Page 1 of 14

European Journal of Business &

Social Sciences

Available at https://ejbss.org/

ISSN: 2235-767X

Volume 07 Issue 03

March 2019

Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 61

Gender Inequality and Women's Development in India

Deepak Singh

M.A. Geography

Email. id:- deepakghangash@gmail.com

Abstract: Gender is an important aspect of social and economic stratification. Regardless of a

socio-economic class, there are systemic gender differences in physical well-being, although

the degree of inequality varies with countries and times. The importance of achieving the

rights of women in achieving gender equality, women's empowerment and development has

been recognized rapidly in recent decades and it has also been felt in India too. Women play

an important role in every section of the society. A woman equally contributes to the

development of a nation as one man does. Thus, linking gender inequality and development is

important for a number of reasons and this letter attempts to highlight some of the reasons.

This letter is an attempt to analyze the role of gender inequality in India, in which special

attention has been given to those issues which can be expected to be the most important for

overall development of the country.

Keywords: Gender Inequality, Socio-Economic Development, Women Empowerment.

Introduction: Gender inequality, to a large extent, reflects the limits of socio-economic

development. In recent years, we saw that many developed countries have put a lot of

emphasis on the concept of gender inequality. However, for policy relevance, bringing an

indication of gender inequality in India can help in the policies necessary to attract and reduce

government attention on gender inequality. We can also hope to answer the question

whether more gender equality will increase development and development. From time to

time, we have seen that achievements in India's development process have been important.

But still many things are left to achieve and one of the main things is gender equality. For

Page 2 of 14

European Journal of Business &

Social Sciences

Available at https://ejbss.org/

ISSN: 2235-767X

Volume 07 Issue 03

March 2019

Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 62

more than two decades, the goal of reducing gender inequality has achieved a prominent

place in the statements of international organizations and national strategy. Millennium

Development Goal three reflects global attention on the issue of gender inequality and has

been promoting governments to eliminate gender inequality in primary and secondary

education by 2005 and in all levels by 2015 (Gender Inequality, UN)

Gender inequality means disparity between men and women in various social,

economic and political, cultural and legal aspects. This problem is known only as gender bias,

which means the difference in stratification of the gender or the difference between male

and female. According to the Human Development Report (2013) of the United Nations

Development Program, India is less than Pakistan (123) on 132 out of 187 countries in the sex

ratio inequality index. It has been said in the report that with the exception of Afghanistan, all

countries of South Asia were better places for women than India; Sri Lanka (75) was the top of

them all.

History of Gender Inequality:

If we expose the ancient India, then an Indian woman was in a state of high respect

and was pronounced in the Vedas and Upanishads by the word of Mata (Mother) or Devi

(Goddess). In the form of Manu Smriti, the woman was considered a precious creature and in

the Vedic age, girls were taken care of. The practice of polygamy then spoiled the status of

woman and in the medieval period, misconceptions like prejudice system, dowry practice and

sati custom came into being. But with the passage of time, the situation of the woman was

reduced. After the development of science and technology, female feticide is being practiced

by a large number of people. Due to this, the female ratio has declined. According to Indian

Census 2011, in Kerala, Kerala represents the highest sex ratio of 1084 females per 1000

males, while Haryana represents the lowest sex ratio per 877 women per 1000 men. Then the

dowry became popular and it was the starting period of female infanticide practices in few

areas. In India, a sex-selection phenomenon has been in place since the 1980s, with men born

Page 3 of 14

European Journal of Business &

Social Sciences

Available at https://ejbss.org/

ISSN: 2235-767X

Volume 07 Issue 03

March 2019

Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 63

during this period now at marriageable age. People are very rich but at the same time there

is pressure to create sons as a successor, so educated, wealthy families are more likely to

have sex selection now. These whole factors are coming to play and make this toxic mixture,

which has made violence a big issue today against women. The origin of gender inequality has

always been male dominance. At least in India, a woman still needs an anchor for a husband

and a family. Due to their suppressed nature, women have to walk head down. All this was

prevalent from the beginning and it is followed till date. In the case of reservation of a woman

in Parliament, the opposition parties believe that women are born to do household chores

and manage children and families. In many parts of India, women are seen as an economic

and financial liability, while many contributed to our society, economy and their families.

Today is a common case of domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, tampering, eve,

forcible prostitution, sexual exploitation, workplaces. So, this is a worrying issue for our

country. The main reasons for gender inequality are identified as the main job for the family,

the need for a male heir, heavy dowry for girls, constant physical and financial support,

poverty, domestic - violence, poor and caste system.

Types of gender inequality: - Nobel Prize winner Prof. According to Amartya Sen, there is

seven types of gender inequalities in India. A brief explanation of all types of gender

inequality is as follows: -

Mortality inequality: - In this, Inequality between women and men directly involves matters

of life and death, and takes the brutal form of unusually high mortality rates for women and a

consequent preponderance of men in the total population, as opposed to the preponderance

of women found in societies with little or no gender bias in health care and nutrition.

Natality Inequality: - In this disparity, boys are given preference over girls. It is predominant

in many of the male-dominated societies and these appear as parents who want their