as the modern period.
The status of Indian women during this period can be divided into two stages:
(a) Status of women during the British rule in India,
(b) The status of women in post independent India.
(a) Status of women During the British Rule:
After the fall of the Mughal Empire at the decisive Battle of Plassey (1775 A.D) the British people established their complete political supremacy over the Indian people. During the British rule, a number of changes were made in the economic and social structures of our society.
Though the quality of life of women during this period remained more or less the same, some substantial progress was achieved in eliminating inequalities between men and women in education, employment, social right and so on. Some social evils such as child marriage, sati system, devadasi system, purdah system, prohibition of widow remarriage etc., which were a great hurdle in the path of women’s progress were either controlled or removed by suitable legislations.
After the lapse of several centuries for the first time some attempts were made all India basis to tackle the problems that confronted women. Social reformers with patriotic spirit on the one hand and the British Government on the other together took several measures to improve the status of women and to remove some of their disabilities.
(b) The status of women in post independent India:
The status of Indian women has radically changed since independence. Bothe the structural and cultural changes provided equality of opportunities to women in education, employment and political participation. With the help of these changes, exploitation of women, to a great extent was reduced. More freedom and better orientation were provided to the women’s organisation to pursue their interest.
The centuries of slavery were over. Today women want equality, education and recognition. The advancement of women is the most significant fact of modern India. Gandhiji once said “woman is the noblest of God’s creation, supreme in her own sphere of activity.” These words are blossoming now.
From its very inception in the 19th century, the Indian National congress included women and elected Mrs. Annie Besant as its president. One of the proudest moments of Indian womanhood was when Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi Pandit was elected as the president of the U.N. General Assembly in 1953.
In the National movement, hundreds and thousands of women shed their veils and left their sheltered homes to work side by side with the man. In free India, the status of women has under gone profound changes. Remarkable progress has been achieved in the field of administration, science and technology, sports, education, literature, music, painting and other fine arts.
It is highly significant that women in independent India have achieved great progress in all walks of life. We can confidently assert that India is the only nation among the developing countries of the modern world where so many women occupy high administrative positions quite successfully. The improvement in the status of Indian women especially after independence can be analysed in the light of the major changes that have taken place in areas such as legislation, education and employment, political participation and awareness of their rights on the part of women.
1. Constitutional provision and legislation in support of women’s cause:
The constitution of India has greatly enhanced the status of Indian women by throwing upon to them all its series on equal terms with men. All the men and women of India are equity entitled for individual freedom, fundamental rights including the right to participate in social, cultural, religious, educational, economic and political activities. The constitution provides for equality of sex and offers protection to women against exploitation. It has given the voting right to women and in no way treats women as second grade citizens.
Social legislation safeguarding women’s interest:
The Government of Independent India undertook a number of legislative measures to safeguard the interests of women.
Some of them are discussed here:
(i) The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955:
It prohibits polygyny, polyandry and child marriage and concedes equal rights to women to divorce and to remarry.
(ii) The Hindu succession Act, 1956:
It provides the right to parental property for women.
(iii) The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956:
The act gives a childless woman the right to adopt a child and to claim maintenance from the husband if she is divorced by him.
(iv) The special Marriage Act, 1954:
It provides rights to women on par with men for inter-caste marriage, love marriage and’ registered marriage. The Act has also fixed the minimum age of marriage at 21 for males and 18 for females.
(v) The dowry prohibition Act, 1961:
It declares the taking of dowry an unlawful activity and thereby prevents the exploitation of women.
(vi) Other legislations:
(a) The suppression of immoral Traffic of women and Girls Act 1956:
It provides protection to women from being kidnapped or compelled to become prostitute.
(b) The Medical Termination of Pregnancy: Act 1971:
It legalizes abortion conceding the right of a woman to go for abortion on ground of physical and mental health.
(c) The criminal Law Amendment Act 1983:
It seeks to stop various types of crimes against women.
(d) The Family Court Act 1984:
It seeks to provide justice to women who get involved in family disputes.
2. Women in the field of Education:
After Independence, women of India took to education in a relatively large number. For example in 1901, the literary level of the females in India was just 0.6%, it increased to 39.42% in 1991 and to 64.1 in 2001. Various benefits such as free-ship, scholarship, loan facility, hostel facility etc are being given to women who go for higher education in many towns and cities, educational institutions meant only for female children have been established.
The educational performance of girl students particularly at high school and college level is proving to be betters than that of boys especially after 1980. We have today some universities exclusively meant for women. Example- SNDT university for women (poona) (ii) Padmavathi University for women (Terupati), Mother Teresa University for women (Kodai Kenal, Tamilnadu) Sri Avinashi lingam Homes Science college for Women (Deemed University, Coimbatore.) Girls’ students are getting admitted on merit basis to the prestigious engineering and medical colleges in a relatively bigger number during the recent years.
