Gender equality: Miles to go!

Dr. Ranjita Bania

Dr. Bibha Chetia Borah

Although much has been talked about the gender equality, the present day world is still characterized by deeply uneven sharing of the burden of adversities between women and men. Gender discrimination still exists in many parts of the world. In terms of employment as well as promotion in work and occupation, women often face greater handicap than men. Even in countries like Japan may be quite egalitarian in matters of demography or basic facilities, and even, to a great extent, in higher education, and yet progress to elevated levels of employment and occupation seems to be much more problematic for women than for men.

 The industrial revolution made women an integral part of the new economic order and an important part of its manpower resource. Participation of women in agricultural and allied activities too is an issue of global concern. In developing countries like India where a lion share of the economy depends on agricultural activities, the participation of women is an important issue.  Rural women are the major workforce in agricultural activities in India. However, their contribution to the mainstream agriculture does not get the desired recognition.  Women are often referred to as the ‘invisible hand’ in these activities. Although, in recent years there is substantial upliftment in the socio-economic condition of women folk, the gender imbalance is still noteworthy not only in corporate or government sector but also in agriculture and allied activities like fishery, livestock farming etc.

Near home, tea industry is the most flourishing industry in Assam where more than fifty percent of the workforce is constituted of the women labour which contributes substantially to the national coffer through earning of foreign currency. Still their contribution in the growth of the industry is never recognized. Imbalance in payment structure is also quite visible in almost all the sectors few days back and still existing in many unorganized sectors like small tea industry.

It may be women labour or women in white colour employment; discrimination is always there as reported. Preference is always given to the male counterpart even in education sector.  Though in the 21^st century, science made remarkable progress in development and creating job opportunities still the entry is not easy for the women. The statistics of higher position holder is also very negligible in both govt. and corporate sector.

Long back Gandhi ji said ‘women are the companion of man gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutes detail of the activities of the man and she has the same right of freedom and liberty as he. She is entitles to a supreme place in her own of activity as man is in his’. Despite women's proven ability, management denied them equal status in the workplace. Many of the times their selection is also biased. They are always last to be hired and first to be fired. However, they often encountered hostility or paternalistic arrogance from male coworkers and managers.

In a recent study to assess the women’s participation in fishery sector in two North Eastern states viz. Assam and Meghalaya with two different types of societal pattern, revealed remarkable gender imbalance. In government sector of these two states, there is imbalance in staffing pattern too. In Assam fishery sector, with female staff occupies only 2.06% of the technical staff, 0.93% of the field staff and 5.24% of the total strength against 97.94% male technical staff, 99.07% field support and 94.76% of the total. At the same time the statistics of participation of women in Meghalaya fishery sector is much better with 25.81% technical staff and 5.88%f field staff.  The study exposed the fact that women’s participation in fishery activities particularly related to capture fishery differ with the pattern of society. In matriarchal society, women take major role in marketing and small scale fish capture. However, in majority cases of the patriarchal society, men take the lead in capture and marketing of fish. Women participation in scientific culture practices in both the cases is found to be quite negligible. While scientific fish farming is recognized to be a women friendly livelihood option, women participation in this sector is quite unsatisfactory.

 Need not to mention that the states economy is agrarian based economy and women plays vital contribution in agricultural system.  Data says, 87 percent of the states women are involved in paddy cultivation from sawing to harvesting. Not only that they are actually preserving the techniques of cultivation through quality seed selection and preserving it for the next year. But it’s very sad to know that their contribution is totally ignored when the time comes for decision making. A survey made in 2011 by ICAR (where the first author was also involved) in the districts of upper Assam indicated the same results.

Moreover, unequal distribution of parental property including the basic assets like home and land make the women very insecure, though there is also some local variations. The absence of claims to property can not only reduce the voice of women, but also make it harder for women to enter and flourish in commercial, economic and even some social activities and also to cope up with the rapidly changing situations.

Apart from all these, the sharing of the burden of housework and child care is always quite unequal. Still, the working hands of women in a family are always invisible as they are not paid for that and their responsibility is taken for granted. It is important to identify the array of forms that gender inequality can take. It may vary from mortality inequity to household inequity which can impose diverse adversities on the lives of men and boys, in addition to those of women and girls. While understanding the different aspects of the evil of gender inequality, we have to look beyond the dilemma of women and examine the problems created for men as well by the asymmetric treatment of women. It is therefore essential to address this serious imbalance in terms of gender. If we wish for a developed society from all aspects, we should not ignore the issues like sex discrimination. Steps should be taken to buffer the society. Mass awareness towards a developed society can be made through a concerted effort of all sectors including mass media viz. news paper, TVchannels or radio. All india Radio, Dibrugarh under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Lohit Deka organized a seminar on sex equity in 2012 at Assam Agricultural University on the occasion of Women’s day. Accelerating the momentum they have organized an eight hours programme at the end of the last year covering almost all the sensitive issues of women.  They are doing their own, but if we don’t want to help ourselves, no one can help us. Mainstreaming of gender in all areas, from family to corporate world will definitely contribute substantially to bring about the desired transformation of the socio-economic scenario of the region. A new agenda of action to combat and put an end to gender inequality is the call of the hour.