CHAPTER -1

INTRODUCTION
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 EDUCATION

Education is regarded as an important input in the development

process of any country. Development for the individual (or, for the nation)

involves the utilization of natural and available resources to an optimum level, in

order to enrich human life. Developing countries like India also have em ohasized

the important role of education in the development process of these couitries. A

country which lags in women education will not achieve real progress. In a

country like India, the entire process of development rests on the education of the

masses, as most of them are illiterate. They should be educated in all fields and

every area of life, because education which alone can be used as an effective

means of social transformation, social and economic development.

Education is often mentioned in Tamil literature as necessary for

the development of human personality. It is pointed out that while rulers are

respected only in their lands, the learned are respected wherever they go. T am a

citizen of the world proudly declared a poet in Purananuru'. The Thirukkural

speaks efficacy of education and in three chapters mentions the virtue of being
educated, the handicap of having no education and learning by hstening to wise

men. A Pandiyan King asserted that even by assuming an attitude of utter

humihty, it is desirable to pursue education. Thus, it is evident that the ancient

Tamil society looked upon education as a means to refinement. The existence of

the Tamil Sangam in Madurai is the most significant testimony to the association

of the learned for the purpose of academic collaboration. Education was wide

spread and not confined to particular communities or levels of society. Tne list of

Sangam poets is enough to show that people of all ranks in life look to ecucation.

1.2 WOMEN EDUCATION

Education is the main instrument for transformation in any society.

The economic and social returns to education for women are substaiitiah By

empowering its women through education, a country can reduce poverty,

improve productivity, ease population pressure and offer its children a better

future. One of the unique features of modern Indian education is the tremendous

advancement of girl's education. If an Indian, who died a hundred years ago,

comes back to this world again today the most important change he would find is

the revolution in the education and position of girls and women. Girls education

increases economic growth; reduces child mortality and malnutrition; brings

improved health to women and those they care for; delays the age of first

marriage; lowers fertility rates and enhances family economic strategies.

 Women are 'Cradle of Civilization'. They are capable of building

such children who may lead the country to the path of progress and prosperity.

Educated women make the family and the society cultured. Manu has, therefore,

rightly remarked that God resides at the places where women are worshipped.

Hence, women education is necessary for the achievement of many sided

development in India. Education is important especially for women b.:;cause it

provides important means for their empowerment. Apart from the acquisition of

knowledge and values conducive to social evolution, Education provides many

other benefits. The development of the mind, training in logical and analytical

thinking, organizational, administrative and management skills accrue through

education. Enhanced self-esteem and improved financial and social status within

the community is a direct outcome of education. Education, therefore, oe made

available to all. For better parenting and healthier living also, education is an

important factor. It is beyond doubt that educating girls can yield a higher rate of

return than any other investment.

The importance of girls and women education is succinctly brought

out by the saying, 'If a women is educated the whole family is educated'. The

whole structure of the world is made up of individual families which are like

atoms which make the elements in nature. The lady of the house is like, nucleus

in the atom. The economic, social, cultural and religious developments of the
family depend largely on the housewife. The welfare of the individual family is

an index of the nation's development. In India women's status is inferior in the

nineteenth century; early marriage and sati are still continued. Since 1947, Our

• Country has been levied with the task of remodeling the system of education.

The facilities for the education of women and girls have been further e'cpanded.

The enrolments of young women in colleges and universities have been

increased in considerable percentage. A large number of new institutions are

established and the standard of existing ones improved. New subject and courses

are introduced, attempts are made for diversification of education and facilities

for teachers training are expanded.

1.3 STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT

India, with its rich cultural heritage and ethnicity has always aided

the women to stand apart whilst showcasing their talent and knowledge. Right

from the ancient times till the recent era, women in India stand as the logo of the

term 'equality'. India, always attempted to usher in an era of righteousness and

morality for all, irrespective of men and women.

1.3.1 Women in Ancient India

Women held an important position in the ancient society and were

even superior to men. Women were then believed as the incarnation of' Shakti'.
Historical evidence illustrates the verity that woman power ruled the then

society. They even destroyed mighty rulers and conquered kingdoms. Women

had independence and had equal position in the society. In the then society

women had the permission to get education and to get married with their chosen

husbands. The ancient Hindu scriptures mention the names of Maitreyi and

Gargi as the recognised women of the era.

