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അവൾക്ക് പറ്റിയതല്ല" എന്നുപറഞ്ഞു മാറ്റി വയ്ക്കുന്ന ജോലികൾ പലതാണ്! ; അവസാനിക്കണം ഈ വിവേചനം

07 March 2022, 09:57 AM IST

സാങ്കേതികരംഗം ആരോഗ്യരംഗം തുടങ്ങി എല്ലാ മേഖലകളിലും ഏറെ ഉയർച്ച കൈവരിക്കുമ്പോഴും സ്ത്രീയോടുള്ള സമീപനത്തിൽ ലോകം കടുകിട മാറുന്നില്ല എന്നതിന്റെ നേർകാഴ്ചയാണിത്..

Representative Image | Photo: Gettyimages.in

ഒ രു വനിതാദിനം കൂടി എത്തുകയാണ്. 2022 അന്താരാഷ്‌ട്ര വനിതാ ദിനത്തിന്റെ പ്രമേയം വരാനിരിക്കുന്ന 66-ാമത് വനിതാ കമ്മീഷനിലെ മുൻ‌ഗണനാ വിഷയവുമായി യോജിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. "ലിംഗസമത്വം സുസ്ഥിരമായ നാളേക്കായി " എന്ന പ്രമേയത്തിന് കീഴിലാണ് ഐക്യരാഷ്ട്രസഭ ഇക്കൊല്ലം അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര വനിതാ ദിനം ആചരിക്കുന്നത്.

ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ ദേശീയ പാർലമെന്റുകളിലെ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ശതമാനം 25.8% ആണ് (ഒക്ടോബർ 2021). വനിതാ ഗവൺമെന്റ് മന്ത്രിമാരുടെ ശതമാനം 21% ആണ്. ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ ആകെ 14 രാജ്യങ്ങളാണ് 50% അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അതിൽ കൂടുതൽ സ്ത്രീകളെ കാബിനറ്റുകളിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നത്. (ജനുവരി 2020). ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ശരാശരി വേതനം പുരുഷന്മാരേക്കാൾ 16% കുറവാണ്. പ്രതിമാസ വേതനത്തിലാണ് അസമത്വം കൂടുതലുള്ളത് (22%).

ഇത് വെറുമൊരു കണക്കല്ല. ഒരേ നാണയത്തിന്റെ രണ്ടു വശങ്ങൾ, സമൂഹമധ്യേ രണ്ടു രീതിയിൽ കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യപ്പെടുന്ന വിചിത്രമായ കാഴ്ചയാണ് . സാങ്കേതികരംഗം ആരോഗ്യരംഗം തുടങ്ങി എല്ലാ മേഖലകളിലും ഏറെ ഉയർച്ച കൈവരിക്കുമ്പോഴും സ്ത്രീയോടുള്ള സമീപനത്തിൽ ലോകം കടുകിട മാറുന്നില്ല എന്നതിന്റെ നേർകാഴ്ചയാണിത്.

ഉയർന്ന വിദ്യാഭ്യാസമുള്ള സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് പോലും ലിംഗപരമായ തൊഴിൽ വേതനത്തിൽ ഉള്ള വ്യത്യാസം കാണാം. കായികമായും ബൗദ്ധികമായും ഉയർന്ന അധികാരം ലഭിക്കുന്ന പല ജോലികളും പുരുഷന് മാത്രമായി മാറ്റിവയ്ക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. "അവൾക്ക് പറ്റിയതല്ല" എന്നുപറഞ്ഞു മാറ്റി വയ്ക്കുന്ന ജോലികൾ പലതാണ്!! ജേർണലിസം മുതൽ പൈലറ്റ് ട്രെയിനിങ് വരെ അതിൽ പെടും.

അതിന് കാരണം പറയുന്നതോ, ഈ ജോലികളിൽ കയറിയാൽ അവൾക്ക് കുടുംബം നോക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ലത്രെ!! അതുപോലെ പെൺകുട്ടികളെ ജോലിക്ക് എടുക്കുമ്പോൾ പലപ്പോഴും കേൾക്കുന്ന ഒരു വാചകമുണ്ട്: "പെമ്പിള്ളേരാകുമ്പോൾ അടങ്ങിയൊതുങ്ങി നിന്നോളും!! " സ്ത്രീകൾ മാത്രം ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്ന ഇടങ്ങളിൽ സമരങ്ങളോ, വേതന വർധനവിനായുള്ള മുറവിളിയോ കേൾക്കാറില്ലത്രേ!!

സാമൂഹിക സാമ്പത്തിക പാരിസ്ഥിതിക വ്യതിയാനങ്ങളോടു പൊരുത്തപ്പെട്ടും ഇണങ്ങിയും സുസ്ഥിരമായ ഒരു ഭാവി കെട്ടിപ്പെടുക്കുന്നതിന് നേതൃത്വം നൽകുന്നതിൽ ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള സ്ത്രീകളുടെയും പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെയും സംഭാവന ഉയർത്തിപിടിക്കുകയാണ് ഇത്തവണ വനിതാദിനം. വീട്ടിലും ജോലിസ്ഥലത്തും പൊതുജീവിതത്തിലും സമൂഹത്തിന്റെയും സമ്പദ്‌വ്യവസ്ഥയുടെയും അഭിവൃദ്ധിക്ക് പുരുഷന്മാർക്കും സ്ത്രീകൾക്കും പൂർണ സംഭാവന നൽകാൻ കഴിയുമെന്ന് ഉറപ്പാക്കാൻ ലിംഗസമത്വം അനിവാര്യമാണ്.

സ്ത്രീകളോടുള്ള വിവേചനം അവസാനിപ്പിച്ച് വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിനും തൊഴിലവസരങ്ങൾക്കും തുല്യമായ പ്രവേശനം നൽകുക, തുല്യവേതനം നൽകുക, എന്ന് ഉറക്കെ ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്നതാണ് ഈ പ്രമേയം. നൂതന സാങ്കേതിക വിദ്യകൾ സ്വായത്തമാക്കി, രാഷ്ട്രനിർമ്മാണത്തിന്റെ ഭാഗമായി മാറിയ ഒരുപാട് വനിതകൾ ഉദാഹരണങ്ങളായി നമുക്ക് മുന്നിലുള്ളപ്പോഴും, അവൾ പലപ്പോഴും ഉയർന്ന വിദ്യാഭ്യാസവും ഉന്നതപദവിയും നേടുന്നതിൽ നിന്ന് മാറ്റിനിർത്തപ്പെടുന്നു. കുടുംബവും, പ്രസവവും, കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളുമൊക്കെ അവളുടെ മാത്രം ഉത്തരവാദിത്തമാകുമ്പോൾ ഒരു രാഷ്ട്രത്തിന്റെ ഭാവിയിലേക്കുള്ള ചവിട്ടുപടിയാകേണ്ട പല മിടുക്കികളും അടുക്കളയുടെ ചവിട്ടുപടിയിൽ സ്വയമറിയാതെ ഒതുങ്ങിപ്പോകുന്നുണ്ട്.

ലോകം വലിയ പ്രതിസന്ധിയിലൂടെയാണ് കടന്നുപോകുന്നത്. യുദ്ധവും കോവിഡുമുണ്ടാക്കിയ സാമ്പത്തികപ്രതിസന്ധി മുതൽ പ്രകൃതിദുരന്തങ്ങൾ വരെയുള്ള അപ്രതീക്ഷിത പ്രശ്നങ്ങളെ ധൈര്യസമേതം അഭിമുഖീകരിക്കാനും, അവ തരണം ചെയ്യാനും പുരുഷനൊപ്പം അതേ തോതിൽ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ കഴിവും മനസാന്നിധ്യവും ഉപയോഗിക്കപ്പെടേണ്ടത് അത്യാവശ്യമാണ്.

.കാലാവസ്ഥാ പ്രതിസന്ധിയുടെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ ആഘാതം സ്ത്രീകളും പെൺകുട്ടികളുമാണ് അനുഭവിക്കുന്നത്. ഇത് നിലവിലുള്ള ലിംഗ അസമത്വങ്ങൾ വർദ്ധിപ്പിക്കുകയും സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ജീവിതത്തെയും ഉപജീവനത്തെയും അപകടത്തിലാക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.

എന്നാൽ ശ്രദ്ധിക്കേണ്ട മറ്റൊരു കാര്യം ഇത്തരം സാഹചര്യങ്ങളിൽ പിടിച്ചു നിൽക്കാനും കരകയറാനും തീരുമാനങ്ങളെടുക്കാനും സ്ത്രീകൾക്കുള്ള കഴിവ് പ്രശംസനീയമാണ്. അത് പരമാവധി പ്രയോജനപെടുത്തുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, ലോകമിപ്പോൾ കടന്നു പോകുന്ന പല പ്രതിസന്ധികൾക്കും പരിഹാരം കാണുന്നതിൽ സഹായകമാകും.

കാലാവസ്ഥാ വ്യതിയാനം, സാങ്കേതിക സാമ്പത്തിക വളർച്ച എന്നിവ സംബന്ധിച്ച സുപ്രധാനമായ തീരുമാനമെടുക്കുന്ന പ്രക്രിയയിൽ സ്ത്രീകളുടെയും പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെയും പങ്ക് ഇപ്പോഴും വളരെ കുറവാണ്. അസമത്വം ഉണ്ടെന്ന് മനസിലാക്കുക മാത്രമല്ല, തുല്യതയ്ക്കായി പ്രവർത്തിക്കുക, സ്വയം സജ്ജമാക്കുക എന്നതാണ് സ്ത്രീസ്മൂഹം ചെയ്യേണ്ടത്. സമൂഹത്തിലും ജോലി സ്ഥലത്തും വേഷധാരണം മുതൽ വേതനവ്യവസ്ഥയിൽ വരെ പുരുഷന് നൽകപ്പെടുന്ന പ്രിവിലേജുകൾ സ്ത്രീസമൂഹത്തിനും ഒരേപോലെ ലഭ്യമാകണം.

സാമ്പത്തിക സ്വാതന്ത്രം നേടുക, സ്വന്തം ശരീരത്തെയും മനസിനെയും ആരോഗ്യത്തോടെ സൂക്ഷിക്കുക- ഈ രണ്ടു കാര്യങ്ങൾ പ്രയോഗത്തിൽ കൊണ്ടു വന്നാൽ മാത്രമേ സ്ത്രീയ്ക്ക് ഈ തുല്യത നേടിയെടുക്കാൻ കഴിയൂ.. ഓർക്കുക! തുല്യത ആരും നൽകാനായി കാത്തിരിക്കേണ്ട ഒന്നല്ല. സംവരണത്തിനായി കൈ നീട്ടേണ്ടവരല്ല നമ്മൾ. തുല്യത നമ്മൾ സ്വയം തെളിയിച്ച് നേടിയെടുക്കേണ്ടതാണ്.

സുസ്ഥിരമായ ഭാവിക്കായി

1. സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് ഉൽപ്പാദനരംഗത്തും സേവനങ്ങളിലേക്കും തുല്യമായ പ്രവേശനം നൽകുക.

2. സർക്കാരുകളിലും പാർലമെന്റുകളിലും മറ്റ് സുപ്രധാന തീരുമാനങ്ങളെടുക്കുന്ന ബോർഡുകളിൽ അർത്ഥവത്തായ സ്ത്രീപങ്കാളിത്തം ഉറപ്പാക്കുക.

3. സ്ഥാപനങ്ങളിലും മറ്റു സാമൂഹിക സംഘടനകളിലും തുല്യപ്രാതിനിധ്യം സ്ത്രീയ്ക്ക് നൽകുക. 50 ശതമാനം എന്ന ഒരു സംഖ്യയിലേക്ക് സ്ത്രീ എത്തുകയെന്നത് മാത്രമല്ല തുല്യത. അവകാശങ്ങളും നേട്ടങ്ങളും അവൾക്ക് തുല്യമായി തന്നെ ലഭിക്കണം.

ഈ വർഷത്തെ അന്താരാഷ്‌ട്ര വനിതാ ദിനം, മാറ്റത്തിന്റെയും പ്രതിരോധശേഷിയുടെയും പ്രതീകങ്ങളായ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ കഴിവുകളും നേട്ടങ്ങളും പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള അവസരമാണ് നൽകുന്നത്. കോവിഡ് ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ള പ്രതിസന്ധിഘട്ടങ്ങളെ ഫലപ്രദമായി തരണം ചെയ്യാനുള്ള പദ്ധതികൾ ആസൂത്രണം ചെയ്യുന്നതിൽ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ നേതൃത്വപരമായ പങ്ക് വർദ്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിന് നടപടിയെടുക്കാനും ഈ വനിതാദിനം ആഹ്വാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

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‘അവള് പോക്ക് കേസാണ്’ എന്ന് മുദ്രകുത്തും മുൻപ് ചിന്തിക്കാൻ

യാസിര്‍ എരുമപ്പെട്ടി

Published: July 16 , 2020 08:30 PM IST

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‘‘കുറച്ചു ദിവസം ഞാനെന്റെ വീട്ടില്‍ പോയി നിന്നോട്ടെ’’

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പൊതുബോധത്തോട് ഒട്ടി നിന്ന്കൊണ്ടല്ലാതെ ഇതൊക്കെ വായിക്കുമ്പോഴാണ് നമ്മളെയൊക്കെ ഗ്രസിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ആണത്തമേല്‍കോയ്മയെന്ന അല്‍പ്പത്തരത്തിന് ഇത്രയേറെ ചില്ലകളും ഇലകളും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് നമ്മളറിയുക.

പെട്ടന്ന് നമ്മളിലേക്ക് സ്വന്തം വീടും, വീട്ടുകാരെയും വിട്ട് ഒരു ദിവസം പറിച്ചു നടുന്ന ചെടിയാണ് അവള്‍...

വെണ്ണീറും, വെള്ളവും, വളവും ഒരുപാട് മാസങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ശേഷം ഇലയില്ലാത്ത ആ ചെടിക്ക് നല്‍കിയിട്ട് വലിയ കാര്യമൊന്നുമില്ല....

നനക്കാന്‍ നമ്മുടെ ഹൃദയത്തില്‍ വെള്ളമുണ്ടാവണം... അതവള് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുമ്പോഴും അവളെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുമ്പോഴും പകുത്ത് നല്‍കാന്‍ കഴിയണം....

