By: Haider Shafi
Women take care and Men take charge is a well-known sexist common saying that gives us an idea of how gender stereotype is
Gender is a socially constructed aspect of
differences between men and women, its manifestations are Identity, cultural domain, and structural division of women. Gender stereotyping is defined as the overgeneralization of characteristics, differences and attributes of a certain group (i,e women) based on their gender. The concept of gender draws its legitimacy from Patrarchical society, which is characterized by the over empowerment of one section and the deprivation of other ( women ).
Our society has a traditional prejudiced notion and stereotype about the women who are meant for only caring, nurturing, satisfyingly men sexually and having more domestic responsibility which had created the domestic division of labor. Besides this, women are supposed to be highly emotional hence considered devoid of making rational decisions, which gives an intimate introduction to the concept of the Glass Ceiling in Indian Bureaucracy.
Moreover, women are perceived to be passive, weak, and dependent, thus making them victims of domestic violence.
Domestic violence involves a pattern of psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse. Acts such as assault, threats, humiliation, and intimidation are also considered acts of violence.
In the patriarchial Society family, modern Knowledge System, symbolism, caste, and Religion had created gender sensitization ( a system of social structure and practices in which women are domesticated, oppressed, and exploited ). As per the recent survey conducted by an international NGO International Men and Gender Equality Survey ( IMAGES) that 69% of the women are used to domestic violence and see it no more as violence but as a normal occurrence which reflects the harsh reality of our Society. Thus patriarchy vis as vis work had degraded, demoralized and Outrooted the status of women in different sectors, such as
Agriculture, Industries, service sector, and informal sector. As per the reports of international Monitory Fund Working Paper — 75% of the women are working in the agricultural sector majority of them are working as labourers. This feminization of agriculture is not a deliberate attempt but an unintended consequence of male-specific migration towards cosmopolitan cities for employment opportunities. Industrialization had created employment opportunities only for educated women whereas the opportunities for unskilled and semiskilled women have been declined since there is a higher concentration of women in home based production, rather than factory based.
Despite the increase in education of women, there is a huge gap between men and women in the workforce due to restriction on mobility after marriage, socialization for the domestic roles, less investment in vocational training, concentration in certain jobs due to gender stereotyping, as women are always provided pink collared jobs.
Moreover, the Institutionalization of patriarchy, limited access to skilled education, sexual harassment at workplaces, the pressure of the dual role, caste rigidity, and lack of proper implementation of Government schemes had created low female labor force participation and confined the role of women-only within four walls were they face harsh domestic violence on the barrel of Patriarchal hegemony.
The harsh reality of our society about womenfolk should overcome with the implementation of provisions of the Domestic Violence Act 2005 in letter and spirit.
(The authour is a blogger and student of Politics. He can be reached at wanishafi5822@gmail.com)
