Solutions for NCERT Class 7 Civics Social and Political life ll Chapter 5 ‘Women Change the World’

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Find NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Civics Social and Political life ll Chapter 5 ‘Women Change the World’, here.

1. How do you think stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do, affect women’s right to equality?

Answer:

Stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do, affect women’s right to equality by depriving them of the right to choose which profession they want to pursue. Rather than allowing women to prove their competence in the fields of engineering and science, society encourages them to take up teaching or nursing for which women are naturally deemed fit.
Such stereotypes undermine women’s fight for equality and are responsible for women being considered inferior to men.

2. List one reason why learning the alphabet was so important for women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya.

Answer:

Learning the alphabet was important for women like Rashsundari Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya  because after learning to read and write, they were able to question the status of women in society. They could express their own experiences of inequality through their stories, letters and autobiographies. They gained a measure of independence and could help other women to become literate.

3. “Poor girls drop out of school because they are not interested in getting an education”. Re-read the last paragraph on page 62 and explain why this statement is not true.

Answer: 

Poor girls drop out of school not because they lack interest in studies, but out of compulsion. In rural and impoverished areas schools lack basic infrastructure like school buildings, blackboards, stationery etc, teachers are irregular, and no transport is available. Moreover, poor parents are unwilling to bear the cost of educating their daughters. Some also drop out because of discrimination by teachers and classmates.

4. Can you describe two methods of struggle that the women movements used to raise issues? If you had to organize a struggle against stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do, what method would you employ from the ones that you have read about? Why would you choose this particular method?

Answer:

Two methods of struggle used by the woman’s movement to raise issues are described below:

(i) Campaigning which entails coming out on the streets, approaching the courts and sharing information till an issue becomes a public issue which is picked up by the newspapers. It then spreads through society and becomes a powerful tool to fight discrimination and violence against women. Campaigns have resulted in a law being passed in 2006 which gives legal protection to women who are victims of domestic violence. Another effective campaign by the women’s movement led the Supreme Court in 1997 to formulate guidelines to protect women against sexual harassment at the workplace and in educational institutions.

(ii) Protesting: The women’s movement is quick to raise its voice against violations of women’s rights and dignity. Public rallies and demonstrations are a very potent way of drawing attention to injustices against women.

If I had to organize a struggle against stereotypes, about what women can or cannot do I would choose the method of raising awareness. It is an effective way to educate people about the issue and make them aware of the negative impact of stereotypes on women. It can change people’s attitudes and beliefs about women.

I would use various methods such as social media campaigns, public events, and educational programs to create awareness about the issue. These methods can help in reaching out to a large audience and create a positive change in society.

Solutions for In–Text questions of NCERT Class 7 Civics Social and Political life ll Chapter 5 ‘Women Change the World’

Textbook Page no 49

Draw images of the following:

See what images your class drew by filling in the table below. Add up the number of male and female images separately for each occupation.

Answer:

My class consists of 40 students. The table below indicates the responses of all the students:

Category	Male Image	Female Image
Teacher	8	32
Farmer	37	3
Factory worker	29	11
Nurse	0	40
Scientist	35	5
Pilot	37	3

1. Are there more images of men than women?
Answer:
Yes, there are more images of men than women.

2. In what kinds of jobs were there more images of men than women?
Answer:
There are more images of men as farmers, factory workers, scientists and pilots.

3. Have all the nurses been drawn as females? Why?
Answer:
Yes, all students have drawn nurses as females. This is because of the stereotype that women are more patient, gentle, caring and compassionate, so they are naturally inclined to be good nurses.

4. Are there fewer images of female farmers? If so, why?
Answer:
Yes, there are very few images of women as farmers because farming is considered to be a laborious activity requiring a lot of strength and stamina. Women are not considered to be strong enough to work long hours in the fields. Moreover, women do not own land. Most of the agricultural land belongs to men.

