NAME- SUGANDHA JAIN

COURSE-BA PROGRAMME
ROLL NUMBER-17/BAP/183
 PATRIARCHY

If we start with the conventional account of a girl in lower caste familiy in india who inspite of
the stringent patriarchy that exists in the society, receives the education but with the credits
reaching the patriarchy for its success.

The scenario have been taken from a book 'gender and caste in contemporary india' by Supurna
Banerjee . The contradiction to the point of view of the author is stongly my opnion.

The case starts with a girl in an indian family who is the second generation child in the family
who receives education and her father is aware of sending her to school as he had the
education himself to a certain level to be aware of the importance of education for every
human being and thinking it beyond the discriminative gender aspects but the scenario changes
into a sham when the author of that essay portrays it to be the father who is aware enough to
send the daughter to the school and empower his position over the mother and also dampens
the role of mother indirectly by portraying her to be the one who is conflicting in this
perspective of not sending her daughter to school because of the idea of the early marriage of
her daughter that shows up , thus she is the one who belittles the value of education. But
stongly contemplating this scenario , isn't it the patriarchal aspect that covers up? The whole
case that portrays that the father was aware of the importance of education and thus sent his
daughter to school was just because he was the boy child in his family who got this priveledge
of getting education and in the same story the women who was always submissed by the whole
societal aspect ,and is really not aware of the importance of the education is because of a
subservient traditional gender role that she had to play to fulfil the social norms , without
getting any oppurtunity to explore diversse fields of life.

This case though sends a very positive message of girl education to the society but , is a
confluence of aspects and on the other hand shows the level of patriarchy that is so deeply
ingrained in our society that the idea doesn't even strike the conscience of half of the people.

Defining the word patriarchy ' Patriarchy literally means rule of the father in a male-dominated
family. It is a social and ideological construct which considers men (who are the patriarchs) as
superior to women.
ORIGIN OF PATRIARCHY

It started with the first brush with the division of labour that began in the second millennium BC
in Babylon, where women’s sexuality was totally controlled by men. The commodification of
women’s sexual and reproductive capacity, occurred before the formation of private property
and class society. The underlying interest, therefore, was to maintain a patriarchal family
structure – one in which the dominance of the male thrives. In the process, in those days,
erstwhile states and city-states were built on the conceptual framework of patriarchy and
pursued the agenda of maintaining the institutional patriarchal structure. Slowly, this led to the
institutionalisation of control over women’s sexuality through legislation, policy and economic
structures. With time, it became something of a “norm”, where those that owned means of
production could dominate over those who didn’t – which put men in a place of dominance, for
the division of labour came into place. Accordingly, women came to be defined by their
association with men. Those who were attached to one man, and one who controlled her sexual
and reproductive capacity at that, were “respectable”, and those that were not attached – well,
were “not-respectable”.

Patriarchy commence with our families. Specific roles and conduct are ascribed and are
expected of children of both sexes – and with that, a subliminal understanding of the bifurcated
statuses is inculcated. This is then systemically built upon with time, as children grow to become
adults that encourage and perpetrate the same beliefs, and a continuous cycle is then created

PATRIARCHAL CULTURE IN SOCIETY

Globally, patriarchy is the rule, rather than the exception. While there are a handful of small
matriarchal societies scattered around the world, by and large, the world's societies remain
patriarchies. However, even within that, there are a few places that are more rigidly patriarchal
than others. one of them srikes to be india.

Women in India have been denied opportunities for growth in the name of religion and socio-
cultural practices. Thus, women in India have few freedoms even in their homes, hold an
unequal and inferior status in society, and are subject to the rule of male heads of household
(their fathers in their childhoods and their husbands after marriage). and because of women's
relatively low standing in Indian society, rape, murder, dowry, burning, wife beating and
discrimination are all commonplace as the expression of male dominance over women.
Additionally, girls are viewed as less valuable than boys, so many families will choose to under
educate their daughters as was mentiones in the scenario before. As a result, India is one of the
43 countries in the world where the male literacy rate is at least 15 percent higher than the
female literacy rate. here is the detailed contemplation of the patriarchal structure in india.

