Answer: 

Introduction:

Patriarchy is an institutional structure with male dominant or an ideology based on the power of men. Patriarchy is essentially a system of male domination in diverse aspects of life such as moral authority, social privilege, decision making, control of property, political leadership etc.

Patriarchy in India varies in degree depending upon the region, community, class, caste and religious grounds. Middle class is essentially the section of society that is aspirational towards economic growth offered by modernity, while it tries to be grounded in the traditional notions. Thus, the effect of patriarchy is felt most by the middle class women.

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Body:

The impact of Patriarchy on the position of a middle-class working woman can be seen as follows:

• Dual burden: Balancing the traditional role of women in household with her new found role as a working woman is the foremost challenge faced by middle class working women.
• Marriage: Marriage is seen as fundamental to the life of a woman among the middle class. In most cases, marriage comes as a career stopper for women as quitting work comes as a precondition for wedding.
• Child-rearing: Childbirth is seen as an essential part of marriage and Child rearing is seen to be the responsibility of women alone among the traditional families. This makes it extremely difficult for women to work outside.
• Wage disparity: Despite the same position and type of work, women earned less than their male counterparts. The provisions of maternity leave have further increased this issue as companies either do not prefer hiring women or pay them less than others.
• Earning but no say in decision making: Women from the middle class earn money from working outside their home but her financial contribution does not give her any say in family decision making, since she is not considered smart enough to make decisions. This undervaluation results in low confidence and low productivity, while depriving them of the opportunity to showcase their talent.
  • For instance, “Glass ceiling” effect whereby Female employees are not considered for promotions above a certain grade as the patriarchal mindset considers them unsuitable.
• Safety concerns: Middle class working women often depend on public transport and such other facilities to go to work. They further face sexual harassment at workplace. Lack of any security measures for women in a patriarchal society often leads to increasing crime against women. The fear induced among women and their families further imposes restrictions on her potential.
• Feminization of labor: Females are considered apt for certain kinds of jobs, often called ‘pink-collar jobs’. Teaching, nursing, hospitality, etc. Anything apart from these jobs are considered taboo by families and women are not allowed to enter such jobs.

Conclusion:

Working women face an ironical situation wherein their financial contribution to the household is appreciated but the very act of working is frowned upon. Gender equality is also one of the 17 SDGs. The goal notwithstanding, it is our ethical responsibility to provide equal opportunity to the neglected half of the world’s population, and for this, patriarchy must make way for more equitable social systems.

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