Paper-11 Module-1 Social Reform Movement and Women's

Paper-11 Module-1 Social Reform Movement and Women’s Participation. Personal Details Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Prof. Sumita Allahabad University, Parmar Allahabad Paper Coordinator Prof Chairperson ,IIAS, Shimla, Chandrakala Professor, Dept. of Political Padia Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Ex-Vice Chancellor MGS University Bikaner Content Writer/Author Dr. Preeti Singh Assistant Professor Dept of (CW) Poltical Science Vasanta College for Women Rajghat Varanasi Content Reviewer (CR) Prof Chairperson ,IIAS, Shimla and Chandrakala Vice Chancellor MGS Padia University Bikaner Description of the Module Subject Women’s Studies Name Paper Name Women, Governance and Politics Module Social Reform Movement and Women’s Name Participation Module Id Paper-11 Module-1 Pre- The reader is expected to have a basic requisites understanding of the 19th century social reform movement. Objectives To make the reader understand how the social reform movement created a niche for women in the public sphere, and critically analyze the social reform movement from Women’s Studies perspective. Keywords Public-Private; Reformist, Revivalist, Radical, Patriarchy The Social Reform Movement Introduction The 19th century occupies a very significant place in the history of modern India. This was the period when many images of India and Indians were constructed, mis-constructed and reconstructed by the British imperial power as well as the revivalists, radicals and the reformists. In this process, the question of women was at the centre. What is significant to note that though the question of woman was at the centre during the 19th century reform movement, voices of women remained at the margin. Forbes (1998) rightly writes that "in the 19th century, the ‘woman question’ loomed large. This was not a question of ‘what do women want’ but rather ‘how can they be modernized". [Forbes, 1998]. In fact, in the early 19th century, as a response to colonial encounter and imperial allegation of backwardness of the Indian society, women were converted from the "object of oppression" to the "site of reform". The issues of social reform movement related to women were mainly determined by the male social reformers. In fact, apart from the revivalist/reformist divide, the social reform movement can be divided into three categories: social reform movement by upper caste male reformers; social reform movement by low caste male reformers, and social reform movement by women reformers. However, these three categories cannot be understood in total separation with each other, because one created space for the other. During the early phase of the social reform movement, the male social reformers were the dominant actors. To illustrate, Raja Rammohan Roy raised his voice against the inhuman practice of sati. In his historical article, "A Conference between an Advocate for and an Opponent to the Practice of Burning Widow Alive" he argued that none of the scriptures prescribe the practice of sati. His attempt was widely opposed by the orthodoxy. However, finally efforts of Roy and many of his supporters led to promulgation of Sati Abolition Act 1829 which declared the practice of Sati illegal and punishable by the criminal court. Legal abolition of sati though paved the way for right to life for Hindu widows, but still, the right to a dignified life for widows was a far goal to achieve due to the hardships imposed on them. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar took up the cause of widows and it led the campaign for legalizing widow remarriage which ultimately resulted in the passing of the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856. He also struck upon the Hindu practice of polygamy and presented a petition to the government signed by twenty five hundred persons to legally prohibit polygamy. Another major issue taken up by the reformers was child marriage. Social reformers like Behram Malabari and G.H. Deshmukh blamed the practice as responsible for weakness of the Indian nation and race. These reformers fought for raising the age of consent and this time women also came forward to support the cause. A petition signed by sixteen hundred women was sent to Queen Victoria for raising the age of consent in 1860. Amid the oppositions by the orthodox and nationalists, the social reformers kept on fighting for the cause and could get the Age of Consent Act passed in 1891. Unlike the issues of Sati, child marriage, tonsure of widows, widow remarriage, polygamy, the issue of education for women got acceptance of reformists, revivalists as well as of radicals. However, though all these groups agreed that women should be educated, but there was disagreement on ‘what to teach women’ and ‘why to teach women’. The major issue was whether to educate women as individuals to develop their rational faculty or as wives and mothers to enable them to perform their roles in a better way. However, the main stress was on educating women to be better wives and mothers. Unlike