INDIAN PATRIARCHAL FAMILY STRUCTURE

Legally the minimum ages at marriage are 18 for women and 21 for man, but in practise, close
to 60 percent of women of rural India are married before reaching legal age. Especially that the
legal provisions are rarely enforced by local authorities, what allows prohibition against child
marriage to be continued and it seems wildly accepted in pure areas of India. We have to
remember that Indian population is strongly influenced by custom and religious believes. As a
consequence of early married many of girls, who are not ready physically and mentally to give a
birth at young age, are dying during pregnancy.

The patriarchal structure of the family clearly influences the relationship inside a household.
Any women’s decision-making power is restricted by their low positions in a house. For
example, if the mother-in-law lives in a house, a new woman in a unit has to ask her for
permission and approval in domestic arrangements. If the brother-in-law is there, he is the
person to ask for consent to leave the house. Also at presence the sister-in-law in a household, a
new bride needs to submit herself to her decisions. Many of women in joint families are enable
to take any independent decision in respect to their own daily activities. The wife has to live by
her husband’s and often his family wishes. The daughter has to live by father and family
arrangements.

PATRIARCHY AND CASTE

Among Indian women exists huge inequality related to treatment at work place and on social
stage. Women belonging to the privileged and dominating classes enjoy mach more freedom
and opportunities than they are often denied even to man from subordinated and unprivileged
casts and groups. Women for the privilege cast are more educated and can place themselves in
better position on an employment market. Still it does not change the fact that women are on
the bottom of the order in every social group and casts, landless people, displaced and migrants
.Dalit women are the hardest touched by discrimination not only at home but as well at Indian
society. As the lowest caste, they suffer every day form injustice and wrongdoing. The case of a
girl student from Gujarat is only one of many examples of hash treatment by upper class and
Indian traditional authorities. The girl made a mistake of joining the dancing in the main square
of her village, in which most of the participants were of the upper caste. The upper caste boys
pulled her out and threatened to rape her. For interfering, her mother was slapped. In the hope
for justice, she forced her parents to file a complaint to the police against her assailants. For
complaining to the police constantly the upper caste families in a village intimidated her mother
and members of her family until it had been withdraw. This only one from many examples
showing how difficult is for women from lowest cast to deal with disadvantages to be born into
Dalit caste. These women from the poorest cast have no control over life, wealth and they
cannot expect help from Indian justices’ system and local authorities.

PATRIARCHY AND GIRL'S EDUCATION

The conventional view on girls’ upbringing has huge impact on their formal education. India has
the largest population of non-school-going working girls. The country literacy rate for women is
39 percent versus 64 percent for man. For example in Uttar Pradesh is even lower, around 25
percent for women. This low rate of girls in an education lies down to parent’s view that the
educated girl brings no returns to her future roles, mainly as a homemaker and perhaps
agriculture labour. The point is that girls increasingly are replacing brothers on farm duties while
carrying domestic responsibilities at the same time. This is significant reason for not sending
daughters to schools. A large proportion of nonworking girls is kept at home only because they
household responsibility. Also next point for not sending girls to school is to protect their
virginity. Especially when schools are communal for both: girls and boys. In addition long
distance to education institutions with travel expenses makes impossible to change paten of
basic education for girls

PATRIARCHY AND WOMEN IN WORK

A further aspect unequal right for women and men are related to workplace and conditions
they are work. Women work longer hours than man and their work is less paid or not paid at all.
Women contribution in agriculture, whether it is farming or commercial agriculture, is far more
demanding as they need to as well concentrate on domestic duties and ruining household,
fulfilling they traditional roles as a mother and wife. It had been found that the working day of a
woman labour in agriculture during the farming season last 15 hours from 4 am to 8 pm, while
man work from 5am to 10 am or 11 am and from 3 pm to 5 pm. It means that women have to
work in difficult weather conditions .Both transplanting and weeding required from women
worker to spend the whole day working in mud. What is more they work under hit of sun, while
men’s work such a ploughing and watering the fields is always carried out early in a morning.
Still women labour contribution is barely recognizable as an economic productivity and input to
a family household .

The issue does not bound itself to rural households. Even women in urban areas and specifically
women working in big corporate companies face this discrimaination as there is a wide pay gap
in two genders . Women working in the same capacity as men and doing the equivalent amount
of work , is the one who gets paid less. Such practice leaves an odious effect on the society
today.

