The Challenges of Women Social Freedom In India: A Case Study of Women in Mathura and Agra City

Women in India are still subjected to discrimination, ill treatment and enjoy lower status as compared with men. As a result of which there is a growing concern and resentment particularly among educated women and educated working women against all such customs and rituals, which lower down their status in society. Social freedom is the desire to be free from social taboos, conventions, rituals and roles, which provide them with lower status in society. Social freedom means freedom from control or interference of parents and husband, freedom from social taboos, customs and rituals, which impose conventional roles and restrictions on girls/women. Women in India carry a strong desire for freedom. Women have been given equal rights in our constitution. However, it is a sad reality that women are still slaves as they were ages ago. It is pleasant to talk about women liberation; but, no one has really given them real freedom despite all the laws.

This study is an effort to compare women's social freedom among working and non- working unmarried women, among working and non-working married women, among married and unmarried working women, among married and unmarried non-working women. Women in India have taken up new roles and are working and are economically independent. Thus, this study will be very helpful to find out the desire existing in women regarding freedom from social taboos, customs and rituals and their desire for participation in decision-making and equal status to men.

The findings of this study show that there is no significant difference between working and non-working unmarried women, between working unmarried and married women and also between non-working unmarried and married women with regard to their social freedom. However, there is a significant difference between working and non-working married women with regard to their social freedom. Thus, from this study, it can be concluded that married women who are working and non-working experience different social freedom all together from unmarried women.