Gender inequality in India, the
significance of being born as woman
It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless
the condition of women is improved
-Swami Vivekananda
Presented by :
P.SONAIMUTHU
Executive Director, SAADOW
Natham - 624401, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India, www.saadow.org, E-mail : saadows@gmail.com
India
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India's social structure is a unique blend of diverse
religions, cultures and racial groups.
All the great religion of the world, viz, the Hindus, the
Muslims, the Christians, etc, are found here.
There are 18 major literary languages, apart from
numerous other languages and dialects.
There is striking diversity between various
communities and groups in kinships and marriages
rites, customs, inheritance and modes of living.
Diversity is also seen in the pattern of rural as well as
urban settlements, community life, cultural and social
behaviour as also in the institutional framework.
The uniqueness of Indian social structure lies in its
“unity amidst diversity”
Gender Disparity
From ancient to present
 Women in ancient India were held in high esteem
 The position of a woman in the Vedas and the
Upanishads was that of a mother (maata) or
goddess (Devi).
 In the Manusmriti, woman was considered as a
precious being
 In the early Vedic age, girls were looked after with
care.
 The practice of polygamy deteriorated the status
of woman
Gender Disparity
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In the medieval period, the practices of purdha
system, dowry and sati came into being
With the passage of time, the status of woman was
lowered.
After the development of science and technology,
female foeticide is being practiced on a large scale.
This has led to a drop in the female ratio.
According to the census 2001, the sex ratio in India is
927 females to 1,000 males. Dowry have become
common.
Female infanticide practices in few areas
Gender Disparity
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In many parts of India, women are viewed as an
economic liability despite contribution in several
ways to our society and economy
The crime graph against women is increasing at
an alarming rate.
The condition of an Indian widow is quite
deplorable.
At home, the woman's contribution towards home
as a housewife is not recognized..
Domestic Violence, Rape, Sexual Exploitation,
molestation, eve-teasing, forced prostitution,
Sexual harassment at work places etc are a
common affair today
Disparity at Birth
Infant mortality
 Birth/growth/survival
 Foeticide/sex ratio 972/1000 in 2001
Maternal mortality
 27% are mm
 40-50% receive antenatal care
Infanticide
Sex ratio
 972/1000
Reasons
 Male Heir for the family
 Huge dowry
 Continued financial support to girl child
 Poverty
 Domestic violence
 Caste system
Methods of infanticide
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Feeding with Calotropis Procera & Euphorbia
Tricalli latex
Putting paddy in to the mouth
Not allowing to feed milk
Closing nose
More artificial feeding of milk
Covering with wet cloths
Live burial
Maternal mortality
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Health seeking behavior
Priority to male child than female child
Anemic fully growth potential
Malnutrition
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Reasons
The UN estimates that 2.1 million Indian children
die before reaching the age of 5 every year – four
every minute
Mostly from preventable illnesses such as
diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria, measles and
pneumonia.
Every day 1,000 Indian children die because of
diarrhoea alone.
At work
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Working environment
Unequal wages
Undignified treatment
Working in odd hours
Sexual harassment
Higher working hours
Engaged in harmful industries
Occupational hazards working roughly twice as
many hours as men
Nearly 27 percentage are accounted by unpaid
activities.
Violence against women
Forced in to subordinate position
 Every 42 minutes a sexual harassment occurs.
 Every 43 minutes a woman kidnapped.
 Every 93 minutes a woman is burnt a very dowry.
 Pre quarter of reported rapes involve girls under
the age of 16 years.
Restricted out-side participation
 Trafficking / selling of girl child
 Every 26 minutes women is molested.
 Every 34 minutes a rape take place.
