Gender Deprivation: "Education and Health"

GENDER DEPRIVATION
“EDUCATION AND HEALTH”
SUBMITTED BY – THANGHOULIEN LIENTHANG
ROLL NO – PSC1861055
PAPER – PSC903C
DATE – 21/10/19
ACADEMIC RESEARCH ON GENDER DEPRIVATION
WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND
HEALTH OF WOMEN IN INDIA :
“Progress is more plausibly judged by

the reduction of deprivation than by
the further enrichment of the opulent”
- Amartya Sen
ABSTRACT : A rough analysis and research on the position of

women in the Indian society , cross referenced with existing data on
women’s health index and the growth rate of literacy in the male to
female ratio implicates without a doubt the deprivation between
both sexes. However, it is also a matter of social-class formations
implicating varying degrees of data pertaining to the issue of
Deprivation. But women cannot always be viewed as a homogeneous
group nor can one assume gender-based discrimination to prevail.
Change is always welcome , Albeit a socially challenging prospect.
Introduction : According to the OXFORD Dictionary,
Deprivation refers to the damaging lack of material benefits
considered to be basic necessities in society. Or in ‘Layman’ terms,
the lack or denial of something considered to be a necessity.
By now, it has already come to light that a certain section of
human society has been ever ‘deprived’ of two of the most basic
essentials for contemporary society namely, Education and Health.
If we look back at the status of women over the course of history,
they were exempt from many of the privileges which were enjoyed
or partaken by men. Mostly these were due to strict social class
values of the eras where women were portrayed as the lesser of the
two sexes with their roles mostly catered around household errands
and family upbringing. Albeit the rich history of humanity, it has
been less than a century since women have started to rise in
different vocations and fields thereby increasing their statuses.
Come what may but women being an invaluable asset to society as a
whole should not have their positions overlooked in the slightest.
Taking India as a context, the country falls short of the world
average in terms of both Education and Health status for women.
Here we shall thereby try to analyze the roots for the cause of this
deprivation factor and determine as to why we are still lacking
behind in the incorporation of women as an invaluable asset to
society when the world is already adapting to issues of Gender
equity. Some of the following observations to be followed have been
quantified from existing data of the past. Due to lack of newly
available updated resource data, some information presented may
not cater to modern consensus but yet remain relevant in our
attempt to understand the subject matter at hand.
WOMEN AND EDUCATION
We assume that schooling has become a norm now and imagine that
every child by the age of 3 or 5 starts some form of schooling. But in
many rural areas, if the child is a girl then there are many obstacles to
her access to education in India. Women’s education in India is still
perceived as an unnecessary indulgence in many parts. While Kerala
tops the charts with 92% female literacy (and 94% overall literacy),
Bihar scores much lesser with 51% of female literacy (and 61% overall
literacy).
Many surveys conducted over rural areas show women’s education
being hampered at different stages. When the parents cannot afford
education for their kids, the son is always given preference over the
daughter, if at all they try and send them to school. The daughter stays at
home and cooks, cleans, and helps her parents in doing the chores, or
she might even be employed as a helper somewhere, which is child
labour and illegal as per law.
If both the kids are sent to school, and if there is a personal or
financial issue where they cannot afford the education of both the kids, it
is mostly the daughter who would be first pulled out of the school. The
school dropout rate amongst adolescent girls stands high at 63%.
If the daughter wants to go for higher studies it becomes a matter
of discussion among parents, relatives, neighbours, (along with long lost
aunts) on if there is a need for the same! If the son wants to go for higher
education then it is seen as an achievement and opportunity for the boy
to settle well and would be lauded among the same set of people.
It is a well known fact that most Indian families spend
more on their daughter’s wedding when compared to her
education. And the daughters-in-law are mostly expected to take
care of the family rather than continuing their studies or having
a steady career. Because of this reason, women are said to have
jobs and not careers!
We live in a society where the upbringing of children still
depends largely on the mother. But What good is to be passed
on to the next generation if that mother is illiterate? The chances
that her own daughter might become an illiterate mother one
day, thus continuing the vicious and tedious cycle.
The common notion is that the girls of the family will get
married one day and would not contribute to the financial needs
of the family. But again the upbringing and empowerment of
future generations is left to illiterate mothers. This is like a chain
reaction wherein the next generation of daughters, mostly from
the rural areas, are treated the same. In a poor family, every hard
earned rupee is spent on the needs and education of the son
without any questions. Though the daughter shows better
prospects of shining well in studies, it is unfortunate that who
goes to school is decided based on sex rather than their
capability.
Education plays a very important role in women
empowerment. It enables women to change their lives and
provide better guidance to their children. Educated women can
contribute to the growth and development of the country in more
ways than one. However, according to the Census of 2011,
female literacy rate in India is 65 %. This is significantly lower
than male literacy rate of 82%. Over the past few years, the gap
between male and female literacy rates has been narrowing
down. However, there is still a long way to go when it comes to
ensuring equal female and male literacy rates in India.
WOMEN AND HEALTH
It has been established without doubt that there exists

