Status of Women in Polyandry

The position of women in society has been explained in several different ways. Scholars have put forward diametrically opposite views regarding her place in different stages of civilization. On the one hand, she is conceived as little better than a slave or beast of burden, condemned to perform the hardest drudgery, bought as chattel and treated as such. On the other hand, she is viewed as the undisputed mistress of the family with all the powers relating to the house vested in her. There is so much variability in the relation of women to society that any general statement must be taken with caution. Her utility, her resourcefulness in domestic life, her refreshing company and the affectionate care of children have always proved to be a great asset to her partner in life and have, to a considerable extent, determined her status at different stages of civilization. The position of women in the polyandrous society is a little bit stranger if seen from a whole perspective. Polyandry in the Himalayas, as elsewhere, has been attributed to the poverty of the people. It has been practised long in some areas of Himachal Pradesh and it is worthwhile to note its effects on the life of the hill people in the various phases of their activities.