ISSN (Print): 2328-3734, ISSN (Online): 2328-3696, ISSN (CD-ROM): 2328-3688 American International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences AIJRHASS 13-348; © 2013, AIJRHASS All Rights Reserved Page 95 AIJRHASS is a refereed, indexed, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary and open access journal published by International Association of Scientific Innovation and Research (IASIR), USA (An Association Unifying the Sciences, Engineering, and Applied Research) Available online at http://www.iasir.net PERSISTENT INEQUALITIES: GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN INTERIOR RURAL INDIA Dr. Sribas Goswami Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Serampore College, West Bengal, INDIA. I. Introduction Men and women may be innately different, but does not grant that this fact is particularly pertinent. Masculine and feminine modes of behaviour are relevant in as far as they reflect social expectations. Men and women enact different roles, because society expects them to act in these ways and reward them if they do, punishes them if they do not. The cultures of rural West Bengal are largely gender stratified, characterized by patrilineal descent, patrilocal residence, inheritance and succession practices that exclude women, and hierarchical relations in which the patriarch or his relatives have authority over family members. Through a variety of practices and institutions, a child acquires its earliest knowledge of its destined role in the family. Parents have different codes of behavior for boys and girls. Gender refers to roles, attitudes and values assigned by culture and society to women and men. These roles, attitudes and values define the behaviors of women and men and the relationship between them. They are created and maintained by social institutions such as families, governments, communities, schools, churches and media. Because of gender, certain roles, traits and characteristics are assigned or ascribed distinctly and strictly to Society's perceptions and value systems that instill an image of women as weak, dependent, subordinate, indecisive, emotional and submissive 1 . Men, on the other hand, are strong, independent, powerful, dominant, decisive and logical. Gender refers to socially constructed roles, which are likely to vary from society to another, and which change significantly as societies develop and evolve over time. Gender discrimination and patriarchal domination go hand in hand. The essence of gender discrimination is unequal power relations. The social instruments for perpetuating such unequal power relations is restricting access to property, and skill/education and ensuring control over female sexuality through restrictions on mobility and such other institutions like early marriage. Social resistance arising out of fears and misconceptions that education might alienates girls from tradition and social values. Girls are treated as Parayadhan – liabilities, hence parents attach less important to girls’ education. Stereotyped roles assigned to girls in society i.e. girls will look after the household and family. In spite of Constitutional guarantees, women are legally discriminated against in land and property rights. Most women do not own any property in their own names, and do not get a share of parental property. The majority of women go through life in a state of nutritional stress – they are anemic and malnourished. Girls and women face nutritional discrimination within the family, and often get less food than they need. The average Indian woman 1 See Arthur Power, "Conversations with James .Joyce", Modern Fiction Studies, 35, No.3, p. 4 1 1. Abstract: Generally women and girls in rural areas have a poor quality of life. The lack of basic services affects them the most. They have to spend considerable time collecting potable water and getting rid of wastewater. Looking after children who are frequently sick, husbands who do not earn adequately and can be drunk and trying to ensure that the family gets a meal every day. Women are most disadvantaged in slums. Girls have to look after younger siblings when both parents go to work. Combined with a traditional bias against educating girls they are often not sent to school or drop out at an early stage. As a result they are often anxiety prone and stressed. The unhealthy and polluted environment, lack of immunization, malnutrition and absence of educational exposure affects children in country sides. Sadly, their physical, emotional and intellectual growth is stunted from a very early age. The situation with respect to women’s health in the rural areas is no different; rather their health is neglected the most. This paper tries to bring out the issues that adversely affect the life of rural women in Bengal, India. Key words: Gender Discrimination, Malnutrition, dowry, Dependency, Subordination.