Page 50

Rosie Ma’am’s class has 30 children. She did the same exercise in her class and here is the result

Category	Male Image	Female Image
Teacher	5	25
Farmer	30	0
Factory worker	25	5
Nurse	0	30
Scientist	25	5
Pilot	27	3

1. How does your class exercise compare with Rosie Ma’am’s class exercise?
Answer:
The results of the survey in my class are more or less similar to the figures of Rosie Ma’am’s class. None of the children could conceive of a male nurse as the stereotype of a female nurse is so deeply ingrained in our minds. The only noticeable differences are that more students in my class opted for female factory workers than the students of Rosie Ma’am’s class, and three students in my class have drawn women as farmers while none have in Rosie ma’am’s class.

Textbook Page no 52

Read the story below and answer the questions –

1. If you were Xavier, what subject would you choose and why?
Answer:
If I were Xavier, I would choose History because I find it interesting and exciting.

2. In your experience, what are some of the other pressures that boys experience?
Answer:
Boys feel a lot of pressure because they have to live up to the prevailing stereotypes about them. They must always be strong, successful and the bread winner of the family. They must support and defend their family at all times.

Textbook Page No 56:

Study the table on Page 56 about the Average Annual Drop-out Rate in School Education (2014–15) and answer the questions below:

1. What percentage of children leave school at the upper primary level?
Answer:
At the upper primary level 4.03 per cent of the students leave school.

2. At which level of education do you see the highest percentage of children leaving?
Answer:
The highest percentage of students leave school at the secondary level.

3. Why do you think that the percentage of Adivasi girls and boys leaving school is higher than that of any other group?
Answer:
I think that reasons for the high number of Adivasi children leaving school are as follows:

• They face caste discrimination by teachers as well as by other children.
• They are so poor that parents can’t afford to send them to school, instead they are put to work like looking after cattle or helping in the fields.
• They have no means of transport to and from school as they live in remote areas so they have to walk great distances to reach school.

Textbook Page 57

From the given table, convert the figures of primary class children who leave school into a bar diagram. Two percentages have already been converted for you in the bar diagram on the left.

         Bar diagram showing Primary Class Children who leave school

Extra Questions NCERT Class 7 Civics Social and Political life ll Chapter 5 – ‘Women Change the World’

A. Multiple Choice type Questions (MCQ)

1. What is the percentage of women in India who are engaged in agricultural work?

(i) 50%
(ii) 75%
(iii) 83.6%
(iv) none of the above

2. How did Xavier’s parents feel about his report card?

(i) They were happy with it.
(ii) They were not happy with it.
(iii) They did not care about it.
(iv) None of the above.

3. What are some of the pressures that boys experience?

(i) To think about getting a job that will pay a good salary.
(ii) To behave like other boys.
(iii) Both A and B.
(iv) None of the above.

4. Who was Ramabai Pandita?

(i) An Indian social reformer.
(ii) A Sanskrit scholar.
(iii) The first woman to be awarded the titles of Pandita.
 (iv) All of the above.

5. What was Ramabai’s Mission?

(i) A school for boys.
(ii) A school for girls.
(iii) A mission to teach people how to read and write Sanskrit.
(iv) None of the above.

6. What special skills were women taught at Ramabai’s Mission in addition to reading and writing?

(i) Carpentry.
(ii) Running a printing press.
(iii) Both A and B.
(iv) None of the above.

7. Who is Laxmi Lakra?

(i) An army officer
(ii) The first woman engine driver for Northern Railways.
(ii) A nurse.
(iv) None of the above.

8. What subject did Laxmi study after school?

(i) Electronics.
(ii) Medicine.
(iii) Engineering.
(iv) None of the above.

9. Why do many girls not get the same support that boys do to study and train to become doctors and engineers?

 (i) Because of the stereotype that they arenot capable of dealing with technical things.
 (ii) Because they are encouraged by their families to see marriage as their main aim in life.
 (iii) Both A and B.
 (iv) None of the above.

