Gender has been my study of interest as well as my interest of study for quite a long time. This interest has been accelerated after my PhD being completed on a subject the central concern of which was also 'gender inequality". Again during the taking up of a publication project edited by me in 2009 and in course of writing a number of papers on gender inequality my interest in respect of the same was brushed up as well as transformed into a regular intellectual exercise with a view to study the subject of gender inequality as pedagogy. But in the event of the cruel incident of mass rape of NIRBHAYA in Delhi on 16th December, 2012, I was so heart-rendered having emerged in deep sorrow that a thought of fighting gender inequality intellectually (what I can do) came to my mind and I started preparing the manuscript of the book. The present book is the result of such interest, transformation and resolution to fight.
As a sincere writer and as a student of gender study with un-ending interest I was always keen on knowing and addressing the different issues of gender inequality both from theoretical and practical standpoint. Theoretical understanding of the differential education, differential socialization and differential treatment for the sexes makes clear as to why and how the notion of inequality expresses itself through various social incidents and practices in reality. Incidents of gender violence are growing faster all over the world. So many news of different types of tortures over women is being regularly reported both in print and electronic media. The situation is so much grave that a sensible person can obviously pose the question as to why and how long women will have to pay the cost of just being 'women'? If democracy means space for 'people' then why women are not freely offered their space due for being properly addressed in respect of gender treatment? This book is aimed at searching the possible answers of these questions.
There are a number of a new observations, proposals and critical reviews in different chapters of the book along with the subjects and statements already in use during the academic interpretation of the problem of gender inequality. The chapter on gender socialization and the chapter on roots of gender inequality are perhaps likely to record a newer contribution in respect of the theoretical discourse of the subject. Two chapters on gender violence will inevitably compel the readers to count and calculate the gravity of the situation. However I earnestly believe that readers are the best judges of a book. So my labor will get a meaning only when the book will satisfy the readers ultimately and will inspire the millions of victims to fight against all odds involving gender.
My wife and my daughter have always been a source of inspiration with respect to writing, especially when it is a record of my tear, pain and a tribute to NIRBHAYA. Partha, one of my younger friends, helped me in the formatting of the word document file. Mr. K. K. Bagchi of KP Bagchi & company came forward to publish this book. I extend my heartiest thanks to him.
Gender Inequality has been the most widely debated social problem in India and legal, administrative and political challenge as well for all governments in India, State or Centre. Democracy, being the champion of the ideology of equality at least in political and social context, cannot be the ideal form of government without curbing the negative practices of all forms of social exclusion. Gender inequality being the crudest form of social exclusion throws always a challenge to democracy and hence the constitutional, legal and administrative arrangements of a democratic country must address the issue of gender inequality both from theoretical and from the practical point of view. Addressing the issue of gender inequality from the theoretical point of view is always guided by the need to focus the intrinsic principles of democracy such as Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Addressing gender inequality from practical viewpoint is very necessary since the problem of gender inequality can by itself cause a failure to all plans and projects of development initiated by the government. Gender inequality not only curbs empowerment of the women but it also increases the administrative costs and the costs towards meeting the health hazards coming out of the mistreatment of the women which often takes the form of violence against women in and outside the family. Judged from the financial standpoint, gender inequality causes a heavy loss to human resource by increasing mortality rate of women, by causing forced pregnancy or forced abortion, by arresting the openness of the system to use the talent of women in public sector and by shunning a large stock of women from the realm of education. Given the angle of human rights approach gender inequality is considered as the most inhuman kind of discrimination incompatible in all senses again in the format of democracy. Thus there is no denying the fact that without properly addressing gender inequality democratic ideals can hardly be achieved and the dream of gender equality will remain a myth forever. So this must have inspired this author to have a close look at this issue from a multi-dimensional approach.
Area of the Study.
The area of the study is not very limited in the sense that this book has initiated a theoretical debate as well as a practical application of the problem of gender inequality in society, politics and culture. Broadly the area of the study is divided into three categories namely: concept, culture and movement. Conceptually the book seeks to examine all the theoretical complications attached with the issue of gender inequality and has attempted to study gender inequality in calculation of its nature, content and insurmountable effects of the problem on the society. In the discussion under the category of culture this book has focused the means and methods of legitimizing and justifying the problem of gender inequality through cultural practices like folk song, folk literature etc. This book also seeks to examine the gender perception of the state of India that affects its political culture by which constitutional resolutions and legal arrangements of the state are guided. In the discussion over the category of movement this book throws light on the aspect of resistance, both in theory and practice, against gender inequality and thus the study comes to depict the ways by which the menace of gender inequality can be challenged, combated and permanently resolved.
Geographically the study is mostly limited to the national area i.e. India although some of the theoretical discussion includes the global situation also.
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