Two Women, One Strength

Before dawn spills its first light over Mumbai, Anitha rises like a lone lighthouse in a stormy sea—steady, unyielding. As the CEO steering her company through turbulent waters, she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders—investors’ hopes like storm clouds, employees’ dreams like fragile sails. Every decision is a tightrope walk above an abyss of doubt. Yet beneath her polished armor, loneliness wraps around her like a shadow at dusk.

After returning home, she faces another storm. A fight with her husband erupts—his frustration boiling over because she doesn’t have enough time for him. He voices his quiet, aching complaint about not having children. Her mother-in-law persistently advises her to focus on family, urging her to embrace the motherhood she’s always been told to cherish.

Anitha wonders if chasing her soaring dreams means uprooting the garden she’s always been told to tend.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m standing alone on a cliff, the wind of expectations howling around me. I want to soar, but I’m afraid my roots will snap. 

Can I have it all—success and family? Or am I destined to choose?”

Hundreds of miles away, Pullamma wakes with the sun’s first kiss on her weathered face. Her hands, cracked like parched earth, toil in fields that stretch like endless seas of dust. Behind the walls of her home, silence screams louder than words—the invisible chains of abuse bind her spirit. Like her friends, Pullamma not only endures backbreaking labor under the unforgiving sun but also cares for her four children, managing all the housework while suffering the silent cruelty of domestic abuse. Poverty is a ruthless tide, threatening to drown her family in its dark depths. Healthcare and education are distant stars—bright hopes just out of reach. Each day, she battles the hunger gnawing like a relentless wolf, wondering if her daughters will ever taste the sweetness of freedom. Yet, despite the weight pressing down like a relentless storm, Pullamma’s heart is a flickering flame of hope, refusing to be extinguished.

“Pain lives in the corners where no one looks. But my daughters’ laughter is the sunlight breaking through the cracks. If I fall, I want them to rise higher than the sky I see.”

Two women. Different worlds, yet their souls beat to the same drum

— a rhythm of unbreakable strength. 

Their courage is a wildfire, quietly spreading, turning cracks into crevices where light seeps in.

Their stories teach us that true strength doesn’t bloom from ease, but from the soil of struggle, watered by resilience and the fierce refusal to be invisible.

Whether in the gleaming glass towers or dusty fields, in crowded cities or quiet villages, every woman’s battle is a single thread weaving the tapestry of a brighter tomorrow.

Moral: 

Real change begins when we open our ears to their stories, raise their voices like soaring songs, and believe in the unstoppable power of every woman’s spirit — no matter the storm she faces.

DO YOU KNOW ?

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1. Women spend seven times more time on unpaid care work than men.
   In India, women devote approximately seven times more hours to unpaid care and domestic work than men, according to the NSSO Time Use Survey 2019-20 (NSSO, 2021).

   Citation: NSSO. (2021). Time Use Survey, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India.

2. Men do more unpaid care work when unemployed; women do more when they leave the labour force.
   The NSSO data shows men increase unpaid care work primarily during unemployment periods, while women’s unpaid work rises significantly upon leaving the labour force (NSSO, 2021).

   Citation: NSSO. (2021).

3. Unpaid care work by women is unquantified and contributes to their labour force dropout.
   Unpaid care work remains largely unrecognized economically, and this invisibility pressures women to exit formal employment, as highlighted by Elson (1995) and Seguino (2000).

   Citations: Elson, D. (1995); Seguino, S. (2000).

4. Economic base determines societal structure; women remain economically disadvantaged.
   Marx’s theory of economic base and superstructure underlines how women’s economic marginalization shapes societal inequality (Marx, 1859/1970).

   Citation: Marx, K. (1859/1970).

5. Women’s labour force participation rate is low globally and in India.
   Globally, female labour force participation is around 47%, compared to 74% for men (ILO, 2020). In India, female participation is substantially lower, at about 19-21%, as per NSSO and PLFS reports (NSSO, 2021; PLFS, 2022). This decline is influenced by cultural, economic, and structural factors (Klasen & Pieters, 2015).

   Citations: ILO (2020); NSSO (2021); PLFS (2022); Klasen & Pieters (2015).

6. Gender pay gap persists: women earn 20–40% less than men.
   International Labour Organization data shows women globally earn 20–40% less than men for comparable work (ILO, 2021). Indian women’s earnings are also consistently lower than men’s, reflecting occupational segregation and wage discrimination (World Economic Forum, 2023).

   Citations: ILO (2021); World Economic Forum (2023).

7. Women face structural barriers such as patriarchal norms and sexual harassment in public/workspaces.
   Studies document pervasive sexual harassment and patriarchal restrictions on women’s access to public and workplace spaces in India (Heilman, 2012; OECD, 2018).

   Citations: Heilman (2012); OECD (2018).

8. Childbirth negatively impacts women’s career and widens the pay gap.
   Research indicates childbirth and childcare responsibilities reduce women’s labour market attachment and widen pay gaps globally and in India (Budig & England, 2001).

   Citation: Budig & England (2001).

9. Outdated inheritance laws exclude women from family property, leading to rural landlessness and reduced bargaining power.
   Though legal reforms have improved inheritance rights, many Indian women—especially in rural areas—remain excluded from land ownership, weakening their economic independence (Agarwal, 1994; Deininger et al., 2013).

   Citations: Agarwal (1994); Deininger et al. (2013).

10. Patriarchy is a pervasive cultural system enforcing female subordination, impacting workforce inclusion and resources.
    Patriarchy in India is deeply embedded in cultural norms, restricting women’s access to economic and social resources (Walby, 1990).

Citation: Walby (1990).

11. Patriarchal norms promote violence, son preference, and limit women’s health, education, and nutrition.
    Patriarchal structures perpetuate son preference and female neglect, leading to disparities in health, education, and nutrition for Indian women (Sen & Grown, 1987; Dasgupta, 1993).

Citations: Sen & Grown (1987); Dasgupta (1993).

12. Despite 33% reservation in local governance, women’s political leadership remains limited globally and in the USA.
    While India’s Panchayati Raj institutions reserve 33% of seats for women, women’s representation in higher political offices remains low. The USA has yet to elect a female president despite over 230 years as a democracy (Paxton & Hughes, 2017; Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2024).

Citations: Paxton & Hughes (2017); Inter-Parliamentary Union (2024).

13. “Panch-pati syndrome” exemplifies male-dominated local governance in India.
    Despite women’s electoral presence, male elites often dominate decision-making in local bodies, described as the “panch-pati syndrome” (Chattopadhyay & Duflo, 2004).

Citation: Chattopadhyay & Duflo (2004).

14. Women are underrepresented in administration and police forces (less than 10% in Indian police).
    Women constitute less than 10% of the police force in India, and senior bureaucratic positions are predominantly held by men (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2022; UN Women, 2019).

Citations: Ministry of Home Affairs (2022); UN Women (2019).

15. Low representation in parliament (under 20% women) leads to poorly drafted laws and legal gaps on issues like marital rape and domestic violence.
    Women occupy fewer than 20% of parliamentary seats in India, contributing to gaps in legislation on marital rape, domestic violence, and dowry-related issues (Nussbaum, 2000; Human Rights Watch, 2020).

Citations: Nussbaum (2000); Human Rights Watch (2020).

16. High-profile sexual harassment allegations within judiciary reveal deep-rooted patriarchal challenges in institutions.
    Cases such as allegations against the former Chief Justice of India show how entrenched patriarchal attitudes hinder justice and institutional reform (BBC News, 2019; The Wire, 2019).

Citations: BBC News (2019); The Wire (2019).