Gender: Another Source of Inequality

The fact that India has seen many positive changes and improvements in inequality and religious conflict cannot be disputed. However, demographically much more is necessitated to bring the country up to the level of its economic competitors. While the country’s constitution promotes equality and tolerance, Indian society still has a huge amount of poverty, discrimination, and violence. An excellent case study of this fact is yet another form of disparity: gender-based inequality.
Historically, Indian women were limited to wholly dependent and subservient roles. Society dictated that women must always be under the complete subjection of a male authority in their lives: whether a father, husband, son, etc. Additionally, male children were deemed more valuable than females.
Today, many things have changed in India. First, India’s constitution provides for gender equality in its preamble. Women do hold esteemed positions in Indian government such Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Indian National Congress Party.
Yet, while so much success is seen in the women’s rights movement, there is still much gender-based inequality in India – especially in rural and poorer areas. Much like there is an extreme disconnect between the wealthy and impoverished in India, this same phenomena is seen in women’s rights. Demographically, more than three hundred and sixty million people or 36% of the population in India lives beneath the global poverty line. Of these millions, seventy-three percent are women and children. These statistics are attributed to many of the fundamental remnants of Indian belief left over from earlier times.
For many Indian women, much like their predecessors, they are viewed as inferior to men. This perspective affects every aspect of these women’s lives. Because women’s healthcare is not a priority, India accounts for twenty-seven percent of the globe’s maternal deaths. In childhood, female deaths exceed male mortality rates by a staggering six hundred thousand each year. In fact, one in every six infant deaths is due to gender discrimination. Additionally, women commonly suffer from malnutrition and a lack of access to healthcare.
As well as physical suffering, many women are extremely limited in options for their future. Under constant subjection to an authoritative male figure, many Indian girls are given as child brides. Although the practice was made illegal in India’s constitution, UNICEF reported in 2009 that forty percent of child marriages occur in India. Women also suffer from lower literacy rates than Indian men, especially in rural regions. Landownership is also predominately restricted to males. While laws do exist which endow women with property rights, in practice these laws are inadequately enforced – making women increasingly dependent upon men.
Undeniably India has seen much change and improvement in women’s rights in the past few decades. In 1950, Women gained suffrage and currently make up eight percent of India’s parliament. Yet, suffrage and holding political office have not wrought significant change to many of India’s women. If only women residing in certain areas of the country experience a positive change in women’s rights, India’s pro-women reforms can only be deemed symbolic. Inequality in India is a compounding issue not only because of its prevalence but also because of its vast demographic effects. Not only is there a vast disconnect between the wealthy and poor, but this same disconnect transfers over to a disparity between male and female. Poverty is not a simplistic subject in India: it contains many variables and facets that delve farther into society – penetrating areas such as caste, birthplace, gender, and education. India’s past progress must be accompanied by further still institutional changes before a true democratic society may emerge.

Click HERE to open the feedback tool.