Note on Gender Issues

This is a note i emailed of my own accord to the INC party in the context of the Janurary 2013 Chintan Shivir brainstorming session that was held at Jaipur:

How Our Party Should Address Gender Disparities in India (A two-page note by V. Shruti Devi)

India’s unique strength is unity in diversity. It is the nature of the Indian Constitution that has kept us united and resilient. While it is time for us to share our brand of democracy (with its potential for non-violent change) with the world, we need to set some things in our own Country in order so that we can be supremely effective at a global level. The essential change that we need to bring about is that of bridging disparities (in access to resources and in access to good governance).

Personal Law (related to property, inheritance, succession, marriage, adoption and other societal arrangements)

Further discussion is required, on the various existing Personal Law statues and customary usages, on their interpretation and their implementation, so that gender disparities are better addressed. The problems of trans-gender people, homosexuals and bisexuals should be factored in, while holding such discussions.

More clarity should be arrived at, regarding the mode and manner of recognizing customary law and practices of tribal communities (written documentation and legislation is most likely not the solution for this last point, only detailed discussions with appropriate people will bring about meaningful solutions). These communities stand the danger of being drawn into the system of Dowry in the absence of proper de facto recognition of traditional practices.

While our secular government allows all religions and communities to make their own (Constitutionally-compliant) versions of these practices and gives them legal standing, our Party (as a part of civil society), should also access latest views and articulate positions on how to improve each of these laws and practices from the perspective of enhancing the status of the said sections of society. Such discussions and the actions that flow will effectively deal with many problems of these currently disempowered sections of society.

Gender-specific Crime

Sexual violence, especially against women and children should be dealt with through a multi-pronged approach. This includes:

Police and related legislative reform to ensure a corruption-free force with non-corrupt politicians at each level;

Judicial reform;

Addressing the causes of these crimes such as reasons behind why rapes are committed (And possible solutions such as legalizing prostitution, creating a more permissive and therefore less sexually repressed society, using the education system as well as popular media to revive traditions of respect for sexuality and the human body; a relook at colonial legislation that might have imported puritanical ideas of sexuality into our legal system and thereafter, into our society).

Education of the Girl Child

In addition to all the points being made elsewhere regarding Education, it is important to emphasize here, the need to discuss and act upon the reasons for the drop-out rate of tribal and rural girls from schools after the age of puberty. (Allegations of sexual harassment and crime from teachers, lack of adequate personal sanitary equipment, lack of sanitary infrastructure in schools, insecure walks to the school, irrelevance of some of the syllabus etc.). Measures to protect girls in tribal and rural hostels from sexual crimes by teachers and staff also might be an urgent need all over the Country and should be looked into.

Sexual Harassment at the Workplace

While discussing sexual harassment at the workplace, there has to be an emphasis on the harassment faced by educated girls who migrate from rural areas and small towns after getting jobs. Those working in the private sector are particularly vulnerable, and are subjected to sexual harassment at the workplace.

Valuation of Work

A number of women work in the informal sector, especially as Domestic Labour and as skilled and unskilled labour as Agricultural Labour. .

Economic policies and laws and schemes should be planned in such a way that the needs of tribal, scheduled caste, poor, elderly, rural and uneducated women, and other marginalized women such as widows and the handicapped are better addressed through appropriate banking and insurance products specifically for such women.

It would be worthwhile to have detailed discussions with all stakeholders on how to regulate Domestic Labour in order to benefit the large number of women who provide services in this category, and to ensure all-round safety and well-being.

Our Party Should Make It Conducive For All Women To Rise Above Status Quo and Bring About Excellence

Our party, through the articulation of its policy on women in all languages and dialects, should stir all those who would benefit from the above-mentioned discussions and changes, into action.

Our party should also inspire and stir women who might be comparatively stronger in the societies they find themselves in, but who might be reluctant to disturb their comfort-levels, into rethinking prejudices, conditionings, feudal hierarchies, insecurities etc. and incentivize them into performing larger constructive roles for society and government.