Introduce Sexual Equality Concept in School Curriculum: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court in a recent order has asked the Union Government to introduce the concept of Sexual Equality, Moral and Ethical training, Etiquette as a part of school syllabus.

• Writ Petition: The order came against a writ petition filed by petitioner-in-person and senior advocate Aabad Harshad Ponda
• Subject: The subject of the petition was to seek action against rising incidents of rape in the country by increasing awareness about rape laws and  women rights under various laws, by introducing it as part of school curriculum.
• Demands: The petition has demanded the following actions,
  • Mandatorily Provide Sex Education: All educational institutions in the country to mandatorily incorporate topics of sex education, sexual equality, the penal laws relating to rape and other offences against women and children under the IPC and POCSO Act as a part of the syllabus.
  • Awareness: Penal laws for rape and other offences against women and children, its punishments and legal remedies for such crimes should be communicated to the general public through channels of social media, mass media, advertisements etc.
    • Example: The prevalent laws and punishment against rapes communited in cinema halls through dedicated advertisement.
  • To bridge the gap between the law and the understanding and dissemination of the law to the public.
• Supreme Court Order:
  • A module on Sex Education; Sexual Equality and Moral and Ethical training, Etiquette should be inculcated in schools at a very early age for children.
  • The court ordered the government to place on record any measures taken by it so far to include the concept of sexual equality in school syllabus.

About the Concept of Sexual/ Gender Equality

• Meaning: The concept of Sexual or Gender Equality necessitates equal valuing by society of the similarities and differences within different genders and the roles they play.
  • Equal Access: It also mandates equal access to conditions, treatment and opportunities to realize their full potential, human rights and dignity, and contribute and to benefit from economic, social, cultural and political development.
    • Equality means that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on their assigned gender at birth.
• Components:  The three components of the condition of gender equality are defined below,
  • Equitable Access and Use of Resources: In a gender equitable community, men and women are equally aware of the available resources and have equal access; knowledge and opportunity to use them.
    • Examples: Resources might constitute health care services, education, employment opportunities, social services, bank loans, etc

• • Equitable Participation: In a gender equitable community, there is an acceptance for shared decision making, shared roles in personal relationships, household, community, and political arenas, and shared and free expression of ideas, opinions, and needs.
    • Example: Sharing of responsibility for family planning, preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
  • Safety or Freedom from Violence: In a gender equitable community, society will be free from the presence or threat of physical, sexual, or emotional violence, discrimination, harassment, domination, or coercion.Example: Women should not have to fear any possibility of violence in public space and men would not have to fear being mocked or assaulted for acting in ways traditionally deemed feminine.
• Need for Gender Equality:
  • Empowers people: Gender equality will help people in breaking harmful stereotypes and to pursue one’s aspiration without any obstacle.
    • Example: Stereotypes against bodily exposure prevents women from conservative societies to pursue a career in sports. 
    • Better Governance Decisions: Equal gender participation in public decision making allows for an inclusive, sensitive, secular and participatory society with  public policies and services reflecting the distinct needs and realities of men and women of diverse backgrounds. 
    • Example: Legalising and mainstreaming LGBTQ+ community.
  • Reduce Gender based crimes: Predetermined and internalised gender roles for men and women is responsible for crimes such as rapes, domestic violence, honour killings, sexual harrassments etc.
    • A lesson in Gender equality will create a respectable; tolerant and inclusive society helping prevent violence against women and girls. 
  • Strengthens Economies: Gender equality will remove the barriers for women to access labour markets and unlock their talents strengthening economies. As of now, the women’s labour force participation rate is 48.5 % compared to a rate of 75% for men.
    • Example: According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, if women were to play an identical role in labour markets to that of men, as much as $28 trillion, or 26%, could be added to global annual GDP by 2025.A Healthy Society: Quality health care for women will impact their family’s and broader community’s health as healthy women will lead to healthy children with better physical and cognitive development.
    • Example: The global estimated risk of a woman dying from a maternity-related cause is one in 4,900
  • Reduces poverty: Gender inequality is both a major cause of and an effect of poverty and hunger and ensuring Gender equality will help in eradicate poverty through social protection and public services. 
    • Example: UN Women estimates that 70% of the 1.3 billion people in poverty worldwide are women.
  • Realizes human rights: SDG goal 5 specifically focuses on Gender equality, as it is a fundamental human right and is vital to the realization of human rights for all. 
  • Fosters social harmony: A 2015 UN Women report provides several links between gender equality and conflict, concluding that women’s participation is key to sustainable peace as it helps create a fair and inclusive world.
    • Example: Peace treaties that include women in the process in a meaningful way are 35% more likely to last 15 years.

