What are the continued challenges for Women in India against time and space?. (UPSC IAS Mains 2019 General Studies Paper – 1)
Nearly one-sixth of the world’s women live in India and many of them had adorned high offices like that of President, Prime minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition, yet there are innumerable women who rarely step outside their homes. Challenges faced by Indian women emanates from Hegemonic patriarchy, which is prevalent in Indian society. It means the idea that discrimination against women appears to be common sense to such an extent that not only men but even women also become the supporter and perpetrator of the very notion which discriminates against them.
This leads to various problems like:
- Oppression against women starts right from the womb: Female infanticide. This can be reflected in poor child sex ratio, i.e. 919/1000 according to census 2011.
- Girls are the worst sufferer of the vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition. This is augmented by a lack of education and reproductive rights.
- The primary responsibility of taking care of family and bringing up the child is still on the women. This includes unpaid care work such as childcare, elderly care, and household work. Many women due to family pressures have to retreat from the workforce.
- Despite increasing levels of education and declining fertility rates, the current female LFPR is 23.7%.
- The women are either shown as docile homemakers or they are shown as sex symbols trying to convince the public at large to buy the product.
- The women are mostly deemed fit for “pink-collar jobs” only, such as teachers, nurses, receptionist, babysitter, lecturer etc. which have been stereotyped for women. This denies them opportunities in other fields
- Women in India face artificial barriers like stereotypes, media-related issues, informal boundaries, which prevent them from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions. This can be reflected in an increasing wage gap between men and women.
- #Metoo movement shed light on numerous instances of sexual harassment at the workplace. However, due to the slow judicial system, justice hasn’t been delivered to these women.
- Indian Parliament currently has 11.8% women representation, and state assemblies have only 9%. Even though the 73rd constitutional amendment act mandates 33% of panchayat seats to be reserved for women.
Road ahead
- Indian Society doesn’t need better laws but better implementation.
- Reservation in parliament for women must be implemented as soon as possible.
- The government must empower women through Self-help groups so that they can become financially independent.
- Affirmative action should be pursued by the government to induct more and more women into positions of authority.
- Supreme court judgement of decriminalizing adultery and homosexuality, have reaffirmed women’s right to sexual autonomy. However, Society has a larger responsibility to disassociate itself from the stigma attached to women’s sexuality.
- Women’s issues are not a political problem but a social issue, Hence it requires a cultural revolution. Movies like Padman and Toilet will help in challenging the hegemonic patriarchy.
- Apart from it, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative is a step in the right direction.
In order to improve the condition of Indian women, society must remember words of J.L. Nehru: “India To awaken the people, it is the woman who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves”.
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