Women Folk Research Articles

AN ANALYSIS TO STUDY THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

Financial Empowerment of women is in the discourse of the intellectual class since long, therefore, this study has been undertaken to investigate the financial empowerment of women. This study is a humble attempt to explore the level of financial empowerment of the women folk in the society. In this regard, the findings of the study puts forth that the women folk, despite, getting financially independent, yet they are not fully independent to make their spending and investment decisions. The study, states that the spending patterns of women folk are highly controlled by the men folk as they do complain if women folk spend or invest their income without taking men folk into confidence. Therefore, it can be said that the women folk still have to go a long way in order to achieve the freedom of spending and investing their income without any interference from the men folk and attain a real financial empowerment.

Food Security and Social Inequalities from the Perspective of Women's Rights: Case Study of District Torghar

Purpose: The research study was designed with the sole aim to explore the food security status in the purview of women’s rights in the District Tor Ghar, KP, Pakistan
 Approach: A sample size of 291 out of 760 household heads was selected randomly from 3 villages of Khander Tehsil namely Bilyani, Bimbal, and Dharo. The conceptual framework comprised of an independent variable (availability of food) and one dependent variable (food insecurity). Data on study variables were collected using the Likert scale. The Chi-square test was applied to test the strength of association among study variables.
 Findings: The study found that the limited availability of vegetables, fruits, bread, and meat required for a daily meal for women alongside sufficient milk/ dairy products and dry fruit to feed women at home, were found significant (p <0.05) in association with food insecurity. Thus, lack of availability of food is the root cause of food insecurity among women of the study inhabitants.
 Implications: A policy drive led by an awareness-raising campaign at an institutional, cultural and societal level that ensures the availability of a sufficient amount of quality food to all social segments to overcome the problem of food insecurity, especially with respect to women folk was the major study recommendations.

The Ethnographer as Witness, as Writer: The Poetics and Politics of Reciprocal Ethnography

Elaine J. Lawless demonstrates a deep and abiding concern for the ethical questions posed by narratives: how they are told and collected, the implications of these narratives (and the telling of these) for their tellers' lives, the relationship between teller and listener/writer, and how these narratives are retold and reconstructed for a reader far removed from the original context. From her work on women's folk traditions, life stories, and self-representation within master narratives in religious contexts to her work with survivors of domestic violence to the aftermath of the intentional flooding and destruction of the African American community of Pinhook, Missouri, Lawless provides a framework for considering the poetics and politics of reciprocal ethnography. This paper discusses Lawless's multifaceted use and sophisticated understanding of narrative as not only text but also as ethical practice throughout her collected works.

A Study on Motivational Factors and Economic Activites of Shg’s in Andhra Pradesh, India

To Empower women and to alleviate poverty in the society SHGs are considered as an important strategy. The present study is exclusively about the empowerment through their entrepreneurial activities of women in East and west Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh through the self-help groups is the objective of this paper. SHG’s play a very important role in improving the socio-economic conditions of women by developing savings and thrift habit, by providing them micro finance at the time of needs and also encouraging micro entrepreneurs. SHGs Bank Linkage Programme is one of the several alternative channels of financial inclusion which help extensively to strengthen the poor specially women folk. Through SHGs, women in rural areas are able to feel financial secured. They come forward by doing economic activities with self-employment like petty shops, tailoring, flower vending, embroidery work etc. The results of the analysis revealed that Economic activities like tailoring and selling of ready- made garments and sarees are mostly carried by women of SHG’s. SHGs have organized many programmes relating to awareness of health and hygiene issues, importance of education for their children, acts pertaining to the safety of women etc.

Feminism in the Novels of Kamala Markandaya with special reference to Nectar in a Sieve

Kamala Markandaya stands outstanding and aloof from all women writers.She is a distinguished woman novelist who ranks with eminent Indian English Novelists like Anita Desai, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao etc. Markandaya‟s novels depict women as the centre of concern. She painted her novels with sufferings and hardships faced by women folk. Being a woman novelist, her debut novel Nectar in a Sieve and highlight the problems faced by Indian rural women. The major concern in her works is the identity crisis of women. Her novels are dominant with femininevoices and throw a massive light on the struggle of rural Indian wives.

