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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 11
October 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 336
Gender Discrimination and Women's Development in India
METPELLY SATISH DURGAIAH
MSW Telangana University
ABSTRACT: -Gender is a common term where as gender discrimination is meant only for women, because females
are the only victims of gender discrimination. Females are nearly 50 percent of the total population but their
representation in public life is very low. Recognizing women’s right and believing their ability are essential for
women’s empowerment and development. This study deals with gender discrimination in India, its various forms
and its causes. Importance of women in development, legislation for women and solution for gender discrimination
are also discussed in this paper.
Key Words: - gender discrimination, women’s development, and legislation for women, education, employment,
economic independence, empowerment, decision making and self confidence.
I. INTRODUCTION
Gender is a common term where as gender
discrimination is meant only for women, because
females are the only victims of gender
discrimination. Gender discrimination is not
biologically determined but it is determined by
socially and the discrimination can be changed by the
proper and perpetuate efforts. Denial of equality,
rights and opportunity and suppresment in any form
on the basis of gender is gender discrimination.
Half of the world’s population is females. They are
doing two-third of work of the total work in the
world but received only one-tenth of the world’s total
income. Nearly two-third of the women is illiterates
and they have possessed only one percent of the total
world’s assets. In the world only one-fourth of the
families are headed by female. India is a male
dominant society and gender discrimination is
customized habitually.
Discriminations
From web to death females are facing lots of
discrimination against them. Some of them are
Abortion of female gravida with the help of
scanning.
Feoticide (By giving liquid extract from
cactus / opuntia, giving raw paddy to new
born female baby, by pressing the face by
pillow or by breaking the female baby’s
neck)
Not giving enough and nutritious food
Not allowing to go to school (Denial of
education)
Not giving needy health care while in ill
health
Early marriage
Eve teasing, Rape and Sexual harassment
Dowry
Divorce, Destitution even for silly or
without any reason.
Causes of Gender Discrimination
The causes of gender discrimination are
Educational backwardness
Caste
Religious beliefs
Culture
On the name of family history
Customs and beliefs
Races
Low income
Unemployment
Society
Family situation and
Attitudes
Like male or even above them female plays
important role in the family and national
development. But her contribution is not recognized
by the male dominant society.
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Sonalde Desai (1994) observed that parents
reluctance to educate daughters has its roots in the
situation of women. Parents have several incentives
for not educating their daughters. Foremost is the
view that education of girls brings no returns to
parents and that their future roles, being mainly
reproductive and perhaps including agricultural labor,
require no formal education.
Kalyani Menon Sen and A.K.Shivakumar
(2001) found that girls in India are discriminated
Page 2 of 4
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 11
October 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 337
against in several ways – fewer months of
breastfeeding less of nurturing and play, less care or
medical treatment if they fall ill, less of “special”
food, less of parental attention. As a result, girls are
far more susceptible than boys to disease and
infections, leading to poor health and a shorter
lifespan. It is this life-long discrimination in
nurturing and care that is the real killer of girls – less
visible and dramatic, but as unequivocally lethal as
female feoticide and infanticide.
Berta Esteve – Volart (2004) described that
gender discrimination against women in the market
place reduces the available talent in an economy,
which has negative economic consequences. Gender
discrimination takes many forms. Many social
practices seen as normal from a religious or cultural
point of view (which may have deep historical roots)
have women out of the economic mainstream. These
social practices may have profound economic
consequences because they do not allow society to
take advantage of the talent inherent in women.
Anna-Maria Lind (2006) stated that India’s
population still leads traditional lives in rural areas.
Religious laws and traditions still determine the lives
of many people, particularly women. Even if women
are formerly entitled to own land and resources social
and religious factors make many women refrain from
this right in order not to cause distortions within the
family. The preference for having sons permeates all
social classes in India, which sets the standard for
girls throughout their entire lives.
GOI Planning Commission (2008) indicated
that discrimination against women and girls impinges
upon their right to health and manifests itself in the
form of worsening health and nutrition indices. Thus,
India continuous to grapple with unacceptably high
MMR, IMB, and increasing rates of anemia,
malnutrition, HIV/AIDS among women.
Julie Mullin (2008) indicated that the
developing world is full of poverty stricken families
who see their daughters as an economic predicament.
That attitude has resulted in the widespread neglect to
baby girls in Africa, Asia and South America. In
many communities, it’s a regular practice to
breastfeed girls for a shorter time than boys so that
women can try to get pregnant again with a boy as
soon as possible. As a result, girls miss out on life- giving nutrition during a crucial window of their
development, which stunts their growth and weakens
their resistance to disease.
III. IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN
IN DEVELOPMENT
Females are nearly 50 per cent of the total population
but their representation in public life is very low.
Woman continues to bear the major load of the
household work. Her primary role is often viewed by
the society as housewife. In cardinal goals of
democracy “of the people, by the people and for the
people” cannot be optimically accomplished if the
female population remains out of political
empowerment. Subordination of women in society
acts a structural constraint to their participation in
political activities. This constraint operates more or
less for all classes and communities of women.
