Unveiling Motherhood: Exploring Traditional Attitudes towards Women, Self-Sacrifice, Self-Esteem, and Emotional Resilience among Mothers

Abstract

Most Indian households follow a patriarchal system where women are expected to follow the conservative norms set up within the society. From their childhood watching these traditional norms, women form specific attitudes towards other women, affecting their self-esteem and emotional resilience over time. A major part of these traditional norms is the self-sacrifice women make after becoming mothers. The present study explores the impact that Traditional Attitudes Toward Women can have on Self-Sacrifice, Self-Esteem, and Emotional Resilience among Mothers. This exploratory, quantitative, cross-sectional study used purposive sampling and included 304 mothers aged 21-40 years, who completed the standardised Traditional Attitudes Toward Indian Women Scale, Self-Sacrifice Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale. Regression and Correlation analyses conducted using SPSS software (version 25) revealed that traditional attitudes significantly predicted lower self-esteem and were positively correlated with self-sacrifice and negatively correlated with emotional resilience. This study aims to amplify the voices of countless mothers and act as the catalyst for change within society, encouraging communities to foster environments where mothers feel valued for their individuality and autonomy.