gender empowerment in india - challenges and opportunities
TRANSCRIPT
Gender Empowerment in India -
Challenges and Opportunities.
Talk by
Shailaja Chandra
at
National Defence College
Friday, 8th February, 2013
Population of the World and India.At 1210 million plus India’s population can be compared to the combined populations of USA,Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan,Japan & Bangladesh .
India’s Population growth 1901-2011 Population grew five times in the last 100 years
Decadal Population GrowthPopulation (million)
9 States called EAG states namely, Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Assam constitute:
• 48 percent of country’s Population• 59 percent of Births• 70 percent of Infant Deaths• 75 percent of Under 5Deaths• 62 percent of Maternal Deaths
Demographic Dividend or Demographic Trap?
Region MMR % to Total Maternal
Deaths
EAG* states & Assam 308 61.6
Southern states 127 11.4
Other states 149 27.0
India 212 100.0
In Industrial countries the average MMR is 14
EAG* (Empowered Action Group) states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
Challenges to Gender Empowerment
Poverty: Loans and credit are only available against moveable or immoveable property which is usually in the name of men.
Education and Training: Girls cannot pursue schooling because of domestic responsibilities. And early marriage .
Health: Women suffer from malnutrition and anaemia. Remain dependent on intermediaries for accessing medical and health care –even family planning services.
Challenges to Gender Empowerment
Inequality in Power Structure and Decision Making: This is especially so in the lower economic strata.
Absence of Champions for Women’s Advancement There are no support groups to promote women’s progress in careers and jobs.
Challenges to Gender Empowerment
Violence: Gender-based violence includes domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment at work, trafficking into prostitution, dowry related cruelty, forced marriage, traditional and honour-based aggression.
Armed conflict: Aggression against women is a source of constant terror and distress in all war-torn countries and wherever there is armed conflict
Disparity in Political EmpowermentPosition of Women in National parliament
Lower House Upper House Total
Total Seats
Seats held by women
Total Seats
Seats held by women
Total Seats
Seats held by women
Share(%)
2004 544 45 250 28 794 73 9.2
2007 544 47 250 25 794 72 9.1
2009 545 59 234 21 779 80 10.3
2011 544 60 241 26 785 86 11.0
YES.
IMR reduced from 58 in 2005 to 47 as per SRS 2010
– Rate of Decline of IMR accelerated by 29 %
between 2005-10 as compared to 2000-2005
– Decline in Rural IMR and U5MR is higher than the decline in urban areas, thereby narrowing the Rural - Urban Gap
– Decline of U5MR & IMR is more in EAG States
Has NRHM Helped Gender Empowerment ?
Source: SRS 2010
Reduction in TFR from 1998-00 to 2008-10:
The bigger states have shown 20 or more percent decline in TFR during the period