Gender bias and discrimination Even in the 21 century women bear the brunt of social injustice in almost all spheres of life. Women liberation, social awareness, legislation has not made the expected dent, The poor , marginalised and uneducated women folk in rural settings are subjected to inhuman indignities The law and its apparatus are tardy and slow in implementation. Not everyone has recourse to judiciary, which is time consuming and costly.
The ordeal starts in the womb due to forced foeticide of female child and continues from womb to the tomb The desire for a male child as the successor has encouraged this practice unabated, There is absolute mourning and gloom on the birth of the female in the family and the celebrations, if any are of a very low key. Earlier they were strangulated on birth without knowledge or consent of the mother. Wives were murdered, divorced for failing to deliver a male offspring. The ignorance of scientific approach always blames the women. The ultrasound is exploited to put the female foetus to sleep, even though the legislation is tough on this issue. .Women are being harassed for dowry, the legislation notwithstanding. Death within 7 years of marriage is subjected to judicial investigation. Physical and mental torture have led to suicides .Wives are being sold, contractually killed, burnt and abandoned The parents consider it a social ostracising and bad omen for unmarried females, if married women are admitted back. Few social organisation cater too such cases. The girl child is considered a burden due to dowry demands. Their nourishment, physical health education is not considered a priority. Young females are sold to brothels, married to widowers, elderly man, for a sum and live in sexual bondage of exploitation The prostitution at times, is resorted to as an occupation to help the survival of the family. The child marriages are still prevalent in disguise are affront to women rights of self-determination and the right to informed decisions. Females are abducted for prostitution, lured with promises of employment. The sexual abuse, barbaric gang rapes, murders even of the innocent children is mindless deprivation of basic human rights with animal instincts coming to the fore. The devadasi tradition is noble explanation and justification of perpetuation social evil. Widow Remarriages are encouraged with incentives and recognition, though society does not yet give its stamp of approval. The Sathi system of widows jumping to death on the funeral pyre of the husband has been mercifully abolished. Polygamy, still subsisting in the name of religion is not in the best interest of the women. The female has no right to inheritance or that of the husband. The alimony in divorce cases is a torture, The fight for the custody of children is another attempt to harass women The educated, professionally, employed or self-employed women are subjected to confiscation of earned income and have no absolute control over it only adding to the husband’s wealth. Yet times they are forced to terminate their career prospect at the whims and fancies of husbands, who consider them as threat for independence or fear infidelity at work place. Females stand sexual harassment also in the work place, or while travelling in spite of legislation's The countless legislation's, fixed representations of women in panchayats,right to education, representations in Assemblies, yet to materialise in Parliament, will ameliorate and improve their life. Free and Compulsory education up to Std XII, other incentives in cash and kind to girl students has not only reduced their reproductive capacity and population control, but made them to think and exert their independence from their subservient status. It will be a long time when they will on par with their counter parts in advanced Nations to make decisions, exercise independence, and seek their legitimate rights as equal partners, wives, daughters, sisters, mothers in the society and considered as first citizens equal with men Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
