GENDER ISSUES

1. Highlight the plight of oppressed Gender– inequality, injustice, deprivation, agony,

pain faced by them:
Emphasizing that gender difference is one of the kinds of forms of cultural inequality. Some
questions that we need to take about gender inequality have counterparts in the survey of
different kinds of inequality. We will see a good deal about gender differences by taking how it
resembles different kinds of inequality and how it differs from them. Let me give a quick
example to reveal what I think. Some authors have thought about the portrayal of force in gender
inequality. The important empirical assumptions are that men behave violently toward women
far more than females behave violently toward men and that women fear masculine aggression
while men mostly do not worry females. This has led some theorists to conclude that higher male
power and higher masculine prevalence to force contribute significantly to gender difference
Take. However, that role violence plays in different forms of difference If we see, for instance, in
difference between horses and barbarians, between land owners and slaves, or between factory
owners and workers in earlier capitalist economies, Everywhere we see this structure in which
members of this dominant group commit more aggression against members of the inferior group
than the side Although gender status beliefs lie at the core of gender stereotypes, they are only
one component in the gender system of social practices that differentiate men and women and
organize relations of inequality between them. Yet beliefs about men's greater status, worthiness
and competence are an especially insidious component of the gender system, because they
embed an essential hierarchical element into our fundamental cultural conceptions about who
men and women are.
In turn, in the article 'Men are stuck in gender roles’, data suggests by Emily Alpert Reyes a
picture of the inequality and double standards that exist in the dichotomization of gender roles is
vividly described by the author. The author reports of a man who remembers being ridiculed
when he was in high school for wanting to be a stay-at-home father in the future. The man
remembers being laughed at for his future dreams of being the primary caregiver to his children;
dreams which he followed to fruition despite the derisive remarks from his peers.
First, some aspects of gender relations need not depend on gender inequality for their existence.
The elimination of gender inequality does not necessarily mean that women and men become
identical. It certainly does not mean that all relations between women and men become
congenial, fair, equal, or asexual. Obviously, the meaning of gender varies considerably across
time, space, culture, and subgroups of complex societies. Second, while gender inequality has
many unique characteristics, it also shares some processes and circumstances with other types of
inequality. Many effects of inequality and requirements for the preservation of inequality are
similar for different types of inequality, particularly different types of status inequality.
Conclusively speaking , conflicts within genders are unending , but revamping with the
contemporary world will subdue those conflicts.
2. Women ideology towards gender inequality:
Women who have experienced gender discrimination report higher levels of political
participation and are more likely to vote in the general election. This connection, however, is not
consistent across women’s ideological spectrum, according to recent research by the University
of Georgia.
Women who describe themselves as liberal channel their efforts to combat sexism in different
ways than their conservative counterparts.
Writing in the journal American Politics Research, Alexa Bankert, assistant professor of political
science at UGA, found that liberal women – when experiencing discrimination –  turn toward
direct political action like volunteering for a campaign, while conservative women do not show a
similar increase in their political engagement. In her article, Bankert suggests that conservative
women might look for other, less overtly political, support systems such as religious
communities.
Much higher rates
Key to the findings are differences between what liberal and conservative women categorize as
sexual harassment. Initially, Bankert said she expected to see that both liberal and conservative
women report similar levels of sexism, but that was not the case. In fact, Bankert saw that liberal
women reported experiencing sexism at much higher rates than conservative women.
“I further investigated that pattern,” she said. “And I show that conservative women have a much
narrower understanding of sexism than their liberal counterparts.”.
In the surveys that provide the basis of Bankert’s data collection, she presented respondents with
a list of 16 possible sexist behaviors such as catcalling, unwanted touching or pressure for sexual
favors. Respondents were then asked to mark every behavior they thought of as sexist. For
liberal women, 13 of the 16 behaviors were believed to be sexist whereas among conservative
women, only half of those 16 behaviors were considered sexist.
Our personal lives and beliefs really impact the way we interact with the world, and in this case,
they impact our ideas of what fair and equal treatment of men and women really looks like.” —
Alexa Bankert
Bankert found further differences between how liberal and conservative women view the origins
of sexism. Among conservative women, the perception dominates that sexist behavior consists of
isolated incidents while liberal women view sexism as a more systemic problem. This might
explain why experienced sexism amplifies liberal women’s political engagement but there is not
a similar participatory impetus among conservative women, Bankert said.
The implications of this research are far-reaching and topical. “I think this research shows that
the personal and political spheres are very closely intertwined,” Bankert said. “Our personal lives
and beliefs really impact the way we interact with the world, and in this case, they impact our
ideas of what fair and equal treatment of men and women really looks like.”
 3. Movements against gender inequality

