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GENDER DISPARITY IN SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES AND RUSSIA
Sukhareva I. A., Tretiakova O. S., Ria
Department of Public Health, Medical, Academy named after S. I Georgievsky, "V. I Vernadsky Crimean Federal University", 295006, 5/7, Lenin Avenue, Simferopol, Republic of Crimea.
Для корреспонденции: Сухарева Ирина Александровна, кандидат медицинских наук, доцент кафедры общественного здоровья и здравоохранения Медицинской академии имени С. И. Георгиевского, ФГАОУ ВО «Крымский федеральный университет имени В. И. Вернадского», E-mail: sukhareva_irina@mail.ru
For correspondence: Sukharev/а Irina Aleksandrovna, PhD, Associate Professor of Department of Public Health, Medical Academy named after S.I. Georgievsky of Vernadsky CFU, E-mail: sukhareva_irina@mail.ru
Information about author:
Sukhareva I. A., http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4266-3297 Tretiakova O. S., http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2476-0624
ГЕНДЕРНОЕ НЕРАВЕНСТВО В РЯДЕ СТРАН АЗИИ И В РОССИИ
Сухарева И. А., Третьякова О. С., Риа
РЕЗЮМЕ
В статье освещены различные аспекты гендерного неравенства в ряде стран (Индия, Китай, Бангладеш, Пакистан, Россия). Во всех странах имеет место дискриминация по полу, проявляющаяся в различных формах. Так, в Индии гендерное неравенство в отношении женщин реализуется в виде патриархальных семей, нежелания рождения детей женского пола, отсутствия возможностей для образования, нищенского существования женщин, низким уровнем инвестиций в здоровье женщин на уровне семьи. Жизнь женщин в Пакистане проходит по критическому социальному сценарию, и женщины изо всех сил стараются получить свои права во всех сферах жизни, где доминируют мужчины и практикуется система Вани. В Китае, как и в Бангладеш, распространенным проявлением дискриминации является принудительная проституция, сексуальные домогательства и изнасилования, в основе которых лежат экономические, социально-культурные и религиозные причины. Отмечено, что Азия - это континент, на котором дискриминация по признаку пола является традицией. В России неравенство по полу проявляется в некотором ограничении карьерного роста, а также домашнем насилии женщин. Устранение дискриминации, расширение прав и возможностей женщин, а также интеграция женщин в основные виды экономической деятельности наряду с мужчинами является одним из приоритетных направлений государственной политики любого цивилизованного государства.
Ключевые слова: насилие, женщины, общество, профилактика
GENDER DISPARITY IN SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES AND RUSSIA
Sukhareva I. A. , Tretiakova O. S., Ria
Medical Academy named after S. I. Geargievsky CFU, Simferopol, Russia
SUMMARY
This article is about gender biasness seen commonly in India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Russia in different aspects. Gender is a common term where as gender discrimination is meant only for women, because females are the only victims of gender discrimination. In India, gender disparity against women includes patriarchal family settings, ignorance of female children at birth, lacking of opportunities for education, dowry system, poverty among women, less investment for women's health care in the household. Women in Pakistan are living in critical social scenario and struggling to gain its level role and rights in all spheres of life as it is male dominated society and Vani system is practiced. Regarding to the reasons and the origin of gender inequality, it can be seen that Asia would be the place where gender discrimination has seemed to be a «tradition». Economics, social-cultural and religious reasons for gender discrimination in China where as in Bangladesh, the common cause is forced prostitution, sexual harassment and rape. In Russia, inequality is seen in workplace and women abuse. Promotion of gender, women's empowerment, and women's integration in the mainstream economic activities along with men are given top most priority by the government and the policy makers as well.
Key words: violence, women, society, prevention.
With the development of the economy and implementation of the current family planning policy, Asian's fertility rate has declined over the past several decades. Intensive son preference and discrimination against girls have always been a part of Chinese and Indian culture, but the decline in fertility has been paralleled by dramatic concurrent rise in sex ratio at birth computed as male births per 100 female births and excess girl child mortality. This has led to a phenomenon of Asian society's "missing girls" known as Gendercide (refers to the deliberate extermination of persons of a particular sex), which not only violates girls' rights of survival,
participation and development, but also produces a dangerously imbalanced sex ratio, as well as numerous demographic and social problems [1,16].
