Page 142 - Journeys Through Society-7
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5. Women Change the World
Get Ready
Can you recognise who is the woman shown in the picture? Write a short note about her.
Clues: She is the first woman engine driver for Northern railways. She belongs to a poor tribal family in
Jharkhand.
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In this chapter, we will see how women have struggled However, nowadays, a large number of women are
for equality. They have ventured into uncharted areas breaking stereotypes and taking up professions that
by breaking stereotypes which were associated with were traditionally considered only suitable for men.
them.
Gender stereotyping has led to the development of a Wow Fact
mindset about the kind of work that can be associated Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi became a giant in
with each gender. Women are typically seen as international business when she was
homemakers while men are seen as breadwinners. appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and
Chairperson of PepsiCo, the second largest
For a very long time, women have been allowed to
food and beverage company in the world.
take up only those jobs which were considered safe for
She was the first woman to lead this food and
them. Hence, they became teachers or nurses, the beverage company and was only the 11th
roles that fit their image of a caregiver. Often, woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.
professions that require scientific or technical know-
how were not considered fit for women.
Thus, even today, people educate their boys to
become engineers, pilots, businessmen, AI Fact Technology Literacy
entrepreneurs and doctors. Girls, on the other hand, AI-powered job matching tools can help connect
are told to take up jobs which would not take up much women with job opportunities that align with their skills
of their time or can be conducted from their homes. and experience.
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