a. Anti-Dowry Movement: Which emerged around 1979 continuing through till 1984. It was
largely urban based yet. Nationwide in scope not just in rhetoric but also in the active
participation of woman across classes in the country. In 1974 the committee on the status of
women in India (CSWI) and later the parliamentary joint select committee found two things
that one is female child election or identification and second is prevailing dowry. Dowry has
spread to all castes, communities, religions, and regions. With dowry has been carried the
caste gender ideology. Dowry must come to encompass the entire character of gift exchange
between the two groups. By 1982 women’s organization were insisting that majority of
young bride death is duo to the reason of dowry or suicide is because of the insisting dowry
problems. Some organization like Mahila Daksataha Samiti, National federation of Indian
Women, All India Democratic Women’s Association, NARI RAKSHA SAMITI, have come
to oppose the system by possessing the notorious murder of Sudha Goul, in 1983 high court
sentenced husband death penalty and mother-in-law, brother-in-law as life imprisonment. In
1984 government amend mended the dowry bill and further implementation was in 1985
October.

b. Women’s Protest After the Delhi Gang-Rape

“You are not going to tell us how to dress, when to step out at night, how to walk or how many
escorts we need!”
In December 2012, a woman was gang-raped by six men in a bus in Delhi and her friend was
beaten when he attempted to stop them. When she passed away from injuries sustained during
the attack, thousands of women took to the streets of Delhi and other cities, demanding their
right to public spaces, and questioning prevailing patriarchal and misogynistic views. Protesters
in Delhi gathered at India Gate and marched to the Parliament. The movement did not lose
momentum even when police officials responded to the demonstrations with violence. Instead, it
only grew. It has inspired several individual and smaller movements as well.

c. Dalit Women’s Movement: The Dalit of Maharashtra launched the Dalit Panthar movement in the
early 1970s. Panthar discards the dominant culture and identity for the oppressed classes especially
for women. The weapon for this movement was mainly from intellectual side by literature. Dalit
fought against devadasi system; another incident was from Kerala under the leadership of C K Janu
she fought for the justice of Wayanad adivasi people. There are some other Dalit women’s
movement like Anti Untouchable movement. Harijan movement. Dalit Lebaration movement. Dalit
women participated in these Movements. There are some associations that stand for the justice of
Dalit women which are Rural Community Development Association, Rural Harijan Agricultural
Development Society, and association of Poor.

d. Anti-Rape movement: This movement happened when a new conceptualization of rape arose out of
second wave Feminism. Rape was discussed as an issue of civil liberty. Anti-Rape Movement was
popularized when some organization took the issue as primary concern to work out those
organizations are Mahila Dakshita Samiti (MDS) , Stree Sangarsha Samiti (SSS) , Socialist Women’s
Group, Feminist Network Collective (FNC) ,Purogami Sangatana , Stree Sakti Sangatana , Pennurumi
Iyyakum, and some AUTONOMEOUS Women’s Organizations they fought and conducted mass rally
regarding some horrific rape’s cases.

4. Gender Discrimination in India (Different Areas)

Gender has been an important and powerful variable that has influenced not only family life but
human life as well. It plays a vital role in the allocation of roles, status and power in all societies.
Gender equality is an important issue of human rights and social justice. “Gender” generally
refers to the differences between men and women. Encyclopedia Britannica notes that gender
identity is “an individual’s self-conception as being male or female, as distinguished from actual
biological sex”. The term “gender” generally refers to purely social rather than biological
differences.
Gender Discrimination in Different Areas:
Gender discrimination is found in various areas. Let us illustrate discriminatory treatment in
some areas of importance.
(a) Discrimination at home: Since time immemorial, India has been an extremely
patriarchal society. The patriarchal setup in Indian society contributed to the fundamental
inequality between men and women. As women were considered a part of the household
belonging to their father or husband, they were unable to get a say in any matters
concerning their own development or that of the community at large. It is the root cause
in many places because the economic dependence remains on the male counterparts
mostly. Thus, women suffer a lot from it because of the same reason. They never get out
of this and stay financially dependent on men.
(b) Sex Ratio: Sex ratio denotes the number of females per 1000 males. There is no gender-
based equality in the sex ratio. The figures given in the table indicate that the preference
for the male child is still predominant in India.

