ISSN NO.

: 2321-290X

Title Code : UPBIL04304

SHRINKHALA : VOL-1 * ISSUE-8*APRIL-2014

Life of Huwoman Resources - Fight, Fight and

Fight (A case Study in Village Karidhya)
Abstract
In the title of the paper I deliberately insert a new word, Huwoman;
because to my mind the word human seems to be somewhat biased in
favor of the male gender.
This paper purports to present a narrative of the struggle of Indian
women, which they had to face in their daily lives starting from childhood
to the old age.
This paper is based on interviews of a stratified random sample,
belonging to various class and social status, of women of a big village
Karidhya of the district of Birbhum. Although the area chosen is a village,
its location being close to the district town, the facts collected may be
expected to provide at least a glimpse of the nature of struggle our
women have to face in general.
Keywords Inequality, Sexual oppression

Goutam Chatterjee
Reader
K.C College, Hetampur,
Birbhum (W.B), India

Introduction
In the title of the paper I deliberately insert a new word, Huwoman;
because to my mind the word human seems to be somewhat biased in
favor of the male gender. When the word human is thought to encompass
both man and woman it seems to be more axiomatic than based on sound
scientific reasoning. Hence I propose this new word in the hope that it will
provide better insights in to the phenomenon of gender discrimination
There is a proverb that women, during their childhood, are under
the supervision of parents, during their youth, are guided by their
husbands, and when they grow old, are controlled by sons. This proverb
gives an apt description of the position of our women in the society. Every
woman has to go through three phases of life, struggling under some kind
of bondage in every phase. In their childhood, they have to fight with their
brothers for a just share of the rights children are supposed to have. During
their adolescence, they have to fight against sexual oppression that distant
relatives try to perpetrate on them. . In the young age they have to fight
against inequality in both their households and the institutions they are
attached with. Finally they have to fight for their existence at the old age. In
this paper, some facts have been presented in order to delineate the nature
of controls to which womens lives are subjected. The relation of women
with the environment is sought to be explained and some cases of
womens successful struggles against adversity have been presented
Since inception of human society the males tried to capture the
females by any means to use them as commodities. By the argument of
stability of the society different kinds of restrictions have been imposed
upon the females taking opportunity of their illiterateness. Male dominating
society never bothers about the mental reactions or trauma of the females
by way of the crisis created by them. The demerits of education of the
women in the society were served in different types of packages of religion
in male dominating society. Women were deprived from every aspects in
particular to their even basic needs like Roti , Kapda aur Mokan because
of the fact that they were uneducated. But due to course of time though
after a long time of our independence these oppressions have been floated
as social problems and different rules have been framed up to save them.
But implementation of these laws in a proper way is also a major problem
to the administration. In this context the contributions of a lots of
enlightened women social reformers by way of their direct protest and also
through art & culture indirectly against such oppressions should also be
mentioned here.
Apart from all these still there exist discriminations between male
& female children particularly in the families of those who are in poor socioeconomic condition. They always try to follow their predecessors because
most of them have no capacity to overcome their problems in an
independent way due to lack of their education. The ways by which they
think about their male child can never think in a similar way for female

