1.

Gender Disparity Disparity in general refers to inequalities in some quantity between two or more groups (a common economic indicator is the "income disparity," which measures t he gap between rich and poor people, and is generally considered to be a bad thi ng if it's large). Gender disparity refers, then, to statistical differences in the possessions, st atuses, and opportunities between men and women. For instance, the raw statistic on the average income of men and women somewhat famously has women making aroun d three quarters of the income of men, on average (of course, this is before fac toring in things like culturally advocated voluntary unemployment, differences i n types of careers, and other important "in between" factors - some will argue t hat these factors are significant, while others will argue otherwise). In Sociology the word gender refers to the socio-cultural characterization of ma n and woman, the way societies make a distinction between men and women and assi gn them social roles. The distinction between sex and gender was introduced to d eal with the general tendency to attribute women's subordination to their anatom y. For ages it was believed that the different characteristics, roles and status ac corded to women and men in society are determined by sex, that they are natural and therefore not changeable. Gender is seen closely related to the roles and behavior assigned to women and m en based on their sexual differences. As soon as a child is born families and so ciety begin the process of gendering. The birth of the son is celebrated, the bi rth of a daughter filled with pain; sons are showered with love, respect, better food and proper health care. Boys are encouraged to be tough and outgoing; girls are encouraged to be homebou nd and shy. All these differences are gender differences and they are created by society. Gender inequality is therefore a form of inequality which is distinct from other forms of economic and social inequalities. It dwells not only outside the house hold but also centrally within it. It stems not only from pre-existing differenc es in economic endowments between women and men but also from pre-existing gende red social norms and social perceptions. Gender inequality has adverse impact on development goals as reduces economic gr owth. It hampers the overall well being because blocking women from participatio n in social, political and economic activities can adversely affect the whole so ciety. Many developing countries including India have displayed gender inequalit y in education, employment and health. It is common to find girls and women suffering from high mortality rates. There are vast differences in education level of two sexes. India has witnessed gender inequality from its early history due to its socio-economic and religious pract ices that resulted in a wide gap between the position of men and women in the so ciety. The origin of the Indian idea of appropriate female behavior can be traced to th e rules laid down by Manu in 200 B.C.: "by a young girl, by a young woman, or ev en by an aged one, nothing must be done independently, even in her own house". " In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, wh en her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent."

Women's lives are shaped by customs that are centuries old. "May you be the moth er of a hundred sons" is a common Hindu wedding blessing. Statistics reveal that in India males significantly outnumber females arid this imbalance has incr eased over time. The sex ratio according to 2001 census report stands at 933 per 1000 males. Out of the total population, 120 million are women who live in abje ct poverty. The maternal mortality rate in rural areas is among the world's high est. From a global perspective India accounts for 19% of all live births and 27% of a ll maternal deaths.! The deaths of young girls in India exceed those of young bo ys by over 300,000 each year and every 6th infant death is specifically due to g ender discrimination. Women face discrimination right from the childhood. Gender disparities in nutrition are evident from infancy to adulthood. In fact, gender has been the most statistically significant determinant of malnu trition among young children and malnutrition is a frequent, direct or underlyin g, cause of death among girls below age 5. Girls are breast-fed less frequently and for a shorter duration in infancy. In childhood and adulthood, males are fed first and approximately 1,000 fewer calories per day than men utritional deprivation has two major , consequences heir full growth potential, and suffer from anemia, egnancy. better. Adult women consume according to one estimate. N for women they never reach t which are risk factors in pr

This condition complicates childbearing and results in women and infant deaths, and low birth weight infants. The tradition also requires that women eat last an d least throughout their lives even when pregnant and lactating. Malnourished wo men give birth to malnourished: children, perpetuating the cycle. Women receive less healthcare facilities than men. A primary way that parents discriminate against their girl children is through n eglect during illness. As an adult they tend to be less likely to admit that the y are sick and may wait until their sickness has progressed far before they seek help or help is sought for them. Many women in rural areas die in childbirth du e to easily preventable complications. Women's social training to put up with suffering and their unwillingness to be e xamined by male personnel are additional constraints in their getting sufficient health care. The Constitution of India ensures gender equality in its preamble as a fundament al right but also empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discriminatio n in favor of women by ways of legislation and policies. India has also ratified various international conventions and human rights forum s to secure equal rights of women," such as ratification of Convention on elimin ation of all forms of discrimination against women in 1993. Women have been find ing place in local governance structures, overcoming gender biases. Over one mil lion women have been elected to local panchayats as a result of 1993 amendment to the Indian Constitution requiring that 1/3 rd of the elected seats to the local governing bodies be reserved for women. The passing of Pre-natal Di agnostic Tech Act in 1994 also is a step in removing gender discrimination. This Act seeks to end sex- determination tests and female foeticide and prohibit s doctors from conducting such procedures for the specific purpose of determinin g the sex of the fetus. The Government also announced the National policy for em powerment of women in 2001 to bring out advancement, development and empowerment

of women. The Government has also drawn up a draft National policy for the empowerment of women which is a policy statement outlining the state's response to problems of gender discrimination. As persistent gender inequalities continue we need to ret hink concepts and strategies for promoting women's dignity and rights. UN Secret ary General Kofi Annan has stated, "Gender equality is more than a goal in itsel f. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting su stainable development and building good governance." There is a need for new kin ds of institutions, incorporating new norms and rules that support equal and jus t relations between women and men. These days' women are organizing themselves t o meet the challenges that are hampering their progress.