Abstract
Abstract:
The gender issues have been prevailing in the Northeastern states since time immemorial. This paper is going to discuss the inequality status of women, gender discrimination and its consequences. If we analyse the meaning and significant of the term ‘Status of Women’ we can consider easily that it is a comparison to the position or category in between man and woman in society. In the history, the Vedic period is better known as the Golden Age regarding the status of Indian women and during the period they enjoy high status. It is true that geographically men and women occupy the same space, but the women are not treated equally in the society in acquiring education, taking care of health, participating in the political activities like decision making, and social, cultural and economic matters. Thus, women of the Northeast in particular and women of India in general are awarded always a lower status than men. Nobody can deny the fact that women in Northeast India have been facing various social, economic and political problems amidst continuous struggles against illiteracy, poverty, landlessness, poor health, eve-teasing, domestic violence, gender bias, discrimination of wages, prejudice in democratic participation in decision making etc. as forbidden by the customary laws.
In this article, deeply rooted unwritten men-made customary laws like gender discrimination, exploitation of women, domestic violence, inequality status of women in society, crisis of identity of women, economically dependent on others like their husbands or heads of the families, victims of domestic violence both physically and mentally accusing women of all household conflicts, willful lack of care and attention to them either by their husbands or other members of their family in laws etc. deprivation of inheritance of property, decision making etc. are termed as major concerns of the women of the Northeast in particular and India in general are analysed sincerely studying selected novels and short stories of Mitra Phukan and Jahnavi Barua giving emphasis in the writings of Anita Desai and Shashi Deshpande also