A pdf file describing current status of women empowerment and challenges being faced in the world and in the country

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Necessity for for woman in India
By: Rishu Mishra (15BEC0187)
“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”
~Diane Mariechil
Introduction:
Gender inequality in India refers to health, education, economic and
political inequalities between men and women in India. Various international gender
inequality indices rank India differently on each of these factors, as well as on a
composite basis, and these indices are controversial.
Gender inequalities, and its social causes, impact India's sex ratio, women's health over
their lifetimes, their educational attainment, and economic conditions. Gender inequality
in India is a multifaceted issue that concerns men and women alike. Some argue that
some gender equality measures, place men at a disadvantage. However, when India’s
population is examined as a whole, women are at a disadvantage in several important
ways.
The fight for upliftment and empowerment of women is taking place since the pre
independence days with the likes of Peary Charan Sarkar who established the first free
school for girls in 1847 in Barasat, a suburb in Kolkata. Raja Ram Mohan Roy led to
abolishment of sati practice in 1829 and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar led to the widow
remarriage act of 1856. The era saw participation of Kasturba Gandhi, Rani Laxmi Bai,
Bhikaji Cama, etc., in the struggle to freedom. With the changing times, Indian women
participated in sports, science, education, commerce, etc., and the world saw the helm
and power of Indira Gandhi serving the nation as a prime minister for 15 years, which is
the longest period served by any women prime minister in the world.
Importance of Equality for Women:
An overwhelming majority of people around the world say that it is important for
“women to have full equality of rights compared to men.” Large majorities in all nations

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polled take this position ranging from 60 percent in India to 98 percent in Mexico and
Britain. On average across the 16 nations 86 percent say women’s equality is important,
with 59 percent saying it is very important.
Attitudes vary about whether such equality is very important or somewhat important. In
seven countries large majorities say it is very important—Indonesia (71%), France
(75%), China (76%), US (77%), Turkey (80%), Britain (89%), and Mexico (89%).
Smaller percentages say it is very important in Egypt (31%), Russia (35%), India (41%),
South Korea (43%), Ukraine (44%), and Iran (44%).
Gender Static Measure Females
(in India)
Males
(in India)
Females
(in World)
Males
(in World)
Infant mortality rate, (per 1,000 live
births)
44.3 43.5 32.6 37
Secondary school education pupils (%) 41.1 58.9 51.9 48.1
Account at a formal financial institution,
(% of each gender, age 15+)
26.5 43.7 46.6 54.5
Ratio to male youth unemployment rate
(% ages 15–24, ILO method)
1.13 1.0 1.14 1.0
Unemployment, youth (% of labor force
ages 15–24, ILO method)
10.6 9.4 15.1 13.0
Life expectancy at age 60, (years) 18 15.9 N.A. N.A.
** According to the World Bank's Gender Statistics database for 2012.
Efforts to fight inequality:
World bodies have defined gender equality in terms of human rights, especially women's
rights, and economic development. UNICEF describes that gender equality “means that
women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and
protections.It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be the same, or
that they be treated exactly alike."
UNFPA stated that, “despite many international agreements affirming their human rights,
women are still much more likely than men to be poor
and illiterate. They have less access to property ownership, credit, training and employme
nt. They are far less likely than men to be politicallyactive and far more likely to be victi
ms of domestic violence.”

