The Social Position of Women In a Changing Context

In classical antiquity, the Greek city-states and the Roman Empire exemplified
societies where women’s status was circumscribed by rigid patriarchal norms. Although
exceptions existed, such as the prominent role of Spartan women in public life, they remained
outliers rather than the norm. Similarly, in medieval Europe, feudal structures and religious
doctrines reinforced the subordinate position of women, prescribing their roles as wives,
mothers, and caretakers.

The Renaissance and Enlightenment periods witnessed intellectual movements that

challenged traditional beliefs and advocated for greater equality and individual rights.
Philosophers like Mary Wollstonecraft articulated the inherent rights of women and called for
their inclusion in the social contract. However, these ideals often remained confined to
intellectual discourse, as societal norms and institutional barriers persisted.

The place of women in society is a critical factor in judging the success of any
civilization. Talking about India’s culture, Manu, the great law-giver, said ‘where women are
honoured; there reside the Gods’. In Hinduism, a man without the participation of his wife
cannot take part in any religious ritual with perfection. The wives are called ‘Ardhangani’ (the
better-half), and without them, any crucial work is impossible to accomplish. Hence, they share
equal positions with men.

According to a study conducted by the United Nations, women constitute more than
two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population. Another research depicts that 80% of the world’s
refugees are women. Also, women only own 1% of the world’s resources and earn a small part
(1/10th) of the world’s income.

Industrialization and Beyond:

The advent of industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries heralded significant
transformations in the social fabric, including women's roles and opportunities. The rise of
factories and urbanization led to the emergence of wage labor outside the home, offering
women newfound economic independence and avenues for employment. However, these
opportunities were often accompanied by exploitative working conditions and meager wages,
particularly in textile mills and other industries.

The suffrage movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries symbolized the
collective struggle of women for political representation and empowerment. The suffragettes'
campaigns in Britain, led by figures like Emmeline Pankhurst, culminated in the extension of
voting rights to women in 1918, albeit with certain restrictions. Similarly, the women's suffrage
movement in the United States achieved a landmark victory with the passage of the 19th
Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote.
 Despite these milestones, the interwar period and the mid-20th century saw the
persistence of gender discrimination and systemic inequalities in various spheres of life. The
post-World War II era witnessed a resurgence of feminist activism and the emergence of
second-wave feminism, which sought to address issues of reproductive rights, workplace
discrimination, and gender-based violence. Legal reforms, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964
in the United States, prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, laying the groundwork for
greater gender equality in employment and education.

Contemporary Dynamics:

The latter half of the 20th century and the early 21st century have been characterized
by a multifaceted reconfiguration of women's social position, shaped by globalization,
technological advancements, and evolving cultural norms. The proliferation of digital
technologies has facilitated unprecedented connectivity and access to information, empowering
women to amplify their voices and advocate for their rights on global platforms.

In many parts of the world, legal reforms and policy initiatives have sought to address
systemic barriers to gender equality. The adoption of quotas and affirmative action measures
has increased women's representation in political institutions, corporate boardrooms, and
decision-making bodies. Countries like Rwanda, Iceland, and Norway have implemented gender
quotas for parliamentary representation, resulting in significant strides towards gender parity in
political leadership.

Economic globalization has engendered both opportunities and challenges for women
in the workforce. While women have made significant inroads into traditionally male-dominated
industries and occupations, they continue to encounter wage gaps, occupational segregation,
and glass ceilings that impede their career advancement. The phenomenon of the "pink-collar
ghetto," characterized by the concentration of women in low-paying and precarious sectors such
as caregiving, hospitality, and retail, underscores persistent inequities in the labor market.

The #MeToo movement, which gained momentum in the wake of sexual harassment
allegations against prominent figures across industries, has brought issues of gender-based
violence and workplace harassment to the forefront of public discourse. By amplifying survivors'
voices and holding perpetrators accountable, #MeToo has catalyzed a reckoning with
entrenched power dynamics and patriarchal norms that perpetuate violence and discrimination
against women.

A critical lens through which to examine the social position of women is the framework
of intersectionality, which acknowledges the intersecting dimensions of identity, privilege, and
oppression. Women's experiences are shaped not only by gender but also by factors such as
race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability, and nationality, which intersect to produce unique
forms of marginalization and discrimination.
 Women of color, indigenous women, LGBTQ+ women, and women from marginalized
communities often face compounded forms of exclusion and invisibility within mainstream
feminist discourse and social structures. Intersectional feminism seeks to center the
experiences and voices of these marginalized groups, challenging dominant narratives and
advocating for more inclusive approaches to gender equity and social justice.

