India is a land of contrasts and diversity. Gender discrimination and bias has plagued the nation for centuries, so much so that the world thinks India is one of the worst places to live as a woman. India is also a nation of goddess worshipers and a land where people call their country their ‘mother’ – Bharat Mata.
Discrimination of women is prevalent across societies and cultures all over the world. While in some tribal and indigenous groups the female has more authority and better status as compared to their male counterparts, in most modern societies, in developing and developed nations alike, women face discrimination on personal and professional fronts. Swami Vivekanand once said,“There is no hope of rise for that family or country where there is no estimation of women, where they live in sadness’’. It’s time for us to relook and reaffirm women’s correct stature in society.
Women redefining their roles
Indian women are speeding ahead in every field one can think of. Science, technology, sports, armed forces, medicine, law enforcement, law, research and more. In fact, in the last decade, women marched ahead in unchartered territories that were once considered bastions of men. In redefining their roles in the society, women have come a long way ahead, treading a path that was long, arduous and full of challenges – physical, mental and societal.
Indian women have gone to space, deep-sea explorations, climbed the highest mountains, ran multi-national companies, led political parties, marched with the armed forces, flew jets and pioneered scientific research and technological developments. Women are the backbone of any society and the scaffold that holds families together.
In India, like the rest of the world, women and their role in society is a hot topic for discussion. Despite garnering support for gender equality from all quarters, including the men, a significant chunk of the male population in rural and urban India still believes that the role of women has been pre-defined – to manage the household, rear children and take care of the family. Social conditioning is an important factor, so much so that majority of the women also feel they have pre-determined and fixed role to play in a family and in society.
Sadly, most women tend to underestimate their achievements and potential. A patriarchal society expects a woman to be humble and polite. Women who are aggressive, driven and ambitious are often disregarded and their achievements dismissed. That’s where the perception deeply ingrained in our mindsets must change to give women their right place.
Women in India’s Independence movement
Women such as Rani Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu and myriad others played pivotal roles in India’s Independence movement. Indian women stood shoulder to shoulder with the men to bring India out of the shackles of the British. They rallied endlessly, marched for thousands of kilometres, faced lathis and bullets along with the men and completely embodied Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a free India and Swarajya. Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was the first in the world to recruit women to fight against the British.
The norms that bind women or curb their freedom are a product of the patriarchal form of society. In India, except for a few tribal groups and some communities in South India, society is predominantly patriarchal and consequentially a driver for gender-based discrimination.
Oppressive practices, orthodox traditions and the custom of submission of women have created bias that has now acquired the status of a norm pervading socio-economic groups and even across culturally diverse communities.
Discrimination at workplace
The Human Development Report 2015, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that the world over, women undertake most of the unpaid housework and care-giving work in their homes and communities. The statistics reveal the stark discrimination against women that exists in workplaces.
The report goes on to reveal that “due to disproportionate workload in terms of care giving duties, women most often have less time for other activities such as paid work and education”. In a sample of 62 countries, it is interesting to note that “on an average 4.5 hours a day were devoted by men to social life and leisure while for women, the number of hours was reduced to 3.9 in India.”
At workplace, women do not get paid on the same terms as their male counterparts. Part of the problem is lack of self-assurance and confidence in women to excercise their rights and the other part is presence of male superiors in the management who exercise personal bias. Many women drop out owing to lack of safety provisions at workplaces, often compounded by unsupportive families who use safety as an excuse to keep their women at home.
Not only there is a bias in hiring by organisations, there is a huge disparity in terms of remuneration, perks, facilities and provisions for promotion. Also, lack of creche, nursing rooms, even ‘clean’ toilets often dissuade women from working. Young mothers, pregnant women continuously face the fear of losing work.
Surprisingly, even educated working women seem socially conditioned to comply to the demands of their husbands and in-laws and give up their careers post marriage and take up their ‘duties’ of child-bearing, housekeeping, etc.
The Indian government has brought in several schemes and newer laws to support working women. More recently, the government introduced a law to increase the duration of ‘paid’ maternity leave making it one of the longest in the world now, a move providing relief to millions of to-be-mothers who struggle between pregnancy and work commitments.
Women-centric policies
India has come a long way, since Independence, in framing laws and policies to protect and empower women. More importantly, now more women are in the public sphere, catalysing change and creating spaces for women to be part of growing India.
Positive discrimination or affirmative action has been provided in the Indian Constitution for weaker sections of the society, such as women. Constitutional provisions, government schemes and local laws have helped reduce the gender gap. Also, the increased enrolment of girl child in primary and secondary schools, improved maternity benefits and maternal health have helped incorporate more women in the work force. Processes have now been put in place to prevent violence against women, reduce pay parity and prevent sexual harassment at workplace.
However, poor implementation of the law, insensitivity of the authorities and awry perception among the society and enforcement agents pose hurdles. Female foeticide is still rampant in several pockets across the country, dowry deaths and brutality are commonplace till date, women are at risk at workplaces, girl children and women are vulnerable to predators even within the confines of their homes and public apathy makes women prone to risks in public spaces.
Gender bias pervades all aspect of a woman’s existence, even before they are born. Bias affects their right to education, healthcare, vaccination, nutrition, employment, representation, justice and life.
Women are an untapped resource that can fight illiteracy, poverty, violence and other ills that plague modern societies. The potential of the fairer gender has been revealed throughout history in literature, science, even war. Women have come a long way fighting all biases and now work at par with men. The world today needs to recognise it.