The Urban Women in Existential Crisis

Abstract

As of 2026, approximately 37.6 per cent of India's population lives in urban areas, totalling over 555 million people. The annual growth rate of the urban population exceeds 2 per cent. It is estimated that by 2050, the urban population will reach over 50 per cent.  The main characteristics of an urban area are high population density, predominance of non-agricultural occupations and advanced infrastructure. Correspondingly, there is a high level of heterogeneity, a fast-paced life and impersonal social relations. Urban women are victims of these vulnerabilities. In an effort to overcome the pressures of living, most of them take to employment. It requires education, skills, and competence to find a job. Those falling outside of it try to get involved in some income-generating activities, as mini or mega entrepreneurs, and become their own masters. However, due to a lack of technical competence, managerial skill, entrepreneurial talent, and, above all, financial backing, their efforts are undermined, keeping them struggling. At home, they are confronted with a huge pile of household work, caring for children and bonding with their spouse. Both together impact their ability to work-life balance. The urban environment has imposed an additional burden. The urban neighbourhoods are impersonal. Urban companionships are superficial. Workplace demands and societal perceptions, together with family expectations, torment her. She can neither be modern nor traditional. She has considerable freedom but is always under the scanner. She has many tasks to deliver, but is left with little authority or freedom to deliver. All this, deprived of a sense of security, the urban women feel miserable. Overcoming these existential struggles is a laborious task for an urban woman.