Women in India have played an important part in our social life and in our history. They have played this part in every branch of national activity from high learning to velour on the battlefield. But it is their unobtrusive work in the household, in the village or in the larger community that has moulded this nation. Today, we pass rapidly through various phases of transition. The rapid changes, however, have not uprooted us from our old foundations. The Indian woman, the majority that is, lives in her own time, in the rhythm of her own history, which does not quite keep time with the clocks of the 21-century. In fact, development and education are the two most important factors for determining the status of women in any society, particularly in the traditional societies like India. Now, the question is not important that "How to educate her, but it is more important that "How to enable her to make use her education most profitable, to herself and to the concerns of the society at large." Women are the largest minority, Aristotle said, "The female is a female by virtue of certain lack of qualities. We should regard the female nature as afflicted with a natural defectiveness. " On the common sense leave, it has been assured that the major psychological difference between men and women is especially of intellect and temperament. The prosperity of a country depends on the harmonious progress of both genders. Men and women have to have meaningful roles in the economic life of the nation. ILO has highlighted that the participation of women in economic activities is controlled by social and cultural conditions prevailing in particular regions. In some developing countries like India, the vast majority of women workers are employed in the unorganized sectors. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Men and women are equal in status but are not identical. They are a peerless pair being complementary to one another, each helps the other so that without the one, the existence of the other cannot be conceived, and therefore, follows as a necessary corollary form these facts that anything that will impair the states of either of them will involve the equal ruin of both" In our culture, women have been time and again heralded as symbols of sacrifice. This quality of Sacrifice tagged to women, it seems has been perpetuated with a hidden agenda of exploiters the women and keeping them subjugated. It is not uncommon to find the elders, the parents and the so-called wise in the community to the family to the women. These advice of sacrificing for the sake of the family to the women. These advices are generally showered or women when she acts in the interest of her "self." Problems for Indian women begin at birth. Even today boys are considered more desirable than girls in most of the families, because they offer parents security in old age as the parents traditionally live with the oldest son. Girls are often seen as a burden because of the dowry that must be supplied at their wedding and when married they leave the family. Indian newspapers frequently report stories of female babies being killed, or women committing suicide because they have not produced as one and they are not able to bring sufficient do. The empowerment of women is directly connected to the family, society and in turn to the development of the country. The cruelly with women is very painful, for her and her country. A single crime with women reserves all forwarding steps of other women and the chain of development breaks up. These should be a positive change in attitude of men, society, religion and government so that women can be given a fair chance to develop without any fear. That’s why Jawahar Lal Nehru said rightly that in order to awaken the people, it is the women who has to be awakened, "Once she is on the move, the household moves, the village moves and the country moves and though the women her children are brought into the picture and given the opportunity of higher life and better training. Thus, we give the opportunity of women of today we build the India of tomorrow." The author examines major related issues, such as the place of women in India, their employment, working conditions, wage structure, social status etc. it is hoped that the publication will be of adequate use to both students as well as Researches, Economists, NGOs and Planners and also all those who are aware of the need for past track reforms in the field. This book traces the evolution of Indian women through the mists of history to the present efforts to empower them and give them their rightful place in society.
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