womens rights - india case study
The current situation in India:
Ranked 140 out of 156 on the Global Gender Gap Index.
Only 22% of women participate in the labour force.
27% of women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18.
Only 14.4% of seats in parliament are held by women.
18% of women aged 15-49 reported being subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former partner.
Gender Inequality Issues in India
Violence against women- underpinned by persistent social norms. UNICEF state that 52% of women in India think it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife. Domestic violence is tolerated by communities and to some extent the state. Deeply entrenched patriarchal customary practices carried out by husbands, in-laws and other family members. Increase in dowry killings and increases in rape and violence outside the home.
Modern slavery- Estimated that 14.3 million people (mostly women and girls) were subjected to modern slavery in India in 2014. Trafficking for sexual exploitation, early forced marriage and forced labour.
Property Ownership- Women have few rights in ownership of land and property. Inheritance in nearly always patriarchal.
Employment opportunity- Women have limited access to employment opportunities, and are expected to stay at home, raise children, conduct domestic chores and work in subsistence farming. Even more so in rural areas. Even women who have secondary and tertiary education often struggle to enter the work force due to conforming to social norms in terms of marriage and motherhood.
Discrimination in the workplace- Common practice across India. Maternity benefits are denied by many employers, most women do not return to work after childbirth. In Delhi 25% of married women return to work after childbirth.
Political Participation- Lack of women in government at national, provincial and local levels. Poor representation in parliament with only 11%in Lok Sabha (lower house) and 10.6% in Rajya Sabha (upper house).
Access to health care- Gender discrimination in health care is closely linked to cultural norms of Indian society where women have little influence. 1/3 of households in Bihar do not access government health care.
Access to education- Across India 70% of girls attend primary school, the figure drops at secondary level. Strong opposition from families and communities, poverty and cultural beliefs act as restrictive factors.
Consequences on society
Women are often subject to murder and disfigurement, mostly by burning, when families cannot meet the demands for a dowry.
2012 there were 8233 dowry-related deaths in India.
Women are the subject of honour killings by their family members for not agreeing to marriage or not conforming with other gender norms.
High incidence of maternal mortality and morbidity.
Women are sometimes subjected to sex-selective abortions in the desire for male offspring.
Evidence of Changing Norms & Strategies to Address Gender Inequality
A number of international human rights treaties have been ratified in India meaning the government agrees to incorporate the principles and international laws into its own national laws, uphold and implement them.
India has joined UN Treaty Bodies such as Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
National and State level the government has passed a number Acts of Parliament designed to address womens rights such as-
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005
Longer term shifting of cultural norms and effective application of laws requires a more practical, grass roots approach;
2014 Ministry of Home Affairs launched an anti-trafficking portal. Expansion of anti-trafficking police units, specific training of units, more accurate reporting of crime, victim support programmes inc. temporary accommodation and co-operation with the Bangladesh border
Some large companies are providing child care facilities and flexi-working options
NGO intervention in implementing development projects taking a gendered approach e.g. International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) is working in Delhi neighbourhoods to create 'safe cities' which enables women to feel more confident to report crimes.
2014 Delhi police increased numbers of female office and overall police force in the outer districts of the city as a response to the findings of their project to map crimes against women