The contribution of women for developing various languages cannot be ignored. Mahadvi Verma and Subhadra Kumari chauhan are well known for Hindi writings, Amreta pritam has enriched Punjabi language with her works. Kuntala Kumari Sabat has enriched oriya literature, many women writers have been awarded prize by the Sahitya Academy and other organisations. There are hundreds of women editors, journalists and columnists in the land who are performing meritorious services.
3. Women in Economic and Employment Fields:
In both villages and cities there has been a remarkable increase in the number of women going out of the four walls of the household and becoming workers. In the “employment market” they are successfully competition with the men folk, In every field, the number of women employees is steadily increasing since 1991, though in a smaller number, women are getting recruited into the Army force, Air force and Naval force also.
Employment has given women economic independence and the feeling of importance. They now feel that they can stand on their own and look after the entire family by themselves. This has boosted their self-pride and self confidence. Employment provision has made them to feel that they need not live as parasites on their men folk. In order to give protection to the economic interests and rights of the women folk the government has undertaken various socio economic legislations, which cover areas such as rights to property or inheritance, equal wages, working conditions, maternity benefit and job security.
Examples:
(i) The Maternity Benefit Act 1961:
It gives maternity benefits such as 3 months leaves with salary to the married women workers during pregnancy stage.
(ii) The Equal Remuneration Act 1976:
It removes wage discrimination between male and female workers.
(iii) The Factories Amendment Act 1976:
It deals with working laws, weekly rest, standards of cleanliness, ventilation, first aid facilities rest rooms etc. The legislation also provides for establishing of crèches for children of working women, separate toilets for females and lays down a maximum of 9 hours of work a day for women.
(iv) The Hindu succession Act. 1956:
According to this act not only a daughter is given a right in her father’s property equal to her brothers, but a widow also gets a share from her deceased husbands’ property equal to her sons and daughters.
Women in the Political Field:
The Indian constitution has provided women two important political rights female enfranchisement and eligibility for the legislature. After the independence, the number of women voters and women representatives in Assemblies and parliament has increased sufficiently. In central cabinet and at the level of state cabinet we find some ministerial portfolios being headed by women.
The Late Raj Kumari Amit Kaur was a minister in the first central cabinet of free India. Sucheta Kripalini had successfully fulfilled her responsibilities of Uttar Pradesh so as Padmaja Naidu as the Governor of West Bengal. Smt Nadini Satpathy of Orissa state was also one of the able chief Ministers. The nation witnessed in Smt. Indira Gandhi, one of the powerful prime ministers who gave her leadership to the country for more than a decade.
Honourable president Mrs Prativa Patil, is holding the most important and dignified post of our country at present. In 1992, an amendment (73rd) was brought to the constitution according to which one-third of the seats were reserved for women at the panchayat level. There are many women Members and chairmen of local bodies and legislatures.
By their sheer ability and capacity for hard work, Indian women can now exert their influence in every sphere of human activity. They have already demonstrated that-they can successfully discharge their duties as an administrator, ministers, ambassadors and so on. However it may be noted that political awareness is present more among the upper and middle class women than the lower class women.
Women in the sports Field:
In the world of sports, Arati Saha won the swimming champion by swimming the English channels. In other items of sports also such as high jump, long-jump, running race etc. women of India take sufficient drive and initiative. P.T. Usha has achieved remarkable success in the field of sports and games.
Besides, in the sphere of science, pure and applied, women are also not lagging behind men. No one can ignore the services rendered by women in the realm of music, painting and other fine arts. So India can be reasonably proud of the success achieved by her women in every sphere of human activity.
However, it is a matter of sorry state that though the status of women has been raised under the law, in practice they continue to suffer from discrimination, harassment and humiliation. They are not taken seriously in obtaining opinions neither they treated as equals to men and nor given the same respect either at home or in the work field.
The experience shows that men’s tyrannical hegemony is over whelming strong deep-rooted to alloy for any change in the status of women. In most of the homes, male children are still being preferred to female children. It appears that the societal approach towards women, their role and status has not radically changed. Hence, bringing about more and more legislations to ensure better opportunities to grant more rights and concessions, do not carry any meaning unless there is a basic change in the peoples attitude towards women and women’s role in society.
If we really want to see India in future as a country which is economically enriched, politically equipped, socially developed and culturally distinguished, then definitely we have to give women a leg up in all their respective spheres of activity. Dr Radhakrishnan the Late President of India, once said” The progress of our land towards our goal of democratic socialism cannot be achieved without the active participation of our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters”.
