Towards Gender equality in India

Dr. Tina Bhat

The inclusive development of any nation depends upon the maximum human resource development of both men and women.Women constitute almost 50% of the human capital who actively contribute towards the economic prosperity of any nation. The economic status of women has undergone a paradigm shift due to liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation of trade. A massive change in the socio-economic status of women has resulted in the increased number of women workers participation not only in the fields of manufacturing or services but also in unorganised and/or micro enterprises due to improved access to education, technological advancement and increased employment opportunities. Although, the contribution of women in economic progress is consequently rising but developmental activities have benefited only a small segment of the women. The advancement of limited number of women at a glance showcase the glimpse of women empowerment whereas gazillion women of the society are still deprived to access to fundamental rights which results into undermining their real power.
Although, India is in the midst of a great revolution in the history of women empowerment but contradictions and gaps in protecting certain basic rights of women continue to exist as most of them are unaware of their rights due to lack of awareness, education and the oppressive tradition being patriarchal in nature.Therefore, Indian women are deprived of their fundamental right to dignity also leave alone the question of gender equality.It was against this background that the Government realised the need to prioritize the interests of women and their participation at every stage of the development process.
The present piece is also a way forward in mapping the various initiatives responsible for improving the well being of women in India-
Gender discrimination and harassment at Workplace: Attaining gender equality and overcoming all kinds of discrimination against women are fundamental human rights. Although women are entering into various sectors more than ever before but their contribution continue to lag being in the society dominated by men. The worth of her contribution including both paid and unpaid has not been correctly assessed. Further, domestic and care work is rarely given due recognition. They receive fewer promotions and differential compensation for the same work. Indian working women usually have less access to facilities and benefits including health care, transportation etc. Further, bosses or senior employees demand sexual favours and thereby, try to molest and blackmail them. However, many such incidents go unreported as victims’ fear of being shunned by their families. There are numerous women at workplacebeing victims of aggression and harassment experiencing psychological problems like depression, anger, anxiety, fear frustration, low self-esteem etc.
Marital Status Bias: Employers may be biased against married women as well as unmarried women in perceptions pertaining to employability that may further impact important decisions pertaining to promotions, lay off etc. Also, it is believed that single unmarried women possess fewer social responsibilities and are expected to perform for longer hours than married working women whereas, on the other hand, employers consider married men’s employability more favourable as compared to unmarried men. It is believed that with the increase in the financial responsibilities after marriage, men tend to exhibit increased stability, dedication, and commitment for their job profiles. Significantly, thus, marital status bias continues to exist as one of the major challenges being faced by women in India.
Domestic Violence: A Thomas Reuters Foundation survey puts that India is the fourth dangerous place in the world to live in. Further, it is estimated that more than half of all women killed worldwide are killed at the hands of men who are close to them including their fathers, brothers, husbands, uncles etc. It is because society has raised men who see women as their possessions rather than equal human beings. Thus, even though, Indian women are guaranteed constitutional dignity and equality but they continue to refuse to report against such honour killingsdue to socio-cultural contexts.
Rape: Rapes are considered as one of the worst form of crimes in India. The Annual report on National Crime Bureau 2019 advocated that India recorded an average of 88 per cases per day. The brutal gang rape of Nirbhaya in 2012 shook the nation’s consciousness that further prompted policy makers to make amendment to criminal law and come up with harsh punishment in rape and sexual assault cases.
Disparity in Education: The commitment to the Millennium Developmental Goals of universalisation of primary education, gender disparity continues to exist a major challenge in India.Despite the fact that Government of India has addressed societal issues concerning women education under the flagship of ‘Sarwa Shiksha Abhiyan’, cultural blocks continue to remain as greatest barriers in abolishing such disparities.While India has taken some measures on human development, its global standing on gender equality remains low. India’s ranking in the Global Gender Gap Report, commissioned by the World Economic Forum, declined from 108th in 2018 to 112th in 2020.
Therefore, the pace of economic progress should be linked with gender equality leading to sustainable development. Women should be regarded as leading actors in moving nation towards sustainability. Although, Indian Government is committed to improve the status of women in India, the legal set up in India has been constantly challenged by the existing gaps between policy and practice.Despite of formation of various rules and regulations by Indian Government to handle and control the crimes against women, the number and frequency of crimes against women are increasing every day. Significantly, thus, it is of utmost importance that, all national responses, in order to have the desired effects, place women and issues of their inclusion, socio-economic rights, equality and protection at their heart.
However, based on the foregoing discussion, the below mentioned are some of the suggestions for improving the well being of women in India:
* Ensuring legal protection of rights by developing legal literacy especially to women belonging to unorganised sectors.
* Encouraging formal and non formal training including awareness building campaigns so as to develop trade related proficiencies among girls and women in rural areas thereby eradicating gender stereotyping.
* Stimulating gender-sensitive budget initiatives at national and local levels supporting resource mobilisation for the welfare of women across sectors.
* Women’s unequal share of unpaid care work now increasingly recognised in mainstream economic policy discussions as a constraint to both economic growth and women’s economic empowerment.
* Resource mobilisation for enhancing women’s access to existing savings and credit schemes as well as facilitating programmes equipping women with capital and/or knowledge enhancing their economic empowerment.
* Women need to build more awareness about the ways to protect themselves from abuse and mistreatment regarded as major barriers with the course of betterment of their status in India.
* Women NGO’s and other organisations should strongly facilitate the movement of protecting human rights.
* Policy makers should ensure that women are includes in decision making process thereby, leading to better outcomes. CEO’s of giant corporations have the opportunity to prove effective governance in such difficult times by eradicating existing gender biases.
Thus the Millennium Development Goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment can be realised in India only when the traditional practices like female infanticide, dowry deaths, honour killings, domestic violence, or sexual abuse is eliminated. It is only then that gender equality and women’s empowerment can become areality.