Gender Equality

Gender discrimination encompasses a wide range of issues, including unequal access to education and employment opportunities, wage disparities, under-representation in leadership positions, and political participation barriers. Gender-based violence, including sexual harassment and domestic violence, is another major issue, as are discriminatory laws and policies that limit women’s rights and freedoms. These issues are frequently deeply rooted in cultural and societal attitudes, making them difficult to address; however, efforts to promote gender equity and challenge gender discrimination are critical for creating a fair and just society.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play an important role in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment around the world, as well as addressing the underlying causes of gender inequality in all sectors of society. Here are some ways in which NGOs promote gender equality:

• Advocacy and awareness-raising: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) work to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality and to advocate for policy changes and legal reforms to address gender discrimination and inequality.
• Education and training: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) provide education and training programmes to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. Literacy classes, vocational training, and leadership development programmes are examples of such programmes.
• Healthcare and reproductive rights: NGOs work to improve women’s access to healthcare services, including reproductive health services, which can help reduce maternal mortality rates and improve women’s overall health outcomes.
• Economic empowerment: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) work to promote women’s economic empowerment by providing microfinance loans, entrepreneurship and business management training, and opportunities for women to enter the formal labour force. They also encourage a culture of donating to charity for women empowerment.
• Prevention of gender-based violence: Gender-based violence prevention and response: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence by providing survivors with counselling and support, advocating for legal and policy reforms to address violence against women, and raising awareness about the impact of gender-based violence on individuals and communities.

For many years, despite various initiatives and policy interventions, gender equity in India has been a persistent challenge. Addressing the challenges will necessitate sustained efforts on the part of policymakers, NGOs working for gender equality, and individuals at all levels of society. It will also necessitate addressing the underlying causes, such as cultural and social attitudes, as well as ensuring equal access for women to education, economic opportunities, and political power. Here are some of the major challenges with gender equity in India:

• Discrimination and violence against women: Women in India face significant discrimination and violence, including sexual harassment, assault, and domestic violence. Many women face discrimination in schools, workplaces, and other areas of public life.
• Limited access to education: Although access to education has improved in recent years, many girls in India continue to face significant barriers to education. Poverty, early marriage, and social and cultural attitudes that prioritise boys’ education over girls’ education are examples of these barriers.
• Limited economic opportunities: In India, women face significant barriers to entering the formal labour force and gaining economic opportunities. Women are frequently concentrated in low-wage, informal jobs and face hiring, promotion, and pay discrimination.
• Under-representation in political life: Women are significantly underrepresented in India’s political life, with women holding only a small proportion of political positions at all levels of government.
• Cultural and social attitudes: Cultural and social attitudes that reinforce gender stereotypes and discrimination can pose a significant barrier to gender equity in India. These attitudes can be deeply embedded in society and difficult to change.

SAJHA is a pilot program that aims to scale up health system responses to women reporting injuries caused by intimate partner abuse. Despite social support service closures during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, SAJHA remained functional and expanded its reach into the community. In Bihar, where four out of 10 women experience intimate partner violence and require medical attention, SAJHA provides support and aid through health facilities at all levels of the system.

The Family Planning grant provides infrastructure and technical support to improve the quality and range of services offered, prioritize government efforts to expand method mix, and focus on a client-centred approach. Lessons learned from zero and low parity projects have informed strategies to improve modern contraceptive use, with a focus on knowledge, skills, and frontline worker interactions to improve SRH and FP services. The initiative aims to ensure individuals in the reproductive age group have access to a range of contraceptive choices and can choose voluntarily through informed decision-making.