അവൾക്ക് നിഷേധിക്കപ്പെട്ട അവകാശങ്ങളെപ്പറ്റി അവള് പറയുമ്പോൾ നമുക്ക് മാന്യമായി തിരുത്താനും കേൾക്കാനും കഴിയുക എന്നതിലാണ് നമ്മളുടെ ഐഡന്റിറ്റിയുണ്ടാകേണ്ടത്...

ഒരു ആണ്‍കുട്ടിയും പെണ്‍കുട്ടിയും നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ രണ്ടുപേര്‍ക്കും സ്നേഹം പോലെ സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യവും ധൈര്യവും വീറും വാശിയും സമം ചേര്‍ത്ത് നല്‍കുക....

അവളുടെ സ്പേസ് നല്‍കാനുള്ളതോ അപഹരിക്കാനുള്ളതോ ആയ ആളല്ല നമ്മളെന്നറിയുക... അതിനുള്ള സാഹചര്യങ്ങള്‍ സൃഷ്ടിക്കുക എന്നത് കടമപോലെ ചെയ്ത് വെക്കുക....

ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടാത്ത ദാമ്പത്യത്തില് അവളോട്‌ ഓവര്‍ അഡ്ജസ്റ്റിങ്ങ് പറയാതിരിക്കുക... ഒന്ന് കരയാനും, പൊട്ടിച്ചിരിക്കാനും സ്പേസ് കൊടുക്കുക.....

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English Summary: Essay on Gender Equality

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സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പങ്ങളോട് പോരാടുമ്പോൾ

ലിംഗ മുൻവിധികൾക്കെതിരെയുള്ള കോടതിയുടെ മാർഗ്ഗനിർദ്ദേശങ്ങൾ മാറ്റത്തിന് ഉത്തേജകമാകും.

Published - August 18, 2023 12:05 pm IST

അസമത്വങ്ങൾ നിലനിർത്തുന്ന ഹാനികരമായ ലിംഗ സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പങ്ങളെ എതിർത്തുകൊണ്ടുള്ള മാർഗ്ഗനിർദ്ദേശങ്ങൾ പുറത്തിറക്കിക്കൊണ്ട് സുപ്രീം കോടതി എല്ലാവർക്കും തുല്യാവകാശങ്ങൾ നൽകാനുള്ള ഉദ്യമത്തിൽ ഒരു സുപ്രധാന ചുവടുവെപ്പ് നടത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ന്യായാധിപ തീരുമാനങ്ങൾ എടുക്കുന്നതിനും എഴുതുന്നതിനുമായി ചെയ്യേണ്ടതും ചെയ്യരുതാത്തതുമായ കാര്യങ്ങൾ നിരത്തിയ ‘ലിംഗ സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പങ്ങളെ ചെറുക്കാനുള്ള ശൈലീപുസ്തകം’ ന്യായാധിപന്മാരെ പുരാതനവും “തെറ്റായതുമായ ആശയങ്ങൾ”, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് സ്ത്രീകളെ സംബന്ധിച്ചവ, പ്രോത്സാഹിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഭാഷ തിരിച്ചറിയാൻ സഹായിക്കുകയും, പകരം ഉപയോഗിക്കാവുന്ന വാക്കുകളും ശൈലികളും നൽകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. പൊതു മര്യാദ കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് “അവിഹിത ബന്ധം” എന്നതിനുപകരം, “വിവാഹത്തിന് പുറത്തുള്ള ബന്ധം” എന്ന് പറയണം; അതുപോലെ, “അഭിസാരിക” എന്നതിനേക്കാൾ അഭികാമ്യം “വിവാഹത്തിന് പുറത്തുള്ള ലൈംഗിക ബന്ധത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്ന സ്ത്രീ” എന്നാണ്. സ്ത്രീകളെക്കുറിച്ച് പരാമർശിക്കുമ്പോൾ അപകീർത്തികരവും സൗമ്യമെന്ന് തോന്നിപ്പിക്കുന്നതുമായ ചില വിശേഷണങ്ങളും ഒഴിവാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഉദാഹരണത്തിന്, “പാതിവൃത്യമുള്ള” സ്ത്രീ, “കടമ നിറവേറ്റുന്ന” ഭാര്യ, “വീട്ടമ്മ” എന്നതിന് പകരം വെറും “സ്ത്രീ”, “ഭാര്യ”, “ഗാർഹിക പരിപാലനം നടത്തുന്നവർ” എന്നിവയാണ് ഉപയോഗിക്കേണ്ടത്. കോടതി പുരുഷന്മാരേയും മറന്നില്ല. സ്ത്രൈണത (അപമാനകരമായി ഉപയോഗിക്കുമ്പോൾ), ‘ഫാഗറ്റ്’ എന്നീ വാക്കുകൾക്ക് പകരം “കൃത്യമായി വ്യക്തിയുടെ ലൈംഗിക ആഭിമുഖ്യം (ഉദാ: സ്വവർഗാനുരാഗി അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഉഭയ ലൈംഗികതയുള്ളയാൾ)” പറയണമെന്ന നിർദ്ദേശം നൽകി. സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പങ്ങൾ – “മറ്റൊരാൾ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മറ്റൊന്ന് എന്താണെന്നതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് ആളുകൾക്ക് ഉള്ള പൊതുവായ ധാരണ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് തെറ്റായ ധാരണ” – അവരെ മാറ്റി നിർത്തുന്നതിലേക്കും അവരുടെ വിവേചനത്തിലേക്കും നയിക്കുന്നു എന്ന് കോടതി ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടി. ഇവ ലൈംഗിക പീഡനം, ആക്രമണം, ബലാത്സംഗം, മറ്റ് അക്രമങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയെ സ്ത്രീകൾക്കെതിരായി വീക്ഷിക്കപ്പെടുകയും വളച്ചൊടിക്കപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന പൊതുവായ ചിന്താഗതിയെയാണ് കാണിക്കുന്നത്.

പരമ്പരാഗത വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ധരിക്കാത്ത, പുകവലിക്കുകയോ മദ്യപിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്ന സ്ത്രീകൾ പ്രശ്‌നങ്ങൾ വിളിച്ചു വരുത്തുന്നു എന്ന സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പം തകർത്ത കോടതി സമ്മതത്തിന്റെ പ്രാധാന്യം ഊന്നി പറഞ്ഞു. ലൈംഗികാതിക്രമത്തിന് വിധേയരായ സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് ആ സംഭവത്തെപ്പറ്റി ഉടനടി പരാതിപ്പെടാൻ കഴിയില്ലെന്നും കോടതി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. സ്ത്രീകൾ നേരിടുന്ന സാമൂഹിക യാഥാർത്ഥ്യങ്ങളും മറ്റ് വെല്ലുവിളികളും കോടതികൾ ഗൗരവമായി കാണണം എന്ന് അത് പറയുന്നു. സ്ത്രീകൾ “അമിതമായി വൈകാരികവും, യുക്തിരഹിതവുമായി പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നവരും, തീരുമാനങ്ങൾ എടുക്കാൻ സാധിക്കാത്തവരുമാണ്” എന്ന് കരുതുന്നത് തെറ്റാണെന്ന് കോടതി കൂട്ടിച്ചേർക്കുന്നു. എല്ലാ സ്ത്രീകളും കുട്ടികളുണ്ടാകാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു എന്നത് ഒരു സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കിയ അനുമാനമാണ്, ശൈലീപുസ്തകം പറയുന്നു. “മാതാവോ പിതാവോ ആകണമെന്ന് തീരുമാനിക്കുന്നത് വ്യക്തിഗത താല്പര്യമാണ്”. ജീവിതത്തിൽ എന്തുചെയ്യണമെന്ന് തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കാനുള്ള ഈ സാധ്യതകൾ ഇന്ത്യയിലെ മിക്ക സ്ത്രീകൾക്കും ഇപ്പോഴും നിരാശാജനകമായ രീതിയിൽ അപ്രാപ്യമാണ്. വലിയൊരു പുരുഷാധിപത്യ സമൂഹത്തിൽ, വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിനും തൊഴിലിനും പകരം പെൺകുട്ടികൾ പലപ്പോഴും സാമൂഹിക ദുഷ്കീർത്തി ഒഴിവാക്കാനുള്ള ഒരു മാർഗമായി വിവാഹം കഴിക്കാൻ നിർബന്ധിതരാകുന്നു. മാറ്റങ്ങൾ സംഭവിക്കുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കിൽപ്പോലും, വേഗത കുറവാണ്. ലിംഗസമത്വം കൈവരിക്കുന്നതിന്, എല്ലാ സ്ഥിരസങ്കല്പങ്ങളും ഒഴിവാക്കുന്നതിനായുള്ള അടിസ്ഥാനപരമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ വരുത്തേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. സ്ത്രീകൾ കൂടുതൽ പരിപാലിക്കുന്നവരും മറ്റുള്ളവരെ ശുശ്രൂഷിക്കാൻ കൂടുതൽ അനുയോജ്യരും, വീട്ടുജോലികളെല്ലാം ചെയ്യേണ്ടത് അവരാണെന്നുമുള്ളത് തെറ്റായ ധാരണകളാണ്. ശൈലീപുസ്തകം ന്യായാധിപർക്കും അഭിഭാഷകർക്കും ഒരു വഴികാട്ടിയായിരിക്കാം. കൂടാതെ, അത് സാമൂഹിക തലത്തിൽ ഒരു മാറ്റത്തിന് ഉത്തേജകവുമാകാം.

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Gender Equality in Kerala

While good health and educational attainments are necessary for gender equality, the development experience in Kerala suggests that these accomplishments are insufficient to support gender equality – a Constitutional promise and a Constitutional right for all Indian men and women.  This note finds that women in Kerala do not have equal access to economic opportunities and resources or equal voice in political decision-making, necessary dimensions of gender equal development. Support for gender equality is often mistaken for “feminism” reducing demand among men and women, and there is little appreciation of the important function that gender equality plays in reducing poverty and in enhancing economic growth.  Given the unique and favorable human development context, Kerala is badly in need of a considered gender and development strategy to address the second generation of economic and political challenges.  The strategy needs to be developed through a democratic process, and usher in a shift from an approach of women’s empowerment to one of gender equality. In defining this strategy, the time has also come to recognize that men will need to play a critical and educated role if gender equality is to progress in Kerala.

This background note is prepared by Gita Gopal, Gender Coordinator, Janasree Sustainable Mission for Development at the request of Janasree Management (Sri MM Hassan and Sri BS Balanchandran).  A summary version has been published in a policy document issued by Janasree.  This draft has benefitted from detailed comments received from Ms. Malini Sekhar, Communications Consultant ( www.sahanacreative.com ), Ms. Aswathy SS, Strategy and Resource Coordinator, Ekatha Trust, and from Mrs. Valsala Sekhar, Social Activist and Civil Society Representative.

Gender Equality in Kerala: A Reality or A Myth?

Gender equality is not an alien concept to India – it is a part of the Indian Constitutional promise and represents a Constitutional right . Article 14 of the Indian Constitution confers equal rights and opportunities to both men and women in the political, economic and social spheres. Article 15 prohibits discrimination against any citizen inter alia on the grounds of sex.  Article 15(3) provides affirmative discriminations in favor of women to correct discrimination.  Article 16 provides for equality of opportunities in matter of public appointments for all citizens.  Article 39 (a) related to state policies towards securing all citizens, men and women, equally, the right to means of livelihood.  Article 39(d) requires public institutions to ensure equal pay for equal work. Article 42 directs the State to make provision for ensuring just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.  Finally, the Constitution imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen through Articles 51 (A) (e) to renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women.

There is also adequate evidence in development literature, which demonstrates that gender equality is about increased productivity, improved development outcomes for the next generation, and making institutions more representative ( World Development Report 2012 (WDR) on Gender Equality ) . In simple terms, no nation or state can leave behind more than half the population and expect that the house will remain in order.  Development literature confirms linkages between improved poverty reduction and gender equality. For example, in India, giving power to women at the local level has led to increases in the provision of public goods, such as water and sanitation, which was of greater concern for women. The WDR calls for immediate action in four critical areas, namely reducing excess female mortality and closing education gaps where they remain; improving access to economic opportunities for women; increasing women’s voice and agency in the household and in society; and limiting the reproduction of gender inequality across generations.

Simple as the above prescription may seem, the WDR points out that constraints to gender equality exist at multiple levels.  They exist in markets in the form of barriers to entry and occupational segregation; in institutions in terms of failure to allow women’s voices to be heard, and within households through strongly-held beliefs and practices that undermine gender equality.  Consequently, seeking change in the area of gender is complex and challenging because gender outcomes are a result of the ways in which social norms interact with markets, institutions, and individual aspirations and beliefs, to shape opportunities and outcomes for women and men throughout their lives.

External forces can also help to catalyze gender change at all levels.   For example, with ten million men Americans fighting in World War II, the need for female labor at home was urgent especially in war-time industries that had emerged.  Markets and institutions (including the Federal Government) shaped and influenced household beliefs with incentives and cries of patriotism, coaxing married women out of their homes and into the labor markets.  Women’s participation in the US labor markets reportedly increased from about one quarter to one third during this period.   In India too, one specific point of great change was Mahatma Gandhi’s call to all men and women to participate in the Indian Independence movement.  He made it the responsibility of each man and woman to take up the charka and throw off the shackles of dependence.  This led to a Constitution that forbade discrimination on the grounds of sex among other things.

Without such external forces, initiating change is challenging, even when such change is known to be right and good for the community and for the country . It needs concerted effort at different levels – political, economic, and social, and even then such change can be slow.  Such actions broadly include improving access to justice for both men and women, gender-aware policies and programs emphasizing the economic role of women, enhancing public awareness of the importance of gender equality for economic growth, programs, enhancing demand for gender equality through interventions to incentivize families and communities to change mindsets about gender, and finally committed political leadership.

This review aims to provide participants with some background on the status of gender equality in Kerala, a state in the South of India.  Based primarily on a desk review, it is aimed to increase awareness among policy makers and NGOs on gender equality in Kerala and to facilitate better appreciation of the need to initiate a dialogue on gender equality. After this introductory section, the next section provides a 3-dimensional framework for discussing gender equality.  Sections 3-5 then discuss gender issues in Kerala around the 3 dimensions, before the final concluding section.

