Socio-Economic Status of Women: An Analysis of Rohtak District

This description of the socio-economic status of women begins with information on indicators such as income, population, refugees, and per cent women in political office or boardrooms. The goal for civil society is defined as the survival of the Earth without which other concerns are tangential. The key to effective policies is to measure the cause and effects of environmental degradation and find ways to provide feedback to the decision-makers and ourselves to change behavior. Any assessment of the socio-economic status of women has to start from the social framework, social structures, cultural norms and value system that influence, social exceptions regarding the behavior of both men and women and determine women‘s roles and their positions in the society. A society is composed of many institutions and most important of them are the system of decent family and kinship, marriage and religious traditions. They provide the ideology and the moral basis for men and women about their rights and duties and their status and role.

The historical background of the Indian society reveals that in Vedic times a woman was given a high quality of life. It is an old saying, ―where women are honored, gods reside there.‖ She was known as ‗Ardhangini‘ – one half of husband‘s body. At the time of marriage, she as a bride was entitled to procure certain solemn vows from the bridegroom before the ritual fire. No religious ceremony by the husband could bear fruit without her participation. As a mother, wife and sister she occupies an honored place. She is the epitome of courage and boldness, love and affection, sacrifice and suffering. However during the course of history woman lost their honored place due to social, economic and political factors. Evil customs like sati, pardah, child marriage, enforced, widowhood, dowry system, crept in the society and this led to decline the quality of life of women‘s. During the last few years, sexual harassment at work place, eve teasing, abduction and female feticide has given an inclination of the horrible behavior patterns prevailing in the society. Majority of the women live a life of dependency that does not possess any self- identity. Struggle of equality, justice and parity between women and men continues with more and more literature appearing on the subject on empowerment of woman.

The development of women is very low in India particularly in small cities and in rural areas. In21st century women are aware of their rights and duties as well as their work situation. It has been observed that women from middle class are not eager to alter their role in fear of social dilemma. The quality of life of women is visible among higher class than middle or lower class. In 21st century women who were restrict to only house hold activities previously have now joined hands with men are working in every field. She is a doctor, engineer, politician, professor, architect and has even gone to space and created history in every field. (Agarwal, 2013).

1. To analyze the social condition of the woman. 2. To examine the level of the education of woman in Rohtak district. 3. To analyze the family economic conditions.

The study has carried out on 100 women from Rohtak district. The sample has selected by random sampling method. The entire woman has between the age group 25-85 years. The demographic profile of the women were recorded for electing data regarding type of family income, no of family members, occupation of the women‘s and education of the women‘s. All the relevant data were recorded by using questionnaire cum interview methods. The result were analyzed by Microsoft excel.

Rohtak district is located in central part of Haryana. It is borded by sonepat district in north-east, jind district in the north, jhajjar district in the south, hisar district in the North West and bhiwani in the west. Due to proximity to delhi, the development actives are taking place very rapidly. The average literacy rate of Rohtak district is 76.81 percent. The percentage of literates among males and females are 86.00 percent and 66.08 per cent.

Results: It was found that being over the age of 35 years, having a spouse with a low level of education, having a low income, having a large number of children, not having social support from the spouse or other family members and not having time to rest or sleep were related to social status. Protest movements within the Hindu fold, like Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishvanism, Veera Shaivism and Sikhism contributed to some improvement in the status of women, particularly in regard to religious activities. However, they continued to regard women primarily as mothers and wives, and inferior to men in society. The advent of Islam brought further deterioration in the status of women. Even in the early British period her condition remained as before. From the middle of the nineteenth century reform movements like Brahma Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, etc., championed the cause of women, but nothing concrete could be achieved. It is significant to note that upliftment of women was an important item in the agenda of Mahatma Gandhi. Pyarelal, his secretary, tells that Gandhi often used to say that he would like to be reborn either as an

The status of the women is sort of paradox. If on one hand she is at the peak of the ladder of success, on the other hand she is suffering from many difficulties in her life. As compared with past women in modern time have achieved a lot but in reality they have to still travel a long way. Their path is full of armored with their talent. (Agarwal,2013) The reason for disadvantageous position of women is extreme social restriction of freedom of movement and activities. Women are socially and physically suppressed. They are confined to the domain of the household and suffer from various restrictions even within that domain. Low female participation in education is one aspect of this general pattern of women limited interaction with the outside world. Women‘s limited opportunity to acquire education and information is bound to affect their ability to play an informed role in the family and in the society. One aspect of the ―inertia‟ that accounts for slow social progress is the apathy of the state but an equally important factor is the failure of civil society to challenge oppressive patterns of caste, class and gender relations.(sodhganga,2013) The points are following in the social status: 1. Age of the respondents. 2. Age on marriage. 3. Self-decision power.