Though the women of early Vedic period enjoyed freedom and

power, with the time, after the Muslim invasion and Smritis, the status of the

women worsened. The final blow came to the women with the Christianity that

curbed the rights and independence of the women of India. Though the

reformatory movements of Jainism granted the Indian women the freedom of

religion, the women could not come out from the limitations that once set on

them. As per the history, the child marriages were solemnized since an early

period of sixth century and it was the time when women were undergoing

confinement and were compelled to follow the crude rules of society.

1.3.2 Women in Medieval India

During the medieval period, the position of women in India further

devolved. The women's social life was cursed with child marriages, Sati

practice, Jauhar, confinement of widow marriage, ban on girl education and

sexual exploitation, purdah system. This period was mentioned as tl:e 'dark

age' for the women of the then society as they had to undergo a lot of troubles

and confinements. The worse position of the women were worsened by the

foreign conquests, Muslim invasions etc. Though the society was poisoned by

these adversities, women managed to revamp their position by taking part in

religion, politics, education and literature and proving themselves excellent in

those fields. Later during the Bhakti movements, the position of the women

became a bit stable due to the contribution of some of the renowned female

figures namely Rami Janabai, Akka Mahadevi, Mirabai, Lai Ded et al. After the

Bhakti movement, some religious reformers namely Guru Nanak tried to

establish equality among men and women. The position of women i;i South

India was better than the status of the women in North India as in th e South

India women use to take care of the administration, accounting and some other

works related to the kingdom management.

1.3.3 Women in Mughal Era

The position of women during the Mughal period illustrates the

heritage of the then India. Be it in art, science, and technology or be it in the

artistry of cooking women excelled during this time. Many women especially

the royal women then played active part in the ultimate production of art and
also in propagating literature. The political authorities of women also witnessed

a new dawn during the Mughal period.

1.3.4 Women in British era

The wave of western feminism crafted the position oi Indian

women during the British Raj. In the nineteenth century, the influence of the

British colonialism for the very first time imbedded the igneous seed of the

'woman question' whilst making women to stand out and to raise their voice.

With the tremendous development of women literacy, issues like early

marriage, practice of Sati etc were strongly dealt even by the women in British

India

1.3.5 Women after Independence

The position of women after independence supported the fact that

the Indian constitutional law etc endorsed the qualities like equality and

righteousness. A major achievement on the part of women after independence

is the granting of franchise or voting rights to women. Hindu laws of marriage

and divorce, adoption, and inheritance have also witnessed a major alteration,

which again proves the noteworthy place of women in independent India.

 Women in India are beginning to follow the direction that the

women of the Western world. The Independent groups of women, national and

worldwide organizations slowly succeeding in gaining equality with men. They

have all accomplished much, but have yet to overthrow the male dominated

society.

1.4 STATUS OF WOMEN IN TAMILNADU: DEMOGRAPHIC

FEATURES

For many years our society assigned to men the role of bread

winner and to women the role of home makers. The man was expected to work

out of the homes and compete with other men in order to provide for his family.

The 'man's world' outside the home was viewed as a harsh and heartless jungle

• in which men need strength ambition and aggression. "Women's world' was the

home and her job was to comfort and care for hei" husband and children,

maintaining harmony and teaching.her children to conform to society's norms.

However, Tamil Nadu's population growth has been stabilized and growing

slowly, over the years. Female population constitutes nearly half of the total

population in the State. Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1 shows the growth of women

population.
 Table - 1.1 Growth of women population.

Census Tamil Nadu All India

Years
Male Female Persons Male Female Persons

1951 22.8 7.3 30.1 186 175.6 361.1

1961 16.9 16.8 33.7 226 212 439.2

1971 20.8 20.4 41.2 284 264.1 548.2

1981 24.5 23.9 48.4 353 330.0 683.3

1991 28.3 27.6 55.9 439 407.1 846.3

2001 31.4 31.0 62.4 531 495.7 1027.0

Source: Directorate of Census Co-operations, Tamil Nadu.

Figure - 1.1 Growth of Women population in Tamil Nadu

 10

Table - 1.2 Male and Female Literacy rate

Literacy Rate Male Female Persons

Rural 77.15 55.28 66.21

Urban 88.97 75.99 82.53

Total 82.42 64.43 73.45

Source: Director of Census Operation, Tamil Nadu

ft male Literacy Rate in Tarnil Nadu^

2001 Census

80 75.99
70 64.43
60
50 -
40
30
20
55.28

1 n
10 art

n 1

1 Rural Urban Total j

Figure - L2 Female Literacy rate in Tamil nadu

 11

Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2 shows that there is a wide disparity

between male and female literacy rates. As per 2001 Census, the literacy rate was

64.4 per cent and 82.4 per cent for females and males respectively in tlie State.

