Comparative Study of Women’s Status among Six Big State Economies of India

In western world it is not unnatural to equate power with the masculine but in India strength and power are described by a single word “Shakti” which is the personification of divine feminine power and is worshipped as “The Great Divine Mother”. In ancient India women enjoyed the important and equal status in life. Gender in religion, education or politics didn't exist but after the invasion of mughals in medieval period various ill practices like purdah (practice of secluding women from public),harem(a place where women picked up by mughal invaders were kept for sexual pleasures), jauhar (mass suicide by women for protecting their sanctity from the mughal invaders),restrictions on girls' education, treatment of women as the property of father, brother or husband, child marriages, restrictions on remarriages etc. crept into the Indian society which gradually deteriorated the status of Indian women and modern day India is now counted among the south Asian nations where sons are preferred over daughters and both are raised differently for various reasons. This research paper is an attempt to study and compare the social status of women by examining the variables-sex ratio, literacy, health, women's empowerment and gender based violence in six big state economies of India.