PATRIARCHY AND WOMEN IN POLITICS

Furthermore on political stage it seems women are seriously underrepresented, The fact that
Indian government accepted the Representation of the People Act from 1951, which reserves
one third seats in national and states parliaments for women, makes milestone in
acknowledging women participation in a society and their needs for changes. But the idea of
reservation for women was not acheived that easily and was rebuffed by the men in power
repeatedly because of the fear of losing their power. Thus, the patriarchal aspect didn't actually
allow the idea to be proposed for a long period of time but ultimately it was passed and
resultant ,acted as a positive step that allowed women to practice their political rights and to be
represented and showcased their ability to influence legal policies of this country. On the other
hand the Act can be viewed as a need for enforcement democratic India to accept women basic
human rights to be equalised with men in area like education, workplace, household and
marriage, inheritance of properties, land.

CONCLUSION

The Indian constitution grants women equal rights with men, but strong patriarchal traditions
persist, with women’s lives shaped by customs. In most of Indian families a daughter is viewed
as a responsibility, a problem, which needs food and protection. On the other hand sons are
idolized and celebrated. “May you be the mother of a hundred sons is a common Hindu
wedding blessing”. This has influenced women access to education, to gaining power in
household and a community. It seems that without strong reinforcement of traditional custom
and values any government legislation cannot be productive. Recognition of women imputes
into Indian economy and politics is another step towards improvement their lives.
SUMMARY

· Starting with one small anecdote of a lower caste girl who was sent to the school
without the patriarchal aspects overloading her but the real patriarchal aspect was
portrayed when the credits of this idea were given to his father and her mother was
crticised for not supporting this idea.

· But the question here is that where did the idea of education in her father's mind came
from ? Isn't it the patriarchy that allows boy child in a family to have education and thus
depriving girls from doing so?

· So her father having an awareness of sending his daughter to school is result of

patriarchy, which obviously is a positive note for the girl but whole perspective of
crediting men and chastising women is problamatic because the mother is the one who
was deprived of education in her childhood and was submissed by society and cannot
really blame her for her lack of awareness.

Origin of patriarchy

· Rule of men over women started when men realised that women had this power of
reproduction which will help bring him a son in the family and also help him maintain
the patriarchal family structure.

· Due to this power, the control that women could have had over men , scared him and
resulted in the vice versa aspect, of men dominating women and controlling the
sexuality and reproduction of women .

· The domination and the stereotypical gender roles of ,men ruling and working and
,women being submissive and doing household work became a norm and got
normalised.

Indian patriarchal culture

 · Globally there are majority of patriarchies and limited matriarchies and one of the
stringent patriarchies is india.

· Indian family structure follows rigorous aspects of patriarchy . It begins with a girl who is
married earlier than the legal age because of her association to household work or the
women who adjusts in the home of her in laws and portrays her obligatory role of
subservience and submissiveness.

Patriarchy and caste

· In this area it is the disparity between upper caste and lower caste and the
submissiveness of a women that is described via an example of a girl from lower caste
family who joins a dance class having majority of the members to be upper caste,
resulting in her being harassed and threatened.

· The staggering part comes up when even complaining the police does not result in being
advantageous for her because of her caste and the supression of upper caste over her.

Patriarchy and girl's education

· As already been described that women have a stereotypical gender role to play which
tells her to be docile and which is the main reason for her lack of education and
education is an aspect that is considered nugatory for her future.

· Some statistics have also been shown regarding the limited percentage of girls having
the oppurtunity to study.

Patriarchy and women in work

· It tells about the women in rural areas where they are engaged in agriculture with their
husband .

· The patriarchy shows its effect where even after working in a more labor intensive work
of transpanting and weeding ,she is not given any recognition and men engaging in
watering and ploughing ,is respected as there is a stereotype associated with him to be
the earning member of the family.

· Talking about the women in urban areas where they work in huge corporate companies ,
even there they face gender disparity via huge pay gaps even after doing the same
amount of work and having the same capacity.
Patriarchy and women in politics

· Representation of the People Act from 1951 which brought in the resevation of 1/3rd of
seats in states and centre parliaments which is a huge step for her empowerment but it
was not acheived easily as the women who proposed this idea were rebuffed as the men
in this sphere were scared of losing their power . Thus again patriarchal aspect
overpowered this proposition and didn't let this proposition to be passed for a long time
but ultimately for everybody's best it was passed resulting in her practicing the rights.

Conclusion

· There are lot of fields where women is deprived of oppurtunities but slowly and
gradually the progress can be seen and even trivial steps of women participation in
various arenas is changing the patriarchal scenario resulting in positive aspects.