Every day, we come across a number of issues that fuel gender inequality such as unequal pay, sexual harassment, racism, and promotion of men more than women. The movement towards gender equality began with the suffrage movement in Western cultures and the inhuman oppression women faced in the late-19th century.

Scenario of “Gender Equality” in India

However, in India, the scene is a lot more worse. India has some of the highest levels of sex discrimination at birth, mostly because of the abortion of the female foetus within the womb itself. While it is common among the lower strata of society, it is also seen in the upper-middle class.

Gender inequality is so deeply entrenched in the Indian culture that it has now become normalised. Basically, patriarchal norms have marked women as inferior to men. A girl child is considered a burden and is often not even allowed to see the light of the world. It is hard to imagine this state of affairs in the 21st Century when women have proved to be strong leaders in every field possible.

From wrestling to business, the world has been revolutionized by incomparable women leaders in fields that were until recently completely subjugated by men.

Despite all the progress made till date in women’s favors, men still dominate the positions of power, and as a string of recent harassment outrages has shown, the behavior of some men has had insightful effects on women’s careers, their success and their lives. On an average, American women are more educated than men.

For decades, women have earned more bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorate degrees than men, yet they still lag behind when it comes to equal pay. In India, in spite of a number of people raising voices for equal gender pay, gender pay gaps came into effect on 6th April 2017, with the first reports being due in April 2018.

The Equality Act 2010 applies to private and voluntary-sector organizations with 250 or more employees only.

Why is this important?

Why am I bringing in the context of gender equality all of a sudden?

It is important because it saves lives. Women and girls face life-threatening risks, and bringing a gender perspective into discussions allows women to play a bigger role in their own protection.

Research shows that generally, women receive worse medical care than men. There are many reasons for this, including lack of education and lower incomes. When women are equal in society, their health will be impacted positively.

It is important because it helps business. When women receive the same education and job opportunities as men, they can improve any organization they join. According to research done in 2019, more than 70% of the female population, mostly in rural areas in India is restricted from higher education. Moreover, Women’s impact doesn’t stop with individual companies and organizations.

Women’s participation in the economy is great for the overall financial conditions of the particular country taken into consideration, whereas Gender pay gaps end up costing the economy.

Women’s participation in the economy is great for the overall financial conditions of the particular country taken into consideration, whereas Gender pay gaps end up costing the economy and it’s not just about women we are talking about, members of the LGBT community also face rejection and humiliation in their daily lives just because of their preference of identity and sexual orientation. Sexual orientation discernment often comes up in the circumstance of employment actions.

It usually refers to a tendency towards heterosexual people, which is unfair against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. They usually face situations such as bullying, teasing, harassment, physical assault, and suicide-inducing treatment from the society, including their family members.

Friends, I hope you all get my point. Gender equality is a must for our society. It prevents violence not only against women and girls but also against men and other genders. It’s essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women, men and all the other genders as equal are safer, healthier and happier. Gender equality is a human right. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, do comment them below.