What does Gender Equality Mean?

Gender equality is a nebulous term, not often found in several languages including in Malayalam. It is a term used to describe socially-constructed relationships between women and men.  Gender differences are unlike ‘sex-based’ differences.  The Oxford English Dictionary defines sex as referring to “biological differences”, while gender refers to differences created by “cultural or social” grounds.  Sex-based differences are biologically determined, and do not change with time or space. Gender differences, on the other hand, are a social construct, a product of society, its values, and changes from locality to locality.  While biological differences cannot be changed by society, men and women can influence gender norms through actions they may decide to take or not take within their households and communities.  For example, through their actions, they can decide to replicate gender constructs and conform to socially and traditionally created expectations or instead decide to change them.

Gender equality is not about women alone.  It is about both men and women. It is not about equal numbers for men and women, although this may be important in some contexts.  It is also not about treating men and women equally because given the biological differences, sometimes they need to be treated differently.  It is about ensuring that both men and women have equal access to opportunities, that each can live fulfilling lives, and that each can contribute to the development of communities in which they live.

Figure 1:  The Indian Constitution and Gender Equality

For the purposes of this note, gender equality will be defined utilizing the framework from the Indian Constitution.  The Constitution gives importance to rights and opportunities in 3 dimensions: (i) equal rights and opportunities for both men and women in the social sphere; (ii) equal rights and opportunities for both men and women in the economic sphere; and (iii) equal rights and opportunities for both men and women in the political spheres.  The first dimension, the social sphere, covers equal access to health, education, training and skills development.  The economic sphere focuses on women’s rights to economic assets, resources, and opportunities and discussion in the political sphere will focus on the participation and voice of women in political and community matters.

Kerala presents a paradox when it comes to gender equality. With women constituting almost 52 per cent of Kerala’s total population of 333 lakhs, Kerala has achieved enviable social development indicators. Its achievements in the areas of universal primary education both for boys and girls, favorable female-male population ratios, high literacy rates for both men and women, and high life expectancy rates for both men and women are a pride not only to the state but also to the country. The high levels of social development indicators are laudable, and are a necessary condition for gender equality.  There is, however, significant concern that although they are necessary, they are not sufficient by itself. Women may be more literate (improved enrollments) and less pregnant (decreased fertility) than in other parts of the country, but they remain equally if not more powerless and poor.

Applying the 3-dimensional constitutional lens to gender equality, this becomes evident.  Kerala fares relatively well in the first dimension in terms of social development), but falls behind in the second (access to economic opportunities, resources, and assets) and third dimension (equal voice and participation in decision making in the state). Economic, political, and social factors interact leaving women disempowered and without equal rights, sometimes as much as their sisters in other states with lower human development indicators.

This is not a new finding .  The Kerala Human Development Result (2005) notes that gender discrimination poses perhaps one of two “most serious challenges to continued human development in Kerala, cutting across categories such as class, caste, religion and age.”  The Planning Commission’s Economic Review 2010 also warns that the hype around educated and healthy Keralite women may not be the whole story – the Review points out to the need to rethink the issue and to strategize on how to address some critical constraints to gender equality. The next few sections focus on the status of gender equality in Kerala in the three Constitutional spheres (social, economic, and political) and discuss to what extent women and men enjoy their constitutionally provided rights.

Strong Progress in Social Development in Terms of Education and Health

Literacy:  Kerala has the highest literacy rates in the country, and more than 90 per cent of its women are literate . Although the rates for men are slightly higher at 96 per cent (National Sample Survey Organization 63rd round (July 2006-June 2007), these rates and the extent of gender gap fare well when compared to national figures – 86 per cent for men and 66 per cent for women. At the national level, there is a higher level of disparity with a 20 per cent gender gap. (Table 1) [i]   The National Family Health Survey-3 (NHFS 2006) confirms this high level of literacy and low gender disparity. Literate persons were defined by the survey as those who have either completed at least standard six or ‘passed’ and a simple literacy test was conducted as part of the survey. The survey found that 93 per cent of women and 96 per cent of men age 15-49 are literate in Kerala. The 2011 Census estimate also indicates that 92 per cent of women and 96 per cent of men are literate.

Education:  At the primary level, enrollment is universal and gender parity has been achieved.   At the secondary level, coverage is not universal.  A recent paper published by CDS, based on the data of the 2006 NFHS-3 shows that during the period 1996-2006, only 45 per cent of the children made it to the higher secondary level or a related stage of education. However, even at this level, female children are ahead of male children in schooling except among Scheduled Tribes (at the primary and upper primary levels) and Muslims (at the higher secondary level). (Dilip, 2010)  Dropout rates are low for both boys and girls.

A larger proportion of women are enrolled at higher level educational institutions in Kerala (Table 2) .  At the tertiary level, about 70 per cent of students registered in arts, commerce, and sciences colleges during 2009-2010 were women. Girls are ahead in all fields (arts, sciences, medicine) falling behind only in engineering, technology, architecture, and design.  Girls constitute 83 per cent of the science students, but only 43 per cent of those in the engineering cluster.  While the numbers suggest a significant bias in favor of girls (7 out of 10 girls in these tertiary institutions are girls), there is a need to better explore and understand what is happening to gender parity at the tertiary level.

Box 1: Women in the Media

Despite their high levels of education, women continue to be defined by marriage, dowry, and fairness in Kerala media.  “Fair and Beauty” creams, advertised on prime time television, promise a lighter skin to help women get that longed-for job and/or that sought-after husband.  Advertisements such as “Beauty meets Quality” and “men need women, women need gold” associate gold with heavily decked brides, rather than as a good financial investment. They help to influence and shape mindsets of the younger group in a state, where households hardly need any additional encouragement to pay or demand for dowry.  Andree Wright, who has recorded changes in the image of femininity as portrayed in the Australian Women’s Weekly through the war years finds that during the early war years, up to 1942, homemaking and motherhood remained the most important job.  As the need for increased supplies of female labour became paramount, the Australian Women’s Weekly began to change the image of its heroine and magazine propaganda painted an attractive image of the working woman.’ But as soon as the war was over, the ‘working woman’ ceased to exist for the Women’s Weekly, being replaced by ‘the bride.’  Kerala appears to be still in the prewar stage!

The high levels of education of women indicated above do not however appear to translate into marketable skills .  Women’s entry into, and participation, in the labor market is highly constrained as discussed in the next section.  The lowering of evaluation standards at the higher secondary level, instead of improving the quality of teaching and curriculum, is perceived by some as a key issue that constrains entry into labor markets.  The skills supply by universities may also not be relevant to meet the demands of a globalizing market.  Significant skills training are reported as having been conducted for women. Most activities are, however, related to ‘very stereotypical occupations like making of soaps, umbrella, foot wear, food processing, farming (mushroom, flowers etc)’ and result in little actual conversion of skills into income generating projects. Even when there were earnings, income is meager at Rs.30-Rs.50/-day.  Managerial, financial management and marketing skills were not integrated in these training sessions. Women’s limited ownership over physical assets (such as land and space for activities), and their lack of mobility further constrained outcomes. Where other skills were attempted (computer training and auto driving), such training was not coordinated with the support of financial and technical support, and they did not generate any additional income (Sakhi, undated)

Health:  Both men and women in Kerala have high life expectancies, equivalent to some European countries.  Kerala is one of the few States in the country where the female-male ratio is over one (1084 women for every 1000 men while the national rate is 940 according to the provisional data for the 2011 census).  Life expectancy is at 71 years for men and at 74 for women. ( http://www.kerala.gov.in )  A woman in Kerala is expected to have an average of 1.9 children in her lifetime.   Notably, fertility even in the rural areas of Kerala is below the replacement level of 2.1 children. The relatively high rates of maternal mortality are surprising given that all births in the state are attended by skilled attendants.  NHFS-3 found than almost all women who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey received antenatal care from a health professional, including 98 per cent from a doctor and one per cent from all other health personnel. Only one per cent of women received antenatal care from a traditional birth attendant or ICDS worker.  Interestingly, 90 per cent of fathers were present at least at one antenatal care visit.  Mortality rates are one of the best in India but remain relatively high when comparable to countries such as Sri Lanka – 95 per every 100,000 births [ii] compared to Sri Lanka’s 60. There is need to better understand the exact cause for even this level of mortality rates.

Inequalities in Access to Economic Assets, Resources, and Opportunities Remain Weak

For men and women in Kerala, there are three main ways of accessing economic assets and resources: (i) acquiring a share of the family property, (ii) participation in the labor markets, (iii) self-employment or establishment of small business enterprises or participation in the informal sectors.  In each area, women appear to be unequal partners in Kerala.  Access to economic services is also important because in societies where women are predominantly responsible for household chores, increased access to childcare services, water, electricity, and cooking gas helps women to balance their time between home and work.   These issues are discussed in this section.

Access to Family Assets

During a marriage, no spouse has rights over the property of the other spouse. [iii]   Any property held in individual names belongs to the legal owner, unless proved otherwise.  Upon divorce, each spouse is entitled to maintenance and any property in her name. The wife is also entitled to claim any stridhan she bought into the family, provided she can prove it to be so if it is not in her name.  Parents and either spouse can bequeath property registered in their individual names, thus depriving children or spouse of any share of the inheritance.  While there is no gender inequality, such equal laws were considered to have an unequal result when applied in contexts where property was mostly in the hands of male family members.  Thus in several countries, laws have been instituted which require household property (defined differently, but typically refers to property acquired after the marriage) to be divided equally between the two spouses, barring any reason specified at law such as infidelity by one party.  This is not the case in Kerala.

Despite a stringent law on the books that prohibits the taking or giving of a dowry, this criminal activity continues unabated . Further more the confusion between streedhana (the property of a woman) and a dowry (a consideration paid by a bride to the bridegroom for marriage) has exacerbated the situation.  A 2008 Planning Commission report notes that in the final quarter of the last century, dowry appears to be replacing inheritance as a mode of transfer of family property, although there is no guarantee that the assets stay in the wife’s name and under her control. [iv]   Dowry deaths are per se low in Kerala when compared to other states, but the number of dowry deaths have increased between 2007 and 2008 by almost 15 per cent, the highest levels of increase in the country.  Nevertheless, the practice is widely prevalent in Kerala, and consultation with relevant stakeholders suggests standard market prices for different categories of working men!

NFHS-3 findings appear to confirm women’s weak access to assets, particularly for married women in Kerala. Only 21 per cent of married women between the ages of 15-49 in the state have some money, which they control. This was less than half the national average of 44 per cent. Only slightly more than one-quarter of women (27 per cent) have a bank or savings account that they themselves use, although this is on the higher side than the national average (15 per cent) or that in other states, and could reflect the high availability of banking services in the state. [v]   As Table 3 indicates, patriarchal practices about women’s mobility are also strong in Kerala, and in many instances stronger that other Southern States.

Participation in the Labor Markets

Despite the high levels of educational achievement of women, participation of women in labor markets is low in Kerala , one of the lowest in India . The State HDR of 2005 points out that while over a quarter of the female population is recorded as economically active at the all-India level, the proportion is about 23 per cent in Kerala. This is despite the high levels of education attainment by Keralite women.  NFHS-3 indicates that only 29 per cent of married women aged 15-49 in Kerala were employed in the year prior to the survey, compared with 99 per cent of married men.  A 2009 paper sponsored by the Kerala State Planning Board finds similarly. It notes that the ‘the work participation rate of women in Kerala is lower than the national average as well as those of other Southern States.’ According to the 2001 Census, out of a labor force in Kerala of 10.3 million, 7.8 million are males and only 2.5 million are females.  Thisis lower than Sri Lanka and is similar to other more conservative countries such as UAE and Lebanon (see Figure 2 below).

There are no clear answers on the reasons for the low labor participation in a state where women are so highly educated .  However, there are several plausible explanations, which suggest that the issue stems from a number of complex factors.  A review by Mazumdar and Guruswamy (2006) finds inter alia conceptual problems in estimating women’s participation in the labor markets, increased migration and higher levels of household income, lower levels of female employment found in transitional and developing states in Asia and Latin America, weak links between labor demands and supply, proliferation of tertiary education and consequent changed expectations of ‘acceptable’ employment, decreased rice cultivation reducing the need for female labor, switch to cash crops and replacement of women’s labor by male immigrant labor, the stagnation of the household and small-scale industry, migration of industries to other states due to labor unions, and rigid gender roles.

While low participation rates do not necessarily reflect gender inequalities since women may elect to stay at home, unemployment rates are a clearer sign of gender inequality, given that the disparity is between men and women who are seeking employment .  According to the Economic Review 2010, women outnumber men seeking employment through employment exchanges in all the 14 districts of Kerala. Almost 60 per cent of total work seekers were women.  Educated unemployment has been also noted as a serious concern by the 2010 Economic Review.  While 18 per cent of educated men are unemployed, 71 per cent of educated women are unemployed.

The latest NSSO data provides an insight into where men and women work in Kerala (Table 4) .  About 40 per cent of both men and women are self-employed.  While 21 per cent of men are salaried workers, the numbers are higher for women at 30 per cent.  About half the men work as causal labor, while less than one-third of the women do so. This provides quite a contrast from the comparator states, where women’s participation as salaried workers is much lower than that of men.

Table 4: Participation in Labor Markets

A larger proportion of women, however, work in lower paying jobs and in the informal sectors .  Only 31.78 per cent of women are employed by the Government in Kerala, which is a more secure and better remunerated employment, but hereto the majority of women work in the lower rungs of the employment hierarchy as teachers, nurses, paramedics, secretaries, and stenographers. Seventy-one per cent of the school teachers in the state are women, while they constitute only 36 per cent of university teachers.  In the service sector, they work largely as domestic labor, beauticians, maids, and so on.  In the private sector, women constitute half of those employed, but more than 3/4ths of the women working in the manufacturing sector are in the informal sector. Also, private sector work is in general less secure and does not typically carry other benefits (Economic Review 2010).  There is also some evidence in the report that women work in a narrower range of occupations than men, partly because of the spatial limitations that affect women. The latest NSSO data for 2009-2010 indicates that there are more female salaried workers, but it also indicates that the average salary is lower than that of men despite the equal, if not superior, educational attainments.

