1. It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved -Swami Vivekananda Presented by : DIVYA.S 1 st MA Department of Studies and Research in English Tumkur University

2.  Women are drawers of water, hewers of wood, labourers and preparers of food, bearers of children, educators, health care providers, producers and decision-makers.  Although they are central to caring for families and communities, to production and reproduction, they are accorded unequal status.

3.  Throughout the world the are overworked and undervalued.  Their subordination makes it more difficult for them to cope with the many demands made upon them whether of physical, social, or emotional nature.

5.  Why only Sita had to give Agni Pariksha and not Lord Rama?  Why do only sisters, daughters, mothers and the wives have to do fasting for the good of their fellow men and not the other way round?  Why the Dulha walk ahead of Dulhan during marriage phera?  Why can’t boys bring dowry like the girls do?  Why can’t a girl inherit the property of her father?

6. From ancient to present  Women in ancient India were held in high esteem  The position of a woman in the Vedas and the Upanishads was that of a mother (maata) or goddess (Devi).  In the Manusmriti, woman was considered as a precious being  In the early Vedic age, girls were looked after with care.  The practice of polygamy deteriorated the status of woman

8.  In the medieval period, the practices of purdha system, dowry and sati came into being  With the passage of time, the status of woman was lowered.  After the development of science and technology, female foeticide is being practiced on a large scale. This has led to a drop in the female ratio.  According to the census 2011, the sex ratio in India is 940 females to 1,000 males. Dowry have become common.  Female infanticide practices in few areas

10. Indian widow Violence on women

12. Sex ratio  940/1000 Reasons  Male Heir for the family  Huge dowry  Continued financial support to girl child  Poverty  Domestic violence  Caste system

13. Reasons  The UN estimates that 2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the age of 5 every year – four every minute  Mostly from preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria, measles and pneumonia.  Every day 1,000 Indian children die because of diarrhoea alone.

14.  Working environment  Unequal wages  Undignified treatment  Working in odd hours  Sexual harassment  Higher working hours  Engaged in harmful industries  Occupational hazards working roughly twice as many hours as men  Nearly 27 percentage are accounted by unpaid activities.

15. At Work

16. Forced in to subordinate position  Every 42 minutes a sexual harassment occurs.  Every 43 minutes a woman kidnapped.  Every 93 minutes a woman is burnt a very dowry.  Pre quarter of reported rapes involve girls under the age of 16 years. Restricted out-side participation  Trafficking / selling of girl child  Every 26 minutes women is molested.  Every 34 minutes a rape take place.

17.  Kept as dependants  No equal property rights - As against law  Loans of men is paid back by women  Economic uncertainty  Denial in inheritance of properties to orphaned / deserted

18.  74.04% only, male 75.96% female 54.28%  Poor literacy – gender gap in literacy rate  No higher education – up to Higher secondary

19.  Customary practices  In household activities only (boys not allowed)  Restricted to play  Isolation / separation in schools/public places  Restricted to move freely

20.  After marriage – husbands are dominating  Dominance from In-laws family / members  Never / rarely considered for any decision making  Can not support her parents  Limitations in continuing relationships with brothers / sisters / relatives  Child / Early marriage  Patriarchal attitudes  Not able to continue girl/boy friends friendship after marriage

22.  Self Advancement  Advancement as a group  Advancement of community  Economic advancement  Psychological advancement  Social advancement  Political advancement  Educational Advancement  Technological advancement

23.  Literacy Formal Education  Give greater employment opportunity  Reservation / expenditure or provision of services/ special provision like construction.  All rights, legal measures  Consolidate the basic literacy skills at speaking, reading, and writing and problem solving at the time.  Sustain the learning environment

24.  Continuing education  Women learners educate their children.  Human rights education  To take control of their circumstances  Achieve their own goals, helping themselves, enhance their quality of life  Political participation  Knowledge on all development activities  Health care / Nutrition  Problems of early marriage  Mother and child health care… etc

25.  NGOs  Policy makers  Local leaders  Information disseminators  Health care providers  Teachers  Family members

26. A nation's progress and prosperity can be judged by the way it treats its women folk Men must recognize and accept the fact that women are equal partners in life -Divya.S