NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the world

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the world contains the answers to the exercises given in the NCERT History book. These solutions are easy and accurate that help you to answer the questions asked in the examinations. NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Civics Chapter 5 are prepared by our subject experts in very easy language. Practice these solutions regularly to ensure excellent marks in the exams.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 5

Question 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 forcing the society to give them certain roles and not allow them to take up other roles. This is unequal treatment because the choice of the woman is not considered and she is not free to do what she wants. This leads to fewer opportunities and rigid expectations from women in society and hampers innovation.

For example, if women are not allowed to take up technical roles due to the stereotype that women cannot handle technical things, then there will be fewer women scientists and hence, the lack of innovation.

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

Answer: It was by learning the alphabet that women like Rashundari Devi, Ramabai and Rokeya were able to write letters, stories and autobiographies which describes their own struggle against inequality prevalent in society.

Question 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: This statement is not true. On reading the information, we realize that girls from poor families drop out of school because their parents are unwilling to send them to school because of lack of money for transportation and education costs. There are no toilets for girls in some schools. Also, in many poor rural areas, there are no proper schools and teachers who teach on a regular basis. Hence, many poor girls drop out of schools.

Question 4: Can you describe two methods of struggle that the women’s movement used to raise issues? If you had to organise 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 that the women’s movement used to raise issues are by raising awareness and protesting. Women’s movements raise awareness on women’s rights issues. They spread their message through street plays, songs and public meetings. Women’s movements protest when violations against women happen or when a law or policy works against their interest.

I would choose the method of raising awareness as it will ensure that I will be able to put across my point of view effectively.

Extra Questions

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What is stereotype?

Answer: When we believe that people belonging to particular groups based on religion, wealth, language are bound to have certain fix characteristics or can only do a certain type of work, we create a stereotype.

2. Define discrimination.

Answer: When we do not treat people equally or with respect, we are indulging in discrimination. It happens when people or organisations act on their prejudices. Discrimination usually takes place when we treat someone differently or make a distinction.

3. What is violation?

Answer: Violation takes place when someone forcefully breaks the law or a rule or openly shows disrespect, we can say that he or she has committed a violation.

4. What is sexual harassment?

Answer: This refers to a physical or verbal behaviour that is of sexual in nature and against the wishes of a woman.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the popular beliefs about women’s jobs?

Answer: (i) It is a popular belief that women are good at only certain jobs as they lack scientific mind.

(ii) For example, many people believe that women make better nurses because they are more patient and gentle.

(iii) Likewise, it is believed that science requires a technical mind and girls and women are not capable of dealing with technical things.

2. How do boys and girls suffer from stereotype images?

Answer: (i) Because of stereotype images, girls and boys do not get the same support.

(ii) Once girls finish school, they are encouraged by their families to see marriage as their main aim of life.

(iii) Likewise, many girls do not get the same support that boys do to study and train to become doctors, engineers or professionals.

(iv) At times, boys are pressured to get a job with a good salary. Likewise, if boys don’t do so, they are teased by others.

3. How did Laxmi Lakra break the stereotype image regarding women?

Answer: Laxmi Lakra, a 27 years old woman from a poor tribal family in Jharkhand did a diploma in electronics. After overcoming many hardships in education she passed the railway board exam in her first attempt to become the first women engine driver for the Northern Railways. This is how she broke the stereotype image regarding women.

4. Why do girls from backward class not get adequate schooling in India?

Answer: Girls from backward class in India are not able to get proper schooling. The reasons for this are poverty, inadequate schooling facilities, discrimination, nonavailability of teachers and schools in remote areas, lack of proper transportation for a girl child, cost of education and preference given to boys.

Long Answer Questions

1. How has schooling and literacy scenario improved in the last few years?

Answer: (i) Today both boys and girls attend school in large numbers.

(ii) Still there remains a big gap between boys and girls. India does a census every 10 year, which counts the population of the whole country.

(iii) It gathers detailed information about people living in India, their age, schooling, what they do, etc.

(iv) This is used to measure literacy ratio and sex ratio. According to 1961 census, about 40% of all boys and men (7 years and above) were literate compared to just 15% of girls and women.

(v) In the 2001 census, this has risen to 76% for men and boys and 54% for girls and women.

(vi)This means that the percentage of people going to school has increased.

(vii) But the percentage of male group is still higher than the female groups. The gap has not gone away.

