Day 2 – Q 3.Constitutional guarantee for gender equality remains vacuous independent of complementary value systems. Comment.
3. Constitutional guarantee for gender equality remains vacuous independent of complementary value systems. Comment.
लिंग समानता के लिए संवैधानिक गारंटी पूरक मूल्य प्रणाली के बिना निरर्थक है। टिप्पणी करें।
Introduction:
Gender equality is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making.
Body:
Constitution of India strives to achieve Gender equality through various provisions:
- Fundamental rights- Article 14(Equality), Article 15(Non-discrimination based on sex), Article 16(Equality of opportunity), Article 21.
- DPSP’s- Article 39(Equal pay for equal work), Article 42(humane conditions of work and maternity relief).
- Universal adult suffrage (Article 324).
- Reservation for women in local bodies.
Added to these, Government has come out with number of measures to promote and ensure gender equality. Ex: Maternity Benefit Act, Sexual harassment of women at workplace Act, SHE-box.
However, gender inequality still exists, which is justified by following points.
- Political sphere: lower parliamentary representation (around 12%), pending of women reservation bill.
- Economic sphere: Glass ceiling, Unequal pay (ex: Bollywood actress), lower labour force participation rate (27%).
- Social sphere: Poor health indicators (MMR, Anaemic, Low BMI), Lower education levels when compared to men, Domestic violence, subordination of women to men (lack of reproductive rights).
Despite these prevailing conditions, there is continuous effort to ensure gender equality in the country.
- Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter sabarimala temple.
- Declaring Talaaq-e-bidat unconstitutional.
- Striking down section 497 of IPC on adultery.
However, these progressive orders have been met with backlash in the society due to resulting conflict between constitutional morality and societal morality. There are still khap panchayats imposing their moral code on women (ex: women not allowed to wear jeans/ not to use mobile phones), meta-son preference, still males hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
Conclusion:
Thus, to achieving gender equality, there is a need for changing the mind set of people. It requires systemic efforts in various spheres (social, political, economic) with focus on children through education. Inequality, be it gender inequality, is an ideal. We must always strive to achieve this ideal situation.
Best answer: Prafull sharma
