• India is set to become the most populous country on the globe with about 1.4 billion people, about half of them being women.
• Empowering women in India by providing equal opportunities would lead to inclusive growth of the economy.
• Women’s childhood, adulthood, and old age have been transformed over the course of the demographic transition and have affected them in both positive and negative ways.

Challenges and Rights of Women in Indian Society:

Preference for male child:

• Social norms, patrilocal kinship patterns and lack of financial security increase the preference for sons.
• Indian families began to have fewer children due to which the chance of bearing a son was reduced.
• Parents who wanted at least one son, resorted to sex-selective abortion and neglected sick daughters.
• Consequently, the number of girls (under five years) per 100 boys, dropped to 91 in 2019.

Early marriage and childbearing:

• Even though women’s education has increased with over 70% of girls enrolling in secondary education, early marriage and childbearing are still predominant forces defining their lives.
• The number of years women spend caring for children under five declined from 14 years in 1992-93 to eight in 2018-20, and the years spent caring for children ages six to 15 dropped from 20 to 14 years.
• Women miss the window for occupation and skill development as they are raising children.
• Hence, lower fertility does not translate into higher labour force participation for women.

Women in Workforce:

• There has been significant participation of women in the workforce, and high positions in various fields like politics, business, and entertainment.
• Several programs and policies aimed at improving women’s health, education, and economic opportunities have led to this transformation.
• However, there is a prevalence of gender-based violence and harassment, including domestic violence, dowry-related violence, and harassment at the workplace.
• It restricts social, physical, and mental well-being and decreases their participation in society.

Rights of women:

• Right to equality- Article 14 guarantees the right to equality to all citizens, regardless of their gender.
• Right to education- The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, makes it mandatory for all children, including girls, between the ages of 6 and 14 to receive education.
• Right to work -The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, ensures that men and women receive equal pay for the same work.
• Right against sexual harassment- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 and Vishakha guidelines by the Supreme court (SC) provide the framework for addressing complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace.
• Right to property- The Hindu Succession Act, 1956, was amended in 2005 to give equal inheritance rights to daughters in Hindu families.
• Right for marriage and divorce- The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, SC judgments on Shah Bano and Triple Talaq cases give clarity on such rights.
• Right to health- Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, provides women with paid maternity leave and other benefits during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Right against domestic violence- The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, provides legal protection to women from physical, emotional, and verbal abuse by their spouses or relatives.

Women in old age:

• The life expectancy of people has increased since the past few decades due to which female population aged 65 and above increased from 5% to 11% between 1950 and 2022.
• Most women marry men who are older and are more likely to outlive their husbands.
• The 2011 Census shows that only 18% of men above age 65 are widowed, and about 55% of the women are widowed.
• They suffer due to the lack of access to finances and property and depend on their children, mainly sons.

Harnessing Gender Dividend:

What is Gender dividend?

• The realization of economic potential through increased investments in women and girls, is known as gender dividend.
• It emphasizes that societies could be more productive and equitable if gender gaps, particularly in the labor market, were closed.

Why does it need to be addressed?

• Changing patriarchal norms may take a long time, enhancing access of women to employment and assets will reduce their dependence and could break the vicious cycle of gendered disadvantage.
• However, efforts at improving women’s labour force participation must be accompanied by access to safe and affordable childcare.
• World Bank report from Madhya Pradesh found that the expansion of Anganwadis to include a crèche, increased work participation of mothers.
• A study based in urban China found that if state support for childcare declined, employment rates for mothers fell from 88% to 66%.

Initiatives to Harness the Gender Dividend:

Economic Participation & Opportunity:

• To enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial and Vocational Training Institutes at National and regional levels.
• Many enabling provisions were included in the new Labour Codes for creating a congenial work environment for women workers.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) mandates that at least one third of the jobs under the scheme should be given to women.
• Provisions for women’s participation in non-conventional sectors such as fighter pilots in Indian Air Force, Commandos, Central Police Forces, admissions in Sainik Schools, etc. have been incorporated.

Health and Education:

• Various schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Swachh Vidyalaya Mission, etc. ensure that schools are girl-friendly.
• The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 prioritizes gender equity and ensures equitable access to quality education with special emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan: Prime Minister''s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) has specific targets for reducing stunting, anaemia, under-nutrition and low birth weight.

Improving access to childcare:

• To make staffing crèche an acceptable form of work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
• This scheme can be used to develop social infrastructure while building physical infrastructure.
• Self-help group movement can be harnessed to set up neighborhood child-care centres in urban and rural areas.

Social Sector:

• Steps for ensuring social enhancement and security for women include the Universalization of Women Helpline, Child Protection Services Scheme, Swadhar Greh Scheme, Ujjawala Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
• Initiatives like Women Help Desks (WHDs) at Police Stations, formation of Nirbhaya Fund including Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which is a pan-India single number (112), Stree Manoraksha at One Stop Centres (OSCs) for psycho-social and mental health care needs of aggrieved women.

Political Participation:

• To bring women into the mainstream of political leadership at the grass root level, government has reserved 33% of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women.
• Capacity Building of Panchayat Stakeholders including Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) by Ministry of Panchayati Raj is conducted.

  Monitoring and collaboration by engaging stakeholders at regional, national and international (like World Economic Forum) levels need to be done. Identification of Reform Areas and Reform Actions in consultation with concerned Ministries and Departments can bring resilience and unique solutions for addressing gender dividend.