Gender and equality in India

1. Gender and equality in India AST1ICI lecture 5 Banaras ca. 1979, Bengali couple. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T10H53Ssjd8

2. India had a woman PM long before Australia Women in India have traditionally played quite prominent roles. The queen of Jhansi was a hero of the 1857 freedom war. Prominent Indian Women http://www.latrobe.edu.au/india/history.html http://tv-serials-stars.blogspot.com/2010/06/jhansi-ki-rani-on-zee-tv.html

3. The favour of Goddesses such as Lakshmi is desired by all, as she is the goddess of wealth. Annapurna, the giver of food, also plays a key place in the belief systems of many poor people in India. ‘Desirable women’ Mahalakshmi, Calender art, Banaras ca. 1978

4. Women in Hindu stories are often dangerous and powerful figures. Goddesses such as Durga had the power to defeat men. Gods and their consorts are both powerful, such as Shiva and Shakti ‘Powerful Women’ Durga wall painting, Banaras ca. 1980

5. In village Hinduism local gods and in particular goddesses are quick to anger and if not kept happy with offerings will become angry and cause suffering. It is dangerous not to appease Shitala goddess of small pox. ‘Dangerous women’ http://crispy.customer.netspace.net.au/varanasi/varanasi4.htm

6. Gender roles can’t be understood without considering family structures. The key factor is the importance of the joint family system. Almost all Indians traditionally lived in joint families. Traditional gender roles http://crispy.customer.netspace.net.au/varanasi/varanasi5.htm

7. In a joint family brothers live together in their family home. Wives move into the house of their husband’s family. Women and men relate more as groups than as individuals. Family structures Banaras ca. 1980

8. There are some regional differences. Matriarchal systems in Tripura and Kerala. Stronger roles of women in Bengal. More equality and group identity in lower castes. Regional caste/class differences Rajasthan and Banaras ca. 2009

9. Did women in pre-Islamic India have greater equality? What was the interaction between Islamic ideas about Purdah and Indian ideas about purity? Or was the status of women changing due to the dominance of feudalism in the medieval period? These are questions which has been much debated in India. Indian Women and Islam’s arrival Drawings of statues from Khajuraho

10. Victorian British ideas about morality and hard work influenced Indian women’s movements for uplift. Texts like ‘Women’s Dharma Teachings’ taught women how to contribute to family and national growth. Colonial era interactions http://pustak.org:2671/home.php?bookid=956

11. There has always been a preference for sons, as they earn more for a family and have higher status. Ultra sound and pre-natal tests have led to a massive increase in gender imbalance. Imbalance in birth rates Delhi ca. 2006, palna means adoption and this is just outside an orphanage its for mother’s to leave babies in

12. Indians often spend most of their earnings on marrying off their children. In particular the brides family is hit with the cost of the wedding and often extortionate dowries. Marriage and dowry Rekha Poster Banaras ca. 1978 1994 Salman KhanMadhuri Dixit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6yta_bcwwQ

13. Weddings are of central importance. They are about the relationships of two families, not just individuals. Arranged marriages are still more common than ‘love marriages’ Weddings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRyFz8ERJRQ&feature=related

14. Weddings, even simple ones, can have hundreds of people at them. Some weddings have had thousands of people at them and there is debate about the waste involved. Lavish Weddings http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/the-costliest-indian-wedding-88583

15. Traditionally, and to this day, and even in the Diaspora, most Indians marry in their ‘jati’ communities. This plays a key role in determining the continued existence of caste customs and traditions. Marriage and Jati (caste) http://www.shaadi.com/index.php

16. Although in theory dowry is illegal, since 1961, it is widely practiced today. The amount of dowry in a consumerist society has grown. Dowry extortion is a major middle class issue and tragedy. Dowry and extortion http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/08/dowry-in-india-putting-the-institution-of-marriage-at-stake/

17. Women were often less educated but now are becoming more equal. Women are more ‘marriagable’ if their education matches that of their prospective grooms. Education Banaras ca. 1980

18. Women were traditionally seen as guardians of traditional values and the purity of families. Often more religious. Men were seen as being able to go out into the world more in the quest for a living. Social roles

19. In rural areas there is a greater persistence of the traditional joint family system. Rural/Urban divide • Traditional family structures and gender roles tend to break down in urban areas. Banaras ca. 2006 http://pluzmedia.com/news/bollywood/2618/kareena-to-endorse-mahindra-s-powerscooter

20. Women have campaigned for equal rights since independence. The magazine Manushi has been a prominent forum. Founded in 1978 by Madhu Kishwar it ran till 2006 in print. ‘Manushi’ and women’s liberation http://www.manushi-india.org/issues/issue_cover148.htm

21. In some areas, such as Haryana, there is conflict between changing family structures and tradition. This has led to violence and ‘honour killings’ in extreme cases. Change and Conflict http://fenilandbollywood.com/tag/khap-yuvika-chaudhary/

22. There is reservation for women in local government at the Gram Panchayat level Women are taking an increasing role in local governance. Also reserved seats for scheduled castes and tribes. Gram Panchayats and reservation http://www.breds.org.in/llg.html

23. There is no shortage of leading figures in India who are women. Uma Bharti BJP CM. Sheila Dikshit, CM of Delhi Mayavati, CM of UP. But all represent their group interests more than their gender. Gender and Equality http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article304425.ece http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_publicity/Information+and+Publicity/Home/Council+of+Ministers http://bspindia.org/kumari-mayawati.php

24. Gender inequality in India has to be seen alongside the issue of caste and economic inequalities. Gender equality=general equality? • Can gender equality be attained whilst there is still such large caste and class inequality in India? Images from a wedding ritual: Banaras ca. 2006 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6Eh-wmqTQ&feature=related