Conclusion :-
Thus we can say that how woman have struggle for his identity like in Mrs. Ramsay character we find it in lighthouse.
Sem : 3
Roll no. : 21
Email Id : goswamimahirpari786@gmail.com
Enrollment no : 20691084201180021
Submitted to : Department of English MKBU
Topic : Mrs.Ramsay character with Indian woman condition ( history )
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Mrs. Ramsay emerges from the novel’s opening pages not only as a woman of great kindness and tolerance but also as a protector. Indeed, her primary goal is to preserve her youngest son James’s sense of hope and wonder surrounding the lighthouse. Though she realizes (as James himself does) that Mr. Ramsay is correct in declaring that foul weather will ruin the next day’s voyage, she persists in assuring James that the trip is a possibility. She does so not to raise expectations that will inevitably be dashed, but rather because she realizes that the beauties and pleasures of this world are ephemeral and should be preserved, protected, and cultivated as much as possible. So deep is this commitment that she behaves similarly to each of her guests, even those who do not deserve or appreciate her kindness. Before heading into town, for example, she insists on asking Augustus Carmichael, whom she senses does not like her, if she can bring him anything to make his stay more comfortable. Similarly, she tolerates the insufferable behavior of Charles Tansley, whose bitter attitude and awkward manners threaten to undo the delicate work she has done toward making a pleasant and inviting home.
As Lily Briscoe notes in the novel’s final section, Mrs. Ramsay feels the need to play this role primarily in the company of men. Indeed, Mrs. Ramsay feels obliged to protect the entire opposite sex. According to her, men shoulder the burden of ruling countries and managing economies. Their important work, she believes, leaves them vulnerable and in need of constant reassurance, a service that women can and should provide. Although this dynamic fits squarely into traditional gender boundaries, it is important to note the strength that Mrs. Ramsay feels. At several points, she is aware of her own power, and her posture is far from that of a submissive woman. At the same time, interjections of domesticated anxiety, such as her refrain of “the bill for the greenhouse would be fifty pounds,” undercut this power.
Ultimately, as is evident from her meeting with Mr. Ramsay at the close of “The Window,” Mrs. Ramsay never compromises herself. Here, she is able—masterfully—to satisfy her husband’s desire for her to tell him she loves him without saying the words she finds so difficult to say. This scene displays Mrs. Ramsay’s ability to bring together disparate things into a whole. In a world marked by the ravages of time and war, in which everything must and will fall apart, there is perhaps no greater gift than a sense of unity, even if it is only temporary. Lily and other characters find themselves grasping for this unity after Mrs. Ramsay’s death.
In ancient time women's condition in India.
We have to discuss the position of women during the Vedic, post Vedic and the epic period in order to get a full picture of the status of women in ancient India.
Women in the Vedic and the post Vedic Periods:
The Indian cultural tradition begins with the Vedas. It is generally believed that the Vedic period is spread over from 300 BC to 600 B.C. Some general observations and broad generalization can only be made regarding the status of women during this vast period.
(1) Freedom Enjoyed By Women:
The degree of freedom given to women to take part in public activities indicates the nature of the status enjoyed by women during Vedic period. Women never observed “purdah”. They enjoyed freedom. They enjoyed freedom in selecting their male partner. They could educate themselves Widows were permitted to remarry. Divorce was however not permissible to them. Even men did not have the right to divorce their wives. Women were given complete freedom in family matters and were treated as “Ardhanginis”.
(2) Equal Educational opportunities for women:
Daughters were never ill-treated although male children were preferred to female children. They also received education like boys and went through the “Brahmaachary” discipline including the “Upanayana” ritual. Women studied the Vedic literature like men and some of them like Lopamudra, Ghosa and Sikata-Nivavari figure among the authors of the vedic hymns. Many girls in well-to-do families used to be given a fair amount of education down to about B.C 300.
(3) Position of Women in Matters Relating To Marriage and Family Affairs:
(4) Economic Production and occupational Freedom:
Vedic women had economic freedom. Some women were engaged in teaching work. Home was the place of production. Spinning and weaving of clothes were done at home. Women also helped their husbands in agricultural purists.
(5) Property Rights and
Women rights were very much limited in inheriting property. A married daughter had no share in her father’s property but each spinster was entitled to one-fourth share of patrimony received by her brothers. Women had control over gifts and property etc. received by a woman at the time of marriage but the bulk of the family property was under the control and management of the patriarch.
As a wife, a woman had no direct share in her husband’s property. However, a forsaken wife was entitled to 1/3rd of her husband’s wealth. A widow was expected to lead an ascetic life and had no share in her husband’s property. Thus it could be generalized that the social situation was not in favour of women possessing property and yet protection was given to them as daughters and wives.
