Poor and populous South Asia

Feudal patriarchy

In the second half of the 20th century, South Asia was the world's poorest region, the most illiterate and the most malnourished and sick, and women were the hardest hit. Still, South Asia became the region with the highest frequency of women national leaders: four of the nine countries have or have had a total of seven women heads of state and government.

The four countries are all post-colonial states. They were subject to the British Empire and won their independence after World War II – India and Pakistan in 1947, Sri Lanka in 1948, and Bangladesh, first, as part of Pakistan in 1947, then as an autonomous state in 1971. Gradually, they became members of the movement of non-aligned states. They were all agricultural countries, but natural conditions and economic development varied. In the years following independence, they generally had very low incomes, Bangladesh among the lowest in the world, though, by the end of the 1990s, Sri Lanka became a middle-income country. There were great social and economic inequalities related to geography, class, gender and caste. Elites got a Western university education, while poverty was widespread, particularly in Bangladesh and India, and partly in Pakistan.

The region was characterised by historical and cultural wealth, and the countries were marked by considerable diversity. In India, most people were Hindus; in Bangladesh and Pakistan, Moslems; and in Sri Lanka, Buddhists. However, minority groups presented nationalist claims on the basis of ethnicity, language and religion. The situation of women varied. In some places, they had greater freedom and higher status than in others. But, practically everywhere, feudal patriarchal social structures made women more or less subordinate to men. Strict gender roles, including purdah (seclusion of women) in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, were often deeply rooted. Even though women worked hard in the household and the informal sector, their efforts were usually invisible and neglected. They lacked education and health services, and were economically dependent and marginalised. In paid employment and public life, female participation was generally small.

Few women in politics

The struggle for universal suffrage took time in South Asia, and, afterwards, women had to fight to be able to make use of their political rights. In the early decades of the 20th century, women became involved in social and educational work and a few even in politics.