GENDER DISCRIMINATION[ROOTED PROBLEM OF INDIA]

Keertika Singh

TECH55782

Gender Discrimination in INDIA

Gender Discrimination in the Indian Society has existed for generations. The sole reason for this disparity culture of India which involves dowry system, child marriage, preference of men over women in almost every field etc.

Preference of male child over female child is one of the main reason that contributes to promotion of gender discrimination. Sex ratio in India is 940 women per 1000 men. Especially in backward areas women are still being exploited and even killed.

Causes

One of the major cause gender discrimination is lack of education among females in India.

Increasing number of rape cases and sexual harassment against women all over the country has given strength to gender discrimination against women.

Women are often denied fundamental rights which are rightfully theirs.

Causes

Also in many organizations and places women are paid less when compared to men for the same job. This is a major factor as female gets suppressed as she does not earn as he men do.

Women still do not have the right to own the parental property in spite of the fact that constitution provides them this right.

Also there is less participation of women at the Central and State Level politics. As a result less or no policies are made for women.

Causes

Politicians making disgraceful statements about women and thinking of the men and society towards women has been a major cause that promotes this practice.

The male dominated society and lack of opposition and consequences against the disgraceful acts against women has been a major cause which promotes gender inequality and discrimination.

Female Foeticide

It is estimated that more than 10 million female foetuses have been illegally aborted in India.

Pre-natal sex-determination was banned in India in 1994, under the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act.

But there are still instances of killing of female child before birth. Especially in rural areas of the country.

Female foeticide has led to an increase in human trafficking. In 2011, 15,000 Indian women were bought and sold as brides in areas where foeticide has led to a lack of women.

Sex Ratio’s in India

Rape Cases

In last few years the number of rape cases have been higher than the no of runs scored by Virat Kohli in a calendar Year.

According to United Nations rapes and sexual harassment is a chief problem for India.

In India a new rape case is reported every 22 minutes.

There is a need that people change their mindset and understand that length of the fabric on a women’s body does not give the measure of her character.

Delhi and the NCR region has one of the highest rates of sexual harassments against women.

It has actually turned out to be the Bermuda Triangle for the rape victims as justice is almost impossible to find.

Literacy Rates

In India the literacy rates for women are very less i.e. 65.46% when compared to that of men i.e. 82.14.

People in India still do not encourage female education and they are suppressed in many rural areas of the country.

Also many fields in India such as sports, politics etc. are still male dominated.

Anti-Discrimination Acts Various anti-discrimination acts have been passed in

India. Some of them are as follows:- Hindu Succession Act, 1956 - Abolished the "limited

owner" status of women who owned property, amended in 2004 to give daughters equal inheritance rights with sons.

A new section, 376A has been added which states that if a person committing the offence of sexual assault, "inflicts an injury which causes the death of the person or causes the person to be in a persistent vegetative state shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 (PWDVA) which came into force in 2006, provides protection against marital rape or other forms of sexual perversions and domestic violence.

Some Solutions

The need of the hour is to educate women and upgrade their status in the society.

There is a need that females oppose all the social evils and take up jobs and responsibilities which are supposed to belong to the male domain.

Our culture encourages us to worship goddesses. We not only need to worship their idols but also respect them from the core of our heart.

India is a potential superpower, in order to remove the word potential we need to help women come shoulder to shoulder with men.

THANK YOU