Blog: Women In Social Development

Women, the Goddess of happiness, health and wealth of a family!  Women, the carer  of the family and society!  Women, the life giver!  Women are the soul of this mother earth!  Families are lifeless without a female member, be it a mother, daughter, daughter-in-law or niece. Just imagine the family life without a female member!

In the world of today, nothing seems difficult.  Advanced technology has rendered the life of people extremely easy.  Washing machine, sophisticated home appliances, computerized equipment at home, all these have given a new dimension to our way of living.  It seems that a robot world is enough to live a happy, healthy and wealthy life.

Indeed modern technology does ease our physical strain and stress, but machines have no brain!  Then what about the emotional part of our life?  Despite all the latest technologies, male members in a family will always feel lonely and desperate, if their female counterpart is not with them.  Man is incomplete without a woman, and a woman is incomplete without a man.  Both make one and this one makes a family.  It is also a common saying that behind all successful men, there is the contribution of women.  Women are the moral as well as technical supporters in the success of men.  A society brightening with development and progress brought about by the hard work of men is not a true reflection of reality because without the contribution of women, their mounting up the social ladder is not possible.

Society should remain indebted towards women, as social development could not have been possible without them!  Even if we go back to that episode when women were to remain at home as housewives, and were supposedly considered to being idle.  Their role was limited to the house only, doing household chores, looking after children and husband.  Just imagine, would it have been possible for the husbands, the bread earners, to concentrate on their job outside if appropriate care of home, the husbands food and proper care of the children were not looked after? 

Women sacrificed their time and talents for the well-being and welfare of their husbands and their in-laws.  They remained at home to cook food for their husband, feed them in time, do cleaning at home and other heavy household chores in order to provide support to their husband, morally as well as physically, meaning husbands did not have to bother too much about works at home.  Women have been contributing in economic productivity since dawn of history.  But their work has for centuries been low status and unrecognized.  Managing works at home enabled the husband to work peacefully outside and participate in economic productivity.

Economic production was however not limited to men.  Women did accomplish success in this field too and helped their husband by bringing little financial help at home.  Rearing cattle and birds, and eventually selling these animals together with eggs,  home-made butter; sewing clothes for people, doing embroidery and many other craft works enabled women to bring at home some cents.

There were setbacks in the social progress of women and these barriers were a result of the social mindset.  ‘ women’s place is in the kitchen’, was the motto that time, and women were innocently submissive to the law made by their male partners.  These were the laws ruling women’s life, preventing them to know their potential and discover their talents:

-    Repeated child bearing
-    Illiteracy – parents were hesitant to send their daughters to school as they thought it to be a waste of time and resource.  Education was reserved to sons only.
-    Lack of training which prevented the exposure of hidden talents.  Career building previously was an option that was open to only a tiny majority of privileged women.

Changing society brought positive change to the lives of women.  Though even today we cannot at hundred per cent say that gender equality primes, however, society should get satisfied with the improvement seen in women’s status and social engagement.  In this modern arena women are seeing to be participating in what is called the traditionally male work.  Women’s role today can be seen as Shareholders, Community Leaders, Board Members, as Mentors, Politicians, and so on, not forgetting the professional jobs like Doctors, Instructors, Scientists, and so on.  Now there are also bus Conductors, bus Drivers, Masons, Security Guards and many others.

Many more women are launching their own business enterprises and contributing in the economic productivity and development of the country for very clear reasons:

-    Their role as mother and career women is combined easily, hence, they can do home management and look after their work simultaneously without any difficulty.
-    Business occupation provides an outlet for their creativity and sense of adventure and a chance to do their own thing.

Money or profit making is of course the main objective in setting up a business.  But aiming at big money at first is not really a priority.  Pleasure is there as to be her own Boss!

From Housewife to Career Women, a big struggle stands its way.  Many great Men, Politicians and even Sages had to intervene to guide and illumine the mind of people, inculcating in them the importance, value and potential of women.  Mahatma Gandhi and most importantly, Swami Dayanand Maharishi was the pioneer in the emancipation of women.  In the Indian society, which was strictly against women’s liberation, Swami Dayanand’s intervention enabled girls to cross the line and come out of the house to face the society, hence becoming literate and financially independent.  The Swami removed many barriers and His struggle succeeded in freeing women from ill treatments inflicted upon them, bringing them to the status women have reached today.

The International Day of Women is celebrated on the 8th of March.  It is a day of reflection and thought. Men should never forget the importance of women, as still today there are many who project that negative attitude towards them!