There also exists a rural-urban gender divide in literacy rate across Tamil Nadu.

The differences in the levels of literacy between males and females were

significantly higher in rural areas than in urban areas. This indicates that specific

intervention may be required for developing the literacy rates of the female

populafion specially (less privileged classes) in rural areas.

1.5 NEED FOR GIRL'S EDUCATION

There are several compelling benefits associated with girls'

education, which include the reduction of child dnd maternal mortality,

improvement of child nutrition and health, lower fertility rates, enhancement of

women's domestic role and their political participation, improvement of the

economic productivity and growth, and protection of girls from HIV/AIDS,

abuse and.exploitation. Girls' education yields some of the highest returns of all

development investments, yielding both private and social benefits that accrue to

individuals, families, and society at large.

• Reducing women's fertility rates: Women with formal educ;.tion are

much more likely to use reliable family planning methods, delay marriage
 12

and childbearing, and have fewer and healthier babies than women with

no formal education.

• Lowering infant and child mortality rates: Women with some formal

education are more likely to seek medical care, ensure their children are

immunized, be better informed about their children's nutritional

requirements, and adopt improved sanitation practices. As a result, their

infants and children have higher survival rates and tend to be healthier and

better nourished.

• Lowering maternal mortality rates: Women with formal education tend

to have better knowledge about health care practices, are less likely to

become pregnant at a very young age, tend to have fewer, better-spaced

pregnancies, and seek pre- and post-natal care.

• Protecting against HIV/AIDS infection: Girls' education ranks among

the most powerful tools for reducing girls' vulnerability. It slows and

reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS by contributing to female economic

independence, delayed marriage, family planning, and work outside the

home, as well as conveying greater information about the disease and how

to prevent it.

• Increasing women's labour force participation rates and earnings:

Women education has been proved to increase income for families and
 13

increase productivity for employers, yielding benefits for the community

and society ultimately.

• Creating intergenerational education benefits: Mothers' education is a

significant variable fetching children's betterment in education and

employment. A mother with a few years of formal education is

considerably more likely to send her children to school. In many countries

each additional year of formal education completed by a mother translates

into her children remaining in school for an additional one-third to one-

half year.

1.6 OBJECTIVES OF WOMEN'S EDUCATION

The need for women's education was articulated during the 19th

century, when liberal ideology dominated amongst the intelligentsia. The social

reformers vehemently lobbied for women's education. The objective was to

develop efficiency in performing their traditional roles. However, over the years,

due to. a variety of factors, education for future economic participation and for

widening of knowledge has been accepted as additional objectives of girls'

education.

• Education is useful for upward mobility; education has salience as an

instrument for increasing income or status.

 14

• Education appears to function as an intermediate agency between the

family and work by providing access to the economic or social rewards or

financial benefits and prestige that accrue to individuals and their farnilies

from employment or work.

• Perceptions of the importance of education for women as well as the

relationship between education and employment for women are

influenced by the ideology of women's work and by the social

construction of gender within labour supply and demand.

1.7 PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMEN

Indian women suffer from many disabilities and social injustices.

This is true for all Indian women, to whatever religion they may belong, except

where their status, roles and responsibilities are directly influenced by religious

beliefs such as marriage and inheritance. Indian women rank high in terms of the

number of prostitutes in the world, girl children neglected, abused or often sold

purely for economic reasons, as victims of AIDS and women living below the

poverty line are forced to do physical labour. It is difficult to generalize the

situation of women in India due to the heterogeneous nature of Indian society.

Women belong to different social and economic strata and what is true in case of

one particular category may not be true in case of others. Generally speaking

women face problems such as Social and Educational Problem

 15

\
1,7.1 Social problems X

Every country has a number of problems to face and solve for her

progress. The problems are sometimes common and sometimes typical. It is

really interesting to observe the various types of problems which emerge from

time to time, but some problems are the narrow outlook and stratification.

It is social stratification which is mainly responsible for the

disorganization of the present society. The disharmony in sex ratio is another

reason for some of the social problems like delinquency. A lot of confusion

prevails at present regarding the problems of population and sex-ratio. Still

many believe that in the absence of a gradual increase of population of both the

male and female in equal proportion, social evils are bound to come. Divorce

which increase in number due to the maladjustments also bar the beauty of

family life and dignity of mother hood. Thus, with the moral degeneration of

society, education loses its significance and the social harmony which is the. soul

of Indian culture begins to shake. The gradual decline of female population in the

society of the depressed class consisting of cultivators and labourers on the one

hand, and the increase of male population among the intellectual labourers on the

other, will make the dowry system more rigid.