(6) Role in the Religious Field:
In the religious field, wife enjoyed full rights and regularly participated in religious ceremonies with her husband. Religious ceremonies and sacrifices were performed jointly by the husband and the wife. Women even participated actively in religious discourses. There was no bar for women to read or study any of our sacred literature.
Role of Women in Public Life:
Women could shine as debaters in public assemblies. They usually occupied a prominent place in social gatherings but they were denied entry, into the “Sabhas” because these places besides being used for taking political decisions were also used for gambling, drinking and such others purposes. Women’s participation in public meetings and debates, however, became less and less common in later Vedic period.
It may thus be concluded that in Vedic India, women did not enjoy an inferior status rather they occupied an honourable place. They had ample rights in the social and the religious fields and limited rights in the economic and the political fields. They were not treated as inferior or subordinate but equal to men.
Status of women during the Epicperiod:
Women during the Period of Dharmashatras and Purans:
During the period of Dharmashastras and puranas the status of women gradually declined and underwent a major change. The girls were deprived of formal education Daughters were regarded as second class citizens. Freedom of women was curtailed. Sons were given more weightage than daughters Girls were prevented from learning the Vedas and becoming Brahma charinis.
Manu, the law giver of Indian society gave the statement that women have to be under father during childhood, under her husband during youth and under her son during old age”. At no stage shall she deserve freedom. However he balanced this with the statement that a society in which the woman was not honoured would be condemned to damnation.
Due to the various restrictions imposed on the freedom of women some problems started creeping in. In the social fields, pre-puberty marriage came to be practiced, widow remarriage was prohibited, husband was given the status of God for a woman, education was totally denied to woman, custom of ‘Sati’ became increasingly prevalent, purdah system came into vogue and practice of polygyny came to be tolerated.
In the economic field a woman was totally denied a share in her husband’s property by maintaining that a wife and a slave cannot own property. In the religious field, she was forbidden to offer sacrifices and prayers, practise penance and undertake pilgrimages.
Factors That Caused the Degradation of Women:
Prabhati Mukharjee, the renounced sociologist has identified some reasons for the low status of women in post Vedic period. These reasons are imposition of Brahmanical austerities on the entire society, rigid restrictions imposed by the caste system and the joint family system, lack of educational facilities for women, introduction of the non-Aryan wife into the Aryan house hold and foreign invasions.
Women in the Buddhist Period:
The status of women improved a little during the Buddhist period though there was no tremendous change. Some of the rigidities and restrictions imposed by the caste system were relaxed. Buddha preached equality and he tried to improve the cultural, educational and religious statuses of women. During the benevolent rule of the famous Buddhist kings such as Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Sri Harsha and others, women regained a part of their lost freedom and status due to the relatively broadminded Buddhist philosophy.
Women were not only confined to domestic work but also they could resort to an educational career if they so desired. In the religious field women came to occupy a distinctly superior place. Women were permitted to become “Sanyasis”. Many women took a leading role in Buddhist monastic-life, women had their sangha called the Bhikshuni Sangha, which was guided buy the same rules and regulations as these of the monks. The sangha opened to them avenues of cultural activities and social service and ample opportunities for public life. Their political and economic status however remained unchanged.
Status of women in the Medieval India:
The Medieval period (Period between 500 A. D to 1500 A.D) proved to be highly disappointing for the Indian women, for their status further deteriorated during this period. Muslim invasion of India changed the direction of Indian history. The influx of foreign invaders and the Brahmanical iron laws were main causes for such degradation.
As far as a woman was concerned, her freedom was curtailed, knowledge of not only the scriptures but even letters was denied to her and her status was reduced to that of an appendage on man. Caste laws dominated the entire social life widow remarriage and levirate’s were disallowed. Women could not inherit property. Girls were treated more as burdens or liabilities than as assets.
Moreover the status of women reduced to the status of slaves during medieval period. The women faced many problems such as child marriage purdah system, practice of Sati etc. Throughout the medieval period, the status of women went on declining.
However, during the 14th and 15th centuries, the social situation had undergone some change Ramanujacharya organised the first Bhakti Movement during this period which introduced new trends in the social and the religious life of women in India. The great saints like chaitanya, Nanak, Kabir and others fought for the rights of women to religious worship. Really the Bhakti Movement unlocked the gate of religious freedom to women. As a result of this freedom, they secured certain social freedom also. The purdah system was abolished women could go out of their families to attend pravachanas, Krirtans, Bhajans, and so on.
The system “Grihashram” of Bhakti Movement did not permit saints to take to sanyas without the consent of wife. This condition gave some important right to women. The saints of the Bhakti Movement encouraged women to read religious books and to educate themselves.
