1. Gendered Socialization and the Division of Labour 💼

• Boys and girls are raised to believe that women’s main responsibility is housework and child-rearing, creating a sexual division of labour in families. 👩‍🍳
• Women are primarily responsible for indoor work such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and looking after children, while men handle work outside the home. ⚒️
• Though men are capable of housework, they often view it as a woman’s duty, and are only willing to engage in these tasks if they are paid work (e.g., tailoring or cooking in hotels). 💰
• The gendered division of labour is deeply embedded in cultural norms, where housework is often seen as unskilled, unpaid labour, reinforcing the idea that it is women’s “natural” role. 💡
• This cultural norm not only limits women’s access to career opportunities but also economic independence, leaving them dependent on their spouses for financial support. 💸
• As a result, women often face psychological pressure to be perfect homemakers while balancing the demands of the outside world, leading to exhaustion and burnout. 🧠

2. Women’s Work Outside the Home 🏠

• While men dominate the public sphere, many women engage in work outside the home. In villages, women gather water, collect fuel, and work in the fields. 🌾
• In urban areas, poor women work as domestic helpers, while middle-class women are employed in offices. 🏙️
• Most women juggle paid work outside the home with domestic responsibilities, but their contributions often go unrecognized and undervalued. 🚶‍♀️
• Despite their contribution to the economy, women’s workplace participation is often restricted by lack of equal pay for equal work, limited career growth, and gender bias. 💼
• Women, particularly in informal sectors, face job insecurity and lack social benefits, making it harder for them to achieve economic independence. 🔒
• Women working in low-paying jobs (like housekeeping, care work, and agriculture) are often denied labor rights, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and marginalization. 🛑

3. Gender Inequality in Public Life and Politics ⚖️

• Despite making up half of the population, women’s role in public life, particularly politics, has traditionally been minimal. 🚫
• Historically, only men had the right to participate in public affairs, including voting and contesting public office. 🗳️
• The gender gap in political participation has led to the rise of feminist movements, which advocated for equal rights, including voting rights for women. ✊
• Women’s underrepresentation in politics has led to policies that often neglect gender equality and fail to address specific issues affecting women, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, and maternal health. 👩‍⚖️
• Even in democracies where women have gained the right to vote, they still face barriers such as patriarchy, political corruption, and lack of resources that hinder their active participation in the political process. 🛑
• Feminist movements have not only focused on voting rights but also worked towards ensuring gender-sensitive policies and programs that promote women’s leadership and empowerment. 👩‍💼

4. Feminist Movements and Women’s Rights 📢

• Feminist movements have played a key role in raising gender issues in politics, demanding equality in personal, family life, and public life. 💃
• These movements have pushed for enhanced legal and political rights for women, as well as improvements in educational and career opportunities. 📚
• The movements also campaigned for equal participation of women in public affairs and the workplace. 🏛️
• Feminist activism challenged patriarchal norms, advocating for women’s autonomy over their bodies, careers, and life choices. 🚺
• The rise of intersectional feminism has expanded the conversation to address issues like race, class, and sexual orientation, recognizing that gender inequality often intersects with other forms of oppression. 🏳️‍🌈
• International conventions such as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) have been instrumental in establishing global frameworks to advance women’s rights. 🌐

5. Women’s Entry into New Professions 👩‍⚕️

• Over time, women have broken barriers in fields traditionally dominated by men, including becoming scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, and managers. 💼
• In some societies, such as Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland, women’s participation in public life and leadership roles is high. 🌍
• In some countries, policies promoting equal pay and family leave have enabled women to thrive in professions previously dominated by men. 💸
• Women have also made strides in fields such as technology, where they are now challenging the gender gap and advocating for gender equality in STEM careers. 🖥️
• High-profile examples, such as women leading major corporations or excelling in politics, have inspired future generations to pursue traditionally male-dominated roles. 💡
• However, challenges remain, with many women still facing glass ceilings and gender bias in their professions, especially in top leadership positions. 🏢

6. Gender Equality and Global Perspectives 🌎

• Feminist movements and political activism have led to significant improvements in women’s role in public life worldwide, though there is still work to be done. 🌟
• Radical movements have aimed at gender equality in both personal and family life, pushing for greater workplace opportunities and social recognition for women. 👩‍🎓
• In progressive societies, gender equality is being prioritized, with women breaking into fields and roles that were once unthinkable for them. 🌱
• Countries with strong gender equality policies show better outcomes in areas like healthcare, education, and economic participation, demonstrating the positive impact of gender-inclusive policies. 📈
• Despite significant progress, cultural resistance, legal barriers, and economic inequalities persist, especially in developing regions, limiting women’s freedom and access to opportunities. 🌍
• Global movements like #MeToo and Time’s Up have raised awareness of sexual harassment, enabling women to speak out and demand safer, more equitable workplaces. 🚺

7. Gender Disparity in India

Women in India still face significant disadvantages compared to men, despite some improvements since Independence. The country remains largely male-dominated, with a patriarchal society that often marginalizes women. The following points highlight the various ways women face discrimination, disadvantage, and oppression.

📚 Educational Disparities

• 📉 Literacy Rate

  • The literacy rate among women is only 54%, which is significantly lower than 76% among men.
  • This educational gap reflects the societal preference for educating boys over girls, often limiting girls’ access to learning opportunities.

• 📚 Higher Education

  • A smaller proportion of girl students pursue higher studies compared to boys.
  • Despite this, girls often perform as well as, or even better than, boys in school results.
  • Dropout Rates: Many girls drop out before completing higher education, primarily because parents often prioritize their sons’ education due to traditional beliefs about gender roles and future prospects.
  • Unequal Resource Distribution: Financial resources are frequently spent on educating sons, with less attention given to daughters, even if they perform equally well academically.

💼 Employment and Economic Disadvantages

• 💸 Unequal Job Representation

  • The proportion of women in high-paying and prestigious jobs remains very small.
  • Despite advancements in various sectors, women are still underrepresented in leadership roles, corporate positions, and high-status professions.

• 🕒 Longer Work Hours, Less Recognition

  • On average, Indian women work one hour more than men every day.
  • Much of their work, especially in households or informal sectors, is unpaid and often undervalued by society.
  • This unpaid labor is crucial to the functioning of households and communities but receives little recognition in economic terms.

💵 Wage Disparity

• ⚖️ Equal Pay for Equal Work
  • The Equal Remuneration Act (1976) mandates that equal wages should be paid for equal work.
  • However, in practice, women continue to be paid less than men for doing the same work across various fields, from sports and cinema to factories and agriculture.
  • This wage gap persists despite women contributing equally to the workforce, showcasing systemic gender bias in salary distribution.

🧑‍👩‍👧‍👦 Gender Preference and Female Feticide

• 👶 Sex-Selective Abortion
  • In many regions of India, parents often prefer sons over daughters and may resort to sex-selective abortion to ensure they have a male child.
  • This practice is a reflection of deep-rooted societal beliefs that favor sons, who are seen as future breadwinners and carriers of family lineage.
  • Declining Child Sex Ratio: This preference for sons has led to a significant decline in the child sex ratio across India, with only 919 girls per 1,000 boys.
  • In certain States, this ratio has fallen below 850 or even 800, indicating a dangerous trend of female feticide and gender-based discrimination at birth.

8. Harassment, Exploitation, and Violence Against Women

• 🚨 There are reports of various kinds of harassment, exploitation, and violence against women.
• 🏙️ Urban areas have become particularly unsafe for women.
• 🏠 Women are not safe even within their own home from beating, harassment, and other forms of domestic violence.