False Notions Of Gender Roles Should Be Corrected Early

Context: Despite all societal progressive and liberal laws, the state of women continues in a state of dismay.

Dismal state of women within family

• As many as 20 deaths happening every day: 7,115 deaths were recorded as dowry-related cases in 2019, according to records of National Crime Records Bureau.
• Out of over 340,000 cases of crime against women in 2019 under the Indian Penal Code.
• 37% were of ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’.
• 26% of ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’.
• 9% of ‘kidnapping and abduction of women for forceful marriages’.
• Despite every fourth married woman facing spousal violence, the proportion of divorced or separated women among ever-married women was less than 1% in 2018-19.

Systematic gender discrimination continuing in society

• Poor investment and interest in the education of women: Fails to grant women control over their life choices, especially on marriage or divorce.
• Insufficient access to economic resources for women: Weakens her position to exercise decision-making powers.
• Constrained sense of self-worth: Despite education and wealth, due to the patriarchal nature of society.
• Entrenched social norms related to marital practices and gender roles:
  • Traditions such as a coming-of-age ceremony in the form of a social function after first menstruation continues in many parts, emphasizing her primary role as a reproductive agent.
  • Marriage by certain age considered universal, endogamy and arranged marriages are still the norms-- As per 2018-19 National Sample Survey data, 1 in 2 girls (and 1 in 3men) in urban India and 3 in 4 girls (2 in 4 men) in rural India were married before the age of 25 years.
  • Girls are conditioned to believe that a marriage must be permanent, making them rarely considere a viable or honourable option.
  • Girls, even in work, tend to accept and justify spousal violence; a survey based on NFHS 2015-16 revealed that 27% of women in paid work faced spousal violence compared to 20% of women not in paid work.

Way forward

• Promote role models: Promoting successful women CEOs and sportswomen as role models to alter people’s perceptions. Male role models who actively challenge gender stereotypes would be of help.
• Early-stage interventions to reshape gender attitudes among boys and girls alike: School textbooks to be revised and audited to sieve out words and phrases disparaging women.
  • Steps to be taken to turn schools and colleges into spaces that embrace the idea of gender equality and equal rights.