India lives in her village-this axiom is still true today despite the

service sector emerging in the Urban and semi-Urban areas. Majority of the
 16

population still live in rural-India, and the large chunk of population in urban

areas still live through the learning of a village life. Hence, when one talks of

socio-economic progress in India, what is mostly relevant is how the lives of the

rural people have changed. The literary figures speak well, but the -.o-called

literate children from the gains of the increasing GDP which is mostly coming

from the service sector. Education, especially girls' education is now a new

priority with the efforts of the Indian government, international agencies and

non-governmental organizations. In the last decade the pace of educational

development has been unprecedented and education has empowered number of

.families in rural India with new avenues of jobs at home and abroad. The census

of India defines the literacy rate as the proportion 'of literates to rhe total

population of age seven and above. From a mere 18 per cent (for the age five

years and above) in 1951 to 43.6 percent in 1981, this percentage rose to 65.2 in

the cerisus of 2001.

Despite these gains, much needs to be done to maintain the quality

of education, both in terms of content and infrastructure and remedial measures

• taken for the dropouts. To make education more meaningful for the children of

rural India, emphasis must shift for vocationalisation sd that they can also share

the gains of our increasing GDP and not remain aloof from the development at

large. The Indian constitution guarantees free and compulsory education to all
 17

children upto the age of 14. In this issue we have an analysis in educational

status of girls in rural India. Education has to enable people from the rural areas

to share the gains of development and make it more inclusive. Another area of

concern is child labour. The child who goes to work forfeits not only his

childhood but also a fair chance to leave behind his gloomy past. These children

have to be given education, which is the endeavor of the government thorough

several of its policy initiatives. Starting from being an educationally backward

country as of resuh of 150 years of colonial rule India today has the largest

educational system in terms of students, teachers and educational Institutions. In

rural India of ancient times there was a proverb: "If you are planning for five

years, cultivate rice, but if you are planning for the future, send your child to the

school".

Society is far more behind in educating them and in raising their

•social and economic status and thus integrating them in the so-called men-

dominated world of today. In this connection it may ''also be pointed out that

whatever achievements that we find in the sphere of women pertain to the

women in urban areas and the upper strata of the society. Most of the women in

rural areas and those of disadvantaged sections of the society are grouping in the

darkness of the illiteracy and their development is painfully slow. They are still

in economic and social bondage-they are still denied the right to educate

themselves.
 Gender is one of the most sharply marked social divisions in the

world. Gender refers to the social roles played by males and females in a given

society. In every society in the world, the biological differences between the

male and female sex are used as the basis for assigning human beings into

separate gender roles. Gender inequality is a worldwide social problem.

Although in the very earliest human society's men and women played different,

but relatively equal roles. Most societies in the world today are patriarchies or

societies in which men have more power than women. In patriarchal societies

like ours gender inequality is structured into societies various organizations and

institutions, such as the work place, politics, education and the family. The

results of gender stratification, a situation in which men have greater access to

social resources of all kinds - property, money, jobs, personal liberties, education

and health care. As children, they are fed less, denied education and refused

hospitalization. As teenagers, many are forced into marriage. Sometimes bought

and sold like animals for prostitution and slave labour. As wives and mothers,

they are often treated little better than farm hands and baby machines. The

practice of killing new born baby girls is largely a rural phenomenon in India. In

Urban areas, easier access to modern medical technology enables women to act

before birth. Through amniocentesis, women can learn the sex of a fetus and

undergo sex-selective abortions. The root problems, according to village

women, socialists and other experts, are cultural and economic. In India a young
 19

woman is regarded as a temporary member of her natural family and a drain on

its wealth. Her parents are considered caretakers whose main responsibility is to

deliver a chaste daughter, along with a sizable dowry, to her husband's family.

"Bringing up a girl is like watering a neighbour's plant", says R. Venkatachalam,

director of the Community Services Guild of Madras. "From birth to death the

expenditure is there", the dowry he says, often wipes out a family's life savings

but is necessary to arrange a proper marriage and maintain the honour of the

bride's family.

