The
status of gender equality (or rather inequality ) in India today according to
The Global Gender Gap Report 2013, introduced by the World Economic Forum is
that India is ranked 101 among
136 countries that were assessed for women empowerment on social, economic and
political parameters. Technically gender inequality in India has narrowed over
the past year, but has the gap really reduced or is it only the narrow picture
of things actually happening. This is still a controversial question every citizen
of India asks to themselves especially women. Economic opportunities and health
facilities for women in the country are still among the poorest in south Asia,
according to another new survey. This shows the clearer picture of status of
gender equality in India.
No doubt that over the past few years India has
improved its ranking in the index , women have been moving forward in every
phase of the country from education to corporate to household and politics ,
but we still live in a country where women are tortured and harassed silently.
Women have grabbed each opportunity to improve their quality of life on one
hand but on the other hand the same woman is confined to a glass ceiling. Women
have been given reservation in various fields but the same woman is being
looked down upon in a workplace. The country boasts of a tradition of Ghungat (or
veil) over the head where on the other hand women are being molested and
murdered.
When the country is striving for a change , what
really has to be focused on are the factors of change. Like Swami
Vivekananda once said “It is impossible to think about the
welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved “ , the same
applies to the development of the country also. If the country has to develop ,
the root causes of setbacks have to be eliminated. One such root cause is
gender inequality. For many years women have been neglected and exploited.
Since the country is changing for the better , gender inequality has to be
stopped.
However even if women are being empowered
nowadays, it is not being implemented in all fields. Where women are being
provided a reservation quota , education of a girl child has to be equally
practiced. According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of
India , gender equality and woman empowerment are two sides of the same coin. To
improve the status of gender equality in India , the role of women have to be
redefined and communicated clearly . Previously when women were neglected ,
they were misinterpreted as shy and home bound , thus the characteristics women
then possessed were not exposed. But as time progressed , the thought process
of a nation changed , women are being given an opportunity to showcase their
abilities and move forward thus women are recognized for their skill today. This
is the basis for redefining a woman’s role in the society. She has been
transformed from a shy home-bound person to a confident and wise personality
who can manage a home and an office with the perfect balance and blend of wit ,
logic and emotions.
The society in our nation even today witnesses
son preference that deteriorates the sex ratio , gender differences in
education , marriage and spouse age differentials , employment , female
household headship , access to resources , gender relations , married women and
decision making , spousal violence , health , nutrition and demographic
outcomes.
It is shocking to find out that in some regions
of India , the sex ratio is very low which clearly signifies gender inequality
, when women in the cities have developed mentally and physically and have
occupied reputed positions like Managing Director , Chief Executive Officers
and even President of India, girl child is being aborted in the mother’s womb
in the backward regions. Thus in a move to protect the girl child , ultrasonic
tests to determine gender have been banned. The people have to understand that
its only the women who can take forward the generations of a nation.
Where the women in cities are career oriented ,
the girl in the backward regions is being forced to drop out of school so that
her male sibling is educated better. However school dropouts is also prevalent
with the male in backward regions , but less in comparison with women.
Marital age is also a major concern in India
specially in the backward regions where girls and boys are married at a tender
age when they are not ready for such responsibilities mentally and physically.
With child marriages , the women are more affected since this leads to
unnecessary pregnancy and abortion . The health of women is deteriorated and
life span also reduces as such. It is evident that the girl is not ready
physically for such things. Where love marriages and marriages from the same
occupation or education pertaining to similar ages is common in urban India ,
spousal age difference is a major concern in rural India and also some parts of
urban India. The spousal difference leads to increase abortions and failed
relationships.
In spite of being forward in workplace and home
in cities , the women in urban areas take up agriculture as a life to earn a
living . Very few women actually are employed in professional work places.
Another strange fact is that some women are not even paid in cash for the work
they do.
Female household leadership trend has been
increasing in the nation . Household
leadership when controlled by men is less economically vulnerable when compared
to women because women are more emotional probably. The access to media and
surroundings of women is very less compared to men. This shows that in spite of
moving forward there exists sections of women in the society who still are confined
to limited resources. This also shows that men are given more opportunities to
develop when compared to women.
Even today in spite of proving that women can
compete on par with men , a majority of men think that decision making in a
household can still not be joint and should only be male dominated. The rural
woman still doesn't have an authority over her husband’s earning and doesn't have a say in investment matters. Most of the time in spite of the woman being
wise in decision making , is not able to utilize her skill or make her family
benefit. Also at the professional workplace , women are not given a chance to
prove their mettle due to persistent issues like male chauvinism.
Safety of women in the house , on the streets and
in the workplace is also a controversial issue now. The law has defined strict
rules and regulations regarding safety of women but still crimes such as rape ,
harassment , molestation are prevalent in the country. The major reason behind
this is that very few laws are actually being executed in action.
Health and immunization is also a right to every
person of this society and gender inequality should not be practiced in such
areas instead care should be given to pregnant women and newly delivered
mothers and their babies. But this is hardly practiced in every household of
the society. This awareness is being spread drastically and has to be
implemented in speed. Many women are deprived of nutrition while the boy child is privileged with good
nutrition. Contraception awareness also has to be spread and executed.
After decades of gender inequality, when India
stands at the urge of slow development, a major step should be taken to
accelerate the progress of the nation. The root cause of gender inequality
should be eradicated such that according to the constitution of India the fact
that each and every person is equal in terms of law is practiced wholly. This
would only lead to harmony and peace and a better and brighter India.
