Are women freer in free India?: An essay by Begum Hamid Ali from the HT archives
HT’s Republic@75 special: The doors are open. 'We have only to take our rights to freedom equally with men,’ writes Ali, who served on the Planning Commission.
As far as women’s rights for equality are concerned, there is no doubt that they have attained “freedom” in reality. The very fact that woman finds an equal place throughout in the Constitution of India answers the question finally in the affirmative. We have all the opportunities. We have only to take our rights to freedom equally with men.
With “all citizens” we have “the right to freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peacefully and without arms, to form associations and unions, to move freely throughout the territory of India, to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, to practise any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.”
Fundamental rights
The Fundamental Rights lay down that “the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.” Another Article in the Constitution goes on to say that no citizen shall on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them be ineligible for, or discriminated against, in respect of any employment or office under the State.
Political rights are also on a perfectly equal basis. There is adult franchise and women have the right of voting and election and holding office in government. Cultural and educational rights include State aid to all institutions (including those of minority groups) without discrimination against script, culture, language, religion and race. Civic rights are similarly guaranteed. Special measures for women, such as maternity leave and allowances, and special measures for welfare of children are also there.
Equal pay
The article which concerns women most closely gives rights against exploitation, namely, “prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour.” With the right to form associations and unions and including “prohibition of employment of children in factories,” a good part of the demands made on behalf of women labourers is conceded.
Another Article lays down that the State shall direct its policy towards securing “equal pay for equal work both for men and women,” and that “citizens, men and women, have equal rights to an adequate means of livelihood.”
The Constitution of India has systematically worked out a way of life which, taken at its true value, would neither cut us off from our age-long cultural ties nor prevent us from developing into the most modern-minded, 20th century citizens. What is a matter of deep concern to all thinking men and women is whether women have become aware of the fact that all doors, all avenues are open to them and whether they are taking advantage of the manifold opportunities afforded to them. Do they realize what advantages they have obtained over their mothers and grandmothers overnight by one stroke of the pen?
Chance of work
Gone are the days when no woman could hold office in the State, in the civil services or even in the universities. Women could not practise at the Bar even after passing law examinations. In the beginning of the century discrimination on grounds of sex was commonly practised by all universities and even by Government high schools. Medical education was difficult to obtain in India. During the British days there were very few universities and just three or four medical colleges in the whole of India. We had a far greater percentage of illiterate people, and above all women were very backward in education.
Public employment was almost unknown to women except in the profession of teaching. In the nineteen-thirties matters had improved considerably. Many universities and colleges opened their doors to women and a few women’s colleges, including medical colleges, were seen on the horizon. A university for women was started in Poona. It had a number of affiliated colleges, mainly in Bombay province. All these factors and the changing social conditions helped to bring the women out of their seclusion.
In those days it was common for men and women to live apart in different sections of the house. The zenana (women’s part of the house) contributed largely to the difference of the mental outlook on life of the two sexes. Their actions and thoughts and interests were entirely cut off from each other’s. The men had their literary interests, social work, political organizations, club life and opportunities of physical development and enjoyment of nature. For the women was reserved the kitchen, the care of the family and drudgery of housework. The working-class woman was somewhat better off in this respect. No seclusion hampered her movements and she could at least enjoy a walk, whereas the “secluded woman” had all the disadvantages of her higher status in life!
No more purdah
We look back with dismay and a good deal of amusement on the time when women appeared on station platforms in the form of good-sized tents pushed from behind, front and sideways! Carriages covered over with sheets and chicks were a common sight in those days, while now they are rarely seen.
How were we moved from our static position even before changes came through the change of Government? The first great mass movement of women coming out of their homes took place when Gandhiji moved through the length and breadth of the country like a streak of lightning, organizing women’s protest meetings in support of abolition of “indentured labour”. Women came out by hundreds and it became easier and easier as time went on to draw them out from all social service, economic and political meetings.
Year by year the women’s apathy was changed into enthusiastic support for the Swadeshi movement, the khaddar movement, spinning and weaving, and Khilafat movement (which broke the chains of seclusion for a large minority group in the country). Quickly, on top of this, came the movement for Swaraj, which brought out women to work for political freedom shoulder to shoulder with their sons and husbands ready to go to jail or to carry on the business or farm work for their absent menfolk. This political upheaval went on side by side with their mental development.
Effects of war
The first World War also had had a good deal to do with the awakening of Indian womanhood. When we were dragged into the fray without the consent of India, we realized as never before the degradation of being a conquered country and the resentment caused by it was very great. The loss and grief of thousands of homes bereft of fathers, brothers, sons and husbands roused a burning desire for freedom, freedom from foreign rule, freedom to be a self-governing unit of the world.
