What are the problems faced by rural women in India today?

India today has reached the zenith of success in many fields like science and technology, literature, movies and much more. But, there are some issues that are still prevalent in the country and more prominently in the rural India.

Rural India is the actual soul of the country where a maximum of its population resides yet it is also the most neglected and ignored by the Government. The major victims of the issues that are present in the rural India are the women. Rural Indian Women are facing a lot of problems.

No access to education

According to ASER report 2014, only 1 out of 100 girls from Rural India makes it to colleges. This number in both shocking and depressing considering the fact that women form almost half of our population.

They are in the real sense the backbone of our society but in rural India, their role is considered to be that of caretakers and child rears and education would make not benefit to them in their roles according to the typical mentality of people living in the villages.

Gender Discrimination

Gender Discrimination is rampant is many villages of India especially in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Gender discrimination implies giving a superior position to men due to the prevailing mindset of Patriarchal society in India. Due to Gender Discrimination, women are kept confined to their households and not allowed to participate in any activities like elections, discussions, participating in major festivals, etc.

Child Marriage

Though Child Marriage is a completely illegal practice in India according to law, the reality is far from good. According to the National Statistical Organization, around 47% of women in India are married before the age of 18. This problem is graver in villages due to the prevalent illiteracy and lack of awareness among the women. This also has continued as a never-ending tradition in India.

Lack of proper sanitation

Women in rural India today face a problem of getting even the basic sanitation facilities. They are the victims of open defecation and also the diseases which are caused by it. Women are sometimes even prohibited from using the public toilets which are constructed by the government.

Domestic violence

Women in rural India are sometimes so ill-treated that they become victims of domestic violence every day in their homes. Alcoholism of the spouses sometimes even worsens the situation. She is treated like a slave and her upbringing stops her from questioning her spouse or in-laws.

Dowry

Women are given inferior status because they are considered to be a burden for the parents. This is mainly due to the dowry practice that is rampant in the rural parts of India. There is not a denial of the fact that dowry as the practice even exists in Urban and semi-urban regions but the women in urban areas are educated and alert enough to tackle the issue which is not the case for rural Indian women.