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The Plight of Women in India. “You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.” -Jawaharlal Nehru. The Two Faces of India. Modern India World’s largest democracy 10th largest industrial nation Largest middle class 3rd largest scientific and technical workforce.
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“You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.”-Jawaharlal Nehru
The Two Faces of India • Modern India • World’s largest democracy • 10th largest industrial nation • Largest middle class • 3rd largest scientific and technical workforce
The Two Faces of India • Rural India • 3/4 of India’s 1 Billion people still live in poverty • Rural Indians use technology 1000 years old • Majority are illiterate • Plagued by economic exploitation, class division, and caste prejudice
Women are the Key Seven Major areas of discrimination against women • Malnutrition • Poor Health • Lack of Education • Overwork • Unskilled • Mistreatment • Powerlessness
Cycle of Malnutrition Girls are breastfed 6 - 8 weeks less than boys. Girls marry young and begin families. Girls consume 1000 calories a day less than boys Girls are kept out of school to care for their siblings
Poor Health Maternal Mortality Rates for rural India are some of the highest in the world Low rates of contraceptive use – most common form is sterilization High rates of abortion The impact of smoke from exposure to a house’s biomass has the same effect as smoking 20 packs of cigarettes
Lack of Education • Overall, literacy rates is 39% for women versus 64% for men • Girls “bring no return” to their parents, so why educate them? • Parents fear for daughters’ safety when sending them school
Overworked & Unskilled • Women – 4 am to 8 pm • Men – 5 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 5 pm • Women paid lower wages, despite the fact that they work harder and for longer hours than men • In order to gain more skills, women must leave their villages – Not Happening
Mistreatment “The insecurity outside the household is today the greatest obstacle in the path of women. Conscious that compared to the atrocities outside the house, atrocities within the house are endurable…”
Every 26 minutes a woman is molested • Every 34 minutes a rape takes place • Every 42 minutes a sexual harassment incident occurs • Every 43 minutes a woman is kidnapped • And every 93 minutes a woman is burnt to death over dowry
Powerlessness • Sons are source of economic security for parents • Child marriages keep women subjugated • “Wife Givers” are socially and ritually inferior to “Wife Takers”… • Women are kept subordinate, and are even murdered, by the practice of dowry • Divorce is NOT a viable option • Women’s rights to inheritance are limited