10. Why do many people believe that women make better nurses?

(i) Because they are more intelligent than men.
(ii) Because they are thought to be more patient and gentler.
(iii) Because they are more hardworking than men.
(iv) None of the above.

11. What work did women do in the pottery trade?

(i) They collected the mud and prepared the earth for the pots.
(ii) They operated the wheel.
(iii) Both A and B.
(iv) None of the above

12. What was the position of girls in communities that taught sons to read write?
(i) They were allowed to learn the alphabet.
(ii) They were not allowed to learn the alphabet.
(iii) They were allowed to learn only if they were from wealthy families.
(iv) None of the above.

13. What did Rashsundari Devi’s long for?
(i) To become a saint.
(ii)To read a religious text
(iii)To write a book.
(iv) None of the above.

14. Why do many girls drop out of school in India today?

(i) Because they are not allowed to attend school.
(ii) Because of poverty, inadequate schooling facilities and discrimination.
(iii) Because they prefer to work instead of going to school.
(iv) None of the above.

15. For how many years is a Muslim girl likely to attend school according to the 2011 census?
(i)  Around five years.
(ii) Around two years.
(iii) Around three years.
(iv) None of the above.

Answers:

1. (iii) 83.6%
2. (ii) They were not happy with it.
3. (iii) Both A and B.
4. (iv) All of the above.
5. (iv) None of the above.
6. (iii) Both A and B.
7. (ii) The first woman engine driver for Northern Railways.
8. (i) Electronics
9. (iii) Both A and B.
10. (ii) Because they are thought to be more patient and gentler.
11. (i) They collected the mud and prepared the earth for the pots.
12. (ii) They were not allowed to learn the alphabet.
13. (ii) To read a religious text
14. (ii) Because of poverty, inadequate schooling facilities and discrimination
15. (iii) Around three years.

B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:

discrimination	appropriate	school	violence	elders
learning	movement	laws	skill	passed

1. Today it is difficult for us to imagine that _____ and _______ could be seen as ‘out of bounds” or not __________ for some children. But in the past the _______ of reading and writing was known to only a few. Most children learnt the work their families or ____ did. For girls, the situation was worse.

2.Campaigns to fight _________ and _________ against women are an important part of the woman’s ________. Campaigns have also led to new _____ being _____.

Answer:

1. Today it is difficult for us to imagine that school and learning could be seen as ‘Out of bounds” or not appropriate for some children. But in the past the skill of reading and writing was known to only a few. Most children learnt the work their families or elders did. For girls, the situation was worse.

2. Campaigns to fight discrimination and violence against women are an important part of the woman’s movement. Campaigns have also led to new laws being passed.

C. Match the words in column A with those in column B

A	B
Ramabai	Wrote autobiography titled “Amar Jiban “
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain	Passed in 2006
Rashsundari Devi	Formulated in 1997
Law for legal protection to victims of domestic violence	Founded Mission in Khedgaon, near  Pune in 1898
Guidelines formulated by the Supreme Court against sexual harrassment	Founded School for girls in Kolkata in 1910

Answer:

A	B
Ramabai	Founded Mission in Khedgaon, near  Pune in 1898
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain	Founded School for girls in Kolkata in 1910
Rashsundari Devi	Wrote autobiography titled “Amar Jiban “
Law for legal protection to victims of domestic violence	Passed in 2006
Guidelines formulated by the Supreme Court against sexual harrassment	Formulated in 1997 after campaign by women’s movement

D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:

1. India has a census every 15 years which counts the whole population of the country.

2. In the most recent census of 2011 the literacy rate was 65% for men and boys and 82% for women and girls.

3. in the 1980s  women’s groups efforts to highlight cases of young girls being murdered by their in-laws or husbands brought about a change in dowry laws to punish families who seek dowry.

4. Ramabai’s mission near Pune trained widows and poor women to become independent by teaching them skills like carpentry and printing.

5. Laxmi Lakra broke many stereotypes proving at every step that girls can do whatever boys can.

Answer:

1. False – India has a census every 10 years.

2. False – in the most recent census of 2011, the literacy rate for men and boys was found to be 82% while the literacy rate for women and girls was 65%.

