Women's education in Indian culture?

[qafkinnetic]

What was the culture like regarding women’s education in India about 30-40 years ago? Wikipedia is telling me that nowadays the government is trying to get more women into schools. But 30 or 40 years ago, was it widely accepted? If not, what were some reasons that women were expected not to be educated or go to school? Were boys expected to be

Comments

[pakaboori]

I really don't have any credible way to answer your question as my life experience doesn't really touch on what you're interested in, but I think a few more details would be helpful to get productive answers from other people. What part of India are they from? What part are they in, since it might not be the same? What are these books specifically? What is the father's own educational background? What are the other issues in his relationship with his daughter, or in his parenting style? "Indian culture" covers a lot of variation. 1985 wasn't that long ago but probably you'd get different answers depending on where the characters are and what their more specific cultural backgrounds are. It would make an especial difference if they're in an urban context vs a rural one. Just, generally, I think there are more factors at play than what you've outlined here

[vaznetti]

I am not an Indian, but I agree with the above poster: as it stands this question can't be answered, because the answer will vary widely depending on the background of your characters -- leaving aside the possibility that individuals just won't do what you might expect someone from their background to do.

[vvatima]

I'm indo-canadian and completely agree with the above - India is extremely diverse - it's like Europe packed into one country - so your question, as it is, can't be answered. It completely depends on where in India your characters are from, what caste they are part of, what class, what religion, how educated the family is in general, etc. Remember that a woman was prime minister of India within your timeline - from 1966-1977 and from 1980-84.

[vvatima]

I would also say that chances are, if the father is educated, he would be supportive of educating his daughter.

[avanti_90]

It depends heavily on the family's community, region and income. I'm Indian, so if you give some more details about the family I'll probably be able to give you a more complete answer, but in short:
-in a relatively urban, educated, middle-class family, it would be okay for her to get education upto college. In a more poor/rural household she might be expected to stay at home and help her mother with the housework, and get married at a younger age.
-one factor is the availability of girls-only schooling. A family might be okay with education but not want their daughter to attend a co-ed school.

However, if her father has advanced books in his room, presumably the family falls in the urban/educated category, in which case it would likely be okay.

[wldrose]

I had a friend whos grandfather was the Indian education Minister under Jawaharlal Nehru, he had also run a large girls secondary school till the mid 80s.

By the 70s Most middle class Indians saw education as important for women if for nothing else than to raise better sons. (there was also a whole lot of social pressure to have a daughter who was educated, she was more desirable for marriage, it showed you had the money to do it, and that you were not backwards like peasants) But I am talking middle and upper middle class city and large land owners. (in other circumstances the dowry system made a lot of parents think that was enough to take care of girls why waste the money)

So while cliche if she is meant to marry young say 15-18 the struggle for her to want to go to collage and her fams want to have her married to whom she had been promised to would be a normal thing anything that brought her closer to delaying or side stepping the marriage would upset them.