Women have been underprivileged for a really long period. Gradually women are being given the respect and opportunities they duly deserved after year
Women have been underprivileged for a really long period. Gradually women are being given the respect and opportunities they duly deserved after years of struggle. However, there remain a lot of challenges that need to be addressed yet now. The waves of women empowerment have reached cities, and women are taking up the front line in all fields. But, women in rural regions across the world are still fighting to get to the basic level of `privilege’. The urban sectors have been improving actively, yet this luxury is not available to women in remote areas who thrive to live each day.
The pandemic particularly has affected women and young girls from the heartlands, and they have been pushed further into the pit. These women are active parts in many fields that act as a base for the development we see around. From agriculture, animal husbandry, and food security, they are prominent contributors. Yet, they are still on their toes, helping as domestic help and providing unpaid care in the less aware sections of the society. And, a lot of times they do not have enough meals, and most women are subjected to malnutrition. An increasing danger for these women.
- Lack of education is one of the aspects that cripples these women. With growing home responsibilities and lack of schools in their vicinity, education is still deprived of many potential young girls. Two significant problems that crop up are: One, there are not many schools in the villages, and women need to go long distances to attend school. Which is very difficult to be managed with the household responsibilities they are expected to fulfil. Two, the safety of these children is put at stake and many parents do not wish to put their girls through this. Yet times have been changing with public schools and more and more people reaching out to the suburbs.
- Poverty is not only the single problem that these women are subjected but education remains another major concern, that amplifies their present situation. To counter this the governments and self-help groups have reached out to these people. Such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India that has made women capable of earning, and this has proven to be beneficial in the rural sectors.
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In the agriculture sector, the major drawback is they are often not given direct access to the land and tenure, restricting their profits and chances to earn. It has to be noted that women are often the most hardworking people on the field, and to major chunk of the work, but men are given the rights and privileges.
- Another aspect that has to be shed light upon is the increasing domestic and sexual violence they have been subjected to. The number of cases has significantly gone up in the pandemic and nation-wide lockdowns. Still, women’s safety is a concern, and the rural areas are the worst hit.
This has been changing, and giving them equal significance as their male counterparts is a welcome move. It is also said that with equal chances, women could contribute more. An increase in farm productivity has also been a result of such acts. The UN has taken the initiative a notch ahead with their UN Women wing. They have been working to eradicate poverty in such places and make women a significant part of economic development as well.
To change the scene, and get women the needed help, measures are being taken particularly in the decade and women’s issues have achieved recognition amongst welfare agencies and the common public. Although the problem elucidates the problems of rural women, we should understand that a lot of responsibility does lie with the urban population. Let us create awareness and work towards a better place for all these women. As society starts working for their neighbors, we subsequently reach the destination soon. We would be able to create the needed awareness and room for their improvement.
We are in dire need to take this ahead and create awareness for the needs of these women.