differences in physical well – being between sexes at various
levels. To begin with, female life expectancy at birth has been
below male since the 1920’s. The discrimination begins before
birth, females are the most commonly aborted sex in India. If a
female fetus is not aborted, the mother's pregnancy can be a
stressful experience, due to her family's preference for a
son. Once born, daughters are prone to being fed less than sons,
especially when there are multiple girls already in the
household. As women mature into adulthood, many of the
barriers preventing them from achieving equal levels of health
come from the low status of women and girls in Indian society,
particularly in the rural and poverty-affected areas.
Indian women face a host of issues around healthcare which
are intrinsically linked to their status in society. The National
Family Health Survey – 3 indicates that 35% of Indian women
are chronically undernourished, with Body Mass Index (BMI)
lesser than 18.5. Data from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh shows
that girls represent up to 68% of the children admitted to
programmes for the severely malnourished. The widespread
nutrition deprivation among women leads to a cycle of nutrition
deprivation in children. Undernourished girls grow up to
become undernourished women who give birth to a new
generation of undernourished children. Maternal malnutrition
has been associated with an increased risk of maternal mortality
and also child birth defects.
The maternal mortality rate of India stands at an all time high.
India accounts for the maximum number of maternal deaths in
the world. More than 17% of these deaths are due to pregnancy
or childbearing. Most of these cases are more evident in the rural
and village areas where the low status and subsequent
discrimination against women can be attributed to many cultural
norms.
Gender inequalities, in turn, are directly related to poor health
outcomes for women. Many studies have found that the rates of
admission to hospitals vary a lot with gender, with men visiting
hospitals more frequently than women. Different access to
healthcare occurs because women are entitled to a lower share of
household resources and thus utilise healthcare resources to a
lesser degree than men. Illiteracy, low socio-economic status,
early age of marriage, poor sanitation, hygiene and nutrition,
poor access to health facilities are also contributing factors of
child and maternal mortality.
FINDINGS : The low status and subsequent discrimination against

women in India can be attributed to many CULTURAL NORMS.
Societal forces of PATRIARCHY and JOINT
MULTIGENERATIONAL families contribute to Indian GENDER
ROLES. Men use greater privileges and superior rights to create an
unequal society that leaves women with little to no power. Women are
also seen as less valuable to a family due to marriage obligations. Taken
together, women are oftentimes seen less valuable than men. Whether it
be education or healthcare, women have always been put on hold due to
invisible barriers put up by society which further discourages the
younger generation into being stuck in a loophole of repeated
prejudices.
Conclusion : The issue of Gender Deprivation is at its
best, an outcome of the underlying social norms in the
Indian society. When analyzing both the issues, it is clear
that both standards fall short due to the fact that there is
no clear intention for the fate of women in this country.
Unlike men, the women have been subject to prejudice
right from birth. The data highlighted makes it clear that
there is substantial deaths due to pregnancy or labour,
adding to that, the girl child is always kept at second
priority no matter how much more worthy she is. The
society at present, especially those in the rural areas need
to be educated on the subject matter regarding the
position and importance of women in society. Women
have every right to be a part of the socio-economic,
regional and cultural context. Women education opens the
gate to new frontiers like More representation in Politics,
reduced poverty , awareness etc.
It’s only with education that women can be made aware
of their rights. For many centuries, women suffered
inequality and were confined to the four walls of their home
in the Indian society. Today, they have many rights and it’s
important for them to be aware of these rights. An educated
woman not just knows her rights but also knows how to
protect them.
References ~
1. Gender and Deprivation: A Theme Revisited with a
Geographical Perspective - Saraswati Raju
2. Women’s health in India – Swaniti initiative
3. WHO Women’s health, 2016
4. Census of INDIA , 2011

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GENDER DEPRIVATION

“EDUCATION AND HEALTH”

SUBMITTED BY – THANGHOULIEN LIENTHANG

“Progress is more plausibly judged by

ABSTRACT : A rough analysis and research on the position of

WOMEN AND HEALTH

It has been established without doubt that there exists

FINDINGS : The low status and subsequent discrimination against

2. Women’s health in India – Swaniti initiative

3. WHO Women’s health, 2016

4. Census of INDIA , 2011

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