[Reader-list] Women empowerment in India, still a distant dream

[Bikash Ballabh Singh]

Though India is developing economically and technologically by leaps and
bounds, women here still continue to be discriminated. With illegal female
infanticide on the rise, authorities need to check the growing imbalance in
the society.

Jawaharlal Nehru had said "You can tell the condition of the nation by
looking at the status of women."

And the following phrase of Manusmriti, "*Na Stree Swathantryam Arhati*"
(woman is undeserving for independence), reflects our whole attitude towards
women in our country. Woman suffers discrimination and injustice in all
stages of her life.

Declining sex ratio portrays our discrimination shown towards her even at
the stage of birth. Often the lame excuse is women are the 'weaker sex'! But
biological evidence proves, due to the presence of two X hormones women are
more resistant to diseases compared to men. Life expectancy is a proof of
this (In our country life expectancy of women is 65 whereas for men it's
only 60 years).

Census 2001 shows our national sex ratio as 921:1000 (921 females for 1000
males), and this will lead to detrimental social problems if not corrected.
The main reason for this is female infanticide.

Gender wise abortions are on the rise. In economically developed states such
as Haryana and Punjab the tendency is found to be more. Abortion though
legal in our country, gender based abortion is a crime here. Strict measures
should be taken for the implementation of Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques
(Regulation & Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994, which prohibits any prenatal
diagnostic techniques and sex selective abortions.

A shocking study reveals that half of the world's malnourished children live
in India owing primarily to the lack of nutritious food available to the
mother. In all the critical stages, be it infancy, childhood, adolescence or
the reproductive phase many women suffer malnutrition purely due to the
discrimination and the narrow mindsets of the society.

According to Mahatma Gandhi, "If you educate a man you educate an
individual, but if you educate a woman you educate an entire family." Our
predominant patriarchal system doesn't provide enough chances for women to
have higher education even if they wish. Girls should be motivated to take
up higher education. Universal education for all below 14 years should be
strictly implemented. There is an urgent necessity of framing gender
sensitive curricula at all stages of primary education to address
sex-stereotyping menace.

Women should be allowed to work and should be provided enough safety and
support to work. Legislatures such as Equal Remuneration Act, Factories Act:
Constitutional safeguards such as maternity relief, and other provisions
should be strictly followed. Poverty eradication policies need to be
implemented. Macro economic policies would help in this drive. Through
economic empowerment women's emancipation could be realized.

Dowry still remains the major reason for all the discrimination and
injustice shown to women. Dowry has always been an important part of Hindu
marriages. Not only among Hindus, its evil tentacles are now spreading to
other religions also. Although dowry was legally prohibited in 1961(Dowry
Prohibition Act), it continues to be highly institutionalized.

It is ridiculous to see that even among highly educated sections, the
articles of dowry are proudly exhibited in the marriage as a status symbol.
The practice of dowry abuse is rising in India. The most severe is "bride
burning", the burning of women whose dowries were not considered sufficient
by their husband or in-laws. Most of these incidents are reported as
accidental burns in the kitchen or are disguised as suicide. It is evident
that there exist deep-rooted prejudices against women in India.

Cultural practices such as these tend to subordinate women in our society.
Dowry is one of those social evils that no educated woman will own up with
pride; still many are adhering to it, why? Women should be more economically
empowered and should be educated properly regarding the various legal
provisions such as Section 498ACrPC, protection from domestic violence etc.
only then only this evil menace could possibly be eradicated from Indian
social system.

True empowerment will only be reached when women take part actively in the
decision making process of our country. Women Reservation Bill that entitles
to provide 33 per cent reservation in Parliament is a bill of utmost
importance. The success of 73rd & 74th amendment which reserves certain
number of seats for women in the local bodies should be an encouragement for
the Bill to be passed at least in this current session.

Mainstreaming and women's empowerment is central to human development.
Empowerment of women could only be achieved if their economic and social
status is improved. This could be possible only by adopting definite social
and economic policies with a view of total development of women and to make
them realize that they have the potential to be strong human beings.

The various articles of our constitution enshrine principle of gender
equality. We started giving special attention to the causes of women by the
fifth five-year plan. For considering the grievances and preventing the
atrocities against women a National Commission for Women (NCW) was set up in
1990.

But despite all these measures there should be a strong determination among
every man that every woman in this country should be honoured. Only then
empowerment in its true meaning will be realized.

Swami Vivekananda had said "That country and that nation which doesn't
respect women will never become great now and nor will ever in future" and
in pursuit of making India a great nation, let us work towards giving women
their much deserved status.
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