Thus the Bhakti movement gave a new life to women but this movement did not bring any change in the economic structure of the society and hence women continued to hold low status in the society’. The revival of ‘Sati’ the prohibition of remarriage, the spread of “Purdah” and the greater prevalence of polygamy made her position very bad. Thus there was a vast gap between the status of woman in the early Vedic period and that in the Medieval period and onwards.
Women held and honored position in the vedic age and was quit competent to take part in every aspect of the social, intellectual and spiritual life of the race.
During the period that followed the Vedic Age, there was gradual deterioration in her position, but she still retained a large measure of freedom in the disposal of her own person and fortune. But with the advent of Islam, new social forces appeared on the Indian horizon. The position of women altogether changed to a great extent. Some of the special features of the condition and position of women during the Mughal period are described in below paragraphs.
The Pardah system, in all probability was unknown in ancient India.“Its general
adoption,” according to Dr. A.S.Altekar, “is subsequent to the advent of Muslim rule in India.” Pardah was strictly observed in their native lands. Naturally in a foreign country like India grater stress was laid on it. Even a liberal king like Akbar had to issue order that “If a young woman was found running about the streets and bazaar of the town and while so doing did not veil herself or allowed herself to become unveiled….. she was to go to the quarters of the prostitutes and take us the profession.”
Pardah was strictly observed among high class families of both the communities during the Mughal period. Ovinton writes, “All the women of fashion in India are closely preserved by their husbands who forbid them the very sight of strangers.” Even male doctors were not allowed to face the ailing ladies of noble and princely families. Della Valle writes that unveiled ladies were supposed to be either poor or dishonest. There is very interesting to note that when a princess desired to ride on an elephant, the animal was made to enter a tent near the palace-gate and the Mahout covered his face with a clothe so that he might not see the princess when she entered into the covered howdah. If for any reason a Muslim lady of rank discarded Pardah even for a temporary period, the consequences for her were disastrous, However, Nurjahan was a notable exception who came out in public unveiled.
Pardah was no less strictly among middle class Muslim ladies who dared not move out of doors without a veil. But no such coercive Pardah system seems to have been observed among the Hindu middle class and certainly not among the Hindu masses. Hindus, however, adopted Pardah for two reason-first as a protective measure to same the honor of their women-folk and to maintain the purity of their social order and secondly as a tendency to imitate the ruling class. Hindu women had sufficient liberty to go out and enjoy the open air. They helped their husbands in their respective works.
The birth of daughter was considered inauspicious. The very silence with which a female child was received was indicative of of disappointment. Even in the royal families it were the women who rejoiced and feasted on the birth of a daughter, whereas the whole court used to participate in the celebration. If a Prince was born. Even Akbar had “resolved within himself that if Almighty God should bestow a mausoleum, a distance of about 140km’s.”A wife who unfortunately happened to give birth to girls in succession was disposed and even sometimes divorced. Female in fanaticize as also popular is among the uncultured stratum of Rajput society.
The Quran, no doubt, permits a Mohammedan to marry four wives at a time, but monogamy seems to have been the rule among the lower stratum of society in both the communities, during the Mughal period. Akbar had issued definite orders that a man of ordinary means should not possess more than one wife unless the first proed to be barren. He considered it to be highly injurious to a man’s health as well as economy to keep more than one wife. Mirza Aziz Koba’s well-known proverb deserves mention. He used to say that “a man should marry four wives, a Persian to have somebody to take to, a Khurasani for his housework, a Hindu woman for nursing his children and a woman of Mavarunnahar to have someone of the whip as a warming for the three.” The co-wives rivaled each other and thus domestic unhappiness was the natural outcome.
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Hindus, with the exception of a small number of prices and very wealthy persons, strictly restricted themselves to monogamy as enjoined by their social custom. Della Valle writes. “Hindus take but on a wife and never divorce her till death, except for the cause of adultery. In the extreme case, if a wife proved to be barren, they had the liberty to marry another with the consent of the Brahmins.
On account of political and socio-religious circumstances of the time, childmarriage in medieval Indiaparents tried to marry their daughters as early as possible. The custom in those days did not allow, for whatever reasons, the girl to remain in the parent’s home for more for more than 6 to 8 years after their birth. One of the Brahmins generals of the Peshwa was filled with great anxiety because his daughter’s marriage could not be arranged at the age of nine. “If the marriage is postponed to the next year”, he wrote from the battlefield, “the bride will be as old as ten. It will be a veritable calamity and scandal.” Child-marriage left no room for either the bride or the bridegroom the have time to think of a mate of their own choice. Money played an important part when a marriage was arranged between persons of unequal ages or social status.