Occupational segregation, another sign of gender inequality, is relatively lower in Kerala when examined against comparator states, although it is a problem in some districts .  Women predominate in the professional and technicians/associates categories, which does not occur in any of the other Southern States.  There is only a 3  per cent gender disparity in the elementary occupations, which is much less than in other Southern states.

Women, however, do not have equal decision making powers in their occupations even when compared to other Southern States.  A 2008 study on the ICT sector indicated that women mostly predominate in unskilled work and in work that require technical training and problem solving.  (Source) In areas requiring specific expertise and managerial authority, men predominate.  The NSSO data provided below in Table 6 indicates that women constitute only one-fourth of the men in positions of authority in Kerala. The numbers are higher in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.  It is also lower than the national average, which is surprising given that Kerala continues to lead the human development index in India.

Self-Employment and Microenterprises

A large number of women in Kerala are in the private sector, but the quality of participation is weak .   About 22 lakhs work in the service sector enterprises in Kerala, with about 12 lakhs being own account enterprises [vi] and 10 lakhs in other establishments [vii] .  Forty-five per cent of these workers in the informal sectors in Kerala are women (highest after Orissa). About 51 per cent of all female workers work in financially weaker OAEs and about 37 per cent work in establishments. Women constitute 31 per cent of all permanent workers, while they are 82 per cent of all temporary workers.  Only 16 per cent of all worker owners are women, and it must be noted that this is the highest amongst the comparator states and higher than the Indian average (10 per cent).  However, this is much lower than in other countries and is equivalent to data in more conservative societies in the Middle East (World Bank), where also women have good human endowments but less than 20 per cent are enterprise owners.

 Gender neutral cumbersome regulations and procedures to start and maintain a business can be more cumbersome for women, because they have greater challenges in navigating in public places .  According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2008, countries with more cumbersome business environments have smaller shares of women entrepreneurs, and simplifying business processes could create more first-time female business owners at a rate 33 per cent faster than that for their male. These are particularly tedious in Kerala when compared with other cities in India.  Among 17 cities in India, Kochi ranks as the 16 th in terms of the ease of doing business (Doing Business in Kochi, India 2009), just above Kolkatta.  Policy makers in Kerala may wish to keep this in view, given that such reform would benefit both men and women.

In Kerala, a large percentage of the women, who are principally housewives, are willing to work on their household premises – 43 per cent in rural areas and 33 per cent in urban areas .  They need either ‘initial finance on easy terms’ or ‘training’ or ‘working finance facilities’ to take up their desired work (NSSO data 2004-5). Seventy two per cent of these women preferred part-time work, while full-time work was acceptable to another 25 per cent.  Access to microfinance appears to be a constraint in Kerala. [viii]   Among women willing to start an economic activity on their homestead, 62 per cent cited the lack of initial finance on easy terms was cited as a reason.  Another 11 per cent cited training as a limitation.  NFHS-3 also indicates that access to microfinance may be an issue.  Although all women respondents had heard of microfinance, only eight per cent of women in Kerala have availed of the facility.

Domestic workers are another group of women who are highly vulnerable in Kerala.  They work without any contracts, no clear terms or conditions, and without any security of employment.  In 2010, the State Government had established minimum wages for Kerala, but there is little monitoring of its implementation.

Women continue to be predominantly responsible for household chores and child and/or elder care (Table 6) . They are responsible for collecting water and fuel for domestic consumption, for ensuring that food is on the table, and for looking after the needs of the children, the husband, and extended family members.  For working women, typically, this is in addition to their other responsibilities in the workplace.  The NHFS-3 indicates that 69 per cent of households use an improved source of drinking water (77 per cent of urban households and 65 per cent of rural households), but only 13 per cent have water piped into their dwelling, yard, or plot and 12 per cent get drinking water from a public tap or standpipe.”  Access to LPG (cooking gas) is limited to only 22 per cent of the rural population and 59 per cent of the urban population. The rest depend on firewood and other sources of energy (NSSO data 2008).  In urban Kerala, dependence on firewood and chips for cooking is highest in India (41 per cent).   Such limited access to water and fuelwood is still a problem for a sizeable proportion of women in Kerala, although the situation appears to be better than in other states.  Few affordable childcare facilities and services to look after the elderly family members must also deter women from seeking jobs.

About a quarter of households in Kerala are female headed (NFHS-3 and Census of India 2003).  Discrimination against women could adversely affect these households, but there is inadequate information on their status.  In general, given the higher educational status of women, remittances from male members who are abroad, and a proliferation of government programs for women, they cannot automatically be considered to be at a disadvantage.

The Constitutional Promise in the Political Sphere Still Remains a Mirage

Educated they may be, good health they may have, but a meaningful role in decision making as well as equal participation in  community development appears to have slipped Keralite women . Three dimensions are reviewed here: inclusion in decision making at the political and household level, social cohesion in terms of violence, and accountability of political institutions.

Inclusion in Political Decision Making: Women are not a significant part of the decision making process in the state – governance continues to be male dominated in a state renowned for its matrilineal groups.   Despite the 30 per cent women’s representation in panchayats, a single lady minister in a cabinet of more than 20 and seven women legislators in a group of 144 is low by any standard.  Patriarchal practices of political parties and male defined ways of engagement (aggressive and adversarial) combined with social attitudes to women have brought only a few talented women into the political arena.  Public defamatory statements of women by respected leaders further add to the negative environment and women’s apprehension.  Even at the local levels, reserved seats are rotated every five years, and commentators note that as soon as a woman learns the rope of job, the rug is pulled out from under her feet.  Nevertheless, there is some emerging evidence that such reservations at the local level are leading to changed perceptions about women in positions of leadership, at least in some states (World Bank, WDR 2012).  But the progress is slow and insufficient for women to have meaningful participation in key decision making areas.

Judicial Power : Representation on the judiciary is weak, another male-dominated decision making body.  In India, on average, there are about seven per cent women in the judiciary. In Kerala, where 20 per cent of the advocates in the court system are women [ix] , representation has not been much better in its apex body despite the fact that the first woman to be a Supreme Court judge in 1989 was Justice Fathima Beevi from Kerala.  At the time of writing this paper, 2 out of a total of 29 judges on the Kerala High Court are women. The implications of such an all male institution for high court decisions can only be imagined because it has not been studied in depth; it remains a concern that justice at the apex level is meted out through a dominantly patriarchal lens.  In the civil services as a whole, women constitute about eight per cent of the total workforce in 2010 in India.  In 2009, they constituted about 13 per cent of all Indian Administrative Officers.  There appears to be an effort to increase women’s representation and the average intake into the IAS was about 22 per cent between 2004-2009. [x]

Women’s ability to move outside the home is highly constrained.  NHFS-3 suggests that only half the women in Kerala are allowed to go by themselves to the market (52 per cent) or to a health facility (54 per cent) but less than half (41 per cent) have freedom to travel alone outside their own village or community.  Only 35 per cent are allowed to go alone to all three places.

Violence against women [xi] , another highly disempowering factor, is prevalent in Kerala despite its superior levels of women’s educational attainments .  Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicate that Kerala is among the top six states in terms of rates against women (crimes per 100000) (Kerala also has the third highest rate of incidence of violent crimes in 2010, next only to Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur). Although Kerala accounts only for 2.75 per cent of the total population, it accounts for 4 per cent of the crimes committed against women in 2009.  In terms of rate of cruelty by husbands and relatives, Kerala has a the 6 th highest  crime rate in the country, lower than Andhra Pradesh, but higher than Karnataka or Tamil Nadu according to crimes registered in 2010.  NFHS-3, however, finds that violence against wives by husband is lower than Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka or Tamil Nadu in the 2006 survey.  One way to reconcile these conflicting figures might be that a larger proportion of those suffering cruelty are registering crimes in Kerala.

While the extent of violence may be unclear, what is interesting is that sixty-six per cent of women surveyed in Kerala believe that spousal beating is justified if there is a sufficient cause such as disrespect for in-laws or neglect of household or children (NHFS-3) .   Fifty-five per cent of the men are of a similar opinion.  This figure is consistent with views of men and women in other parts of South India, but different from a state such as Himachal Pradesh where much fewer men and women felt violence was acceptance even with reason.

* Rate of Crime against Women means number of crimes against women per one lakh population

Despite the protected afforded by the “Law on Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act” (2005), NHFS-3 found that about half of the women (46 per cent) have neither sought help nor told anyone about the violence . [xii]   Only 36 per cent of women who have ever experienced violence have sought help to end the violence through institutional remedies.  Abused women most often seek help from their own families. Thus state institutions and services do not have an opportunity to address the majority of the cases.  Moreover, women often do not have the economic independence to take recourse and prefer to silently bear the violence.

Kerala men may not be violent by nature even if more than half of them may justify beating their spouse with reason.  T hey appear to need the help of alcohol to be violent. The 2006 NFHS indicated that in Kerala 64 per cent of married women, whose husbands often get drunk, report experiencing violence, compared with 10 per cent of women whose husbands do not drink any alcohol.  (Kerala Human Development Report 2005).   Each year, Keralites consume 8.3 liters of liquor per person, three times the national rate, and the state has the ignominious distinction of having the highest levels of per capita liquor consumption. The Russian experience illustrates the dangers of alcoholism.  A study published in the Lancet finds that 52 per cent of all deaths of adults between the ages of 15 and 54 between 1990 and 2001 in three Siberian industrial towns were the result of alcohol abuse.  A U.N. National Human Development Report shows that Russian males born in 2006 had a life expectancy of just over 60 years, 17 fewer than western Europeans, while Russian females could expect to live thirteen years longer than their male counterparts. Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts initiated in 1985 with a massive anti-alcohol campaign including severe penalties against public drunkenness and alcohol consumption, and restrictions on sales of liquor helped to reduce per capita alcohol consumption and improve the quality-of-life measures such as life expectancies and crime rates despite the fact that it was deeply unpopular among the population.  While the nexus between politics and alcohol may be unbreakable without electoral reforms, it may be important at minimum to raise awareness on the risks of alcoholism, at the community-level.

Kerala has the second highest suicide per capita rates among states, double the national rate. [xiii]   In 2010, about 25 people on average committed suicide every day (NCRB data). With a population of 2.75 per cent of the total population, Kerala accounts for 6.9 per cent of all suicides in the country (NCRB 2009).  Almost three-fourths of those who committed suicide in Kerala in 2010 were men and the higher one’s education, the lesser the chance of committing suicide – in Kerala 83.7 per cent had not passed the 10 th grade in 2009.  The higher numbers for men warrants investigation but part of it may perhaps be attributable to the stress on men to be the sole providers of the family needs – clearly a ‘male gender issue’.

So What Does All this Mean?

A prosperous Kerala needs its women and men to be equal partners, socially, economically, and politically .  Economic growth and the prosperity of Kerala in this globalizing world will depend on the availability of a sufficiently large workforce with a range of relevant skill levels and the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the labor market.

Kerala has already taken its first big step towards the constitutional promise of gender equality.   It has succeeded where many other states have failed – to educate its women and ensure access to basic services. But, while it has invested in the human development of women, it is not reaping the benefits of this investment.   At an economic level, women are still to find equal access to, and control over resources, be it through employment or access to household assets.  The higher proportion of women on the unemployment list is a testimony of the fact that even those women who seek jobs are unable to find them.   At a political level, women have started to speak at the panchayat level, but their voices have not found a place in key decision making arenas, which are almost completely male dominated.  Violence against women within the home appears to be increasing, although it is unclear to what extent this is because of higher levels of reporting.  Clearly, there are miles to go before the Constitutional promise can be said to have been achieved.

The context of gender in Kerala is, however, unique – women are educated and healthy, but apparently poor and powerless when assessed by typical indicators of women’s empowerment in the economic and political sphere.  Additionally, there is insufficient demand for gender equality, even among women.  In such a context, top-down policies and programs have not been sufficient. While it would be important for the Government to establish a considered strategy for women’s empowerment and to support gender mainstreaming in its work, three findings make it imperative that the demand-side for gender equality be also urgently addressed.  Key findings are:

• There is a need to develop a collective ownership of the gender equality or the women’s empowerment agenda and for more people to become aware that a gender equality agenda is not a feminist obsession, but is a Constitutional vision, one that will protect both men and women, and one that is necessary for Kerala to emerge as a prosperous and modern state. Awareness must be raised to ensure a demand at the grassroots level for gender equality, much as this is surprising in a state where matrilineal norms were prevalent.  While the Government has a key responsibility in this regard, equal responsibility lies with other development partners such as NGOs and civil society representatives.
• An approach to achieving gender equality should focus on both men and women.  Women’s empowerment is an essential first step before one can effectively implement gender equality and achieve the Constitutional promise in the State.  At the same time, it is important to recognize and better understand the decreasing enrolments of men in the primary and tertiary education levels and to examine the need to address this issue.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is important to bring men into this equation and garner their involvement in supporting women’s empowerment and gender equality.  In forging solutions to achieve the constitutional promise, it is important that the solutions help to preserve the family, and this can be achieved only if men are part of finding the solution.   If the social change is to be harmoniously wrought, then men need to become part of the solution and the gender equation.  As Mahatma Gandhi said: “the seers among men have recognised her equal status.”  It is time for Kerala men to rise to the occasion.

2011    Gender Dimensions: Employment Trends In India, 1993-94 To 2009-10, Indrani Mazumdar and Neetha N.,  Occasional Paper No.56 (August 2011), Centre For Women’s Development Studies

2011    Key Indicators of Employment and Unemployment in India, 2009-10, NSS KI (66/10) July 2009 – June 2010 National Sample Survey Organisation, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Government of India

2011    Statistics of Higher & Technical Education (2008-09) (As on 30th September, 2008), Government Of India, Ministry Of Human Resource Development, Bureau Of Planning, Monitoring & Statistics New Delhi (Provisional)

XXXX            Tables Of Statistics Of School Education (2007-2008) GOI Webpage

2010    India’s Civil Services Survey Report 2010, Government of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances

2010    Economic Review, Kerala State Planning Board

2010    School Educational Attainment In Kerala: Trends And Differentials T. R. Dilip, CDS, Trivandrum

2009    Global Employment Trends for Women, International Labor organization

2009    Study Report on Gender Audit, A Project of State Planning Board on Strengthening State Plans for Human Development with the financial assistance of UNDP and Planning Commission, Study Conducted by Dr. Leela Kumari P, Faculty Member, State Institute of Rural Development, Kerala

2009    Service Sector in India (2006-07), Report No. 529 (63/2.345/2),  Economic Characteristics of Enterprises, NSS 63rd round, (July 2006 – June 2007) National Sample Survey Organisation, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Government of India

2009    Status of Microfinance in India, NABARD,  http://www.nabard.org/pdf/Status%20of%20Microfinance%20in%20India%202008-09_131109.pdf

2008    ICT And Employment Promotion Among Poor Women: How Can We Make It Happen? Some Reflections On Kerala’s Experience, P. Mohanan Pillai, N. Shanta, February 2008

2008    Kerala State Development Report, Planning Commission, New Delhi

2008    International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and Macro International. 2008. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), India, 2005-06: Kerala. Mumbai: IIPS.

