M PRA

Munich Personal RePEc Archive

Gender Discrimination and Women’s

Development in India

Marimuthu Sivakumar

Chikkaiah Naicker College, Erode, Tamilnadu, India

7 September 2008

Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/10901/
MPRA Paper No. 10901, posted 11 October 2008 03:30 UTC
GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT

IN INDIA

M.SIVAKUMAR
Ph.D Scholar in Economics,
Chikkaiah Naicker College,
Erode-4. T.N. INDIA
05.09.2008
email:sivakumarmarimuthu@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT

Gender is a common term where as gender discrimination is meant

only for women, because females are the only victims of gender

discrimination. Females are nearly 50 percent of the total population but

their representation in public life is very low. Recognizing women’s right

and believing their ability are essential for women’s empowerment and

development. This study deals with gender discrimination in India, its

various forms and its causes. Importance of women in development,

legislation for women and solution for gender discrimination are also

discussed in this paper.

Key Words: gender discrimination, women’s development, legislation for

women, education, employment, economic independence, empowerment,

decision making and self confidence.

GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT

IN INDIA

Introduction

Gender is a common term where as gender discrimination is meant

only for women, because females are the only victims of gender

discrimination. Gender discrimination is not biologically determined but

it is determined by socially and the discrimination can be changed by the

proper and perpetuate efforts. Denial of equality, rights and opportunity

and suppresment in any form on the basis of gender is gender

discrimination.

Half of the world’s population is females. They are doing two-third

of work of the total work in the world but received only one-tenth of the

world’s total income. Nearly two-third of the women is illiterates and

they have possessed only one percent of the total world’s assets. In the

world only one-fourth of the families are headed by female. India is a

male dominant society and gender discrimination is customised

habitually.

Discriminations

From web to death females are facing lots of discrimination against

them. Some of them are

 ™ Abortion of female gravida with the help of scanning.

™ Feoticide (By giving liquid extract from cactus / opuntia, giving

raw paddy to new born female baby, by pressing the face by pillow

or by breaking the female baby’s neck)

™ Not giving enough and nutritious food

™ Not allowing to go to school (Denial of education)

™ Not giving needy health care while in ill health

™ Early marriage

™ Eve teasing, Rape and Sexual harassment

™ Dowry

™ Divorce, Destitution even for silly or without any reason.

Causes of Gender Discrimination

The causes of gender discrimination are

™ Educational backwardness

™ Caste

™ Religious beliefs

™ Culture

™ On the name of family history

™ Customs and beliefs

™ Races
 ™ Low income

™ Unemployment

™ Society

™ Family situation and

™ Attitudes

Like male or even above them female plays important role in the

family and national development. But her contribution is not recognized

by the male dominant society.

Review of Literature

Sonalde Desai (1994) observed that parents reluctance to educate

daughters has its roots in the situation of women. Parents have several

incentives for not educating their daughters. Foremost is the view that

education of girls brings no returns to parents and that their future roles,

being mainly reproductive and perhaps including agricultural labor,

require no formal education.

Kalyani Menon Sen and A.K.Shivakumar (2001) found that girls in India

are discriminated against in several ways – fewer months of breastfeeding

less of nurturing and play, less care or medical treatment if they fall ill,

less of “special” food, less of parental attention. As a result, girls are far

more susceptible than boys to disease and infections, leading to poor

health and a shorter lifespan. It is this life-long discrimination in

nurturing and care that is the real killer of girls – less visible and

dramatic, but as unequivocally lethal as female feoticide and infanticide.

Berta Esteve – Volart (2004) described that gender discrimination against

women in the market place reduces the available talent in an economy,

which has negative economic consequences. Gender discrimination takes

many forms. Many social practices seen as normal from a religious or

cultural point of view (which may have deep historical roots) have

women out of the economic mainstream. These social practices may have

profound economic consequences because they do not allow society to

take advantage of the talent inherent in women.

Anna-Maria Lind (2006) stated that India’s population still leads

traditional lives in rural areas. Religious laws and traditions still

determine the lives of many people, particularly women. Even if women

are formerly entitled to own land and resources social and religious

factors make many women refrain from this right in order not to cause

distortions within the family. The preference for having sons permeates

all social classes in India, which sets the standard for girls throughout

their entire lives.

GOI Planning Commission (2008) indicated that discrimination against

women and girls impinges upon their right to health and manifests itself

in the form of worsening health and nutrition indices. Thus, India

continuous to grapple with unacceptably high MMR, IMB, and increasing

rates of anemia, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS among women.

Julie Mullin (2008) indicated that the developing world is full of poverty

stricken families who see their daughters as an economic predicament.

That attitude has resulted in the widespread neglect to baby girls in

Africa, Asia and South America. In many communities, it’s a regular

practice to breastfeed girls for a shorter time than boys so that women can

try to get pregnant again with a boy as soon as possible. As a result, girls

miss out on life-giving nutrition during a crucial window of their

development, which stunts their growth and weakens their resistance to

disease.

Importance of Women in Development

Females are nearly 50 per cent of the total population but their

representation in public life is very low. Woman continues to bear the

major load of the household work. Her primary role is often viewed by

the society as housewife.

 In cardinal goals of democracy “of the people, by the people and

for the people” cannot be optimically accomplished if the female

population remains out of political empowerment. Subordination of

women in society acts a structural constraint to their participation in

political activities. This constraint operates more or less for all classes

and communities of women. Prevalent culture which is very complicated

and often decisions are taken behind the scene may be regarded as

another constraint in this regard.

