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SOCIETY
Career
takes precedence for Punjabi women
Chandigarh:
A new generation of women in Punjab is happy to
be single with a glossy degree and a well-heeled job.
Harpreet Gujral (24) is an example, she teaches spoken
English at a business school in Chandigarh and aspires
for better career opportunities. Like many career-oriented
women in the metros, she is in no hurry to tie the
knot. Riding on big dreams and high hopes, Harpreet
wants to take one step at a time. "A woman should
have her own identity. But, she should also know how
to manage a home," says Harpreet. Gone are the days
when girls got graduated, she was married off. For
Dr Sherry Sabbarwal, Chairperson, Department of Sociology,
Punjab University, marriage took a back seat. "A big
change has come in people's mind set. Now, parents
realise that if the girl child is educated, she will
be an earning member, unlike, earlier when parents
would insist to get her married. Parents are now willing
to allow their daughters finish studies and get a
job, before she gets married. Parents are more confident
and not paranoid at late marriage of a girl child,"
says Dr. Sabbarwal. She, however, says: "Though the
parents are not happy about it, either they talk it
over, but do not insist on a girl getting married.
That is a big change that has come around."
The
percentage of female students is increasing at institutions
of higher learning. Today's women want a thriving
and independent lifestyle. In a way, career has taken
precedence over social life. "If we will not think
about our careers and simply think about marriage
then what would we get in life. This life is given
to us only once and we have to do lot of things in
it. First we should think about our career and then
social life," says Priya Juneja, a self-reliant woman.
Educated and career-oriented women in Punjab's metros
are heading towards the glorious path of self-determination
and success. Simultaneously, they are aware of the
cultural ethos of the Indian society. According to
Census 2001, the share of working women the workforce
in punjab has doubled since 1991, though the women
share as the workforce in Punjab is still short of
the national figure of 12.4 per cent. Of the 21.18
lakh woman workforce in the State, 63 per cent are
main workers while the other 37 per cent are marginal
workers (who work for less than six months in a year).
The census data shows that 37.58 per cent of the total
population of Punjab is engaged in gainful economic
activities which include 8.70 per cent women. This
is a substantial improvement over the last census
(1991) when only 30.88 per cent, including 4.4 per
cent woman workers, were engaged in gainful economic
activities.
-Aug
27, 2007
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