KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA NO.

2 AFS

TAMBARAM

ENGLISH AISSCE PROJECT

TOPIC: PATRIARCHY AND FEMALE

SUBJUGATION
NAME: ANGELINA BENNY

ROLL NO: 12101

YEAR: 2023-24
1
 Department Of English
Kendriya Vidyalaya No-2 AFS
Tambaram Chennai-73
Class XII

Name: Angelina Benny

Batch no: Roll Number:12101

Certificate
Certified that this is a Bonafide Record of Practical work

done by Ms ANGELINA BENNY in the subject of English during the

academic year 2023-24.

Scoring Details
Teacher-in-charge:
Record Internals Total
Date:

Submitted for the practical examination in

Held on:

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal
2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I WISH TO EXPRESS MY GREAT GRATITUDE AND SINCERE

THANKS TO THE PRINCIPAL SMT. CHITRA MUKUNDAN FOR HER
ENCOURAGEMENT AND FOR ALL THE FACILITIES SHE
PROVIDED FOR THIS PROJECT WORK. I SINCERELY
APPRECIATE HER MAGNANIMITY BY TAKING ME INTO HER
FOLD FOR WHICH I SHALL REMAIN INDEBTED TO HER. I EXTEND MY
HEARTY THANKS TO MRS. P MARJARY DEVAGNANAM (PGT
ENGLISH), ENGLISH TEACHER WHO GUIDED ME TO THE
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. I TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR HER
INVALUABLE GUIDANCE, CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT AND
IMMENSE MOTIVATION WHICH HAS SUSTAINED MY EFFORT AT ALL
THE STAGES OF THIS PROJECT.

SINGNATURE OF THE

CANDIDATE

3
 Table of Contents
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT........................................................................................ 5

ACTION PLAN .................................................................................................................... 6

FEMINISM TODAY............................................................................................................. 7

CONSTRAINTS AND IMPEDIMENTS FACED BY MARRIED WOMEN......................... 9

CULTURAL NORMS........................................................................................................... 9

DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES ............................................................................................. 9

RIFT WITH HER IN-LAWS ............................................................................................. 9

HELPING HER PARENTS FINANCIALLY ...................................................................10

KIDS ................................................................................................................................10

LACK OF EDUCATION..................................................................................................10

THAT LITTLE ‘SECRET’ SAVINGS..............................................................................10

DIFFERING VALUES .....................................................................................................10

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.........................................................................................11

LACK OF COMMUNICATION ..........................................................................................13

IT IS HER RIGHT ...............................................................................................................14

THE REFINED FUTURE ....................................................................................................19

CASE STUDIES ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA .....................................21

PROPER DIRECTION OF FEMINISM ...............................................................................23

AN INTERVIEW - PERSPECTIVE OF COMMON PEOPLE .............................................25

CONCLUSION __________________________________________________________________ 28

BIBLIOGRAPHY _______________________________________________________________ 29

4
 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
 Raise Awareness:
Increase awareness about the concept of patriarchy, its manifestations,
and its impact on individuals and society.
 Educate:
Provide education on the historical roots and cultural underpinnings of
patriarchy.
Offer resources and information to help people understand how
patriarchy operates in different contexts.
 Challenge Stereotypes:
Challenge and deconstruct traditional gender stereotypes that contribute
to reinforcing patriarchal norms.
Promote alternative, more equitable and inclusive perspectives on
gender roles.
 Promote Gender Equality:
Advocate for policies and practices that promote gender equality in
various spheres, including education, employment, and politics.
 Empowerment:
Empower individuals, especially women, to recognize and challenge
patriarchal structures in their personal and professional lives.
 Community Engagement:
Engage with communities to foster discussions and promote a collective
understanding of patriarchy's impact.
Facilitate dialogues that encourage open conversations about gender
roles and expectations.
 Research and Data Collection:
Conduct research to gather data on the prevalence and impact of
patriarchy in different contexts.
Use data to inform evidence-based strategies for dismantling patriarchal
structures.

5
 ACTION PLAN FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE
PROJECT

 Defining Project Objectives:

To clearly define the objectives of the project, specifying what we hope
to achieve regarding awareness, education, and potential actions to
challenge patriarchy.

 Researching and Acquiring Educational Materials:

Conducting research on patriarchy, its historical context, and its
manifestations.
Creating educational materials, including presentations, statistics etc. that
explain patriarchy and its impact.