The Character of Shakuntala: A Cultural Feminist Approach

Feminism remains the credence in societal, pecuniary, and dogmatic impartiality of the genders. Even though essentially beginning in the Westward, women's liberation is established universal and epitomized by numerous foundations pledged to endeavor in support of women’s claims and pursuits. Feminism rises to concentrate the subjugation of womenfolk and their place in a masculine overriding civilization. Feminists contend that women are deprived of civil liberties of autonomy, impartiality, and deciding. They are preserved as substandard and reliant on menfolk. Woman is not tolerable to upraise her voice. If she increases her voice, it is then muzzled by the social order. Woman is projected to track the standards and fulfill the prospect of the social order. If not, she is grimaced and entitled an offender. In spite of the throbbing seclusion and the tough discrimination, women folk were gifted to stand up each time and they were equipped state and direct their complications, emotional state and requirements. Furthermore, women were capable of blowout it in all over the creation, make it a representation of impartiality, and make all individuals trust that males and females justify equivalence in altogether prospects, dealings veneration and societal truths. Shakuntala is one of the most celebrated women characters of Indian Literature. For the first time Shakuntala’s character instigated in The Mahabharata. Since then, she has been embodied in represented texts in various languages of India. The present paper is an attempt to analyze the ancient work Abhijnana Shakuntalam by Kalidasa and the character of Shakuntala with cultural feminist Approach.

Ornament and Identity

The text shows the way of creating and shaping identity in the area of Hrvatska Posavina and Dubrovčak Lijevi and Topolje on the example of the folk costume Hrvatica. This type of formal women's folk costume for girls and younger women was formed in the second half of the 19th century. Between the two world wars, it came out of everyday use and, under the influence of Seljačka sloga (Peasant Unity), continued to exist as a representative costume for national, regional and church occasions. Around the Second World War, it began to be decorated with a motif, which was taken from the cover of the women's magazine “Hrvatica” from 1940, as well as the name. Although the motif was transferred from Brezovica folk costume, where its current name or the role, apart from an aesthetic one, was not recorded. By recontextualization into folk costume from Posavina, it gains identity meaning which was associated with current socio-political context over time. The attitude towards the folk costume Hrvatica in Hrvatska Posavina and Dubrovčak Lijevi and Topolje is very emotional and associated with a strong sense of identity.

Nurturing Masculinity, Resisting Patriarchy: An Ethnographic Account of Four Women's Folk Songs from Northeastern Afghanistan

Western literature has presented the condition of Afghan women as either empowered or helpless. Their stories have been overlooked, romanticized, or seen as an outcome of tribalism, patriarchy, and war. Women's ability to articulate their personal experiences, grief, happiness, gender roles, and capacity to imagine an alternative has been missing. This article argues that through their folk songs women in northeastern Afghanistan criticize the behavior of husbands in their families while supporting their brothers, fathers, and sons. These women nurture and dismantle masculinity to their advantage. In singing space, women support but also bargain with patriarchy. The article concludes with recommendations for future research.

Factors motivating buying behavior of female two wheeler users in the district of Palghar

Covid-19 has impacted all industries globally in a big way. The Indian two wheeler industry is no exception. The Indian two wheeler Industry is considered to be one of the biggest industries of the world, which contributes significantly to the economic growth of the country. Indian automobile market is one of the most competitive one, with many big players into the fray. The number of two wheeler users is increasing every year, especially with more and more women now owning a two wheeler. Majority of the two wheeler owners reside in rural India. The world is changing very rapidly, but the world of women folk is changing faster. Traditionally the women still continue to manage the house, but now are also venturing out of their homes to seek higher education and make a successful career. Understanding the perception of females towards brands remains a complex, but a topic of strong interest for researchers. The study was undertaken to assess the factors considered to be important by women when choosing to buy a two wheeler in the district of Palghar. The sample considered for research was 150 respondents. The data required for the study has been collected through questionnaire and has been analyzed through statistical techniques and tools such as simple percentage, and Chi Square test. Keywords: Automobile, Brand, Two wheeler, Perception, Industry.