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Title Code : UPBIL04304

child. They never think about how a female child can

be made educated, economically independent so that
they will never be a burden to the society in future. In
most of the time they are least interested to take the
opportunity of free education offered by the
Government for their female children. Sometimes they
think that a male child would earn money in future
whereas a female child would deplete their money
during her marriage, which they earned by overstrain.
Sexual harassment of females irrespective of their
age is a most acute problem in our society. In most of
the time at their teen age they are sexually harassed
by their close relatives. It is very shocking not only for
the victim but for her parents also. But this type of
crime has been done by the miscreants who are near
relatives and take the opportunity of systems imposed
in the family for a very long time. Many a stories and
novels have been written by a number of renowned
authors of Bengali & other Indian languages. But
these miscreants never think of the damage caused
by them in the future life of the victim. In their youths
irrespective of working or unemployed, married or
unmarried women in most of the time become
enchanted with the looking, smartness, polished
words etc. and begin to trust the miscreants and
ultimately fall in their traps. If the woman is a widow
then these non senses think that she is as if property
of them and they have a right to rule over her.
Statement of the problem
Now the question arises whether gender
equality in all walks of life and society is at all possible
and feasible, or if it is merely an utopian dream. What
are the possible ways in which gender discrimination
can be stopped, or at least lessened?
Objectives of this paper
The main objectives of this paper are as
follows;
a)
To examine the traditional concept of a model
womans life in India & to make a comparison
with the findings of a practical survey.
b)
To review the relationship between environment
and women.
c)
To throw some light on the practical position of
women in Karidhya village.
d)
To look back and to highlight few milestone of
Womens success in India as a whole.
e)
To give some suggestions for better society for
women.
Experience from Survey
I have taken interviews of seven women who
are owners of shops situated on the both sides of the
main road of Karidhya village.
Interviews have also been taken of employed women
(Private and Government) and housewives by using
the method of random sampling. .
Finally, I have taken the interview of my mother who,
as far as my experience goes, may be considered an
ideal woman.
Data & Methodology
The study is based on both types of data i.e.
primary and secondary. Primary data will be collected
with the help of interviews (by questionnaire) of the
women. For collection of secondary data the sources
will be books, journals, internet and different
published reports related to the topic. Primary data
will be collected using the method of simple random

SHRINKHALA : VOL-1 * ISSUE-8*APRIL-2014

sampling by woman to woman survey at different

places in Karidhya village which is neighboring to the
district town of Birbhum district of West Bengal named
Suri.
I made a questionnaire with which I
conducted an interview on every Sunday and Monday
th
(31st Mar. 2013 to 2 Dec. 2013) from 12 Noon to 5
P.M.
The questionnaire ran as follows:
a)
What is your name, age, address, Phone No?
b)
What is your educational level?
c)
Do you have any government support?
d)
What is your monthly income?
e)
Do you face any Sexual harassment? Say
about one fight in your life.
f)
Do you have any development plan in your
mind for better life of a women?
Here the names, addresses, photos, phone
Nos. of some interviewees are given for ready
references.
Name
Pratima
Dey

Moudas
Dalal

Photo

Address Education
Phone
Remarks
& Age
Karidhya Hs+ & 38+ 9732055622 Business
women

Karidhya M.A+ & 28+ 9474885252

House
Wife

Khusi
Chatterjee

Karidhya

6+ & 35+

Nil

Cook

Priyanka
Bhatterchar
aya

Karidhya

9+ & 15+

Nil

Student

Radha
Rani Ankur

Karidhya

4+ & 24+

Nil

Maid
Servent

Findings of the Survey

i) In case of business, the physical weakness of
women has told against them.
ii) It is the practice of males to lookdown upon
women employees.
iii) Any progress or development in the business or
service is considered as a reward of the beauty of
the countenance & figure of the opposite sex and
not of its intelligence, efficiency and sincerity.
iv) Employed women are to work both at houses and
workplaces, because their husbands are loath to
share their burden of household-management.
v) Sometimes the individual egotism and superiority
complex of employed women aggravate domestic
troubles.
Limitations of the study The following are the
specific limitations of the study;i) The study was conducted only in the specific
area of karidhya village and the sample size was
limited to 59. So the result can not be expected
to be cent percent accurate.

