Phil Final Essay

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Truckee Meadows Community College *

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101

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Philosophy

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Oct 30, 2023

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The Caste System And The Women Lexie Hughes PHIL 101 Truckee Meadows Community College December 13th, 2019 In societies, there are two different kinds of social systems. There is the caste system and there is the class system. But the one I am going to be focused on is the caste system in India. A

caste system is a form of stratification in which your social and economic status is based on your birth. If you were born in a rich family, you were rich. If you were born in a poor family, you were poor. People are divided into groups based on their sex and are grouped according to their ability to work hard and be successful. The Indian Caste System is considered a closed system of stratification, which means that a person’s social status is obligated to which caste they were born into. There are limits on interaction and behavior with people from another social status. This paper will explore the various aspects of the Indian caste system and its effects on women. Imagine having no power on where you are put in the world and no choice. Before you may even talk or think for yourself, and decide what kind of person you marry, or have the dream job you have always wanted. The rights of a young woman are taken away. According to Manusmriti, the oldest textbook in Hinduism, “ the caste system is a set of prescribed unequal laws for other castes based upon their status in society and it justifies the caste system as a basis of order and regularity of society. ” To fully understand the intense vulnerability of these girls, You must first understand the structures behind the spiritual and cultural hierarchy. There are many reasons why women have been forced into this system. Girls as young as 11 are married to older men in a ceremony, where a red and white beaded necklace is tied around their necks, signifying a life of bondage and that they are then not allowed to marry any man, and implicitly become sex slaves for upper-caste men. Older women are often seen sitting around temples begging, their health in a horrible condition. With no way to earn money at their age, mothers themselves need their daughters to sell their bodies to feed the family and because of this, it leaves no scope of going to school for the little girl. This type of system is awful and it is not

okay to have these women go through this. “About 5,000 to 10,000 girls enter this life of sexual subjugation and subsequently prostitution every year. Most girls and women in India’s urban brothels come from Dalit, lower-caste, tribal, or minority communities, 90 percent of sex workers’ daughters in India follow their mothers into the same profession” (Sharma, 2014). I couldn't imagine growing up knowing I have to sacrifice my body without a choice and only being 11 and married to a guy who is way older than me. I can’t imagine what these women go through on a daily basis and how many health and mental issues they struggle with. Women being sexually abused by the upper castes in various forms is routine all across the country, lower castes were traditional dancers and performers and were never allowed to marry. However, upper caste men were allowed to keep them and if a child was born, only the mother would be responsible for its upbringing. In my opinion, I don’t know how this is even allowed and legal. I would be so miserable. In the article “Forced Prostitution” by Ruchira Gupta she talks about her experience with prostitution and how the men use different techniques to seduce them, which was by force or marrying them and because they don’t have access to legal protection and they don’t own property or bank accounts. They may also threaten girls with the shame they might bring on their families if they leave or the punishments they might suffer if they go to the police and often, they lure girls with alcohol or drugs. Once a girl or women enter prostitution it can be hard to leave. It’s not uncommon for pimps to use a variety of methods to force women to continue serving as prostitutes. In my opinion, women in the caste system are not treated equally. They are expected to be obedient and submissive to their husbands and the men are supposed to be strong and independent, while the

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women should stay home with their children and take care of them. This is a very unfair system that has been used for centuries by the ruling class. It is also unfair because there are many people who have been forced into the caste system for no apparent reason other than being born into a lower social class. In fact, most of these people are still living in poverty. But the way we can stop all of this from happening is to educate the women and children about the importance of education. Educating our children will help them become more responsible citizens in society. If they do not learn how to read and write, then they will never know what they should be doing with their lives. I believe that education is one of the best ways to change society. Education is important because it helps us understand ourselves better and make decisions on our own. If we don't have enough knowledge, then there is nothing to teach us and it makes us women better targets for men. Education is a very important part of life for many people, especially girls who are not used to that lifestyle. In conclusion, I really hope we can put a stop to it and make these women feel equal. I want these women to be able to speak up and not worry about punishment and consequences. They are human and they deserve their rights as women and they don’t deserve to be used as objects. Even in America today, we still have issues with sex trafficking. I hope one day women won’t fear men and have them be superior. I want them to have their own voice and change history. Change the caste system and take it away make it all equal rights like the United States Constitution with the right of freedom of religion and freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the protection of rights to life. Liberty and property, etc. If they developed a better constitution, I feel like there wouldn’t be a need for the caste system.

Works Cited https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2015/06/caste-and-prostitution/ http://www.halftheskymovement.org/issues/forced-prostitution.html http://ibread.org/bread/system/files/bread_wpapers/367.pdf https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&context=socssp

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manu-smriti https://wearyourvoicemag.com/more/social-justice/caste-system-india-feminist https://www.pbs.org/video/independent-lens-impact-indias-caste-system-women/ http://factsanddetails.com/india/People_and_Life/sub7_3c/entry-4169.html

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