Lessons of Socio-economic benefits from Early-Empowered Women
*Sivashruthy.N
**Varsheni.N
Abstract:
Empowerment of women has been a far- reaching goal even today, though its strife began even from the early days of Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiar, who dreamed of a “Pudumai Pen” signifying a totally empowered woman. There is a misconception among people of today that women were always treated as child- bearing machines and that they were born to serve men since the ancient times. Avaiyar, Savitri, Draupadi, Ahilya Bai Holkar stand as testimonies to the fact that women were not confined to home making but also to rule and educate the world. Women were also treated as angels and also deities in the ancient times. modern society misinterpreted this respect and reverence for women for their convenience to confine women only to household chores. It is astounding that this respect for women as deities does not strike the minds of the brutal rapists. This paper brings to light the various dimensions of women empowerment like Economic, social, psychological, educational and political empowerment, with reference to notable women of the past and how it contrasts with the present scenario. As Keshab Chandra Mandal in his “Concepts and Types of Empowerment”, there are five types of empowerment, which are discussed earlier. The women taken to prove the five types of empowerment are Amrapali, Kannagi, Rani Laxmibai, Vellayi and Panna Dai. Primitive lessons can be stronger than the lesson that are taught from current news because history repeats itself.
Introduction:
ஆணுŕ®®் பெண்ணுŕ®®் நிகரெனக் கொள்வதால்
ŕ®…ŕ®±ிவி லோŕ®™்கி இவ் வையம் தழைக்குŕ®®ாŕ®®்
- Mahakavi Bharathiar.
Empowerment of women has been a far- reaching goal even today, though its strife began even from the early days of Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiar, who dreamed of a “Pudumai Pen” signifying a totally empowered woman. A number of factors may be pointed out for the backwardness of women such as social, economic and political causes. There is a misconception among people of today that women were always treated as child- bearing machines and that they were born to serve men since the ancient times. Avaiyar, Savitri, Draupadi, Ahilya Bai Holkar stand as testimonies to the fact that women were not confined to home making but also to rule and educate the world. Women were also treated as angels and also deities in the ancient times. As time passed, modern society misinterpreted this respect and reverence for women for their convenience to confine women only to household chores. It is astounding that this respect for women as deities does not strike the minds of the brutal rapists. This paper brings to light the various dimensions of women empowerment like Economic, social, educational and political empowerment, with reference to notable women of the past and how it contrasts with the present scenario.
Review of Literature:
A study by Punam and Sharma on ‘The Role and Position of Women Ancient Society to Modern Society in India’ speaks about the role and status of women in ancient days and also analyses the position of women in modern India, whether maintained or deteriorated. It focuses on the path from the ancient times to the modern times where freedom of women was shuttered in the medieval times by several evil practices like Sati, Juhar ( similar to sati but a mass suicide), Child Marriage and restriction on Widow Remarriage. (Punam and Sharma, 2017)
An article by Dhar on ‘Challenges of Women Empowerment in India from Ancient to Modern Times’ also studies the journey of women empowerment from the ancient times to the modern times. In addition to highlighting the development of social evils against women in the medieval times, this study explains the ways to empower women and emphasizes that access to education, employment and a change in social structure are the only sources of empowering women. (Dhar, 2017)An article by Dr.Bhuyan on ‘Empowerment of Indian Women; A Challenge of 21st Century’ portrays Women Empowerment as still being an illusion of reality and analyses the reasons for this sorry state of affairs like the lack of awareness, social and economic hurdles and such other factors. ( Bhuyan, 2006)
Kannagi- Economically Empowered:
Kannagi is a girl from a merchant family, who is married to Kovalan. She is the protagonist of the epic, Silappathikaram, which was composed by Illangovadigal. Kannagi was deserted by her husband, Kovalan, who chose a courtesan Madhavi over his wife Kannagi. The days, Kovalan was with Madhavi made Kannagi undergo various penances to unite with her husband.
When Kovalan left Kannagi, she had only a very little amount of money. She was disturbed only her husband’s absence but was not shaken by the poverty that struck her. When Kovalan asks Kannagi whether she struggled during his absence financially, she denies it. She says that she was unable to afford for the food, the saints wanted.