 Parental Involvement: - Facilitating sessions or workshops for

parents to understand the project and to discuss how they can
contribute to conversations about patriarchy at home.

 Documentation: - Documenting the project, including planning

documents, educational materials, and media coverage. - Creating a
report summarizing the project's objectives, activities, and
outcomes.

6
 FEMINISM – THE IDEALOGY

Feminism is a complex set of ideologies and theories that aim to

achieve equal social, political, and economic rights for women.
Feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various
institutions committed to activity on behalf of women's rights and
interests.

There are several key assumptions of feminist theory. These include:

 Gender is an organizing principle of all societies.

 Gender is a social construction.

 Gender theory necessarily involves the politics of inequality.

Feminist theory rejects the notion that women's roles are determined by
biology and function (sexual, procreative, and child-rearing) and that
men's roles are those of political and economic power and authority.
Feminists also reject the oppression of women, imbalance of power,
and positioning of male as the normal and ideal in healthcare.

7
FEMINISM TODAY:

Feminism has evolved over time to address an expanding range of

issues and has become more inclusive and intersectional in its
approach, recognizing the intersecting systems of oppression and
advocating for equality and justice for all individuals, regardless of
their gender.

Today's feminism deals with more complex and diverse issues. It is no

longer a western movement, but a global one. It is important to realize
that not all women face the same forms of prejudice, and much of that
is due to race. Women of different races each have a different history
for their struggle toward equality that constitutes their struggles today.
Gender equality should thus not be seen as insular. Feminism today has
to be more malleable to accommodate this diversity so as not to neglect
the minority woman's experience.
8
CONSTRAINTS AND IMPEDIMENTS FACED BY
MARRIED WOMEN

CULTURAL NORMS

The biggest challenge is to avoid the social pressure of traditional

norms. Nobody wants to be controlled or likes to be told what to do,
how to dress, or where to spend their money. Everyone wants to have
their say about how a “married women” is expected to be. Offering one
another the space and freedom to express themselves individually
without judgment can help.

DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES

Being in different stages of life is taxing on a relationship — whether

it’s due to an age difference, time spent away from one another, or
growing apart in terms of interest and life goals. When a woman doesn’t
feel connected to the partner, she can feel the impact on her relationship.

RIFT WITH HER IN-LAWS

Obviously, there will be difference of opinion when a married woman

has to adjust to the ways of a new family and is expected to play the
role of a perfect daughter-in-law as defined by society.

9
Some women try to overcome the differences without making a noise,
a few brave ones, would perhaps raise their voice. However, what most
fail to do is discuss these in-laws related-problems with her husband.

HELPING HER PARENTS FINANCIALLY

No Indian parents will ever take help from their married daughters. Of
late, things are changing. A lot of working women would like to support
their aging parents. Sometimes, she would even carry their financial
burdens as well. In a society where parents of a married woman are not
even supposed to drink water at her place, imagine the plight of the girl
when she needs to tell her husband that she wants to support her parents
financially after marriage.

KIDS

Having kids often means that parents have less time to spend on
themselves. This can mean less time for things like travel and hobbies,
but also for basic self-care including fitness and relaxation. When
parents have too little sleep and too little time to take care of their own
needs (as often happens with a new baby or a high-needs toddler), they
can become more stressed and difficult to be around.

10
LACK OF EDUCATION

In societies where educational opportunities for women are limited, a

lack of education can constrain personal and professional growth. This
may cause a feeling of inferiority to the women.

THAT LITTLE ‘SECRET’ SAVINGS

After marriage, a couple is expected to manage their finances together.

Sharing expenditures is alright, but not all women would like to keep
her husband updated about every financial decision—be it saving or
expenses. Sometimes a person might like to have a little ‘contingency’
fund and declaring everything to her husband can be a struggle.

DIFFERING VALUES

Major disagreements about religion, politics, child-rearing and the

basic definition of right and wrong can cause serious disruptions to a
marital union. We all grew up differently with unique morals, values,
beliefs, and goals, but if markedly different views are coming between
you and your spouse, it’ll require effective communication and
understanding to work through things and maintain the marriage.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
11
Not everyone experiences the following challenges, but they can put a
particular strain on a family. These are special circumstances that create
significant additional stress:

 A child with a high-needs temperament

 A family member with health challenges, including physical and

mental health issues

 Extreme financial strain

 A lack of practical support from friends, family, or neighbors

who can offer assistance.
 A woman practically loses her freedom after marriage, step by
step. This is how a life of an average Indian woman after marriage is.

