‘Empowering women with greater income opportunities will lift societies at a much faster rate.’~ Arancha Gonzalez, ED, International Trade Center.
‘Empowering women in the work force is a key to growing the economy and having a thriving middle class.’ ~ Kirsten Gillbrand, US Senator.
Patriarchy is a social and ideological construct that allots specific roles to men and women. A patriarchal society is one where women do not get the same opportunities as men, where crimes against women are not taken as seriously as those against men and where women’s freedom is restricted and controlled. Patriarchy is a spectrum- it begins with tiny micro-inequalities and goes all the way to rapes and lifelong subjugation. When you dissect it to its core, it is nothing more than a power ploy to fit men and women into straight jackets. It is not cultural, and it certainly is not natural. It evaporates in the glare of a critical economic discussion.
The overall gender paygap in India was 20% in 2017, according to MSI (Monster Salary Index). It found that the gap was narrower in early years of experience. While men with 0-2 years of tenure earned 7.8% higher median wages than women, in tenure group of 6-10 years of experience, the pay gap was 15.3%. However, men with 11 and more years of tenure earned 25% higher median wages than women. men with bachelor’s degree earned on an average 16% higher median wages than women in 2015.
In a patriarchal workplace, maternity breaks are considered a woman’s problem. Career trajectories are essentially crafted using the image of a married man who has a stay-at-home wife/homemaker. Flexibility has no place. Patriarchy demands clear gender based roles and division of labour. Sexual orientations such as LGBTQ that don’t conform to the male-female definitions are an aberration in a patriarchal workplace. There is no space for empathy or sensitivity. A high instance of sexual harrassment, workplace abuse of women, off-colour jokes and sexist remarks reveal that patriarchy is at work. patriarchy is lurking like a ghost.
There are phenomenal gains to be had by every home, every family and the country as a whole, if we free our society from the clutches of the patriarchal biases and provide equitable economic empowerment.
‘Empowering women in the work force is a key to growing the economy and having a thriving middle class.’ ~ Kirsten Gillbrand, US Senator.
Matter Referenced: Times Ascent, Times of India, Ahmedabad, Wednesday, 26th September, 2018, .
By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.
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