CBSE Class 7 Social Science Political Science Revision Notes Chapter 5

CBSE Class 7 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 5 Notes – Women Change the World

It is a common perception in society that women tend to do household duties, while men go out to work. In Chapter 5 of Class 7 Political Science, students will understand how women stood against adversaries to come out and change the world. Class 7 Political Science Chapter 5 Notes discuss the notion of stereotypes, their genesis, and their ill effects on men and women. These notes also explain the role of education in emancipating women in society and shed light on women’s movements and their importance.

Women Change The World Class 7 Notes Political Science (Civics) Chapter 5

Access Class 7 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 5 – Women Change The World

Women Change The World Class 7 Notes

Extramarks offers precise Class 7 Political Science Chapter 5 Notes written by subject matter experts. Concepts are explained in simple language with real-life examples. These notes are prepared as per the revised CBSE Syllabus. Students can refer to the brief points given for each topic to efficiently cover the syllabus in less time. What’s more? The notes are easily accessible from the website. Therefore, students can use the notes as a comprehensive study guide for their exam preparation.

The Stereotypes

• A stereotype refers to a preconceived notion about a person or a group without any rational basis. These viewpoints are typically shaped by society, and the intended population is expected to follow the predetermined directives.
• Very common evidence of stereotypical ideas upheld by society is, girl children are given dolls whereas boy children are given toy cars to play with.
• Thus, stereotypical ideas are injected into minds since childhood. These concepts also trouble the professional world. There are certain roles which are reserved for men, and some roles which are deemed fit for women. For example, when we think of a farmer we usually tend to think of a man toiling in the field. But when we imagine a nurse, we are bound to think of a lady taking care of a sick person. These ideas are at the root of gender stereotypes. 
• Again, a task accomplished within the four walls of the home is considered work suited for women; but when the same task is completed in a professional setting, it is reserved for men. For example, when food is cooked in the household, that is the responsibility of the housewife or any other women members of that house; but when the same dishes are cooked in a restaurant it becomes the responsibility of a male chef.

Expectations: The Birthplace of Stereotypes

• Stereotypes are born from the expectations of society, which victimise girls as well as boys if they do not live up to these expectations.
• Whenever a girl does something that does not fit the idea of being feminine, society takes every possible measure to clip the girl’s wings. Most girls do not play cricket or football out of fear of being ridiculed.
• Similarly, a boy learns from childhood that a real man never cries.

The Breakers of the Stereotypes

• However, there were many who fought against these stereotypes and broke them. Laxmi Lakra is such a woman, who despite facing criticism resolved to become a driver and won the honour of becoming the first female engine driver. Her family supported her decision. 
• Everyone, however, is not fortunate enough like Laxmi Lakra. The story of Bechandri Pal tells us the story of a woman who never received support from her family yet rose to the height of glory by becoming the first professional female mountaineer in India.
• When Pal expressed that she wanted to be a mountaineer, her well-wishers tried to crush her dreams at every step. But Pal continued to chase her dreams and became the first female mountaineer to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Not only that, Bechandri Pal became the first female to take part in the mixed-gender mountaineering team.

Women And Education

• These gender stereotypes have existed in society for a long time. Girls were not previously permitted to attend schools or even to learn the alphabet at home. Those who wanted to read and write either rebelled against society or practised tirelessly without being noticed by anyone.

• During the turn of the 19th century, the doors of schools started opening for women. Social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy and Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar advocated for female education.

• However, the struggle went on. Rashsundari Devi, the wife of a rich landlord, reveals in her autobiography how desperate she was to receive an education. She used to do all the domestic chores yet she took out time for learning. She tore off pages from the alphabet book and Chaitanya Bhagat to hide and study them whenever she found the right time and opportunity. She became a prolific author through sheer willpower.
• The establishment of Sakhawat Memorial School in Kolkata tells another inspirational story of another woman, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. She wanted to receive modern western education in a society where women were not supposed to receive traditional oriental education yet. With the help of her brother and elder sister, Rokeya mastered English and wrote a book named Ladyland. The events in the book take place in an imaginary place named Ladyland, where women remain at the forefront of every movement and men live in seclusion. The intellect of women is sharper than the swords of men. Ladyland was an imagined place of learning and scientific discoveries, where everything was possible, from flying cars in the sky to controlling the rainfall.
• The learning of English had a deep impact on Rokeya’s outlook on women and education. This is called the power of learning which the patriarchal society fears.