2. Write a note on the achievements of Rashsundari Devi.

Answer: (i) Rashsundari Devi (1800–1890) was born in West Bengal.

(ii) At the age of 60, she wrote her autobiography in Bangla called ‘Amar Jiban’, the first known autobiography written by an Indian woman.

(iii) She was a housewife from a rich landlord’s family.

(iv) She would do household work for the whole day but due to her longing, to study, she learnt to read a religious manuscript.

(v) After a lot of resentment, she started reading Chaitanya Bhagabat.

(vi) She used to read her son’s alphabet and practise them with the book she read.

(vii) After learning the alphabet, she was able to read the Chaitanya Bhagabat.

(viii) She learnt reading and writing against all odds and at a time when women’s status was in a bad condition.

3. Write a note on the achievements of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain.

Answer: (i) Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain belonged to a rich family of landlords and knew how to read and write Urdu.

(ii) She was stopped from learning Bangla and English. English was seen as a language which would expose girls to incorrect ideas.

(iii) She learnt Bangla and English with the support of her elder brother and sister.

(iv) She wrote a story titled ‘Sultana’s Dream’ in 1905 to practise her English skills.

(v) This story talked about a woman who reaches a place called Ladyland.

(vi) She dreamed for women’s education. In 1910, she started a school for girls in Kolkata which is still functioning.

4. How did the condition for women change in the nineteenth century?

Answer: (i) In the nineteenth century, many new ideas about education and learning emerged.

(ii) Schools became more common and communities that had never learnt reading and writing started sending their children to school.

(iii) However, girls still faced a lot of opposition in going to school.

(iv) Women struggled to learn to read and write.

5. How do girls from backward communities suffer in schooling?

Answer: (i) The rate of SC and ST girls who leave school is higher than the category ‘All Girls’.

(ii) This means that girls from Dalit (SC) and Adivasi (ST) are less likely to remain in school.

(iii) Further, the 2001 census showed that Muslim girls are less likely to complete primary school.

(iv) While a Muslim girl is likely to stay in school for around 3 years, girls from other communities spend around 4 years in school.

6. How has women’s movement gained momentum?

Answer: (i) Women and girls now study and do jobs.

(ii) Many areas like legal reform, course of action against various types of violence and health have improved for girls and women.

(iii) Women have individually and collectively struggled for these changes.

(iv) This struggle is known as the women’s movement.

(v) Many individual women and women’s organisations with men’s support are passionately involved in this struggle.

(vi) Different strategies like spreading awareness, campaigning fighting against discrimination and seeking justice have been used in this fight.

Hots (Higher Order Thinking Skills)

1. How was learning for change or school out of bounds for girls in earlier years?

Answer: (i) It is difficult to imagine today that schooling and learning was out of bounds for many children, specially girls.

(ii) The skill or reading and writing was not known to many.

(iii) Most children learnt the work their families or elders did.

(iv) For girls, the situation was worse. In communities that taught sons to read and write, daughters were not allowed to learn the alphabet.

(v) Even in families where pottery, weaving and craft were taught, role of women was only seen as a supporter.

(vi) They collected the mud and prepared the earth for the pots but not allowed to operate the wheel.

2. Give the contribution of Ramabai for women’s emancipation.

Answer: (i) Ramabai (1858–1922) championed the cause of women’s education.

(ii) She never went to school, but learnt to read and write from her parents.

(iii) She was called ‘Pandita’ as she could read and write Sanskrit when women were not allowed to learn.

(iv) She opened a mission in Khedgaon near Pune in 1898 where widows and poor women were taught to be literate and become independent by learning carpentry to running a printing press, skills still unknown today.

3. In what ways have women protested or led their movement?

Answer: Women’s protests or movements have taken place in the following ways:

Campaigning: The best way has been to campaign against discrimination and violence. It led to enactment of a law in 2006 to give justice to women who face physical and mental violence in their homes.

Raising Awareness: An important part of the women’s movements’ work is to raise public awareness on women’s rights issues. Their message has been spread through street-plays, songs and public meetings.

Protesting: The women’s movements have raised it to voice when 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. Like there was a struggle all over India against frequent rapes in India, specially after the Nirbhaya case of December 2012, where all women’s organisation came to protest and showed solidarity over strict anti-rape laws of the country.

Class 7 Civics Chapter 5 NCERT Questions and Answers

CBSE Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the world are given above. All our solutions are updated as per the latest CBSE Syllabus and Guidelines. Download these NCERT solutions for free from our app and use offline.

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