The gender gap has been ubiquitous in all parts of the world from the start of time and even in the 21st century, little to nothing has changed. The notion that women are the weaker, relatively simpleminded fragment between the two, is still very much prevalent. The gap between men and women in terms of opportunities and respective outcomes is highly disproportionate.
There are certain factors contributing towards the same. Firstly, there exists a huge pay parity for the same work done by either men or women which needless to say not only is a concern for feminism and equality but also affects economic growth. There’s a whole section of the society which is being neglected and thrown on the sidelines. If women earn less then they automatically spend less which will, in turn, affect the GDP negatively. It also acts as a demotivating factor hence. Even though a lot has changed and women have come forward to work and pursue their dreams, there are still restrictions to access to quality jobs. Women are mainly concentrated at entry-level positions or lower stratum. Even in an example setting country, like Sweden, only a small percentage of women are at managerial posts earning well. According to a survey done in 2010 & 2009 respectively, women only make for 31% of the lesser opportunities than their male senior management and 19% in the board of directors. Moreover, a large cluster of women work in the informal sector. The downside of which is that they don’t get any job security, receive meager wages and don't have access to adequate health care which further aggravates their incidence of poverty. Historically, women are employed in low-paying service sector jobs or professions whether it be agriculture (5%) or manufacturing (15%-20%). Even in the farming sector, women are rarely able to exercise their inheritance rights due to failing legislation and judiciary justice hence undermining their autonomy over their own property.
According to an estimate by McKinsey Global Institute in 2018, the Indian GDP had the potential of boosting by $770 billion in seven years if women’s participation in the workforce was increased. (The power of parity: Advancing women’s equality in India, 2018). Even as generational advancements aspire to influence the perspective on women’s participation in the workforce, a healthy change has not come to be seen in recent observations. According to data from the World Bank website, the Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP) in India declined from 30.279% in 1990 to 20.79% in 2019 (Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) – India). [2] In the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021, India ranked 151st out of 156 countries based on economic opportunity and participation.
Decline in Female Labour Force Participation rate in India over the last 20 years.
Source: World Bank open data [2]
India stands poorly in the Global Gender Gap ranking for women's economic opportunity and participation, below neighboring country Bangladesh which is much poorer than India in per capita GDP terms. Source: Global Gender Gap Report 2021 [1]
Behind these statistics, there goes a deep history of gender bias. The convention of women's role in society is limited to domestic chores and their inferior status inside the marriage bond has implications that are far more intense than what casually meets the eye. Biases within a family can lead to deprivations for the neglected members in terms of undernourishment, lack of access to opportunities, and medical neglect leading to a greater risk of morbidity and mortality, which are not reflected in monetary parameters of well-being like family income and consumption expenditure. In many countries like Asia and North Africa, sex bias often becomes a major factor for differences in the allocation of resources among members of the family
The notion of economic development exceeds the boundaries of income-based growth. Therefore, while discussing a gender-equal approach towards development, it is imperative that some crucial aspects relating to the quality of life, in terms of education, health, and participatory freedom are taken into consideration.
There are innumerable reasons which contribute towards women leaving their jobs early like, most of the times women have to leave their jobs after marriage or childbirth because rarely in offices there’s a daycare for the kids or most often than not, women are encouraged and expected to look after their families and when failed to do so are shamed by the society. On the other hand, men don’t have to face the burden of such expectations which in a way releases them and helps them to achieve more and perform better. Subsequently, sexual harassment is a major problem. As per a survey conducted, around 15%-30% of women face recurring and serious assault in the forms of inappropriate touching, offensive remarks, or suggestive actions, This leads to emotional stress and morale disruption. An unfeigned discussion of ‘gender-equal development’ cannot be limited to the deprivation of the female gender alone. The transgender community, widely addressed as the ‘third gender’, is an indispensable stakeholder here. According to a study conducted by National Human Rights Commission in 2017, 92% of transgenders have faced deprivation of the right to participate in any form of economic activity (Study on Human Rights of Transgender as a Third Gender, 2017). [4] Harassment at workplaces and prolonged social exclusion over the years have acted as major reasons behind this extreme form of economic deprivation.
The issue of gender discrimination in India is capacious. It is safe to say that despite earning significantly less than men and having lesser opportunities in dimensions such as education, political representation, body autonomy among many others, in comparison to their male counterparts, they not only spend more but also (reference pink rax, capitalizing on the insecurities and lack of self-worth in everyone who identifies as a female) are renumerated far less. In order to bridge the gap between the two and focus on the growth, development, and leading a nation to a better, more prosperous future, it is essential for women to get access to finer employment opportunities and representation in quality jobs. While empowerment-oriented policies induce strength into the endeavor for improvement, real change will be far-fetched if the absence of social conscience persists. India being a country where gender-specific connotations are attached to almost all areas of activity, from public utilities to work profiles, the challenge of gender-inclusive development requires a re-orientation of our intrinsic approach towards gender roles, wherein all forms of curtailments are questioned with integrity.
By:-
Medhawi Rajgaria
(3rd Year)
Sagarika Rastogi
(2nd Year)
REFERENCES
Cuberes, D. (2012, June 26). Gender Inequality and Economic Growth. World Bank Group. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/9117
Women Work More, But are Still Paid Less. (1995, August 25). International Labor Organization. https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008091/lang--en/index.htm
OECD SURVEY
Global Gender Gap Report 2021 (p. 18). (2021). World Economic Forum. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) - India | Data. (n.d.). Data.worldbank.org. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS?end=2019&locations=IN&start=1990
Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
Study on Human Rights of Transgender as a Third Gender. (2017). National Human Rights Commission.
The power of parity: Advancing women’s equality in India, 2018. (2018). McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/the-power-of-parity-advancing-womens-equality-in-india-2018
Comments