Poor health care
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Neglecting during illness
Recognition of illness by herself
Health services as a last resort
Reluctance to be examined by male doctors
Lack of Education
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65.38% only, male 73.53% female 53.7
Poor literacy – gender gap in literacy rate
No higher education – up to Higher secondary
Economic Constraints
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Kept as dependants
No equal property rights - As against law
Loans of men is paid back by women
Economic uncertainty
Denial in inheritance of properties to orphaned /
deserted
Discriminative socialization process
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Customary practices
In household activities only (boys not allowed)
Restricted to play
Isolation / separation in schools/public places
Restricted to move freely
Detrimental cultural practices
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After marriage – husbands are dominating
Dominance from In-laws family / members
Never / rarely considered for any decision making
Can not support her parents
Limitations in continuing relationships with
brothers / sisters / relatives
Child / Early marriage
Patriarchal attitudes
Not able to continue girl/boy friends friendship
after marriage
In Governance
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After over sixty years of independence women are still
exploited
The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments have
provided 33 percent reservation for women in the
Panchayati Raj System
Panchayat / Parliament totally 790 seats by filling 6.6-8.4
percentage.
Women Reservation bill delayed
In PRI only in reserved seats (not in open Competition)/
cast disparity.
Men domination in administration
Social Advancement of women
Self Advancement
 Reflexive dimension of employment
 Assert themselves what they thought
 Self awareness
 Capacity building.
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Advancement as a group
 Enough group members/meetings
 Adequate support
 Intimacy / involvement/resources
 Decision making / problem solving ability/
leadership qualities enhancement/ participation
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Advancement of community
 Planning / implementation/ evaluation /bias
discrimination.
Economic advancement
 Right to choice/savings
 EDP skills/ marketing
 Information /linkages/external, internal resource
mobilization.
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Psychological advancement
 Fulfill helplessness
 Self respect/strong determination/ assertive
nature / motivation / win self confidence.
Social advancement
 Power distribution / Socio / equality
dissemination of knowledge about health
nutrition, literacy, education, freedom and
opportunities/ adoption of new practices
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Political advancement
 Decision making / political rights / participation
in political Campaign
 Ability to solve political issues
 Solving health and social problems
 Confronting exploitative power
 Public life participation
 Control over – their self confidence
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Educational Advancement
 Prime avenue of women empowerment.
 Break down of power stereotyping
 Legal understanding / rights / gender
sensitization / health education etc.
 Strengthen own income generation activities.
 Dalit empowerment / SHGs movement
Social Advancement of women
Contd…
Technological advancement
 Technical means and skills characteristic of
particular civilization group or period.
 Technology habitually designates the complex of
information, skills methods and machinery
required for the manufacture utilization and
making of useful objects – UNO source.
 Man - Mutual, Management, planning, organizing
etc.
Strategies for advancement of women
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Literacy
Formal Education
Give greater employment opportunity
Primary / secondary dropout of female child is
high.
Territory education is appreciable
Reservation / expenditure or provision of
services/ special provision like construction.
All rights, legal measures
Strategies for advancement of
women contd..
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Post literacy
Consolidate the basic literacy skills at speaking,
reading, and writing and problem solving at the
time.
Sustain the learning environment
Strategies for advancement of
women contd…
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Continuing education
Establishing a responsible and alternative
structure for life long learning, responding to the
needs of all sections of the society.
Supports grass root community.
Women learners educate their children.
Strategies for advancement of
women contd..
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Human rights education
To take control of their circumstances
Achieve their own goals, helping themselves,
enhance their quality of life
Motivate them for lobbying / advocacy
Strategies for advancement of
women Contd..
Skills development
 Availing skills through institutions/external
sources.
Cultural emancipation
 Motivate powerless/exploited
 Poor/oppressed / marginalized/ unvoiced
always by women culture of silence by Paulo
Ferrier.
Strategies for advancement of
women contd..
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Political participation
Slow process/ needs training
Knowledge on advocacy & lobbying
Knowledge on all development activities
Strategies for advancement of
women contd..
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Health education
Health care / Nutrition
Problems of early marriage
Mother and child health care
Small family norms
Diseases / communicable and non communicable
diseases /
RTI/STI/HIV and psychological issues
Strategies for advancement of
women contd..
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Capacity building
SHGs approach / savings /credits / leadership /
accounting etc.
Entrepreneurship development
Achieve women advancement improving income
regularly
Expand their decision making, acquire assets
Collaborators of Social advancement
of women
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NGO/ INGOs / NPOs
SHGs / CBOs
Policy makers
Local leaders
Information disseminators
Health care providers
Teachers
Family members
A nation's progress and prosperity can be
judged by the way it treats its women folk
Men must recognize and accept the fact that
women are equal partners in life
THANK YOU