2008    A Decade of Gender Mainstreaming in Local Governance in Kerala (presented at the International conference on a decade of decentralization Kerala; issues, options and Lessons; October 7th to 9th, Mascot hotel, Trivandrum) by Aleyamma Vijayan, Sakhi resource center for women

2007    Participation of Women in Specified Activities along with Domestic Duties, Report No. 518(61/10/4),  2004-2005, NSS 61st ROUND, (July 2004 – June 2005) National Sample Survey Organisation, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Government of India

2006    Gender Gaps in Unemployment Rates in OECD Countries, Ghazala Azmat, Maia Gu¨ ell, Alan Manning, Centre for Economic Performance, Journal of Labor Economics, 2006, vol. 24, no. 1

2006    Female Labour Force Participation in Kerala: Problems and Prospects, By Sumit Mazumdar and M. Guruswamy, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India, www.iipsindia.org .  Paper to be presented at the forthcoming 2006 Annual Meeting Program Population Association of America Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles, California  March 30 – April 1, 2006

2005    Human Development Report 2005, Prepared for the Government of Kerala by Centre for Development Studies Thiruvananthapuram, CDS

A Decade of Gender Mainstreaming in Local Governance in Kerala, ( presented at the International conference on a decade of decentralization Kerala; issues, options and Lessons ; October 7th to 9th, Mascot hotel, Trivandrum), Aleyamma Vijayan*

2004    A Study On Gender Based Violence In Kerala, Submitted To Department Of Health, Government Of Kerala, By Sakhi Resource Center For Women, Convent Road, Trivandrum 695035,Kerala

Undated Education, Health and Women’s Empowerment – Kerala’s Experience in Linking the Triad, K.R. Lakshmy Devi, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Calicut E-mail:[email protected]

THE WORLD BANK

2012    World Development Report on Gender Equality and Development

2009    Doing Business in India 2009, Subnational Doing Business,   http://www.doingbusiness.org/Reports/Subnational-Reports/india

2007    The Environment for Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region, http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTMENA/Resources/Environment_for_Womens_Entrepreneurship_in_MNA_final.pdf

[i] Given the common historical and social background, states in the South were picked as comparator states with the addition of Himachal Pradesh, given its relative high levels of gender equality.

[ii] http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2010/september/achieving-mdgs-in-india.en

[iii] This paragraph is not meant to discuss in detail the gender issues of access to property in Kerala, given that this is complex and varies with each community.  This is only to reflect the main point that access to property for women is constrained.

[iv] Among the Hindus and the Christians, stridhana (property gifted to the daughter at the time of marriage) was the right of a women to ancestral property that was expected to remain under the bride’s control and for her economic security.  Among Muslims, a consideration was paid at the time of marriage (a consideration for the marriage contract) that was to be returned to the wife in case of divorce.

[v] Kerala has traditionally been a well-banked state.  In 2004, Kerala had a bank per 11,000 people compared to the all-India average of 16,000.  (Economic Review 2010)

[vi] An enterprise, which is run without any hired worker employed on a fairly regular basis, is termed as own account enterprise. The estimated annual gross value added per enterprise in Kerala is RS. 36000 for OAEs and Rs. 216000 for establishments.

[vii] Establishment: An enterprise which employs at least one hired worker on a fairly regular basis is termed as establishment. Paid or unpaid apprentices, paid household member/servant/resident worker in an enterprise are considered hired workers.

[viii] Studies in India suggest that microfinance helps to socially empower women.  A NABARD study of microfinance in 2008-2009 showed that 92 per cent of households reported that the social empowerment of women had increased after joining membership in SHGs over a period of time.  The findings also showed that 22.5 per cent of women SHG members in the households had taken decisions in the post-SHG period as compared to 9.1 per cent in the pre-SHG period with respect to children’s education.

[ix] http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-30/thiruvananthapuram/28134915_1_dress-code-bar-council-lawyers

[x] www.thehindu.com/education/article75295.ece , Education: Dispelling Myths about Civil Service Examinations

[xi] The Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines Violence Against Women as “any act of gender based violence against women that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private spaces”

[xii] This may change as women become more aware of the legal provisions.

[xiii] http://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2010/ADSI2010-full-report.pdf

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പെൺകുട്ടികൾ പാൻ്റോ നിക്കറോ ഇടട്ടെ, എന്താണ് ആൺകുട്ടികളെ ആരും സാൽവാര്‍ ധരിപ്പിക്കാത്തത്? അത്ര പഴഞ്ചനല്ല കേരളം

ലിംഗേതര യൂണിഫോം നടപ്പാക്കുന്നതു സംബന്ധിച്ച് സമൂഹമാധ്യമങ്ങളിൽ ചര്‍ച്ച നടക്കുമ്പോഴും അറുപഴഞ്ചൻ ചിന്താഗതിയോടെയാണ് ഒരു വിഭാഗം ഈ നീക്കത്തെ സമീപിക്കുന്നത്..

എന്താണ് ജെൻഡര്‍ ന്യൂട്രൽ യൂണിഫോം

ആൺകുട്ടികള്‍ പാൻ്റ്സും ട്രൗസറും പെൺകുട്ടികള്‍ പാവാടയോ ചുരിദാറോ ധരിച്ചു സ്കൂളിലെത്തുന്നതാണ് കേരളത്തിലും ലോകത്ത് പലയിടത്തും കണ്ടു വരുന്ന രീതി. എന്നാൽ ഏതു ലിംഗക്കാര്‍ക്കും ഒരു പോലെ അണിയാവുന്ന യൂണിഫോമുകള്‍ സ്കൂളുകളിൽ നടപ്പാക്കണം എന്നതാണ് ലിംഗേതര യൂണിഫോം എന്ന ആശയം കൊണ്ട് ഉദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നത്. പോലീസിലും സായുധസേനകളിലുമെല്ലാം വർഷങ്ങൾക്കു മുൻപേ യൂണിഫോം ജെൻഡർ ന്യൂട്രലാണ്. ഓടുമ്പോഴും കളിക്കുമ്പോഴും പാവാട പൊങ്ങുന്ന പ്രശ്നം പെൺകുട്ടികള്‍ക്ക് മറികടക്കുന്നതോടൊപ്പം ചെറുപ്രായത്തിൽ തന്നെ ലിംഗസമത്വം എന്ന ചിന്ത ഊട്ടിയുറപ്പിക്കാനും ജെൻഡര്‍ ന്യൂട്രൽ യൂണിഫോം സഹായിക്കും. ആൺകുട്ടികൾക്കും പെൺകുട്ടികൾക്കും ഷര്‍ട്ടും ത്രീഫോര്‍ത്ത് പാൻ്റ്സുമായിരുന്നു വളയൻചിറങ്ങരയിൽ നടപ്പാക്കിയ രീതി. പല രക്ഷിതാക്കളും ഇതിനെ സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്തിരുന്നു. എന്നാൽ കേരളത്തിനു മുൻപു ലോകത്തു പലയിടത്തും ജെൻഡര്‍ ന്യൂട്രൽ യൂണിഫോം പല സ്കൂളുകളിലും നടപ്പാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ആൺകുട്ടികൾക്കും പെൺകുട്ടികള്‍ക്കും ഒരേ തരത്തിലുള്ള ഷ‍ര്‍ട്ട്, ടിഷര്‍ട്ട്, പാൻ്റ്സ്, ഷോര്‍ട്സ് എന്നിങ്ങനെയാണ് പല സ്കൂളുകളും മുന്നോട്ടു വെച്ച ആശയങ്ങൾ. പലപ്പോഴും ഇത്തരം നീക്കങ്ങൾ വിവാദത്തിൽ കലാശിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തിരുന്നു.

വിവാദമെന്തിന്?

സ്ത്രീകളുടെ കാലുകള്‍ എക്കാലത്തും ഫാഷൻ ലോകത്ത് ഒരു അനാവശ്യവിവാദമായിരുന്നു. കേരളത്തിൽപ്പോലും സ്ത്രീകൾ ചുരിദാറിലേയ്ക്കും പിന്നീട് ജീൻസിലേയ്ക്കും ചുവടുമാറ്റിയത് സമൂഹം തുറന്ന മനസ്സോടെയായിരുന്നില്ല ഉൾക്കൊണ്ടത്. സമാനമായൊരു പ്രശ്നമാണ് പെൺകുട്ടികളും സ്കൂള്‍ യൂണിഫോമായി പാൻ്റ്സ് ധരിക്കുന്നതിനോടുള്ള എതിര്‍പ്പ്. പെൺകുട്ടികളെ ആൺകുട്ടികളുടെ വേഷം നിര്‍ബന്ധിച്ച് ധരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു എന്നതാണ് ഒരു വിഭാഗം ഉയര്‍ത്തുന്ന ആരോപണം. ആര്‍ത്തവ നാളുകളിൽ ഉള്‍പ്പെടെ പെൺകുട്ടികള്‍ക്ക് പാൻ്റ്സ് ധരിക്കുന്നത് ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടാണെന്നാണ് ചിലര്‍ പറയുന്നത്. സ്കൂള്‍ ക്യാംപിസിനു പുറത്ത് ജീൻസ് ഉള്‍പ്പെടെയുള്ള സൗകര്യപ്രദമായ വേഷങ്ങൾ ധരിക്കുന്ന പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെ മുന്നിലാണ് ഇത്തരം വാദമുഖങ്ങൾ നിരത്തുന്നത് എന്നത് അപഹാസ്യമാണ്.

ലിംഗേതര യൂണിഫോം എന്ന ആശയം നടപ്പാക്കാൻ രക്ഷിതാക്കളുടെ ഭാഗത്തു നിന്ന് മികച്ച പിന്തുണയാണ് ലഭിച്ചതെന്നാണ് വളയൻചിറങ്ങര സ്കൂളിലെ അധ്യാപകര്‍ പറയുന്നത്. യഥേഷ്ടം ഓടാനും കളിക്കാനും സ്പോര്‍ട്സിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കാനുമെല്ലാം ആൺകുട്ടികൾക്ക് ലഭിച്ചിരുന്ന ആഡംബരമാണ് ത്രീഫോര്‍ത്തിലൂടെ പെൺകുട്ടികള്‍ക്കും ലഭിച്ചത്. വര്‍ഷങ്ങൾക്കിപ്പുറം കേരളത്തിൽ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ വസ്ത്രധാരണരീതിയിലടക്കം വലിയ മാറ്റം വന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്. പ്രൊഫഷണൽ കോളേജുകളിൽ അടക്കം പാൻ്റ്സും ഷര്‍ട്ടുമാണ് യൂണിഫോം. ഈ സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ സ്കൂള്‍ യൂണിഫോമിലെ യാഥാസ്ഥിതിക ചിന്താഗതിയും അവസാനിപ്പിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്.

ഇത് എൻ്റെ ശരീരം

അതേസമയം, പാവാടയോ ചുരിദാറോ ധരിച്ചു ശീലിച്ച എത്ര കുട്ടികൾക്ക് ഷര്‍ട്ടിലേയ്ക്കും പാൻ്റ്സിലേയ്ക്കും മാറാൻ താത്പര്യമുണ്ടാകും എന്നതാണ് ചോദ്യം. ഇതൊരു ഇരുതലമൂര്‍ച്ചയുള്ള ചോദ്യമാണ്. കുട്ടികളുടെ വ്യക്തിപരമായ തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിനെ ബഹുമാനിക്കുന്നതോടൊപ്പം സമൂഹം പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെ മേൽ കെട്ടിവെയ്ക്കുന്ന ശരീരത്തെപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള അപകര്‍ഷതാബോധം എന്ന പ്രശ്നവും മറന്നു കളയരുത്. ചെറുക്ലാസുകളിലാണ് ഇത്തരം മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ആരംഭിക്കേണ്ടത്. പെൺകുട്ടികൾക്ക് നല്ലത് ചുരിദാറാണെന്നും അവര്‍ക്കിഷ്ടം അതിനൊപ്പം ഒരു ഓവ‍ര്‍കോട്ട് കൂടിയുള്ളതാണെന്നും വാദിക്കുന്ന അധ്യാപകരുമുണ്ട്. സ്വന്തം ശരീരത്തെപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള 'നാണക്കേട്' കുട്ടികളിൽ കുത്തിവെക്കാനാണ് ഇവര്‍ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുന്നതെന്നു പറയേണ്ടി വരും.

പാൻ്റ്സ് പുരുഷന്മാരുടേതാണെന്നോ പാവാട സ്ത്രീകളുടേതാണെന്നോ ലോകത്ത് ഒരിടത്തും ഒരു നിയമവുമില്ല. കാലത്തിനും ദേശത്തിനും അനുസരിച്ച് ഇത്തരം നിയമങ്ങൾ മാറിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കും. സ്ത്രീകളെ ചുരിദാര്‍ ധരിപ്പിക്കാൻ ധൃതി കൂട്ടുന്ന എത്ര ആണുങ്ങൾ ആൺകുട്ടികൾക്ക് സ്കൂളിൽ യൂണിഫോമായി ചുരിദാരിനു സമാനമായ ഇന്ത്യൻ വേഷം സൽവാര്‍ വേണമെന്നു വാദിക്കുമെന്ന് കണ്ടറിയണം. ആത്യന്തികമായി ഒരു ലിംഗേതര വേഷമാണല്ലോ സാൽവാര്‍.

