Exploring the Gender Aspect in Selected Qualitative Indicators of Wellbeing in Urban Slum Women with Special Reference to Pune City Year 2014–15

Abstract

As reflected in the census of 2011, women as a stratum of the society have less education, earn less income and are less nourished as compared to the male population. In effect women are poor as compared to men in different walks of life and face inequalities on almost all levels be it inequality of resources or of opportunities to develop. The macroeconomic indicators like literacy rate, work force participation, income earning capacity, political participation etc. reflect the gender based inequalities in various dimensions on an aggregate level. Apart from the obvious importance of education, health and employment, issues like freedom of choice, participation in decision making, dignity and personal security have a big hand in determining the quality of life, in other words ‘wellbeing’. This paper tries to explore the extent of wellbeing in the lives of women in urban slum households based in Pune city. An attempt has been made through focussed interviews of forty women in informal surroundings in a group as well as individually. Analysis has been attempted on the degree of Independence enjoyed, Autonomy of Small decisions, Financial Security and Dignity and Personal security. The women were questioned according to the parameter analysed as mentioned in detail in each indicator. All the answers were quantified as ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If the answer suggested discrimination it was given the weightage of zero while if the answer was positive ethically i.e. no discrimination then the answer was given the weightage of one. Thus all the responses were analysed and the degree of independence, dignity and personal security, financial security and financial awareness was estimated. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to explore the inter-generational change in attitude, the constraints experienced in case of girls, the scope of their expectations from life and especially the societal perception of what is ‘acceptable’ in other words ‘Freedom of Choice’