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Waking up to empowerment
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On the eve of International Women's Day, it is only fitting to ponder the changes that are needed in restructuring societal role models for women.
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ON THE eve of International Women's Day (March 8), one is tempted to look at the current scenario for urban working women in the country. Empowerment of women seems to be the hottest topic in many a women's forum. But how empowered do our women feel? Undoubtedly, the urban working women are more privileged in comparison to our rural women, and they are obviously the trendsetters for our future generation. Education and employment have gained them a status in society. Nevertheless, a critical analysis of the scenario reveals that reality is not as rosy as it appears to be. Major legal and policy measures for women's development have undoubtedly empowered women with judicial equality, more education and economic opportunities and have presented them with broad role choices. No longer is a woman bound by the single option of being a housewife and mother. Yet, in our predominantly patriarchal society, societal values and familial role expectations still stress a role within the home, which is bound by traditions and customs. Despite legal equality and economic participation outside their homes, women are compelled to continue their familial role, a role almost never filled by men.
One of the important factors responsible for this gap between theoretical status and reality is the unequal importance attached to the multifarious principles of status. To achieve equality, the stress was on education, economic independence and political participation. This focus on extra familial activity as a determinant of women's position in society has resulted in a situation where the solution to women's oppression is seen to be only in the sphere of economic and social realms outside the household, while women's subordinate position within the family is accepted as inevitable and natural. This approach is not all encompassing, for it does not address itself to the root of women's problem of inequality, which lies in the family.
No doubt these measures of educational, economic and political participation have enhanced women's position in society. These fortunate women have become self-confident, self - supportive and are able to experience social prestige and recognition. It is heartening to see so many successful women accomplishing so much in their lives.
The crux of the problem: to achieve this what does a woman go through? When she extends her life outside home, it does not reduce her responsibilities at home. While she may share the `breadwinner role', there is no corresponding sharing of her `homemaker role'. The urban working woman wears the `superwoman syndrome' and takes on her occupational role `in addition' to her domestic role. She masters the art of `time management' and finds time for everything and accommodates everyone. Ultimately, she may feel stressed out due to overwork and the guilt that she carries for not being a traditional wife. Societal expectations demand that she continue being traditional, despite the fact that she has to change to suit her new role. This pattern of `continuity and change' found in today's lifestyle is proving to be highly demanding. It is about time our society started moving towards restructuring its role models.
More awareness is to be created and only involving the men and other family members in the discussions and debates shall do this. Visual media like cinema and television, and newspapers and magazines should reflect the changing role models more than ascertaining their traditional roles. Slowly but surely the new trends are to be set for women where there will be equality in the true sense of the term. Continuity and change are an integral part of any process of evolution and we are right now on the threshold of change. It is in our hands to make it happen.
PUSHPA LAKSHMAN
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