വേണം ചലനസ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം

നിലവിലെ യൂണിഫോമുകളുടെ പോരായ്മകളെ മറികടക്കുന്നതും ലിംഗസമത്വത്തെ പ്രോത്സാഹിപ്പിക്കുന്നതുമാകണം പുതിയ യൂണിഫോം സങ്കൽപം. ആൺകുട്ടികൾ ഒരു വേഷവും പെൺകുട്ടികൾ മറ്റൊരു വേഷവും ധരിക്കണമെന്ന് സ്കൂള്‍ നിര്‍ബന്ധിക്കുമ്പോൾ ഞാൻ എന്തു ധരിക്കണമെന്ന് ഒരു ട്രാൻസ്ജെൻഡര്‍ കുട്ടി ശങ്കിച്ചു നിൽക്കുന്ന സാഹചര്യവും ഒഴിവാക്കണം. ആത്യന്തികമായി കുട്ടികളുടെ ചലനസ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം കണക്കിലെടുത്തു വേണം യൂണിഫോമിൻ്റെ രൂപകൽപന.

എൽഡിഎഫ് സര്‍ക്കാരിന് ഒരു മൂന്നാംവരവ് ഉണ്ടാകുമോ എന്ന ചോദ്യത്തിന് ചരിത്രമാണ് മറുപടി പറയേണ്ടത്. എന്നാൽ വരുംതലമുറകളുടെ അവസരങ്ങളെയും തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പുകളെയും സ്വാധീനിക്കാവുന്ന ഒരു ചര്‍ച്ചയാണ് സമൂഹമാധ്യമങ്ങളിൽ പുരോഗമിക്കുന്നത്. ഇക്കാര്യത്തിൽ ശാസ്ത്രീയമായ സമീപനം കൈക്കൊള്ളുക എന്ന ചരിത്രപരമായ ദൗത്യമാണ് കേരള സര്‍ക്കാരിനു മുന്നിലുള്ളത്.

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ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ സ്ത്രീകള്‍ ഇങ്ങനെയൊക്കെയാണ്

• Published: Thursday, February 13, 2014, 12:32 [IST]

യത്ര നാര്യസ്തു പൂജ്യന്തേ രമന്താ തത്ര ദേവതാം എന്നൊക്കെ പാടിക്കേള്‍ക്കാമെങ്കിലും സ്ത്രീസുരക്ഷയ്ക്ക് അത്ര വലിയ പ്രാധാന്യം കൊടുക്കുന്ന നാടൊന്നുമല്ല ഇന്ത്യ. സ്വദേശിയാണോ വിദേശിയാണോ കുഞ്ഞുകുട്ടിയാണോ എന്ന വ്യത്യാസമില്ലാതെ സ്ത്രീകള്‍ പീഡിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ദിവസം തോറും ഇത് കൂടുന്നതല്ലാതെ കുറയുന്നില്ല.

പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങള്‍ വേണ്ട എന്ന സാധാരണക്കാര്‍ കരുതുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ അതിന് പ്രധാന കാരണം ഈ സുരക്ഷിതത്വം ഇല്ലായ്മ തന്നെയാണ്. സ്വന്തം അച്ഛന്റെ പക്കല്‍ പോലും പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളെ നിര്‍ത്തി പോകാന്‍ അമ്മമാര്‍ ഭയപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ അതിന് കാരണം ഈ വ്യവസ്ഥിതി അല്ലാതെ മറ്റെന്താണ്.

ഇത്രകാലം ശാക്തീകരിച്ചിട്ടും അവര്‍ പിന്നോട്ടുതന്നെ വലിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത് എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണ്. എന്താണ് നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിലെ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ യഥാര്‍ഥ പ്രശ്‌നങ്ങള്‍.

പ്രശ്‌നം വീട്ടില്‍ തുടങ്ങുന്നു

സ്ത്രീധനത്തിന്റെ പേരില്‍, സൗന്ദര്യം കുറഞ്ഞുപോയതിന്റെ പേരില്‍, പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളെ പ്രസവിച്ചതിന്റെ പേരില്‍... ഇങ്ങനെ പല കാരണങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ട് സ്വന്തം വീട്ടില്‍ തന്നെ സ്ത്രീകള്‍ പീഡിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ഗാര്‍ഹിക പീഡനം തന്നെയാണ് സ്ത്രീകള്‍ അഭിമുഖീകരിക്കുന്ന കാതലായ ഒരു പ്രശ്‌നം.

പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങള്‍ വേണ്ടേ?

സുരക്ഷ, സ്ത്രീധനം... പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളെ വേണ്ടെന്ന് വെക്കാന്‍ കാരണങ്ങള്‍ പലതാണ്. കേള്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ന്യായമെന്ന് തോന്നാം. എന്നാലും മനുഷ്യന് നിലനില്‍ക്കാന്‍ സ്ത്രീകളും വേണ്ടേ ഈ ലോകത്ത്?

കുറഞ്ഞ് കുറഞ്ഞ് ഇത്രയുമായി

ആയിരം പുരുഷന്മാര്‍ക്ക് 919 സ്ത്രീകള്‍ എന്നതാണ് നിലവിലെ അനുപാതം. 2011 സെന്‍സസ് പ്രകാരം ഇത് ആയിരത്തിന് 979 ആയിരുന്നു.

പെണ്‍ഭ്രൂണഹത്യ

കഴിഞ്ഞ 20 വര്‍ഷത്തിനിടെ ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ ഗര്‍ഭത്തില്‍ വെച്ച് കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ട പെണ്‍കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണം 12 മില്യണില്‍ അധികമാണത്രെ. ഭ്രൂണത്തിന്റെ ലിംഗനിര്‍ണയം നിരോധിച്ച നാടാണിതെന്നോര്‍ക്കണം.

ശൈശവ വിവാഹം

നിരോധിച്ചാലും നിരോധിച്ചാലും ഈ നാട്ടില്‍ നിന്നും ശൈശവ വിവാഹം വിട്ടുപോകില്ല. മതങ്ങളും മതനേതാക്കന്മാരും മേല്‍നോട്ടം നല്‍കുന്ന ശൈശവ വിവാഹങ്ങള്‍ ഈ കാലത്തും കൂടി വരുന്നു എന്നത് ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്നതാണ്. നിയമം മൂലം നിരോധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിട്ടും ശൈശവവിവാഹങ്ങള്‍ നാട്ടില്‍ നടക്കുന്നു.

കുട്ടികളോടുള്ള ലൈംഗികാക്രമണങ്ങളിലും വന്‍ വര്‍ദ്ധനവാണ് രാജ്യത്ത് ഉണ്ടാകുന്നത്. പ്രായപൂര്‍ത്തിയാകാത്ത പെണ്‍കുട്ടികള്‍ മുതല്‍ പിഞ്ചു കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങള്‍ വരെ ആക്രമിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

എവിടെയാണ് സുരക്ഷ

വീട്ടില്‍ ബന്ധുക്കള്‍, സ്‌കൂളില്‍ അധ്യാപകരും കൂടെ പഠിക്കുന്നവരും, ഓഫീസില്‍ ബോസും മുതിര്‍ന്ന ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥരും, പൊതുസ്ഥലത്തും ബസിലും പിന്നെ പറയാനുമില്ല... എവിടെയാണ് നമ്മുടെ പെണ്‍കുട്ടികള്‍ക്ക് സുരക്ഷ?

വിദേശികള്‍ക്കും രക്ഷയില്ല

അതിഥി ദേവോ ഭവ എന്നൊക്കെ പറയും. എന്നാല്‍ നാട്ടില്‍ വരുന്ന വിദേശി സ്ത്രീകളെപോലും വെറുതെ വിടുകയുമില്ല. രണ്ട് വര്‍ഷത്തിനിടെ പത്തിലധികം വിദേശികളാണ് ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ പീഡിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടത്. ലോകരാജ്യങ്ങള്‍ക്കിടെ ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ഇമേജ് എവിടെയെത്തി എന്നാലോചിക്കുക.

പീഡിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ ഉന്നതരും

മന്ത്രിമാര്‍, ജനപ്രതിനിധികള്‍, മുതിര്‍ന്ന ജേര്‍ണലിസ്റ്റുകള്‍ എന്നിങ്ങനെ സുപ്രീം കോടതി ജഡ്ജിമാരില്‍ വരെയെത്തി നില്‍ക്കുന്നു ആരോപണങ്ങള്‍.

എന്നാലും കുറ്റക്കാര്‍ സ്ത്രീകള്‍ തന്നെ

വീടിന് പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയത് കൊണ്ടല്ലേ പീഡിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടത്, പ്രകോപിപ്പിക്കുന്ന വസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ചിട്ടല്ലേ കേറിപ്പിടിച്ചത്... അരിയും തിന്ന് ആശാരിച്ചിയെയും കടിച്ചിട്ടും പിന്നെയും പട്ടിക്ക് മുറുമുറുപ്പ് എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെയാണ് സ്ഥിതി. പീഡകര്‍ക്ക് കുട പിടിക്കാന്‍ വനിതാ സംഘടനകളുടെ പ്രതിനിധികള്‍ പോലുമുണ്ട്.

dowry rape torture girl സ്ത്രീ പീഡനം ബലാത്സംഗം ഭ്രൂണഹത്യ സ്ത്രീധനം

മാഹി പുഴയില്‍ കാണാതായ പതിമൂന്ന് വയസുകാരി വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥിനിയുടെ മൃതദേഹം കണ്ടെത്തി

കണ്ണൂരിലെ നീന്തല്‍ രാജാവ് ചാള്‍സണ്‍ ഏഴിമലയ്ക്ക് അമേരിക്കന്‍ സര്‍വകലാശാലയുടെ ഡോക്ടറേറ്റ്

അത്ഭുതങ്ങള്‍ കാണിക്കും ബ്ലാക്‌ബെറി, കുടവയര്‍ ഇനി കാണില്ല; ഇങ്ങനെ ഒന്ന് കഴിച്ചുനോക്കൂ

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Gender & The Shaping Of New Sensibilities In Malayalam Cinema

A novel and positive trend set foot in the Malayalam cinema is its efforts to address the questions of gender justice and equality. A few of the films today are striking a strong blow against misogyny, which has otherwise been celebrated unapologetically in Malayalam cinema for decades. Such interventions are shaking the grounds of patriarchal morality to lay the foundations of an alternative value system. Even when the film-makers are reluctant to address issues of gender and caste, in today’s date, it has become increasingly difficult for them to get away with regressive content in their cinema. The discourse centered on justice, equality, and dignity of the individual shapes new sensibilities and critical thinking.

A few of the films today are striking a strong blow against misogynisy, which has otherwise been celebrated unapologetically in Malayalam cinema for decades. Such interventions are shaking the grounds of patriarchal morality to lay the foundations of an alternative value system.

It is evident in the discussions that have followed Drishyam 2 , a Malayalam thriller, released on Amazon Prime in February, 2021. It is the sequel to the blockbuster Malayalam cinema Drishyam , released in 2013. The plotline is centered around a family with parents and two daughters and what unfolds when a teenage boy demands sexual favours from the elder daughter blackmailing them with a nude video which he films of her taking a bath. It is in a nature camp that Anju (the elder daughter) meets Varun, a creep who indulges in taking videos and photos of girls without their knowledge. Eventually, he uses it as an excuse to blackmail Anju, leading to tragic consequences. 

Also read: Drishyam 2 Review: A Cinematic Universe Founded On Victim Blaming

Many have pointed at how the film’s central theme itself is a man’s futile attempts to uphold the family’s honour falling in line with the regressive social norms. It is also argued that at no point does the film urge the woman to challenge patriarchal morality; instead, she becomes symbolic of it. Even when the director jeethu Joseph terms it a thriller and has to a large extent succeeded in doing justice to his claim, he is still held accountable for falling back on stereotypes as far as representation is concerned. A discussion has also ensued on how gender relations and dominant social practices are portrayed in the film. Tracing the issues that have come up in the discussion, this article intends to look closely at the progressive discourse and its influence on Malayalam cinema like Drishyam 2 , even when they seem to turn their back against it. 

Reformer Man and the Shaping of an Ideal Woman

Interesting is to trace the paradigm shift reflected in Drishyam 2 and the factors influencing it. It is obviously not a conscious effort by the director but, in fact, something which he couldn’t help. It shows how the change in perceptions entailed by discourses on gender gets reflected in the characters and their utterances. In Drishyam’s first installment, Georgekutty , the protagonist who is portrayed as a self-made man from a lower-middle-class Christian background, is contrasted with his wife’s image, which is nothing more than a stereotypical caricature of a dim-witted woman. Like admitting their kids to a posh English medium school to buying a car, her demands are stressed to show her as a pretentious and ignorant person. Time and again, we see the husband, placed on the upper pedestal, take up the advisor and the reformer’s role. It is a trope much familiar in Malayalam cinema used widely in the disciplining of women. In the film, Mithunam released exactly twenty years before Drishyam , i.e., in 1993, the same actor (Mohanlal) plays the role of a husband lecturing his wife on how she is ought to behave. In this movie’s climax, we see the woman apologise and show the readiness to mend her ways. The film prescribes to the women a subservient position and asks them to seek happiness in fulfilling their responsibilities within the domestic sphere. 

It is striking to see that the perception that changes little over twenty years undergoes a drastic alteration in eight years, i.e., the time between the release of Drishyam original and its sequel. As the well-known statement goes, there are centuries when nothing happens, and years in which centuries happen. The change unthought of in the gap of twenty years, surfaced up irresistibly in the last 4-5 years. It is precisely when revolutionary movements like “ Me too “ brought forth questions of gender discrimination and strange ways in which a woman is held hostage in a patriarchal world. In Malayalam cinema, path-breaking developments like the formation of Women’s Cinema Collective (WCC) have shattered the hunky-dory image of the cinema world. It showed the courage to hold power to account and ask questions on the face of stalwarts reigning as its infallible authority. Following the Sabarimala verdict , the Malayali public sphere discussions started getting rallied around women’s fundamental rights to equality and dignity. Both the sections favoring and opposing the judgment contributed to a discourse centered on the socio-cultural aspects shaping women and their rights. 

