A Study on Issues and Challenges of Women of Mewat

Description

Page: 660-664

Safina (Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)

Nestled in the foothills of Aravali, Mewat is one of the most backward districts in India. It is home to nearly 11 lakh people and the majority population (70%) belongs to Meo Muslim community. As per NITI Aayog report (2018) Mewat came out last of all 101 districts which were calculated on the development index based on 49 indicators from 5 identified thematic areas – education, health, agriculture, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure. It came as a surprise as the region which is just 80 kms away from the national capital of India and gleaming Gurgaon, yet it ranks below some of the known backward districts of Bihar, Jharkhand and U.P. The poor conditions of Mewat put added pressure on the already submissive state of women of Mewat who form 49% of the district population and are still treated as inferior and subservient to men. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated their problems by restraining their limited mobility and resources availability. The focus of this paper is to gain an in-depth understanding of life of women of Mewat, their issues and challenges, faced especially during Covid times. The purpose behind the study is to investigate the existing gender disparity among Meo Muslim community and how it affects the overall status of women of Mewat. This paper is based upon the primary data collected by interviewing 10 married women from Badelaki village of Mewat. Researcher being a resident of Mewat, the data is further substantiated by her experiences and reflections. The study highlights some of the core issues and challenges of women of Mewat and put forward suggestions. In the end, researcher concludes the study with an opinion that the prime reason for continuous subjugation of women is the traditional and patriarchal culture of Mewat which perceives women as second gender. Moreover, women continue to accept the male domination in almost all spheres of life and restraint themselves from questioning the existing age-old gender-biased social norms.