Expat Insights on the Status of Women in India

chillibreeze writer — Elizabeth Wilder

Mini Namaskar eBook Written by Expat member of Mumbai Connexions

Although there are proportionally more working women in India than in any other country, the status of women is problematic. While women are not excluded from any drudgery or unskilled labor such as harvesting, mining, or manual work, they are not respected to the point that the government provides women-only cars on all trains for the womens’ protection.

If you are a female expatriate, you can expect to experience some frustrating moments with Indian men. Salesmen may not talk to you, and your driver may need to be trained to open your door or carry your luggage (not your spouse’s!) While no one will directly criticize your sense of dress, you may get a fair amount of unwanted attention in the form of rude stares or nasty kissy noises if you don’t cover up your chest and upper arms.

Expat standing with large stone carving of an elephant: India

For more information on current Indian culture, manners, nicknames, and what kind of gift to bring to your host, get the Mini Namaskar Mumbai guide, the book for expats by expats!

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—About our writer: Elizabeth Wilder is an expatriate American living in Mumbai. Previous overseas postings have included Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Fribourg, Switzerland. Elizabeth is a member of Mumbai Connexions, the largest expatriate women’s club in Mumbai. She volunteered to write Mini Namaskar Mumbai in order to provide the information compiled by hundreds of Mumbai Connexions members in an e-format to people relocating to Mumbai. In her previous life, Elizabeth was an expert in the area of low income housing and served on a number of non-profit boards of directors in her home town of Houston, Texas. Her personal motto is Why Not? Elizabeth is a mother of three grown children. Her hobbies include volunteer work with the NGO Muktangan, which provides English-medium education within the Mumbai public schools. She also enjoys travelling and sports of all kinds.

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