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Title Code : UPBIL04304

ii)

Accuracy of primary data depends upon the

authenticity of the information provided by the
respondents.
Scope of further Study This paper is mainly based
on survey in a very small part of the village namely
Karidhya but there is a provision for more intensive
work on this subject involving greater details. May be
another research student construct a bigger sample
from the same places and conduct a survey on the
basis of it. Alternatively, he may work on another
place, on the basis of a separate set of data and
analysis. Such studies, if carried on assiduously for
localities and regions, may yield a macro- picture for
the country as a whole.
womens lives in India Indian women grow up from
their childhood under the cloud of different
superstitions. As for example, the opinions of
employed and other categories of woman are
described below one by one:i)
Female members will take their meals after the
male members finish.
Result: - Female members suffered from
deficiency of nutrition because enough eatables
are not left for them.
ii)
Women should not go out side alone.
Result: - They have to request the company of
male members. It enhances the importance of
males.
iii) Women are not allowed to stay out side at night,
on the ground that their modesty may be
outraged and they may be violated.
Result: - Although there is some truth in this
argument for keeping women indoors, it stifles
the development of womens self-confidence. iv)
Senior male members should be the guardians
of the households. Their opinions should be
treated as final and binding.
Result: - There remains a constant possibility of
the imposition of irrational decisions on female
members.
v)
Women should not laugh loudly.
Result: -Normal expressions of human feelings
are obstructed.
vi) Virginity is the sacred thing to the woman. Loss
of virginity means loss of every thing for a
woman
Result: - While the chastity of women is
scrupulously guarded, there is no check on the
lecherous behavior of women.
vii) The opinion of females is not considered when it
goes against that of males
Result: - male get preferences to give their
verdicts on any mater.
viii) Some times the responsibility is placed squarely
on the woman even if she is raped. The society
does not hesitate to ostracize a woman after she
is raped. It is considered a social offence to
want to marry a raped woman.
Result: - Victims do not dare bring these events
to law-courts. .
ix) Male members get preferences to that of female
members in taking vitamins & protein- rich foods
as the latter are considered less intelligent and
unexposed to hard labour. Result: - Females
give birth of children who are weak in physical
constitution. Though both sons and daughters

SHRINKHALA : VOL-1 * ISSUE-8*APRIL-2014

are grown up jointly, sons get preferences in

respect of education in better quality institutions,
where the cost of learning is higher.
x)
In the upshot, women begin to believe that they
are less intelligent than men and they treatment
they
get
is
not
ill-deserved.
Result: -A process of destruction of social
balance is generated.
Environment& Womens life
For a better understanding of this topic, at
first we should have a knowledge of a) the meaning
of environment, b) the definition of pollution, c) the
relationship of women with pollution.
I have limited the above- mentioned discussion with
the three mentioned above.
Environment: - Environment, in a broader
sense means the natural, social, economical, cultural
or political atmosphere which surrounds us at any
place at any time.
The loss or degradation of physical,
inorganic and organic constituents that created this
universe from time immemorial results in
environmental degradation, making this environment
polluted.
Environment not only the combination of
natural constituents but also it has some social sides.
These are the natural organic constituents of man and
woman and primary constituents of Mens sociology.
Now let us see how development of woman can
present a pollution free healthy society.
i)
Woman should be given special care at the time
of pregnancy in respect of taking of nutritious
foods to give birth to healthy babies who would
be a future citizen of our country. It should be
noted that conception is purely personal for
woman.
ii)
The child of a literate mother will, in the
overwhelming majority of cases, be a literate
and this will built the backbone of national
character.
iii) A healthy and strong woman will always
enhance the possibility of successful child-birth..
iv) Active and conscious women can save the
environment from the pollution. Even the small
area attached to her home is converted into
green by the conscious woman.
v)
A self -employed woman can take care of her
familys nutrition by increasing her income.
vi) Family discipline can be maintained if the dignity
of the woman is preserved.
At last it can be concluded that rights of
woman should be firmly established to in order to
build up the nation and to save the environment from
pollution.
Dream Flight At a glance dream flight of Indian
women can be feel from the following example it is a
snap shot but not the full picture rather we say
starting of a journey towards destination.
The steady change in the position of Womens life can
be highlighted by looking at what has been achieved
by women in the country:
i)
1905:- Suzanne RD TATA becomes the first
Indian woman to drive a car.
ii)
1916:- The first women's university, SNDT
nd
Womens University, was founded on 2 June,

