Towards Equality – The Need for Gender Justice – India Foundation

“In the first eight months of 2024, the issue of women’s equality has repeatedly surfaced, particularly at the national level. Some of the most notable incidents include:

• A senior MP, Ms Jaya Bachchan, protested against being called Jaya Amitabh Bachchan by the Speaker of the Upper House. “Sir, only Jaya Bachchan would have sufficed,” she said, stressing her concern that women are identified only by their husbands’ names, as if “they have no identity of their own.”⁽ⁱ⁾
• The Justice Hema Committee’s damning report on sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. Released on 19 August 2024, it presents a damning indictment of the widespread and systematic sexual harassment that affects women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
• The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman doctor in a state ruled by a woman Chief Minister. The case, when heard in the Apex Court, prompted the Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud, to describe the incident as “horrific” and “horrorous”.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
• The sexual assault of two young girls under the age of five in a village school in Badalpur, Maharashtra, has led to nationwide protests.^(iv)

These events have led to widespread condemnation from the public, experts, administrators and politicians, highlighting the unfortunate state of affairs regarding women’s safety and equality in our country. Despite various initiatives, rape and sexual abuse continue to plague women and girls worldwide. Statistics show that Sweden, known for its development and progressive laws and attitudes towards women, has the second highest reported rape rate in the world. Therefore, the knee-jerk reaction to label India or Bharat as the “rape capital” of the world is both immature and unfair.

However, it cannot be ignored that even today, when we are the fifth largest economy and the fastest growing economy in the world, with both the largest and youngest population, women are still at risk to their safety in their homes, workplaces and public spaces. Women also earn significantly less than men and work much harder, yet own less than 30% of the agricultural land.

It is also true that, particularly in the last decade, significant steps have been taken to introduce and strengthen laws to protect women and encourage their increased participation in economic activities. Initiatives such as the Jan-Dhan programme, the Triple Talaq Act, the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, the Six-month Maternity Leave Act for new mothers, and many other such measures have had a positive impact on the lives of women across India.

Despite all these efforts, the situation on the ground shows that equality is still a distant dream for women in India. Socio-cultural factors such as religion, customary practices, lower levels of education, limited access to finance, lack of skills training, poor access to justice, early marriage and pervasive patriarchy prevent women from getting an equal chance. In the Global Gender Gap Report, India ranks 18th from the bottom; we rank 17th from the bottom out of 153 countries included in the 2023 report.^(v)

How do we change this situation? It is clear that more is needed than just making laws. Creating supportive infrastructure helps, but does not always ensure that women can use such facilities equally. There are also significant differences among women themselves. It cannot be assumed that all women promote or practice gender equality. The state, that is, the government, cannot achieve this alone. We, the people, must also play our part.

As mentioned earlier, India has the youngest population in the world, with a staggering 50% of its population under the age of 25 and 65% under the age of 35. According to 2022 data from the World Bank, 48.41% of India’s population is female. These women pose both a significant challenge – if not given equal opportunities to participate – and a huge advantage in helping India achieve its dream of becoming the world’s third-largest economy.

In India, women do an average of seven hours of unpaid housework per day, while men do less than three hours. It is known that women’s unpaid care and domestic work allows men to “go out and earn”. This also means that women who work outside the home often have a “double burden”, where they have to perform household chores alongside their professional responsibilities. Despite this, women still lag far behind men when it comes to owning fixed assets such as land and housing. It is known that the peak years of productivity coincide with the best years for having children.

Furthermore, women are generally paid less than men and often lack access to essential facilities such as toilets and lavatories. Such factors naturally limit the ability of women to maximize their productivity. For example, over 70% of women in India work in agriculture and construction. How often do we see or hear of female agricultural workers not giving birth in hospitals but at home to minimize days off? Similarly, it is common to see young children and even babies born to female construction workers on construction sites.

