women matters

The statistical analysis relating to women’ safety, health status and crimes against them done by various scholars through the media   reveal  that there are several  miles to cross before we reach higher rank in gender equity. If the government is really serious about ensuring dignified living conditions to the Indian women, it has to concentrate on effective measures for women’s social, economic, legal and political development .  A  minister with cabinet ranking should be in charge of women affairs and the Women  Commissions   at the central and state levels and these commissions  should be given more powers and headed by eminent women with expertise  in women issues and  not by  political appointments . Women development measures would ensure self help measures since the empowered women would have  awareness about the dangers surrounding them and the recourse  to legal remedies. Such women would also  take preventive, promotive and curative measures for better health status of women and female children.    

Role of education in development process.

The various political parties of  India are least bothered about education’s role as a vehicle of  This is evident from  the glaring   neglect of educational concerns and remedies by the political parties in  their manifestos and the electronic media in their  discussions. If the political parties  recognise the  major role education plays  in human capital formation through creation of knowledge society  and in removing social and economic inequality which are  responsible for the existence of “Two India,” through the tool of education ,they would have covered extensively about their promises for educational reforms in their election speeches , the way they talk about black money and higher growth rate etc.,  It looks as though  the nation’s lack of quality education for all  is viewed by them as  a blessing in disguise.

declining sex ratio

Despite the various efforts taken by the Indian  government for women empowerment , the major indicator viz., the sex ratio tells  a different story about their   status.. Due to lack of social, economic. legal and political awareness among women ,  they are unable to  use the resources at their disposal for their betterment resulting in their continuation as the  dependent population. The result is,  not having their voice in matters regarding their own education, job, marriage, child spacing and gender of the child to be born, property ownership and management and exploitation within the family and the work places. The Indian women’s participation in decision making process in family and national matters is very minimum .The recent media exposure of the various types of crimes against women has further restricted their  mobility and  affected their  knowledge seeking and income earning activities and thereby pushing them backward .

gender balance in IIndia

An UNO  report says  the lower participation of women in decision making process which means lower political participation of women is the main reason for violence against women and  gender imbalance in India . But, women's  participation at the decision making level alone will not help in ending violence against women  and achieve gender balance in India . There are two other primary requirements to   reach these goals , such as the need for legal and political awareness among women.  Only, when, all  the  women voters, make it a point to exercise their franchise and that too, armed  with knowledge on the existing political scenario in the country and the quality of the contestants, they could  make  informed choices of their candidates and succeed in sending good quality members to the law making bodies. Women should remember that , the  right to vote for women  is gained after a prolonged struggle and should not  waste it.  This is the first step  to participate in decision making process and to achieve gender equity..  The a second step is to get legal awareness on the existence, provisions and recourse to women protection laws, if they want to guard them against  crimes .Ignorance in these matters will keep women permanently at the receiving end .More number of women in the law making bodies can not be a panacea for gender imbalance and violence against women. It is in the hands of all the empowered  women of this country