Woman literacy rate in Haryana

Education in the rural areas in north India, specially in the Haryana region, has been gaining in significance for women. Among women, the literacy rate has grown from a mere 19.90 per cent in 1961 to 22.30 per cent in 1980-81 and to 56.31 per cent in 2001. According to  the 2011 census, it
has risen to  66.8 per cent. It still remains well below that of the men, that is recorded at 85.4 per cent. This persisting difference is mainly because Haryanavi society is assailed by contradictory emotions regarding women's education.

Young men, averse to undertaking farm work, see education as a move towards upward mobility. For young women, whose goal in life is marriage, schooling and higher education have emerged essential. Educated wives, with a potential for employment are coveted. In their minds, education is directly related to procuring a “better husband” — an earning, salaried man and not a “hard-working, sweaty” agriculturist. Some in-laws even invest in the education of their daughters-in-law,  yet others procure a job for her. It is believed that no job is available without offering gratification. 

Despite this marked preference, educated women, specially working ones, are   looked at with suspicion. Education and employment is blamed for having eroded the employment chances of men. This is especially so in view of the unemployment in the region. Statistics show that such educated-employed women are providing competition to males in school teaching, the most socially acceptable profession for women. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of female teachers at the primary, middle and higher secondary levels has risen by 191 per cent. The numbers of male teachers in the same categories has risen by 61 per cent only.

Women are also found in large numbers in the health and family sector.  Recently, in June-July,  there was a month-long massive agitation of about 8,000 women students pursuing courses in nursing as their examination was set aside owing to alleged irregularities. The magnitude of women's agitation led police to lathi-charge and use water cannons to disperse them, leaving many of them injured. This showed their willingness to face even state repression for their career. Societal stakes in educating girls with a view to employment  are gaining ground. In fact, education scores very high with women in rating the indices of their empowerment.  Education, according to them, is crucially linked with their ability to seek and get employment or in procuring an “honourable job”. Once a woman's role in the household gets recognized from that of a “recipient” to one of “provider,”her decision-making function is also recognized and consolidated. Such a woman has the potential to negotiate a more equitable relationship and tilt the hitherto accepted gender role, loaded in favour of men. 

According  to the National Family Health Survey, 2005-6,  82 per cent of educated-employed women decide how their earnings will be spent, either by themselves or in consultation with their husbands. Out of these, one-fifth were earning  as much or more than their husbands. In case of a breakdown of marriage, educated-employed women have a dignified chance of survival. In the growing number of divorce cases in Haryana, showing  an increase of 150 per cent in the last decade with majority having a rural background, only educated-employed women have a cushion to fall back upon. Even parental support, missing in other cases, is given to them. Many men  too vouched for their anxiety in “retaining” such wives. They maintained that they dare not misbehave as the woman is ready with “mein gharan chaali jaangi” (I shall go home). Though laughingly said, it has certain validity especially in view of the difficulty men face in getting married due to the highly skewed sex ratio.

When employment is scarce, these educated-employed women challenge the traditional sexual division of labour and gender ideology and threaten domination of men as providers.  It arouses hostile masculinity, resulting in sexual harassment and violence against women. Parents are reluctant to educate their daughters beyond a point, especially if it involves sending them out of the village. Sexual harassment and molestation of girl students is rampant. Consequently, the withdrawal rate of girls at this stage is fairly high. 

In Haryana, there is also nervousness about educated women for another reason. Educational institutions are perceived to provide significant social spaces and opportunity through which so-called “love affairs” are likely to surface. From time to time, there have been moves against spaces that accommodate both girls and boys. The lead was taken by a sarv khap panchayat (all-clan council) held at village Sisana in district Sonepat, in 1993. Unanimously, a resolution against setting up of co-educational schools was passed. The document acknowledged the danger of “mixing of the sexes” and considered it morally reprehensible. Such resolutions are commonplace. The segregated school demand also has an ideological thrust.  Such schools reinforce differential courses for boys and girls. Domestic science and home economics are considered suitable subjects for girls and emphasise their domestic role. 

Another  disquietening development is visible. Girls are being sent to government schools to save money and the boys to expensive English-medium private schools mushrooming in Haryana. The local government schools can now be mistaken for being “girls only” schools and fall short of providing gender equality and quality education to women.

It is heartening that despite contradictions and societal reservations, female education is growing, even though  the figures of educated-employed women remain fairly low. Only   27.31 per cent of educated women are known to be working in Haryana. Even among these, very few are employed in modern sectors of economy such as  manufacturing, service and technology industry etc. It is high time that the existing and emergent potential of educated women is tapped by providing them with jobs, not allowing the wastage of this enormous and growing human capital.  

Empower girls, make them employable

So far the focus of job creation in Haryana has been only for men. For the emphasis to shift in order to accommodate women, contradictory attitudes towards women’s education will have to be resolved.
www.facebook.com/teacherharyana www.teacherharyana.blogspot.in (Recruitment , vacancy , job , news)