Recognising women’s rights and believing their ability are

essential for women’s empowerment and development. Females should

realize their own capabilities and potentials which will strengthen their

self image and foster them with confidence to take action in life. Political

empowerment does not imply just a right to role silently but to discuss,

share and empower politics by knowing its pros and cons and thereby to

influence policies and decision making.

Empowering women is the basic to the basics of human rights

where she wants neither to beg for power nor search for power hierarchy

to exercise power against others. On the contrary she demands to be

accepted as human first of all. She as a person in command of herself and

for that necessarily all the resources physical, social, economical,

political, cultural and spiritual to be equally accessible to her, are pre-

requites for considering the whole question of empowerment.

Indian society is inherited with male chauvinism but now the

society has started to realize women’s importance and has being accepted

women’s empowerment, women as an active agent for development,

participation in and guiding their own development.

Legislation for Women

In India, several laws, legislations, policies and institutional

reforms have been enacted to carry out the gender action plan for the

development of women. Legislation is an important instrument for

bringing about a change in the unequal economic and social status in

India. In pre-independent India, few laws were passed in response to

social demands and on the basis of humanitarian consideration. They are

Bengal Sati Regulation Act of 1829 and similar Anti-Sati laws in Madras

and Bombay, Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856, the Hindu Women’s

Right to Property Act in 1937, (The Muslim Personal Law) the Shariat

Act 1937 and the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939.

After Independence, there have been important changes in

legislation and litigation which have facilitated the increased participation

of women in political activities as well as in the socio-economic

development activities and the increase appear to be more likely at the

lower level than at the highest centres of decision making.

Article 14 of Indian Constitution says that the state shall not deny

to any person equality before or equal protection of the law, Article 15

says that no women can be discriminated against on the ground of sex,

Article 15 (3) emphasis that the state shall make special provisions for

women and children and Article 16 provides equality of opportunity in

matters relating to employment by the state.

In Article 39(a) emphasis that the citizens men and women equally,

have the right to an adequate means of livelihood, in Article 39(d) it says

that the state should secure equal pay for equal work for both men and

women and in Article 34 it provides that the state shall make provision

for securing just and humor humane for work and for maternity relief.

The 73rd and 74th Amendments of Indian Constitution in 1993 are

the milestone in the history of India, which provides lot of powers for the

local bodies. It paves the way for decentralisation, empowers the poor

people as well as women.

According to these amendments not less than one third of the seats,

meant for direct election of members at each tier of Panchayats are to be

reserved for women and not less than one-third of the seats of chairperson

at any level reserved for women.

Solution for Gender Discrimination

Various movements, programmes are being carried out by the

Government, voluntary organizations and by lot of social activities for

women’s development and against the gender discrimination.

To solve the gender discrimination problem the E4SD factor would

be very useful. They E4SD factors are

1. Education

Education develops the skills, imparts knowledge, changes the

attitude and improves the self confidence. It provides employment

opportunity and increases income. Hence educating women is the prime

factor to combat gender discriminate and for the upliftment of women.

Not only the female, the society must be educated to give equal

right for female.

2. Employment

Employment gives the income and improves the economic position

of the women. Employed women are given importance by the family

members. Employment gives the economic independence for the women.

3. Economic Independence

In India, mostly, women in the young age – depends her father, in

the middle age- she depends on her husband and in the older age –

depends on her son. Woman always depends on somebody for her

livelihoods hence, independent in economical aspects are imperative for

women’s development.

Economic independence will free the women from the slavery

position and boost the self confidence. Economic independence of

women also helps in the national economic development.

4. Empowerment

Empowering women with the help of laws, education and

employment will make the society to accept the women as an equal

gender like male. Female also has all the potential and empowering

women will help to use her full capability and mitigate the economic

dependency of women.
5. Self-confidence

Due to prolonged suppresment, Indian women, an especially

uneducated and unemployed woman hasn’t had the self-confidence.

Women need self confidence to fight against all the atrocities against her

and to live self esteemed life. Hence, boosting the morale and self

confidence of the women, is the key to eliminate the inferior complex of

her.

6. Decision Making

Even in the family as well as in the society the decision making

power of women is denied. Mostly males make the importance decision

in the family and in the society. This makes women as voice less and

destroys herself confidence and she feels less important in the family as

well as in the society. So, to end gender discrimination women must

empower with decision making power.

Conclusion

A nation or society, without the participation of women cannot

achieve development. If we eliminate gender discrimination, women will

deliver all the potentials, skills, knowledge to develop the family, the

nation and the whole world.

Bibliography

1. Desai, Sonalde, 1994, “Gender Inequalities and Demographic

Behaviours : India”, New York, The Population Council, Inc.

2. Julie Mullin, 2008, “Gender Discrimination – Why is it still so bad and

what can you do about it?”, Accessed from www.childerninneed.org

on 15.08.2008.

3. Berta – Esteve – Volast, 2004, “Gender discrimination and Growth:

Theory and Evidence from India,” London, London School of

Economics and Political Sciences.

4. Anna – Maria Lind, 2006, “Struggle and Development: Approaching

gender bias in Practical International Development Work”, Orebro,

Orebro University.

5. Kalyani Menon Sen and A.K.Shiva Kumar, 2001, “Women in India,

How Free? How Equal?”, New Delhi, UNDAF.

6. Government of India, 2008, “Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012),

Vol. II, New Delhi, Planning Commission.