• Challenges to Achieve Gender Equality:
  • Lack of women in leadership: Women holds just 27 per cent of parliamentary seats and 28 per cent of management positions worldwide highlighting a  lack of diverse perspectives in decision-making processes, hindering comprehensive policy formulation.
  • Poverty and lack of economic opportunities: Lack of Social protections, access to decent work, and other support systems result in more than 340 million ie. 8 per cent of the global female population projected to live in extreme poverty by 2030.
  • Social norms and cultural practices: Harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation persist with globally, one in five young women being married before age 18. The prevalence of child marriage highlights the need for attitudinal shifts.
  • Inadequate access to education and health care: Stalled progress in reducing maternal mortality and expanding educational opportunities call for targeted interventions to meet the 2030 goals
    • An estimated 110 million girls and young women may remain out of school by 2030.
  • Inadequate funding for gender equality initiatives: Only 4 per cent of total bilateral aid is allocated to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The additional investment needed for achieving gender equality by 2030 is estimated at USD 360 billion per year.
  • Violence against women and girls: Each year, 245 million women and girls experience physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Older women also face higher rates of poverty and violence than older men.
  • Legal barriers and poorly enforced legislation:  Where legislation does exist to promote gender equality, effective implementation remains a challenge
    • Example: At least 28 countries do not have laws granting women equal rights to enter marriage and initiate divorce, and 67 countries lack laws prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination against women.
• Promotion of Gender Equality: Gender equality is a fundamental human right which needs to be promoted at home, school, and and society level
  • Tackle Stereotypes about Gender Roles in Families and Society: The stereotypical primary roles of women as a caregiver and nurturer and men as a provider and breadwinner for the family needs to be eased so that they can participate fully in all spheres of society
  • Paternity leave to build stronger families: These policies support all employees to balance work with care and family responsibilities, by creating a supportive work culture and environment
    • Example: In Kosovo, 91 per cent of men who took parental leave to share in family caretaking responsibilities said that it had a positive impact on their relationship with their children.
  • Respect reproductive rights and bodily autonomy: The ability of women to control their fertility is fundamental to women’s empowerment and equality and also has a positive impact on the family and community as a whole.
  • Help End Gender-Based Violence: Generate awareness about the different forms of gender-based violence, the impact it has on those exposed to it, and the laws and policies that are in place to build a crime free society.
  • Eliminate Gender Pay Gap: To instill the principle of equal pay for equal work at the workplaces and enforced through strict laws will see more women participating in the labourforce as their works and talents are recognised.
  • Family friendly workspaces: Gender-responsive family policies at workplaces are powerful tools to shift discriminatory gender norms and redistribute unpaid care work for both women and men to realize their career aspirations and their fertility intentions.
  • Ownership: Empowering women in food and agricultural systems by enhancing access to land and resources is vital for ensuring food security and economic growth.

Government of India Efforts  To Achieve Gender Equality

• Economic Participation & Opportunity and Health & Survival:
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP): It ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
  • Working Women Hostel (WWH): It ensures the safety and security for working women and provide them with easy residence options.
  • Scheme for Adolescent Girls: To empower adolescent girls (age group 11-18) to improve their social status through nutrition, life skills, home skills and vocational training
  • Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV): To act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress .
  • Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK): It is an apex micro-finance organization that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income generating activities.
  • The National Crèche Scheme: It ensures that women take up gainful employment through providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
• Political Participation: 
  • Reservation: To bring women in the mainstream of political leadership at the grass root level, government has reserved 33% of the seats at all government level for women. 
  • Gender Budget: It has  been made a part of the Union Budget of India since 2005 that entails fund allocation towards programmes/schemes dedicated to women.
• Education:
  • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: Provides free textbooks, separate toilets, and early childhood care and education
  • National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL): Focuses on girls’ education
  • Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV): It has been opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs).

Way Forward

• Adopt the Kerala Gender Sensitive Curriculum Framework on a National Level in all schools and educational institutes.
• Ensure equal access to sports, leadership roles, and STEM subjects for all genders.
  • For Example: The Atal Tinkering Labs, actively encourages girls to participate in STEM activities, breaking gender stereotypes and preparing them for future tech careers.
• Workshops and training programs to help teachers address gender issues effectively.
• Provide legal marriage, inheritance, adoption rights to the members of LGBTQI+ community
• Provide 33% reservation to women in policing, administrative and judicial services
• Awareness building initiatives through campaigns (eg. Hum do humare do campaign for family planning) and targeted advertisements (eg. harmful effects of smoking and tobacco consumption) relating to the laws and rights of women and other community.