March 08: International Women's Day
I took it as an opportunity to educate myself about the status of women across the world. One stat that shook me to the core was this:
6% of women in urban India have a self-income source. In China, on the contrary, the number is 96%
Most of us in India and across the globe have a negative notion of the Chinese rise on the global platform. However, credit where due, China fixed its house before throwing evil debt-trap policies.
On the same day, Prime Minister Modi addressed a large group of ladies in the westernmost part of India- Kutch. Here are some notes I took from his speech:
नारी नीति, निष्ठा, निर्णय शक्ति और नेतृत्व की प्रतिबिंब होती है (translation: a woman is a reflection of policy, allegiance, will power and leadership)
Emphasis on the concept of kul devi in India
For men: नर करे तो नारायण हो जाए
For women: नारी तू नारायणी
(Which implies, to be god, man has to do while woman is goddess by virtue of her existence)
Sita-ram, Gauri-Ganesh, Radha-Krishna, Laxmi-Narayan all have women before men
Centered around these are government policies:
Toilets under Swacch Bharat Mission
Ujjwala Yojana (In a World Resources Initiative report, Ujjawala alone has prevented 1.5 lac deaths due to pollution and over 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019)
Jandhan Yojana (55%+ accounts for women)
80% loans to women u/ Standup India
PM Awas Yojana awards ownership of the house in name of women. (In PM's words, "most of our properties have been traditionally in name of men. Making lakhpati out of women by registering houses under their name has given a new sense of self-confidence to our ladies")
26-week maternity leave by the law (up from earlier 12 weeks)
hang till death punishment as an option in cases of rape
marriage age raised to 21
women in Sainik School and Permanent commission in Army
Fight against malnutrition under Poshan Abhiyan and other women-centric schemes like PM Matru Vandana Yojana
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Click here to read data showing the impact of this scheme)
It will remain a miracle that despite the relevance of women in our scriptures, society and higher status in stories of Indian gods, we have not been able to translate the rhetoric to tangible results on the ground. Why do we have one of the lowest health standards and poor institutional birth deliveries? If we have to take on the world as we aspire to, we can not do it alone by political speeches.
What shall be the approach going forward?
We saw above some government schemes and efforts taking face on the ground. While the impact has been massive, it is not enough. We have to do more that can not be only on the shoulders of the government.
Gender sensitization does not have to be a fancy word but practice before preaching.
I have been thinking of a few ways to adopt in my approach of helping women surface in the lead. I will write about them as they materialize, hopefully.
If you have more ideas, share them in the comment or write back to this mail. :)
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