Gender Inequality In India

Gender Inequality In India

Traditionally, Indian culture accords immense respect and honour to women. In fact, in the Vedas and the Upanishads, women are held in extremely high regard and considered to be mothers and goddesses.

Manusmriti also declares in verses 3.55–3.56 that “women must be honoured and adorned,” and that “where women are revered, the gods rejoice; but where they are not, no sacred rite bears any fruit.” that “a woman must never seek to live independently. However, in the medieval period, the practice of polygamy proved detrimental to the position of women in India. The situation became worse with the pardha, dowry, and Sati systems. 

Aside from infanticide and other injustices faced by women in India, one of the most serious is the dowry system, which has resulted in the deaths of many women. Dowry is prevalent in both urban and rural areas.

Apart from the dowry system, there is female infanticide. While there are several families now that understand the importance of the girl child, many others still want only a male child. This leads them to kill the female child, either in the womb or soon after her birth. 

Female infanticide is currently one of the country’s most serious problems. Kerala has the highest sex ratio, with 1,084 females for every 1,000 males, according to the 2011 Census. Haryana, on the other hand, has the lowest sex ratio, with only 877 women for every 1,000 males. Women are viewed as economic and financial liabilities in many parts of India despite their contributions to the society and the economy.

Another issue is crimes against women. Many go unreported due to family and societal pressure. Girl child rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence, molestation, forced prostitution, eve-teasing, marital rape, gang rape, and sexual exploitation are very common in India. Many workplaces, too, are not safe for women. They are harassed by male colleagues, especially those who are in a higher position. This is becoming an alarming issue.

Women from lower castes face the brunt of the different injustices against females in the country. 

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Types of Gender Inequality:

According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, India currently has seven types of gender inequalities. Here’s a brief overview of these:

Mortality Inequality: This is the inequality between men and women in terms of the mortality rate. India has a higher female infant mortality rate, leading men to be in a greater number in the overall population. Women in Indian society receive little or no healthcare and nutrition in comparison to men.

Natality Inequality: In this type of inequality, boys are given a preference over girls. It is observed in many male-dominated societies. It starts with parents wanting their newborn to be a boy rather than a girl. Sex-selective abortions are common in India due to the availability of modern techniques for determining the gender of the fetus despite of being a highly punishable act. 

Employment Inequality: In terms of employment and promotions, women frequently face discrimination. Men are given priority over women in terms of job opportunities and pay scales.

Ownership Inequality: Property ownership is unequal in many societies. In most parts of India, traditional property rights have favoured men for centuries. The absence of property claims does not only reduce women’s voices, but also makes it more difficult for them to enter and thrive in commercial, economic, and even some social activities.

Special Opportunity Inequality: Women lack basic facilities such as access to work opportunities, basic education, higher education, etc. 

Basic-Facility Inequality: Even when demographic characteristics do not reveal much or any anti-female bias activities, there are other ways in which women are treated unfairly. As mentioned before, several inequalities and injustices go unreported in the name of pride, honour, and respect. 

Household inequality: There are fundamental inequalities in gender relations within the family or a household. Even when there are no visible signs of anti-female activities in a family or house such as the preference for a son, female infanticide, etc., women are discriminated against when they want to work or live independently.

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Conclusion:

–       For every problem, there is a solution. To reduce gender inequality in India, the government should provide girls with free higher education to empower them.

–       The government should also provide them with opportunities to participate in active politics and social activities to facilitate their social integration into society. It should develop stringent government policies for gender equality in India to prevent sex identification and abortions.

–       Non-government organisations (NGOs) can play a significant role in eliminating gender inequality in India. Policies should be made to increase social welfare development. 

–      Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign can be successful if society’s attitude toward women changes on a micro-level.