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Mail Us
info@aastha-nishtha.org
Call Us
+91-9999474413
The struggle for equality has been a major concern of the women’s movement all over the world. Gender Inequality can be understood as the preference of one gender over another. In a patriarchal society as that of India, discrimination of girl child has been an issue which has been prevailing for a very long time now and exists even today. A male child is often understood as the successor of the family and receives far more privileges than the female child. Even though Article 15 of our constitution prohibits discrimination based on sex, this societal curse exists to such an extent that female foeticide and infanticide are still prevalent social practices in some parts of India.
The birth of the son is usually celebrated while the birth of a daughter is filled with remorse. All these differences are gender differences that are hence created by society. It has already an adverse impact on development agendas and consequently reduces economic growth. Gender inequality hence is a form of inequality that is distinctive from other forms of socio-economic inequalities. As per a UNDP report, India ranks 132 out of 187 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII). India ranks low partly because of its disproportionate ratio, with that of 914 females for every 1000 males.
The treatment of females has always been inferior irrespective of the sector involved, and despite the progress made by women in their respective fields, they continue to be the secondary recipients be it their education, healthcare, nourishment, employment, and emotional needs. Most of the females at a young age are very susceptible to drop out of school at a young age in backward settings to divert their focus on taking care of young siblings and family needs. India has more than 45 lakh girls under the age of 15 years who are married with children. Literacy for females in India stands at 65.46%, as compared to 82.14% for males, which is very poor. India scores disappointingly on overall female to male literacy and health rankings, with a 2013 ranking of 101 had an overall score of 0.6551, which is gravely concerning
There have been various laws for safeguarding women and eradicating the gender-exclusive treatment by our Parliament over the years; Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 was enacted to stop female foeticide and hold the declining sex ratio in India. The act banned prenatal sex determination. This process began in the early 1990s when ultrasound techniques gained widespread use in India. Social discrimination against women and a preference for sons had promoted such testing. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 was a legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from sexual harassment at their places of work. Consequentially, the Vishaka Guidelines were issued.
Despite the reforms in our law structure, patriarchy seems to rule the minds of the people in India, and customary laws are kept over the rule of law in the majority of rural settings even today. Therefore, as conscious citizens, we need to ensure the empowerment of female children not only in our homes but those near our establishments by educating and nourishing them. It is rightly said that when you support a single female, you uplift the whole family.
WE STAND AGAINST GENDER INEQUALITY!