Gender discrimination refers to the practice of granting or denying rights or privileges to a person based on their gender. In some societies, this practice is longstanding and acceptable to both genders. It is viewed as a problem normally encountered by females. Forms of gender discrimination: education, sex selective abortion, honor killing, domestic violence, work and payment, sports, politics. To compare the sex discrimination in different Asian countries and to know about the trends,
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causes and consequences of the Asia's recent population dynamics which has been unexpected "masculinization"-reasons behind increasing proportion of males in its population. Gender situation has been changing over last two decades due to considerable economic transition and social change. Although progress has been made in many spheres of social life of women, they still receive less investment for health care, education and intellectual development. Low literacy rate among the women of age group (15-49) enhance the ratio of child marriage and adolescent motherhood. In the long run, it is found that high maternal mortality ratio in the country is attributed to early marriage, women malnutrition, lacking of access to and use of medical services and lacking of knowledge and information.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The sources of data for this article were health statistics of WHO and official report of ministry of Public health in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Russia. We have used methods of descriptive and comparative statistics.
RESULTS
Within an overall sex ratio stable - close to 105 throughout the time from 1950 until 2015. In
2015, the estimated overall sex ratio was of 106.98 males per 100 females in India [2], as against 107.69 in China, 105.75 in Pakistan and 102.12 in Bangladesh- four countries that accounted for 43 % of the world's population in 2015 [3,4].
In Asia, the child ratio recorded as a slight increase over the past half century- from 105 in the mid- 1950s to 108 in 2015. In 2015 survey, India ranks 42nd in sex ratio in overall Asia, China ranks 43 th, Pakistan ranks 41st and Bangladesh ranks 30th. What have recently changed in Asia are the overall age patterns of sex discrimination: but there is now a deep change affecting the new generations at the bottom of the age pyramid. The sex ratio at birth (SRB) should lie within a range of 105-106. China's most recent SRB estimate is above 108 [2]. India and Pakistan is in an intermediate position. Bangladesh is below the average.
In India, gender disparity in the Indian society has existed for generations. The sole reason for this disparity culture of India which involves dowry system, child marriage, preference of men over women in almost every field etc. The mentality framed is such that women are still considered as a burden to the family. Females in India are 42.6 % whereas males account about 57.4% [5] (fig. 1).
i; Percentage of females ^ Percentage of mules
Figure 1. Sex ratio in different Asian countries and Russia (United Nations, 2014)
Politics of son preference over female child is one of the main reasons that contribute to promotion of gender discrimination because parents think sons carry on the family name, inherit family property [6]. Especially in backward areas women are still being exploited and even killed. Fundamental rights are denied. Increasing number of rape cases and sexual harassment against women. One from every three women has experienced violence in marital life [7]. Physical abuse of Indian women is high ranging from 22-60% in different spheres of life. 71.5 % increase in cases of torture and dowry deaths from 1991-2013 [8].
45% of Indian women are slapped, kicked or beaten by their husbands. Also in many organizations and places women are paid less when compared to men for the same job. This is a major factor as female gets suppressed as she does not earn as men do. In India, pre-natal sex selection and infanticide accounted for the prenatal termination and death of half a million girls per year over the last 20 years. Dowry system is still practiced today - it is the money given in the form of shelter to bride at the time of marriage so that she is well maintained by the bride groom. And those who fail to pay dowry either daughter are ill treated or they
finally commit suicide [9]. Widows are still ill treated. They are condemned to a life of great agony shaving their heads, living in isolation, shunned from the society. 1 crime against women seen every 3 minutes ,1 molestation case - every 15 minutes,1 rape - every 20 minutes , 1 sexual harassment case - every 53 minutes , 1 dowry death - every 77 minutes are seen. Female Feticide - it is estimated that more than 10 million female fetuses have been illegally aborted
in India (fig.2). Pre-natal sex-determination was banned in India in 1994, under the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Technique Act. But there are still instances of killing of female child before birth, especially in rural areas of the country. Female feticide has led to an increase in human trafficking. In 2013, 15,000 Indian women were bought and sold as brides in areas where feticide has led to a lack of women (fig. 2).
Figure 2. Comparison of influence of various parameters on gender discrimination in different Asian
countries and Russia.
