The Ramakrishna Mission is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the Ramakrishna Movement or the Vedanta Movement. As this mission bases its work on the Vedic principle of Karma Yoga, along with spiritual teaching, the organisation focuses on the socio-educational activities.
In this book a vivid presentation is made regarding the Educational and philanthropic activities done by this mission for the spread of qualitative education, skill development, medical facilities, vocational training among girls.
In the beginning the status of women and mission for women empowerment in global and Indian scenario is presented. Afterwards, the socio-cultural perception of Indian society towards women during the ancient, medieval and post-independence period and the individual and organisational initiatives, taken to ameliorate those conditions, are presented. In the following, the perception and contribution of three master minds, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sarada Devi and Vivekananda towards women empowerment are presented. Finally, the author shows the detailed works done by Ramakrishna mission in different places of West Bengal, India in order to provide quality education, medical facilities, and skill development in general and girls in particular.
Women empowerment is a global mission due to its very spirit of inclusive development irrespective of caste, sex, colour, ethnicity or other facets of disadvantages but in the country like India the unequal treatment of women, differentiation of role, responsibility and status between male and women has a long rooted socio-cultural perspective. As result women are perceived as culturally devalued group. Although constitutional, legislative and policy measures are taken by the government of India for safeguard and upliftment of women, but the present data regarding differential developmental indictors like literacy, health, income, socio-political participation show that the development has not happened up to mark or at per the other gender.
Table of Contents
Chapter-I Gender equality and Women Empowerment: International and Indian Scenario
Chapter-II Historical perspective of Status of Women in India
2.1 Women in Pre-Independence Era
2.2 Women in Post-Independence Era
Chapter-III Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa : The Source of Inspiration
3.1 Sri Sarada Devi: The Role Model of a Complete Woman
3.2 Swami Vivekananda: The Great Visionary
Chapter-IV Endeavours of Ramakrishna Mission sphere of education & philanthropic activities
4.1 Endeavour in sphere of Health and Socio-Cultural Activities
Chapter-V Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this work is to examine the multifaceted role of the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission in fostering women's empowerment in India. It explores how these spiritual and philanthropic organizations bridge the gap between historical socio-cultural marginalization and modern developmental needs through education, healthcare, and vocational training.
- Historical evolution of the status of women in India across different eras.
- The philosophical and spiritual foundations of women's empowerment as envisioned by Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda.
- Structural and functional measures undertaken by the Ramakrishna Mission to facilitate female education and skill development.
- The impact of institutional health and socio-cultural activities on rural and urban underprivileged women.
Excerpt from the Book
Sri Sarada Devi: The Role Model of a Complete Woman
Indian women have suffered from extreme levels of exploitation and were looked upon as menial slaves by the society for quite a long period. Nowadays women's position has undergone a drastic change from what it was in the past. Nevertheless, the overall condition is still not satisfactory. Rather we may say that the present situation is more complicated than the previous one as the problems of modern women are multi-dimensional. It is noteworthy that the contemporary female folk may have the solutions for their varied problems by pondering the lifestyle and the liberal outlook of Sarada Devi (1853 – 1920), the wife of Sri Ramakrishna. She was neither a leader of woman's movement nor a social reformer. However, her silent personality made the women understand how to lead a prestigious life without being arrogant and impatient. Behind her illiteracy and the rustic appearance, there was a dignified person who overcame all sorts of misery with confidence and prudence in the sixty-seven years of her life span.
Since her teen-age, Sarada Devi, the village-girl had shown her tremendous mental strength to face the critical situation with patience and to take her own decision intrepidly. According to the custom of child-marriage in nineteenth century Bengal, the bride should be taken to her father in law's house at her grown up age. However, we have already noticed that Sri Ramakrishna did not bring Sarada Devi to him in proper time, as he was fully involved in spiritual fervor. Obviously, rumours spread over the village in an exaggerated manner. Most of the neighbours tried to pull him down as maniac. The loose and taunting talks of the neighbouring women sometimes made Sarada Devi strongly hurt and anxious. Yet she neither lost her patience nor surrendered herself inactively in the hand of destiny.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter-I: This chapter provides an overview of the international and Indian scenario regarding gender equality and the global mission of women's empowerment.
Chapter-II: This section details the historical perspective of women's status in India, covering both the pre-independence and post-independence socio-cultural shifts.
Chapter-III: This chapter focuses on the inspirational influence of the trinity—Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda—on the movement for women's empowerment.
Chapter-IV: This chapter presents a detailed account of the educational, philanthropic, health, and socio-cultural initiatives undertaken by the Ramakrishna Mission.
Chapter-V: The concluding chapter synthesizes the research findings, reflecting on the ongoing efforts to fulfill the visionary dreams of Swami Vivekananda.
Keywords
Women Empowerment, Ramakrishna Mission, Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Indian Society, Education, Philanthropy, Socio-Cultural, Gender Equality, Vocational Training, Rural Development, Healthcare, Vedanta, Karma Yoga, Social Reform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the contribution of religious and spiritual organizations, specifically the Ramakrishna Mission, to the empowerment of women in India through structured social and educational interventions.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include historical gender discrimination, the spiritual philosophy behind empowerment, the life of Sarada Devi as a role model, and the practical implementation of education and health services by the mission.
What is the main research question of this study?
The work seeks to understand how non-governmental and religious organizations can effectively ameliorate the socio-cultural conditions of women and facilitate their path toward empowerment and self-reliance.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study utilizes a descriptive and historical analytical approach, reviewing societal changes and documenting the functional outcomes of the mission's various initiatives over time.
What does the main part of the book cover?
The main body examines the historical status of women, the philosophical inspiration derived from the Ramakrishna movement, and provides a detailed report on the schools, vocational training centers, and hospitals operated by the mission.
Which keywords best describe the content?
The most relevant keywords include Women Empowerment, Ramakrishna Mission, Social Reform, Education, and Healthcare.
How does the book characterize the influence of Sarada Devi?
Sarada Devi is depicted as the "ideal of modern womanhood," whose life of simplicity, patience, and silent strength serves as a dignified example of asserting independence within traditional constraints.
What is the significance of the "Endeavours of Ramakrishna Mission" chapter?
This chapter is significant as it provides empirical evidence and reports on the diverse branch centers of the mission, showing how their programs in education and healthcare directly lead to the economic and social betterment of women.
- Citation du texte
- Dr. Partha Sarathi Mallik (Auteur), Dr. Susmita Bandyopadhyay (Auteur), 2012, Women empowerment. The role of religious and spiritual organisations as exemplified by the Ramakrishna Mission, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/475171
