What have been the Consequences of the Political Expression of the gender division in free India? What is the status of women’s representing in India’s legislative bodies?
Political expression of gender division and Political mobilisation has helped improve women’s role in public life all over the world including India. However, despite some improvements since independence, ours is still a male-dominated society and women lag behind in all fields.
- Literacy rate among women is only 54%.as compared with 76% among men.
- Proportion of women among highly paid and valuable jobs is still very much.
- Equal Wages Act provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However, in all areas from sports and cinema, factories to fields, women are paid less than men for the same amount of work.
- In many parts of India, parents prefer to have sons and find ways to abort the girl child before she is born.
In India, the proportion of women in legislative bodies has been very low. The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha is not even 10%. Their share in state assemblies is less than 5%. The share of women in India is behind those of several developing countries of Africa and Latin America. However, certain steps have been taken to improve women representation.
- In Panchayats and municipalities, 1 /3rd seats are reserved for women. This has resulted in 10 lac elected women representatives in local government bodies.
- Only recently in March 2010, the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha ensuring 33% reservation to women in Parliament and state legislative bodies.