Also read: Cinema Of Male Apathy: Rape Scenes In Malayalam Films Through The Ages

Shifting Perceptions and Challenging the Dominant World view

Within this discourse, shaped by traditional and revolutionary forces, certain new perceptions emerge, replacing the old realities. Here, even when you are hell-bent on resisting any change and argue in favor of traditions, you are still contributing to the larger discourse, which indeed is shaping the sensibilities and changing the dominant perceptions. This phenomenon is strikingly manifested in Malayalam cinema increasingly now, as witnessed in the Drishyam sequel, where a novel kind of sensitivity underlines gender relations and gender-specific roles. For instance, the reformer husband takes a back seat in the second part. He is still hesitant to share his secrets with the family, but we can trace the change in his attitude. There is an instance where Georgekutty and his family visit his wife Rani ‘s family in the original. In the conversation that ensues, we see the focus is on women’s obsession with kitchen wares and unnecessary spending. Rani ‘s father makes the sweeping statement that all women are the same, substantiating it with his wife’s example. He states no matter where she goes; she will come back with a meen chutti (an earthen pot traditionally used to prepare fish curry). The scene ends with his wife ( Rani ‘s mother) stating that whatever concerns the kitchen is a woman’s responsibility, so the men need not comment on it. 

Some may argue that the other prominent character in the film is not a man but a woman (mother of the teenage boy) with more say on things than her husband. She is shown to be in the highest rank in the police force. But it is presented more as an exception; here again, towards the end, she has to give away positions of power and prestige to take refuge in the image of a silent and mourning woman. In the sequel, the change in perception is most evident in the composition of Anu ‘s (the younger daughter in the family) friend group. It consists of both boys and girls, the possibility of which the director couldn’t have easily imagined in 2013. The body language and appearance of the boys are neither intimidating nor have any sexual overtones. They behave normally with the girls in the group, where all appear comfortable and free. The choice of dress and appearance of both the girls and boys is to hint at their privileged background; nevertheless, it is never demonised. Even when Rani reminds Anu to be careful regarding the kind of dress she wears, it is not problematised as a bad influence or a cause of tension. Instead, the film stands with Anu when she says, “Is it not our house? Why can’t we wear what we are comfortable with.” Thus inverting a question hitherto used to control women. 

In other words, even in its denial to consider questions related to equality and gender, we see the change in perceptions engendered by a new discourse get manifested in the characters when they appear on screen eight years later. Herein lies the power of the conversations centered on equality, justice, and individuality in Malayalam cinema.

In the first part, there is so much tension when the teenagers come in contact with the opposite sex. Was the director equipped to think of the possibility of a group where boys and girls are friends and could treat each other as individuals? The answer seems no, as the story itself is shaped by patriarchal morality. It is not to argue that there happens a revolutionary change when we come to the sequel, but indeed there are shifts in perceptions and it gets reflected subtly. In other words, even in its denial to consider questions related to equality and gender, we see the change in perceptions engendered by a new discourse get manifested in the characters when they appear on screen eight years later. Herein lies the power of the conversations centered on equality, justice, and individuality in Malayalam cinema. It shapes new perspectives and envisages an alternate social order, which one cannot afford to ignore.  

Sonu Vincent has completed her Ph.D. in History from the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and is currently teaching as a guest faculty in Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University. Her areas of interest are the socio-cultural history of Kerala, theatre, gender, and religious studies. She can be found on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook .

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Gender Discrimination Essay

500 words gender discrimination essay.

Gender discrimination is when there are unfair rights between male and female. It differs because of their gender roles which ultimately leads to unequal treatment in life. Gender discrimination has been around for many centuries. However, as we are evolving, it is time to do away with such notions of gender roles. Thus, gender discrimination essay will take us through it in detail.

Causes of Gender Discrimination

There are many causes of gender discrimination. The first one has to be illiteracy . When people do not educate themselves, they continue to live in the old times. Thus, they follow the old-age sexist traditions and norms.

Education can bring about a change in this mindset because educated people will less likely partake in gender discrimination. Further, poverty is also another reason which is interlinked in a way.

It is the root cause in many places because the economic dependence remains on the male counterparts mostly. Thus, women suffer a lot from it because of the same reason. They never get out of this and stay financially dependent on men.

Furthermore, the patriarchal setup in our society plays a big role. In this setup, the male dominates almost every aspect of life. Thus, they consider themselves to be superior to others.

This way, a lot of violence and injustice is meted out against females. Thus, when there is a gender considering themselves to be superior, it becomes difficult for everyone to avail equal opportunities.

Impact of Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination has a deep impact on society as a whole. It does not just impact a specific section of the society but every part of it. First of all, it impacts children as they fall prey to gender stereotypes from a young age.

Further, it impacts young people because it impacts their behaviour, study choices, ambitions, attitudes and more. Thus, many girls do not participate in many sports and women experience physical violence more than men.

Next up, we have gender discrimination affecting adults because there is a gender pay gap between the working class. Men earn more for doing the same work as women. In addition, older women have more risk of becoming homeless than men.

It also impacts the aboriginal women because they have it a lot worse. It is more likely to happen that they can die from family violence, 11 times more than men. Even for men, it is not beneficial as it sets difficult standards for men to follow.

It draws a line on men being emotional. Thus, they can never showcase their emotions truly without being judged. Similarly, men do not parental leave in many places. Ultimately, all this results in more suicide in men. Thus, it impacts everyone.

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Conclusion of Gender Discrimination Essay

Gender discrimination must be checked at every stage so that no person should be denied a chance to learn and grow. Thus, everyone, no matter male or female, must get a start in life in terms of educations and other opportunities. We must come together as a society to do this.

FAQ on Gender Discrimination Essay

Question 1: Who is affected by gender inequality?

Answer 1: Gender inequality affects everyone, which includes men as well. Stereotypes about how women and men, girls and boys should be, start from their childhood and follow us to adulthood. Thus, it does not affect just one but all.

Question 2: Give an example of gender discrimination.

Answer 2: There are many examples of gender discrimination. For instance, restriction on clothing. If a man wears shorts, no one will bat an eye. However, if a woman wears shorts, she will be seen in a bad light and be called names. Similar is the case for housework.

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Malayalam cinema is known for depicting contemporary social realities. It has been mostly influenced by the political and social themes of the times which have resulted in films catering to the dominant ideology – political, economic, or social.  However, Malayalam cinema entered a slump in the first decade of the millennium. It longed for a change, similar to the “new wave” of the 1980s, which was dominated by the ideas of capitalism and liberalism.   

Now, the shift from the larger theme of politics and the upper caste culture, roles written for the larger than life characters and subservient to the superstar cult – to the narration of realistic and contemporary life stories about the livelihood and spaces on the edge, which captiously portrayed the normalized norms of society, bring subjects like masculinity, patriarchy, sexuality in the discussion. This transition to the new generation of cinema – came about in the 2010s. 

The change in the themes, however, being the most dramatic shift needs to be analyzed through different lenses. One of the most interesting elements of these films is the portrayal of various shades of masculinities, which in their own way manipulate the norms of the overarching system of patriarchy. At the same time, the political lens enables one to evaluate how this change in the illustration of masculinities connects to the larger theme of politics. The roles of the new protagonists are entrenched with complexities of human nature which testify to the changing gender norms of Malayalam society. 

To understand the transition in the nature of Malayalam cinema, one must look at recent political debates of the state and the acceptance of new ideologies in the society;  the Malayalam cinema more often than not, acts like the reflection and a mirror of these political discussions. The influx of feminist discourse in the political domain of Kerala was succeeded by the Marxist approach which put the issues of gender while juxtaposing that of class. This shift was too quick and called for the revisioning of the feminist voice. This time, around the 2000s, the academic, as well as quasi-academic frameworks, saw an acceptance of debates and studies of masculinity and queer theory.  Thus, it shouldn’t be surprising to find the ‘progressive’ political questions being raised in the language of masculinity. This can also be understood in the light of the popular belief that the conditions of women in Kerala, at least, on its contours seem to be better than most Indian states. Yet, what lies behind the increased sex ratio, rate of women’s literacy, and increasing number of women’s success in the public domain is the deep-rooted patriarchy that manifests itself in cultural norms, metaphoric terminologies, and underlying life choices. 

Each and every art form is political in nature, and the cinema industry happens to be the most obvious one. Malayalam cinema has always been quick to keep up with the political pace of the state. This wave of new generational films seemed to have inculcated the changing political attitude.

Films like Kumbalangi Nights and The Great Indian Kitchen, deal with the internalized sexism and gender roles. Kumbalangi Nights is one about the contrarian situation of Saji’s and Shammi’s households, where Shammi, asserting himself as the patriarch of his household, calls himself as the “complete man”, enjoys playing the breadwinner of the family and fill all the boxes of being the morally right male hero. While Saji, after the death of his father and being left alone with his siblings by their mother, seems to have adopted the role of the de facto matriarch of the family. He, at first, comes out as a ‘loser’ but in actuality has a lot more courage than Shammi. If we’re to take the character of Shammi as a metaphor for patriarchy, he’s the only one who doesn’t change by the end of the film. Whereas Saji, rejecting all the social constructs of masculinity, asks for help from his youngest brother and purges his emotional burdens before a psychiatrist – defying the social taboo of visiting one. However, the film is about the transition of each character, who at the end seemed to have found their way through personal struggles. Here, Shammi, with his ideas of “neatness”, the rigidity of norms, and omission of all kinds of feminine traits, being essential for his toxic and masculine identity proved to be an anti-hero while Saji, whose life and the house looked like a mess which by the end of the film happened to be much more liveable than Shammi’s. Now, The Great Indian Kitchen is the perfect depiction of a regular Indian household, with the men of the house leaving the daily chores in the hands of the women, not fulfilling their sexual desires, considering menstruating women as pariahs, and chaining them to the domestic sphere, loaded with duties expected of them especially in the kitchen, with their notions of a “cultured” household. The film is the testimony of many young brides trapped in the shackles of a patriarchal household that binds them, not with violence, but silent and unrelenting comments. Although the film ends with the protagonist, Nimisha, finding a new life, out of that prison, we see no transformation in the masculine attitude of the patriarchs of the family.  Both these films show characters, like Shammi and the men of Nimisha’s family, remaining unchanged throughout the film, coherent with the idea of patriarchy that seems to be static in politics. With other characters undergoing a series of emotional and mental experiences, which get reflected in the change in their natures, the movie goes parallel with the view of current gender politics that have been exploring and accepting the transitioning masculinities. 

A newfound acceptance has been extended to the issues relating to the queer community with Kerala being the first to formulate a policy for transgenders. Moothon , one of the few Indian films to initiate the dialogue of queer relationships in the mainstream cinema, disregarding the heterosexual gender norms of a romantic relationship, and has done away with the overtly prejudiced and stereotypical portrayals of the queer community. The film captures the medley of masculine identities and their perceptions. It explored how men can be dangerous for themselves, by simply being ‘men’, acting out on the constructed versions of the ideal man. Virility, an important attribute associated with the idea of man, happens to be just one trait of the complex personality of Akbar, the angry goon ‘Bhai’; he, on the other hand, has also been portrayed as a young man in love who gets excited just at the thought of being touched by his romantic male counterpart, Ameer. Mulla, in search of their brother – Akbar, struggles with their identity as a girl, as a sister, and as a kid abruptly dumped into the cruel realities of the world, bringing out the traversing gender constructs. The movie has submerged the concept of hegemonic masculinity through this amorous entanglement.

Analyzing the new generation of Malayalam cinema in light of the political attitude of the state remains an unfinished task here, but the plethora of films being produced has proved to be a promising reflection of the same. The future of Malayalam cinema seems ladened with bug prospects.

Khyati Srivastava

Khyati is a third year History student at Lady Shri Ram College for women. She believes that words have the power to change the society, and tends to use these. Interested in research, she's expecting to pursue the same in furure.

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Gender Discrimination Essay For Student

Table of Contents

Gender Discrimination Essay: Gender discrimination is a significant issue in today’s society. It occurs when someone is treated unfairly because of their gender. Gender discrimination is not limited to the workplace; it also exists in schools, colleges, and communities. In India, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes gender discrimination illegal. This topic is often discussed in essays for school and competitive exams like IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, UPSC, etc. Let’s look at some essay samples on gender discrimination and tips for writing an effective essay.

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Short Essay on Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination refers to unfair treatment based on a person’s gender, often favoring one gender over another. It manifests in various forms, affecting opportunities, rights, and social roles. Addressing gender discrimination is crucial for achieving equality and fostering a more just and inclusive society.

Gender Discrimination Essay in 150 Words

Gender discrimination is a significant problem in India. Women often face unfair treatment and fewer opportunities than men. This must change. Achieving gender equality would bring numerous benefits, including improving the country’s economy, education, and healthcare. Gender discrimination remains a pressing issue in India, and it’s essential to address it. We need to educate people about the importance of equality and respect for all genders to create a fairer and more just society.

Gender Discrimination Essay in 250 Words

Gender discrimination is a significant issue in India, where women often face unequal treatment compared to men. This imbalance deprives women of opportunities and prevents them from realizing their full potential. Achieving gender equality is crucial as it fosters a fairer society, reduces poverty, and promotes economic growth.

Right from birth, girls are unfairly treated in terms of education, healthcare, and nutrition. As they grow older, women continue to encounter discrimination in the workplace and society as a whole. This must change. Girls and women deserve equal opportunities as boys and men for genuine gender equality to take root in India.

Despite various programs and policies addressing gender discrimination, the problem persists deeply in Indian society. It will require dedicated efforts to bring about change. If India aims to fulfill its potential, ending gender discrimination is paramount. Together, we must work to eliminate gender bias, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Long Essay on Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination essay in 300 words.

Gender discrimination, in simple terms, refers to the unfair treatment of individuals based on their gender. This issue persists due to outdated societal beliefs about the roles and capabilities of men and women. Unfortunately, these antiquated views continue to impact women today. For example, as recently as 2015, women were earning only 83% of what men earned for performing the same job. The problem extends beyond the workplace, with women facing discrimination based on their appearance.

Many workplaces impose dress codes on women, affecting their career prospects. Society has wrongly ingrained the belief that men are superior and stronger than women, leading to negative consequences for women. They often become targets of crimes, such as rape, with society unfairly blaming them, even when they are the victims, solely because of their clothing choices. This harmful mindset is a significant societal issue perpetuating gender discrimination.

