Women in South Asia

Women in South Asia are born with two very distinct things: a second X chromosome and an endless list of standards to meet. South Asia is a subcontinent that boasts beauty and rich culture and there is no doubt that its inhabitants harbor great respect and love for their home countries; however, love for their countries does not always mean that they have accepted the way these countries treat them. Provost Pareena Lawrence of Augustana College, who hails from Lucknow, India, stated in an interview, “I love India to death, but [when I am there] I am reminded every second that I am a woman.”

A group of women in Rajasthan, India who serve as political representatives.

South Asian women are made very aware of their gender because they are constantly reminded that their roles are caretaker and homemaker, and there is no deviating from these roles.  Essentially, women are part of their homes and not a part of their country. That has always been the way for women in South Asia and up until recently, it seemed that it would always be that way. However, rising female leadership in South Asia—both in political and non-political ways—has made women aware of their genders in a different way. South Asian women have realized that they are a prominent part of their countries, and it is time they took advantage of the situations these parts provide.

Though South Asia boasts many female leaders, a lot of them were able to get to their positions due to their connections. Take for example Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. She serves as the leader of one of the two major political parties in Bangladesh—the Awami League, which was founded by her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Furthermore, Chandrika Kumaratunga served as the Executive President of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2005. Both of Kumaratunga’s parents served as leaders of Sri Lanka: her father was elected the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1956, and her mother served as Prime Minister for 18 years. Though these women are leading such countries, they ascended to these positions through connection rather than through a campaign dedicated to helping a country in which their gender is overshadowed.

Political positions have just as much to do with affluence and connections as they do with gathering supporters. Though women are leading and have lead a lot of the countries in South Asia, they have risen to their positions because of their names and their blood. The South Asian public has yet to see a woman without connections and say, “Yes, she can lead this country.” On the surface it may seem revolutionary that South Asia, a subcontinent that is more or less set in its patriarchal ways, would allow women to handle its political and economic needs. The image of such a close-minded area of the world allowing women to lead could be seen as a “game-changer” of sorts for the rest of the world, but Provost Lawrence disagrees, stating, “I will believe it is a game changer the day somebody who’s not connected to anybody actually wins the election.”

Though female leadership at the national, political level may be warped, women are still taking on leadership positions both at the state level and in their own homes. Provost Lawrence has actually done research about women in power at the local level in India. In order to increase female participation in elections in villages, a third of the seats were reserved for women in accordance to the law. Starting in 2007, Provost Lawrence observed how effective these women were in their roles as leaders in the village. She interviewed 450 female leaders and 500 men who served on the councils in these villages. In some states she found that “the men were de facto the leaders; the women were just proxies;” while in other, more proactive states, “[women] totally took leadership, and their villages were way better off.” Despite the varying degrees of leadership in each state, Provost Lawrence saw that the women who were from less proactive states still learned a lot about leadership. She says, “They had learned so much in four years that in another generation or in another 10 years, I think we’ll start to see a shift—that the women who are running have gained the confidence and the skills [to lead].”

The rise of female leadership in South Asia does not stop at politics. More and more women have simultaneously taken to become leaders in their own households. Though the South Asian household has been—and still is—where men call the shots, so to speak, women have started to challenge these rules. Looking back at her life in India, Provost Lawrence remembers, “We were two daughters, and in India, in particular, there’s a high premium for sons. I used to hear others [ask my father] ‘why aren’t you trying for a son?’ And that did impact you as a daughter.”

Hernoor Grewal is one of five daughters. She and her four sisters have been raised by their single mother, their father having left them a long time ago. India Today reports, Grewal explained that after her father left, “the community were quick to blame our Mum entirely.” However, despite what the people around them said, Grewal’s mother “stood strong” and taught her daughter’s important lessons about independence.

Grewal’s mother exemplified the lessons by giving her daughter away at her wedding, which is a tradition that is usually reserved for the closest male relative. Grewal’s mother’s actions are a sign that women, though they may not be defeating the patriarchy, are most definitely challenging it. It is custom that the man is the head of the household, but in Grewal’s case, she only had her mother, and though society challenged this idea of a woman leading a household on her own, Grewal’s mother did not crumble under the pressure.

Women in South Asia are not seen as leaders or proud mothers; they are only seen as women, and in such a subcontinent, being a woman is one of the most difficult ordeals to face. Despite the bigotry and the patriarchy, women are taking a stand. They are taking a stand for their gender and for their rights. There are women at the very top who got there through political affluence, but soon enough, there will be women at the top who got there through their own gumption. The process for doing so starts with the women on councils in villages and with women who become leaders within their own families.

As the roles of women in South Asia shift from caretaker and homemaker to head of household or political leader, South Asia itself sees a cultural change. Provost Lawrence says it best: “There is massive change happening in South Asia right now, [but] it takes generations to start challenging things.”

• female leadership
• south asian
• women