In the world of today, many women are financially independent. However, there are threats for women financially and the woman is seen to be great, who survives on her own. Sometimes women struggle between their health and profession. The reason for some women to be like this is because the purchasing power of women is lesser compared to their desire to purchase things.
Women’s Purchase gap (Savings) = women’s purchasing power- women’s desire to purchase things (in their respective currency units)
If the result comes in a negative integer, the woman has to concentrate on her spending rather than attempting to increase her purchasing power. If a woman earns Rs.500 but she desires to buy an attire that costs Rs.600, she has to pump her savings from her previous month yield or borrow from someone, which would become a complicated situation. The threats that occur to women in certain cases are due to their negativity in purchasing gap. To fill their purchasing gap, they indulge themselves in the hands of sly money lenders, who charge greater interests on the money, they borrow from the latter. Like Kannagi, a woman is economically independent only when she knows to manage the funds with a planned purchasing power. It is only because of a positivity in her purchase gap, she is able to give her husband, her silambu (anklet) to invest as a capital. A talented woman cannot only earn money to help her live a decent living but can also spend wisely. When a woman knows to save her earnings, she can help herself in a longer run without the fear of an unexpected recession. Economically, there will be a stability instead of a tremor in the number of women labourers in the sectors. To earn, one must be educationally empowered.
Vellayi- Educationally Empowered:
Education is not only qualifications or graduation that adorn the walls of the house. Any lesson obtained from a MKO, or the more knowledgeable other becomes education. Devadasi system was practised in the southern parts of the country. One among the famous Devadasis is Vellayi of Srirangam.
The sacrifice of oneself to safeguard the culture and heritage of the country with their skills and education is empowerment. A social and economical benefit was assured by the act of a Devadasi, Vellayi, who saved the idol of Namperumal from the Sultanate forces that captured the temple. The forces were interested in the Namperumal idol, which was believed to be made of pure gold called the abaranji gold. Vellayi danced for hours together and assured the safety of the idol. She took the entire troop of the Sultan and pushed them down from the eastern tower of the temple. Such an act of confidence and courage is due to the education and skill that she had possessed.
A woman can be very much capable of facing her foes with the skills and education, she has got. When there is a deed that caters not only to the life of a person but to the society as a whole, the education becomes meaningful. An empowered woman must share her education with others too as an educated woman is an asset to the country. A country’s literacy is identified with the number of women, who are educated.
No. of empowered women= no. of skilled women- total no. of women
A woman is empowered educationally, once she is ready to tackle financial and emotional drawbacks on her own with her skills. Skills are those, which comes to the rescue of a person during their setbacks in life, affluently. There must be a break even point in the result of the above derived expression. If there is a break-even, it is sure that women can help others with their skills. One of the best examples of a woman, who keeps educating people is Sinu Joseph, who is famous for running her NGO called “Mythri Speaks”. She finds out the practices that assure healthy menstural hygiene from different parts of the country and delivers it to other women for a country of healthy women. For women to be skilled, she must be safe enough to enhance her skills at various places. Safety can be assured to women by courageous deeds of psychologically empowered women.
Panna Dai- Psychologically Empowered:
Panna Dai is the nursemaid to Udai Singh II. She showed her empowerment by saving the Prince from the hands of the enemies, thereby saving the honour of the kingdom. Her presence of mind, helped her replace the prince with her son, Chandan. The empowered act of Panna Dai is fuelled by her patriotism and courage. An empowered women must not only be physically strong but also be psychologically strong to make sacrifices. An empowered women like Panna had the courage to bear with the loss of her son for the sake of the country.
However in present scenario, there are cases of women being raped and are victimised. The convicts are sometimes shielded by their mothers from accusation. This is not an act of empowerment. A psychologically empowered woman must be ready to undergo sacrifices for the sake of the society rather than for herself. A women like Panna Dai, who even did not mind losing her innocent son for the good of the country, can be a great help to the nation. Due to the existence of many women, who defend their convicted sons, there is a malignancy of immorality spreading in the country. Losing an innocent infant is a great sacrifice, which shows her psychological empowerment.
Indian women, though taught about these characters, make themselves blindfolded by their affection on their children.
