As the community is fully literate, social progress had made great strides. Saraswat women are reputed for their beauty and accomplishments. They have more freedom, receive more education and have been exposed to the world outside their homes for decades. They have been working in their own community development projects but doing laudable work as devoted social workers in nationwide organizations. Thousands of Saraswats have traveled abroad, bringing a certain amount of Westernisation into their homes and ways of life.
The winds of change that education has brought have more or less blown away the cobwebs of social taboos and outdated customs, resulting in a voluntary acceptance of widow marriage, equal status for women, restrictions on the amount of the dowry and on other unwholesome practices. There has been a keen awareness of family planning.
A number of young Saraswats have married outside the community. There are many examples of Saraswats marrying Jews, Christians, Muslims, Parsis, foreigners, as well as Hindus of different castes and from different States.
