Rural Women In India

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In India, rural, poor women are generally the most disadvantaged. There is blatant discrimination against women, and this proves to be a major barrier against creating a hunger-free India. In order to reduce poverty, hunger, and rapid population growth, women must gain equal rights, including more education opportunities, and the right to own property.

This book explains and analyses the multifaceted and multidimensional role of rural women in India's socio- economic life. Topics such as the status and contribution of rural women, efforts made by government for upliftment of women's status etc., are elaborately discussed. The lucid explanation, critical analysis and objective evaluation of facts will be highly useful for academicians, policy makers and executors, who are actively working for the development of rural women.

Dr. Manjula Sen holds masters and doctorate degrees in sociology. She has taught sociology for more than twenty years at college and university levels. She has presented papers at several national and international seminars and also works as a social activist for the welfare and protection of women's human rights. Her major fields of interest and research are women's empowerment and human rights.

She is closely associated with many professional bodies and actively engaged in teaching, research, writing, counselling and social service activities. She is presently the director of Society for Women Upliftment, a non-governmental organisation based in Kolkata for the welfare of women.

Women in India are seen as a burden to society, not an asset. In developed countries, women have proven their worth by standing alongside men and working jobs, earning money, helping to feed their children, and even making important scientific discoveries. In India, though, this rarely happens, if at all, outside urban areas, Women in rural India are seen as property. When a girl marries into a family, she works for her husband's family's welfare, not her parent's welfare. Although dowry has been illegal since 1960, parents of a female child usually have to pay dowry to the other family so they will allow her to marry one of their sons. This happens more in rural areas than in urban areas.

Almost 750 million people live in rural areas, and this is where caste systems, female discrimination, and female infanticides are at their strongest. In rural India, the only wealth women can depend on is their offspring, which causes a strong desire for male children. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the alarming statistic that female infant mortality figures are 40 per cent higher than male. Females are more likely to be aborted than males because of India's strong preference for male children. Since male preference is adamant in India, women are more likely to be bereft of medical attention, food, and education. When women lack education, they are more likely to have more children, as children are their future financial security.