This document discusses the status of women in India and proposes solutions to empower women. It begins by outlining some of the cultural and economic problems women face, such as gender discrimination, lack of access to education and employment, and customs like dowry. Statistics are provided showing India's poor sex ratio and maternal mortality rates. Seven solutions are then proposed: establishing corporate leadership for gender equality; ensuring equal opportunity and safety for women; investing in women's education and skills; supporting women-owned businesses; engaging communities; and measuring and reporting on progress. The document argues these solutions could help address key challenges around demography, leadership, food security, sustainability and conflict.
1. WE PRIDE OUR DAUGHTERS
Manthan Topic:
Walk With Equality: Ensuring Safety And
Empowerment Of Women
TEAM DETAILS:
Team name: ALP38
Members of team : Anjali Kataria, Kunal Ahuja, Mitasha Sapra, Lubna
Siddiqui, Piyush Bhatia
Team coordinator e-mail id: sonakshiverma46@yahoo.in
College Name and City: Dronacharya College of Engineering, Farrukh
Nagar, Gurgoan, Haryana-123506
Course : B.TECH(Information technology)
Year and batch: 2nd year(2012-2016)
2. STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIA
• I spite of I dia’s reputatio for respecti g wo e , i cludi g
treating her as a goddess, from ancient time till now, women
are being ill-treated.
• Laws made by Indian Government:
1. National Commission for Women-1990
2. Fifth Five Year Plan-(1974-78)
3. The Hindu Marriage Act-1955
4. Equal Remuneration Act-1976
5. The Dowry Prohibition Act-1961
• There are many other acts made by Indian govt. , but
unfortunately not even one of the act is being followed by
any citizen of India.
3. Problem Facing Women
Cultural Problems
• Gender specific specialization
(work)
• Cultural definition of appropriate
sex roles(sexual harassment)
• Rape
• Acid throwing
• Belief in inherent superiority of
males
• Customs of marriage(Dowry)
• Notion of the family as private
sphere and under male control
Economic Problems
• Limited access to cash and credit
• Limited access to employment in
formal and informal sector
• Limited access to education
Sex ratio chart
4. As a result of cultural and economic factors, women face discrimination right
from the childhood.
A ordi g to o e’s esti ate, e e as adults o e o su e appro
calories less per day than men.
The sex ratio in India stood at 933 females per 1000 males at 2001 census and
out of total population, 120 million women live in abject poverty i.e., lack of
healthcare facilities and poverty has been resulting in India accounting for
27%of all maternal deaths worldwide.
Death of young girls in India exceeds that of young boys by over 300,000 each
year and every 6th infant death is especially due to gender discrimination.
5. Solution Proposed
Establish high-level
corporate leadership for
gender equality.
Treat all women and
men fairly at work –
respect and support
human rights and non-
discrimination.
Ensure the health,
safety and well-being
of all women workers.
Promote education,
training and
professional
development for
women.
Implement enterprise
development, supply
chain and marketing
practices that empower
women.
Promote equality
through community
initiatives and
advocacy.
Measure and publicly
report on progress to
achieve gender
equality.
6. Implementation and Impact of
Solution
I. Leadership Promotes
Gender Equality
Affirm high-level support
and direct top-level policies for
gender equality and human
rights.
Establish company-wide
goals and targets for gender
equality and include progress
as a fa tor i a agers’
performance reviews.
Engage internal and
external stakeholders in the
development of company
policies, programmes and
implementation plans that
advance equality.
Ensure that all policies are
gender-sensitive – identifying
factors that impact women and
men differently – and that
corporate culture advances
equality and inclusion.
7. II. Equal
Opportunity,
Inclusion and
Nondiscrimination
Pay equal remuneration,
including benefits, for work
of equal value and strive to
pay a living wage to women.
Ensure workplace policies
and practices are free from
gender-based
discrimination.
Implement gender-sensitive
recruitment & retention
practices & proactively
recruit & appoint women to
managerial and executive
positions and to the
corporate board of directors.
Support access to child and
dependent care by providing
services, resources and
information to women.
8. III. Health, Safety and
Freedom from
Violence
Taking into account differential
impacts on women, provide
safe working conditions and
protection from exposure to
hazardous materials and
disclose potential risks,
including to reproductive
health.
Establish a zero-tolerance
policy towards all forms of
violence at work, including
physical abuse, and prevent
sexual harassment.
Respect women and men
orkers’ rights to ti e off for
medical care and counselling
for themselves and their
dependents.
Train security staff and
managers to recognize signs of
violence against women and
understand laws and company
policies on human trafficking,
labour and sexual exploitation.
9. IV. Education and
Training
Invest in workplace policies
and programmes that open
avenues for advancement of
women at all levels and
across all business areas,
and encourage women to
enter non-traditional job
fields.
Ensure equal access to all
company-supported
education and training
programmes, including
literacy classes, vocational
and information technology
training.
Provide equal opportunities
for formal and informal
networking and mentoring.
Offer opportunities to
promote the business case
for o e ’s e po er e t
and the positive impact of
inclusion for men as well as
women.
10. V. Enterprise
Development,
Supply Chain and
Marketing Practices
Expand business relationships
with women-owned enterprises,
including small businesses, and
women entrepreneurs.
Support gender-sensitive
solutions to credit and lending
barriers.
Ask business partners and peers
to respe t the o pa ’s
commitment to advancing equality
and inclusion.
Respect the dignity of women in
all marketing and other company
materials.
Ensure that company products,
services and facilities are not used
for human trafficking and/or
labour or sexual exploitation.
11. VI. Community Leadership
And Engagement
Leverage influence, alone or in
partnership, to advocate for
gender equality and collaborate
with business partners, suppliers
and community leaders to
promote inclusion.
Work with community
stakeholders, officials and others
to eliminate discrimination and
exploitation and open
opportunities for women and girls.
Pro ote a d re og ize o e ’s
leadership in, and contributions
to, their communities and ensure
sufficient representation of
women in any community
consultation.
Use philanthropy and grants
programmes to support company
commitment to inclusion, equality
and human rights.
12. VII.Transparency,
Measuring and
Reporting
Make public the
company policies and
implementation plan for
promoting gender equality.
Establish benchmarks that
quantify inclusion of women
at all levels.
Measure and report on
progress, both internally and
externally, using data
disaggregated by gender.
Incorporate gender markers
into ongoing reporting
obligations.
13. Five Challenges,
One Solution: WOMEN
Demography
Leadership
Food Security and Agriculture
Sustainability and Resource Scarcity
Conflict
14. References
• Global empowerment of women by Carolyn
M.Elliott
• Wo e ’s de elop e t i I dia Lal eihzo i
• Women and property in urban India by Bipasha
Barauh
• Wo e ’s e o o i e po er e t- Issues Paper
2011