How does patriarchy impact the position of a middle class working woman in India?

While middle class working women in India have made strides in gaining economic independence and mobility, their empowerment is still severely hindered by the nation’s deeply entrenched patriarchal social structure.

• On paper, middle class female professionals enjoy parity with male peers in education, employment, income and career advancement in corporate or government sectors. However, they continue shouldering an uneven domestic burden managing household and childcare duties per traditional gender expectations. This “second shift” dwarfs contributions from working husbands steeped in patriarchal attitudes despite increasingly nuclear family setups.
• Moreover, working women still suffer from regressive societal attitudes questioning their virtue, prioritization of work over family, and ability to balance home and professional responsibilities compared to men. They must constantly validate their life and career choices in the face of stigma or moral policing. Critically, financial contributions give limited decision-making power at home. Husbands or fathers still remain key authorities on important spending, parenting, property and social matters.

Therefore, while middle class working women seemingly enjoy improved socioeconomic status, insidious patriarchal Indian attitudes stemming from ancient property and family structures continue undercutting their empowerment. Until regressive mindsets about gender roles change at a foundational level, parity and respect will remain superficial despite professional strides.

Topics: GS-I: Role of Women and Women's Organization