Gender Equity Contemporary Population Issue .ppt

gender equity

1. Contemporary Population Issues
WOMEN in
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT

2. Lecture Outline
What is Gender Equity?
Gender Equity in Fertility Transition
Changing Status Of Women
Indices of Gender Development
A Case Study of Bangladesh
International Indices of Gender
Differentials

3. GENDER EQUITY ??
Mason[1997] –“the socially
constructed expectations for male
& female behaviour that are found
in every known human society…[It]
prescribes a division of labour and
responsibilities between men and
women and grant different rights &
obligations to them”.

4. The Feminist Paradox
ICPD [1994] placed issues of Gender on
agenda –“higher levels of gender equity are
a necessary component in the achievement
of lower fertility.
McDonald [2000] –“very low fertility in
advanced countries today is the outcome of a
conflict between high levels of gender equity
in individual-oriented social institutions &
sustained gender inequity in family-oriented
social institutions”.
“FEMINIST PARADOX” …**

5. Gender Equity &
Fertility Transition
1.Fertility in a society falls as a result of
the cumulative actions of individual
women & men to prevent births.
2.Sustained lower Fe in any society will
lead to fundamental changes in the
nature of women’s lives.
3.In pre-transition societies, high Fe
was[is]socially determined, not
naturally determined.

6. Gender Equity &
Fertility Transition [contd]
4.The transition from high Fe to Fe
around replacement level is
accompanied by an increase in gender
equity within the institution of the family.
5When gender equity rises to high levels
in individual-oriented institutions while
remaining low in family oriented
institutions, Fe will fall to very low
levels.
[McDonald 2000]

7. The Family Organisation
in Gender Equity
Family organisation is a vital aspect of
Cultural Identity.
Family organisation is protected from radical
change by an idealized family morality, a
moral conservatism that is often enshrined in
the prevailing religion. Radical changes occur
only through changes in political power or
attitudes of those in power.
[McDonald, 2000].

8. Fig 1: Demographic Components of the
Changing Status of Women

9. Useful INDICES
Sex Ratio
Life Expectancy at Birth
Total Fertility Rate
Contraceptive Use
Literacy Gender Parity Index
Labour Force Participation Ratio
Prevalence of HIV
Women in Decision Making

10. Female-Male Gaps in
Bangladesh
Indicators Females as % of Males
Lo [1992] 99-100
Population [1992] 94
Adult Female Literacy[1992] 51
Years of Schooling[1992] 29
Enrolment Rates[1990]
primary 86
secondary 50
tertiary 27
Economically active Women[1994] 73
Source: Human Development Reports, 1994 & 1995

11. Bangladesh case study
Overall Profile of Human
Development
Population [1995] 119.3m
Growth Rate 2.4%
People in absolute Poverty 93.2m[78%]
P with NO access to…
Health Services 62m[52%]
Safe Water 18m [15%]
Sanitation
77.8m[65%]
Life Expectancy at Birth 55 yrs
Adult Literacy rate 36.4%
Low Birth Weight Babies 34%
IMR[per thousand] 108
Underweight Children* 66%
Under 5 Mo Rate [per thousand] 164

12. Bangladesh case study
Health as a Gender
Differential
Many of the HEALTH problemsin WOMEN
have their root in childhood.
Due to Son preferencegirls suffer nutritional
neglect & receive less attention when sick.
Chronic malnutrition–Girls 59% [Boys56%].
Child Mo –Girls exceed Boys by 11%.
Preferential foodallocation to Males
irrespective of economic class.
77% of pregnant womenfrom middle
income HH & 95%+ from low HH, weigh less
than standard 50kg.

