Table of Contents
Gender equality and mainstreaming is a critical challenge in India. However, it is slowly reaching it’s tipping point.
India, historically, has been a patriarchal society with women taking up dreary household chores while men have worked to earn money and take major decisions. In urban India, inequality has drastically reduced while the rural India is still lagging behind, but not devoid of hope.
India has a large, diverse population spread across different multiple states. cultures, languages, and socio-economic backgrounds. The challenge of achieving gender equality become layered and complex with different backgrounds and their own characteristics. While the Indian constitution guarantees equality and non-discrimination based on gender, our deep rooted patriarchal structure, societal norms and income disparity continues to hinder progress.
Indian government has been mindful and aggressive in integrating gender perspectives in policy making ensuring that the right tools and means are in place to foster equitable development.
Prime Minster Modi has been vocal about the cause of Gender equality and mainstreaming. In one of his addresses he says “Let us celebrate the birth of the girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters. I urge you to sow five plants when your daughter is born to celebrate the occasion.”
Education is the Foremost Step in Gender Mainstreaming
“Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” Campaign was launched in 2014. The slogan since has been echoed and ingrained in the minds of Indian citizens. Acceptance and knowledge of something is the first step towards it’s implementation. India has to educate it’s citizens so that they will not withhold education from their daughters. India has to educate their daughters that education is their fundamental right.
We have made commendable progress in improving access to education for girls. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for 2020-21, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for women in higher education was 27.3% as compared to 26.9% for men. The Right to Education (RTE) Act has played a pivotal role in bringing more girls to school. While we have lost couple of years to covid post this survey, we expect that the results to be even better next time.
Despite the progress, for many women in rural India, enrolment in school and education has been an option to idle away time rather than the means to work and be independent. There have high dropout rates among girls in secondary education due to factors like early marriage and societal pressures.
Healthcare availability and access for Women
Today in India, health care for women has improved manifolds. When it comes to maternal health, there are facilities enough in rural and urban India,. Availability is no longer a concern, access and hygiene are greater concerns at present. Maternal mortality rates (MMR) have reduced from 130 per 100,000 live births in 2014-16 to 97 per 100,000 live births in 2018-20. India is on track to meet the UN’s target of less than 70 per 100,000 by Year 2030.
Gender disparities still persist in healthcare access, with many women in rural and marginalized communities facing intrinsic and societal barriers to adequate healthcare, including reproductive health services.
Workforce Participation in India is Low
India’s female labor force participation (FLFP) rate remains low compared to the global standards. The National Statistical Office (NSO) data shows that the FLFP rate in India is around 24%, one of the lowest among major economies of the world. Cultural norms, caregiving responsibilities, and safety concerns are among the major barriers preventing women from entering or remaining in the workforce.
Political Participation of Women in India
What is applaud worthy is that – India’s highest office is held by a Women. Smt. Droupadi Murmu is the 15th president of India. She was also the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021. Prior to her, Smt. Pratibha Patil has also held the office from 2007 to 2012.
While her positive or negative role in India’s politics has long been disputed and debatable, It remains a fact that Smt. Indira Gandhi, was the Prime Minister of India in the early post Independence years from 1966 to 1977 and 1980 till her assassination in 1984. Speaking from purely non political point of view, for a women in India to be able to hold her position speaks in itself that if given a chance, what an Indian woman can do.
Women are the most resilient beings on this earth. While more and more women are facing their challenges and becoming a part of workforce, As we have seen India’s political arena is not alien to some strong and vocal women. The government is doing it’s part in gender equality advocacy when it comes to politics.
Women made up approximately 14.4% of India’s Parliament as of 2021, which is an improvement but still below global averages. The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, reserves one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including those of schedule caste and schedule tribes.
At the grassroots level, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments have ensured a minimum 33% reservation for women in local governance bodies (Panchayats and Municipalities), which has been transformative in empowering women politically at the community level.
Lakhpat Didi Scheme Doing Wonders to Enable Women in Rural India
The Lakhpati Didi scheme is part of initiatives taken by the Government of India to economically empower rural women. The scheme was launched in 2021 under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
Lakhpat Didi scheme aims to educate, provide skill based training, enable and transform women involved in self-help groups (SHGs) into Lakhpati Didis. Lakhpati didi’s are the women earning a minimum of ₹1 lakh annually. Didi refers to a sister in Hindi language.
Lakhpati Didi scheme is implemented across rural regions in India with a focus on providing sustainable livelihoods, enhancing income opportunities, promoting financial inclusion and independence for women.
Key Challenges to Gender Mainstreaming in India
Deep rooted patriarchal norms dominate the Indian society at large. These attitudes are not limited to the rural India, but Urban India as well, leading to resistance in implementing gender sensitive policies.
With male dominance, comes gender-based violence with women often being at the receiving end of it. The cases of domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, rapes are much more towards women. Despite many legal frameworks, enforcement remains inconsistent. The fear of any kind of harassment than almost never results in justice, hampers independence of women and their will to embrace work life beyond these fears.
Even though the policies and frameworks are in place, lack of awareness, social norms, illiteracy. Fear of harassment towards women leads to gap in implementation. There is also a lack of political will to fully integrate and answer the gender concerns.
Achieving gender equality is not only a matter of social justice and reforms in India but also critical for India’s economic growth and sustainable development. With continued focus and concerted efforts India can create a more inclusive society where gender does not dictate one’s opportunities or rights.
