Have modern women paid too high of a price for equality?

Introduction-

Often we come across the phrase ‘Gender Equality’, we are taught from the very beginning
that gender equality is the most fundamental right of every human. It focuses on providing
equal opportunities and rights to all irrespective of gender. We have read that in the past,
specifically in medieval society the status of women was not respected and that women were
not allowed to enjoy their rights including the right to education and the right to vote in the
elections in their country. They weren’t considered equal to men and therefore were
considered inferior to men. However the perspective is changing and women are increasingly
being treated as equal to men in many ways, be it getting the desired education, or
employment opportunity, apart from the right to vote, women these days are being given the
opportunity to be a part of the political parties. Comparatively, the Western part of the world
is very liberal about women’s empowerment but women’s empowerment in India is the least
concern of society because of gender biases. It is believed that the problem with literacy,
population, and health issues won’t solve until there’s any solution for the gender biases so
that women can take a free part in building a society and a community where everyone’s
rights and demands will be paid attention to. If we pay more attention to how women’s
empowerment in India got momentum throughout the years, from the ancient to the modern
period. This changing status of women helps them become independent in their lives
economically, socially, and politically due to the given opportunities. But at what cost? The
issue is that women are expected to pay a price for their basic rights and the opportunities
they want to explore. The price is too high which often leads to the exploitation of women.
They often have to compromise their dignity to get the job they want.

Objective -

To review the changing status of women in the modern period and the price they pay for it.

Local Perspective -

Changing the status of women in Maharashtra The status of women—social, economic,

political, and general—in India, Maharashtra is much higher than in ancient and medieval
periods. Women today enjoy many more rights—social and legal—and have greater freedom
and voice, and participate more freely in public affairs. But it is also true that they are still
discriminated against, harassed, humiliated, dominated, and even exploited. In ancient India
(Vedic and Epic periods), women, by and large, were treated as ‘equal to men’. They were
treated and honoured and considered to be the embodiment of all divine virtues on earth.
They were considered not only as pivots of domestic life but also of the entire social
organisation. Of course, some scholars refer to several passages from religious scriptures to
point out that they enjoyed ‘low status’. These passages refer to women as ‘unworthy of
being trusted’, as ‘only means of satisfying the physical desires of men and secure them
progeny’, as ‘root of all evils’, as ‘things of possession’, and so on. However, the breaking of
the old joint family system has affected the bringing up of children. A child in a nuclear
family is a loner and tends to be self-centered. Old values are being replaced with modern
values of equality, individualism, and rationality. Though males have yet to be domesticated
to share the daily chores, they have been made to realise that they do not hold a dominant
position in the family. Thus, modern middle-class women have greater privacy, more
opportunities, freedom of action, and equal rights. They have broken away from many
shackles and unfairly restrictive practices. Women have indeed arrived and got their place in
society. Women are still traditional, deeply ritualistic, and fiercely conservative in their
behaviour, they are fighting the real battles of life. Of course, in the urban areas, there are
women who belong to the lower middle class and work as housewives, teachers, nurses,
clerks, stenographers, telephone operators, and also women of lower classes who work as
labourers, domestic maids, sweepers, and rag-pickers, etc. for whom life hasn’t changed
much. They are still subdued in our society. They are still not economically emancipated
from men. Also, It is been observed that some men cannot withstand the fact that their wives
are more successful than themselves and that results in an increase in domestic violence,
increased sexual assault, and sometimes even divorce, there are even cases where they
indulge in killing their wives.

