Women in India continue to face persistent challenges across time and space, reflecting deeply rooted societal norms and structural inequalities. One of the enduring issues is gender-based violence, which takes various forms such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, and dowry-related crimes. Despite legal advancements and increased awareness, the implementation of laws to protect women remains inconsistent, and societal attitudes often contribute to the underreporting of such incidents.
Economic disparities also pose significant challenges for women in India. While there has been progress in terms of education for women, their participation in the workforce remains lower than that of men. Additionally, women often encounter wage gaps and limited opportunities for career advancement. This economic inequality is exacerbated in rural areas where traditional gender roles are more entrenched, limiting women’s access to education and economic opportunities.
Another significant challenge is the prevalence of child marriage and the lack of reproductive rights. In some regions, girls are still forced into early marriages, depriving them of education and personal development. Moreover, limited access to reproductive healthcare and family planning information hinders women’s ability to make informed choices about their bodies and lives.
The persistence of patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes also contributes to the challenges faced by women in India. Deep-seated cultural norms often restrict women’s autonomy, reinforcing traditional roles and expectations. Changing these ingrained attitudes requires a comprehensive societal shift that involves education, media representation, and legal reforms.
Tag: Society of India.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, try to briefly write about the position of women in Indian society.
- In Body, write what are the challenges faced by women in both time and space.
- In Conclusion, try to assess the situation of women and suggest a way forward.
Answer:
J.L. Nehru: “India To awaken the people, it is the woman who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves”.
Women constitute around 48% of the population of India, still, they face multiple challenges. According to UNDP Gender Inequality (2019), India’s maternal mortality rate is over 174 deaths per 1 lakh live births, and the percentage of women in parliament is just around 14.5%. Nearly one-sixth of the world’s women live in India and many of them have adorned high offices like that of President, Prime minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition, yet innumerable women rarely step outside their homes.
Challenges Faced by Women in Time:
Ancient and medieval times: There was a lack of participation of women in the decision-making of Sabha and Simitis. Practices like polygamy, polyandry, etc. were prevalent and women were not given a share in the property and were treated as “paraya dhan”.
Modern times:
- Preference of son – The economic survey quoted ‘Son meta preference’, the phenomenon when the desire to have a son couple continues to produce children until a son is born. The Economic Survey has mentioned that the desire for a male child has created 21 million “unwanted” girls in India.
- The commodification of women: The women are either shown as docile homemakers or they are shown as sex symbols trying to convince the public at large to buy the product.
- The pink dollarisation of jobs: The women are mostly deemed fit for “pink-collar jobs” only, such as teachers, nurses, receptionists, babysitters, lecturers, etc. which have been stereotyped for women. This denies them opportunities in other fields.
- Health & Education: Health and education are widely neglected and compromised. Girls are not provided with adequate nutrition and are withdrawn from the education system at an early age for marriage.
- Female infanticide: Even though the practice is outlawed, 300,000 to 600,000 female fetuses are aborted every year in India because of the preference for boys, according to a 2011 study by The Lancet.
- Glass ceilings: Women in India face artificial barriers like stereotypes, media-related issues, and informal boundaries, which prevent them from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions. This can be reflected in an increasing wage gap between men and women.
- Hygiene: There is a lack of adequate sanitation facilities in India. Women are compelled to use open defecation and abuse during this is also a serious threat to them.
- Domestic crimes: Domestic violence, dowry, harassment, abuse, demolishing self-dignity such as triple talaq and crime in public places are frequent in India.
- Lack of representation and power: Women are not represented adequately in the Parliament and other administrative bodies and do not have adequate power and share in policy making and implementation.
- Poverty and feminization of old age are emerging in the present time. There is also a dual burden on women of work and family care.
Challenges Faced by Women in Space:
- In urban areas, women face various issues like crimes, sanitation, the burden of the care economy, the glass ceiling, unequal wages, etc.
- In rural areas there is a skewed sex ratio due to the migration of males, thus women are facing the feminization of agriculture, the burden of the patriarch, and poverty at the same time.
- In certain south Indian states, women are more empowered in comparison to certain northern states. Some southern states also show good indicators in parameters like education, health, etc.
Way Forward:
- Indian Society doesn’t need better laws but better implementation.
- Reservation in parliament for women must be implemented as soon as possible.
- The government must empower women through Self-help groups so that they can become financially independent.
- Affirmative action should be pursued by the government to induct more and more women into positions of authority.
- Supreme court judgments decriminalizing adultery and homosexuality, have reaffirmed women’s right to sexual autonomy.
Women’s empowerment is critical for achieving sustainable development and growth in the country. There is some improvement in the position of women due to the Constitutional, Legislative, and Administrative safeguards but still, there is a lot more to be done for gender parity. Movies like Padman and Toilet will help in challenging the hegemonic patriarchy. Apart from that, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative is a step in the right direction.
Conclusion
The challenges for women in India span various dimensions, including gender-based violence, economic disparities, limited reproductive rights, and deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that combines legal reforms, education, and cultural transformation to create a more equitable and inclusive society for women across time and space.
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