In China, there are 3 causes of gender discrimination: proximal causes- female infanticide, under reporting and misreporting of female infants and sex selective abortion of female fetus; conditional causes- economically women are dependent on men, women are meant to be married and take care of home and elders while men are meant to work and earn for family; fundamental causes- the patrilineal strict family system (child belongs to father's lineage) vests responsibilities upon male descendants for economic, social-cultural and religious functions [10]. The one-child policy, a part of the family planning policy, was a population planning policy of China [11]. In 1979 the authorities tightened their control and limited households to only one child. The goal of this policy was to limit China's population to 1.2 billion by the year 2000. But it was unsuccessful so two child policy was implemented on 1st January, 2016. It is a government-imposed limit of two children allowed per family or the payment of government subsidies only to the first two children. The discrimination against girls before they are even born has created a far greater problem than the initial problem it was intended to solve. As girls are denied the right to even live, the population of China suffers as a whole. Tradition will inevitably change as societal and familial roles differ.
In Pakistan a social system is one in which men hold power over women. A woman's story of hardship starts before her birth. In most villages, she is not a
"wanted" child. People prefer a male child over a female child. When a girl child is young, her father decides for her: decisions ranging from education to marriage. After marriage her husband decides on her behalf. Multiple forms of violence against women include rape, domestic abuse, murder, mutilation, burning, disfiguring faces by acids, torture, etc. In Pakistani society women are in high demand in the labor force because they are paid less and can raise profit margin [12]. According to Dave Berry "What a country needs to do is to be fair to all its citizens whether people are of a different ethnicity or gender". Education system is badly affected - only 18% of Pakistani women have received 10 years or more of schooling. Literacy Rate -two-third of the 775 million illiterate are women. Primary School Ratio- boys: girls 10: 4 (fig. 2). At least 160 women have been attacked this year alone in Pakistan, and one woman recounts her story of how she was left in agony after being attacked- for being a rape victim (fig.2). Although these religious and cultural barriers still keep women away from the workforce, studies have shown that women-only entrepreneurial training that allows participants to develop capital and competences, can break these down. Programs such as this can go a long way in an Islamic social-cultural context to develop tolerance and understanding [13].
In Bangladesh, each from every 3 girls does not live to see her 15 th birthday. Females are victimized more than males during childhood. Violence in
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Bangladesh ranges from acid throwing, physical and psychological torture, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, trafficking, forced prostitution, coerced suicide and murder [14]. 1069 women was victim of rape in 2013 and 72 of them being murders (fig.2). In 2014, Bangladesh was ranked 146 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index and 112 out of 146 countries surveyed on the gender inequality index (fig.1). The literacy of the male children was 49.5% and for female it was 40.1% in 2012 which has been increased to 65.77% for male and 60.68% for female in 2015 (fig.2). The percentage of employed male and female has increased to 68.3% and 22.9% in 2013 from 67.5% and 15.2% in 2010 at the national level [3, 15]. In politics, women occupy only 2% of the parliamentary seats. Less than 1% of cabinet members are women [16]. Only 7.9% of civil servants are women, but only 7.9% at decision making levels. Only 20% members of local government are women. There is only one woman in Supreme Court and the numbers of judges constitute only 1% as compare to their male.
In Russia, the gender discrimination still existed at the workplace. The women often being discriminate from the men because the women constitute the most expensive part of the workplace. Furthermore, the employers also need to pay for the childcare and to let them to take off when their children are sick. For the employers, this will make them to make more expenses and is hard for the women workers to focusing on their job. Next problem seen is Women abuse. Besides, in Russia there are not enough infrastructures for care of the elderly compare to other developing country. So, to them the woman should stay at home and taking care of the house chores and looking after the children which they say is the obligation of the women. At this point, it tells that the women cannot compete with the men in an equal basis. Woman's rights activists, lawyers and even government officials recognize that violence against women is prevalent in Russia. Spousal abuse, in particular, is not only widespread but also largely accepted. Official statistics indicate that every fifth person killed in Russia is killed by a spouse, and the majority of those killed by their spouses are women (fig.2). In 2016, SRB- 1.06 male/female whereas infant mortality rate total: 6.9 deaths/1,000; male: 7.7 deaths/1,000; female: 6 deaths/1,000 (fig.1) According to a nation-wide Russian survey, women estimate the probability of having their 2nd birth over the next 3 years to be 40% higher and 3rd birth over 66% higher accordingly if the state offers additional support for families apart from the current policies (fig.2).