A CRITICAL DISCOURSE OF GIRL-CHILD MARRIAGE/SLAVERY IN SELECTED NIGERIAN FILM

Until recent past, girl-child slavery/marriage, guided by unscrupulous African culture, has posed as major practice in the Nigerian state in the 21stCentury. This cankerworm, manifesting through early marriage, money marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and other forms of abuses on the women folk, weakens women participation in economic, political, religious, and social development, thus, increases the issues of pain, suffering, sickness, and death of the people and underdevelopment to the Nigerian 5state as portrayed in Stephanie Linus Dry. Dry is a 21st century film that interrogates girl-child marriage/slavery, money marriage, discrimination, deprivation and inequality against the women. Amongst the major findings is that girl-child marriage/slavery has provided impetus for dramatic and argumentative representations by critics and dramatist over the years, yet, the menace is highly prevalent in the Nigerian state in the 21st century, mostly in the Northern regions. The study therefore aims at interrogating the cause and effects of girl-child marriage/slavery in the Nigerian state in the 21st century. To achieve this, Radical Feminism Theory and Content Analytical Methodology are used as guide. More so, the study recommends that any culture, tradition, or norm that is responsible that for girl-child marriage/slavery in the Nigerian space should be abolished for equity and development to be ascertained.

Implication of early pottery practice by women in Nigeria: A focus on women pottery practice in Akwa Ibom state

The practice of pottery in Nigeria is commonly found among the women folk. The business of trading with products of pottery is also formulated by the women despite the burden of carrying the fragile wares from one market to another after production. It is in the light of women involvement in pottery business that Ladi Kwali was discovered by the English Potter Michael Cardew when he came to Nigeria in 1950. It has been observed that traditional pottery practice in Nigeria is almost dominated by the women and most of the pottery products are domestic wares which are mostly used by the women. This study is focusing on the involvement of women folk in traditional pottery practice particularly in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The common shapes of oval and round features are identified among the products of traditional pottery easily produced by the women potters. The crucial question which comes to mind in this study's investigation is whether the circular shapes of the products by the women has any leasing or influence from the round features found on ideal, African women. Ideally, an African woman have the characteristics of round face, round chins, round buttocks, round breasts and round tummy during fattening or pregnancy. These characteristics accorded to a beautiful African maiden who undergoes fattening or customary after-child-birth care are celebrated and applauded especially by the Ibibios (Akwa Ibom State). The influence of roundness for beauty affects the shape ofpottery products of women who are the custodians of myth and techniques of traditional pottery practice. No doubt, the Ibibio pots found at Jos Museum (Nigeria) and other places are noted as probably the most spherical pots globally. There are many implications in the practice of traditional pottery by the women folk in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.

Роль украшений и аксессуаров в традиционном женском русском костюме XVI–XVII вв.

The paper conducts analysis of decor, accessories and jewelry in the context of traditional Russian costume of the 16th–17th centuries; it consists of an introduction and two parts. In the introduction, the authors note the importance of preserving and structuring information about ancient Russian accessories and costume jewelry for modern creative activity. The paper identifies socio-cultural significance of the ensemble of jewelry and costume in traditional Russian society. It examines the clothing of the South Russian and North Russian women's clothing complex, reflecting the specifics of the regions of Russia-from the Volga region to Siberia. The second part addresses the examples of the use of accessories and jewelry in the structure of traditional folk women's costume, depending on the regions of Russia including the clothes of the Orel, Kursk, Voronezh, Ryazan, Tambov, Tula, and Kaluga provinces belonging to the South Russian complex. The North Russian complexes of women's Russian clothing reflect the specifics of the regions. Headdresses, which are traditionally an integral part of women's folk costume, are represented by kokoshniks, kichki, and crowns. Earrings, rings, and chains are introduced by various schools of master jewelers. The characterization of signs by purpose, materials and method of making jewelry, allowed to clarify the order of classification construction of the scheme of using jewelry in the costume system. The main sections of the paper are illustrated with photos depicting costumes and complementary accessories from various regions of Russia. The authors also display costume ornaments that have long been out of use, but are valuable for research. The paper is of interest to ones studying costume design, accessories, and jewelry. It allowed for concluding about the importance of studying the elements of the costume as artifacts made of natural materials that serve as a precious source of information about the unique Russian decorative and applied art and costume.

