Karwa Chauth: Survey says women fast for love, not tradition

A majority of Indian women in a sample survey said they fast during Karwa Chauth as an expression of love, and not because of tradition or societal pressure.

The survey was conducted among 7,533 responses from Indian men (42%) and women (58%) aged 21 to 50 years, by matchmaking service Shaadi.com, to understand the perspective of men and women on the fasting ritual of Karwa Chauth, read a statement.

When women were asked why they fast during Karwa Chauth, 67% said 'as an expression of love', 25% said ‘a tradition' and 8% said ‘societal pressure'. When men were asked, why do they think their partners fast for them, 55% said ‘a tradition', 32% said ‘as an expression of love', 13% said ‘societal pressure'.

The data highlights the clear disparity that exists in the perspectives of men and women. To further understand this, women were asked ‘If you are fasting, would you want your partner to reciprocate the gesture', 75% said ‘Yes' and 25% said ‘No'. When men were asked the same question, 92% said, ‘They would want to reciprocate the gesture'.

Taking a closer look at the difference in views, women were asked, ‘If you are fasting, how would you like your your partner to reciprocate the gesture?', 76% said ‘Fasting with me', followed by 18% saying ‘Cooking for me' and 6% saying ‘Taking the day off to spend quality time together'.

When men were asked, ‘If your partner is fasting, how would you like to reciprocate the gesture?', 62% said ‘Taking the day off to spend quality time together', followed by 29% saying ‘fasting with her' and 9% saying ‘Cooking for her'.