What women want? Liberty or marriage

WOMAN TO WOMAN: Many women have reiterated Choudhary’s view that men are not to be trusted in the survey.

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New Delhi: "Men can’t be trusted,” ---the very remark by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Renuka Choudhary, created a furore of sorts.

However, the CNN-IBN-Indian Express survey on Women and India asked if women prefer live-in relationships or if they easily trusted a man. The survey has several women reiterating the thought:

• Nearly one in two women say that men are disloyal.
• More than half of single women second that.
• And married women aren’t far behind either.

And when it comes to issues of inheritance, higher education and marriage, here's what women have to say:

• More than seven out of 10 women want equal inheritance for men and women.
• About three fourth women say there's nothing wrong in a woman working.
• And just about one in four women say that higher education for women is not a must.

And we cannot expect women to be liberal when it comes to marriage:

• While 46 per cent of women support a ban on inter caste marriage.
• One in 2 women want a ban on inter religious marriages.

“I will not be uncomfortable with anyone of any religion including my own who is deeply religious because I am not,” says writer, Abha Dawesar.

The Indian woman is still wary of experimenting with relationships.

• Only six per cent women are okay with live in relationships.
• Among those who are graduate, the number goes up to 16 per cent.

When it comes to pre marital sex, just six per cent of women are comfortable with the idea. And even among young graduates and women from metros the numbers say it all.

“The strength of our country is wasted upon having a family unit,” says former Chairperson, NCW, Poornima Advani.

So while the 21st century Indian woman may claim to be liberals, these numbers have a different story to tell.