Tanushree Dutta, an actress and model who is seen as the catalyst of India’s #MeToo movement. A spokesperson for women’s rights who tells it like she sees it. Abha Singh, former civil servant and an advocate practising in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay. A social activist who has contributed in the realm of women's rights, gender equality and justice.
Dr A L Sharada, Director, Population First, has been steadfastly advocating for gender sensitivity in media and advertising. Passionate about gender issues, she believes each of us can be a change-maker for a better tomorrow.
The Free Press Journal is honoured to invite these women on board as Guest Editors for the International Women’s Dayspecial issue. Discussing the theme of the day — ‘I am generation equality: Realising women’s rights’ — they enthusiastically participated in sharing inputs, besides their own estimations of Generation Equality.
As I sit down to write this, I am pained by the realisation that gender pay parity will remain an elusive goal during my lifetime. The World Economic Forum states that while the gap between men and women with respect to political influence, economic gains, health and education has narrowed over the years, it will still take another century for men and women to be truly equal.
The ground realities that exist today are starkly different from the promise of equality guaranteed by the Constitution of India and the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equality. For example, it will take 257 more years before men and women are paid equally for the same amount of work.
In India, the minimum wages for occupations dominated by women, such as domestic help, are much lower than minimum wages for occupations dominated by men, such as security guards. Thus, women are clustered at the bottom of the wage pyramid. In Parliament, only 14% of MPs are women, much below the abysmal world average of 23.4%.
Here too, it will take a minimum of 180 years to achieve the desired gender balance. Only 14% of agricultural land is owned by women. Further, the ILO predicts that India is the only major economy in the world where the Female Labour Force Participation rates are projected to fall to 24% by 2030.
According to the Monster Salary Index 2019, women in India earn 19% less than men. Surprisingly, the difference increases with the increase in skill levels, with negligible pay gap in semi-skilled work. This busts the myth that gender inequality is more prevalent at the lower rungs of society.
A shocking statistic for India to ponder is that only 3% of CEOs are women.
This dismal state of affairs is antithetical to the spirit of a vibrant democracy which has been founded on the tenets of equality.
Such deep seated, complex problems cannot be solved overnight. First, there needs to be more active involvement by the state to uplift the condition of women.
The passing of social welfare legislations such as the Maternity Benefit Act which provides for childcare leave and creches and the Prevention of Sexual
Harassment at the Workplace Act are steps in the right direction. Setting up of a national level minimum wage will also eradicate regional discrepancies in wages. Support systems need to be developed to ensure women don’t drop out of school and go on to pursue higher education. Reservation for women in jobs, including Parliament, will also provide a much-needed impetus.
Second, the increasing violence against women needs to be curbed.
Incidents like the Hyderabad rape of last year deter women from venturing out of the confines of their homes. It also dampens the entrepreneurial drive of women.
The AAP government’s move to make public buses free for women will encourage more women to get out of their homes. It must also be ensured that public transport is free from sexual violence. A safe public transport system can do wonders for involvement of women in public life.
Third, workplaces and society at large need to undergo attitudinal changes. Women must not be viewed as an economic burden merely because they bear the task of child rearing. Instead they must be seen as shouldering a responsibility on behalf of society, as we are all stakeholders in the process of raising the next generation.
Further, paternity leave should be encouraged as fathers need to be just as involved in child rearing. Companies such as Microsoft and Google have done well with friendly child care policies for its employees.
Further, the greatest contribution of women i.e. the care economy, is unaccounted for in the GDP. Labour put in by women at home is taken for granted. This perception requires a drastic shift.
If our houses are not in order, we won’t be capable of doing anything at all! Thus, it’s time our economists take the lead in overhauling the defunct, patriarchal system of accounting for GDP and acknowledge the monetary value of the work put in by women in the domestic sphere.
Gender equality is an uphill battle, especially when women are at the very bottom. In the words of Sheryl Sandberg, “we must raise both the ceiling and the floor.” As a women’s rights lawyer and activist, this has been my life’s work, and I, for one, will not stop till the goal is reached.
