THE GLOBALIST QUIZ The Status of India’s Women

The weekly quiz is provided by the Globalist, a daily online feature service that covers issues and trends in globalization. The nonpartisan organization provides commercial services and nonprofit educational features.

QUESTION

At over 630 million, the number of women in India is about as large as the populations of the United States, Mexico, Japan and Spain combined. We wonder: Which of the following statements about India’s women are true?

ANSWER

A. Their education has improved recently B. Indian women have held high posts in government C. Economic opportunities remain limited for many women D. Violence against women is an ongoing emergency

A. Their education has improved recently ... is correct.

Around one-third of all Indian women are illiterate, as of the 2011 national census – an improvement from one-half in the prior census. This compares with a ratio of less than one in five men who are illiterate in India. The past decade and a half saw significant improvements in girls’ education in India. Back in 2000, a mere 37.1 percent of India’s girls were enrolled in secondary education – a number 15 percentage points below that of boys. By 2013, for the first time ever, female enrollment in secondary education surpassed male enrollment, reaching about 69 percent each. At a university level, women made up 89 students for every 100 male students, as of 2011.

B. Indian women have held high posts in government ... is correct.

Just 12 percent of the seats in India’s parliamentary lower house – 62 of 543 elected members – are held by women. This is the highest figure in the history of Indian democracy. India has previously had both a female prime minister (Indira Gandhi, first elected in 1966) and a female president (Pratibha Patil, elected in 2007). Indian states have also elected women as Chief Ministers, a position equivalent to a U.S. state governor. Women have served in key leadership roles within the largest two parties. The current prime minister, Narendra Modi, appointed more women to his cabinet than any prior government had. They cover a wide array of portfolios.

C. Economic opportunities remain limited for many women ... is correct.

Women are largely left out of the formal labor force, with a participation rate of just 25.8 percent among women/girls 15 or older, compared to 74.4 percent among men. Even though the gap among young people (ages 1524) is smaller, it is still significant: 17.5 percent for young women versus 49.5 percent of young men. One key development is the emergence of female call center employees working night shifts in India’s major cities. This has transformed cultural norms concerning young women and their independence at night in the city.

D. Violence against women is an ongoing emergency ... is correct.

Even though Indian laws require a woman to be at least 18 years old at the time of marriage, 47 percent of girls in India are still married before they reach the age of 18. Even threats of fines and imprisonment have proven ineffective to change the practice. Married teenage girls in India also face a higher risk of attacks from their husbands than women who did not get married until after age 18. One positive development is that the birth rate among teenage women in India fell to 38.5 percent in 2009. That is down markedly from 52.1 percent in 1999. Globally, pregnancy is one of the leading causes of death for teenage girls. Recent years have seen mounting public protests against law enforcement inaction on sexual abuse and rape in India.