Dr Vibhuti Ubbott
Right from a grand display of ‘Nari Shakti’ during India’s 75th Republic Day Parade as women contingents from the Armed Forces, Border Security Force (BSF), Delhi Police and Agniveers paraded on Kartavya Path to the passing of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 reserving one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, ‘Inclusion’ has remained the key word in India for the past year. But, all said and done, a lot needs to be done to bring women in the centre-stage of growth and development in the Country. The Global Gender Gap Index evaluates the countries on the four dimensions of Economic participation and opportunities, Educational attainment, Health and Survival as well as Political Empowerment and India has attained the ranking of 127 out of 146 countries in the 2023 edition of the report. It doesn’t seem an encouraging figure but at the same time, it is a huge jump from 135th position out of 146 countries in the year 2022 and 140th rank in 2021.Infact, India is in a very dismal position at rank 143 out of 146 on the dimension of Economic participation and opportunities and it is bewildering to note that on the Health and Survival dimension, India is ranked last amongst all the countries on the Index.
Close home, in Jammu and Kashmir, many reports point to the facts that do not appear to augur well for the wellbeing of women in the Union Territory. The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5 carried out in 2019-21) pointed out that only 29 percent of all women age 15-49 were employed in 12 months preceding the survey and amongst those, 32 percent were not paid in cash or kind.In the same survey, currently married women were asked who makes decisions about their own health care, majorhousehold purchases, and visits to their own family or relatives. Their responses revealed that they are morelikely to participate in decisions about visits to their own family and relatives (76%) than decision about their own health care (74%) or about major household purchases (69%). Overall, 63 percentof currently married women participate in making all three of these decisions, and 18 percent donot participate in making any of the three decisions. In such a situation, the campaign theme for International Women’s day- ‘Inspire Inclusion’ holds a befitting sentiment to be invoked.
When the society inspires inclusion, it ensures that all practices discriminatory to the women are denounced and collective activism that advance their interests is promoted. Women’s presence is ensured at all forums that exhibits the intentions to advance equitable treatment to them and in the process, a more inclusive world is forged.
At the same time, when women themselves inspire to be included, they feel more empowered and relevant. Their sense of belonging reaches new heights. Women’s contribution in society can promote the economic development of the Country. So, there is an urgent need to forge equity in the areas of women’s education, health, poverty reduction and basic needs and that too, irrespective of their age, color, faith, body image and identity.
Women’s genuine needs and their aspirations as also their perspectives have to have the representation at all decision-making tables. Not only the homes, the public spaces need to be designed keeping in mind women’s requirements of safety, security and happiness and women themselves should be instrumental in designing them. All economic activities ought to have the presence of women in them and their absence should be seriously questioned. The public policy and the politics need to be viewed as incomplete without women’s standpoint at the core of both of them. Above all, constant efforts throughout the year instead of one day symbolism of International Women’s Day should mark our commitment towards women’s empowerment.
(The author is Assistant Professor in Political Science, Govt. MAM College, Jammu)
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