The parents, who try to fortify their convicted sons have their origin from the schools. These parents turn deaf ears towards the complaints they receive from the schools and defend their sons from the complaints of the teachers. When mothers do not hesitate to get their sons accused for the wrong they committed against women, there will be harmony in the country. If there is safety ensured for women in the country, there will be a rise in the economic and social standards of the country.
Level of women safety in the country = legal enforcement related to women’s safety- factors that fortify the convicts. (units)
The number of laws that a constitution has proposed is the frist component and the loopholes, which a legal practioneer dictates or the illegal means the surrounding of the convict equips is the second component. A difference between the two shows the intensity of women safety that occurs in a social space like a country, state, district, a work place or a school. If the result is negative, there is a vaccum in the safety certainity for women.
The unit panna is decided because the country is worshipped in form of a goddess, which is similar to the treatment of women. The safety of country, which Panna assured is similar to the safety of women. The unit is thus named after panna.
Women not only saved their countries by sacrificing but also by taking active parts in the defence of the country.
Rani Laxmibai- Politically Empowered:
During the Great Revolution, many people fought against the British forces. Women too participated to fight back the British only with their indegenous techniques. One among them is Maharani of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai. She was the Queen of Jhansi, who wanted to fight the tyranny of the British and drive them from India. She is one among the reasons for the terror that struck the British Raj. She took an active part in the battle and ensured a revolution in the monotonous politics of the country, which was to follow the Englishman and please him.
Her empowerment in politics made her unfasten her fetters and join the movement in which only men were struggling. The country was in a very bad position and Rani Laxmibai was their saviour. When women could fight back like this, it would be easy for a country to move in an easy pace and need not complicate by employing a man in all walks of life. However, sometimes women had to show resistance towards the social evils that strike them hard.
Amrapali- Socially Empowered:
A strange practice like the Devadasi system discussed above is the Nagarvadhu system, which is prominent in the Northern parts of India. Nagarvadhu system demands a woman to stay away from family responsibilities. However, Amrapali, a Nagarvadhu marries a prince. Initially, Amrapali was asked by her father not to dance in the public but she does so to save the honour of her society. She becomes the Nagarvadhu of Vaishali but marries a Prince. She is jailed for her marriage
When she finds bloodshed in the country due to her release, she could not bear it and joins a Buddha Mutt. Her level as a Nagarvadhu was socially high but her courage to become a Buddhist monk by being resistant towards the society has even more elevated her attitude. Socially, a woman must be able to avoid the problems that rise because of her. If there is a mishap because of her, she must be courageous enough to admit and repent for it.
As Keshab Chandra Mandal in his “Concepts and Types of Empowerment”, there are five types of empowerment, which are discussed earlier. A woman, who is empowered in all the above specified five types, the country can have more women like her because if a woman is educated, the nation itself would benefit from it.
Conclusion:
The references given above stand as testimony to the fact that blaming our ancestors for the backwardness of women is no longer justifiable. It is also obvious that women of the ancient times had the great talent of balancing both their households and their different dimensions of empowerment. It is the lack of this spirit of balancing and fighting only for their rights forgetting their responsibilities that hinder women empowerment. Even when women fight most of their family obstacles and march forward, the male-chauvinists and the brutal rapists stand as barriers for the empowerment of women and pull the down. A broader mindset of the society and the chauvinists accompanied by initiatives by the government like the Kavalan app to aid the needy women in times of danger will help break the hurdles and take women to the path of empowerment.
References:
Shashi Punam and Naina Sharma, 2017, Development and Change in Agrarian Society, Edition: 1st, Chapter: The Role and Position of Women Ancient Society to Modern Society in India, Publisher: Twenty first Century, Editors: Dr. Geet Lamba, pp.127-141
Keshab Chandra Mandal, Concepts and Types of Women Empowerment.
Prosun Dhar, 2017, Challenges of Women Empowerment in India from Ancient to Modern Times, International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR), Volume- 4, Issue-3 http://ijrar.com/upload_issue/ijrar_issue_450.pdf
Dasarathi Bhuyan, 2006, ‘Empowerment of Indian Women; A Challenge of 21st Century’
Comments