The Theme of Woman empowerment in the short stories of Shakshi Deshpande A Critical Study

Abstract

In the middle class Indian society women had been dependent on men who denied them social and economic libtery and thus the women remained deprived of equality and self-identity in the past. They had to live and work under age-old inhuman convention made by male-oriented society. The women had to survive with great hardship. newline The social reformers and some of the leaders started working to bring reforms in their conditions and for which they launched many programmes of social reforms. Even after the Independence women had to face the problem of gender discrimination. The orthodox philosophers also thought that women had no existence of their own. They have to depend on men for their whole life in every stage of life. Man treated woman as a breeding machine of the children and nothing more. newline Besides the social workers, the literary writers also focussed their attention on the pitiable conditions of the women in India and they mirrored their miserable social and economic predicament in their women. The women writers specially pointed out the problems of women with their humanistic zeal and launched a crusade to improve their social and economic condition and strongly pleaded for their self-respect and self-identity through their works. newline During the last decade there has been much emphasis on the issue of social rights, economic liberty and woman empowerment. It has bear a point of debate on social and political forum among the social workers and political leaders. Many non-political organizations of women have come into existence to look after the welfare of women. newline In the present time many rallies are organized to bring awareness for the rights of women and the slogans like Beti-Bachao and Beti Padhegi To Desh Badhega have been given for giving a place of honour and self dignity to women. newline Among the modern India Women writers in English Shashi Deshpande besides other women writers also took up the theme of women empowerment and she strongly pleads for woman to lead the life of respect and dignity.