Oppression of Women in India

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Are women in India still considered inferior to men? Why is the boy looked upon as the bearer for the family and the girl child shunned? Why are women not given an equal chance of education in order to compete with men?

I remember as a girl, growing up in India, my mother was always confined to the home. Her mandatory duties were to care for my brother and I, cook for the entire family, and assume all necessary duties that were expected in our home. She was never able to journey outside the household for any other reasons other than to fulfill her required duties of the home. This was considered a common expectation for the majority of Indian women in our society. However, my father’s role was different. His duties consisted of working and earning wages to support our family. He was not required to care for my brother and me emotionally or physically. He did not have to tend to any house chores or help my mother with her house duties. This is a common way of life for people in India. I wonder if my mother was content or did she ever want more in her life instead of just being confined to the home. Whatever the case may be, she did not have a choice. At that time, my mother’s life was no different than any other women’s life in India. Women were considered inferior to men.

With the increasing amount of feminists and advocators promoting women’s rights, India’s treatment of women is still behind compared to other modern societies. Some factors that contribute to the suppression of women are education, culture, and religion.

I remember at one point, women were not allowed to attend colleges and universities because there were laws prohibiting them from attending. If any woman had goals of becomi...

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...ly. Most educated women today, prefer to hold family and children as their first priority. Now, a working woman in India is still expected to carry out the responsibilities of the household, while their husband may be willing to offer a helping hand sometimes.

We have moved into a new era, where women are not better than men, or vice versa. Women and men both have different talents, strengths, and weaknesses. It is said that behind every successful man, there was a woman who made it possible for him to be successful. Women should no longer be considered the inferior sex. They should stand together with men and define their role in society. They can choose to work outside or stay at home. This should allow women to have more time to develop their own interests. Men should also take an equal share in housework to release women from the kitchen.

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