Gender Discrimination and its Impact

There are different forms of social upheavals existing in society and gender discrimination is the most common element among them. It is the unfairness or biased feeling, which is experienced by a particular gender as opposed to the other gender in any given context. Gender Discrimination may devoid an individual of equal opportunities to thrive in the chosen path of life. The Millennium Development Goals put forth by the United Nations contains Gender Equality as one of the most pertinent subjects to be discussed and improved globally. Elimination of gender disparity shall undoubtedly remove the obstacles in reaching the desired millennium and sustainable development goals in different environmental settings.

Gender discrimination

The concept of Gender Discrimination has gained much importance because there have been cases of human rights violations flooding in several nooks and corners of society. Historically, men were positioned at better economic, social as well as political hierarchies than women. However, there have been many initiatives taken by the administrative bodies to curb this situation and remove women from second-class status. Although much has been done on the forefront, there still lie many gaps which must be fulfilled to make India a Discrimination free country. The roots of Gender Discrimination are sowed right from childhood, and it continues to strengthen as time passes. There are several reasons which disproportionately impact the women of the country by limiting their opportunities in different phases of life. The common causes of Gender Discrimination in India are talked about further.

Causes of Gender Discrimination

As mentioned earlier, the seeds of discrimination begin to grow right from the childhood stage, where the family and the close relatives differentiate boys and girls based on pre-existing norms with respect to the kind of opportunities as well as resources that are present with them. Awareness of Gender Discrimination, and its impact, is the main cause of this social evil. Boys are often encouraged to participate in physical activities, academics, outside work and so on, whereas girls are mostly prohibited from doing activities that involve running errands. The girls are usually encouraged to take up household chores and remain indoors, following the instructions given to them by the elders of the home. This is mostly witnessed in the rural areas, where people still carry prejudiced thoughts and beliefs against women. The most common reasons which promote such thoughts are lack of education and educational infrastructure, meagre work opportunities, segregation of jobs, deprivation of autonomy for women, scarcity of legal help and protection, inaccessibility to proper healthcare, orthodox culture supporting only men in religious practices, racism, and the most vital aspect, i.e., lack of women in political power or position.

Examples of Gender Discrimination in India and Abroad

The educational institutions, especially in the rural areas, have fewer girls enrolled in schools than boys. The lack of resources such as money, stationery, infrastructure etc. magnifies this cause even more. The nations where social conflicts are a regular topic of discussion have girls more likely to drop out of education than boys. A widely known social evil, i.e., child marriage, is an impelling cause that forces girls to get rid of education. A survey was done by “Save the Children Organization”, and it has found that by the year 2025, approximately 2.5 million young girls are at risk of getting married. This surge in child-marriage practices has become prevalent because of the pandemic. It is highly unlikely that one has not heard about violence based on gender. Different kinds of violence have been experienced by both men and women such as sexual violence, honour and dowry killing, prostitution, gender mutilation and several other harmful activities that have come to the forefront.

Eliminating Gender Inequality

Gender equality is a fundamental right for men, women, and LGBTQ groups as well. Achieving gender equality goals is an important step towards making the world a better place to live in. Abandoning the wrong practices and supporting all the genders equally to enjoy their fundamental rights is the right thing to do in the 21st century. The administrative bodies must advance in empowering the individuals by providing the right kind of infrastructure, tools, and skills necessary to grab a respectable place in society. The right step towards attaining a discrimination-free country would be to start right from the scratch. Reaching out to the small children, educating them, promoting the good cause are some of the right measures one must undertake to eradicate gender discrimination from the nation.

Conclusion

The societal demarcation of men and women is probably the igniting force of Gender Discrimination. Having the right mindset and attitude towards all genders is extremely important for the development of individuals and the nation at large. It has been more than seven decades since India got its independence. However, some voids still hinder the social growth of the nation. Gender Discrimination in India is one such huge void that needs to be filled with good hopes, positivity, and equal opportunities for all. Thus, the future of the nation is in the hands of the youth, who can contribute to society by shattering the pre-existing norms and spreading positivity around the world.