Abstract
BACKGROUND: Trivandrum is a place with better educational status for women. The aim of this study is to describe young women's attitude toward gender-equitable norms. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Trivandrum, using multistage cluster sampling method. Participants were 18-28-year-old married (n = 203) and unmarried (n = 104) women. The scales of domestic chores and daily life domain items and violence domain items from the compendium of gender scales were used to assess the attitude toward gender-equitable norms. Pearson Chi-square test was used to check the significance of the associations. RESULTS: The high support to gender-equitable norms on domestic chores and daily life domain was 29% and 18% and violence domain was 25% and 14% among unmarried and married women, respectively. Education was interrupted among 55% of married women due to marriage, pregnancy, childcare, and lack of resources. The ability to take final decision to work outside the home (32% vs. 45%) and in obtaining health care (65% vs. 73%) was low among married women compared to unmarried women. Higher education did not affect the attitude of young women toward gender-equitable norms on "violence domain," but the highly educated married women showed a slightly better support for "domestic chores and daily life domain" and had a major say in taking decisions on health-care seeking and work outside home. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the support for gender-equitable norms and the freedom in decision-making are not satisfactory among young women. Education alone cannot make rapid changes in the attitude of young women toward gender-equitable norms since it is strongly connected with social norms and practices.