 She has to leave the comfort of her home to live with a bunch of
strangers, even though if it’s a joint family.

 Her life will be limited from home to office and back if she is
working. If she is a housewife, even less time out of the house.

 Outings with friends, shopping trips and solo trips (in case she
likes solo travelling) reduce a lot. These things are not mostly
applicable to men.
12
  She might have to sacrifice her career, hobbies etc in the name of
adjustment.

 She may not have her personal space or me time whenever she
wants. Again, these things do not apply to men.

 The situation becomes worse after having a kid or two.

 She will devote her entire life doing the job of raising kids,
rotting in the kitchen and taken for granted by her family.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Poor communication is a common marital issue. A lot of couples push

their problems aside rather than trying to talk about and fix them. They
may get set in their ways and in the roles of the relationship, allowing
for resentments to grow. When new challenges arise later in life, they
lack the communication skills to properly negotiate new rules, and the
relationship suffers.

13
 IT IS HER RIGHT

A survey on the topic produced the following results:

There were 20 responses in total among which 85% were female and
15% were male. The results of this survey shows that 50% of the
responses were 12-18 years of age, 25% of the responses were 19-30
years of age, 20% were 31-45 years of age and 5% were 46-60 years of
age. The majority of the participants were students accounting to 50%
followed by 45% of the people who were employed and a small
minority of 5% were unemployed.

Awareness Based Questions:

14
Opinion based Questions:

15
16
Situation Based Questions:

17
18
 THE REFINED FUTURE

Based on the question ‘What changes or improvements do you hope to

see regarding gender equality in the near future?’ the following results
were generated:

 Equal rights in every aspect, making education gender sensitive,

stopping of child marriage and harassment, engaging both men
and women.

 Gender equality should be achieved not by force but by

understanding. Hence, reforms and awareness can be provided so
that people accept that gender equality is required.

 Equality should be taught by the parents, then the child would not
speak inequality after growing up.

 Providing equal opportunities to every gender

 Equal opportunity for women and greater respect

 There are many equal opportunities provided by the Government

but in some of the areas in India, the ground realities are far from
ideal situation. The government should

19
 focus on 50% reservation in the education sector especially in
the high and middle school.

 For people to treat people as one species i.e., "Human beings" in

all aspects rather than giving gendered treatments towards
another. Everything starts with awareness and it starts with
breaking generations of patterns that's embedded in a child s
mind. For this, we need "woke parents" which again goes back to
proper awareness and education...and the cycle goes on.

 It should start from home and teach kids to be empathetic with

everyone. Example, everyone thinking that household chores are
mother’s responsibility. All household work and financial
decisions should be made by both mother and father. This will
bring gender equality in next generation in society.

20
 CASE STUDIES ON VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN IN INDIA

One prominent case related to violence against women after marriage

is “Saroj Rani vs. Sudarshan Kumar Chadha” in India (1984). In this
case, Saroj Rani filed a petition under Section 125 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, seeking maintenance from her husband after
leaving him due to domestic violence.

The Supreme Court, headed by Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy, ruled in

favour of Saroj Rani. The judgment emphasized that a wife is entitled
to maintenance even if she voluntarily separates from her husband due
to domestic violence. The court recognized the significance of
providing financial support to women who face violence within
marriage. This case contributed to legal precedents addressing the
rights and protections for women facing violence within the marital
relationship.

Another case related to feminism is “Vishakha vs. State of Rajasthan”

in India (1997). This case addressed workplace sexual harassment and
led to the formulation of guidelines known as the Vishakha Guidelines.
The petitioner, Bhanwari Devi, faced sexual harassment at her
workplace, and the court acknowledged the absence of legislation
addressing such issues.

21
The Supreme Court, led by Justice J.S. Verma, recognized the right of
women to a safe and secure workplace environment. The judgment laid
down guidelines to prevent and redress sexual harassment,
emphasizing employers’ responsibility to create a conducive work
environment. This case not only marked a crucial step in addressing
gender-based discrimination but also contributed to the broader
discourse on women’s rights and workplace equality.

Hence, it can be concluded that when women issues are brought to

light, legal action is taken to supress them. Feminism gives voice to
women in order to express their problems.