Table no 1and Fig .1 shows the age of the respondents in Rohtak district. There are the five major age-group, in those 25 respondent in first age-group, 35 respondents in second age group, and 21 respondents in 3rd age-group, 10 respondents in 4th age-group and 9 respondents in 5th age-group.

According to the constitution fundamental the age of marriage of women is 18 years. But according to the field survey Table No 2. And Fig-2 shows that 6 percent get married in below 15 years, 34 percent get marriade in 15-20 years, 45 percent get marriade in the 20-25 years and 15percent get married in their 25 years and above.

Women‘s access in family income and household decision is more important to determine their rights in family. But still in urban areas in most family women is not the decision maker in different matters. Most of the respondents had to depend on their husband for having no income of their own. From the respondents it was found other households decisions also were taken by their husband as they think that their wives have no rational knowledge on different financial matters. From the study it reveals that some women have the choice to share with their husband about making different economic and social decisions.

Table No.3 and Fig-3 shows that only 13 respondents have self-decision making power. Out of 100 respondents 55 respondents are take decision with their husband and 32 respondents are totally dependent on her husband for any type of decision.

In our society regarding to women play a major role to determine her status in the family of social position. Those who don‘t get the opportunity to be literate of higher education remain behind to all kinds of progress and this weakness turn their position in lower status. But due to the time changing women get the opportunity to complete their higher study. It creates a subordinate position and keeps away from empowering them.

Table No. 4. shows the literacy rate of the women in rohtak district. According to the field survey out of 100 respondents only 6 respondent are illerate, 6 respondents are get primary level education, 5 respondent get middle level, 20 respondents get secondary level, 22 respondents get higher secondary education, 18 respondents get graduation level education and 23 respondent get their post graduate and higher education.

Women‘s economic participation plays a vital role in determine her position. Women who are engaged in well occupational activities are commonly more rewarded than who are not for their participation in family expenditure. Their less dependency makes them vulnerable in the family. In most of the cases it was found that though they earn for their family but not get any kind of importance as earning members of the family or cannot take part in major decision making. It represent that for social value. all women are not able to get the opportunity for involvement in economic sector. Even some respondent think that although having their priority not the high paid works. Table No.5 and Fig-5 shows the result of the women‘s who‘s included in different works and occupation. The study is found that 14 respondent are include in bouitic/ parlor and other shop, 22 women‘s are teacher in private sector, 56 women‘s are house wives and the less percentage of the women‘s are in govt. jobs.

Most of the family with 4-5 members depends on one‘s income. After marriage some father-in -law and mother-in-law not support to do job outside their wife but most educated family encourage for job solve economic problem. Income indicates the socio-economic status of women in a family.

income. Basically, most of the family are earn 10-20 thousand and 20-30 thousand per month. 37.5 percent earn 10-20 thousand and 33.33 percent families are earned 20-30 thousand per month. 12.5 percent earned 30-40 thousand and only 6.95 percent earned above 50 thousand.

The study shows the socio-economic status of the women. Most of the women get better opportunity for higher education. But most of the women are not engaged in productive work. According to the field survey most of the respondents are in the age group of 30-40 year. Majority of the respondents get their marriage in their 20 years. Majority of the respondents are house wives. According to the field survey only 4.28 percent respondents are include in govt jobs and the highest percentage of the respondents are housewives which is 65.72 percent. Most of the respondents depend on their husbands for her small choice and decisions. Women in urban area are aware of legal rights but hardly seek help to other. According to the changing of the time the women‘s have change their status in the society. They get their goal in her life and try to prove themselves in every field of life.

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Research Scholar, Department of Geography, M.D.U., Rohtak