As a wife, the Indian girl was under the command of her mother-in-law. She had to please every member of the family and do all sorts of domestic works, including the cleaning of cooking pots and utensils. But when grown up and away from this dominating influence of her mother-in-law, a middle-class lady had large powers in the management of the household. She had considerable say in the administration and management of her household.
widow condition in medieval India
Divorce and marriages, common among Muslims were prohibited to Hindu women. Widow-remarriage, except for the lower caste people, had disappeared almost completely in Hindu society during the early medieval age. This custom suffered little change during the Mughal days and was even more rigorously enforced. Sati was a prevalent practice, in spite of the efforts of the Mughals to check it. Even the betrothed girls had to commit sati on the funeral pyres of there would be the headband. Widowhood was considered a punishment for the sins of one’s previous life. Society looked upon them.
Whatever might have been the position of woman as a girl, bride, and widow, she certainly occupied a most respectable position in society as a mother. Manu emphatically asserts that a mother is more to be reversed than a thousand fathers.” Apastambha writes, “women as mothers are the best and the foremost preceptors of children.” The Mohammedan religion, too, enjoins upon its followers to king down to the peasant, all had the greatest respect for their mothers and for elderly women whose commands were invariably obeyed.
But perhaps no people showed greater regard for their mothers than the Rajputs. We can find no better illustration than to quote the ever recurring simile that make them mother’s milk resplendent.
So far as property rights were concerned, Mohammedan ladieswomens property rights in medieval indiawere much better off that their Hindu sisters; A Muhammadan lady were entitled to a definite share in the inheritance with absolute right to dispose of it. Unlike her Hindu sister, she retained this right even after marriage. Another method adopted to safeguards the interests of Muslim ladies after marriage was Mahar or inner spatial settlement, whereas a Hindu lady had no right to the property of her husband’s parents. It appears that eh constant seclusion brought about the social, political and intellectual stultification of women who could not exert themselves for their legitimate rights. From the legal standpoint, they were reduced to a position of dependency in every sphere of life.
Indian women helped their husbands in their professions. Some of them engaged themselves in an independent profession like medicine, midwifery, tailoring etc.
In spite of the Pardah which obstructed high-class ladies from participating in the social life of the nation, quite a large number of talented women mad a mark in different sphere during the two centuries of Mughal rule in India.
Gulbadan Begum, the author of the Humaynama and Jahanara, the biographer of Shibyah and Munisal Arwah, hold and enviable position among the literary figures of that age. Jan Bugum, the daughter of Khan-e-Khanan, is said to have written a commentary on the Quran. Mira Bai, Salima Sultana, Nur Jahan, Siti-un-nisha, the tutoress of Jahanara and renowned as “the princess of poets” and Zeb-un-nisha, the eldest daughter of Aurangzeb, were poetesses of distinction. In Maharashrta Aka Bai and Kena Bai, disciples of Ramdas Swami, were considered important literary figures in the 17th century.
In the administrative sphere too, they did not lag behind. Some of the greatest women administrators of all ages belong to this period. Maham Anaga, the chief nurse, and muse of Akbar, controlled affairs of the state for full four years (15060-64) by sheer audacity and cleverness. Rani Durgawati, the chandel princess of Gondwana, “famous for her beauty and accomplishment “governed her country with great courage and capacity. Vicent Smith comments: “Her country was better administered and more prosperous than that of Akbar the Great.” Chand Bibi’s name shines brilliantly in the annals of Ahmadnagar. Nurjahan was the real power behind the throne of Jahangir. Even the proudest peer of the realm paid their homage to her, knowing full well that a word from her would make or mar their career.
Indian women belonging to royal and noble families, particularly the Rajputanis were trained as soldiers and often displayed great bravery, courage, and heroism. For example, Nurjahan gave ample proof of her martial capabilities in leading an attack against Mahabt Khan.
women's literature in medieval india
Several travelers on different occasions have made special mention of the high character of Hindu ladies. The chastity of Hindu women was proverbial. Tavernier remarks that Adultery is very rate among them and as far sodomy, I never heard it mentioned.” Grose writes: If anyone looked at them deliberately in the bazaar or even while they stood at their doors, they resented it as a high affront and uttered “Dekh na mai”(look here and don’t you die).
Death had no terror for these heroic ladies when their honor was at stake. It was certainly less dreadful than dishonor and captivity. Such was the ideal of India’s womanhood during the Mughal age.
Status of Indian Women began to change radically during the modern period. Historically the period after 1750 A.D is known as the modern period.
The status of Indian women during this period can be divided into two stages:
(a) Status of women during the British rule in India,
(b) The status of women in post independent India.
