Mr.Suhail Ahmad
A comparative study of
Hindu and Muslim Women
This book compares Hindu and Muslim women in the teaching and medical professions.The entry of women from Hindu and Muslim communities in these professions is determined by the opportunity for and level of education among these groups.It has been commonly understood that a barrier to the education of Muslim women lies in their religious beliefs.It is argued here that an explaination for the educational backwardness of women in general and Muslim women in particular can be found in gender exploitation in and the unequal economic structure of our society.This book challenge the received wisdom and conventional notions that locate the educational backwardness of Muslim women in their religious or cultural ethos.
The approach of this book is a departure from earlier studies of Muslim women in so far as it introduces a comparative dimensions of Hindu and Muslim women to understand the commonality and peculiarity of the obstacles women face in gaining access to opportunities in the civil sphere.This comparative perspective thus avoids looking at Muslim women in India within the context of Islam and in isolation of the community of which they are a part.Based on a countrywide survey of 140 respondents in places as wide and as disperse as Aligarh,Calicut,Hyderabad and Srinagar,this study brings out the crucial role played by variables such as family background ,the economic status and the social position,including ,personal inclinations and job opportunities.This work does not claim to have uncovered all variables of factors affecting the life of Hindu and Muslim women professionals.Its achievement the author hopes lies in providing some insights on a hitherto conventionally treated subject of Muslim women.
Contents: I. Introduction II. Education of Women: A Historical and Sociological Perspective III. Social Background of Women Professionals IV. Personal Profile of Women Professionals V. Concluding Observations PRICE : INRs 120 PAGES: 118