Gender Issues

ISSUE OF GENDER IN HARYANA : 

ISSUE OF GENDER IN HARYANA Dr. R.S. Dahiya Associate Professor Department of Surgery HARYANA GYAN VIGYAN SAMITI PGIMS, Rohtak

Definition of Gender : 

Definition of Gender Lkkekftd fyax Hksn dks tSaMj dk uke fn;k x;k gSA tSfod fyax Hksn izkd`frd gS ftlesa dgha Hkh xSj cjkcjh dh vo/kkj.kk ugha gSA Lkekt }kjk vkjksfir ;s lkekftd fyax Hksn u rks lkoZHkkSfed gSa vkSj u gh LFkkbZA dky laLd`fr ds chp ;s cnyrs jgrs gSaA bu ij lkaLd`frd] Ik;kZoj.kh;] vkfFkZd o jktuSfrd ?kVdksa dk izHkko iM+rk gSA

Model State of Development : 

Model State of Development vkfFkZd rkSj ij gfjr dkzfUr ds ek?;e ls iwjs Hkkjr esa vxz.kh gfj;k.kk lkekftd lwpdkadksa esa cgqr fiNM+ x;k gSA fyax vuqikr dk Lrj fPkUrktud gSA D;k ,sls fodkl dks vkn’kZ fodkl dgk tk ldrk gS\

HORRIFYING FACTS : 

HORRIFYING FACTS 30 Million Women are missing in India One RAPE every 54 minutes One molestation every 20 minutes One kidnapping/ abduction in every 45 minutes Women teasing act every 5 minutes One dowry death in 1hr 30 minutes One act of cruelty every 33 minutes 70% contribution in production , 1% ownership 0-6 sex ratio in Haryana (2001)is 820 Sex Ratio in Literates in Haryana--617

Status of Women--Some indicators : 

Status of Women--Some indicators Percent of births in past 3 years for which mother received

Status of Women--Some indicators : 

Status of Women--Some indicators

GENDER INEQUALITY : 

GENDER INEQUALITY Gender inequality exists in most parts of the world Mortality inequality Natality inequality Basic facility inequality Special opportunity inequality Professional inequality Ownership inequality Household inequalities Cultural Biases

Factors which maintain gender System : 

Factors which maintain gender System All religions have lower status for women Patriarchal framework of society and family is against women Judiciary also have gender biases Political Institutions Economic Institutions Media –Print and electronic as well Educational Institutions Our day today life values

Cultural Practices maintaining gender : 

Cultural Practices maintaining gender Medicines for Son Birth Thali bajana aur Mattam manana Celebration of son –Sweet distribution 6th day celebration as “CHHATH” for Boy 5 kg Ghee and 10 kg Ghee Namkaran sanskar for Boy Funeral is to be lit by Son Different Dresses Different Hair Styles Honour Killings Khansama is male Halwai is male Suhag Vart- karva chauth

Cultural Practices : 

Cultural Practices She will eat last of all Vans ka Chalaney wala Pati parmeshwar- gambler, drunkard or womanizer Different plays Kanyadan Life of a Widow women Budhapey ka sahara Son Preference and Daughter Aversion in Folk Songs Inheritance Rights

UTILISATION OF MEDICAL SERVICES : 

UTILISATION OF MEDICAL SERVICES As many as 90% of population take recourse to western Medical Care. Primary Health Care Centers meet as little as 3% of the needs. Government Hospitals cost as much as private Hospitals. Most important point is that expenditure to meet the cost of Health Care is the second most important cause of rural indebtedness. The woman folk is the most affected out of these left outs.

Implications of Gender : 

Implications of Gender Declining sex ratio Increasing Atrocities on Women Increasing Domestic Violence on women Disturbed family life of marriagable age people Many women for rich and polyandry for the poor Purchase of Brides Dehumanization of women and society as a whole Increasing Fatwas of Panchayats

Purchased Bride Survey : 

Purchased Bride Survey

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Crime Against Women

MYTHS & REALITIES : 

MYTHS & REALITIES Reduction in the number of women would enhance their worth Economic theory of Demand & Supply does not hold good Women cannot be equated with Onion or Tomato In most South Asian Societies low sex ratio reflects their lower status (Haryana as well) Rape, forced marriages, polyandry, social insecurity, sex stereotyping, purchase of brides will increase Women will be compelled to stay within their homes Powerful will have a JANANKHANA others will resort to menial means To murder a women on refusal to have forcible sex will become an accepted norm

Women is Enemy of Women : 

