Society: Women Issues

Society: Women Issues

"Women's freedom is the sign of social freedom"

1. Concept of Gender and its manifestation at Individual, Cultural and Structural level (How gender stereotyping impacts social position of women?)
2. Patriarchy 
• Its concept and Manifestation
• Structure of Patriarchy
• Family
• Knowledge System
• Symbolism
• Caste
• Religion
3. Patriarchy vis-à-vis Work
• Statics
• Problems faced by women in different Places/Sectors
• Agriculture
• Industries
• Services
• Informal Sector
• Other problems
• Low female labour force participation
• Wage gap
• Sexual harassments at work
• Government efforts
• Maternity benefit act
4. Violence against women
• At public places
• At work places
• Domestic Violence
• Dowry
5. Miscellaneous problems
• Surrogacy

PYQs 

Empowering women is the key to control population growth. Comment.

What are the challenges faced by the women across time and space?

Essay 

Patriarchy is least noticed yet the most significant structure of the social equality.

Gender - Gender refers to socially constructed aspect of differences between men and women.

• Gender → A Social construct/concept which created differences/discrimination between men and women.
• Sex → A Biological concept which distinguished between men and women.

Manifestation 

1. At individual level → Men and Women
2. At cultural level → Bahaviour. aspirations, values, beliefs, attitudes, career choices, etc were decided on the basis of gender. For example - Black for boys and Pink for girls.
3. At structural level → Sexual division of labour (i.e., work is divided/decided on the basis of sex) → which creates Stereotypes → Which impacts the social position of the women in the society.

Stereotype - Stereotype is a belief which is rigid, irrational, over-generalised and do not take individual differences under consideration.

It is a belief which resulted into prejudice in the society.

For example - Girls are weak in Maths, Girls are weak (physically), etc.

Gender Stereotype and its impact on the position on women 

1. Caring and Nurturing work of women → Creates domestic division of labour → underpaid/Unpaid 'Care Work' which is one of the factor of economic deprivation of the women.
2. Women are good with 'soft skills' → results in 'Pink Collared Jobs'. 
• For example - Receptionist, Air Hostess, Nurse, Primary school teacher, etc.
3. Women are emotional rather than rational → resulted in 'Glass Ceiling' → i.e., above a certain level women can't be promoted.
4. Women are passive, weak and dependent → violence against women, etc

So, to address the problem of social violence against women, children, transgender, old age, etc; we need to change the stereotype associated with them.

Another aspect of this stereotype 

Stereotype (women are weak, dependent and caring) → so, it is perceived that women did not do any wrong → some women misuse this (for example - Under IPC Section 498A, i.e., false dowry complain; some women exploit/harass the men and his family)

Supreme Court coined the term 'New legal terrorism' with respect to misuse of dowry provision.

Previous Article - Caste System in India

Next Article - Structures of Patriarchy

Notes on other subjects 

Ancient History

Medieval History

Modern History

Art & Culture

Polity

Geography

International Relations

Society

Optional Subject 

Public Administration

Note - This is my Vision IAS Notes (Vision IAS Class Notes) and Ashutosh Pandey Sir's Public Administration Class notes. I've also added some of the information on my own. 

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