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Title Code : UPBIL04304

1916 by the Social reformer Dhondo Keshav

Karve with just five students.
iii)
1927:- The All India Womens Conference was
founded.
iv)
1994:- Harita Kaur Deol becomes the first
Indian woman to perform a solo flight.
v)
1951: Prem Mathur becomes the first Indian
women commercial pilot of the Decan Airways.
vi)
1959: Anna Chandy becomes the first Indian
woman Judge of High Court.
vii)
1966: Captain Durga Banerjee becomes the
first Indian woman pilot of the state airline,
Indian Airlines
viii) 1966:
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay wins
Ramon Magsaysay Award for community
leadership.
ix)
1966: Indira Gandhi becomes the first woman
Prime minister of India.
x)
1970: Kamaljit Sandhu becomes the first Indian
woman to win a Gold in the Asian Games
xi)
1972: Kiran Bedi becomes the first female
recruit to join the IPS (Indian Police Service.
xii)
1989: Justice M Fathemia Beevi becomes the
first woman judge of the Supreme Court of
India.
xiii) November 1997: Kalpana Chawla becomes the
first Indian woman to go into Space.
xiv) Sep. 21 1992: Priya Jhingan becomes the first
lady cadet to join the Indian Army
xv)
2004: Punita Arora becomes the first woman in
the Indian Army to don the highest rank of Lt
General.
xvi) 2005: Manndhir Rajput, a 34-year-old woman
from Ludhiana, Punjab becomes the first Indian
woman to become an engine driver of trains
with the New South Wales Rail Corporation,
Australia.
xvii) 2007: Pratibha Patil becomes the first woman
President of India
Suggestions and conclusions:- To save women
from exploitation and different imbalances, the
following are imperative. .
i) To spread womens education in every sphere of
the society, more womens colleges and
Universities should beset up.
ii) A family having a single girl child should be given
a stipend of some amount say Rs 1000 per
month to educate her from KG to PG class.
iii) Preferences for are visible among the BPL
(Below Poverty Line) families. Similarly an APL
(After Poverty Line) woman
should be
recognized as one of the guardians of her family.
It will help maintain balance in the family. .
iv) To involve women to a greater extent in service,
education and politics,
percentages of
reservation should be increased.
v) To enhance the birth rate of girl children,
affirmative actions, e.g. rewards and financial
benefits should be announced so that we get a
balanced society.
Now a day the female-male birth ratio is
decreasing. This trend should be checked and in
order to check the superstitious practices affecting the
lives of women, proper advertisements and publicity
are needed.

SHRINKHALA : VOL-1 * ISSUE-8*APRIL-2014

Last but not the least, when you educate a

man, you educate a person but if you educate a
woman, you educate a family. (Dr. M. Monikam)
In a nutshell, we can prescribe some important
suggestions for the development of women in India.
i) More education for women
ii) More power in the hands of women in every
sphere.
iii) More room in politics and decision- making.
iv) More money in the hands of women.
Above all, men should be come forward for
the development of women because past history says
that administrators come at first to help the
discriminated (here women).
References
1)
Bhaduri. A. (2005). Development with Dignity,
National Book Trust. New Delhi, India.
2)
Chattopadhyay, A.2001.Paribesh (Environment.)
T. D. Publication. Kolkata.
3)
Datt, R. & Sundharam, K.P.M. 2000.Indian
Economy: New Delhi .S.Chand& Company Ltd.
4)
Pal, A. 2000. Paribesh Bidhya (Env. Science)
Books &Allied. Kolkata.
5)
Shil, A. 2002.Paribesh.The Himalyan Books.
Kolkata.
Websites
1) http://wcd.nic.in/ Ministry of Women & Child
Development Government of India accessed on
21-12-13
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_developm
ent about women development life accessed on
23-1-14

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