13. Bangladesh case study
Mortality as a Gender
Differential
Maternal Mo Rate [MMR] = 600 per thousand live
births
Only 5% of the births attended by trained health
personnel [UNDP].
Women unable to reduce their ‘working time’ even
during pregnancy.
Why High MMR?
Young age
Frequent pregnancies
Precarious state of nutrition*
Unhygienic Abortions**

14. Bangladesh case study
VIOLENCE against
WOMEN
Violence-Result of acute unemployment,
economic distress, family conflicts.
Laws for protection since 1960.
1980-Cruelty to Women Act –higher
penalties imposed.
But little effect…More than 50% of murders of
women in Bangladesh committed by present or
former partners.
Women from lower classes suffer from anxiety,
neurosis & depressions.
Rape has tragic social consequences on
Women.*

15. “Honour” Killings
At 15 she was raped by three men, then married
off to an older cousin who divorced her shortly after.
She fell in love with a man who knew her story, &
though his family opposed the match, they ran away
& married. Three weeks later, police found them &
brought them back. Girl was held in prison “for her
own safety”. Cousin arrived to release her, signing a
contract promising that the family would pay 5000
Jordinian dinars [$13,000] if they killed her. Father
drove her to a forest & slit her throat. He spent 3 yrs
in prison for killing in the name of “honour”.
On average every 2 weeks in Jordan a woman is
murdered for losing her chastity, whether it is her fault
or not. “Honour” killings have been committed for
centuries in Jordan.
[Source: The Weekend Australian, Sept. 8-9 2001]

16. Bangladesh case study
EDUCATION as a Gender
Differential
POVERTY main reason why families fail to enrol Girls
in School. Duties at Home take precedence.
Extra Income plays only a secondary role in demand
for Girls in labour market & most have to work as
unpaid labour.
Social & religious norms make parents openly hostile
to educating girls.
Marriage Prospects, Early Marriage
Good Reputation, esp. after puberty
Shortage of Female Teachers, Female amenities
@ school
Inadequate incentives to induce poor to send girls
[food, clothing, scholarships]

17. Bangladesh case study
Institution of MARRIAGE
Early Marriage –reflects low status & low educational
attainment.
Favours high fertility & high Maternal Mo.
Av age Girls marry 16.4[1970];18[1990].
According to Muslim code of religious law girls should
be wedded at puberty. Marriages arranged by Family.
*Age difference between c.7 years now.
Girls considered burden on parental home. But strict
behaviour codes prevents them from taking up paid
work!
1989 Dowry Prohibition Act**
Wife subordinate position in husband’s family. Social
recognition via progeny. ***
Muslim Law and inheritance rights****

18. Bangladesh case study
Legal Status of Women
Patriarchal interpretation of the Law &
Religion.
In Theory both sexes have same Rights under
the Constitution.
BUT –poor education, illiteracy, limited
social & political awareness, duty to
adhere to religious & cultural norms,keep
women from participating in public life.
Inheritance Lawsdiscriminate against
women*.
In the absence of a sonas male heir, most of the
estate passes to the male relatives of the deceased.
This law gives women another strong motivation
to bear many children.

19. Bangladesh case study
The Seclusion of Women
PURDAH –the moral obligation of the woman
to live in seclusion in submission with
modesty.
Limits their mobility to homestead.
Labour force participation 8% [UNDP 1955] &
in food preparation, handicrafts, small
livestock keeping.
Women not allowed to trade in public.
Pre-menopausal women considered a
“danger”.
Reputability of the whole family rests on the
invisibilityof the woman.

20. Family Planning [FP]
FP is a safety net for millions of vulnerable
women & their children.
It permits:
Healthy spacing of children*
Prevents disease spread –HIV/AIDS
Reduces low birth weight babies
Allows longer breast feeding
Prevents unsafe abortions
Averts death from childbirth [maternal Mo]

21. Maternal Mortality
515,000women die every year from maternal causes,
99 percent of them in LDCs[WHO]
In LDCs a woman’s risk of dying from child birth
related causes is 38 times higher than DCs
FP can prevent 25% of all maternal deaths.
Unsafe abortions result in 76 000 deaths @ year,
mostly in LDCs. Results show FP has reduced
abortion rates & Maternal Mo.
Survey show 150m women in LDCs still in need of FP.
Meeting this need could reduce MM by 20%.
ICPD [1994] committed to improving health & survival
of women & children through FP.

22. World Monitors
To be discussed in next WORKSHOP.