Issues Faced by Women in India

1. Gender-Based Violence
• Domestic Abuse: Many women endure physical, emotional, and psychological abuse from their partners. For instance, a 2020 National Family Health Survey revealed that over 30% of married women in India have experienced spousal violence.
• Acid Attacks: Women are often victims of acid attacks due to rejected marriage proposals or personal vendettas. In 2019, a woman in Uttar Pradesh suffered severe burns after being attacked by a rejected suitor.
2. Unequal Access to Education
• Higher Dropout Rates for Girls: Girls often drop out of school due to financial constraints and early marriages. For example, in Rajasthan, girls are frequently pulled out of school by the age of 14 to get married.
• Lack of Sanitation Facilities in Schools: Inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities lead to absenteeism among girls. A study found that in Bihar, over 60% of schools lack separate toilets for girls, causing many to skip school during their menstrual periods.
3. Workplace Discrimination
• Pay Gap Between Men and Women: Women earn significantly less than men for the same work. In 2021, a report highlighted that women in India earn, on average, 19% less than their male counterparts.
• Limited Opportunities for Leadership Positions: Women must be more represented in senior roles. For instance, women hold only about 20% of senior management positions in Indian corporations.
4. Child Marriage
• Forced Marriages of Underage Girls: Many girls are married off before the legal age of 18. In West Bengal, a 2019 report found that 42% of girls married before adulthood.
• Health Complications Due to Early Pregnancy: Early pregnancies lead to severe health issues for young mothers. In rural Jharkhand, teenage mothers face higher risks of complications such as anaemia and preterm birth.
5. Dowry System
• Financial Burden on the Bride' Bride' sy: Families often go into debt to meet dowry demands. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, families may spend years saving for their daughters, affecting their financial stability.
• Dowry-Related Harassment and Violence: Women face violence if dowry expectations are not met. In 2020, a woman in Haryana was burned alive by her in-laws for not bringing enough dowry.
6. Female Infanticide and Feticide
• Sex-Selective Abortions: Preference for sons leads to sex-selective abortions. In Punjab, the sex ratio at birth is skewed, with only 890 girls born for every 1,000 boys due to illegal sex determination and abortions.
• Neglect of Female Infants: Female infants often receive less care and nutrition. In some parts of Tamil Nadu, baby girls are abandoned or neglected, leading to higher infant mortality rates among girls.
7. Lack of Reproductive Rights
• Limited Access to Contraception: Women in rural areas have limited access to contraceptives. For example, in Bihar, only 12% of women use modern contraceptive methods.
• Stigma Surrounding Menstruation: Menstruation is often considered taboo, leading to social exclusion. In rural Uttarakhand, menstruating women are forced to stay in isolation during their periods, impacting their daily lives.
8. Sexual Harassment
• Street Harassment ("Eve T" using"): Wo" en face verbal and physical harassment in public spaces. In Delhi, 78% of women reported experiencing harassment on public transport in a 2017 survey.
• Workplace Sexual Harassment: Many women face inappropriate behaviour at work without proper redressal mechanisms. A 2018 survey found that 50% of working women in India experienced workplace harassment.
9. Unequal Property Rights
• Discriminatory Inheritance Laws: Women often face challenges inheriting property. In Haryana, despite legal rights, women struggle to claim inheritance due to patriarchal norms.
• Difficulty Obtaining Land Ownership: Women farmers in Rajasthan face barriers to owning land, which impacts their economic independence and productivity.
10. Political Underrepresentation
• Low Percentage of Women in Parliament: Women constitute only about 14% of the Indian parliament, reflecting their limited influence in legislative processes.
• Limited Participation in Local Governance: Women in local panchayats often serve as figureheads while men make decisions, as seen in many villages across Uttar Pradesh.
11. Honor Killings
• Murder of Women Who Marry Against Family Wishes: Women are killed for marrying without family consent. In Haryana, cases of honour killings are reported when women marry outside their caste or religion.
