Dr.Manashi Gogoi Borgohain
Abstract:
From ancient time, it is believed that- where women are respected, there Gods delight and where they are not respected there all works and efforts come to naught. There is no hope to raise that family or country where they live in sadness. In Ancient India, women enjoyed the highest position in the society equal with man, when the education of women had made a great progress. But in Mediavel Period, after establishment of Muslim rule, parda system became prevalent both the Muslim and the Hindu women started to deprive from education and their social status also started to decline. It is not mentionable that after independence the status of women in India has changed a lot. We would like to highlight the fact that- Indian women today is still not economically emancipated from man. In social, psychological and moral dimensions also her status is not identical with that of man. The way she carries on her job, profession and domestic work and devotion to all these depend on the context supplied by the total pattern of her life. Although Women have been playing a major role in the economy of the state, but till now a large majority of women in our society fail to achieve liberation since they do not escape from the traditional feminine world. They get neither from society nor from their husbands the assistance needed to become in concrete fact the equals of man. The main cause of this situation is the Inherent Patriarchy in our society. To enhance the capabilities of women for socio-economic development of our country Government as well as the society should play a vital role. It is unanimously accepted fact that Gender equality could be realized only by making women economically, socially and politically empowered. State and National Organizations such as National Commission for Women, Central social welfare Board, Women Study Centres etc may take initiative in this concern. However, increasing number of working women in different fields is a positive signal for women.
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Introduction
Munu has rightly remarked that – God resides at the places where women are worshipped. By worship of women it does not mean the worship through conventional means, but we mean where women are respected, proper provision of education made for them and they are given equal freedom to those of men in the society. The utmost expansion of women education is necessary for the achievement of all sided development of a country. According to Jawaharlal Nehru, Education of a boy is education of a person, but education of a girl is education of an entire family.From ancient time, it is believed that where women are respected, there God delights and where they are not respected there all works and efforts come to naught. There is no hope to raise that family or country where they live in sadness.
1.1 Changing Status of Women in India
In ancient India, women enjoyed the highest position in the society equal with man, when the education of women had made a great progress. But in Mediavel Period, after establishment of Muslim rule, parda system became prevalent and women both among the Muslims and Hindus were deprived from education and social status of women also started to decline. The law status of women in India as well as Assam up to late 1940s had mainly stemmed from illiteracy, economic dependency, religious prohibitions, caste restrictions, lack of female leadership and apathetic and callous attitude of males etc.
After Independence, It is not mentionable that after independence the status of women in India has changed a lot. In 1950 the Indian Constitution in the articles 15& 16 emphasised on equal opportunity in education and in employment or appointment to any office under the state. According to the article 45 “The state shall provide free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years. By all children the article meant all children of our country including boys & girls.
1.2 Emerging Concerns of Working Women in Assam
To-day in the developing countries, women’s lives are being revolutionized, changing so rapidly the apparent invisibility of women’s worth as well as their work is wide-spread and persistent. Women in modern India held high positions including the position of President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Lok Sabha, Union Minister, Chief Minister, Governors, etc. Indian women have also been playing a significant role to dethrone various problems of society including unemployment by engaging themselves in different field of works. They have been contributing to the path of progress and prosperity of the country. In Assam, the emerging concerns of women are Service, Politics, Self-help Groups, NGOs, Fashion Designing, Business, Beauty Parlours, Nursery, Weaving, Handloom, etc. Indian women today are still not economically emancipated from man. In social, psychological and moral dimensions also her status is not identical with that of man. The way she carries on her job, profession and domestic work and devotion to all these depend on the context supplied by the total pattern of her life. In Assam, now-a-days women engaged themselves in various fields like service, business, self-help group, beauty parlour, fashion designing, nursery, dance, music and art teacher, etc. They have been contributing to the socio-economic status of their families. The families are contributing to their society and society contributes to their state or the country as a whole. The investigator wishes to focus the attention of women and the concerned personalities to overcome the problems of women and to lead the women to the part of empowerment.
1.4 Objectives of the Paper
i) To study the emerging concerns of working women in Assam.
ii) To find out the percentages of participation of women in different fields
Methodology
2.1. Population: The population includes all the working women of Dibrugarh Town, Assam.
2.2. Sample: The Investigators selected 200 working women of Dibrugarh Town as the Sample by using purposive sampling technique.
