The work of women in modern India
India is undergoing a major cultural flux, as a result of globalisation and the interconnectivity of the globe. Deeply embedded cultural traditions are beginning to shift. The country, economically and socially, is becoming influenced by other cultures.
These new changes in society raise the question: what is the role of women in modern, ever-changing India?
In the Sireh Deori Bazaar, I sat with a man called Vinod Tekwani. His textile store was awash with colours. Vinod happily agreed to explain the women's role in the manufacturing process of his goods.
He said that his patchwork is sewn by the women of the villages near the Pakistan border. They make them in their homes, and the vendors travel to the villages to view their work and select the textiles that they want to buy and stock in their store.
“The patchwork wallhangings and quilts are made by cutting up old dresses. They are distinctive because they use parts of their own dresses, their mothers' and their grandmothers’ dresses, to make these unique textiles” said Vinod.
One patchwork item takes about four days to make.
But not all women work in factories making textiles.
“It comes back to what part of the country the women are living in and what their economic background is. Women from the villages often work on their families’ farms and sell fruit and vegetables in the markets,” said tour guide, Devender Singh.
“The women in the cities, the middle class, hold different positions such as store owners or office staff. The wealthy women have the choice to do whatever they like. They tend to mirror what the women of the West do. The lives of wealthy women in India are comparable to the lives of wealthy women in Australia.”
According to Devender, due to the interconnectivity of the globe, women are becoming more career orientated and their role within Indian society is increasing.
Women are fundamental drivers of Indian society on many levels, whether they are in factories making garments, or in offices within the cities. Judging by the social and economic changes that India is currently undergoing, the role of women will only increase through generations to come.