• Violence Against Women Who Choose Their Own Partners: In Rajasthan, young couples face violent retribution from their families for intercaste relationships.
12. Lack of Healthcare Access
• Limited Maternal Healthcare in Rural Areas: Many lack proper maternal healthcare facilities. For instance, in rural Madhya Pradesh, pregnant women often travel long distances to access primary healthcare.
• Nutritional Deficiencies Due to Gender Bias in Food Distribution: Girls and women often receive less nutritious food. In Gujarat, cultural practices prioritize feeding boys, leading to higher rates of malnutrition among girls.
13. Human Trafficking
• Forced Prostitution: Women and girls are trafficked into sex work. In West Bengal, many young girls are trafficked to other states and forced into prostitution.
• Domestic Servitude: Women and girls are trafficked for domestic work under exploitative conditions. In Delhi, reports indicate a significant number of trafficked domestic workers from Jharkhand and Assam.
14. Digital Gender Divide
• Limited Access to Technology and Internet: Women, especially in rural areas, need more digital resources. In Uttar Pradesh, only 28% of women have access to the internet compared to 48% of men.
• Online Harassment and Cyberbullying: Women face significant harassment online. A 2019 survey showed that 35% of women internet users in India experienced some form of online abuse.
15. Patriarchal Social Norms
• Restrictions on Women's Women's City: Women are restricted from travelling alone. In conservative areas of Rajasthan, women often need male family permission to leave their homes.
• Pressure to Conform to Traditional Gender Roles: Women are often expected to prioritize family over career. In many parts of India, professional women are pressured to quit their jobs after marriage.
16. Economic Dependency
• Limited Access to Bank Accounts and Credit: Women need more access to financial services. In rural Bihar, only 26% of women have bank accounts.
• Unpaid or Undervalued Domestic Labor: Women's work is often unrecognized and unpaid. Despite being substantial in India, GDP calculations must account for women's household work income.
17. Safety Concerns in Public Spaces
• Lack of Safe Public Transportation: Women face harassment on public transport. In Mumbai, 90% of women reported feeling unsafe on public buses and trains during evening hours.
• Inadequate Street Lighting and Infrastructure: Poor infrastructure increases safety risks. In parts of Delhi, lack of street lighting contributes to higher rates of assaults on women.
18. Religious and Caste-Based Discrimination
• Restrictions on Temple Entry for Menstruating Women: Women are barred from entering temples during menstruation. The Sabarimala Temple in Kerala gained international attention for prohibiting menstruating women from entering.
• Intersectional Discrimination Against Dalit Women: Dalit women face both gender and caste discrimination. In Uttar Pradesh, Dalit women are often subjected to violence and denied fundamental rights.
19. Lack of Representation in Media
• Stereotypical Portrayals in Films and TV Shows: Women are often depicted in traditional roles. Bollywood frequently portrays women as submissive housewives or objects of desire, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
• Underrepresentation in News Media and Journalism: Few women hold senior positions in media organizations. In Indian newsrooms, women constitute only about 25% of the workforce, with even fewer in leadership roles.
20. Limited Sports Opportunities
• Lack of Funding for Women'Women'ss: Women athletes receive less financial support. Despite their success, the Indian women's set team receives significantly less funding than men. Stigma Against Women Participating in Certain Sports: Women face discouragement from participating in "mascu"ine" spor"s. In rural Haryana, girls are often prevented from taking up sports like wrestling.
21. Mental Health
• Stigma Around Mental Health Discussions: Mental health issues are often dismissed or stigmatized. In India, women suffering from depression or anxiety are frequently labelled as 'hysterical' or ''attention-seeking'.
• Limit Access to Mental Health Resources: Women have fewer opportunities for mental health support. In rural areas, mental health services are scarce, leaving many women without proper care.