2. Collection of Data
The data were collected through information schedule and interview.
Analysis and Interpretation
The paper is based on 200 working women of Dibrugarh Town Assam. The data were collected on the basis of information schedule and face to face interview. The collected data were arranged in pertinent tables and then were interpreted through percentage. The analysis of the data is submitted objective wise which is as follows:
Objective: i) To study the emerging concerns of working women in Assam. The information regarding this objective is presented in the table below.
Table No. 01: The Emerging Concerns of Working Women in Assam:
| The emerging concers | Area of work done by the women |
| Service | Teacher (University, College ,school), Advocate, Doctor, Engineer, Office Assistants, Bank Employee Juvenile Justice
Board members and Journalist. |
| Politics | Ward Commissioner, Chairman Municipal Board, President Zila Parishad. Member Anchalik Panchayat, Gaon Panchayat. |
|
NGOs |
Environment Awareness and Environmental Protection.
( Irab kirab,Aranyak, Natures Beacon,) |
| Fashion Designing | Designing Mekhala Chadar, Salwar , Bag, etc |
| Beauty Parlous | Beauty Care |
| Business | Restaurant, Rented House, Nursery, Weaving, Handloom, Doll Making, Poultry Farming, Amway, Oriflame, etc. |
|
Self-Help Groups
|
i) Made food products such as-pitha, laddu, chira, hurum, achar, etc and these are sold among the local people and nearby markets.
ii) The members of the self help groups make gamosa , mekhela chadar, etc. iii) Nursery, Weaving, Handloom, Doll Making Poultry Farm, Fishery, etc iv) All the things prepared by them are sold in the local market and profit deposited in the bank for interest and to fulfil their emergency needs. |
Objective: ii) To find out the percentages of participation of women in different fields Collected data are presented in the table below
Table No.02: The Percentages of Participation of Women in Different Fields
| Participation of women in different fields | ||||||
| Service | Politics | NGOs
|
Fashion Designing | Beauty Parlous | Business | Self-Help Groups |
| 46 | 24 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 26 | 64 |
| 23.5% | 12% | 6.5% | 6% | 7.5% | 13% | 32% |
Above table reveals that out of 200 working women, 23.5% are engaged in different Services, 12% in Politics, 6.5% in NGO’s, 6% in Fashion Designing, 7.5% in Beauty Parlour, 13% in Business and 32% are engaged in Self Help Groups.
In fact women in Assam have been contributing a lot to the socio-economic field of Assam by engaging themselves in variety of works. This trend is helping us to lead our women to the level of empowerment which is the urgent need of the hour.
3.Conclusion
Although Women in modern world are playing a major role in the economy of the state, but till now a large majority of women in our society fail to achieve liberation since they do not escape from the traditional feminine world. They get neither from society nor from their husbands the assistance needed to become in concrete fact the equals of man. The main cause of this situation is the social beliefs, evils, poverty and inherent patriarchy in our society. To utilize and enhance the creativity or inner qualities of women for socio-economic purpose government as well as the society should play a vital role. It is unanimously accepted fact that- Gender equality could be realized only by making women economically, socially and politically empowered. Need based academic programmes including vocational /career oriented training, entrepreneurship development, human resource development and management programmes awareness and self development programmes with Universities, Colleges, Institutions .State and National Organizations such as National Commission for Women, Central social welfare Board, Women Study Centres etc may take initiative in this concern. However, increasing number of working women in different fields is a positive signal for upgrading women status in the near future.
References
Bhowmik Krishna: (2006) Indian Women the Ushering of a New Dawn New Delhi: A Mittal Publication.
Bashas A. (Chief Editor) Crisis of Higher Education, Kamrup, Assam: Apollo Educational Service.
Journal of Women’s Studies A Multidisciplinary Journal: March, 2007 Vol. 1 Published by Centre For Women’s Studies Dibrugarh University Dibrugarh.
Rational and Objective of Women studies Dibrugarh University, Centre for women’s studies (2007)
ABSTRACT of a UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Role of Higher Educational Institutions in Development of Society in N.E Region organized by JHNS College (2008)
Websites
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The writer is the Dr.Manashi Gogoi Borgohain, Head, Department of Education , Nandalal Borgohain City College, Dibrugarh (India)