Social Justice

Social Justice

International Women’s Day 2025

Why in the News?

International Women's Day is celebrated globally on March 8th to honor the achievements of women in various spheres, including cultural, economic, and political fields.

The year 2025 is especially significant as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), a pivotal milestone in advancing women's rights.

What is International Women’s Day?
About: This special day is dedicated to celebrating women's accomplishments while highlighting gender disparities and advocating for women's rights across politics, society, and the economy.
Theme for 2025: "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment."
History: The idea was proposed by German activist Clara Zetkin, and the first celebrations took place in 1911 in the USA and Europe. In 1975, the United Nations officially designated March 8th as International Women's Day.
Purpose: It serves as a platform for discussing important issues such as workplace equality, reproductive rights, and leadership representation. Governments and organizations use this day to promote policies that empower women and combat discrimination.

What is the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action?
About: Adopted at the 4th World Conference on Women in 1995 in Beijing, the BPfA is a crucial framework for advancing women’s and girls' rights, advocating for legal protection, service access, youth engagement, and social change.
India is a signatory to the BPfA.
Areas for Action: The declaration identified 12 key areas requiring urgent action to achieve gender equality, offering strategies to ensure equal opportunities for all.
Beijing+30 Action Agenda: To mark the 30th anniversary (1995–2025), this agenda evaluates and appraises the BPfA’s implementation, focusing on six key areas.

Current Status of Women in India:

• Maternal Health: Institutional deliveries have increased to 95%, contributing to a decline in maternal mortality from 130 to 97 per 100,000 births between 2014 and 2020.
• Modern Contraceptive Use: 56.5% of married women use modern contraceptives, improving reproductive health choices.
• Education & Skills: Programs like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have improved the sex ratio (1020 females per 1000 males as per NFHS - 5) and increased female higher school enrollment by 28% since 2014-15. Vigyan Jyoti (2020) promotes girls’ participation in STEM education, especially in underrepresented areas.
• Financial Inclusion: 100 million women have gained financial access through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), while PMGDISHA has trained 35 million rural women in digital literacy. Gender-responsive budgeting stands at 8.8% (2025-26), with USD 55.2 billion allocated to gender-specific programs.
• Addressing Gender-Based Violence: 770 One Stop Centres offer medical, legal, and psychological support to women victims. In Odisha, a blockchain system provides quick and confidential survivor support.
• Political Representation: The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 ensures 33% legislative representation for women. India leads globally with 1.4 million women in local governance.
• Women in Science & Technology: The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) initiative supports women in STEM, while the G20 TechEquity platform trains young women in emerging technologies.

Challenges to Women’s Empowerment:

• Political Underrepresentation: Women hold only 27% of parliamentary seats, 36% of local government positions, and 28% of management roles, hindering inclusive policy-making.
• Gender-Based Violence: Despite laws against violence in 88% of countries, conflict-related sexual violence has increased by 50% since 2022, with 95% of victims being women and girls.
• Workplace Discrimination: 61% of prime working-age women are employed, compared to 91% of men, earning only 51% of men's income, which deepens inequality.
• Unpaid Care Work: Women spend 2.3 times more daily on unpaid care work than men. By 2050, they will still spend 9.5% more time on such work, limiting educational and employment opportunities.
• Barriers in Education & Food Security: By 2030, 110 million girls and young women may remain out of school, and 24% of women and girls may face food insecurity, while only 44% of nations are improving education and training for them.
• Legal Barriers: In 28 countries, women lack equal rights in marriage and divorce, while 67 countries have no legal protections against gender-based discrimination (UN Women Report).

Way Forward:

• Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Increase funding for women's education, health, finance, and social security, and strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability and impact.
• Strengthening Legal Protection: Eliminate discriminatory laws related to marriage, divorce, property, and labor, while enhancing enforcement of gender violence laws and support for One Stop Centres.
• Economic Empowerment: Ensure women farmers have equal access to land, credit, and resources for food security. Support SHGs and women entrepreneurs with financial literacy, loans, and market access.
• Bridging Workplace Inequality: Encourage flexible work arrangements, parental leave, and workplace childcare to enhance women’s participation in the labor force.

Drishti Mains Question:
Identify the major hurdles in achieving gender equality in India and suggest policy measures to bridge these gaps.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs):
Prelims:
Q. Which of the following gives the ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to countries worldwide? (2017)
(a) World Economic Forum
(b) UN Human Rights Council
(c) UN Women
(d) World Health Organization
Ans: (a)

Mains:
Q.1 “Empowering women is the key to controlling population growth.” Discuss. (2019)
Q.2 Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India? (2015)
Q.3 Male membership needs to be encouraged to make women’s organizations free from gender bias. Comment. (2013)

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