Marital Status and Women Empowerment in India

Abstract

Third Millennium Development Goal aims to empower women. Despite serious efforts, process of women empowerment has been lagging behind the target rate. Responsibility of marital status cannot be denied for such outcome because it has an important role in Indian women’s life. Marriage in India is considered as an important social event and is supposed to transmit traditional values across generations. Hence, in orthodox society, lone women (unmarried/widow/ divorcee/ separated) are subject to disrespect in anticipation that they are rebelling against patriarchy. Again in this type of society, majority of Indian women are discouraged to opt job, therefore, marriage becomes the only option for their future settlement and security. Hence, life of Indian women is supposed to spin around their marital status, which possibly has some influence on their level of empowerment. Present study evaluate the influence of marital status on women empowerment, explores the possible reasons of difference in empowerment, if any, and suggest some way–out to eliminate this difference. Except married women, all lone women is found to have miserably low empowerment and are not allowed to take part in the familial decisions though they have the right to keep money for their own use and enjoy some mobility freedom.