Women are the one species that we keep talking about a lot. ‘From Beti Bachao to Beti Padhao’ slogans to Gender Equality, we ensure that we never forget her. Even in the Budget 2024, she found her mention. Women empowerment and how she contributes to the nation’s growth were listed in great detail. A very rosy picture! But have we really understood her, let alone understand the problems faced by her. Really !! Some thoughts in my own language.

1. Equality: The World Bank data shows India’s female labor force participation rate was 19.2% in 2021, contributing 17% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is relatively low for a nation dreaming of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025. But do we take into account that in many jobs women are not paid equally as compared to their counterparts? Be it in the field of acting or even in the IT sector, many times the salary negotiation finds the woman being offered the same job to be done where she is compensated much less than her male counterpart. And, ironically, we talk about gender equality!
2. Safety: A woman thinks a million times before venturing out in the dark or even in broad daylight. Sometimes an emergency forces her to go miles alone but can we take a moment to realize that India is far from reaching the place where women feel safe, be it in the dark alleys or in their own houses. A rape victim has the burden of not only facing the wrath of society but the whole burden of providing every piece of evidence to prove that she has been victimized makes her feel that probably it is better not to report the issue in the first place. What are we doing to minimize the risk? We see more women joining the workforce because they want to be independent, not because they feel safe all the while! Can we give it a thought, for once?
3. Maternity & Period Leaves: Today while conducting interviews, a recruiter thinks twice before recruiting a woman in certain roles. The thought of a woman taking a maternity break is a headache for many employers and hence the percentage of women being accepted is a challenge. And if a woman quits her job to take care of her kids, the challenges that she faces while returning to the job market are enormous. From being a primary caretaker at home to having the burden of proving that she is not less than her male counterpart makes her neglect her own self where both her physical and mental health suffers. Do we have any indicators in this aspect? And let us not forget the urban and rural divide here. The differences are stark and noteworthy. Talking about Period leaves or for that matter paid period leaves, it is a matter that is easily swept under the carpet. Yes, even today, women are expected to work in the fields be it in the farmlands or joining the forces, they are expected to deliver while going through immense pain during their periods. As a society, we just applaud her for making it at any cost and most of the time, the cost is her own well-being.
4. Education: While the gap is narrowing in Urban India, girls in rural India still struggle to complete higher education. We have seen many policies where the focus is on making primary education approachable but very few of them have the liberty to continue education in rural India. The mindset change is much needed at local levels where the focus is mainly on getting the girl married rather than making her self-sufficient.
5. Policy Making: This is very close to my heart. The policies or the issues relating to women are mostly designed by men because they are in the majority holding such crucial positions and hence there is a disconnect. Till that time men do not understand that they are not experts on matters that do not relate to their bodies and simultaneously till time, we do not have more women representing themselves in policy-making bodies or for that matter even in the judiciary, this disconnect is sure to prevail. And, when people adorn such positions be it male or female where their decision has a direct impact on the masses, the most crucial aspect is their non-biased decision-making without any influence of their personal judgments, which is a challenge in current times. 

These are just very few points that I have mentioned. But the closing thoughts are that we have a long long way to go. And in most households where it is typically said that a woman can not tolerate another woman, I sincerely hope that we all can come together, have a broad outlook and may the future be brighter for women in general. Because truly if she is taken care of, a lot is taken care of. After all, Man & Woman are two sides of the same coin and are meant to co-exist in harmony!

Love,

Chinmayee