1.7.2 Educational Problems

The education of women is not a modern problem in India. Owing

to the purdha system and restrictions which went with it from the time of the

Muslim conquest of India, it became more difficult to give girls the education

they had a right to receive. As they were confined to the inner part of the home

and not expected to see men who did not belong to the inner family circle, their

education was reduced to the barest elements of reading and writing and it ended

permanently with the approach of puberty.

After a long submergence, however, women in modern India are

again coming into their own. With the widespread increase of male education,

the necessity of female education is more generally admitted. In the course of the
 20

history of education in India arrangements have been made at various times,

from the Mughal Empire down to the recent Primary Education Acts of State

Governments, to offer girls at least the minimum general education the\ need as

human beings.

The problems could be grouped into following six categories:

••• Problems related to psychological adjustment.

••• Problems in connection with employment of educated women.

• Problems of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe girl.

••• Problems in connection with institutional structures, such as school or

college.

*l* Problems of dropping out of the education system.

*l* Problems of women in the non-formal system.

There are some obstacles in the process of getting knowledge and skill

involves a number of situations which may pose problems for girls taking

education. The first and foremost problem is social evils and out dated

conventions. It is because of the lack of education that most of the Indians are

still the victims of many social evils and old out dated conventions. Tiie social

. evils such as child marriages and purdah system in many Hindus and Muslims
 21

are still prevalent. There are still many Indians who are of view that there is no

need of educating the girls because ultimately they are to be married and have to

go with their husbands to do domestic work thereafter. These are providing to be

great obstacles in the progress of women education. Secondly, uneducated

country men and their disregard for the importance of education as another

obstacle in the expansion of women education. Thirdly, the financial condition

of the Indian people is responsible for this. Many are very poor and majority of

rural areas are in underdeveloped condition. In such conditions it is very difficult

to establish schools. Fourthly, there is a great lack of girls schools and colleges

. at all the stages of education and nearly 2/3 of the total villages, where there is no

provision of primary education for girls. Fifthly, co-education is also a great

obstacle in the progress of women education. Sixthly, lack of women teachers in

the country posed a great problem of women education. Seventhly, the

unsuitability of curriculum is also considered as a great problem in the expansion

of women education. Lastly, defective educational administration is also

responsible for the slow progress of women education.

It is necessary to champion education for women at this time of

day. This has been ably undertaken by Indian women themselves, who have

proved the usefulness of their education by becoming not only better wives and

mothers but no less able than men as doctors, lawyers, members of legislatures,

and ministers.
 22

1.8 EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

"Women is the builder of a nation's destiny. Though delicate

. and soft as a lily, she has a heart far stronger and bolder

than man. She is the supreme inspiration for man's onward

march, an embodiment of love, pity and compassion" -

Rabindranath Tagore

"You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the

status of its women " - Jawaharlal Nehru

"Empowering women is a prerequisite for creating a good

nation, when women are empowered, society with stability is

assured. Empowerment of women is essential as their

thoughts and their value systems lead to the development of a

good family, good society and ultimately a good nation".

-A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

Education would surely liberate and equip women to take control of their lives,

the parameters of which are

•J* To build the confidence and esteem of women

• By recognizing the contribution of women to society, positive image of

them can be built up.

 23

• Developing their ability to think analytically.

• Involving women in the decision making process through a collective

effort.

• Enable the women to make choices in areas, of reproductive health,

education and employment.

••• Ensure participation of women in developmental activities, on par with

men.

• Provide ample information, knowledge and skills for them, to emerge as

economically independent group.

<• Enlighten them about their rights and enrolments in society literacy, and

enhance their participation in society. >'

Measures to be adopted for achieving the above parameters:

• Every educational institution should take up programs related to women's

development.

• Teachers and instructors in different institutions should be trained as

agents of women empowerment.

• A congenial environment should be created by the education sector to

become alive and sensitive for its role in eliminating gender disparities.
 24

*t* In order to create greater confidence (and to motivate parents to sund their

girl children to school) priority should be given to women while doing

recruitment as teachers.

• The department of women's studies,(NCERT, SCERT) should intensify in

the,area, developing a curriculum which is gender sensitive and free from

sex bias.

*l* Increasing involvement of women in the distance education (and also the

Open University system) considerably increase the outreach of the

educational infrastructure.

••• Involvement of girls in vocational education is extremely vital, which, in

turn, would provide opportunities for employment.