Inequality, Traditions, and Society

In previous times, men dominated society while women were secondary to them. At the family
level, women had very little to no opinion, and the men were the sole in-charge of all decisions.
A woman was considered a man’s possession. Great heights of academic achievements and
formal jobs were for men, while women fulfilled the family responsibilities and bore the burden of
house-chores. A patriarchal and oppressed society with an inhumane caste system led to the
immense suffering of women in various parts of the world. They were (and are being) mistreated
inside and outside their homes.

The Constitution of India clearly states that women have equal rights with men and
are legal citizens of the country. Despite this, a majority of them suffer from poor health and
malnutrition. It creates a significant problem, especially for pregnant and nursing women. They
have to complete the household chores on top priority. If the women even think of themselves
first, in any manner (academically, financially, etc.), society makes them feel guilty about it.
Earlier, the majority of women were uneducated, now, many of them have education, but most
of it is not adequate.

There are certain beliefs like females can eat (whatever is left) when males have
finished eating. What is their base? How did it originate? When I was small, I saw my maternal
grandmother practice this custom with utmost devotion. I asked her the same questions. The
answer I got was rather astonishing — we don’t ask questions, we follow the traditions, they are
for our wellbeing. Can you all see what has happened? After years and years of being
improperly treated, women have lost their ability to be practical, ask logical questions, and
participate in debates and discussions! They follow such customs blindly in the name of worship
and prayer. Although efforts to ensure gender equality are underway in the present, such
incidences are still happening around the world.

More than half of our country’s population resides in villages. The women living here
do not go for medical care during and health problem or pregnancy because it is a temporary
condition which will soon get better on its own. This carelessness, which is prevalent even
today, is a major cause of India’s high maternal and infant mortality rates. Another point worth
mentioning is the female foeticide. The conventional thinking that since women have always
been a burden, no good can come out of a girl being born. These thinkers are entirely incapable
of grasping the horrors of a world without women. If girls are born, they do not receive the same
commitment and care as boys would. Even though our constitution firmly guarantees free
primary schooling to everyone up to 14 years of age, only about 39 percent of females in India
can attend the primary schools.

Times are changing. Although very slowly, but they indeed are shifting in favour of
women.

Towards Improvement

Numerous movies vividly express how the shifting from traditional to modern culture
has brought about a modification in the issue of gender discrimination. “Water” by Deepa Mehta,
“The Phantom Lover” by Ronny Yu, and “Rashomon” by Akira Kurosawa are lively examples of
the same. All these films demonstrate the fight of the female protagonists, their endurance, and
finally, their overcoming of the old culture or religion, which was responsible for restraining their
friendship, love, and life. “English Vinglish” is an Indian film that efficiently portrays how a
housewife can independently live in a foreign country without the help of a man and how she
can achieve great success in whichever field she desires.

In the past four decades, women’s social position in western countries has undergone
dramatic and remarkable changes. Since the days of World War II, these changes have
occurred both at home and in the workplace. In the USA, the role of women during the war
sparked the movement of women empowerment outside the home. The 60s and 70s saw the
economic necessity for many households to maintain two-income families further strengthen a
woman’s status as an employee. The parallel and vital development of the rights of women
furthered solidified the status of women. The society realized that women are the indispensable
pillars for advancement and success, and thus various policies were brought into action, which
promoted female empowerment. Women also started getting involved in public politics in large
numbers and formed groups like the National Organization for Women (NOW).

In the Scandinavian countries, the political offices started electing women at

significant positions. Similar remarkable developments took place in Northern-European
countries. Women now had the right to make their own decisions regarding their lives — one
such example at the family level was to plan when to have children, made possible through the
revolutionary birth-control pills. Towards the end of the 1970s, they were no longer ‘put on a
pedestal’ as was the case a few decades ago. They were no longer expected to be limited to
the household work and raising the kids. They moved towards academic excellence and high-
salary professional jobs.

Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birth-right of all human beings;
their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of the Governments. Apart from the
preliminary policies such as those against female trafficking, promoting gender equality,
women’s human rights, right to food, employment, and the abolition of child marriage, more laws
have been enacted to enhance the social position of women all over the world. In India, Raja
Ram Mohan Roy started a movement against the subjugation of women. The contact of Indian
culture with the Britishers also brought some improvement in the status of women. Another
factor in the revival and betterment of the position of women was the influence of Mahatma
Gandhi, who encouraged women to participate in the Freedom Movement.

The Indian Take

Indian women have begun their journey on the path that the women of the Western
world took more than eighty years ago. The role of women in shaping modern India has been
phenomenal. The Indian sub-continent is gradually emerging as a powerful nation since women
began playing notable roles for the development of this land — its culture and economy. The
transition in the status of women from the past to the present is worth appreciation. Women are
now considered to be the forces that develop a country. They are capable of making a perfect
balance between their household and professional lives. Indian women have adorned high
offices and respectable posts like that of the President (Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil), Prime
minister (Mrs. Indira Gandhi), Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Mrs. Meera Kumar), first woman IAS
(Isha Basant Joshi), and first woman IPS (Kiran Bedi), in the list long list of many others.