Table 1 – Sex Ratio in India

According to the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-21), India has
1,020 females per 1,000 males. Near-double rate of rising in the population of women against
that of men in the last five years. If the sex ratio were to be 991, as estimated by NFHS 2015-16,
the population of women would have comprised 643 million. But according to the recent NFHS,
the population of women might comprise 688 million. Consistently overestimated sex ratio,
compared with population census. In 2005-06, NFHS estimated the sex ratio at 1:1, whereas
census 2011 revealed it to be 943 females per 1,000 males.

(c) Literacy: Education is the foundation stone for the all-round development of men.
Literacy in India has been increasing as more and more people receive a better education,
but it is still far from all-encompassing. In 2018, the degree of literacy in India was about
74.4 percent, with the majority of literate Indians being men. It is estimated that the
global literacy rate for people aged 15 and above is about 86 percent.
In respect of scientific, technical, and higher education, the situation is worse in
developing as well as in industrialized countries. Table 2 shows that -in the beginnings of
the 20th century, not even 1% women were literate while about 10% men were literate
and the gender gap in literacy rate was around 9% It is observed that although in the
subsequent years, the literacy, rate of man as well as women have increased, the gender
gap in literacy rate has been also increasing. It can be observed that this gap has increased
from 9% in 1901 to 25.8% in 2001.
Table -2
(d) Violence against women: Violence means use of force or coercion against someone. It
has been observed that since age’s women have been made victims of various sorts of
Violence such as eve teasing molestation, dowry torture in work place. In-spite of women
movements gaining attention it is found that a woman is battered, bruised, humiliated,
assaulted in their homes, on journeys or in work places by their male counterparts only
due to our patriarchal social system.
The various forms of violence that are prevalent today include female fetus abortion,
girl’s child infanticide, rape, sexual harassment, eve-teasing, sexual exploitation,
prostitution, domestic violence, dowry, immoral trafficking, kidnapping, verbal abuse,
molestation etc. The National Crimes Report Bureau reported that every three minutes in
India, a crime is committed against women.

Every 15 minutes, one woman is molested and every 29 minutes a woman is raped. Every
77 minutes one woman becomes a victim of dowry death and every nine minutes a
 woman becomes a victim of cruelty by her husband. Violence against women begins
before she is born and continues till her breaths her last in this world. Illegal sex
determination centers have become graveyards for the poor girl child.

On discovering that a woman is going to deliver a baby girl, the girl child is killed in the
womb of her mother. If fortune favors a girl child, she takes birth into this world, but she
has to suffer injustice by accepting the discrimination made by her parents between her
and her brothers. During her teenage years, she has to accept all that is meted out to her
and develop the spirit of tolerance. At the time of marriage, (her girl is considered to be a
commodity and her value is judged by the amount of dowry she brings for her in-laws.
Different types of violence committed against women in India are presented below:

Different types of violence committed Against Women in India (1998 to 2001):

(e) Work Participation: Besides gender inequity in education or health care, there is gender
inequity in work participation rate as well. Despite India maintaining a consistent
performance on gender equality, its rank in this area in legal terms has declined to 124th
among 190 countries in 2022 against 123rd a year ago and 117th in 2020, according to an
index compiled by a World Bank study.
The participation of women in various income generating sectors is not very encouraging. Due to
this poor work participation, the economic empowerment of women is not taking place, and this
is one of the major hurdles in the overall development of women. The following table depicts the
present work participation of women in India.

(f) Political Representation: Nearly a century has passed since the first time an Indian
woman voted to elect her representative in British India: it was in Madras in 1920. With
universal adult suffrage in 1952 and granting 33 per cent reservation to women in rural
local bodies in 1993, has come a long way over the last century.
 In the political sphere also gender inequality is prominent and despite the theoretical right
to contest election, women occupy only 8.9 percent of Lok Sabha and 7.3 percent of
Rajya Sabha seats, which is less than 9 percent of seats in parliament. The low
participation in the political sphere is mostly due to the social setting and lack of interest,
attitude, and ability among women.

Adrienne Rich, 1929-2012

An award-winning American poet, essayist, and feminist thought
influencer, who was called “one of the most widely read and
influential poets of the second half of the 20th century.”
During her long and productive career, Rich published more than 30 books of poetry and essays.
In her writing, she explored issues of gender, racism, consumerism, class privilege, and politics.
She was considered a radical figure in Second Wave Feminism, yet she was accepted by the
institutions, won many awards, and is now considered a classic. The first one was for the
collection of poetry, which she published at 22. The same year she graduated from Radcliffe
College.
She became one of the most influential and popular poets in the 2nf half of the 20th century. She
had active participation in the contemporary women’s movement as the theorist and a poet. She
conveyed strong resistance to militarism and racism through her body of work.

Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is a 1951 poem by American poet Adrienne Rich. It appeared in her first
published book of poems, A Change of World. Told from the perspective of an anonymous
speaker, the poem describes a woman, Aunt Jennifer, who crafts vibrant tapestry panels
(depicting tigers) to escape—mentally, at least—her unhappy marriage. Written at a time when
divorce was unacceptable, the poem criticizes the traditional institution of marriage, suggesting
that it oppresses women.
“Aunt Jennifer's Tigers” Summary
Aunt Jennifer creates a needlepoint that shows tigers leaping across the canvas. Bright and
vibrant, like topaz gems, the tigers live within the green world of the canvas. They are not afraid
of the men standing underneath the tree, who are also depicted in the image. The tigers walk with
certainty, shining and courageous.
Aunt Jennifer's fingers swiftly and delicately work the yarn, yet she finds it physically difficult to
pull even a small needle made of ivory through the canvas. Her husband's wedding band feels
huge and weighs down heavily on her hand.
When Aunt Jennifer dies one day, her frightened hands will finally be still. Yet they will still be
marked by the difficulties that ruled over her while she was alive. Meanwhile, the tigers she
created will continue to leap across her needlepoint without shame or fear.

“Aunt Jennifer's Tigers” Themes

1. Marriage, Gender, and Power

In "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," a woman referred to only as Aunt Jennifer uses embroidery as a
creative outlet while living (and ultimately dying) in an unhappy marriage. The poem describes
the "terrified" Aunt Jennifer's fear-filled existence in a marriage full of "ordeals" in which she is
ruled over by her husband, referred to simply as "Uncle." Published in 1951, a time when women
were expected to get married (and divorce was frowned upon), the poem suggests that the power
dynamic of a traditional heterosexual marriage oppresses women.
Aunt Jennifer is trapped in a difficult marriage with a man who terrifies her. Her fear is first
hinted at by the contrasting imagery of the tigers in the tapestries she creates, which are unafraid
of "the men beneath the tree." This could refer to hunters in a forest, out to kill the tigers. But the
poem suggests that the tigers are well-equipped to take on these men and, as such, have no
reason to be afraid—something that is certainly not the case with Aunt Jennifer herself.
The fact that it is "Uncle's" wedding band and not Aunt Jennifer's again affirms Uncle's
dominance in this relationship. It is his wedding band, not her own, that weighs her down. Uncle
owns the wedding band, and, in a way, he also owns Aunt Jennifer. He is her master, reflecting
the reality that a woman in marriage is traditionally considered the man's property.
In the early 1950s, a woman like Aunt Jennifer would have been expected to marry (a man) and
stay home to take care of the household. Not only would divorce be considered socially
unacceptable, but Aunt Jennifer would also have limited options to support herself financially
outside of her marriage. Aunt Jennifer is thus trapped in her marriage, and her seemingly
hopeless state is put into stark relief against the tigers' freedom.

2. Creative Expression and Personal Freedom

The unnamed speaker of the poem describes the life of Aunt Jennifer, a woman who cannot
escape her subservient role in her marriage. She also can't escape the marriage itself written in
1951, the poem references a time where divorce was a social no-go. Hampered by her fear, the
one form of escape Aunt Jennifer does have is through her creative work—crafting tapestry
panels that show colorful scenes of bold and proud tigers. The poem argues that through her art
(which will live on well after Aunt, Uncle, and the unhappy marriage are long gone) Aunt
Jennifer finds an escape that not even death will grant her—a hint of freedom in the immortal
nature of her work.
Aunt Jennifer turns to needlework as a creative outlet, a means of coping with her difficult
marriage and escaping her oppressive everyday reality. The tapestry panels she crafts with her
needle and wool show tigers "prancing, proud and unafraid." This mood contrasts sharply with
the seemingly meek and scared character of Aunt Jennifer herself. While the tigers are walking
confidently, Aunt Jennifer can barely pull the ivory needle through her wool, due to the weight
of "Uncle's wedding band."
The speaker describes how Aunt Jennifer's marriage is an obstacle to her creativity, but the poem
makes it clear that, at least in life, she continues her art nonetheless. The second stanza describes
Aunt Jennifer as fearful and anxious, with "fluttering" fingers. But despite the "weight of Uncle's
wedding band," she insists on creating, remaining resilient and perseverant.
In creating vibrant, colorful art that depicts proud and unafraid tigers—tigers who aren't afraid of
men—Aunt Jennifer confronts her fear. While she may be stuck "ringed with ordeals" of her
marriage (even after death), the tigers will remain free in their "world of green." Perhaps Aunt
Jennifer finds comfort in this creative expression, crafting a bold tapestry that will outlive her
and Uncle both, and that shows nature's creatures living wild and unafraid, liberated from man-
made constraints like marriage.

