The document discusses the significant role of women in society, emphasizing their contributions as mothers and leaders throughout history while highlighting ongoing issues such as dowry, female foeticide, and domestic violence in India. It contrasts the traditional image of women with modern examples of female empowerment and success in various fields, calling attention to the hypocrisy of societal attitudes towards women. The author advocates for educational and cultural changes to foster respect for women and promote gender equality.

1. The hand that rocks the cradle rules
the world
It is very true that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world. It is a woman only,in the role of a mother,who brings
us into existence. She is a creator in the real sense of the term.
She is the first person with whom we are acquainted after
coming into this world.

2. A woman is traditionally considered to be an epitome of
motherhood,care,affection and endurance. Indeed, women
have proved themselves to be so, but both the historical and
present era abounds in examples of many such women who
have broken the stereotypical image of a traditional Indian
woman.
In medieval era, Chandbibi resisted the large Mughal forces
of Akbar and was thus successful in saving the territory of
Ahmednagar, of which she was the regent, while she was alive.
Modern history sings of women like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Jhalkari
Bai and Rani Chennamma who fought bravely against Britishers.
In modern day world too, women like Indira Gandhi, Indira
Nooi, Chanda Kochar, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Mary Kom,
Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla and many such others have
made a mark in their respective fields. Today's modern woman
has broken the myth that some professions are reserved for
men only and has excelled in the field of engineering , medical,
law, sports, politics, business and administration.
Despite the success of women in all spheres of life,some evils
like dowry,female foeticide,domestic violence etc. still exist
in Indian society. A newly wed bride is subjected to mocking
remarks and the harsh treatment meted out to her in-laws,if
she does not bring enough of dowry with her. At some places,

3. the brides are even burnt or poisoned to death. In some other
cases,the girl is tortured to such an extent that she commits
suicide. What people don't realize while doing so is that they
are selling their sons.
If someone says that a woman is responsible for her own
condition, it is not a lie. In case of female foeticide, she allows
the foetus to be killed in her womb. If she says a firm no to all
those who force her to do so, she will be instrumental in saving
her own clan. The ultrasound machines should be used only to
cure the ailments of the foetus, not to determine its sex.
Another such social evil is domestic violence. A wife is
physically tortured by her husband for money or for not
obeying his orders. If the man is a drunkard, the wife's life
becomes hell.
India is a developing country.More and more people are now
aware and educated. Still,some highly educated boys and men
consider their female counterparts to be inferior, which is
highly shameful.
The typical mindset of men is still the same.When they see
their female colleagues being promoted, they vent out their
anger by sexually abusing them. Due to this sort of behaviour,
no place in the country is safe for women. It puts a big question
mark on the character of Indian society : Is it ready to accept

4. the progressive role of women? The daily headlines about such
similar shameful incidents seem to give the answer-probably
no.
This situation is far worse in the rural areas where women are
not educated. They are exploited, but they cannot fight for
their rights, owing to their illiteracy.
The Government has framed many laws to uphold the dignity
of women but they are not fully implemented. A very good
example of this can be seen in the Panchayati Raj of rural areas.
If a woman is elected to the Panchayat, it means that she
should transfer all her duties to her husband and go on with
the same household chores. The main problem in India is that
people aren't afraid of violating the law. They will continue to
work of their own accord and it doesn't matter to them if what
they do is legal or not.
On observing the Indian society closely,it appears to be highly
hypocritical. It is a real irony in a country like India where,on
one hand Goddesses like Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are
worshipped, and on the other hand, women are treated with
such disrespect.
Though many incidents taint the whole nation, it is a good sign
that still, women are moving out and are learning to be selfdependent, succeeding in all walks of life. It is the undeterred

5. spirit of womanhood, which refuses to bow down before any
difficulty and fights against it.
Women can improve their situation themselves by teaching
their sons to respect their female counterparts. Also, girls
should be taught to respect themselves. For example, it is
considered to be a girl's religion to be deft in household chores.
The mindset of a girl should be- 'I'm willing to learn anything
as a human being, but I'll not learn to do household chores just
because I'm a girl. "If parents teach their daughters to learn
cooking, they should do the same with their sons. Then only
can we build a healthy society.
"Abala" ( the weak or feeble one) is a synonym for a woman but
we should work hard to change it to " Sabala" (the strong one)
and this is possible only if both girls and boys, men and women
come together for this cause.
-Kajol Saraswat