AI, THE 1981 CENSUS there were only 935 women per thousand men in India. In only four countries in the world, namely, Iran, Pakistan, India Australia is the sex ratio adverse to women.
In Australia, the majority of the population has migratory, mainly men, so it is understandable that there are less women than men. But in the other three countries, the adverse sexratio for women is an indicator of the degraded status of women. High mortality, neglect of the female child discrimination against women are the main reasons for this dismal reality. Nowadays, like amniocentesis makes possible ante-natal determination testing — are used, or rather abused for decisions to abort female toetuses boys are preferred.
In post-independence India, there has been a continuous advance of the female literacy rate.
Inree duarters or mca womer del literate and higher education has remained the privilege of only 2.1 per cent of women.
A positive feature however is the growing importance education in urban areas.
MalO TOT women is increasing in the marriage market too!).
Advancement of Literacy in India (1901-1981)
Year Percent Male 9.81 10.56 34.44 74_4 46.74 Source: Census Report, 1981 United Nations reveals, women do most of the work throughout the world. Right from the birth of the human species have been working. tribution is not socially recognised. Women's work in the home — ing, cleaning, menang: care of the old and the sick treated as 'work. It is unpaid work Everyday there is the slog, rest, time, without faces within the family is-extended to life including fields and al arcas ul factories. Women form a cheap, unskilled and auxilliary labour — last to be hired and first to be fired.
Since 1951, there has been a great increase in ine work parncipanon ol women in India. Nevertheless 1981 Indian census shows only 14 per have Cent An increasing number of women are being thrown out of the DUE at the more and more women the labour force' looking tor lobs.
Among the total unemployed, women constitute more than 60 per cent.
Half of all women workers in India employed labourers. Only 6 per cent of the entire female organised sector, thereby relatively secure jobs, better facilities, wages and work conditions.
of their working sisters are in the 'informal sector' in low paid, low productivity and unskilled jobs.
Technological changes have badly affected women's jobs opportunities manufacturing, petty been overall techniques which sexbecause But still today (The deFemale 0.60 ICOULL women But their concookchild-care, - is not without source of the 'gainful' agricultural sectors.
same time electrical. are entering processing monotonous and tiring jobs.
agricultulal the having drastically.
The rest sweepers and scavengers.
Womer popularly know 2000 household and cottage industries and Non-agricultural concentrated mainly in industries such as garment, electronics. foodand construction, doing The number of women employed in the cotton and lute textile industry and the manufacture of dairy ducts, originally known for its job opportunities for women, has declined Low-caste women forced to work as domestic servants, leave, service sector, as 'white collar emplovees' are found mainiy in professions like teaching and nursing. In post-independence India, the number of highly educated women - lawyers, doctors, engineers, scientists increased, but it is negligible in comparison with the millions of poor, illiterate, semi-literate and poorly-paic working women.
Brutal In agriculture, plantations, mines and small scale mausines, women are usually paid lower wages than male colleagues for doing similar chores. Unly a microscopic minority of working women get facilities like maternity creches, housing, trade union rights etc.
The fight for legal provisions to improve the status of women in india started around the mid-nineteenth - United Nations Report, 1980 century. As a result the Female Infan- nas ticide (Dudha Piti) Prohibition Act, the Sati Prohibition Act, the Widow Remarriage Act and the Age of Consent (Sadra) Act, were all passed. The constitution of free India announcec equality between the nounced discrimination against citizen because of sex.
regaraing marlage, mnichlance, property and divorce is a glaring example of the hollow claim to equality these personal laws consider women as inferior to men, devoid of any individuality. Now pressing for the uniform civil code for all citizens.
Bill.
because torcement peen violated tured, have perpetrators spread munities brides. that husbands.
by the and religious SCAISI against cing other sexes and de. any published Yet the provision of personal laws AS All allusts academicians, media.
progressive organisations have started enactment Recently a number of progressive Bills have been put forward and there have been heated debates regarding the judgement of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Restitution of Conjugal Rights, the Rape Bill, the Dowry Bill, and the Marriage Laws Amend But these proposed legal reforms will have limited impact on improving the status of most women economic the hold t poverty, illiteracy and the hold traditional values.
these laws, pressure groups are needed.
Throughout 'history' women have - raped, battered, torinsulted. degraded. Society turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to this reality but now one finds increasing awareness of such problems.
.More and more cases wifemurder are declared as 'suicide', there have been mass rapes during caste and communical riots, gang rapes, sexual harassment of women in the streets and workplaces are reported. In most cases the police and other state forces come out as notorious of atrocities azalls women. They use brutal and perverse , to torture women unde trial and women prisoners.
evil of dowry that has among many castes COl and religious groups - has resulted in the cold-blooded murder In Delhi alone during 1982, on average 500 brides were killed and one woman burnt daily. Dur ing the period of 1975-78, the total number of deaths of women due to burns in our country was 6248. They were recorded in the police registers as 'accidents' or "suicides' Reforms The primary role of women is con sidered to be that of child-bearer and home-maker. It is not unusual to hear who fail to produce a willel child - particularly a male chila -are tortured or taunted by relatives ana in many cases aesertea by unet Traditional norms taboos perpetuated and strengthened caste system, the joint family the oppression of women blatant. The , TV, press, ad mass media - radio. vertisements, cinema and the educattion system - idealise the masochistic tendencies among women, portray a image attributes stereotypes roles to women.
Amidst this stark grey realty there are a few bright spots. Altel 1975, more and more women fought oppression which has resulted in a blossoming of women's groups and organisatons These organisations and groups of have certain freshness of ideas, readiness to come the Dul cels. tremendous militancy and courage.
Initially ine women's organisa tions attracted mainly educated mid die and upper middle class women but slowly and gradually they are influen strata too. As a result. there was an organisea Hanunwic anti-rape campaign during 1980.
The women's organisations also organised huge protest demonstrations against dowry deaths, the pol trayal of women in the media, against beauty contests and for legal reforms concerning women.
A number of feminist magazines.
not only in English and Hindi but also in the regional languages Many specialist interest different areas concerning women have been created result. UlIC finds a gradua change in the attitude towards women parties, planners. makers and thi The calls of Indian women's groups and organisations have begun to stil women and they respond from an in ner consciousness evolved out of thei experiences, unexpressed over the centuries...
Socialist Action LOCAL 16 March 1984
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*Women constitute half the world's population, perform nearly two-thirds of its work hours, receive one-tenth of the world's income and own less than one-hundredth of the world's property