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The challenge of change: Women emerge champs
Published on Sat, Jan 26, 2008 at 21:56, Updated on Sun, Jan 27, 2008 at 11:08 in 
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FLAGGING OFF A NEW ERA: Today, the Indian woman wears a new attitude, a new confidence.
Although very few women place themselves very low on the beauty scale, a significant proportion of young women feel a deficit: from a quarter to a half of young women said they wish they were fairer, taller or slimmer than they were. This anxiety was stronger among the unmarried young women.
Then there was anxiety about being less educated: interestingly, the more educated women felt this lack more acutely. Finally, there was the anxiety about having to choose between career and having children. Generally, younger and more educated women experienced these pressures more than others.
Yet the overall sense that we gather from the responses of these 4,000 women in 160 locations across 20 states of India is that of a new confidence and optimism. Perhaps this is what leads a majority of them to want to be born again as women, should they have a choice in the next birth. This confidence also gives them a new source of support in times of crisis and emotional need.
The urban and working women were less dependent on their husbands or other male relatives for emotional support. They turned more to friends, colleagues and women relatives instead. This new capacity to rediscover or reinvent a women’s community is perhaps the strongest sign of the new confidence of the Indian woman, even if her community does not include Pratibha Devi Singh Patil.
Little freedom to decide about working | |
Young women who can decide whether they work or not… | |
| All women younger than 30 | 40 |
| Non-literate | 27 |
| Up to Primary | 40 |
| Up to Metric | 37 |
| Graduates and Post-graduates | 48 |
Note: All figures in percent for women up to the age of 30 years. Question wording: “Now I am going to read out a few decisions that are taken in families. Thinking of your role in such decisions, please tell me if you can take these decisions without consulting any male member of the family, male members take decisions but you are always consulted, or the male members take the decision without even consulting you?” | |
Earning women have much say in spending their money | |
Earning women who can decide how to spend their money… | |
| All | 50 |
| High income families | 72 |
| Middle income families | 47 |
| Low income families | 44 |
Note: All figures in percent for women who earn money on their own. Question wording: “Now I am going to read out a few decisions that are taken in families. Thinking of your role in such decisions, please tell me if you can take these decisions without consulting any male member of the family, male members take decisions but you are always consulted, or the male members take the decision without even consulting you?” | |
Urban and working women depend less on men for emotional support | ||||
| Expect emotional support from… | Husband | Male relatives | Female relatives | Friends & Colleagues |
| All married women | 49 | 11 | 18 | 12 |
| Rural house wives | 57 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
| Rural working, married, women | 52 | 11 | 16 | 10 |
| Metropolitan house wives | 46 | 6 | 26 | 16 |
| Metropolitan, working, married women | 32 | 7 | 29 | 27 |
Note: All figures in percent for married women. Rest ‘others’. Question wording: “There are times when we need emotional support from people close to us. If you were in a situation where you needed emotional support, whom will you turn to for maximum support? AND If family, who in your family?” | ||||
Anxieties affect unmarried women more | ||
| Young women who wish they were … | Married | Unmarried |
| More educated than what they are | 72 | 79 |
| Fairer than what they are | 41 | 52 |
| Taller than what they are | 37 | 51 |
| Slimmer than what they are | 24 | 38 |
Note: All figures in percent. Opinion of those between ages 18 and 30. Question wording: “People generally wish different things. Please tell me if you wish that you were…?” | ||
Working women face a tough choice | |||
| Young women who give to priority to… | All women | Young working women | Young house wives |
| Career over having children | 40 | 56 | 31 |
| Having children over a career | 35 | 22 | 41 |
| Equal priority to both | 25 | 22 | 28 |
Note: All figures in percent. Question wording: “Now I will ask you about a few things that often concern many women. On a ladder of 1 to 10 if ‘1’ stands for being not at all important and if ‘10’ stands for being very important, thinking of yourself, please tell me how much importance do you give to the following?” | |||
Majority of women wish to be born women again | ||
| Would like to be born as a woman again | Yes | No |
| All women | 53 | 29 |
| Young, urban and educated women | 64 | 21 |
| Old, non-literate, rural women | 38 | 31 |
Note: All figures in percent. Rest ‘can’t say’. Question wording: “If you were to choose, would you like to be born as a woman again?” | ||
[The authors are based at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. The CSDS team would be happy to respond to any query about this survey at sanjay@csds.in ]
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