The most outstanding feature of the term empowerment is that it

contains with it the word 'Power'. The empowerment process is one where

women find time and space of their own, and being re-examined their lives

critically and collectively. They enable the women to look at old problems

critically in new ways, analyze their environment and situation, recognize their

strength, alter their self image, access new kinds of information and knowledge,

acquire new skills and initiate action aimed at gaining greater control over

resources of various kinds.

 25

As far as the women's empowerment is concerned, it is about

gaining autonomy and control over one's life which includes many dimensions

such as economical, social and political. Comprehensively, "women

empowerment is a state of being that reflects a certain level oi' critical

consciousness about external realities and an awareness about their internal

thought construction and belief systems that affect their well being in terms of

gender justice and social justice; as well as the determination to use their

physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual resources to protect their lives and

sustain values that guarantee gender equality at personal, social, economic,

political and constitutional life".

The dimensions empowerment of women includes:

• Empowerment through education.

. • Economic & social Empowerment.

• Political Empowerment.

*l* Empowerment through preservation of indigenous knowledge traditions.

1.9 STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU

FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

It was recognized that the main obstacles for the empowerment has

been the low level of educational attainments as well as poverty among women.
 26

Taking into account this fact, the Government of Tamil Nadu have framed

various policies, designed specific interventions and implemented many

programmes to eradicate poverty and to provide education to the vulnerable

sections of the society.

1.9.1 Education of Women

Education to women is the most powerful instrument of changing

their position in the society. Education also brings about reduction in inequalities

• and also acts as a means to improve their status within the family. In order to

encourage education of women at all levels and to dilute gender bias in the

provision and acquaintance of education in schools, colleges and even

universities were established exclusively for women in the State. To bring more

girl children, especially from marginalized BPL families, into the main stream of

education. Government has been providing a package of concessions in the form

of free supply of books, uniform, boarding and lodging, clothing for hostilities,

mid-day meals, scholarships, free by-cycles and so on. The Mother Teresa

Women University has been established for the development of Women Studies

and to encourage higher education among women and their social mobilily. .

1.9.2 Periyar EVR Nagammai Scheme

Periyar EVR Nagammai Free Education Scheme has been

implemented in the State from 1989-90 to women students irrespective of caste,

 27

creed and community to encourage their education and to reduce dropout rate. As

per the scheme those students' whose parental annual income is less than

Rs.24,000/- are exempted from payment of tuition fees in under - graduate

courses. During 2005-06, 8936 women students were benefited under this

scheme. In 2006-07, a sum of Rs.65.00 lakhs has been allocated for this scheme.

1.9.3 Free Coaching Exclusively for Women Students

To encourage and enable the women students to appear for the

IAS/IPS examinations, the Government established two free coaching centers -

one at Queen Mary's College, Chennai and the other at Arulmigu Meenakshi

Government College for Women, Madurai. In each center, 60 women students

are being given free coaching. During the current year, the government has

•provided a sum of Rs. 1.00 lakli for implementing this scheme.

1.9.4 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP)

In order to empower women. Science city has been organising

Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) and Entrepreneurship

Awareness Programme (EAP) to bring out the talents of women and to make

them stand on their own feet. To ascertain the status of women scientists. Science

city has embarked upon the task of creating a data-base of women scientists in

the entire State of Tamil Nadu. To encourage the women scientists. Science city
 28

has instituted Life Time Achievement Award and Young Women Scientist

Awards. During 2005, five women scientists were awarded the Young Women

Scientists Award.

1.9.5 Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women

Tamil Nadu Corporation for development of women was

established in 1983 which aims at the socio-economic empowerment of women.

As a prelude, the Corporation is implementing the Mahalir Thittam among poor

rural women to promote saving habits, nurture entrepreneurial skills and

aptitudes, and promote exposure to banking transactions and to free them from

the clutches of local moneylenders. The scheme is being implemented in

partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Banks. Under

the scheme, SHGs are formed and monitored through NGOs affiliated with the

Tamil Nadu Corporations for Development of Women, Ltd.

1.9.6 Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups are small homogenous groups consisting of 12-

20 women from BPL families voluntarily organized to promote savings. They are

self-managed groups of poor women which primarily came into existence to

mobilise financial resources through their own savings and lend the same

amongst themselves to meet the credit needs of their members. The specific

objectives of SHGs are to

 29

> improve saving habits among women;

> increase the total family income;

> fulfill the economic needs through self-employment of women;

> utilize bank loan and government welfare schemes;

> help the members to escape from the clutches of moneylenders; and

> Mobilize financial resources.