National Perspective-

Talking about India, right from the Vedic period where The Ramayan along with the
Mahabharata and the Puranas constitute the epic literature in India. During this period, a
woman was considered to be a living commodity that could be kept on a bet and could be
sold or purchased. An example is the Pandavas bid of Droupathi. But we also get quite
contrary views from Ramayan and Mahabharata. Be it Droupathi being forced to be naked in
the room full of nasty males or Sita, who even after fulfilling her duties as an ideal wife and
living happily in the woods had to give ‘Agnipariksha’ to prove her purity. Women were
treated inferior to men. The cost she has paid to prove her loyalty and existence is always
been too high. Coming to Pre-Independence period, where many brave women like Savitribai
Phule, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Razia Sultan, Indira Gandhi, etc have contributed equally to the
country but not much is spoken about their courage, sacrifice, and their determination. The
fight for women’s empowerment in India in the modern period. Then as time passed society
evolved with changes and somehow women got their chance to enjoy their rights and powers
but this was not available for every woman in society. At the very beginning of this modern
period of women’s empowerment in India, many names come up during the East India
Company. They were extraordinarily brave women at that time like Begum Hazrat Mahal,
Uda Devi, and Azizun Baial, also one of them is Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. Women from
different sections of society are placed in very different situations in modern India. Some
women are entering new fields and achieving the same feats as men, while some girls are
being killed even before they are born. In earlier times women were seen only in the
household, but this expectation is changing slowly, as they are coming to the fore and
challenging traditional mindsets. The modern Indian society, impacted by globalisation and
influenced by values of equality and liberty, seems to have accepted a more elevated position
of women. As per the Indian constitution, Women and men are considered equal in law. They
enjoy equal rights and privileges and all rules apply to them equally. In fact, some legal
provisions, such as the law against dowry, seek to improve the current position of women in
Indian society. However, Women enjoy lower status than men in many cultures and families
when it comes to deciding whom to marry, inheriting property, and getting equal pay for
equal work among other things. If we look at development indicators such as health,
educational achievements, and wealth/income, it is clear that Indian women fare worse than
Indian men. This points toward systemic bias against women in society. Women face higher
levels of violence, unfair treatment in society, and unequal access to resources when
compared with men. Though the position of women has changed since the late twentieth
century, they are yet to become an equal part of society. As much as women after
independence are getting more acknowledgement, the number of crimes against women has
increased as well.

Global Perspective-

From the dawn of history, society has always continued to work in progress with the help of
both men and women. Women have been subjected not only as house-makers but as
goddesses and powerful rulers. Women in ancient Egypt were equal to men in almost all
areas except for occupation, where men fought, ran the government, and managed farms;
women cooked, sewed, and managed the house. Despite the patriarchal system, Egyptian
women were considered independent enough to own and dispose of property on their own
and partner up in legal contracts and wills. However, in a country like China, the ancient
women were just another subordinate of their fathers and then husbands. Women’s
contribution to society was theorised as to the principle of yin and yang. The men (yang)
were considered superior to women, predominant and authoritative as to the women (ying)
who were considered soft, submissive, and powerless. With the changing spell of time, the
position of women has relatively altered in the social order. Upliftment and growth of women
were possible because of several reasons such as education, economic stability, political
awareness, and nonetheless the Women’s Suffrage Movement. The 19th Century feminist
movement gave a severe push toward women's empowerment and women’s rights. Although
it is to be considered that even in the fast-pacing world where men and women are proven to
be equal socially, economically, and politically, women much like in the yesteryears still face
discrimination. With the advancement of society, new challenges have been thrown at
women. It has been estimated that almost 35% of women have been a victim of harassment
and assault. Women also continue to face discrimination in the workplace. The U.S.A. has
observed 61% of women report workplace harassment. Whereas in the UK Women have also
experienced an increase in their nominal earnings since 2010. However, average wage levels
for women remain lower than for men. In its latest analysis on employee earnings in the UK
in 2021, the ONS reported that female employees working full-time received median weekly
earnings of £558 in April 2021. In contrast, male full-time employees received £652. As of
April 2021, median weekly earnings for female full-time employees were £119 higher (27%)
than in 2010, while median earnings for men were £114 higher (22%). These are in the
context of increases in inflation of 23.2% over the same period. These facts and figures prove
that with the constant positive change in our society, there are still many threats and problems
for women that need to be solved and ironed out.

Conclusion - Local Perspective- The researcher observed through discussion with women
that socioeconomic biases are still prevalent in In Maharashtra to a large extent, women have
limited means to seek empowerment, for seeking ways to with their deprivation.

National Perspective- The future looks bright for women in modern Indian society as
government initiatives are helping them overcome prejudice and society attitudes are
changing. Women are proving to be capable of being equal to men, as they get more
opportunities. However, the awareness regarding crimes against women needs to be focused
on more to enjoy equal status fearlessly.

Global Perspective- the status of women has changed drastically from the ancient world to
the modern world and thus a conscious effort should be made to ensure more security, power,
and opportunity for women. However, the gender pay gap and the level of crime rates still
persist in the world be it in developing countries like India, and China or developed countries
like USA, UK, etc.
Reflection-

Before I started with the research, I was aware that the status women have adorned
themselves in the modern world might have come with a price to pay. After I read and
researched further I discovered that the women have actually paid too high a price. The
problems for women still exist in society, previously they were not allowed to study or get
the desired education now they are struggling to get the deserving designation. In earlier
times, they struggled to get the job now they are unable to fetch equal pay and benefits as
men.