In our country, women still lag behind men despite some improvements since Independence. Women face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression in various ways:
- The literacy rate of women is much lower than that of men. A smaller percentage of women is educated compared to men.
- Fewer girls pursue higher education. Although girls perform as well as boys in school, many drop out because families often invest more in sons’ education than in daughters.
- The number of women in well-paid and prestigious jobs is still very limited. On average, women work longer hours than men each day.
- Even though the Equal Wages Act ensures equal pay for equal work, women are often paid less than men across many fields, including sports, cinema, factories, and other workplaces, even when doing the same work.
- In several regions of India, there is a strong preference for sons, leading to sex-selective abortions and a decline in the child sex ratio.
- Women also face harassment, exploitation, and violence, including within their homes.
