Seminar

Women and marginalisation

Presented by
MATEROU L
16/BA/223/soc
Contents
● Concept of marginalisation
● Aspects of women's marginalisation
◆socio- economic aspect
◆ Ideological aspect
◆ political aspect
● Women's problems of marginalisation
● Measures of marginalisation
● Conclusion.
Concept of marginalisation
• Marginalisation is a process of relegating specific group
of people to lower or outer edge of society. It
effectively pushes these groups of people to the margin
of society economically, politically, culturally and
socially following the policy of exclusion in which
women are also a pelart of the marginalised group.
Their upward mobility is being limited. They often
suffered from social discrimination and are insecure in
the society.
Aspect of women's marginalisation
It is an outcome of several factors. They can be identified in three
ways as socio- economic, ideological and political.
1. Socio- economic aspect of women's marginalisation.
Feminist argues that the gender division of labour in
contemporary society has confined woman to the positions of house
wife which chains her to unpaid household work, dependency on man,
lower social status and gender discrimination. They conclude the
burden of household activities along with other socio-economic factor
have generally hampered her incomes generating capacity. Women are
also placed in a disadvantageous position in the income earning
activities they venture into because of sex discrimination.
2. Ideological aspect of women's
marginalisation
Every society holds certain values and beliefs
regarding women which have a link with the
disadvantageous situation of women. Thus
ideological factors seems to be the outcome of belief
shared hy a particular society or values implanted
from other societies. Those ideological factors will be
examined in term of misconception regarding the
woj1of men and women.
a) misconception regarding women
Even though there is no significant biological visible difference
between men and women, various misconception about women
prevail in society.
Women are viewed as a part of private, domestic world that is
disassociated from politics and public purposes. The private and
domestic dichotomy has been constructed on the basis of existing
values about culture and nature. Culture attempts to control and
transcend nature and therefore culture is superior to nature. The
women are identified or symbolically associated with culture. Since
culture seeks to control and transcend nature, then it is natural that
women by virtue of their close association with nature, should be
maintained and controlled.
b) Misconception on women's work
Even though women's labour contribute much for the well being
of the family and the economy, various ideological factors have
obscured reality. It is noted that the actual extent of women's
unwaged work and their consequent contribution to household
income has been consistently underestimated. One of the basic
reasons for this is the concept of labour. They consider child
bearing and childrearing as non-productive. Social feminist
claims that the conception of women as primary sexual being or
as mother is an ideological mystification that obscure the
contribution of women's labour.
The capitalist concept of private domain along with the
perception of home as men's refuge from work also
mystifies women's work in the home. Labour economists of
human capital school argues that women get paid less than
men because they have less skills, labour market
experience and fewer qualification than men. Much of
women's work is unpaid and whenever they are paid wages
they receive less than men even for similar jon and wages
as they are rarely paid according to the minimum wage act.
3. Political aspect of women's
marginalisation
Liberal feminists believe that the violation of
liberal political values of equality, liberty and justice
has resulted in discrimination of women on the basis
of sex. Women are easy victims of legal and political
discrimination since their absence from powerful
position in the state and central decisional areas. The
state structure and policies have a differential impact
on women and men an unequal influence on state
action.
 Radical feminist view patriarchy as a system of male dominance
which exercise ale power to marginalise women in society. The
ruling group in the production of children and of sexual and
emotional satisfaction has always been predominantly and always
exclusively composed of men and that the labouring group in the
production of these goods has always been composed
predominantly and always exclusively of women. Therefore so long
as men as a group control and derive primary benefit from the
labour of women as a group. Socialist feminist view men as group
or class that exploit women as a group or class.
Women's problems of
marginalisation.
1. Their Working condition are poor and being unorganized they are
not able to fight for good working condition.
2. Their wages are low because most of them are unskilled and ther
is excess supply of labour compared to demand.
3. Many women have multiple does fo manage house, work
children.
4. When economy develops, they remain stagnant and are thus
marginalised by development.
5. Women remain marginalised due to discrimination, deprivation,
exploitation etc.
Some of the meaures
The government at central and state level have taken a number of
measure. A large number of NGOs are working for women's causes. There
are also international measure for their empowerment.
In the sphere of legislation apart from the Constitutional provision,
there are several legislative measures to ensure that women get what
they entitled to. However unorganized rural women have not been
benefited from it.
In the sphere of politics, the government has been making vigorous
attempts in recent times to incorporate women's empowerment in the
policy formulation. Ministries like those of education, social welfare,
health and family planning etc. deals with women's welfare.
The governmental programme help women in getting
employment, self employmentor financial assistance. The
Central Social Welfare Board assists women in setting up self-
employment ventures by extending financial assistance to
voluntary agencies for setting up women led unit with
employment potential.
Apart from government, there are several non-
governmental organization like SEWA in Ahmedabad and
Annapurana Mahirap Mandalam in Mumbai doing
commendable job for helping women in almost all spheres of
socia needs especially in urban and semi-urban areas.
Conclusion
Thus, marginalisation is the powerlessness and
exclusions experience by a group, resulting from an
inequality of control of resources and power
structure of society. Urban women marginalised by
occupation on one hand and rural women at risk of
violence, denied their sexual reproductive maternal
health right and denied their voice.