Gender Parity
Gender Parity:
- It alludes to providing everyone, regardless of gender, with equal rights and opportunity.
- It is an acknowledgment that all creatures are created equal and are deserving of respect.
- A statistical measure known as gender parity gives the ratio of girls to boys or women to men in terms of variables like income and education.
- Menstrual health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being related to the menstrual cycle.
- It is undercut by the desire for paid time off for menstruation.
Global disparity in gender:
- It would require 135.6 years for gender equality to be achieved worldwide.
- In the workforce, women make 84 cents for every dollar earned by men.
- Women make up a far smaller portion of the labour force than males do, and even fewer of them occupy leadership roles.
Problems with required leave for periods:
- It would ultimately discourage employers from recruiting women even more.
- It gives legitimacy to the societal stigma associated with menstruation.
- In a nation where many people—men and women alike—believe that menstruation is “impure,” it would make period shaming worse.
- It will assert that giving menstruation a special status would have the goal of raising public awareness of the issue.
- But that would just be amplified by this.
- It’ll make the gender divide bigger.
National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Report:
- In India, 50% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 still depend on using cloth to cover their periods.
- Clothes reuse can raise your chance of getting various diseases.
- This behaviour is a result of both the social stigma associated with menstruation and a lack of awareness.
- During their menstrual periods, girls are frequently forced to drop out of school or experience social marginalisation.
Japan’s situation:
- Japan offers sick leave for painful menstruation, but it is mostly underutilised and unpaid.
- Only 0.9% of working women in Japan take advantage of menstrual leave days, according to data.
- Japan placed 121 out of 153 in the World Economic Forum’s 2019 ranking for gender equality.
- In 2023, it has dropped to the 125th spot.
- In Japan, young women have higher levels of education than males do, but differences still exist in the workforce.
- In Japan, women are frequently paid less than males and have a lower employment rate than men, even with equivalent qualifications.
Measures to lessen the gender gap in politics, the economy, and society:
Economic Involvement and Survival and Health:
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: It guarantees the girl child’s safety, survival, and education.
- Mahila Shakti Kendra: Seek to provide employment and skill development possibilities for women living in rural areas.
- Mahila Police Volunteers: It calls for the recruitment of Mahila Police Volunteers in States and Union Territories who serve as a liaison between law enforcement and the community and assist women who are in need.
- Rashtriya Mahila Kosh: This premier microfinance organisation gives low-income women microcredit on favourable terms for a range of livelihood and revenue-generating projects.
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna: By opening bank accounts, girls have been given economic empowerment under this plan.
- Female Entrepreneurship: To encourage female entrepreneurship, the government launched programmes such as the Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESSDP), Stand-Up India, and Mahila e-Haat (an online marketing tool to empower women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs).
- Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) are now home to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas.
- Political Reservation: In Panchayati Raj Institutions, the government has set aside 33% of the seats for women.
- Building the Capacity of Elected Women Representatives: The goal of this initiative is to enable women to engage in governance processes in an effective manner.
Way Ahead:
- The Indian Supreme Court ordered the government to allow women to be evaluated equally and subjected to the same testing requirements as males.
- Women in business settings are battling for salaries that match those earned by their male colleagues.
- It’s critical to acknowledge the diversity of menstrual experiences.
- Providing customised assistance and exhibiting flexibility on an individual basis fosters inclusiveness.
- Attend to the specific needs of those who are going through a tough time.
- It’s an opportunity to grow our commitment to more women leading and participating in the economy by learning from and coming up with solutions with the global community of investors, think tanks, and business.
- through easier access to possibilities for employment, education, and health care.
- India is positioned to be a force to be reckoned with on all gender-related issues because of its unwavering dedication to “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future” and its ongoing efforts towards Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas, and Sabka Vikaas.
