Gender: Problems and Policies (Hardbound-2009)

The Indian Constitution ensures gender equality as a fundamental right, and even empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. Besides making several policies for the empowerment of women, India has ratified various international conventions and human rights instruments to secure equal rights to women. Notwithstanding, a wide gap exists between the envisaged goals and the reality regarding the status of women in India. There is thus an urgent need for improving the access of women to resources of development so that they can realize their potential and actively participate in society’s progress. It is necessary to understand various aspects of gender discrimination in India and the multitudes of problems the women are facing in the country. Gender: Problems and Policies is comprised of papers contributed by erudite scholars in the field of gender inequalities. Various issues concerning the status of women in India have been studied in the context of globalisation and the radical changes it has brought in our society. The book analyses practical aspects like housing rights; tradition of patriarchal practice of Indian democracy; provision of adequate funds in municipal budgets for the upliftment of urban poor women; gender dynamics operating in the economy; and major roadblocks in the way of expansion of women’s education in India. In addition, the book contains National Policy for Empowerment of Women giving its objectives, policy prescriptions and operational strategies. It also apprises the readers of “Ujjawala”— a scheme for prevention of trafficking of women and rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of sexual exploitation. Other features of the book include articles of Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention and Redressal) Bill, 2004. The book is of paramount importance for understanding the problems of gender inequalities in India. It will be useful to students and researchers in social science, policymakers, women’s organisations and those concerned with the equality and empowerment of women in India.

K.R. Gupta is a well-known Economist. He has published over a dozen of books and more than hundred papers in reputed journals, being published in India and abroad. He had been teaching postgraduate classes and guiding research for about two decades in the University of Jammu and Kurukshetra University. He has also worked as an Economist in private as well as in public sector. His last assignment was as Economic Advisor to the Modi Enterprises.