Solutions from Past

In spite of all the progress we have made in India to improve conditions of women, I feel that Indian women face more barriers to fulfilment and happiness now, than in earlier years.

Today's problems of women do not stem out of inequality of sexes. They are mainly due to the selfishness of a majority of men in the guise of a father, husband, son, employer etc., who try to extract maximum benefit from the associated women. These benefits may be in the form of earning a dowry or obtaining personal service to the maximum. Termed frequently as exploitation, this attitude has made lives of millions of women in India very difficult.

The main point which many of us miss is that man and woman are complementary to each other, physically, biologically, socially as also psychologically and hence together from a single unit in a family. But the age-old traditional beliefs are so deep-rooted in Indian mind about the fair sex being "weak" that, realization of female power in proper perspective seems to be a far cry.

A part of Indian Society, the tribals have been successful throughout the centuries, in keeping the healthy and complementary relationship between man and woman in daily life, and in proving that the inequality is artificial. There should be attempts to analyse certain norms of the tribal Society, wherein a women's rightful, at times superior place is duly recognized. In a society where a female child is welcome, where a girl fetches good brides'prize, where a woman forms man's best companion in all the activities, are certain conjuring facts of life which deserve special notice.

See: Women in Tribal Societies