Issues Of Women In India

Abstract—

A woman is an eminent creation of the GOD. A family is evaluated by how it treats women and so on the society and the country. In ancient India, women were worshipped but in the middle age India women were having less importance and nowadays again women are stepping out for work and becoming stronger. Women have always been treated as a second class citizen. This paper describes about different issues like depression, household work, body shaming, technical education, health, wage gap etc faced by women in India.

Keywords— Depression, Household work, Body shaming, Health, Wage gap

Introduction

There is a ‘man’ in the word ‘woman’, with this importance of a man and woman can be assumed. Men have got the attention always than the women. Men always get priority in decision making over women while the suggestions of women generally are not acknowledged. In the modern era, women are stepping out of the home and working which results in better economic condition of the family, society and so on the country. But with this, some consequences are inherently thrown at the society in which somewhere the societies of India struggle. There is always discrimination in society’s attitude towards a man and woman. A man is treated like a king but at the same time a woman is not treated like a queen. A woman is supposed to work more than man even if they both are equally educated or having similar position in the workplace. A woman has to leave her identity, upbringing, home, surname and many more things to marry a man whereas man’s life doesn’t change much after the marriage as he is not supposed to leave his comfort zone unlike woman. In modern era also, there is a difference between attitude of women in rural area and urban area. Women in rural areas face more difficulty because of poor mindset of society and lack of education. Women in rural areas are encouraged for startup and funding is also provided by the government. Government of India also nowadays believes that stronger the women, stronger the country will become. There are many issues related to woman in India which the author has tried to address in the paper.

I. Mythology

A 13th century Telugu author has written in ‘Neethi Sara’ about noble virtues of a woman. The verse says “Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha, Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni”. The meaning is a good housewife should be like a servant in doing the work of the house, give intelligent advice like a minister, serve food as lovingly as a mother, like a courtesan in the bedroom, beautiful like Lakshmi and have the forbearance of Mother Earth. Why these kind of virtues are not written in mythology for a man? like “Karyeshu Das, Karaneshu Manthri, Karmeshu Krishna, Shayaneshu Kamdev, Roopeshu Nakul, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Bharta”. In Manusmriti, it is written “Yatra Naryastu Pujayante ramante tatra devtaha, yatretastu na pujayante sarvasttrafalaha kriyaha” the meaning is where women are honored, divinity blossoms there and wherever women are dishonored, all action remains unfruitful no matter how noble it may be.

Our epics haven’t been kind to their heroines [1]. Sita is no exception. Her story is made up in extremes. When Ram was forced to live the life of an ascetic in the forest for fourteen long years, Sita’s resolve to go with him startled many. She decides to live as a hermit with her husband in the forest. She is not afraid of letting go. She gives up a life of luxury for Ram. She is similar to the heroine of modern era who follows her heart over logic. Sita does not lust for power; she had given it up on several occasions. She also finds the indifference in husband Ram unsettling when King Ram is forcing her into public humiliation. Sita cannot relate to King Ram in whom husband Ram is lost. Hence, Sita decides to leave him. Quite literally, Sita hardly ever stayed within the lines. Her ultimate defiance of social norms gives her more power than her crisis-ridden journey of life could. In Hindu mythology, women were always worshipped and portrayed as strong women who can decide anything on her own, be it Ahalya, Draupadi, Savitri, Kunti, Durga and many. Our epics end with the message of victory of good over evil.

II. Depression

WHO has given the definition of health such as “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” By which one can understand it’s not important only to stay healthy by absence of disease but it’s also equally important to stay healthy mentally and being socially attached. Usually when health is considered, only physical health is thought while mental health is ignored but for quality of life mental health is very important. It is equally essential to stay happy while staying fit. It is figured out that people who are socially attached are having better mental health and are happier.

WHO (World Health Organization) has published an article named “Depression–Let’s talk” which is composed of survey of depression in India of 2017.[2] Depression is an extremely common illness affecting people of all ages, genders, castes and religions in India and all over the world. A higher prevalence of depression among women adults has been consistently reported by Indian studies. Biological and hormonal factors are found to be greater reasons among a wide array of social and economic

Figure 1: Prevalence of depressive disorders in India by age and sex-NMHS 2015-16 factors.

