Empowering Rural Women: Overcoming Challenges and Building a Brighter Future
Often when we think of India, big cities and iconic landmarks come to our mind. But there's another side to this beautiful country – the rural side, where millions of people live and work, especially women. Despite facing limitations imposed by tradition and sometimes even their surroundings, there are women who are quietly contributing to their families and society.
India is a country of contrasts. On one hand, women are worshipped as goddesses without which no work can begin. On the other hand, cases of violence against women and girls are rising more and more in India.
Women who belong to rural places suffer even more. The patriarchal system is deeply rooted in rural India which mostly determines the gender roles as per the traditional norms. Women are mostly expected to be a housewives and raise kids, while men are seen as the supreme leader of the family. This makes it hard for women to get access to education, employment, and leadership positions. Let’s try to focus on various aspects of a woman’s life in rural India.
There is often a negative attitude of the conservative family towards educating their girl child. In a report titled 'State of Elementary Education in Rural India– 2023', the dropout rate was higher for female children, reaching 35 percent. That speaks volumes about the condition of girls in such areas. There are many reasons why women are often dragged to stop educating themselves. Factors like poverty, early marriage, or the need to help with household chores are some of the major reasons.
Even if the girls in the village can access education, their curriculum is often incomplete. The curriculum is usually about academic subjects only, without considering the important life skills such as financial literacy, women's health, hygiene, and well-being which are usually ignored or inadequately addressed. This makes girls prone to misinformation and limits their ability to make proper decisions regarding their health.
Safeena Husain has been a powerful advocate for girls' education in rural India. She founded ‘Educate Girls’, a non-profit organization to bridge the education gap and empower girls. Born and raised in India, she faced challenges accessing education due to her family's circumstances. Her organization works tirelessly to enroll out-of-school girls and advocate for their education in remote villages across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Access to proper sanitation is considered a basic human right, yet proper sanitation is still out of reach for many women in rural India. According to the study conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation of the Union government, more than 21% of rural families in India have no access to any kind of toilet in their home.
Women and girls with no private toilet can only use either an isolated place or wait until it is dark to relieve themselves. Lack of access opens them to the risks of infectious diseases and animal attacks This is both unhealthy and undesirable. People who defecate outside may get cholera or diarrhea and pass it on to others. Women and girls become even more vulnerable when a private toilet is not available. Vulnerability to violence is one of the most important sanitation issues that women are facing.
It is funny how open defecation is so common among men. Men usually don't have to think twice before openly defecating. There are so many unspoken rules set by our society for how women should behave in a normal setting.
Usha Chaumar, often known as ‘The Toilet Warrior’. She faced similar struggles as she lived in rural Rajasthan. She went on a mission to persuade her entire community to build toilets. Her requests were often met with mockery. She addressed village meetings and went on a hunger strike so her voice could be heard. The villagers, being inspired by her spirit, started to help by contributing their resources and building toilets. She has been invited to share her story on many of the platforms and has become a strong advocate for sanitation for women.
The lack of access to information is called information poverty. It means women in rural areas don't have important knowledge or resources that could help them improve their lives. Even after being an essential part of their communities, working hard, and often working longer hours than men, they're still not always seen as full contributors.
Women’s work in rural areas is often not considered “valuable”. Many jobs that rural women perform are not paid and are not given credit, for example, taking care of children, cooking, and cleaning. This kind of work isn't usually measured in money, so it is often disregarded when considering a woman’s total contribution.
Women, in general, have a ‘double burden’. Women, especially in rural villages spend long hours at work or home while also caring for their families. This leaves them with fewer opportunities to pursue their passions.
Sadly, the lives of the majority of women from rural India have become even more insecure and unsafe. A study by the National Commission for Women in 2018 revealed that 54% of rural women surveyed had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime. This is a sad reality for women in rural areas. Evidence has shown that the rate of domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and other gender-based violence is higher in rural areas due to the absence of effective law enforcement, social taboos in reporting, and cultural norms that tolerate violence against women.
Women from lower castes endure double insecurity because of the combined impact of gender and caste-based prejudices. They experience exploitation, physical violence, social exclusion, and lack of access to support systems. Knowledge of women’s rights and legal options is scarce and restricted access to legal assistance and support systems, becomes a huge obstacle in the way of justice.
The Gulabi Gang, a women's vigilante group, based in Banda District, Uttar Pradesh, India became well-known for their unconventional methods of fighting violence against women and social injustice in rural India. They would often intervene in cases of domestic violence, confronting abusive husbands and organizing public shaming events to stop recurring offenses. The group arranged rallies, marches, and street plays to educate people about women's rights and to encourage other women to raise their voices against oppression.
Moving on from security, Women in rural areas don’t even have the freedom to choose their own partner. They don’t have any kind of say in how they want to spend their life and with whom. According to a study by the National Family Health Survey in 2019-2021, only 12% of young women in rural India had a major say in choosing their husbands. That is extremely shocking!
Many women are denied the chance to interact beyond their close family and friends, which limits their choices and hampers their individual decision-making. Unhappy relationships, even abuse, lack of educational and career opportunities are considered “part of life’ for women.
This Women's Day, let us not forget the problems that rural women face. Let's pledge to support their cause, and build a place where each woman, no matter where she comes from, is given the chance to succeed.