In the wake of this movement, while the new British constitution of India was still on the anvil, educated women all over the country quickly organized themselves and made representations to the British Parliamentary Committee to be given adult franchise without reservation for women and with joint electorates which would make for unity in the country. At the same time, they worked hard to abolish the custom of child marriage by holding mammoth meetings and sending in petitions signed by women of a minority community who would have been exempted from the Prevention of Child Marriages Act had not this petition strengthened the hands of the Viceroy who was able to disregard the wish expressed by orthodox men. The measure, known as the Sarda Act, was at last passed in the nineteen-thirties for all communities and groups of people.
Fight for freedom
Organized women also set out to brush aside outdated, outworn customary laws, demanded legislation for equal rights of marriage, divorce, guardianship and above all of inheritance. The younger generation quickly reacted to these new ideas of unity and breaking through caste and race restrictions and inter-marriage became more and more frequent.
The Congress, which was from its very inception guided by liberal ideas, has had a potent influence over the lives and changing ideals of women. What was considered to be impossible and unthinkable began to take place. The Congress itself upheld the flag of equality of both sexes and of all communities, never denying office to women or to any members of minority groups and built up a tradition of understanding and justice. The demands of women for political and legal rights on a basis of equality were all accepted in principle, but not in action as they were not yet rulers of the country.
The women of India have invariably been helped by men to attain the position in the world they now occupy. There was no question or need of becoming militant suffragettes. or going to jail, or tying themselves up with chains to secure a hearing, or undergoing any of the hardships women of other countries had to go through to obtain franchise or rise to the rank of ministers and governors and attain high office.
We have seen a vast change in the manners and customs of our people in the last decade. The natural calamities of famine, floods and earthquakes were followed by the second World War which caused an economic upheaval, especially for the people of Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bihar. Later came the partition of India leading to the great migration from Punjab and Sind to India and, on the other side, to corresponding migration from UP, Delhi and Bengal into Pakistan.
Freer movements
These events have further broken down caste restrictions and have also brought out women from their seclusion in still larger numbers. Dearth of housing has also had a vital effect in their everyday life. Very few homes now have separate living rooms for men and women. All the family living together brings the men and women into closer association. There is hardly any distinction made on the upbringing, education and preparation for the future lives of boys and girls. This results in equal freedom, physical and mental, for both sexes. Every literate girl or woman sees a prospect of earning her livelihood in the near future, whether she is married or remains unmarried.
The day of independence dawned on our country in 1947 with pride and joy and jubilation but alas! it was to be followed too soon with sorrow and helpless misery. Many hundreds and thousands of women had to support themselves and become the bread-winners of their families. Practically no woman could afford to sit at home without some kind of hand-work, earning as much as she could for her own bread. Going out in the world earning her own livelihood has given women a chance to broaden their minds, a chance to be better educated and better acquainted with the ways of the world, to come into direct contact with the workings of the local and Central Governments and above all it has given them almost complete freedom of movement.
The passing of our new Constitution and the proposed revision of unequal laws has given us faith to carry on the heavy burdens some of us bear of bringing up a family, doing all domestic work, and earning a livelihood as well. The doing away of economic disabilities will lighten the burden to a great extent. There is no doubt that the responsibilities thus thrust on the shoulders of women gives a much greater emphasis to the self-respect, self-reliance and freedom of mind of the modern wage-earning women of all classes.
Working women
It appears to me that the working-class woman has advanced even more quickly than the home-making domestic women. The impact of politics, formation of labour unions, teaching and propaganda done by various political parties to gain her vote have made a serious breach in her humdrum unthinking ways of life. She now begins to understand that standing alone spells weakness but standing together by dozens of hundreds (in their unions) means a point of vantage.
She has also become aware of the importance of the vote which will ultimately change her village panchayat or town government or even reach the gates of Delhi! It is very often the case that a woman is guided in making her choice of candidate by the opinion round her, but she is led by the person she trusts most which is not invariably by her husband!
She has started thinking and that fact alone shows that she is on her way to freedom. Our next elections will give us better guidance as to how and why village men and women vote for a certain candidate.
Taboos gone
Another satisfying fact about the working class or village woman is that she has become much more hospital-minded. She has freed herself from local taboos and superstitions and is now even demanding injections when she gets the chance!
I found a Scheduled Class boy from a small hill village talking quite glibly of his mother taking him to a clinic to give injukshion. A medical friend who goes out to villages tells me that there is a great demand for medicines and specially for injections. This was not so 20 years ago. It took a great deal of persuasion to induce a village woman to consult a doctor or take medicine.
I believe this change has come about through our drive for universal education and is the result of the vast numbers of village schools started by all the States since our national Government took charge of the nation. There is, therefore, not a particle of doubt in my mind that we the women of India are much freer than we were before independence.
[Begum Hamid Ali (1883-1971) was an activist who served as a member of the Planning Commission, and represented India at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 1947. This article was first published on January 26, 1953]
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