Women’s work and equality are intrinsically linked. Removing gender discrimination in the workforce is a fundamental principle, advocating for equal opportunities, pay, and treatment for women. It addresses systemic barriers that often limit women’s access to employment, career advancement, and economic independence. 

Persistent Inequality: Government Action Against Systemic Gender Discrimination

• Household and Care-giving Work: As we have seen, the low value attached to women’s household and care-giving work is not an individual or family matter.
• Systemic Inequality: It is part of a larger system of inequality between men and women.
• Government Action: Therefore, it has to be dealt with through actions, not just at the level of the individual or the family but also by the government.
• Constitutional Equality: As we now know, equality is an important principle of our Constitution.
  • The Constitution says that being male or female should not become a reason for discrimination.  
  • But In reality, inequality between the sexes exists.
• Tackling Gender Discrimination: Therefore, the government is committed to understanding the reasons for this and taking positive steps to remedy the situation.

Measures to Tackle Women Inequality: Government Measures to Eradicate Gender Discrimination

• Understanding Gender Inequality: Principle of equality helps to determine whether women can work outside the house and what kind of jobs and careers they can have.
• Child-Care Centers: The government has set up Anganwadis or child-care centers in several villages in the country.
• Legal Mandates: The government has passed laws that make it mandatory for organizations that have more than 30 women employees to provide crèche facilities.
  • The provision of crèches helps many women to take up employment outside the home.
  •  It also makes it possible for more girls to attend schools.

Change in Opportunities for Women: Gender Discrimination in Education and Opportunities

Girls of Minority Communities and Schooling: Gender Discrimination in Minority Girls’ Education

• Situation of girls schooling is more depressing when we look into girls of minority communities. 
• The percentage of girls and boys who leave schools from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST)  is higher from other different social groups. 

Drop-out rate in School Education: Gender Discrimination in Schooling Disparities

• Girls’ School Dropout Rate: The rate of SC and ST girls leaving school is higher than that of the category ‘All Girls.’ reflecting gender discrimination.
• Challenges for Dalit and Adivasi Girls:This means that girls who are from Dalit (SC) and Adivasi (ST) backgrounds are less likely to remain in school reflecting gender discrimination
• Educational Disparities by Religion: The 2011 census also found that Muslim girls are less likely to complete primary school than SC and ST girls.
• Muslim Girls’ Education: While a Muslim girl is likely to stay in school for around three years, girls from other communities spend around four years in school.
• School Accessibility: In many parts of the country, especially in rural and poor areas, there may not even be proper schools or teachers who teach on a regular basis.
• Transportation Barriers: If a school is not close to people’s homes, and there is no transport like buses or vans, parents may not be willing to send their girls to school.
• Economic Constraints: Many families are too poor and unable to bear the cost of educating all their children.
  • Boys may get preference in this situation.
• Gender Bias in Education: Many children also leave school because they are discriminated against by their teacher and classmates.

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