Women is Enemy of Women No she is not Povlov’s Pouch Father beats son Son beats father Husband beats wife Women remain confined to homes Sas Bahu in a Patriarch family frame work

MYTHS & REALITIES : 

Laws cannot curb sex determination tests True any progressive law in isolation cannot solve a social problem. Legal action coupled with awareness campaign and suitable policy interventions can be effective Unlike other problems like dowry, sati & child marriage, this issue has an additional player i.e. DOCTOR who is law abiding by and large but some are playing dirty game MYTHS & REALITIES

MYTH AND REALITY : 

Banning SD would infringe upon women's right to choose the sex of offspring Women from poor countries have never asked for a right to decide the offspring's sex. Will not be given this right easily. Where she cannot take decision regarding her a) Education b) Health c) Marriage d) Economic freedom How about sex preference? Son Preferance at the cost of girl. In a consumerist society demand for a choice could be created & nurtured. MYTH AND REALITY

MYTHS & REALITIES : 

Development & Women empowerment is the best contraceptive. Son Preference is a fact but it is not an important determinant of India's rising population. Women are not the Reproductive machines. SD test and SSA only eliminates the 'Undesirable' sex. It does not guarantee the 'desirable' birth. Repeated abortions adversely effect the already compromised health status of women. Net reproductive rate target is 1 (decrease the number to decrease the population) Not good for societal health. MYTHS & REALITIES Sex Selective Abortion is an effective tool for population control/ family planning

MYTHS & REALITIES : 

Sex Determination tests are safe and accurate Sonography can tell after 20 weeks and is not accurate. SD will not alter the sex ratio of the population How can you oppose SSA if you are not opposed to abortion? SSA are more Humane than dowry murders or Sati. MYTHS & REALITIES

POLICY INITIATIVES : 

POLICY INITIATIVES Registering & monitoring of all pregnancies from 6th weeks onward & not from 12th weeks. Increase marriage age of girls from 18 to 21. Stop child marriages Provide compulsory, free, quality education to all girl children up to Secondary school level (Real Access should be there) Extend 50% representation to women in all decision making bodies of the state to introduce a feministic political culture conducive to women friendly political action. Eradicate child Labour and guarantee employment for adult women. Bring policy and legal measures to ensure that women have rights and control over productive resources, for the economic empowerment of women. (Property Rights) Provide life-sustaining resources such as health, nutrition, water, education to all the children without gender bias.

POLICY INITIATIVES : 

Entrust power to panchayats to maintain a register of demographic profile with the details on vital statistics. Frame the child policy and girl child policy to protect the interest of the girl children. Extend gender sensitization training to policy makers, planners, administrators and implementers at all levels. Promote gender perspective in to all policies and sectoral- programmes POLICY INITIATIVES

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS : 

The health Secretary should issue necessary GO for periodical reporting of births, deaths and abortions by all the private hospitals and Government hospitals, to the state and this should be made public on request. Registration of all births and death should be made compulsory at village level, through the statutory health committee formed under panchayati raj institutions. Activate the health committee at the panchayat level to monitor the health services at the village level. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS : 

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS Sex of the foetus for all second trimester abortions to be documented clearly. Publish a scientific report every year on the causes for the declining child sex ratio and the steps taken by the Govt. to stop the decline trend. Form Monitoring cell at the panchayat level to look into the incidence of atrocities on women and girl child. Maintain the disaggregate data by sex and age related to children and make it open to public.

LEGISLATIVE REFORMS : 

LEGISLATIVE REFORMS Strict implementation of the Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and prevention of Misuse) Act 1994,PNDT Act amendment Rules 2003 and compulsory registration of all genetic counseling centers, Genetic Laboratories and Genetic clinics. Take stringent action against the violators of the Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques( Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act Amendment Rules2003. 20 police cases and 8 machines sealed by 31.12.2003. Punishment ? Stop all medical technologies that imbalances the birth ratio of female children. Strictly enforce all progressive legislations and enact legislation to protect the rights of the girls and women.

LEGISLATIVE REFORMS : 

LEGISLATIVE REFORMS Enacting a central legislation for ensuring registration and monitoring the functioning of all private clinics as there is a growing trend in commercialization of medical profession. Necessary amendments in PNDT Act & MTP Act which takes away the punishment for victim women. PNDT(regulation and prevention of misuse) Amendment Act 2003 empowering the Advisory committee for monitoring the Prenatal diagnostic centers should be strictly implemented. Strict enforcement of MTP Act etc.

Slide 29: 

Thanks