Despite these challenges, there are many shining examples of Indian women who inspire generations to participate in nation building. From Rani Ahilyabai Holkar to Rani Lakshmi of Jhansi, from Sarojini Naidu to Indira Gandhi, from PT Usha to Saina Nehwal and many other notables, India has a history of women’s leadership. And the dramatic growth of social media has vastly improved access for girls and women who strive for greater equality.

However, we need to think out of the box.

For example, questions should be included in the next census to gain insight into which groups of women need more support and access to empowerment, when these women need it, and what kind of support they need most.

India also urgently needs investment in childcare. Instead of providing benefits to women who do not work outside the home, it makes more sense to provide accessible and affordable childcare, even at subsidized rates if necessary. This approach will contribute significantly to GDP. The care of the elderly also needs to be addressed. The government should explore ways to support middle and lower income groups in these two areas. Both are likely to yield significant economic benefits, such as lower health care costs, higher productivity for women and more employment for semi-skilled workers. The spin-offs are clear.

A largely unexplored path to gender equality is sports. We already have several sportswomen who have praised our country and inspired millions of young, aspiring Indian girls. Sports is not just about winning medals; it promotes discipline, improves physical and mental health, improves socialization, builds self-esteem and offers new economic opportunities. Yet, too few girls get the chance to participate in sports.

It would not be out of place to highlight Abhinav Bindra’s unique effort to grow a sporting culture in India. Bindra is the first Indian to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Olympics. Unfortunately, his foundation’s initiative in Orissa and Assam is significantly underplayed. In partnership with the Olympic Values ​​Education Programme, this initiative aims to improve lives and build better communities by providing access to sports to over 15 million children (both boys and girls) in these two states. Thus, sports can be a low-cost, inclusive force for progress and development. This example can be easily replicated nationwide and will significantly improve the lives of many youngsters, including girls.

India is known for its traditional, age-old knowledge of health, beauty and textiles. An untapped treasure of such knowledge lies with our women and is still largely unexploited because of its socio-economic potential. The moringa, neem, tulsi, turmeric, hibiscus, lotus and a host of other trees, plants and flowers are used to treat ailments ranging from indigestion to pimples, hair loss to burns, body aches and colds. While some pharmaceutical companies have made millions using these remedies, many women could be encouraged to improve their nutrition and health with local support. With targeted skills, small-scale, low-investment local initiatives can provide employment and income opportunities for women.

Unfortunately, the persistent lack of physical security is undermining all initiatives and plans for pursuing socio-economic gender justice. Women in India are still at risk and this reality cannot be ignored anywhere in the country. Overt and covert harassment, economic and social exclusion and physical violence against women remain our major barriers to justice. A massive change in mindset, more rigorously enforced accountability systems at local, state and national levels, urgent reforms in the judiciary and police and addressing the increasing socio-cultural ‘Talibanisation’ of women’s lives require much more attention than they currently receive – not just on paper or in theory, but in practice.

Otherwise, despite all the achievements of our country, as long as our women and girls remain vulnerable to any form of violence, both as a country and as a people, we will remain “In Churn”.

Short Biography of the Author: Ms. Lalitha Kumaramangalam served as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) from 2014 to 2017. She has extensive experience in working for the empowerment and advancement of women from the vulnerable and disadvantaged sections of the society. She has also served as the Director of the India Foundation. Ms. Kumaramangalam holds a Masters in Business Administration from Madras University and graduated with Honours in Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi.

References:

⁽ⁱ⁾ https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jaya-bachchan-again-objects-to-amitabh-in-her-name-6267867

⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ https://www.newindianexpress.com/web-only/2024/Aug/23/hema-committee-report-this-is-not-cinema-but-shockingly-real

⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ https://www.livemint.com/news/india/horrific-animal-like-instinct-sc-hauls-up-mamata-banerjees-bengal-govt-on-kolkata-rape-murder-horror-10-points- 11724133234370.html

^(iv) https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/massive-protests-after-2-nursery-girls-sexually-attacked-in-thane-school-6378672

^(v) https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2023/