Hyderabad: August 26 is a significant day every year because it signifies the adversity and resilience that women throughout history have persevered through to have equal rights as men – not only in the civilian sector but also in the military.
Achieving women’s equality requires women's empowerment to ensure that decision-making at private and public levels, and access to resources are no longer weighted in men's favour so that both women and men can fully participate as equal partners in productive and reproductive life.
We need to create a world where everyone can feel safe, both inside and outside their homes. Women’s equality can be achieved only when women can freely walk home from work, when women can sleep with their windows open, when women can wear whatever they want and not be blamed by others who lack respect.
History of Women’s Equality Day
Women's Equality Day has been celebrated for many years. It was first celebrated in 1973. Since then, the United States President has proclaimed the date. The date has been selected to commemorate the day in the 1920s when the Secretary of State at the time, Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation that gave women in the United States the constitutional right to vote.
In 1920, the day stood for the result of 72 years of campaigning by a massive civil rights movement for women. Before actions like these, even respected thinkers such as Rousseau and Kant believed that women's inferior status in society was wholly sensible and reasonable; women were only 'beautiful' and 'not fit for serious employment.' Over the last century, many great women have proved these views wrong. The world has witnessed just what women are capable of achieving. For instance, Rosa Parks and Eleanor Roosevelt fought for civil rights and equality, and great scientists such as Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie, and Jane Goodall have shown more than ever what both women and men can achieve, given the opportunity.
Today, women's equality has grown much more than just sharing the right to vote. Organisations such as Equality Now and Womankind Worldwide continue to provide women across the world with equal opportunities to education and employment, pushing in contrast to suppression and violence towards women and the discrimination and stereotyping which still occur in every society.
'Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion':- Theme 2024
This theme recognises women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.
Women's Equality in India
Wherever they live in India girls and boys see gender inequality in their homes and communities every day – in textbooks, in movies, in the media and among the men and women who provide their care and support. Across India gender inequality results in unequal opportunities, and while it impacts on the lives of both genders, statistically it is girls who are the most disadvantaged.
In India girls and boys experience adolescence differently. While boys tend to experience greater freedom, girls tend to face extensive limitations on their ability to move freely and to make decisions affecting their work, education, marriage and social relationships. As girls and boys age the gender barriers continue to expand and continue into adulthood where we see only a quarter of women in the formal workplace.
Some Indian women are global leaders and powerful voices in diverse fields but most women and girls in India do not fully enjoy many of their rights due to deeply entrenched patriarchal views, norms, traditions and structures.
Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) 2024
According to the Global Gender Gap report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Iceland maintains its number 1 rank (93.5%), and is also the only economy to have closed over 90% of its gender gap. India has slipped two places to 129 out of 146 countries. In 2023, it was ranked 127, after having jumped eight places from 135 in 2022. India has closed 64.1% of its gender gap in 2024, the report noted, leaving policy-makers with a huge window of opportunity to do better.
The report pointed out that, India had shown a slight improvement in economic participation and opportunity for the last few years, it would need 6.2 percentage points more to match its 2012 score of 46%.
To achieve gender equality in India a slew of measures must be taken for example ensuring that girls do not drop out of higher education, providing them job skills, ensuring safety at the workplace, and helping them keep a job after marriage by sharing responsibility for chores at home. In education, the gap between the men's and women’s literacy rates is 17.2 percentage points wide, leaving India ranked 124th on this indicator. India has fared better in the political empowerment index, but women’s representation in Parliament continues to be low.
Women's Representation in Lok Sabha Elections 2024
In the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 a total of 797 women contested the elections, with 74 of them getting elected. This means that only 13.6 per cent of the 543 members of the Lower House of the Parliament are women. These numbers are not a good sign in the backdrop of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, yet to come into effect, which aims to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women. The number is slightly lower than the record-high seen in 2019 when 78 women (14.3 per cent of the total 543 MPs) were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Government Initiatives For Gender Equality
The Government of India has given utmost priority to ending gender-based inequities, reducing the disparity between men and women, improving the socio-economic status of women and increasing their participation in various fields. Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to ensure that women gain equal rights, opportunities and access to resources are:
Constitutional Provisions – Articles such as Article 14, Article 15 (3), Article 39A, and Article 42 make special provisions for the rights of women to ensure gender equality.
Legislative Provisions – legal rights of women in India
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 – It prohibits the giving or taking of dowry at or before or any time after the marriage from women.
Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 - This will make provisions that there is no sexual harassment against women at workplaces both in the public and private sector.
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act (PCPNDT), 1994 - This will prevent sex selection before or after a woman conceives. This will reduce unwanted and illegal abortions in the country.
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 - This ensures payment of equal remuneration to both men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature. In the context of recruitment and service conditions, there will be no discrimination on the basis of gender.
Minimum Wages Act, 1948 – This does not allow discrimination between male and female workers or different minimum wages for them.
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (Amended in 2017) - This ensures that women working in establishments for decided time (both before and after childbirth) are entitled to maternity and other benefits.
Schemes/Programmes
Economic Participation & Opportunity: Various programmes and schemes that are intended towards women's development and empowerment are:
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development and employment.
Working Women Hostel (WWH) ensures the safety and security of working women.
Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV) envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitate women in distress.
Rashtriyaiya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is an apex micro-finance organisation that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income-generating activities.
The National Crèche Scheme ensures that women take up gainful employment by providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojna aims to provide maternity benefits to pregnant and lactating mothers.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana aims to provide housing under the name of the woman also.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) focuses on creating opportunities for women in skill development, leading to market-based employment.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana empowers women and protects their health by providing LPG cylinders free of cost.
Pradhan Mantri Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna - Under this scheme girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts.
Female Entrepreneurship: To promote female entrepreneurship, the Government has initiated schemes like Stand Up India and Mahila e-Haat (online marketing platform to support women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/NGOs). Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides access to institutional finance to micro/small businesses.
Khelo India Women’s League: This initiative has significantly increased women's participation in sports and has provided ample opportunities to compete, learn, and grow in all age groups.
