Debunking Gender Equality: Socially Constructed Inequality

While physical differences between men and women are evident, scholars argue that gender equality and inequalities are socially constructed rather than naturally determined. Evidence suggests that biological reasoning cannot justify the limited representation of women in powerful public roles or their unequal share in familial inheritance. 

For instance, Matrilineal societies like the Nairs of Kerala or the Khasis of Meghalaya have functioned successfully, indicating that gender equality is not biologically preordained.

Social Reform Movements Related to Women: Reform Movements to 21st Century Challenges

• Empowering Change: Social reform movements are the movements which advocate the issue of women-related challenges such as sati, child marriages etc.
• Emergence of Women’s Rights Discourse: The question of women’s rights surfaced in 19th-century India, often driven by the emerging Western-educated Indian middle class.
  • They were influenced by both Western democratic ideals and India’s own traditions. 
  • Raja Rammohon Roy campaigned against practices like “sati”, while others like Ranade advocated for widow remarriage. 
  • Jotiba Phule targeted both caste and gender equality discrimination. Similarly, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan pushed for women’s education within Muslim communities.
  • Two significant feminist works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries include “Stree Purush Tulana” by Tarabai Shinde and “Sultana’s Dream” by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. 
  • Shinde protested against the double standards of a male-dominated society, Hossain’s work envisaged a world with reversed gender equality.
• Women’s Empowerment Takes Center Stage: By the early 20th century, women’s organizations emerged, and women actively participated in the national movement. 
  • In 1931, the Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress issued a declaration on the Fundamental Rights of Citizenship in India, in which it committed itself to Gender Equality. 
  • The declaration reads as follows:
    • All citizens are equal before the law, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or sex.
    • No disability attaches to any citizen by reason of his or her religion, caste, creed or sex in regard to public employment, office of power or honour, and
    • The franchise shall be on the basis of universal adult suffrage.
    • Women shall have the right to vote, to represent, and to hold public offices. (Report of the Sub-Committee, ‘Woman’s Role in Planned Economy’, 1947: 37-38).
• Unveiling 21st Century Challenges: As the 21st century unfolds, new challenges, such as the declining child-sex ratio, highlight the persistent gender equality biases in society. 
• Perpetual Pursuit of Gender Equality: In conclusion, the fight for gender equality is an ongoing journey in India, necessitating a continuous effort to defend existing rights and address emerging issues.

Breaking Barriers: Differently-Abled Struggles and Advocacy

• Unveiling Societal Barriers: The differently abled are not ‘disabled’ only because they are physically or mentally ‘impaired’ but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs. 
• Delayed Recognition of Rights: In contrast to the struggles over Dalit, Adivasi, or women’s rights, the rights of the disabled have been recognised only very recently.
  • It’s significantly influenced by societal structures that often fail to address the needs of the differently-abled. 
  • Despite the existence of differently-abled individuals throughout history, their rights and challenges have only been acknowledged recently.
• Invisibile Struggle: Drawing a parallel with Ralph Ellison’s novel “The Invisible Man”, which critiques racial discrimination, the differently-abled often feel invisible in society. 
• Challenging Perceptions: The very term ‘disabled’ is significant because it draws attention to the fact that public perception of the ‘disabled’ needs to be questioned. 
• They’re perceived based on the following misconceptions:
  • Disability is purely a biological condition.
  • Any challenge they face stems from their impairment.
  • They are always victims, needing help.
  • Their self-worth is linked to their disability.
  • In the Indian context, terms like ‘disability’, ‘handicap’, and ‘crippled’ are often used interchangeably and can be derogatory. 
• Mythology and Marginalization: Cultural beliefs associate physical imperfections with abnormality or punishments from past deeds (karma). 
  • Such attitudes, rooted in cultural and mythological depictions, further marginalise the disabled.
  • In a culture that looks up to bodily ‘perfection’, all deviations from the ‘perfect body’ signify abnormality, defect and distortion
• Shifting Perspectives: However, modern advocacy emphasises that people are ‘disabled’ more by societal constructs than by their physical conditions. 
• Beyond Physical Barriers: Issues like inaccessible buildings exemplify how society’s design can be disabling. 
  • There’s a notable link between disability and poverty, with the former often exacerbating the latter. 
  • Disabled individuals, predominantly in economically challenged regions, bear additional burdens, facing isolation and increased financial strain.
• Self-Advocacy and Recognition: Efforts to challenge these misconceptions have been spearheaded by the differently-abled community themselves, pushing governments and societies to recognize and address their unique challenges. 
• Redefining Disability: In recent times, there’s been a growing awareness about redefining ‘disability’, but the education system still largely segregates disabled students, highlighting the persistent need for more inclusive reforms.