Women in a Man’s World: Unrecognised and Undervalued?

Evolution is a natural phenomenon, but what happens when the social structure builds itself in such a way which is discriminatory for almost half the population of the society? Often the primary barriers that women face are socio-economic, legal and cultural in nature. From ages, women have been assigned a subordinate status coupled with inferior roles in the society, prohibiting and restricting their right to equality and choice. What is absent from the society, is “inclusivity”, inclusivity for women in the society which is predominantly male and where women are regarded as the 2nd gender. Angelica Fuentis, a Mexican entrepreneur and philanthropist, and above all a woman, said “Gender parity is not just good for women - it is good for the society”. In a developing country like India, we see an annual increase in violence against women, female foeticide, infanticide, son-preference, and dowry harassment, all of which is still rampant in the rurals. The societal institutions have emerged and evolved in a way, which inherently places women in a vulnerable position, exposing them to exploitation and even if women manage to overcome these barriers, their work and contribution in the society is constantly unrecognised and undervalued. For the sake of development, the human rights of women have to be unleashed and their constant violation at every social junction has to be mitigated. There is a need of a society which not only believes in equality between men and women, but also in an environment where women can break off their shackels of social perceptions and live freely. Only then can we envision growth