Munish Garg, Advocate at Kaithal Bar Association, Haryana
Aditya Kundu, Law student at National Law University, Delhi.
ABSTRACT
Gender equality is not just a theoretical issue, it also has practical implications. India has fared poorly in almost every gender equality index, but in the past decade, it has made some commendable changes in reducing gender inequality. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only brought healthcare and economy-related challenges but has also affected the status of women in society. Women are one of the most underprivileged and unacknowledged sections of society, without whom there cannot be any possible development or even the sustenance of what little we have achieved. Through the course of this paper, it will be demonstrated how COVID has affected the lifestyle of women, ranging from economic hardships in the form of retrenchment and disguised unemployment to societal impacts i.e., the changing role of women in rural households as well as the rising domestic violence against women and girls. Further insight is also provided in the Sustainable Development Goal report by NITI Aayog to show the contemporary levels of gender equality in different regions and states of India.
Increasing Gender inequality due to the COVID-19 pandemic is not a myth but an imminent reality of contemporary times in India and throughout the world and some constructive steps need to be taken if we want half of our population to be on equal footing with the rest.
Keywords: COVID-19, Gender Discrimination, Unpaid care, Crime against women, Sociological perspectives
