AS far as I remember I always been and avocate of gender equality .
Equality can be defined as the situation where every individual has the same rights and equal
opportunity to grow and prosper.
Every individual of society dreams for equal rights and access to resources available at their disposal, but
there is a lot of discrimination.
This discrimination can be due to cultural differences, geographical differences, the colour of the
individual, social status and even gender. The most prevalent discrimination is gender inequality.
It is not only human rights but a tremendous waste of world’s human potential.
The age-old social structure dictated that women need to stay inside the home taking care of all when
men go out to earn bread and butter. This has been practised for ages when the world outside was not
safe. Now that the time has changed and we have successfully made our environment quite safer,
women can step forward, get educated, pursue their passion, bring economic balance in their families,
and share the weight of a family with men. This, in a cumulative way, will also make a country’s economy
progress faster and better.
According to [Link] Gender equality can be measured and a country’s growth can be traced
by using the following [Link] Development Index (GDI) is a gender-based calculation done
similar to the Human Development Index. Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) is a detailed
calculation method of the percentage of female members in decision-making roles. Gender Equity Index
(GEI) considers economic participation, education, and [Link] Gender Gap Index assesses
the level of gender inequality present on the basis of four criteria: economic participation and
opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, health and survival.
In addition to that, the dowry system is further crippling society. This ill practice had led to numerous
female feticides. It has created a notion that girls are a burden on a family, which is one of the primary
reasons a girl child cannot continue her education. Even if they excel in education and become
independent, most of them are forced to quit their job as their income is considered a backup source,
which is not fair. New-age women are not only independent, but they are confident too. The only thing
they demand from society is support, which we should provide them.
Along with dowry, there is one more burning issue that has a profound impact on women's growth. It is
prevalent in all kinds of society and is known as violence. Violence against women is present in one or
another form in public and private spaces. Sometimes, violence is accompanied by other burning issues
such as exploitation, harassment, and trafficking, making the world unsafe for women. We must take
steps to stop this and ensure a safe and healthy place for women. Poverty is also one of the major
roadblocks towards gender equality. It has led to other malpractices such as child marriage, sale of
children, trafficking and child labour, to name a few. Providing equal job opportunities and upliftment of
people below the poverty line can help bring some checks onto this.