Findings from NMHS (National Mental Health Survey) have shown consistently higher rates for females across all age groups and among those residing in urban areas as compared to their counterparts. It has reached a peak in the adult age group (40-49) with 4.19% in females and 3.31% in males aged 60 and above (Fig. 1).

III. Household Work

Patriarchy shows up not only in the frequency of violent crimes such as rape, dowry-killing and acid attacks but also in statistics, such as the gender-wise time spent on household work. American men do a fair share of household chores, while Indian men expect their wives to do it all. That is the key message given from an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) survey.[3] Indian men spend 19 minutes per day on household work while Indian women spend 352 minutes from their schedule. American men spend 161 minutes (which is quite higher than Indian men) whereas American women spend 248 minutes per day (Fig. 2). From the data, it is clear that women are supposed to do more household work than men. With regard to unpaid care work, women in India spend on average 297 minutes a day on tasks such as taking care of children, the elderly and the sick; in comparison, men spend 17 minutes a day. Unpaid and invisible household work is often imposed on women in India, particularly for those at the lower income levels. Men in India engaged themselves to “talking, gossiping and quarrelling” which is categorized under “personal care and self-maintenance”, spending almost eight hours in a week on this activity which is presented in the survey. Rural women also have tougher work such as carrying water, collecting and carrying firewood etc. To bring more women into the workforce, one needs to understand their problems in balancing their work- life responsibilities. Surely, men should share a fair share of domestic work by not relying on just paid help which results in more relaxation for women by giving them some space for themselves also. The amount of credit given to the man is higher compared to a woman taking note that woman works more than man. One should be given enough amount of appreciation for the work irrespective of the gender with the negligence whether the work is paid or unpaid.

Figure 2 : Minutes spent per day on household work by different countries of male & female

IV. Technical Education & Health

Unemployment among women engineers in India is five times than men and the rate has been increasing in many parts of the country, according to a study.[4] The study presents that Women are more likely to experience gender bias, while men face bias based on where they come from and their language spoken. It said 45 per cent of women reported that they have to compete with their female colleagues.

There is a higher drop out ratio of girls in secondary higher education compare to boys as girls are involved much in family care and responsibilities. As menstruation starts in girls, there is a significant increment in girls’ drop out ratio in rural areas. Tribal education is also lower in our country especially in girl child. Important factors which affect the tribal students in higher education are Attitude of other students, Social Factor, Economic Factors, Lack of Interest in Formal Education, Lack of Facilities & Nature of Habitat.

In Technical education like engineering, medical women’s involvements have been increased nowadays compare to women’s involvement in teaching. It is observed that educated woman promotes other women to get education. Chandrayan and Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) were successful projects of India which was partially or fully headed by women scientists.

Cardiac arrest is the condition when the heart unexpectedly stops beating, restricting blood flow to all the other body parts. If proper medical attention is not acquired, a person might be dead within a few minutes. During a heart attack, blood flow stops in a particular part of the heart and damages it. Whereas in cardiac arrest, there’s an electrical problem where the heart stops working and leaving the person with no pulse and unconscious. Cardiac arrest is more common in women. Heart disease affects women more than men. According to a report, each year about 4, 25,000 women have a stroke, which are 55,000 more as compared to men. [5]

Globally, 1 in every 4 women dies of heart failure as women are less likely to get timely treatment and diagnosis of the disease because symptoms in men are more evident than women. In men, a heart attack would mean an extreme and sudden chest pain and breaking out in cold sweats, whereas in women, heart attacks can be much more frequent and smaller. Women are most susceptible to heart disease between the ages of 40-50 because of menopause, the pressure of work, family and loneliness. Women have not been taught to take care of themselves in this patriarchal society. But thankfully, things are changing among the younger generations and women are learning to put themselves first and take care of themselves.

V. Body Shaming

When comes to body shaming, women are facing more troubles than men. Men are less likely to be judged from their bodies and less likely to be taunted by the society unlike women. Fortis Healthcare conducted a national survey among women to understand their perceptions towards body image and body shaming. The study involved 1,244 women (between the ages of 15 and 65) across 20 cities (including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mohali, etc.) asking them questions related to body shaming, their psychological well-being and at times leading to stress.[6] Body shaming includes acts of sending provocative insults, and harassing others based on their inability to match up to the expectations related to stereotypical physical appearances, which can be in person, but is also becoming increasing through the internet. It is a common tendency for all of us to form comparisons which may not be realistic in nature, and as a consequence be unhappy with our body size or shape, or rather even feel depressed that we do not look like that particular model or actor/actress on the screen.