3. Fear and Fearlessness

The tigers are introduced to the reader with the foreshadowing line that they "do not fear the men
beneath the tree." By contrast, Aunt Jennifer's life is circumscribed on all sides by fear. She is
described as terrified and weighed down by the ordeals of her marriage. The fear she feels is a
tool to control her. This is evidenced by the way her wedding ring, or rather her husband's
wedding ring, always weighs down her hand.
The juxtaposition of the tigers, who fear nothing, with Aunt Jennifer, who is so afraid her hands
flutter against her stitching, helps highlight the pervasiveness of her fear. They are a
counterexample, possibly a wish for strength, Aunt Jennifer does not feel she can exercise.
The source of Aunt Jennifer's fear is clearly her marriage, which is presented as an oppressive
institution within which she is trapped. The nervousness of Aunt Jennifer's hands is directly
linked to the "massive weight of Uncle's wedding band," a symbolic representation of how
stifling and burdensome this marriage feels. Aunt Jennifer's fingers are further portrayed as
weak, finding "even the ivory needle hard to pull" against the weight of this ring. This reflects
the oppressive nature of Aunt Jennifer's fear, which leaves her immobilized, meek, and unable to
stand up to "Uncle."

4. Family Intimacy
All the characters in the poem are named by their relationship to the speaker and defined by their
role in the traditional family. Uncle is the master of the household. Aunt Jennifer is a quiet wife,
terrified of and "mastered by" her husband. While Uncle and Aunt Jennifer play out a very
patriarchal marriage, the speaker, most likely their niece, watches them and learns about
marriage and the relationship between men and women. The poem, which requires the speaker to
observe not only Aunt Jennifer's terror but also her calmer moments, can exist only in the
intimate space of a family. In addition, though it is not explicitly stated, the use of "chivalric" to
describe the tigers implies they are rendered in the heraldic style of a family crest. This further
emphasizes the theme of family.

5. The Power of Art

The tigers are Aunt Jennifer's magnificent creation, and they are outside the control of any of the
oppressive factors in her life. They are an escape for the character and something magical in a
world otherwise defined by an unhappy marriage. Furthermore, the poem's speaker connects to
Aunt Jennifer through her art. The speaker marvels at the tigers and understands Aunt Jennifer
more completely for having admired them. Rich was a firm believer that poetry had the power to
speak to people on a level that transcended mere words and language. She believed it was a
deeper, truer transmission of meaning and symbolism. In many ways, the tigers also serve this
function between Aunt Jennifer and the speaker, who exchange no dialogue within the body of
the poem. The embroidered tigers bring another layer of symbolism to this theme, as they are
created through needlepoint, an art form that in the 1950s was associated almost exclusively with
women.

Similar Works:
Among her most influential works, were two texts that dissected heterosexuality and motherhood
as socially constructed institutions. In both cases, she provided a critical perspective toward
every woman’s freedom to choose. In the case of Compulsory Heterosexuality, for example, she
presented the notion of Lesbian Continuum as an alternative way of thinking about the variety of
relationships between women.
Both in her poetry and her non-fiction writing, they honestly spoke of taboos, like that of
motherhood. In her book “Of Woman Born”, she points out to the difference between
motherhood as an experience and an imposed political institution. Her mother was a concert
pianist who put her career aside to raise her family, while her father developed his career as an
academic. Rich embodied the feeling that she was the benefactor of her mother’s sacrifice.
When awarded the 1973 National Book Award, she declared that she accepted it on behalf of all
women and shared it with her fellow nominees, Alice Walker and Audre Lorde. In 1997 she
refused the National Medal of Arts, she did so to express her critique of the Clinton
administration. Her famous quote from the refusal letter stated: “art means nothing if it simply
decorates the dinner table of the power which holds it hostage”.

#METOO Movement

What is the Me Too movement?