DISCUSSION
This article tells about the reasons of injustice happening to women in our society and we did comparison of different Asian countries and Russia.
Opinions continue to be divided as it bothers a lot on religious, moral, ethical, political, legal, social and financial views. Multiple causes for gender inequality in different fields like lack of education, work and payment, etc. Since the early 1980's, the availability of ultrasound and other diagnostic technologies which can detect the sex of fetus has in some parts of the world led to an accelerated increase in sex-ratio imbalances at birth. According to WHO, imbalanced sex ratios are an unacceptable manifestation of gender discrimination against girls and women and a violation of their human rights (2013). Egregious gender inequality still exists globally despite of substantial national and international measures that have been taken towards gender equality. Measures of gender equality include access to basic education, health and life expectancy, equality of economic opportunity, and political empowerment. Although there have been evident progresses, many alarming issues regarding gender discrimination still prevail today; therefore, total gender equality must be made a global priority as a fundamental step in both human development and economic progress. The degree and causes of gender inequality vary throughout the world. Noticeable crimes against women consist of violence, feticide, and rape typically war rape, honor killing, one such offense, is when a female member of a family is killed for the perception of having brought dishonor to the family. It has become a massive issue in countries such as Pakistan and India, and is on the rise. Sex-selective abortion is yet another major disaster of gender inequality as it fuels human trafficking, demographic imbalance, and sexual exploitation. India and China, the two most populated nations on Earth, both informally maintain this practice of preference for male child birth over female. Females are undervalued in Chinese society, and under one child policy, families opt for boys over girls. In China, with approximately 32 million more boys than girls under the age of 20, females are widely viewed as weaker, more expensive, and less intelligent than men. This gender imbalance has caused a ratio of 126 boys to 100 girls among the 1-4 age groups. Similarly, in India the birth of a boy is welcomed while that of a girl is viewed as a burden. Undoubtedly, sex-selection is a violation of the right to life and has distorted the natural sex ratios of 50 men are to 50 women in countries in which it is practiced. National and international measures are at work but they are not sufficient to minimize and eliminate gender inequality.
In India, the Prevention of Immoral Traffic, the Dowry Prevention Act and the Sati Act aim to prevent widow burning [17]. Indeed, China and India are both fighting feticide and infanticide. By providing financial assistance to families with girls, India is not only encouraging female education, but also supplying parents with financial aid for their daughter's dowry. Meanwhile, China has taken strides to limit the
abuse of modern technology by outlawing the use of ultrasound or gender detection methods. Moreover, they have granted parents who have a female child another chance at birthing a son in the hopes that families will not abandon, abort, or murder their female infant. The evidence of gender discrimination is rooted in history, tradition and culture. Gender inequality is a highly debilitating stigma and leads to detriments of women psychology of their worth and dignity to themselves and to society. The remedy would have to emanate from the cultural tradition of citizen; accordingly, the collaboration of local communities, institutions, national authorities and international bodies is essential to influencing change and promoting the value of women. They all must act in concert with respect to communication, education, leadership, and cultural norms and traditional values in order to shift the attitude and mindset of the population in favor of gender equality by respecting mothers, daughters, sisters who are equal partners in all spheres. Moral values have to be taught in primary education. If the respect towards women is taught to them from very beginning, they would be carried lifelong. This can be done by the change in curriculum of primary education. Rather than it being learning based, moral values are something which can be taught and practically applied as well. Changing mindset of people especially elderly people, because they had formed a certain stereotype regarding the women thinking them just as commodity, not a being. Girls are often taken as liability on a family right from the day she is born. Self-defense techniques should be taught to girls of all age's right from the time they are in school. Helpline services with specialized counselors and active management regarding that which could be done by privatizing these services. Privatizing or commercializing the security services will increase security for women and make their own city a better city to live at any time. Increasing women employment, raise awareness against child abuse and violence, promoting non-governmental organizations (NGO's) to eradicate gender inequality. Women empowerment programs should be inducted. Strict government laws in action. In Russia, women abuse and discrimination in field of working is commonly seen. Not only society is responsible for gender inequality, even the common people are responsible for such a cause.
CONCLUSION
Analysis of gender disparity in women in some Asian countries and Russia is very important because many countries have various programs, women organizations, empowerment schemes, NGO's and strict laws made by government which will be helpful in reducing women violence.
Conflict of interest. The authors declare didn't conflict of interest
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