Men and women are the two holes of a perfect whole. Strength is borne of their union, their separation results in weakness. Gender equality is a human right that entitles all individuals irrespective of their gender to equal rights, opportunities, resources, awards, and responsibilities in all spheres of life. It ensures a level playing field for men and women alike. Despite huge advancements and a plethora of measures adopted by the government to address the gender gap, inequality still exists in India. In World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, 2021, India ranked 140 out of 156 countries and has fallen 28 places from last year. This slippage in rank is a red signal for India demanding affirmative response and greater momentum to inculcate women in the path of growth. When women are empowered, it benefits the entire family thus benefitting the society as a whole and these benefits have a ripple effect on the future generations.
Several intricate and often interconnected factors explain this phenomenon. Patriarchy is deeply rooted in our social system where men are privileged primary authority figures, occupying moral authority, roles of political leadership, and also control of prosperity and authority over women and children. Traditional cultural institutions in India, particularly patrilocality (married couples live with or near husband’s family) and patrilinality (inheritance through male descents) essentially perpetuate gender inequality where the women have been reduced to a secondary status within the household. The ‘inter-generational contract’ provides strong economic and social incentives for raising sons rather than daughters that are often viewed as a liability. High incidence of sex-selective practices and abortion of female foetus after a prenatal diagnostic test is an extensive contributing factor in the wide gaps in sex ratio at birth as the parental preference for sons is culturally ingrained which emanates from their importance as caregivers for parents in old age thus resulting in poorer consequences for daughters. Another system that disempowers women is dowry, which is gradually rising across all religion and socio-economic classes that sometimes result in violence, harassment, or even death of women. Crimes targeting women such as rape, dowry deaths, honour killing, domestic violence, forced prostitution, molestation, female genital mutilation are common affairs today that manifest historically unequal power relations between opposite gender. Women remain underrepresented at top positions in the workplace, face barriers when establishing and managing the business, and are deemed fit mostly for pink-collar jobs stereotyped for women such as lecturer, receptionist, nurses, babysitters etc., thus denying them opportunities in other fields. Lack of education, declining political participation along with continued workplace and economic difficulties contribute significantly to the low status of women in society. Gender inequality is studied in isolation where the governmental policies focus only on one gender in an attempt to empower women without focusing on the opposite gender also leads to a continued patriarchal mindset. Some economic vulnerability imposed on women finds a source from policy and political decisions that importunately deprive them of compensation in the form of paid maternity leave, equal pay for equal work, unemployment, and universal health. Gender inequality restricts not only access to opportunities and resources for women but also jeopardizes the life prospects of future generations.
We all are living in such orthodox and suffocating societies, where despite the fact that people can think rationally, they do not dare to do so. They act as ‘blindfolded puppets’ of the spoon feed beliefs, customs, and rationales. This makes them forget that they have their own mind to apply. The children in the earlier times were brought up hearing things like girls are considered as ‘kitchen lizards’ and nothing more than ‘just bodies.’ They will have to adjust and adapt according to each and every situation which comes in front of them. People, gone are those days. Are we still sleeping and snoring in the same era? Since then, the time has moved to infinity. Today girls are being given equal rights and opportunities and have started achieving recognition and respect in every field. Their spirits and guts have successfully cleared the dirty myth that women are considered to be the weaker sex. Today the girls are independent enough and do not want to be the prey of any social problem prevailing in the society for ages.
The preamble of the Indian Constitution aims of achieving social, economic, and political justice for everyone and to provide equality of status and opportunity to all its citizens. Article 15(1) of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the ground of sex and Article 15(3) empowers the State to make special provisions for women and children. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provide for 33% reservation for women in Panchayat and Municipalities. Various legislations to eliminate gender inequality are The Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987, The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Bill, The National Commission for Women Act, 1990, The Equal Remuneration Act, 1973, Section 304B of the Indian Penal Code that punishes dowry death with life imprisonment and Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, makes women absolute owners of their properties. Few government schemes which aim at eradicating gender disparity are the National Mission for Empowerment of Women which strengthens processes to promote the overall development of women, One Stop Centre provides integrated support and aid to women affected by violence, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh extends microfinance services to ensure socio-economic upliftment of poor women, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio and confirms protection and survival of girl child, National Nutrition Mission aims to attain a Suposhit Bharat along with improving the nutritional status of pregnant women and lactating mothers, Mahila e-Haat is a direct online digital marketing platform for women entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups and NGOs.
Gender-neutral laws would be more efficient in reducing the gender gap, for instance, guaranteed paid paternity leave along with maternity leave and gender-neutral rape laws. More social, market, and household integration by generating awareness through sensitization programs and removing prejudices will ensure parity among genders and contribute largely to increased growth. The literacy gap must be reduced by providing better infrastructure, increasing enrolment and retention rates of girls, and ensuring their safety in schools. Priority should be given to reproductive and sexual health, rights, and safety of women along with ensuring comprehensive, quality, and affordable healthcare thus enabling them to participate proficiently in public life. The minimum marriage age of females should be increased from 18 to 21 in a bid to fight health complications and harm to educational prospects and psychological well-being. Ensuring the economic independence of women by improving financial literacy, vocational and technical training, marketable skills, and access to financial services and economic assets is crucial. Generating employment opportunities for women with a healthy working environment, equal salary, skill training, anti-discrimination laws, entrusting work at par with men, and promotion to higher posts will be a huge step in the right direction. Improving the prevention of violence and violence response system by community-based and concerted sensitization mechanism is important. Change in mindset and attitude of family, society, and female members too is crucial which is culturally conditioned to look upon women as inferior, subordinate, and weaker to men. Real education begins at home, thus incorporating healthy values right from the beginning will go a long way. Women need to come together as a unifying force and break free from the same exploitative system of patriarchy and face the world fearlessly. Swami Vivekananda rightly said that “Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing only, a Nation cannot march forward if the women are left behind.”
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