The Me Too movement is an effort to effect social change, organized primarily through social
media, where it’s often expressed as #MeToo. Originally founded in 2006, it became prominent
both online and in the mainstream in late 2017, when several high-profile actresses opened up
about their experiences with sexual harassment in the film industry.
Since then, the movement has provided a source of solidarity for women from all backgrounds
who have experienced sexual harassment, most often, though not always, perpetrated by a male
colleague.
The movement’s vision from the beginning has been to address both the dearth of resources for
survivors of sexual violence and to build a robust community of advocates and allies. In October
2017, the movement went global as the #MeToo hashtag went viral and survivors across the
world came forward about their experiences with sexual assault.

Me Too movement founder: Tarana Burke

During the early years, Tarana Burke, an American social activist, began to use the phrase “me
too” on the social networking platform Myspace to highlight the occurrence of sexual
harassment, particularly as it targeted women of color.
Burke argues that the Me Too movement works on empowerment through empathy by showing
the world just how common sexual harassment is and by telling survivors that they aren’t alone
— and are supported.
From # 米 兔 (translated as "rice bunny,” pronounced as “mi tu”) in China to #Sex4Grades in
Kenya to #uykularinkacsin (may you lose sleep) in Turkey, ‘me too.’ transcended national
borders.
Tarana Burke has visited many countries since then. And as the ‘me too’ movement has grown,
many countries have asked to connect with efforts in the US. Their requests have sparked the
vision of a global community that centers survivor leadership through deep cross-country
relationship building and practice sharing.

Popularization of #MeToo in 2017

In 2017, actress Alyssa Milano magnified Burke’s rallying cry, turning it into the popular
#MeToo, which continues to trend on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Milano’s actions came in response to several women in Hollywood opening up about their own
experiences, many involving sexual harassment at the hands of well-known film producer
Harvey Weinstein.
Although Weinstein’s accusers helped to start the movement, and Milano’s use of Burke’s
phrase may have been a powerful catalyst. Today, the movement is still a source of solidarity for
victims of sexual harassment. The fact that tweets and Instagram posts bearing the hashtag
#MeToo are still posted daily serves as a reminder of just how widespread sexual violence still
is.
Much work remains to be done:
‘Me too.’ activism against SGBV in the US has been transformational: it has catalyzed mass
movements globally; resulted in inventive community-appropriate activism against SGBV; and
energized national legislation and global policy. But there has also been a backlash against
the ‘me too.’ movement, fueled by patriarchy and resistance to disrupting the status quo. And as
a Black woman in the US, Tarana Burke has not received the kind of tangible support for her
organization, including funding, necessary to scale up, sustain, and boost the movement’s impact
for the long term.
Additionally, as the global spike in domestic violence during COVID-19-related
lockdowns reaffirms, ending SGBV is an urgent human rights issue that transcends national and
cultural boundaries.
By providing funding and other resources, Global Fund for Women aims to support the ‘me too.’
global movement in becoming a well-resourced global ecosystem that works to end SGBV and
make healing and actionable support systems available to survivors.

MeToo In India: The Women Who Dared to Speak Out

As most of the aggressors named and shamed in #MeToo remain unscathed, the women’s battles
are far from over even though the social media-generated movement created unprecedented
solidarity among women against their sexual predators.
For far too long, Indian women have been conditioned to remain silent to avoid disturbing the
status quo. Yes, there are rapes and sexual assault cases every day and yes, there is an outrage for
selective rape cases that jolts the nation but apart from that, we women are expected to keep
quiet and accept that India is safe because there are some countries that are even worse than
India. Years of systematic conditioning to silence, oppress, discriminate, and abuse women have
normalized ‘rape culture’ in India. However, in 2018 October, Indians, especially on twitter,
were taken up by a storm. India was witnessing its #MeToo movement. 

