Question- What kind of contradictory environment is taking root for women in the society?

Answer -

While on the one hand, there are strict guidelines for the role of women as wives and supernatural expectations are made of them as mothers, which is generally seen as the cause of oppression and exploitation of women in Indian society. At the same time, the representation of women in contemporary society in professions, politics and social spheres points to a far greater cultural space available to many women in the world. If we examine these conflicting identities of women in Indian society, for example the Hindu woman, it is clear that this contradictory identities of Indian women as an agent for the stereotypical creation of religious texts (gender) are justified.

Women whether they are goddesses or human beings are considered to be mother and kind and at the same time, they are equally aggressive and hard hearted. The dual character of the giver or destroyer gives them the power to bring prosperity or destruction. The cultural argument that has been made for these two contradictory aspects of the same person stems from the fact that woman is both Shakti (the original source of energy to the universe) and Prakriti (the undifferentiated element of the universe).

Where female nature and men as culture are identified with opposing energies, by identity women are viewed as inferior to men. Through this, nature-culture duality, women are depicted as fickle, uncontrollable forces and men are perceived as differentiated and shaped beings. Thus, although the woman possesses the basic principle power and being, ideologically it is believed that only the primal element has been given the capacity to direct this power and being with the use of the higher statutes. Culture controls nature and men control women by taking inspiration from them. The domestication and flourishing of ladies dictate that women should accept more control. It justifies the power of patriarchal culture to control an otherwise powerful and dangerous female image, and it is within this cultural recognition of the power of femininity that some women have found a way out of their shackles.

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