1975 was declared the International Women’s Year. Gradually, the women are
solidly made aware of the role they play in the building of a prosperous society. They are awake
and moving fast. There is no field, which has remained unconquered by the women. They are
slowly grabbing the top positions in all the sectors. In education, they are performing even better
than their male counterparts, giving them a fierce competition. They have changed from being
under the veil and following the directions of a man to having a strong stand in what they
believe. With the eradication of many superstitious traditions, women now have a valuable
chance to prove themselves — that she is, by no means, less than a man but is even better
than him!

Women are becoming more noticeable and prominent in the professional as well as
the public spheres. No longer considered as a financial liability, they have become independent
and are the earning members of the family. The future of Indian women is bright and flourishing.
The society is opening all the doors for them to progress and succeed, realizing their true
potential. They are conquering every field, be it science, technology, research, defense, politics,
space, literature, or arts.
With the advancement in technology, women have maximum opportunities to rule the world in
different ways. Some examples of women achieving great heights of success include Kalpana
Chawla, Sunita Williams (astronauts), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra (Miss World
and actresses), Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza (players), Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal
(singers), Sushma Swaraj (former Foreign Minister), Tessy Thomas (defense researcher), and
Indira Hinduja (scientist and doctor), to name a few. Oprah Winfrey (first African-American world
billionaire), Angelina Jolie (actress and humanitarian) and Melinda Gates (co-chairperson, Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation) are some of the most powerful women in the world. A recent
addition is New Zealand’s current PM Jacinda Ardern, who has helped her country reach
tremendous heights in a small span of two years!

Towards The Future

 The future of women will be bright only if social evils like inequality, dowry, and
female foeticide undergo complete eradication from the society. Specific laws, policies, and
rules which provide empowerment to the women need to be developed (and the older ones
should be revised!) so that they can progress better in different fields. Targets should be set-up
for the completion of tasks such as zero-female-foeticide by the year 2025–30, and so on. An
excellent example is Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save and educate girl child), a campaign started
in 2015 by the Government of India (Prime Minister Narendra Modi), which aims to spread
awareness and improve the welfare services intended for girls in the country.

Understanding the importance of strong and independent females, the educational

institutes of India have also taken strict measures to ensure proper academic support for them.
IITs of the country have increased their intake of female students recently. Moreover, the course
curriculum and campuses are being designed to provide maximum exposure to females in all
spheres of life. IIT Gandhinagar (from where I completed my M.Tech) has taken significant
steps for reaching out to aspiring female candidates for its academic courses and programmes.
Some of these include social media pages and exclusive helpdesk to interact with people. The
Institute offers several avant-garde options on curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular
fronts. These include the first-of-their-kind-in-India Foundation Programme, Explorer Fellowship,
and Invent@IITGN, various national and international collaborations, and research opportunities
with renowned universities of the globe. IITGN also organizes events to educate girls and
women in the trending fields of the present times, the most recent being the ACM-W India
Summer School 2019 on algorithmic game theory. Progression towards a minimal gender bias
environment throughout the campus has resulted in female students showing active
participation in sports as well. The Institute also offers non-degree programmes for non-IITians
of India and Abroad and runs community outreach programmes which educate the children of
construction workers and provide comprehensive training for developing the employability and
entrepreneurship mindset of the grassroots communities. A significant part of all these initiatives
is for the females, by the females. But, we still have a long way to go.

The future of women is full of success in every field they pursue. They have
numerous golden chances starting from the school-level to professional careers. Today’s
women are being boosted up to do better in their areas of interest by family members
(especially after marriage). Females have no foolish restraints to tie their feet and hinder their
path to success. They are emerging as a much stronger physical, mental, emotional, and
economical personality day-by-day. The journey has just begun, and it will continue in the
future.

Society needs to understand that a woman is key to the survival of human species.
She is the backbone of the development of civilizations. When the social position of women
improves, the quality of life improves for everyone.This is a dynamic and multifaceted
phenomenon shaped by historical legacies, cultural norms, structural inequalities, and evolving
discourses of gender and power. While significant progress has been made in advancing
women's rights and opportunities across the globe, persistent disparities and challenges
underscore the imperative for continued advocacy, policy reform, and collective action.

In navigating the complexities of a changing world, it is essential to center the

experiences and voices of marginalized women and communities, prioritize intersectional
approaches to gender equity, and foster inclusive and equitable societies where every woman
can thrive and fulfill her potential. By challenging patriarchal norms, dismantling systemic
barriers.

“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” — Albert Einstein.