Schooling for the Girl Child in the Present Day

• It is true that girl children do not face the level of discrimination that was faced by girls in the bygone days. The government has taken active measures to increase the enrollment of girls in schools. Schemes like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” have witnessed tremendous success. However, the ratio of boys to girls in schools paints a grim picture. 
• The ratio of literate boys to literate girls was 40:15 in 1961, which became 82:65 in 2011. Therefore, though progress is being made, the gap still exists. 
• Girls belonging to lower sects or religious minorities are likely to remain uneducated due to the lack of motivation of their parents and the long distances of schools from their homes. 

Women Supporting Women

Women have walked a long path since the dark ages of the past. Nowadays, women take part in protests, revolts, political agitations, campaigns, etc., to uphold that it is their birthright to be educated. They raise their voice against crimes committed against women such as female infanticide, sexual harassment at workplaces, etc. One such campaign was launched in the 1980s against the dowry system. Women gathered to protest against the evils of the dowry system and highlight the failure of the judiciary system to provide relief to the victims. After a relentless struggle, the government amended the laws to punish the in-laws and other family members who harassed brides at their husband’s homes for dowry. Women also organised solidarity movements to spread the message that they will fight together for all the female victims.

Women Change The World Class 7 Political Science Chapter 5 Notes 

What comes to mind when we consider the following occupations, a man or a woman?

• Farmer
• Nurse
• Teacher
• Scientist
• Engineer

It is quite common to associate males with farming activities. But the data from NSS 61st round (2004-2005) show that 83.6% of working women are involved with agriculture including planting, weeding, harvesting, etc. However, there is a misconception that all farmers are men.

Fewer Opportunities and Rigid Expectations

Our society categorises jobs for men and women. These job roles closely resemble the societal expectation of the respective gender. For example:

• Men should work in farming.
• Women are the ones who nurse.
• Men would get into engineering.
• Men would be scientists. 

It is a widespread notion that women are not suitable for technical jobs. They should focus on marriage, doing household work and rearing children after a certain age. Men are always encouraged to find a job and earn money on their own. These are examples of stereotypes that the culture values highly.

Learning for Change

Modern life cannot be imagined without education, as it has become an indispensable part of our lives. But there was a time when education was not meant for all. For women, the situation was even worse. As our social leaders and reformers took several initiatives to send girl children to schools, the outlook of society started changing after initial opposition. Many reformers struggled to establish separate schools for girls so they to read and write and become independent.

Schooling and Education Today

In the 21st century, it is common for girls and boys to go to school. The government conducts a census every ten years to measure various factors. 

• According to the data from the 1961 census, 40% of total men and boys over 7 years were literate whereas only 15% were literate among all women and girls of that age were literate.
• The data from the 2011 census shows significant development in literacy. Male literacy was raised to 82% and female literacy reached 65%.
• However, the gap in male and female literacy is evident. 

Reasons Why Children Leave School

It is observed that despite taking measures to educate women, education has failed to establish itself in the lower strata of society. Adivasi, Dalit, and Muslim children are more likely to drop out of school. The major reasons are discussed below:-

• Schools are located far away from their homes.
• Inaccessibility of transport facilities
• Unaffordable cost of education
• Male children get priority in poor families.
• Discriminatory behaviour faced in schools 

Women’s Movement

The rights that women enjoy today were not granted easily. Women together or individually came out to bring forth the changes. Nowadays, they are getting equal opportunities in education, employment in the public sector and private sector, and other professional spheres. The efforts of women to bring about the changes are collectively known as the women’s movement. The following topics will help us understand the movements in a better manner.

Campaigning

Campaigns have played a major role in seeking justice for women or fighting against discrimination. Men voluntarily joined the movements as well.

• Campaigns succeeded in gaining protection against domestic violence in 2006.
• The honourable Supreme Court instructed for making guidelines for protecting women from sexual harassment in workplaces in 1997.
• The protest against the dowry system is another remarkable instance of campaigns by women.

Raising Awareness

These movements took the help of creative methods for raising awareness of women’s rights. Street plays, public meetings, songs, posters, etc., were part of the several methods used in these movements.

Protesting

Women also protested against laws that failed to protect the rights of women. Public rallies and speeches were organised to show mass protest.

Solidarity

The women’s movements crossed the boundaries of geography, race, caste, and community to promote solidarity with other women.