It all started from the first feminist movements that took place in the late 1970s, tackling issues related to rape, dowry deaths, wife-beatings, and the first major protest that occurred due to the Mathura rape case where a 9-year-old girl was raped inside a police station. From there on, more gatherings, NGOs, party-affiliated women’s organizations, and various efforts gave greater media attention towards gender-inequality issues which led to more mobilization. Today, there is a better representation of women in politics, more economic opportunities, and better healthcare in many places in the world. Even though the world has worked towards achieving gender equality, we are still far away from building more equal and resilient societies and creating equitable policies and interventions. Gender inequality is so deep-rooted when it comes to Indian culture, that it has become the norm.
What drives this gap between genders and how can we fix it?
Inequality at birth
The oppression of girls and women in all stages and areas of their lives is 'Gender inequality'. This gender inequality begins in the womb of a woman in India. If a woman carries a male child, they are expected to get better quality prenatal care because India has some of the highest levels of sex discrimination at birth. According to the 2017 demographic data, India will remain to have the worst sex ratio even in 2050 in South Asia. The shocking 918 girls for 1,000 boys ratio (2011) has pushed the Indian government to take action. The ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ program was started up to provide survival, safety, and education to the girl children in our country.
Education, Work, & Healthcare
According to the World Economic Forum, it's educated guess states that it will take another century before true gender equality we dream of becomes a reality. Around the world, women still have less access to education compared to men. The primary school will not be finished by ¼ of young women between 15-24. That group itself makes up 58% of our people not finishing their basic education. ⅔ of the illiterate people in the world are women. A huge effect on their future and the kinds of opportunities women get are highly effected when girls are not educated on the same level as boys. To see it on a larger scale, only 6 countries in the world give women the same legal work rights as men. In fact, Women are only given ¾ the rights of men in most economies. The reason why women overall receive lower-quality medical care than men is linked to other gender inequality reasons such as a lack of education and job opportunities, which results in more women being in poverty. Affording good healthcare is less likely for women. Even in the situation where a woman is able to afford good healthcare, many women do experience discrimination and dismissal from their doctors which broadens the gender gap in healthcare quality. Even when it comes to disease research, the effects of disease on women are less researched compared to men.
The cause of gender inequality:
The participation rate of the female labor force in India is one of the lowest in the world. The division of jobs is also one of the reasons for this gender inequality. There is a belief in many societies that men are more apt to handle particular professions. A lot of times, these jobs are the ones that pay really well. Due to this discrimination, women have an overall lower income. Women take on the main responsibility for unpaid labor, which means even if they are participating in a paid workforce, they have work that is extra and never gets financially recognized. This employment group has been hit the hardest, especially during this pandemic. This leads to a risk of a permanent exit from the labor market for women. Women are likely to be over-represented among the new poor. This can have adverse effects on household wellbeing and food security for adolescents and small children. It would also mean lower schooling and poorer health outcomes in the next generation.
To a better future:
As long as we still fail to accept our differences and treat each other with respect, our society will still be tainted by the shackles of gender inequality. We can take steps right now to prevent our country from being hindered from progress to a better future. Starting from school, since young brains are developing and imbibing every message, it’s important to avoid separating children based on gender. Kids should be encouraged to be grouped together in activities to prevent children from thinking that their sex matters more than it needs to. If schools have major differences in dress code treatment towards males and females, unfairly targeting girls by body-shaming and blaming them for promoting sexual harassment, it can lead to self-consciousness, body monitoring, shame, and over-sexualization at a young age. Stopping child marriage and sexual harassment is important if we want girls to be able to complete education. Teaching consent to students is very important. Gender inequality allows for violence against women to continue unabated. Supporting women in non-traditional jobs is crucial in not only making a long-lasting change in their lives but also help break social taboos. Providing equal wages and equivalent positions in a work environment is important. Basically, as a society, we should learn to respect, support, and protect women.
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