1.10 NATIONAL POLICY OF EDUCATION (1968)

The well known National policy on education was concerned about

the status and education of women in the country. It opined that the national

system of education must play a positive role in this direction. The relevant

extracts from the national policy is as under:

. 1.10.1 Status of women: Education will be used as an agent of basic change in

the status of women. In order to neutralize the accumulated distortion of the

past, there will be a conceived stage, in favour of women.

1.10.2 Empower of women: The national education system will play a

positive interventionist role in the empowerment of women. It will foster the

development of new values through redesigned curricula, text books, the training

and orientation of teachers, decision makers and administrators and active

 30

involvement of educational institutions. This will be an act of faith and social

engineering.

1.10.3 Women's studies: Women's studies will be promoted as a part of

various courses and educational institutions encouraged to take up active

programmes to further women's development.

1.10.4 Removal of illiteracy: The removal of illiteracy and obstacles inhibiting

their access to and retention in, elementary education will receive overriding

priority, through provision of special support services, setting of time targets and

effective monitoring.

1.11 STRATEGY TOWARDS WOMEN'S EDUCATION IN FIVE YEAR

PLAN

Education is the most important instrument for human resource

development. Education of women, therefore, occupies top priority amongst

various measures taken to improve the status of women in India.

Women's education has assumed special significance in the context

of the country's planned development. This is because women constitute nearly

half the nation's population representing a valuable human resource, and play an

important role in the development of the community and the national economy.

Education enables women to acquire basic skills and abilities, and fosters a value
 31

system which is conducive to raising their status in society. Recognizing this

fact, great emphasis has been laid on women's education in the five year plans.

In recent years, the focus of planning has shifted from equipping

women for their traditional roles of house-wives and mothers to recognizing their

worth as producers, making a major contribution to family and national income.

Efforts have been made over the past three decades of planned development to

enroll more girls in schools and encourage them to stay in schools, to continue

their education as long as possible, and to provide' non-formal educational

opportunities for women.

The first five year plan advocated the need for adopting special

measure for solving the problems of women's education. It held that women

"must have the same opportunities as men for taking all kinds of work".

Accordingly, the educational facilities for girls continued to expand in the

subsequent plans. The major schemes undertaken encompassed elementary

education, secondary education, university education,' post graduate education

and research, technical education, scholarships, social/adult education and

physical education.

The Second five year Plan continued the emphasis or overall

expansion of educational facilities. The Report of the National Committee on

 32

Women's Education (1959) made a strong impact on the Third Five Year Plan.

It launched important schemes like condensed school courses for aduh women,

Bal Sevika training and child care programmes. Subsequent plans supported

these measures, and also continued incentives such as free textbooks and scholar

ships for girls. This trend continued in the Fourth and Fifth Five Year Plans.

Although there was a large scale expansion of facilities for

education up to the Fourth five year Plan, vast disparities existed in the relative

utilization of available facilities by boys and girls at various stages of education.

Hence, the major thrust in the Fifth five year Plan was to offer equality of

opportunities as part of the overall plan of ensuring social justice and improving

the quality of education imparted. To promote enrolment and retention in schools

in backward areas and among under-privileged sections of the population, in

addition to the incentives like free distribution of text-books, mid-day meals etc.,

girls were to be given uniforms and attendance scholarships. In spite of these

schemes, it was noticed that insufficient numbers of women teachers resulted in

low enrolment of girls. To remove this bottleneck, scholarships were given to

local girls to complete their education and training leading to teaching career.

Besides, condensed and correspondence courses were organized for the less

educated women. Emphasis was also laid on the need for orientation of the

curriculum to meet the special needs of girls.

 33

A landmark in Sixth five year Plan was the inclusion of women's

education as one of the major programmes under Women and Development

which was an outcome of the publication of the report of Committee on the

Status of Women in India. The programmes for universalization of elementary

education were specially directed towards higher enrolment and retention of girls

in schools. It was envisaged to promote balwadi-cum-creches attached to the

schools to enable girls responsible for sibling care at home to attend schools.

Women teachers, where necessary, were to be appointed in rural areas to

encourage girl's education. Science teaching in girl's schools and colleges had to

be strengthened to achieve greater participation of women in science, and

technology, streamlining the admission policies to promote greater enrolment of

women in engineering, electronics, agriculture, veterinary, fishery and forestry

courses was stressed. For boosting the education of women belonging to

backward classes, the number of girl's hostels was to be increased. Instead of

adding more separate women's polytechnics, which were developed as multi-

purpose institutions for imparting training in arts, crafts, etc., co-educational

institutions were encouraged as far as possible.