3. True

4 True

5. True

E.  Very Short Answer type Questions:

1. What was Xavier’s favourite subject?
Answer:
Xavier’s favourite subject was history which he wanted to study.

2. What was Xavier’s parents’ main objection to Xavier’s desire to study history?
Answer:
Xavier’s parents’ main objection to his studying History was their fear that he would not be able to get a good job if he chose to study History.

3. How many women in India are engaged in agriculture?
Answer:
In India 83.6 per cent of working women are engaged in agriculture.

4. What kind of work do women do on farms?
Answer:
They are mostly involved in planting, weeding, harvesting and threshing.

5. Why do you think that despite such a large female workforce in agriculture, we still think of a farmer as a man?
Answer:
We typically think of a farmer as a man because it is men who own and run farms in our country. Women assist them.

6. Was schooling available to all in the nineteenth century?
Answer:
No, the skill of reading and writing was known to ony a few.

7. What did children learn?
Answer:
Children learnt the work their families or elders did.

8. What was the position of girls in families which taught their sons to read and write?
Answer:
Girls were not even allowed to learn the alphabet.

9. Why was Ramabai given the title  ‘Pandita’?
Answer:
She was given the title ‘Pandita’ since she became proficient in reading and writing Sanskrit. This was a remarkable achievement because women were not allowed such knowledge.

10. Who was Rashsundari Devi? How old was Rashsundari devi when she wrote her autobiography called “Amar Jiban”?
Answer:
Rashsundari Devi was a housewife from a rich landlord’s family. She was fifty years old when she wrote her autobiography “Amar Jiban”in Bangla.

11. What did Rashsundari Devi long for?
Answer:
Rashsundari Devi longed to learn to read so that she could read a religious manuscript .

12. What did Rashsundari Devi dream that she was reading?
Answer:
Rashsundari Devi dreamt that she was reading the manuscript of ‘Chaitanya bhagabat’.

13. Why were women prevented from learning to read and write in nineteenth century Bengal?
Answer:
At that time it was believed that if a woman learnt to read and write, she would bring bad luck to her husband and become a widow.

14. What was the title of the book written by Rokeya Sakhawat Hissain?
Answer:
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote a book titled “Sultana’s dream’ in 1905.

15. What is the Women’s Movement?
Answer:
The Women’s Movement is a struggle by women individually and collectively to bring about changes in spheres like legal reform, violence and health due to which the situation of women and girls has improved.

F. Short Answer Type Questions:

1. What was the contribution of daughters and women in families which were engaaged in pottery?

Answer:

In families engaged in the pottery trade, women collected the mud and prepared the earth for the pots. Their role was to assist the men. They were not allowed operate the wheel so they were not seen as potters. Women were seen in a supportive role merely.

2. What is the purpose of a census? What information may be gleaned from the census? What does the 2011 census reveal about literacy rate of men and women?

Answer:

 India has a census every ten years. The main purpose is to count the whole population of the country.

It also gathers information about the people living in India – their age, schooling, the work they do and so on. This information is used to measure many things like the number of literate people, and the ratio of men to women.

The 2011 census shows that 82% of the boys and men are literate and 65% of the girls and women are literate. The percentage of men and women who can read and have some amount of schooling has increased. But the percentage of literacy in the male group is still higher than the female group. The gap persists.

3. What was the theme of Rokeya’s book “Sultana’s dream”?

Answer:

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s wrote about an imaginary place called Ladyland which was a place where women were at liberty to study and work. They invented the method of controlling rain from clouds and flying air cars. In ladyland, men had been sent into seclusion after their aggressive guns and other weapons of war were vanquished by the brainpower of women. Her thoughts were far ahead of the times .

4. What did Rokeya do to help other girls?

Answer:

Rokeya’s own life was transformed after she learnt to read and write English with the support of her elder brother and sister.