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 Violence against Women:
Violence against women (in short VAW) is a technical term used
to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against
women. This type of violence is gender based, meaning that the acts of violence are
committed against women expressly because they are women, or as a result of patriarchal
gender constructs.
The map shows the comparative rate
of violence against women in Indian
states and union territories in 2012.
Crime rate data per 100,000 women
in this map is the broadest definition
of crime against women under Indian
law. It includes rape, sexual assault,
insult to modesty, kidnapping,
abduction, cruelty by intimate partner
or relatives, trafficking, persecution
for dowry, dowry deaths, indecency,
and all other crimes listed in Indian
Penal Code
 Reproductive and sexual health and rights:
The importance of women having the right and possibility to have
control over their body, reproduction decisions and sexuality, and the need for gender
equality in order to achieve these goals are recognized as crucial by the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing and the UN International Conference on Population
and Development Program of Action. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated
that promotion of gender equality is crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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A map of the Indian dowry death rate
per 100,000 people, 2012.
Maternal mortality is a major problem in many parts of the world. UNFPA states that
countries have an obligation to protect women's right to health, but many countries do not
do that. Maternal mortality is considered today not just an issue of development, but also
an issue of human rights. UNFPA says that, “since 1990, the world has seen a 45 per cent
decline in maternal mortality – an enormous achievement. But in spite of these gains,
almost 800 women still die every day from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. This
is about one woman every two minutes.”
According to UNFPA:
"Preventable maternal mortality occurs where there is a failure to give effect to
the rights of women to health, equality and non-discrimination. Preventable
maternal mortality also often represents a violation of a woman’s right to life."
 Gendered arrangements of work and care:
Though it is gradually increasing, the female literacy rate in
India is less than the male literacy rate. Far fewer girls than boys are enrolled in school,
and many girls drop out. In urban India, girls are nearly on a par with boys in terms of
education. However, in rural India girls continue to be less well-educated than boys.

5. Rishu Mishra Registration Number: 15BEC0187
According to the National Sample Survey Data of 1997, only the states
of Kerala and Mizoram have approached universal female literacy. According to
scholars, the major factor behind improvements in the social and economic status of
women in Kerala is literacy.
The literacy rate is lower for women compared to men: the literacy rate is 60.6% for
females, while for males it is 81.3%. (Population aged 15 or older, data from 2015)
Since the 1950s, social scientists as well as feminists have increasingly criticized
gendered arrangements of work and care and the male breadwinner role. Policies are
increasingly targeting men as fathers as a tool of changing gender relations. Shared
earning/shared parenting marriage, that is, a relationship where the partners collaborate at
sharing their responsibilities inside and outside of the home, is often encouraged in
Western countries.
 Economic empowerment of women:
Female economic activity is a common measure of gender
equality in an economy. UN Women states that: "Investing in women’s economic
empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and
inclusive economic growth."
Gender discrimination often results in women ending in insecure, low wage jobs, and
being disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation.

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Economic disparities persist partly because much of the unpaid work within families and
communities falls on the shoulders of women, and because women continue to face
discrimination in the economic sphere.”
While women have been persisting through these economic disparities, they have also
been facing gender discrimination from the products and services that they rely on.
Differential pricing of products and services is one of the world’s last remaining vestiges
of formal gender based discrimination
 Portrayal of women in the media:
The way women are represented in the media has been criticized
as interfering with the aim of achieving gender equality by perpetuating negative gender
stereotypes. The exploitation of women in mass media refers to the criticisms that are
levied against the use or portrayal of women in the mass media, when such use or
portrayal aims at increasing the appeal of media or a product, to the detriment of, or
without regard to, the interests of the women portrayed, or women in general
Concerns include the fact that the media has the power to shape the population's
perceptions and to influence ideas, and therefore the sexist portrayals of women in the
media may impact on how society sees and treats women in real life
Current Situation in India:
Indians share majority support for the importance of equal rights for women with other
countries polled, although this majority is more modest than in other countries. A slight
majority says that women’s rights have improved over time, along with a significant
number who feel women’s rights have now exceeded those of men.
Indians also favor government action to prevent discrimination against women, although

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they have the largest number opposed to government involvement among all countries
polled.
o Six in 10 (60%) Indians say that equality of rights for women is very (41%) or
somewhat important (19%).
o A modest majority (53%) in India say that women have gained more equality of
rights compared to men during their lifetimes, and an additional 14% go further to
volunteer that “women now have more rights than men.”
o 53% believe that the government should take action to prevent discrimination
against women, including 23% that feel the government should do more and 21%
who feel the government already does enough. A significant minority (38%) says
that the government should not be involved.
o A plurality (48%) feels that the UN should make efforts to further women’s rights,
while 28% reject this as “improper interference in a country’s internal affairs” and
nearly one in four (24%) decline to offer an opinion.
My creation in the context of International
Women’s Day (8th
march)
Different colours used over a white
background depict different forms of a woman
in her lifetime.