Let’s Go Back in Time

It began in October 2018, with multiple women coming out with their stories of sexual abuse,
harassment, rape, and misconduct. This can be considered a watershed moment in Indian history.
Women named and shamed their abusers, most of whom held powerful positions in their
respective fields including politics, Bollywood, journalism, and media. Despite the anticipated
backlash, hate messages, and the taboo attached to being a victim, women in large numbers came
out with their accounts of harassment and abuse.
Considering that our society is keen on victim-blaming, the accusers, in most cases were
scrutinized, their accounts were falsified, and they often were at the receiving end of trolls, hate
and abuse. Some women were also accused of destroying men’s careers and others were blamed
for their timings. There were more claims that deemed the survivors as ‘attention-seeking’
women who only did it to get some fame.
However, despite the pushback from ‘Men’s Rights Activists’ as well as society in general, it
was empowering to see women daring to report their accounts publicly. Some women wished to
remain anonymous because of the obvious consequences that could hurt them personally and
professionally but some who dared to go public with their stories faced dire consequences.
Women named and shamed their abusers, most of whom held powerful positions in their
respective fields including politics, Bollywood, journalism, and media. Despite the anticipated
backlash, hate messages, and the taboo attached to being a victim, women in large numbers came
out with their accounts of harassment and abuse.
It wasn’t as if #MeToo was a sudden rage that blew up in an instant. It was the years of
oppression and abuse that had built up, which had finally cracked. Even some of the men who
were named in the movement didn’t prove to be a shocking revelation. This is because, for years,
there existed what are called ‘whisper networks’. They are informal channels of information that
are passed between women containing names of (mostly) powerful men who are known to be
sexual harassers or abusers. Hence, in a lot of cases the behavior of the accused men was already
known to the people around him and yet, it was neither questioned nor stopped.

Implications of #MeToo
#MeToo movement in India had both a positive as well as a negative impact on the work culture.
It began an open conversation about what inappropriate behavior and harassment constitute. It
forced companies and institutions to introspect, constitute Internal Complaint Committee (ICC)
and follow the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013, also known as POSH law.
In a few companies, the number of registered complaints under the POSH law also spiked. It was
a positive indicator that women are now comfortable and aware of their rights to complain
against sexual harassment. Also, more registered complaints meant that women trusted their
companies to ensure a proper redressal mechanism. Most importantly, men were being called out
for their behavior, even if they were not proven guilty (lack of evidence/proper trial). 
Granted that online trial of any case especially sensitive cases of sexual harassment and rape is
an ineffective and inefficient way but, the #MeToo movement that began on social media firstly
and most importantly provided the women a platform to report their accounts. This clearly
reflected the failure of the justice system that discourages women to approach them via proper
channels. It also gave women a sense of safety by being anonymous while reporting their cases.
Thirdly, it provided the resource and support to women who wanted to report their incidents but
couldn’t.
Although it was a movement that empowered women to speak up, retaliation against the
patriarchal mindset comes at a cost for women. In a few cases, women faced direct attempts of
assault and intimidation by the accused. They also faced problems while finding work and were
tagged as ‘troublemakers’, sometimes boycotted for speaking out. 
Granted that online trial of any case especially sensitive cases of sexual harassment and rape is
an ineffective and inefficient way but, the #MeToo movement that began on social media firstly
and most importantly provided the women a platform to report their accounts.
Meanwhile, in the case of Priya Ramani, MJ Akbar slapped a defamation case against her that is
being challenged in court. While a sexual harassment case against ex-Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
was presided over in the court by a committee that included Gogoi himself, and unsurprisingly
he was acquitted of the charges. In many other cases, even men who had serious charges of rape
walked scot-free due to lack of evidence or due procedure.
Recently, a journalist from Quint, Meghnad Bose, was awarded one of the most prestigious
awards in journalism, the Ramnath Goenka Award. In October 2018, there were many colleagues
and batchmates who accused him of harassment, he apologized for his behavior and while Quint
issued a statement about conducting an investigating the matter, there have been no clarifications
thus far. While some batchmates of Bose from Xavier’s, as well as other concerned individuals,
reached out to Quint for an update on the case against Bose. However, there have been no
clarifications yet. 

Impact on Women
It is a sad reality that many women in India have either been abused, harassed or know someone
who has been a victim and yet there is silence and taboo attached to the subject. In the kind of
society, we live in, it takes a lot of strength for women to speak up about the abuse they face and
when they do speak they are subjected to societal pressure, victim shaming, abuse, character
assassination, intimidation, etc.