Her education also gave her the power to dream and write and also to help other girls to go to school and have their own dreams. So in 1910 she started a school for girls in Kolkata and to this day, the school is still functioning. It is known as ‘Sakhawat Memorial Girls School’.

5. What is the significance of campaigns in the Women’s Movement?

Answer:

Campaigns launched to fight discrimination and violence against women are an important part of the Women’s Movement. Campaigns have also led to new laws being passed. In 2006 a law was passed to give victims of violence some legal protection. Efforts by the women’s movement also led to the Supreme Court to formulate guidelines in 1997 to protect women against sexual harassment at the workplace and within educational institutions.

G. Long answer Type Questions

1. What are the different pressures that children face in our society?

Answer:

• Children face a lot of pressure from the world around them.

• Sometimes it comes from adults. Well-meaning parents may unknowingly exert a lot of pressure on their children by the weight of their expectations. They try to impose their wishes instead of allowing their children to follow their desires.

• Girls are forced to getting married after school instead of pursuing their studies.

• At times peer pressure becomes stifling for children who have to choose between doing as their friends do which sometimes means going against their parents’ wishes and also their own in an attempt to fit in.

• Boys are pressurised to think about getting a well-paid job because social stereotypes expect him to be the bread-winner.

• They are not allowed to exhibit their emotions for fear of appearing weak and effiminate.

• They are bullied if they do not behave like other boys.

2. Write a short note about Ramabai’s achievements in championing the cause of women.

Answer:

Ramabai did not attend school but learnt to read and write from her parents.

She was given the title ‘pandita’ because of her knowledge of Sanskrit which was a remarkable achievement during times when women were not allowed such knowledge.

She became a champion for the cause of women’s education and went on to found a Mission in Khedgaon near Pune in 1898 .

Widows and poor women were taught a variety of unconventional skills from carpentry to running a printing press which are not taught to girls even now.

The Mission set up by Ramabai still exists.

3. What do you know of the struggle of Rashsundari Devi? How did she overcome the adverse circumstances and make her mark?

Answer:

Rashsundari Devi was a young housewife in a rich landlord’s family. Like most women of her times, she led a wretched existence since her marriage at the tender age of fourteen.

She worked hard from dawn to well after midnight busy with household chores. But she had an indomitable desire to learn to read despite the superstition that it would bring bad luck and she would become a widow if she learnt to read.

With great difficulty she taught herself to read and write in secret and after mastering the alphabet she was able to read the ‘Chaitanya Bhagabat’ which she had dreamt of reading.

Then she began to write about her everyday life experiences in details and at the age of 60, she wrote her autobiography called ‘Amar Jiban’which was the first known autobiography written by an Indian woman. Her writing gave a glimpse into the lives of women in those days.

4. What are the different strategies used by the women’s movement to voice their protest and champion the cause of women’s emancipation?

Answer: 

Women’s movement has used the following strategies to voice their protest and champion the cause of women’s emancipation:

Campaigning: 
Campaigns organised to fight discrimination and violence against women are among the most effective strategies of the women’s movement. Consistent campaigning led to enactment of a law in 2006 to give some legal protection to women who face physical and mental violence in their homes.
In 1997 the Supreme court was made to formulate guidelines to protect against sexual harassment at the workplace and in educational institutions after relentless campaigning by women’s groups.

Raising Awareness: 
An important tool of the women’s movement is to create public awareness on women’s rights and issues. Their message has been spread through street-plays, songs and public meetings. This is aimed at bringing a change from within by altering public opinion instead of imposing change forcefully.

Protesting: 
The women’s movements raise their voice in protest when any violation against women takes place or when a law or policy acts against their interests. Public rallies and demonstrations are very powerful ways of drawing attention to injustice.

Showing Solidarity: 
Women’s movement has also shown solidarity over other women and causes. Following the gruesome Nirbhaya case of December 2012, all women’s organisations came to protest and showed solidarity over the question of need for strict anti-rape laws in the country.

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