Page 203 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University

Notes
Unit 9: Status of Women

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
9.1 Gender Discrimination
9.2 Women in Ancient India
9.3 Changing Status of Woman
9.4 Women’s Quest for Equality
9.5 Violence against Women

9.6 Summary
9.7 Key-Words
9.8 Review Questions
9.9 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to:
• Understand Gender Discrimination
• Know about Women in Ancient India
• Explain Changing Status of Women
• Discuss Violence against Women
Introduction

Over the years, some sociologists and non-sociologists have devoted time and effort to assess the
problems plaguing women and to study the quality of change in the status of women in our society.
While a few writers have referred to the legal rights enjoyed by women in marriage, inheritance and
participation in public affairs, others have referred to the still prevalent inequality and discrimination
suffered by women due to the social attitudes of males and the existing customs and traditions.
Howsoever high the status of women might have been raised under the law, in practice they continue
to suffer from discrimination, harassment and humiliation. They are not taken seriously in obtaining
opinions, not treated as equals to men, and not given due respect. There are cases of junior IAS/IPS
women being harassed by senior IAS/IPS men, of air hostesses being humiliated by pilots, of junior
female custom officials being ill-treated by senior male custom officials and of female clerks and
typists being exploited by male officers. Cases of making suggestive overtures or making advances
to female subordinates in telephone exchanges, secretariats, newspaper offices, five-star hotels, TV
centres, colleges and universities, IITs, etc., have become common.
In the relationship between man and woman, it is an individual with a powerful personality who
acquires a position of dominance. Generally, it is a man who commands power over a woman, though
in a few cases, a woman also might exercise control over a man. In Indian culture, since the very early
periods, women as a group have been dominated by men and their status has been low in the family
and society. In the 1930s and 1940s, the commitment of the socio-political leaders to equality influenced
the Indian women’s movement to turn to liberal egalitarian values. For studying this change (in the
status of women) from the early times to the present day, let us start from the early period.

198 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY