Question

Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated or disadvantaged in India.

Answer 1

Women have long faced discrimination based on their gender in practically every society around the world, including India. Ours is a patriarchal society. Women face disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression in a variety of ways, as mentioned below.

1. Education: Women are denied equal access to education. Thus, women’s literacy rate is only 59.3 per cent, compared to 78.8 per cent for men. A smaller number of female students pursue higher education because, despite their superior performance compared to boys, they drop out because parents prefer to spend their resources on their sons’ education and do not wish to spend equally on their sons and daughters.
2. Discrimination in job opportunities and remuneration or salary: The Equal Wages Act requires that equal wages be provided for equal work. In reality, almost everywhere, women are paid less than men, even when they do the same job. On average, an Indian woman works one hour more per day than the average man. However, much of her effort is unpaid and so undervalued.
3. Preference for sons: Even now, in many parts of India, parents prefer to have sons. In certain situations, a girl child is aborted before birth. Because of sex-selective abortion, the sex ratio has fallen from 927 in 2001 to 850 or 800 in some areas.
4. Harassment against women: Women are harassed by their employers in the workplace. They are sexually assaulted at home. They are not safe on their trek at night. They are subjected to various forms of domestic violence, including beatings and harassment.