22
 PROPER DIRECTION OF FEMINISM

IWDA, an international feminist

organisation simply quotes
“Feminism is about all genders
having equal rights and
opportunities. It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences,
identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all
women to realise their full rights. It’s about levelling the playing field
between genders, and ensuring that diverse women and girls have the
same opportunities in life available to boys and men.”

Tània Verge Mestre, a strong

feminist, spoke in an interview as
“It is true that one is not born, but
rather becomes, a feminist. It is a
conscious and gradual act, right?
For me, I was studying gender
quotas and women’s political representation for my PhD, and I realized
that equality was not just about redistributing the seats in parliament or
in a political party’s executive committee, it was also about how gender
power relations become entrenched, how gendered biases become
entrenched in all social, political, and economic relationships.

23
In that moment, the idea that the personal is political became a life
motto, and the transformation of unequal power relations and societal
change more broadly would be part of both my academic work and my
activism. Some feminist political scientists call it the feminist
imperative—that drive to seek to transform as well as study politics.
When you see inequality everywhere, at some point you have to do
something about it. You cannot fragment your life. You have to be a
feminist wherever you are.”

24
AN INTERVIEW - PERSPECTIVE OF COMMON
PEOPLE

1. Does feminism have a positive response in today's world? If no,

why not?

A: There are Instances where feminism is misquoted or misunderstood

but it is purely dependant on the context and social setting. In a rural
setting it's explanation and exercises are different than in an urban
setting and again different in a corporate structure. Examples of
misrepresentation include representation of feminism goals as anti-men
and when feminism seeks to undermine family structure. Family
structure promotes interdependence but sometimes misquotes as
independence. Hence Feminism has both positive and negative
response in today’s world.
Anand Emmanuel Raj, Services Delivery Manager, Wipro
Technologies Poland

2. Can all the problems faced by women be solved by applying the

concept of feminism?

A: While feminism addresses many issues faced by women and

contributes significantly to improving gender equality, it's important to
acknowledge that it may not be the sole solution to all problems. The
challenges that women face is often complex and multifaceted,

25
influenced by various factors such as cultural norms, economic
disparities, and systemic biases.

Feminism plays a crucial role in advocating for change, dismantling

gender stereotypes, and promoting equal opportunities. However,
achieving comprehensive solutions may require a multifaceted
approach that involves collaboration across different sectors, including
government, education, and the workplace.

Furthermore, intersectionality, a concept within feminism that

considers how various social identities intersect and impact individuals
differently, emphasizes the importance of addressing the unique
challenges faced by women with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Therefore, while feminism is a powerful force for positive change,

addressing all problems faced by women may require complementary
efforts from various domains to create a more inclusive and equitable
society.
Thomas Raj, AVP – HR, GAVS Technologies, Pvt., Ltd.

26
3. People in general believe that if men and women are given equal
rights, the problems faced by women can be solved. How true is this
statement according to you?

A: This statement is not completely true. As of now, equal rights are

given to both men and women, but it is not fully implemented due to
social and cultural practices. Just by having equal laws, we cannot
expect equal rights, it has to become a societal practice, stereotypes
should be avoided and equal opportunities should be available for
women in the political and economic fields.
Dr Anuradha, Head of the Department of History, Loyola College

27
 CONCLUSION

A woman’s life is sensitive and special. She is a mother, a wife, a

daughter, daughter in law, a pride to a family she gets in. A woman has
lot of responsibilities in her life. Even so, she puts it all aside and shows
love and care to her family. Once she gets married, she hardly gets time
to be herself.

The real person in her dies at that very moment and she carries herself
with a fake smile in order to hide her sorrows. She is forced to bury her
dreams and desires and follow what her husband tells her to do.
However educated she might be, she has to succumb to the family she
gets into in order to maintain and uphold her family.

Feminism, is not just a concept. It acts as a means for a woman to

express herself freely and opens up opportunities for her to do so. A
woman should not have to suffer to earn her place in this world.
Feminism acts as a gateway for that.

However, fake feminism has spread widely, causing people to develop

a negative view of this term and concept. The notion that feminism
equals placing women higher than men in the social ladder needs to be
killed and people need to understand that feminism simply means equal
opportunities for people of all genders.

28
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Youtube:
https://youtu.be/R0LXAC2PXuU
https://youtu.be/MRfDzznfEOU
https://youtu.be/H-9fTS5cAiA

 Wikipedia

 weforum.org

 khanacademy.org

 timesofindia.indiantimes.com
 https://feminisminindia.com/
 https://www.legalserviceindia.com/

29