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TheelusivequestforfreedomTheHindu

OpinionSundayAnchor
Published:March8,201502:07IST|Updated:March8,201506:45IST

Theelusivequestforfreedom
RukminiS.

ThenumberofreportedrapesinDelhimorethandoubledbetween2012and2013

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WhiletheratesofsexualviolenceinIndiabothreportedinofficialstatisticsandunreportedonthebasisofhouseholdsurveysare
towardsthelowerendoftheglobalspectrum,dataonwomensautonomyinIndiaindicatethatthereisahiddenemergency

HavingopenedupafreshconversationaboutthesituationofwomensincetheDecember16,2012gangrape,hasIndia
doneenoughtoaddresstherootsofthehostileatmosphereithascreatedforwomen?Whiletheratesofsexualviolence
inIndiabothreportedinofficialstatisticsandunreportedonthebasisofhouseholdsurveysaretowardsthelower
endoftheglobalspectrum,dataonwomensautonomyinIndiaindicatethatthereisahiddenemergency.
Womensfreedomandautonomyislesswellstudiedthancrimerates,butsomestudiesofferaninsight.Throughits
nationwidelargesampleIndiaHumanDevelopmentSurvey(IHDS),theNationalCouncilforAppliedEconomic
Research(NCAER)shedslightonthelackofwomensfinancialindependence.The201112roundoftheIHDSfound
thatlessthan20percentofwomenhadtheirnamesontheirhousespapers,justhalfhadtheirnamesonabank
accountandjust10percentcouldtakeprimarypurchasedecisionsforthehouse.
AU.N.WomenLandesastudyinAndhraPradesh,BiharandMadhyaPradeshfoundthatjustonein10womenwhose
parentsownedagriculturallandinheritedany,nearly10yearsaftertheHinduSuccessionActwasamendedtogive
sonsanddaughterequalinheritancerights.Themajorityofmeninterviewedforthestudysaidthattheywereopposed
totheirsistersordaughtersinheritingland.
TheIHDSwasabletocapturethesevereconstraintsputonwomensmovementandautonomy.Sixtypercentof
womenrespondents,bothHinduandMuslim,saidtheypractisedsomeformofpurdahorghunghatthisproportion
roseto96percentinRajasthanand91percentinBiharandwasthelowestatsixpercentinTamilNadu.Eightyone
percentofwomensaidthattheyneededpermissiontogotoahealthcentre,andonethirdsaidthattheywerenot
permittedtogotoahealthcentrealone.Thesenumbershadnotimprovedsince200405,whenthefirstroundofthe
IHDSwasconducted.

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Lessthan20percentofwomenknewtheirhusbandsbeforetheygotmarried,and40percentsaidthattheyhadno
sayintheirownmarriage.Dowry,orbrideprice,wasstillrampant,andfamiliespaidanaverageofRs.30,000incash,
inadditionto40percentgivingexpensivegiftssuchascarsandtwowheelers.
Indiahasamongtheworldslowestlevelsoffemalelabourforceparticipationtheproportionofworkingagewomen
whoareeitherworkingorlookingforwork.Of131countries,Indiaranked11thfromthebottomintermsofwomens
workforceparticipationin2010,withPakistanandAfghanistanamongthecountriesdoingworst,saydataanalysedby
StevenKapsos,aneconomistwiththeEmploymentTrendsUnitoftheInternationalLabourOrganisation.Between
200405and200910,labourforceparticipationratesdeclinedsharplyandroseonlyslightlyagainin201112
accordingtothelatestnumbers,lessthen25percentofruralwomenand15percentofurbanwomenwereinthe
workforce.
Mr.KapsosandhiscolleagueAndreaSilbermansaythedeclineinwomensemploymentinIndiaisforthemostpart
explainedbyoccupationalsegregationtheconcentrationofwomenincertainsectorsoftheeconomy.Theysay
womenareunderrepresentedintheboomingsectorsoftheeconomyandoverrepresentedinthosethatarenot
addingmanyjobs.Ineightofthe10sectorsthataddedthemostjobsoverthepast15years,theyfoundthatwomens
shareofthisemploymentgrowthwaslessthanathird.Intheothertwoteachingandcraftsitwashigher,butstill
lessthanhalf.

Ifpoliticaldecisionsonwomensautonomyaretobetaken,theywillbetakenbyadeeplymalepoliticalestablishment.
The16thLokSabhahasthelargestevernumberofwomenMPs,butat62,theystillformjust11percentoftheLok
SabhaMPs.Eightofthe66MinistersintheNarendraModiledgovernmentarewomen,andwomenMinistersmake
up23percentoftheCabinet.
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TheelusivequestforfreedomTheHindu

Despitelargeincreasesinwomensshareoftheelectorateandofvotersoverthepast50yearsdocumentedby
economistsMuditKapoorandShamikaRavioftheIndianSchoolofBusiness,Hyderabad,womenspolitical
representationintheStatesremainslowlessthan10percentoftheMLAsacrossStatesarewomen,BhanupriyaRao,
anopendataactivist,found.
Nagaland,MizoramandPuducherryhavenowomenMLAs.WomenMinistersinStatesareevenfewerjustsevenper
centofMinistersacrosstheStatesarewomen,andeightStateshavenowomanMinister.JustthreewomenMinisters
acrossthecountryhandletheHomeMinistries(twoofthemareChiefMinisters)andjusttwohavebeengiventhe
FinanceMinistry.
Keywords:SexualviolenceinIndia,womenatwork,womeninLokSabha
Printableversion|Mar14,20153:16:26PM|http://www.thehindu.com/sundayanchor/the
elusivequestforfreedom/article6969955.ece

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