India is heavily impacted by gender inequality, a widespread issue around the world. For centuries, gender inequality in India has been a significant social concern.
According to the 2011 Census, India’s child sex ratio is 918 girls for every 1000 boys among children aged 0 to 6.
This figure speaks for itself, highlighting the need for quick fixes to the root of gender inequality.
Girls are discriminated against from the moment of their birth. Many times, she is prevented from being born.
Despite notable advancements in several areas, including technology and economic expansion, the country continues to struggle with gender inequality, which has a profound effect on the lives of innumerable women and girls.
History of gender inequality in India
Gender Rights and Roles in Ancient India
Women were frequently viewed as men’s equals in ancient India.
They were allowed to participate in religious rites and had the right to acquire education.
Women were valued for their contributions and wisdom, and they played important positions in society.
However, as time went on, these rights started to erode as gender norms tightened.
Medieval Era: Modifications in Gender Relations
Throughout the Middle Ages, women’s standing decreased.
Women were frequently restricted to household responsibilities as societal conventions grew more rigid.
The prevalence of customs like child marriage and purdah (veiling) severely restricted the freedom and rights of women.
Colonial Era: Its Effect on Equality of Gender
In India, the colonial era presented obstacles and chances for gender equality.
New regulations and educational initiatives brought about by British control had conflicting effects on women’s standing.
Even though some women could obtain jobs and education, conventional gender norms remained strongly ingrained.
Causes of gender inequality in India:
To understand gender inequality in India, we must also understand its causes, so let us look at the causes of this problem in detail.
1. Poverty
If gender inequality in India is so high today, then poverty is considered to be one of the main reasons behind it.
In India, people who live below the poverty line do not have enough money.
In other words, they are not financially strong enough to give proper care to their children.
In a family where a boy and a girl are, most of the parents provide basic facilities like education, healthcare, and economic opportunity to their boys only.
Due to this reason, girls are often kept away from the education system as well as from healthcare and other benefits, and from such a young age they become victims of this kind of discrimination.
2. Lack of proper education
Today we have come into the 21st century, but you will be surprised to know that in many places women still have to face discrimination in the field of education.
As compared to men, they are not provided the level of education that they need from the very beginning.
According to data, one-fourth of the girls between the ages of 15 and 24 are not able to get even primary education.
In India,as per the 2011 census data the literacy rate of women is said to be around 65.46%, whereas the literacy rate among men is much higher; yes, the literacy rate among men today is 82.14%. ( Data src – https://knowindia.india.gov.in/profile/literacy.php )
The difference in these figures points to the bigger picture that a large population of women in India is far away from the education system.
The thinking of parents is also the main reason behind this situation; in many cases, they feel that educating girls is a waste of money because they think their daughters will marry after a certain age and take care of their husband’s families.
That is why girls’ parents do not invest much in their education.
3. Lack of awareness and the patriarchal mindset of society
Gender discrimination is so high in India because there is not much awareness among the people that boys and girls should be treated equally.
A very old thinking has still made its place in our society, which believes that only boys have the right to everything. On the other hand, women are seen as a secondary gender, due to which women do not get the rights that men get.
Men are always seen as the first choice in most works; for example, take any field and you will find that mostly men are participating there.
Be it politics or sports, the role of women is much less than that of men. Because of this prejudice, women are denied the freedom and liberties they deserve, which hinders their entire growth.
4. Preference of son after marriage
Now let us talk about the reason that has been promoting gender inequality in our country.
Often after marriage, when husband and wife think about having a child, the preference for a boy comes first because it is believed that only boys carry forward the lineage of the family.
This thinking has penetrated so deeply in our society today that instead of stopping the discrimination between boys and girls, it is being increased.
Solutions to overcome gender discrimination
If boys and girls get equal education then discrimination based on gender will gradually end, be it equality in education or gender equality in the workplace.
It is essential to prepare education policies according to gender equality so that girls also get equal status in society. There is also a need for some new government schemes for girl education.
In this blog, we have also mentioned people’s thinking and tried to explain why it is essential to change their mindset.
If people’s thinking changes, boys and girls will start being given equal status in society. We should try to change the myths and stereotypes that exist in society regarding gender.
It is also very important to pay attention to child protection measures, there should be a strict ban on girl child abortion and child marriage and whoever does so should get strict punishment.
Role of SK Vision to curb gender discrimination in Society.
According to us, any kind of discrimination is not right in society, especially not based on gender. We SK Vision as an organization are constantly trying to minimize this void in our society.
We have taken various initiatives to help underprivileged girls, like giving them basic education through our sessions, helping them financially by donating basic amenities.
Our focus is to make people understand the importance of girl’s in our society. We strongly believe a country progresses only when it is free from all forms of discrimination.
A civilized society is one where everyone has equal rights.