22. Disability Rights
• Limited Access to Resources and Support for Women with Disabilities: Women with disabilities face higher barriers. In India, disabled women often lack access to education and employment opportunities.
• Higher Rates of Marginalization and Exclusion: Disabled women are more marginalized. In Tamil Nadu, disabled women face significant social isolation and limited community support.
23. Ageing Population
• Limited Social Security and Support for Elderly Women: Elderly women have fewer social security options. In India, widows often depend on charity or informal support systems due to a lack of pensions.
• Higher Rates of Poverty and Marginalization: Older women face higher poverty rates. Many elderly women in rural areas live in poverty without access to adequate healthcare or social services.
24. Rural-Urban Divide
• Limited Access to Resources and Opportunities in Rural Areas: Rural women have fewer opportunities. In rural Rajasthan, women have limited access to education and healthcare compared to their urban counterparts.
• Higher Rates of Poverty and Marginalization: Rural women face more incredible economic hardships. In Bihar, rural women experience higher rates of poverty and less access to financial resources.
25. Nutrition and Health
• High Rates of Malnutrition and Anaemia Among Women: Nutritional deficiencies are prevalent among women. In India, over 50% of women aged 15-49 are anaemic due to inadequate nutrition.
• Limited Access to Healthcare and Nutrition Education: Women often need more nutrition information. In rural Maharashtra, women have limited access to healthcare facilities and nutrition education programs.
26. Sanitation and Hygiene
• Limited Access to Safe Sanitation Facilities: Many women lack access to proper sanitation. In rural India, over 50% of households do not have toilets, forcing women to defecate in the open.
• High Rates of Health Issues Due to Poor Hygiene: Poor sanitation leads to health problems. In many slums in Mumbai, women suffer from urinary tract infections and other health issues due to the lack of clean toilets.
27. Forced Sterilization
• Women in Tribal Areas Subjected to Forced Sterilization Without Consent: In some tribal areas, women are sterilized without their informed consent. In Chhattisgarh, forced sterilizations in unsanitary conditions led to multiple deaths in 2014.
• Sterilizations in Unsanitary Conditions, Risking Women: Sterilizations often occur in poor conditions. Reports from Bihar indicate that many sterilizations are performed in unhygienic settings, leading to infections and complications.
28. Work-Life Balance
• Dual Burden of Professional Responsibilities and Household Chores: Women juggle work and home duties. In India, working women spend an average of 5 hours daily on unpaid domestic work compared to just 30 minutes for men.
• Inadequate Maternity Leave Policies: Many workplaces need more maternity leave. In the private sector, women often face pressure to return to work early due to insufficient maternity benefits.
29. Cultural Practices
• Sporadic Cases of Sati (Burning of Widows): Although illegal, cases still occur. In some remote villages in Rajasthan, instances of sati have been reported, reflecting deep-rooted patriarchal norms.
• Female Infanticide Due to Preference for Male Children: Preference for sons leads to infanticide. In parts of Tamil Nadu, baby girls are abandoned or neglected, leading to higher mortality rates among female infants.
30. Skill Development
• Fewer Opportunities for Vocational Training: Women need more access to skill development programs. In many parts of India, vocational training centres are predominantly attended by men.
• Training Programs Reinforcing Traditional Gender Roles: Programs often focus on stereotypical skills. Women are commonly trained in low-paying skills like tailoring and beautician courses rather than more lucrative trades.
31. Mobility Restrictions
• Safety Concerns Restricting Women'Women'sity: Safety fears limit women'women'sents. In many cities, women avoid travelling alone at night due to the risk of harassment or assault.
• Family Permissions Required for Travel or Pursuing Opportunities: Women often need family approval for travel. In conservative regions of Haryana, women require male permission to pursue education or employment outside the home.

 Note: These issues are historical records. It does not mean Indian women are still facing all these issues in every part of India. These are just a few examples of female conditions in the past in some parts of India. 

The Present & Future of women in India are undoubtedly better and brighter!