In fact, such excessive comparisons based on the media portrayals can create a sense of social pressure and competition to fulfill perceived demands and expectations of our physical appearance. Fig 3 shows survey results in form of percentage as shown. A: women tend to experience more body shaming as compared to men; B: had experienced body shaming at their school or work place.; C:felt that the media portrayals of beauty contribute towards promoting the prevalence of body shaming; D:find it difficult to stand up for themselves when someone criticizes their physical appearance; E:said that they sometimes don’t feel like facing the world because of what people would say about their physical appearance.; F:believed that it is important to look good in order to feel confident; G:per cent also reported feeling angry because of body shaming; H:reported feeling embarrassed about the way they look.

Figure 3: Survey of body shaming in India

VI. Wage Gap

Female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) is 27 percent compared to 96 percent for men in the country even when the global average is of 49%. [7] Four primary factors which can explain India’s low and potentially decreasing FLFPR: 1) the perseverance of patriarchal society that restricts women’s freedom to work, 2) rising household incomes 3) the non-uniform burden of unpaid work and unpaid care work on women and 4) the lack of quality jobs for women

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds that India’s GDP will increase by 27 percent if women participated in the economy at the same rate as men. For instance, findings from a 2018 survey reveal that girls’ housework and domestic responsibilities contribute to a gender gap in secondary education. At the same time, over

40 percent of surveyed men report feeling that married women whose husbands earn a decent living should not work outside the home.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 is a positive step for addressing harassment at work. Yet, 84 percent of companies surveyed in 2018 by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and World Economic Forum (WEF) report being unaware of the policy. Guaranteeing women’s right to a safe and equitable working environment becomes more important in intermediate spaces. The twin realities and perceptions of danger are manifested in ways that constrain women’s movement and freedom. Current literature identifies the reasons for the skills gap: Aspirations are shaped by socio-cultural norms and perceptions about what a woman can and should do.

Informational: Men and women do not have access to the same amount of information and opportunities pertaining to education, skills, and the jobs that have been traditionally male-dominated. Institutional Factors such as time constraints, safety and transportation considerations that restrict women’s entry and progress in training programs and jobs are not adequately addressed

India has a gender wage gap of 34 %, despite of India’s Equal Remuneration Act 1976 which mandates equal pay for the similar work. Furthermore, the pay gap increases with age, experience and many factors. In 2018, Iceland became the first country in the world to mandate companies not to have a gender based pay gap. A study on freelancing work in India found that highly experienced freelancing male make on average 50 percent more money than their female counterparts. At present, only 14 % of businesses in India are run by women. The lack of access for financing and cultural bias is found to be the major hindrances for the women entrepreneurs in India. The recent establishment of NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a step forward in the right direction. There are only 12 % of the members of the national parliament.

Conclusion

In this paper the author has tried to raise a voice related to issues with women in India. The society’s behavior towards women is improving nowadays but yet it will take sufficient amount of time to completely neglect gender bias. In urban areas of India, situation is quite satisfying compared to rural area. India is one of the few countries where women enjoy comparatively a better status than many women in other parts of the world. True that Indian women face many problems and are subject to the same social pressures which women experience in other parts of the world but relatively speaking, their situation is much better than what it used to be in the pre-independence era.

References:

1. THE GIRL WHO CHOSE: A NEW WAY OF NARRATING THE RAMAYANA, D PATTANAIK
2. World Health Organization. ‘Depression in India Let’s talk.’ (2017).
3. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-editorial/patriarchy- in-india-reflects-even-in-gender-wise-time-spent-on-household- chores/articleshow/42301925.cms
4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india- business/unemployment-rate-among-women-engineers-in-india-is- five-times-that-of-men-study/articleshow/67545130.cms
5. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health- news/women-are-at-a-greater-risk-of-heart-disease-than-men- are/articleshow/63096760.cms
6. http://cdn.fortishealthcare.com/April-04-2019-90-women-recognise- body-shaming-as-a-common-behaviour-cites-study-by-FortisHealthcare.pdf
7. Chapman, Terri, and Vidisha Mishra. ‘Rewriting the Rules: Women and Work in India.’ (2019).