The WEF’s gender gap report should make us want to hang our heads in collective shame

Here’s yet another proof, if ever one were needed, that the negative impact of Coronavirus continues to be felt across strata. Apart from the blindingly obvious truth that the virus has claimed lakhs of lives and crores of livelihoods, besides forcing several industrial establishments to shut down their operations and making migrant labourers trudge back to their native places to lead a life full of drudgery, it has also made the already-poor condition of women in the country more pitiable. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Global Gender Gap Report 2021 has underlined the appalling state of the ‘fair sex’ in India, thus removing any element of shock that might have emanated from the devastating fact that our country has fallen 28 places to the 140th spot among 156 countries since last year. To experience a clearer picture of the kind of life women in India face, just absorb these facts: India is the third worst performer in South Asia, better than only Pakistan and Afghanistan, while Bangladesh at position 65 is the region’s best performer. The Nordic countries are among the best performers on the index, with Iceland being the most gender-equal country in the world for the 12th time.

Though there is no denying that the health emergency and the related economic downturn have impacted women more severely than men, partially re-opening gaps that had already been closed, the sad home truth is also that another generation of women will have to await their turn for gender parity. India has constantly been slipping in this sphere where, having had a female Prime Minister decades ago and a female President reaching the office even before than in the US, we should have had made significant gains, seeing the all-round progress India’s women have made across fields: Astronomy, medical sciences, sports, entrepreneurship, politics and now even armed forces, among others. We are long past the time that, as a nation, we didn’t overlook the situation and, rather than behaving like the proverbial ostrich, made all-round sincere efforts, individually and societally, to remedy the nagging problem. Don’t give them more than what they deserve, perhaps, but don’t hand it over as dole or benevolence. Let’s just start giving them their due, honestly. Then the day will actually not be far when we, as a nation, can really mean it when we say: “Mhaari chhoriyan chhoron se kum hain ke!”