Gender-based discrimination is not confined to the workplace; it permeates various aspects of life, including sports, education, healthcare, and the legal system. Shockingly, statistics reveal that one out of every three women worldwide experiences some form of abuse from men during their lives. This problem is pervasive and deeply ingrained. In some regions, such as India, women face violence or even death if they cannot meet their family’s financial demands. In Egypt, women can endure violence from their own families for behavior deemed unacceptable. In South Africa, baby girls are sometimes abandoned or harmed simply because they are considered a burden.

The only way to eradicate gender discrimination is through education and raising awareness. We must teach everyone the importance of treating all genders equally and with respect. Society must evolve and become more equitable and just for everyone.

Gender Discrimination Essay in 500 Words

Gender discrimination refers to the unjust treatment of individuals based on their gender, creating disparities in their rights and opportunities. This discrimination stems from societal expectations and traditional gender roles, resulting in unequal treatment. Gender discrimination has persisted for centuries, but as society progresses, it is crucial to challenge and eliminate these outdated gender stereotypes. This essay will delve into the topic of gender discrimination to provide a comprehensive understanding.

Causes of Gender Discrimination

The causes of gender discrimination are multi-faceted. Firstly, illiteracy contributes significantly to this issue. When people lack education, they tend to cling to outdated, sexist traditions and norms. Education plays a pivotal role in changing this mindset, as educated individuals are less likely to engage in gender discrimination.

Poverty is another crucial factor intertwined with gender discrimination. It often serves as the root cause because economic dependence primarily falls on male counterparts. Consequently, women bear the brunt of this dependence, remaining financially reliant on men.

Moreover, our society’s patriarchal structure plays a substantial role in perpetuating gender discrimination. Within this framework, males dominate nearly every aspect of life, leading them to believe in their superiority over others. This mindset results in various forms of violence and injustice against females. Consequently, when one gender considers itself superior, achieving equal opportunities for all becomes a challenging task.

Impact of Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination leaves a profound mark on society, affecting not just specific segments but every facet of it. Initially, it impacts children who become ensnared in gender stereotypes from an early age.

Moreover, it influences young people, shaping their behavior, educational choices, aspirations, attitudes, and more. Consequently, many girls shy away from participating in sports, while women experience physical violence at higher rates than men.

Moving forward, gender discrimination takes a toll on adults, especially in the form of a gender pay gap in the workforce. Men often earn more for performing identical tasks as women. Additionally, older women face a higher risk of homelessness compared to men.

The impact extends to indigenous women, who face even graver challenges. They are at a significantly higher risk of succumbing to family violence, with an alarming rate 11 times higher than men. Yet, the situation is far from favorable for men either, as it imposes unrealistic standards and represses their emotional expression. This societal divide restricts men from freely expressing their emotions without judgment. In many places, men also lack access to parental leave, leading to increased suicide rates among them. In essence, gender discrimination casts a shadow over everyone.

Gender Discrimination Essay FAQs

What is the main issue of gender discrimination.

The main issue of gender discrimination is treating people unfairly based on their gender, limiting opportunities and rights.

What are the types of gender discrimination?

Types of gender discrimination include unequal pay, stereotypes, limited access to education, and violence based on gender.

What is gender discrimination in India paragraph?

Gender discrimination in India refers to the unfair treatment of individuals based on their gender, affecting their rights, safety, and opportunities.

What is the reason for gender discrimination in India?

Gender discrimination in India is caused by traditional beliefs, stereotypes, and social norms that favor one gender over the other.

What is gender discrimination in a short note?

Gender discrimination is unfair treatment of individuals due to their gender, creating inequality.

What is the problem of gender discrimination in India?

The problem of gender discrimination in India leads to unequal opportunities, violence, and limited rights for many.

Gender discrimination is treating someone unfairly because of their gender, which is a social problem.

Gender discrimination in India is when people are treated differently based on their gender, impacting their lives and rights.

What is gender discrimination in English word?

In English, gender discrimination refers to unjust treatment based on a person's gender.

How does gender discrimination affect society?

Gender discrimination harms society by limiting equality, opportunities, and causing social divisions.

What is the impact of gender discrimination in Indian society?

The impact of gender discrimination in Indian society includes inequality, violence, and hindrance to progress.

What are the causes of gender discrimination in India?

Causes of gender discrimination in India include deep-rooted traditions, stereotypes, and unequal power dynamics between genders.

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KAMALA DAS: AN EPITOME OF GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMAN EMPOWERMENT

Kamala Das is one of the foremost Indian English woman poets. Like a great number of progressive individuals from different walks of life who have contributed for the gender equality and woman empowerment in India, Kamala Das occupies a unique position among the Indian women poets who championed for the cause of women and their status in the society. Being a member of the traditional Indian patriarchal society, she not only experiences but also becomes a subject of humiliation and suppression inflicted by the practitioners of social dogmatism. She refuses to submit herself to such traditional beliefs. In contrast, she exhibits courage and an indomitable spirit through her inherent creative ability to fight against the illogical traditional norms that are designed to dominate women. Her bold and fearless exhibition of self is incomparable and therefore an inspiration for every Indian woman in their fight for empowerment, self-identity, self-dignity and equality of status. This paper tries to analyse the poetic works of Kamala Das in the light of gender equality and woman empowerment. It is assumed that the study would throw light on literature as a tool for social rectification.

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TJPRC Publication

The study focuses on Kamala Das' uncanny honesty of exploring womanhood in a patriarchal world. It presents "An Introduction" and "The Old Playhouse" as Das' weapons of raising her vigorous voice and fighting against the male ego as well as the orthodox, conservative society. Considering Kamala Das as an ardent spokesperson for women's freedom this paper examines her poems "An Introduction" and "The Old Playhouse" as the echoes of the pitiable condition of women and movements of emancipating the Indian women. This paper looks at the inner-meanings of these poems in the light of Das' personal experience in order to argue that these poems have contributions in uplifting the deplorable condition of Indian women in a society where they can enjoy freedom without any restrictions. The findings reveal kamala Das as the poet who universalizes her personal issues to stimulate Indian women to establish their own individuality going beyond the shadows of patriarchal hegemony and substantiate Das' poems "An Introduction" and "The Old Playhouse" as new trials of emancipation for Indian women.

Md Fazal Mahmud Shah

Abstract- Kamala Das is one of the most prominent and debated figure in postcolonial Indian English poetry. Who writes with honesty and bold manner rarely in Indian context. She blend her personal experiences and observations in her poetry in a way it is become universal. Her depiction of woman is the typical answer to the subaltern and subsidiary voice of woman. She represents the modern women’s voice who wants to free her from the religious and social convention. Kamala Das takes the reader into the space of her private life and discloses the delicate facts of personal trauma and childhood suppression. She became the oppressed voice of woman and depict the universal sufferings of womanhood, women‘s struggle is to find their identity and their ―Self in a rebellious way. This paper aims to explore how Kamala Das sensitively point out the plight of woman whose status is prejudice in the religious and social obligation. Keyword-womanhood, sufferings, ill-treatment, equality, society, violence

VEDA'S JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE [JOELL]

The Ramayana is a social document. It records and depicts the time and society of contemporary Indian civilization. The epic has a universal representation of women's position irrespective of temporal and spatial boundaries. The paper tries to explore the hegemony of women constructed by the social structure. The women in the great epic are in the marginalized position in society. The fire test of Sita and the humiliation of Surpanakha are the outcome of the racial and the gender politics. The situation of Sita under the captivity in Ashokabana marginalizes woman's position in society. The very moment also exposes the fear of physical assault and humiliation from the opposite sex. To understand the mental agony that a woman undergoes in such a situation needs lots of sensibilities. The projection of women as stereotyping of female as unchaste women, virgins and prostitutes is a patriarchal domination over women. The typecast of women as 'Mother Nature' reduces the role and status of women to the perpetual 'giver'. Religious doctrines aid the representation of women as Mother Earth and Mother Nature, who is only the giver. An analytical interpretation of the undertaken project tries to make a comparative study between the Ramayana age and the present time. Uncovering of women's position beyond temporal and spatial boundaries in the Ramayana and present society leads to the theorization that women's so called positions in society is still a myth. Objectification and commoditifying of women in present time degrades their status in society leads to disastrous consequences. The paper tries to uncover women's positions and issues from socialism and Marxist Feminist perspectives.

International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education

Viraj Desai

This paper attempts to examine the issues of feminism in India and the position of women in the Indian society in the light of Kamala Das’s poetry. Post-Independence, Indian women writers have exhibited a strong sense of freedom and self-dependence of thought and action in their works. Kamala Das’s poetry is a symbol of reliance, intellectual freedom and empowerment of Indian women. This is an endeavour to analyse how Kamala Das redefines womanhood in her poetry through the use of concrete imagery, symbols and her crisp and novel ideas about women, their position in a male-dominated Indian society and many other issues surrounding her and many other women of the country. Key-words: Feminism, Womanhood, Kamala Das, Poetry, Indian Writing in English.

Jayshree Singh , Ms. Kamla Mali

Indian women writers have significant contribution in Indian English Writings. Indian literary scene has witnessed a tremendous change as far as women writers’ role. Women writings are concerned with the status of women in India. The ups and downs in these writers’ life have emphasized much upon the socio-cultural and psychological aspects. Women’s literature in Indian English Studies presents many women characters as role models or as silenced voices. This research paper takes into account the Indian women writers’ perspective of women’s world. For the study the following works have been selected - the novel Cry, the Peacock which explores the sociological state of the protagonist, Maya. She reflects internal conflicting realities of her psyche in de-motivational or subversive terms. The novel is concerned with a modern new woman’s rejection of her priorities and subsequently her failure on account of her meaninglessness in her thoughts, choices and deeds. The novel The God of Small Things portrays the politics of caste/gender and its effects on the marginalized, deprived woman in context of informalization and feminization of labour, her body and her ‘Self’. Manjula Padmanabhan’s play Harvest delves deep inside the pains, anguish of the poverty-stricken family that falls victim to the commoditization of the Third World body; while it also visualizes the futuristic approach of woman to counter the machines that may likely to govern human body in modern times. The Selected Poems of Kamala Das represent the wishes, aspirations, individuality, ambiguity and frustration. She is concerned with the women’s status in the men’s world. This research paper will attempt to find insights into the subjective experiences expressed in the writings, and same will be investigated as a source of self-discovery of these authors and their creative urge to find their space in public sphere. Other aspects such as - woman’s subjugated past, their voice breaking the silence, resisting the patriarchy and finding a female tradition and their imagined stereo- typed image will also be discussed. Keywords: Indian English Literary Studies, Women Writers, Gender-autonomy, Discriminatory doctrines

Woman today is open minded, mentally and emotionally more stable than ever before. Women are striving to create a world which will be theirs without any inhibitions and restrictions, where they can break free from conventional traits. Hariharan projects the urges, dreams and desire of a woman, who has an aversion to be bounded and suffocated by her surroundings. All the characters in the novels are in the process of revealing their experiences and in fact reassuring themselves that they are not helpless but yet are doubly marginalised. The roles into which they ultimately fit themselves are stereotypes. Both the novels are well structured and well knit with a perfect connection between the traditional social conventions and the postmodern liberations. The female characters are shown as opening the windows from traditionalism and breaking the barriers to postmodernism. This paper aims at redefining the lives of women and finding the intersection between traditional and the modern.

Choker Bali or A Grain of Sand is Rabindranath Tagore's first major full-fledged novel that depicts the growing need of the heroine Binodini, to emerge out of the traditional image of a widow and establish her identity in society. In the novel, Tagore represents the typical middle class specimens of Bengal in the portrayal of the possessive widowed mother Rajlakshmi, her son Mahendra and the submissive wife Ashalatha. The theme of the novel showcases the concept of Indian woman who were expected to be dutiful, respectful and submissive wives. As an artistic genius, Tagore sensibly depicts the clash between social taboo attached to a widow and their desire of the heart and body.This paper focuses on the self-actualisation of Binodini in Rabindranath Tagore's Choker Bali. It portrays Binodini as an emerging new woman in the modern sensibility.

giteemoni saikia

Abstract: In this paper an endeavor has been made to analyze the poetry of Kamala Das with a feminine perspective. Though she composed only a handful of poems yet it is suffice to unleash her feelings. It tells aloud her genuine feelings towards the society she inhabits, the norms and values she was compelled to internalize. Her poems speak not only of her traumatic sufferings but of the entire female folk. Thus, she can be regarded as the mouth-piece of her society. She has set the path to be followed by the writers to come. Thus, this paper seeks to explore the feminine dimension of her poetical composition. Keywords: rebellious, hierarchies, callousness, feminine sensibility,

RAJKUMAR .G , Karthiga K

Literature is the boon for the writers to express their creative writing which is the work of creative imagination that represents language, people, culture and tradition and it introduces a new world of experience. Writers write to inspire people and it pushes them beyond the barriers of everyday existence into a world of what might be. It is the world of opportunity, an infinite variety of may be ‘s and what if‘s and a vast plain of words that might help describe the world in which we live.

Jhumpa Lahiri has become in the last decade one of the most outstanding and evocative voices in the American literary Panorama. All her works deal with the cultural identities and nostalgia for the characters for homeland and the problems they encounter while living in America. Lahiri has acknowledged in interviews that her fiction is largely based on her own memories, personal anecdotes and life experiences. It was in part due to her parents' keen powers of observation and following Indian customs and traditions scrupulously and persistence to raise their children as Indians. Lahiri in her works portrays the lives of Indians in exile, of people navigating between ethnic culture and tradition they have inherited and a baffling new world they must face every day without any bias. She deals with a variety of themes which include physical and emotional displacement, assimilation, isolation or alienation, rootlessness, linguistic hurdles and barriers failed relationships, marital problems and difficulties and even misunderstandings. The most conspicuous trait of Jhumpa Lahiri's writing is her remarkable insight with which she proves deep into the psychological depths of her characters and reveals their inner world from multiple angles. Suman Bala points out: " Lahiri's fiction reminds one of the Victorian styles of character portrayal through scenes and situations, persons and places. Lahiri is a painstaking writer whose quality is reflected in her labored prose that tries to create a balance between the internal and the external aspects between the landscape and the mindscape…. Lahiri's forte is her lovable characters." (2014 : 29)

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