the elite upper caste male social reformers who were mostly either conservative or moderate in their approach, Jyotirao Phule, representing the depressed section of the society, unravelled the connection between the subordination of women and caste hierarchy. He openly challenged Brahmin patriarchy through his radical arguments and social reform initiatives. The above account makes it clear that the male social reformers did not form a homogeneous group. But it cannot be denied that these male social reformers whether moderate, revivalist or radical-knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally created a space for women and hence facilitated their participation. Women’s Participation in Social Reform Movement Since the question of woman constituted the core of the 19th century social reform movement, there are few questions relating to women’s participation which need to be answered, like where were the voices of women in the social reform movement? How did women look upon the woman’s question? Was there any difference between the perspectives of female and male social reformers? So far the matter concerned with the issues, we find that both the male and female social reformers fought for almost similar causes. Few major names of women who played a very significant role in the social reform movement are Francina Sorabjee, Parvati Ayyapan, Ramabai Ranade, Rakhmabai, Pandita Ramabai, Mataji Maharani Tapaswini, Begum Rokeya Sakhawat etc. Like male social reformers, these female social reformers also raised their voices against social evils, but their main focus was on educating women. To mention few significant steps taken by women reformers in this direction: Francina Sorabjee founded three schools at Poona and also started a Teachers Training School in 1872; Bayamma from Andhra Pradesh founded Saradaniketan, a residential school for women at Guntur; and Ramabai Ranade, along with her husband Justice Ranade, founded Seva Sadan and the Seva Sadan Nursing and Medical Association. Further, when we look at the approach of women social reformers, we find that women social reformers may be classified into two different categories: first, those women who did not raise their independent voice rather followed the agenda set by their male counterparts–either reformist or revivalist; second; women who directly challenged patriarchy by raising their voices against female subordination and other social evils in their personal life as well as in public life by leading social campaigns against such practices. The second category of women can be regarded as the forerunners of modern day feminists. But these two categories are overlapping and hence no watertight compartment can be made between the two. Women’s Participation in Social Reform Movement: The Traditionalist View of Women’s Education Revivalist vision, which was in favour of social reform on Indian lines, was one of the most dominant views during this phase. One very significant woman figure who immensely contributed to the cause of women’s education was Mataji Maharani Tapaswini. Her views on women’s education were in full agreement with the revivalist vision which wanted to educate ‘girls on strictly nationalist lines in the hope that they might regenerate Hindu Society’ (ref.). Mataji Maharani Tapaswini started her first school with thirty students with the purpose of educating women in accordance with the Hindu religion and moral principles. She founded the Mahakali Pathshala in Calcutta in 1893.The founders of the school supported the cause of women’s education, but their approach was quite conservative, as they opposed co-education and advocated the idea of different syllabi for girls to meet the specific needs of their roles as wives and mothers. Mataji Maharani Tapaswini was of the opinion that girls’ syllabus should include "knowledge of sacred literature and history, an understanding of myths and legends that spoke of the duties of the daughter, wife, daughter-in-law and mother and practical skills such as cooking and sewing." [Forbes, 1998] The syllabus of the Mahakali Pathshala, based on the traditional view of women’s role in family and society, was widely praised even by the conservative middle class Hindu men who were of the opinion that any attempt to educate women on modern lines would ultimately ‘demoralize’ and ‘denationalize’ young Hindu women. Due to its conventional syllabus, the popularity of the school grew very rapidly and within ten years of its establishment the school had twenty three branches with 450 students. Like Mataji Maharani, Anandibai and Parvatibai also stressed upon the need of educating women but with a traditional perspective. Anandibai was a child widow who at the age of twenty two got married to Dhondo Keshav Karve. Paravatibai, Anandibai’s sister, was also a widow who decided not to remarry and to lead a meaningful life. These two women worked for women’s education under the leadership of Karve who was an advocate of education for women, especially widows, to make them economically self dependent.

Load more