India as a society is obsessed with protecting its ‘culture’ that systematically excludes women
from the power structure yet makes them the safe keepers of the culture. Apart from being
responsible for their own ‘dignity’, they are also responsible for protecting the family’s honor
hence they are made to keep silent on anything that violates the sanctity of being a woman.
The fear of being ousted or being labeled as a troublemaker also discourages women to name
their abusers. On top of that, the lack of support, the harassment, and the ordeal of going to
courts and reliving the trauma prove to be more taxing for the survivor than it is for the abusers.
The survivors often face psychological trauma after an assault and when the accusers are
celebrated and respected in society, it could be triggering for the survivor.
How can change be brought into the mindset of the people?
From increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making to redistributing
care-work and productive resources, progress towards a gender equal and sustainable future
starts with acting today.
1. Empower women smallholders.
Over the last few decades, 55 per cent of the improvement in food security in developing
countries has been driven by programmes promoting women’s empowerment. The Food and
Agriculture Organization projects that if women farmers had equal access to productive
resources, their farm yields would increase by 20 to 30 per cent. This could provide enough food
to keep 100 to 150 million people from going hungry, reducing global hunger by 12 to 17 per
cent.
Increasing the productive capacity of women smallholders (small-scale farmers who manage
agricultural areas up to 10 hectares, or roughly 25 acres) also helps to promote sustainable
agricultural practices. 75 per cent of the world’s food comes from only 12 plants and 5 animal
species, making the global food system extremely vulnerable to environmental shocks –– such as
changing climate patterns and extreme weather events. Smallholders, who tend to rely on more
diverse and climate-resilient crops, represent a sustainable alternative to our current model of
agricultural production.
2. Invest in care.
The global economy depends on the unpaid and underpaid care work primarily carried out by
women. But despite its essential nature –– which we’ve seen more than ever during the COVID-
19 pandemic –– this work is not valued in accordance with its worth. Rather, care work (much
like the environment) is treated like a limitless commodity that can be used without cost or
consequence.
Instead, governments should treat care work like a collective good, expanding its availability and
providing adequate support to those who do it. This includes investing in the expansion of care
services, as well as increasing support for unpaid caregivers There’s a role for the private sector
as well, in supporting unpaid care work through paid family leave and flexible working
arrangements. Curbing emissions will require us to rethink the way we produce and measure
value –– moving from a depletion-based economic model to one based on regeneration –– and
investing in care is a crucial step in this direction.
3. Support women's leadership
At both the national and the community level, women’s representation and leadership appear to
drive better environmental outcomes. Countries with higher percentages of women in
parliament tend to adopt stricter climate change policies, resulting in lower emissions. At the
local level, women’s participation in managing natural resources leads to more equitable and
inclusive resource governance and better conservation outcomes. And when community climate
programmes fully include women, they tend to be more effective and efficient in their use of
resources.
In general, women are more likely to consider their families and communities in decision-
making processes –– which is crucial to producing the kind of holistic solutions that make for
effective climate action. Indigenous women in particular possess unique knowledge about
agriculture, conservation and natural resource management that make their voices indispensable
in any decision-making processes.
4. Fund women's organizations
Strong civil society organizations are a critical counterbalance to powerful state and corporate
actors. They bring the voices of those who best understand their own experiences and needs into
decision-making processes and help to keep governments accountable to the people they are
meant to serve –– both key to climate action that prioritizes the wellbeing of people and planet.
Government collaboration with women’s organizations can help ensure that climate policies
meet the specific needs of women and girls, and that such policies are effectively implemented.
In vulnerable communities, women’s organizations often act as an informal safety net, bridging
gaps in government services and helping to provide emergency support. Empowering such
community networks is a crucial way to build climate resilience at the local level.
5. Protect women's health.
Evidence suggests that women will bear the brunt of climate-linked negative health outcomes. In
general, women are more likely to die in disasters, due in part to their limited access to resources
and services. Research also indicates that climate change will have negative sexual and
reproductive health impacts: higher temperatures are increasing the spread of diseases like
malaria, dengue fever and Zika virus, which are linked to negative pregnancy and birth
outcomes, and extreme heat itself appears to increase the incidence of stillbirth. As with other
crises and disasters, climate change also increases vulnerability to gender-based violence.
At the same time, climate disasters often pull resources away from women’s health services and
services to support survivors of gender-based violence. As climate change worsens, it is critical
that these services are strengthened and expanded to help keep women healthy and safe.

LEARNING OUTCOME
Gender equality remains unfinished business in every country of the world. Women and girls
have less access to education and healthcare, too often lack economic autonomy and are under-
represented in decision-making at all levels. The progress that has been made towards gender
equality over the past quarter of a century, though slow and incremental, does however show that
change is possible.
Legal reform, strengthening gender-responsive social protection and public service delivery,
quotas for women’s representation, and support for women’s movements are all strategies that
have made a difference and should be scaled up. In the UN Decade of Action to deliver the
SDGs, governments, the UN, civil society, and the private sector, working together, have the
potential to transform the lives of women and girls, for the benefit of all.
Gender discrimination must be checked at every stage so that no person should be denied a
chance to learn and grow. Thus, everyone, no matter male or female, must get a start in life in
terms of educations and other opportunities. We must come together as a society to do this.