Economic restructuring in India: New hope for young women?
What is the impact on women of newly introduced economic liberalization programs in Third World countries? Dr Ratna Ghosh, Dean of the Faculty of Education at UU直播 and a member of the Royal Society, has found that some women are indeed benefiting from such macroeconomic restructuring, at least in India. Her initial research, funded by the Spenser Foundation, demonstrated that, while economic liberalization policies have largely favoured privileged groups, middle-class girls and women who are now able to attend private professional colleges, created as a result of economic restructuring, are drawing the greatest advantage.
It is on this issue of professional education that Dr Ghosh will now focus her attention. In the next stage of her research, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, she explores whether increasing professional education opportunities among young women in the new middle classes in India makes these women more confident and more respected, both at home and at work. If yes, how does this help them make independent decisions about their own lives in terms of work and marriage, specifically within the dowry system?
According to Dr Ghosh, despite the fact that India is considered at the forefront among Third World countries with respect to progressive legislation guaranteeing women聮s rights, "patriarchal and cultural structures that foster the subordination of women are still prevalent." Using this study to gather qualitative data on the impact of professional education on the lives of women, she points out that existing research on higher education output does not question existing male/female relations in society. "An increase in the education of women doesn聮t necessarily ensure their empowerment because they may not control their own earnings in a patriarchal society," says Ghosh. "Nevertheless, professional qualifications may increase their capacity for self-reliance and independence. My research examines issues concerning equitable redistribution of power within society."
Dr Ghosh hopes that this study will be valuable in several ways. In general, it will explore the links between education and the broader society which education serves. This is particularly critical at a time of globalization and the built-in tension between continuity and change, she says. "More specifically, it will provide guidelines for the study of women聮s education in patriarchal societies; it will attempt to show the relation between professional education and the economic and social advancement of young women; and it will investigate whether professional education and economic potential give women the confidence to challenge patriarchal structures."