Adoption Index of Women Goat Farmers in Various Aspirational District of Niti-Ayog in West Bengal, India

The Goat husbandry plays a key role in sustainable livelihood and income generation of the rural small-marginal farmers, landless laborers and specially women folk. The research work was carried out on adoption index of women goat farmers in purposively selected 05 nos. of aspiration districts, of NITI Aayog, GOI in W.B. From each one block of each district50 nos. of women goat farmers’ were randomly selected as respondents with total sample size of 250 nos. for the present study. The collected data were compiled and analyzed statistically with the help of pre-tested structured interview schedule for better interpretation of the findings of the study. The study had showed low level of adoption among the farm women, which indicated their lacking in application of improved husbandry practices in goat farming. The study revealed that, majority of farm women of Birbhum district were having higher % age of low adoption level in comparison to other four districts. The findings also revealed that, joint family married women were having more adoption index than nuclear family. The study explored that, South Dinajpur district had highest adoption level in terms of almost all enlisted adoption indicators than other four aspirational districts in the study. In future, a comprehensive farmer training and demonstration programme need to be conducted in this area for livelihood improvement of women goat farmers. The adoption level about goat farming need to be assessed for formulation of sustainable livelihood based promising endeavor in this functional area of the state of W.B.

The Kayans: Ontology of their tattoos and its meanings

In Malaysia, the Kayans are just a minority group and have extensive traditional tattoos among the women folks. Anthropologists credited them as the pioneer of exquisite tattoos. The other tribes in Borneo got inspirations for their own body of art. This expansion of existing study attempts to make sense of the motifs and to address the intrinsic and extrinsic meanings of tattoo motifs and relate to their lives. Interviews among tattooed Kayan women folk provide the first-hand information about the implications of tattoos. The perspective of visual semiotics and semantics analysis ultimately shed light on the distant past. Keywords: Kayan, Tattoo, Meaning, Motifs eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bsby e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI3.2573

Political and Social Status of Women in Pre and Post Independent India

Women’s involvement in socio-political life is a desideratum for the progress of not only the women folk but also the development of the nation as a whole. During ancient and medieval times, women from orthodox families actively participated in social activities, but their overall position and status gradually deteriorated. The Modern era meant for women ushered in during the dawn of the 19th century when social reformers paid special attention to enhance the social status of women. For instance, the promulgation of the Widow Remarriage Act, implementation of the Civil Marriage Act 1872 mentions a few of them. Ever since the formation of the Indian National Congress, several remarkable changes took place in the socio-political status.Moreover, women franchise induced their effective participation in the Freedom Movement of India. They were accorded equal political status on par with men only after independence, which has been enshrined and enumerated in the provisions of fundamental rights of the Indian constitution. In the new millennium, there has been constant demand to accord 33 percentages of reservations to enhance the status of women in the political arena as well as to increase their social statues. This paper attempts to indicate the socio-political status of women over the period in the Indian context during the Pre and Post Independent India.

Begum Zari Sarfaraz: Her Role and Contribution in Pakistan Movement

In this brief article, an attempt has been made to revisit the Pakistan Movement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, former North-West Frontier Province, which acquired a unique character in the sense that here the job of motivating the women was quite difficult because of the strict cultural values and way of life of women folk. Therefore the job of persuading women to participate in the freedom movement seemed difficult. In such circumstances, Begum Zari Sarfaraz rose up from the folk of Women and continued her effort despite discouraging conditions. In this paper, the role and contribution of Begum Zari Sarfaraz, the Khatoon-e-Sarhad, during the Pakistan Movement has been discussed and evaluated. In the line of this argument, the crucial struggle that she led during the final phase of the partition drama will be explored. As far as the literature on Begum Zari Sarfaraz is concerned, very little has been written on her personality as well as on her contribution to the cause of Pakistan.

U-19 Female Status in Semetic Religions A Comparative Critical Research Study

"Human life and society comprises man and woman in general. Both are equal to each other being human being having equal rights and responsibilities being with in their natural limits. But the ground reality is quite different and bitter. The mankind especially the women folk have been exploited for a long time due to which society got imbalanced. The need is to probe the issue in the light of different religious teachings especially the semetic religions to know the actual status of women folk and to analyse that what of the semetic religions gives them their proper status in society by protecting their basic rights accordingly. This is the basic theme lying in the article."

Women Folk in Sokoto Caliphate: A Historical Overview on their Roles and Contributions in the 19th Century Islamic Movement in Hausaland

In most parts of the world, females are regarded and considered as inferior to their male counterparts in the development of a society. Certainly, the role of women in any society is very enormous. They are the mothers and thus, the backbone of any society. Yet, the most striking thing is that very little attention has actually been accorded to their contributions. In West Africa, research studies have been conducted on women in different societies within the sub region. However, the findings are not adequate and properly documented. Hence, serious attention needs to be given to the role of women in both old and contemporary societies, more especially in the Islamic West African Sub-region which has witnessed progressive societies in the 17 th and 18 th centuries. Among these societies include Sokoto Caliphate; where women left an indelible mark in the success of the Jihad movement. They contributed to the development of their various societies intellectually, morally, and economically. This necessitates the need to outline the contributions of women to the progress and prosperity of this great Caliphate.

