By Ramneet Kaur
WHAT IS GENDER INEQUALITY?
Treatment may arise from distinctions related to biology, psychology, or cultural norms prevalent in society. Some of these distinctions are empirical, others appear to be social constructs.
Gender inequality is a major obstacle to human development. Great efforts have been made by women to work towards a gender-equal society, but to no avail. From rigid and unequal gender roles at home and at work with mothers shouldering the brunt of the care and chores, to a lack of opportunities to study at will, gender inequality is part of our society to such an extent that it now appears normal to us.
GENDER INEQUALITY AND GENDER RELATIONSHIP IN INDIA
Gender inequality has been a crucial social problem in India for centuries.
The future of countless girls looks bleak, as the following stats show:
12.15 million children are married in India - 8.9 million are girls; Married girls are three times taller than boys. (2011 Census)
51% of all trafficking victims were children, with more than 80% being girls. (NCRB 2018)
There are 223 million child brides in India; 102 million were married before the age of 15 (UNICEF)
INDIA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN IN HISTORICAL TIMES
The regulations of Manu, the legislator, speak of women as responsibilities:
Women are said to have enjoyed much more independence in terms of marriageable age, choice of partner, and housework in earlier times. With the development of society, economy and religion, women started being seen as inferior to men.
The status of women continued to deteriorate after the Vedic period. Married women were considered part of their husband's wealth. The Purdah System led to the complete exclusion of women from society. They were treated as some kind of a perverted animal. Child marriages became widespread, leading to a decline in literacy among them. The man's untimely death was attributed to a woman's misdeeds and led to the practice of Sati Pratha.
With the onset of the British period there were some positive changes such as the abolition of sati, restrictions on child marriages and purdah etc. but practices such as dowry and prostitution were still widespread. The independence movement saw freedom fighters and political leaders like Gandhi championing women's rights and Independent India adopted and abolished several practices, acts and laws to protect women from inequality.
INDIA'S ATTITUDE TO GENDER EQUALITY IN RECENT YEARS
Despite relatively fast rates of economic growth, India's progress towards gender equality has
slowed.
Crimes against women are on an upward trend, particularly violent crimes such as rape, dowry killings and honor killings. The 'Me Too' movement is one such example of the growing crimes against women. Cultural institutions in India, particularly those of patrilineality (inheritance through male offspring) and patrilocality (married couples living with or near the husband's parents), play a central role in perpetuating gender inequality and ideas about gender-responsive behavior. Sons are preferred in families as they are seen as 'caregivers for parents in old age' which worsens the conditions of women and daughters in the society.
The dowry system, which involves a cash or in-kind payment from the bride's family to the groom at the time of marriage, is another institution that disempowers women. Even with the enactment of laws against this vile practise, the dowry payments have increased over time in all regions and socioeconomic groups. This often leads to dowry-related violence against women by their husbands and in-laws when dowries are deemed insufficient or to demand higher payments. These practices create incentives for parents not to have girls or to invest less in girls' health and education. These ideas are reflected in statistics.
In 2011, there were 919 girls under the age of six for every 1,000 boys, even though gender determination is illegal in India.
This reinforces the inferior status of Indian women and exposes them to domestic violence. According to the 2005-06 National Family and Health Survey, 37% of married women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of their spouse.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTS
Policy changes are the need of the hour. Initiatives should be taken to empower women as gender disparities in India persist even against the backdrop of economic growth.
The policy of women getting a mandated one-third representation in village-level governance is the right step towards this. It has even shown promising results with women-led villages showing signs of better representation of women in all spheres. Female leaders also serve as role models and encourage education for girls. Evaluations of this affirmative action policy have found that in villages led by women, the preferences of female residents are better represented, and women are more confident in reporting crimes against them which they may have felt ashamed to do before.
Another policy change aimed at equalising land inheritance rights between sons and daughters has been met with a more mixed response. While on the one hand, it led to an increase in educational attainment and age at marriage for daughters, on the other hand, it increased spousal conflict leading to more domestic violence.
With more empowerment schemes and initiatives, women participation in the labour market has also increased. This has led to an increase in age at marriage and childbearing, a drop in desired number of children, and an increase in school enrolment of younger girls not exposed to the programme. Recent initiatives on training and recruiting young women from rural areas for factory-based jobs in cities provide economic independence and social autonomy that they were unaccustomed to in their parental homes.
GENDER INEQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEN IN INDIA
Our society has a preconceived notion that only women suffer from inequality in the society but over the years it has been proved wrong. Traditional gender stereotypes not only affect women but also affect men. With economic development and inflation, it is hard for men to be the sole-breadwinners of the household which has been a prominent discriminative feature of the Indian society. Aspiring feminists talk about gender equality but not about equal responsibility-sharing.
Societal expectations of what and how a man should be adds to their suppression. Not only are there no laws to support men but there are some laws which blindly support women. Even with newer avenues and opportunities for women with laws and reservations, the idea of a man paying for the household hasn't changed. It has also been recognised by the law.
This mindset is supported by our Indian law system under section 125 CrPC wherein the husband is entitled to provide maintenance to his wife and minor kids even after divorce.
Under the idea of chivalry and gentlemanliness, men are expected to pay for dates, the Hindu Succession Act dectates that the will of a deceased child goes to the mother and not to the father and sexual offences, harrassment and rape against men are not even considered an issue.
Historically, rape was meant and defined as a crime against women. Abuse against men is considered taboo. People still think that men cannot be raped. Conservative thinking of society that men don't cry and men are strong enough to protect themselves is the sole reason why men do not report them being raped or harassed. One out of six men is sexually abused at some point in their lives, it is most probably a low estimate as most men suffer in silence.
There are innumerable cases where women utilize the law as a weapon to blame men which was intended to ensure them. The Indian laws which are intended to secure ladies also add to this falsehood. Misandry is the unnoticed problem which almost every man is facing. And solving this problem is not that easy as it is with women. Women should start paying for themselves. All the laws or rules which blindly favour women should be abolished or edited. Like women want men to give them support while fighting for equal rights, they should support men for their equal responsibility fight. Individuals should bring light to the issue, by ending the silence and urge men to share their issues. Policemen should not make men feel like it is an impossible thing when they file a complaint against harassment, rape, or sexual abuse.
GENDER INEQUALITY AGAINST THE LGBTQIA+++ COMMUNITY IN INDIA
Even though the community is now recognised in India, but we, as a society, are still far from accepting them and giving them their rights. They face constant bullying and harassment in their day to day lives which is a cause for concern as it is a violation of the laws under the Constitution.
It is essential for the government to shed away their conservatism and to take concrete steps to eliminate the stigma, discrimination, and abuse surrounding LGBTQIA+ people. The government should formulate new laws or amend existing laws on marriage, adoption, guardianship, inheritance educational institutions, employment, healthcare services, etc for the betterment of LGBTQIA+++ people with a special focus on Transgender Persons. It will lead to greater inclusiveness and will help in bringing the LGBTQIA+ into the mainstream of society and can go a long way in ‘transforming our nation sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society.
GETTING TO PARITY
For India to maintain its position as a global growth leader, more concerted efforts at local and national levels are needed to make it an equal society to live in. Laws need to be amended and changed through discussions and debates so as not to be biased and unequal. The Government needs to start taking more gender-equal steps and educating Indian children from an early age about the importance of gender equality could be a meaningful start in that direction.
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed herein are the author's own. This blog post includes information and hyperlinks sourced from various agencies and authorities. Proper credit is given to these sources to acknowledge their contributions and ensure compliance with copyright regulations.
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