WOMEN IS NOT ONLY EQUAL TO MEN HOWEVER MORE THAN THAT

Many people in our society believe that women are not stronger than men in any aspect of life. On the same, few of us believe that women must get equal rights like men in society for each thing. We always focus on facilitating them by allowing them to stand equal to men however, the question is why women need empowerment to raise their level to compete with men in society. We watched a lot of TV shows on gender equality and read a lot of articles about women who came out of the darkness and into the light after a lot of difficulties. Women, in my opinion, do not require the encouragement of male society as they're all capable of enduring any challenge. Instead of focusing all of our efforts on gender equality, we should enlighten our society to change their views and embrace the fact that women can do anything and acquire anything if they are not hindered by social barriers.

Women face a challenge in their life right from birth; they learn from an early stage of life that how to sacrifice their happiness for the sake of family.?At all Indian levels, the adult (15+ years) literacy rate is 69.3% and that among males is 78.8% and females are 59.3%, as per the research of MOSPI. Even today, families in rural areas are hesitant to send their daughters to school or college due to outdated beliefs, safety concerns and lack of basic amenities in the education centre. Nonetheless, there are numerous examples of women, defying the stereotype that they are incapable of excelling in academics, and they achieved a remarkable position in society despite numerous challenges.

A 2014 study by NGO ‘Breakthrough’ speaks 52% of incidents of harassment faced by schoolgirls happened at bus stops, 23% said the incidents took place within schools or college buildings. This?figure?demonstrates?how?stressful?it?is?for?young?Indian?women?to?achieve?academic?success?because?they?are?afraid?of?being?harassed?on?their?way?to?or?from?school.

Every third woman, since the age of 15, has faced domestic violence of various forms in the country, reported the National Family Health Survey (NHFS-4) released by the Union health ministry. This is another disturbing statistic that shows that women's challenges are not only external but also domestic. Women are constantly concerned about their safety, regardless of where they live or whom they live with.

According to the UNGC, The study found that raising women's participation in the labour force to the same level as men can boost India's GDP by 27 per cent. The female labour-force participation in India has declined from 34 per cent in 2006 to 24.8 per cent in 2020, the study said. There could be a variety of reasons for this decline, but the most important factor is a gender imbalance. Organizations avoid recruiting female employees to save money on administrative costs such as cabs, sexual harassment litigation, and maternity benefits, as well as their self-developed idea that male employees can dedicate more work hours than female employees. This is an alarming reality that is deteriorating year after year and requires corrective action.

A study by Catalyst India says India has a high Gender Pay Gap. Based on hourly wages, women earn, on average, 65.5% of what their male colleagues earn for performing the same work. Despite similar tasks and working hours, the pay of women continues to be lower in industry, and even if we talk of equal opportunities and advocate policies that close the pay gap, this situation continues. Women get less opportunity in career progression programs. Female employees face difficulties in obtaining maternity leave and any other leave required to meet their family obligations. They are questioned for being late or applying for leave due to menstruation pain by their male colleagues on purpose, which demonstrates their sick mentality; However, it is one type of harassment that women endure regularly. It is no longer taboo to discuss, but it is important to women when it comes to the mentality of men behind the question. This also falls under the category of sexual harassment with mental distress. Another issue for a female employee at work is being courteous to others; if she is paying attention or spending time with a specific male member of the team, people start spreading rumours about her. This is her choice and decision, but people start making up stories that aren't based on reality. This gossip can sometimes lead to pain and humiliation for women at work and at home. As a result of all of this, women always hold the baggage of extra care with them when dealing with people at work. Women think twice before asking for assistance to prevent unwanted feelings and emotions misunderstood by their teammates. There are numerous topics to debate about women's empowerment that can improve their lives, but I'd rather prefer to fix the problems that are causing all this agony than recommend anything else.

CONCLUSION

Women do not require societal help to do or achieve anything; rather, society must learn how to act ethically as an empathic human being. Despite obstacles from birth, women can become national leaders, government officials, renowned athletes, astronauts, serving in the Indian armed forces, and hold senior positions in business organizations, among other things. This demonstrates how women are stronger than males and can pursue their dreams at any cost. So, as I stated at the beginning of the post, women are not equal to men, but they are more than that, as demonstrated here. Consider what her level would be if these barriers were eliminated; we must not underestimate the fact that women are a wellspring of talent and potential, capable of achieving any milestone despite the presence of all of these horrible practices in our society. We must first educate and instruct society to act appropriately before empowering women.

Authored by: Ankur Gautam | LinkedIn: www.dhirubhai.net/in/iankurgautam |