The Seventh five year Plan envisages restructuring of the

educational programmes and modification of school curricula to eliminate gender

bias. Enrolment of girls in elementary, secondary and higher education courses,

 34

formal as well as non-formal, has been accorded high priority. At the elementary

stage, education has been made free for girls. Teacher training programmes are to

receive continued priority with a view to enhance girl's enrolment and retention

in schools. Talented girls are to be encouraged to pursue higher education. It is

also proposed to expand the 'Open Learning System' including correspondence

courses for them. In order to promote technical and vocational education for

girls, more women's polytechnics are to be setup and programmes, for

vocationalization of education are to be expanded.

In the educational courses, girls constitute 24 to 50 percent of the

students enrolled, depending upon the type of courses. The most popular course

with girls has been teachers training where they already constitute nearly fifty

percent of those enrolled. The number of girls in science courses has risen to 41

per 100 boys in 1984 -85. In engineering and technology courses, however, the

enrolment of girls is only 6 for 100 boys. This proportion has to be enhanced

through suitable incentives in the forms of scholarships and other facilities for

girls studying for these courses.

1.12 NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION (NEP)

The National policy on Education (NEP) -1986 is a landmark in the

approach to women's education. It has attempted for the first time tc- address

itself to the basic issues of women's equality. It gives qver-riding priority to the
 35

removal of women's illiteracy and obstacles inhibiting their access to and

retention in education. Emphasis has been laid on women's participation in

vocational, technical and professional education at different levels as also to

promote women's participation in non-traditional occupations and existing and

emergent technologies.

National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and its Programme of

Action (POA) gave high priority to gender equality and committed the entire

educational system to work for women's empowerment. The National

Perspective Plan 1988-2000 reiterates this point of view and states that women

themselves must overcome their handicaps. Thus, there has been a careful

articulation of education for equality of women, which is reflected in the

educational policy. Central and State governments attached lot of significance to

actually operationalising the NPE's Programme of Action and in a series of

regional meetings with the State Governments, a special review of gender issues

in education was undertaken. At the same time it was emphasized to the States,

that gender concerns must be buih into all educational processes. Monitoring

committees for women's/girls' education at the Ministry of Human Resource

Development level and also state level were formed to 'monitor the indicators of

gender concerns in all policies and projects. Emphasis was laid on enrolment and

retention of the girl child in formal and non formal schooling; recruitment of

rural women teachers and removal of gender bias in the curriculum.

 36

1.13 NATIONAL LITERACY MISSION (NLM)

The National Literacy mission which aims at eradication of

illiteracy. The mission document emphasis the importance of imbibing the values

of national integration, conservation of environment, women's equality,

observance of small family norm, etc., and goes on to say that "the focus of NLM

would be on rural areas, particularly women and persons belonging to the

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes." .*

1.14 RECOMMENDATIONS OF NEP AND NLM

The National Education Policy and National Literacy Mission

made lots of recommendations regarding the path to improve the status of

women in the society. Educating is the only way to raise the standard in the

status of women, who is considered as the source of human development. As

. education of girls is made compulsory up to secondary level nowadays more

attention is made by the government towards the more enrolment of girls in

higher education that too in Science field. This enables the nation to achieve a lot

in the field of Science and technology.

1.15 CONCEPT BEHIND THE SELECTION OF THE STUDY

Madurai is one of the important cities in Tamil Nadu with rich

cultural heritage and glorious traditions. It was the seat of Tamil Academy in the
 37

past. The city has been the centre for learning for many centuries. The three

Tamil Sangams evolved and flourished here. The women of Madurai during the

Sangam Age enjoyed a respectable position. We come across women poets like

Kaakkai Paadiniyar, Pon Mudiyar and Avvaiyar. They had knowledge in politics,

at times they used to advise the kings. But at present rural girls in Madurai are

facing problems in receiving their higher education. They undergo early

marriages, face inequality in receiving higher education on par with the male

children of the same family etc. The investigator being the native of Madurai and

also as a woman wants to explore the problems faced by the rural first generation

girls in receiving their college education possible solutions to overcome their

problems.

1.16 CONCLUSION

Central and state governments plan and activate schemes for the

development of women especially rural women. Employment opportunities are

provided to women. The rural first generation girls are given preference in

admissions to higher education. The investigator is interested in analyzing the

problems of rural first generation college going girls. Hence the present study is

undertaken for investigation.