Prevalent culture which is very complicated and often
decisions are taken behind the scene may be regarded
as another constraint in this regard. Recognising
women’s rights and believing their ability are
essential for women’s empowerment and
development. Females should realize their own
capabilities and potentials which will strengthen their
self image and foster them with confidence to take
action in life. Political empowerment does not imply
just a right to role silently but to discuss, share and
empower politics by knowing its pros and cons and
thereby to influence policies and decision making.
Empowering women is the basic to the basics of
human rights where she wants neither to beg for
power nor search for power hierarchy to exercise
power against others. On the contrary she demands to
be accepted as human first of all. She as a person in
command of herself and
for that necessarily all the resources physical, social,
economical, political, cultural and spiritual to be
equally accessible to her, are prerequites for
considering the whole question of empowerment.
Indian society is inherited with male chauvinism but
now the society has started to realize women’s
importance and has being accepted women’s
empowerment, women as an active agent for
development, participation in and guiding their own
development.
Legislation for Women
In India, several laws, legislations, policies and
institutional reforms have been enacted to carry out
the gender action plan for the development of
women. Legislation is an important instrument for
bringing about a change in the unequal economic and
social status in India. In pre-independent India, few
laws were passed in response to social demands and
on the basis of humanitarian consideration. They are
Bengal Sati Regulation Act of 1829 and similar Anti- Sati laws in Madras and Bombay, Hindu Widow
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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at
http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 11
October 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 338
Remarriage Act 1856, the Hindu Women’s Right to
Property Act in 1937, (The Muslim Personal Law)
the Shariat Act 1937 and the Dissolution of Muslim
Marriages Act 1939. After Independence, there have
been important changes in legislation and litigation
which have facilitated the increased participation of
women in political activities as well as in the socio- economic development activities and the increase
appear to be more likely at the lower level than at the
highest centres of decision making. Article 14 of
Indian Constitution says that the state shall not deny
to any person equality before or equal protection of
the law, Article 15 says that no women can be
discriminated against on the ground of sex, Article 15
(3) emphasis that the state shall make special
provisions for women and children and Article 16
provides equality of opportunity in matters relating to
employment by the state. In Article 39(a) emphasis
that the citizens men and women equally, have the
right to an adequate means of livelihood, in Article
39(d) it says that the state should secure equal pay for
equal work for both men and women and in Article
34 it provides that the state shall make provision for
securing just and humor humane for work and for
maternity relief. The 73rd and 74th Amendments of
Indian Constitution in 1993 are the milestone in the
history of India, which provides lot of powers for the
local bodies. It paves the way for decentralisation,
empowers the poor people as well as women.
According to these amendments not less than one
third of the seats, meant for direct election of
members at each tier of Panchayats are to be reserved
for women and not less than one-third of the seats of
chairperson at any level reserved for women.
IV. SOLUTION FOR GENDER
DISCRIMINATION
Various movements, programmes are being carried
out by the Government, voluntary organizations and
by lot of social activities for women’s development
and against the gender discrimination. To solve the
gender discrimination problem the E4SD factor
would be very useful. They E4SD factors are
1. Education
Education develops the skills, imparts knowledge,
changes the attitude and improves the self
confidence. It provides employment opportunity and
increases income. Hence educating women is the
prime factor to combat gender discriminate and for
the upliftment of women. Not only the female, the
society must be educated to give equal right for
female.
2. Employment
Employment gives the income and improves the
economic position of the women. Employed women
are given importance by the family members.
Employment gives the economic independence for
the women.
3. Economic Independence
In India, mostly, women in the young age – depends
her father, in the middle age- she depends on her
husband and in the older age – depends on her son.
Woman always depends on somebody for her
livelihoods hence, independent in economical aspects
are imperative for women’s development.
Economic independence will free the women from
the slavery position and boost the self confidence.
Economic independence of women also helps in the
national economic development.
4. Empowerment
Empowering women with the help of laws, education
and employment will make the society to accept the
women as an equal gender like male. Female also has
all the potential and empowering women will help to
use her full capability and mitigate the economic
dependency of women.
5. Self-confidence
Due to prolonged suppresment, Indian women, an
especially uneducated and unemployed woman hasn’t
had the self-confidence. Women need self confidence
to fight against all the atrocities against her and to
live self esteemed life. Hence, boosting the morale
and self confidence of the women, is the key to
eliminate the inferior complex of her.
6. Decision Making
Even in the family as well as in the society the
decision making power of women is denied. Mostly
males make the importance decision in the family
and in the society. This makes women as voice less
and destroys herself confidence and she feels less
important in the family as well as in the society. So,
to end gender discrimination women must empower
with decision making power.
V. CONCLUSION
A nation or society, without the participation of
women cannot achieve development. If we eliminate
gender discrimination, women will deliver all the
potentials, skills, knowledge to develop the family,
the nation and the whole world.
Bibliography
1. Desai, Sonalde, 1994, “Gender Inequalities and
Demographic Behaviours : India”, New York, The
Population Council, Inc.
