For Punjabi women, career now takes precedence over social life

The new breed of women in Punjab is happy to be single with a glossy degree, a well-heeled job and self-reliant.Harpreet Gujral, 24, is a standing example of beauty and brains. She teaches spoken English at a business-school in Chandigarh and aspires for better career opportunities.

By Sunil Sharma/Karan Kapoor

Chandigarh, Aug 27 : The new breed of women in Punjab is happy to be single with a glossy degree, a well-heeled job and self-reliant.Harpreet Gujral, 24, is a standing example of beauty and brains. She teaches spoken English at a business-school in Chandigarh and aspires for better career opportunities.

Like many career-oriented women in the metros, she is in no hurry to tie the knot.

Riding on big dreams and high hopes, Harpreet wants to take one step at a time.

"A woman should have her own identity. But, she should also know how to manage a home," says Harpreet.

Gone are the days when girls got graduated, she was married off. For Dr. Sherry Sabbarwal, Chairperson, Department of Sociology, Punjab University, marriage took a back seat.

"A big change has come in people's mind set. Now, parents realise that if the girl child is educated, she will be an earning member, unlike, earlier when parents would insist to get her married. Parents are now willing to allow their daughters finish studies and get a job, before she gets married. Parents are more confident and not paranoid at late marriage of a girl child," says Dr. Sabbarwal.

She, however, says: "Though the parents are not happy about it, either they talk it over, but do not insist on a girl getting married. That is a big change that has come around."

The percentage of female students is increasing at institutions of higher learning.

Today's women want a thriving and independent lifestyle. In a way, career has taken precedence over social life.

"If we will not think about our careers and simply think about marriage then what would we get in life. This life is given to us only once and we have to do lot of things in it. First we should think about our career and then social life," says Priya Juneja, a self-reliant woman. Educated and career-oriented women in Punjab's metros are heading towards the glorious path of self-determination and success.

Simultaneously, they are aware of the cultural ethos of the Indian society.

According to Census 2001, the share of working women the workforce in punjab has doubled since 1991, though the women share as the workforce in Punjab is still short of the national figure of 12.4 per cent.

Of the 21.18 lakh woman workforce in the State, 63 per cent are main workers while the other 37 per cent are marginal workers (who work for less than six months in a year).

The census data shows that 37.58 per cent of the total population of Punjab is engaged in gainful economic activities which include 8.70 per cent women. This is a substantial improvement over the last census (1991) when only 30.88 per cent, including 4.4 per cent woman workers, were engaged in gainful economic activities.

ANI