(a) Status of women During the British Rule:
After the fall of the Mughal Empire at the decisive Battle of Plassey (1775 A.D) the British people established their complete political supremacy over the Indian people. During the British rule, a number of changes were made in the economic and social structures of our society.
Though the quality of life of women during this period remained more or less the same, some substantial progress was achieved in eliminating inequalities between men and women in education, employment, social right and so on. Some social evils such as child marriage, sati system, devadasi system, purdah system, prohibition of widow remarriage etc., which were a great hurdle in the path of women’s progress were either controlled or removed by suitable legislations.
After the lapse of several centuries for the first time some attempts were made all India basis to tackle the problems that confronted women. Social reformers with patriotic spirit on the one hand and the British Government on the other together took several measures to improve the status of women and to remove some of their disabilities.
(b) The status of women in post independent India:
The status of Indian women has radically changed since independence. Bothe the structural and cultural changes provided equality of opportunities to women in education, employment and political participation. With the help of these changes, exploitation of women, to a great extent was reduced. More freedom and better orientation were provided to the women’s organisation to pursue their interest.
The centuries of slavery were over. Today women want equality, education and recognition. The advancement of women is the most significant fact of modern India. Gandhiji once said “woman is the noblest of God’s creation, supreme in her own sphere of activity.” These words are blossoming now.
From its very inception in the 19th century, the Indian National congress included women and elected Mrs. Annie Besant as its president. One of the proudest moments of Indian womanhood was when Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi Pandit was elected as the president of the U.N. General Assembly in 1953.
In the National movement, hundreds and thousands of women shed their veils and left their sheltered homes to work side by side with the man. In free India, the status of women has under gone profound changes. Remarkable progress has been achieved in the field of administration, science and technology, sports, education, literature, music, painting and other fine arts.
It is highly significant that women in independent India have achieved great progress in all walks of life. We can confidently assert that India is the only nation among the developing countries of the modern world where so many women occupy high administrative positions quite successfully. The improvement in the status of Indian women especially after independence can be analysed in the light of the major changes that have taken place in areas such as legislation, education and employment, political participation and awareness of their rights on the part of women.
1. Constitutional provision and legislation in support of women’s cause:
The constitution of India has greatly enhanced the status of Indian women by throwing upon to them all its series on equal terms with men. All the men and women of India are equity entitled for individual freedom, fundamental rights including the right to participate in social, cultural, religious, educational, economic and political activities. The constitution provides for equality of sex and offers protection to women against exploitation. It has given the voting right to women and in no way treats women as second grade citizens.
Social legislation safeguarding women’s interest:
The Government of Independent India undertook a number of legislative measures to safeguard the interests of women.
Some of them are discussed here:
(i) The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955:
It prohibits polygyny, polyandry and child marriage and concedes equal rights to women to divorce and to remarry.
(ii) The Hindu succession Act, 1956:
It provides the right to parental property for women.
(iii) The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956:
The act gives a childless woman the right to adopt a child and to claim maintenance from the husband if she is divorced by him.
(iv) The special Marriage Act, 1954:
It provides rights to women on par with men for inter-caste marriage, love marriage and’ registered marriage. The Act has also fixed the minimum age of marriage at 21 for males and 18 for females.
(v) The dowry prohibition Act, 1961:
It declares the taking of dowry an unlawful activity and thereby prevents the exploitation of women.
(vi) Other legislations:
(a) The suppression of immoral Traffic of women and Girls Act 1956:
It provides protection to women from being kidnapped or compelled to become prostitute.
(b) The Medical Termination of Pregnancy: Act 1971:
It legalizes abortion conceding the right of a woman to go for abortion on ground of physical and mental health.
(c) The criminal Law Amendment Act 1983:
It seeks to stop various types of crimes against women.
(d) The Family Court Act 1984:
It seeks to provide justice to women who get involved in family disputes.
2. Women in the field of Education:
After Independence, women of India took to education in a relatively large number. For example in 1901, the literary level of the females in India was just 0.6%, it increased to 39.42% in 1991 and to 64.1 in 2001. Various benefits such as free-ship, scholarship, loan facility, hostel facility etc are being given to women who go for higher education in many towns and cities, educational institutions meant only for female children have been established.
The educational performance of girl students particularly at high school and college level is proving to be betters than that of boys especially after 1980. We have today some universities exclusively meant for women. Example- SNDT university for women (poona) (ii) Padmavathi University for women (Terupati), Mother Teresa University for women (Kodai Kenal, Tamilnadu) Sri Avinashi lingam Homes Science college for Women (Deemed University, Coimbatore.) Girls’ students are getting admitted on merit basis to the prestigious engineering and medical colleges in a relatively bigger number during the recent years.