Status of women in Indian society

Women are an integral part of an Indian society. In order to understand the spirit of a civilized society it is necessary to study the history of its women folk. Indian society is patriarchal society and women have been treated as subordinate and ascribed lower status to their man counterpart. In ancient times women enjoyed a position of respect and reverence and his role as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother and above all as a house maker was well defined. A change in the status of women had occurred as a sequel to the advent of Muslims in India. The social laws and customs which came to be evolved in the changed set-up of things created in them a sense of inferiority complex. The position of women as girls’ wives and widows were reduced to that of dependents and subordinates. The status of women in India has been subjected to a lot of changes over the past few millennia. Both Muslims and Hindus fell prey to the evil practices. Opportunity of receiving education was greatly restricted. After the advent of Muslims purdah was mainly confined to the rich and well to do class of both the communities. But the working class and peasant women were free from the bondage of purdah. Child marriage had become a feature of the social life. Dowry was an old custom and gradually it became rigorous. This system was prevalent more among the rich than the commoners. Divorce and remarriage were common amongst Muslims and were prohibited to Hindu women. The Hindu women had no choice to remarry; however, remarriage was common among the manial agricultural castes. Women were generally to marry through simple ritual of Chaddar-Pauna and Kareva. Sati was prevalent in almost all the parts of India. It had become a normal feature of the Hindu and Muslim society. Jauhar was popular among Hindus (especially Rajputs). However, Muslim women also adopted this custom when they found their honor in danger. Female infanticide was practiced in most parts of northern India. In some parts of India the devdasi was sexually

Some aspects of social life of haryana from 16th TO 17th Centuary

Social history of a region generally endeavors to present the varied aspects of daily life of the inhabitants of villages, towns and cities in the medieval period. The dwelling houses were congregated together usually at a central site, with the land of the cultivators spreading around. The roofs of the houses were flat. The house of the poorer classes had a small courtyard and one room or two. The most common plan of the house of the well to do classes was that the courtyard was surrounded by a wall. The entrance served as a temporary cattle-shed and the men of the family frequented it to smoke and gossip. Usually, there was a detached sitting room, variously called diwan-khana or baithak. Female apartments were separate. The rooms were dark, damp and badly ventilated. The houses were of bricks and in lanes near to each other for the sake of shade. The sanitary condition was not proper but the inside of the houses were kept very clean. In the houses of the common people very little furniture was kept in the rooms. For lighting in the houses of the nobles and the rich men, other appliances and devices were in vogue. Ordinarily, the earthen pots (diya) filled with mustard oil with cotton wicks were used for light. The people of Haryana in general were vegetarian but in common high class people and the Muslims were non-vegetarian and used to drinking. Rrice, millet and pulses, milk and milk products were chiefly consumed in general in the rural areas. Khicheri was relished both by the gentry and commonalty. In the matter of diet, the Muslims were notoriously extravagant and fastidious. However, the diet of the peasants was much cheaper and they used pulses and vegetables. The imported fruits dry and fresh were costly and were used only by the rich. Common people used to eat seasonal fruits which grew wild in the jungles and were easily available and gathered for sustenance by the poor. Ice fetched a high price and used by the rich people. Indian dress varied from place to place and clan to clan and according to their social status and financial conditions. Indian dresses were chiefly determined by the geographical factors, climatic conditions and the changing needs and customs of the different areas. Clothes were generally woven by the village weavers with yarn spun by the peasant women folk. These garments except turban were made of ‘khaddar’, the rough cotton. The upper classes spent lavishly on their dresses and used silk, brocade and fine muslin according to their social status and financial conditions. Children used to remain naked till four to five years age. The peasants and the poorer classes tried their best to cut their dress requirements to the minimum. The love of ornaments was inherent in the human races. The love of jewellery was not confined to the people of any religion, sect or class. Various kinds of ornaments of gold and silver were worn according to their financial and social position. The Hindu women, except widows, were generally loaded with as much jewellery as their husbands could afford. Beside ornaments, the women decorated themselves by various kinds of ‘tawizees’ (amulets).