Prejudices are the preconceived notions that are not based on any reason or actual experience. There are so many of them that exist in our society, some believe that woman don’t have much physical power, others are of the opinion that if don’t go to the temple, you are likely to fail and so many more. We all are surrounded by them, no matter we accept them or not, we have to face them every day. Let us today have a look at some of the questions related to prejudices.
Are women highly regarded in your society? Why?
There are so many female goddesses that we as Indians pray and in so many of the festivals, women are taken as deities and prayed. We have got many female CEOs and some great female politicians. In the workforce, there are a lot many more women but yet, it is often that the advantages that woman get are at an upper level. Delving deeper one finds that there are a lot of prejudices that they have to fight in our society. Respect is surely given to woman but only when they achieve or do things in the boundaries of society.
Are men highly regarded in the community?
There is a little bit of advantage that men do get, but the situation has improved a lot since a few decades. Now, men are not the only highly regarded community, but a shift from gender-based classification to rank based classification is being done. However, in the poorer sections of society most of the time, men do get a lot of regards.
Are there gender role biased issues in your country? What are they?
With globalization happening and a lot of protests, there are not many gender-based issues that do come in picture. There are a lot of laws and awareness to ensure that woman and men can walk through different phases of life together. Recently, SEBI asked all the private companies to ensure a certain number of woman on the board. However, there are certain gaps that need to be filled, like there is a certain period extension when woman try to move to the higher ladders of the corporate sector or maybe fewer people helping if a woman wants to open her own company.
Are women workers often promoted at their workplace?
Yes, they are, mostly it is if you are talented enough, you do get the promotion. However, it is often said, that after a certain time or more precisely after a certain designation, a woman finds it difficult to get promoted.
Do gender issues affect the development of a country?
Surely they do. A country with more equality and healthy environment is more likely to prosper in every phase because there won’t be any dissatisfaction in the minds of the citizens of the country. However, if there are gender issues, it gets likely shown in the characteristics of the individual, because then there is that one gender which thinks that they are superior and the other feels dominated. So, the things that could have been achieved better together, lose the entire hope of happening.
Why do you think we need to discuss issues about gender?
The main reason is that until all the genders are happy living in a country, there is only a little progress that a country can make. Moreover, there will be fewer people who will be happy. Even more, when a citizen decides to live in a country, just like it is the responsibility of the individual to follow the rules and regulations of the society, it is the duty of the country to ensure that the person is able to enjoy life freely.
What, if any, measures has your national government implemented to combat gender-based discrimination or prejudice?
Our government since the time of independence has tried many laws, rules, and regulations to ensure that there is no discrimination based on gender. There are Swadhar and short homes to give shelter to destitute women. Working woman hostels are made for the woman who works away from their home to ensure their safety. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh has been made to provide micro-finance services to bring about the socio-economic upliftment of poor women. Then there is one Stop Centre to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence. I believe there is a `lot the government is doing and we all need to join hands to ensure a safe and equal society.