The contribution of women for developing various languages cannot be ignored. Mahadvi Verma and Subhadra Kumari chauhan are well known for Hindi writings, Amreta pritam has enriched Punjabi language with her works. Kuntala Kumari Sabat has enriched oriya literature, many women writers have been awarded prize by the Sahitya Academy and other organisations. There are hundreds of women editors, journalists and columnists in the land who are performing meritorious services.
3. Women in Economic and Employment Fields:
In both villages and cities there has been a remarkable increase in the number of women going out of the four walls of the household and becoming workers. In the “employment market” they are successfully competition with the men folk, In every field, the number of women employees is steadily increasing since 1991, though in a smaller number, women are getting recruited into the Army force, Air force and Naval force also.
Employment has given women economic independence and the feeling of importance. They now feel that they can stand on their own and look after the entire family by themselves. This has boosted their self-pride and self confidence. Employment provision has made them to feel that they need not live as parasites on their men folk. In order to give protection to the economic interests and rights of the women folk the government has undertaken various socio economic legislations, which cover areas such as rights to property or inheritance, equal wages, working conditions, maternity benefit and job security.
Examples:
(i) The Maternity Benefit Act 1961:
It gives maternity benefits such as 3 months leaves with salary to the married women workers during pregnancy stage.
(ii) The Equal Remuneration Act 1976:
It removes wage discrimination between male and female workers.
(iii) The Factories Amendment Act 1976:
It deals with working laws, weekly rest, standards of cleanliness, ventilation, first aid facilities rest rooms etc. The legislation also provides for establishing of crèches for children of working women, separate toilets for females and lays down a maximum of 9 hours of work a day for women.
(iv) The Hindu succession Act. 1956:
According to this act not only a daughter is given a right in her father’s property equal to her brothers, but a widow also gets a share from her deceased husbands’ property equal to her sons and daughters.
Women in the Political Field:
The Indian constitution has provided women two important political rights female enfranchisement and eligibility for the legislature. After the independence, the number of women voters and women representatives in Assemblies and parliament has increased sufficiently. In central cabinet and at the level of state cabinet we find some ministerial portfolios being headed by women.
The Late Raj Kumari Amit Kaur was a minister in the first central cabinet of free India. Sucheta Kripalini had successfully fulfilled her responsibilities of Uttar Pradesh so as Padmaja Naidu as the Governor of West Bengal. Smt Nadini Satpathy of Orissa state was also one of the able chief Ministers. The nation witnessed in Smt. Indira Gandhi, one of the powerful prime ministers who gave her leadership to the country for more than a decade.
Honourable president Mrs Prativa Patil, is holding the most important and dignified post of our country at present. In 1992, an amendment (73rd) was brought to the constitution according to which one-third of the seats were reserved for women at the panchayat level. There are many women Members and chairmen of local bodies and legislatures.
By their sheer ability and capacity for hard work, Indian women can now exert their influence in every sphere of human activity. They have already demonstrated that-they can successfully discharge their duties as an administrator, ministers, ambassadors and so on. However it may be noted that political awareness is present more among the upper and middle class women than the lower class women.
Women in the sports Field:
In the world of sports, Arati Saha won the swimming champion by swimming the English channels. In other items of sports also such as high jump, long-jump, running race etc. women of India take sufficient drive and initiative. P.T. Usha has achieved remarkable success in the field of sports and games.
Besides, in the sphere of science, pure and applied, women are also not lagging behind men. No one can ignore the services rendered by women in the realm of music, painting and other fine arts. So India can be reasonably proud of the success achieved by her women in every sphere of human activity.
However, it is a matter of sorry state that though the status of women has been raised under the law, in practice they continue to suffer from discrimination, harassment and humiliation. They are not taken seriously in obtaining opinions neither they treated as equals to men and nor given the same respect either at home or in the work field.
The experience shows that men’s tyrannical hegemony is over whelming strong deep-rooted to alloy for any change in the status of women. In most of the homes, male children are still being preferred to female children. It appears that the societal approach towards women, their role and status has not radically changed. Hence, bringing about more and more legislations to ensure better opportunities to grant more rights and concessions, do not carry any meaning unless there is a basic change in the peoples attitude towards women and women’s role in society.
If we really want to see India in future as a country which is economically enriched, politically equipped, socially developed and culturally distinguished, then definitely we have to give women a leg up in all their respective spheres of activity. Dr Radhakrishnan the Late President of India, once said” The progress of our land towards our goal of democratic socialism cannot be achieved without the active participation of our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters”.
Conclusion :-
Thus we can say that how woman have struggle for his identity like in Mrs. Ramsay character we find it in lighthouse.
