Woman working at a meat shop in Aizawl. Post Photo
A recent survey conducted by Mizoram Presbyterian Church’s synod social front has revealed that women outnumbered their male counterparts even in the male-friendly workplaces like butcher houses and stone quarries.
Women constitute 54 per cent of work force in different government offices and 71 per cent in commercial establishments, like restaurants, shops and vegetable markets.
Even in what is considered to be male-friendly workplace like stone quarry, 62 per cent of the workers belong to the weaker sex, the study revealed.
Most of the women working in stone quarries are engaged in chipping stones. In the teaching profession, women are outnumbered by men with the fairer sex constituting 36 per cent of the total number of teachers from middle school to university.
While 51.5 per cent of students from middle school to higher secondary are female, their ratio among the university students is 47 per cent. The study further revealed that people between 45 to 65 years of age constitute the major workforce in Mizoram.
Only nine per cent of the workforce in Mizoram belong to 18-35 age group, while 58 per cent are aged between 45 t o 65. Another 33 per cent are a ged between 35 to 45, the survey revealed.
The participation of women in workplaces appeared to have increased, compared to a similar research conducted by Dr Lalhriatpuii two years back. According this woman researcher’s book ‘Economic Participation of Women in Mizoram’, the weaker sex constitutes 43.98 per cent of t he total workforce.
Like in any tribal society, w omen were confined to household chores in olden Mizo society. The significant increase of women’s participation in the economy of the society may be attributed to the women empowerment propagated by women organisations, the most influential one being Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl or Mizo women federation, which has branches across the state.
“The organisation’s decade of campaign for women empowerment has clearly reflected in the participation of women in the state’s economy,” said B Sangkhumi, president of MHIP.
Women dominating workplaces, however, does not mean encroachment on men’s authority. The women leader said their members were taught to respect men’s authority as a result of which Mizo society still follows strict patriarchal system.
The other two areas where w omen hold their heads high are education and competitive examinations. Women have held top positions in high school board, university and competitive examinations for the last many years.
When the European missionaries set up schools in Mizoram in the early 20th century, the students were mainly boys as girls were not allowed by their parents to learn.
Now, more and more Mizo girls have joined professions like medical, engineering, mass media and communication, management, computer engineering and IT.
Many Mizo women have also become contractors and suppliers, doing brisk business with the state government.
However, there are still some areas where women empowerment does not work – church and politics.
Though the Presbyterian Church, the largest denomination in Mizoram, has m any women theologians, woman ordination seems still a far cry. In politics, only three women have been elected to the state assembly since its inception in 1972.
Lalhlimpuii, who was made social welfare minister in the short-lived Laldenga ministry in 1987-88, was the only woman minister the state has ever had.