Hopes high on closing the gender gap

The condition of women in India is undergoing a sea-change in terms of fighting violence against them and closing the gender gap. This is described by Member of Parliament Tarun Vijay. "Crimes against women are linked to sick minds and have nothing to do with poverty or wealth.

Highest rate of rapes and other crimes against women occur in Britain, the US, Sweden and other developed countries. In India, we too are fighting it with determination," the member of the World Bank Parliamentary Network, said on Sunday.Vijay said that his party is committed to 33 per cent representation of women in Parliament and Assemblies.

"About 49 per cent voters in India are women. Indian democracy survives because of women voters, who play a crucial role in deciding the country';s destiny," he said. The bill, which proposes to reserve one-third of Parliament and state Assembly seats for women, is now being seen as an apt vehicle of electoral reforms, the parliamentarian added.Elaborating on the government';s plan to empower women, he said the focus is on states like Manipur where women have a dominant position in society and the economy.

"We are keeping India safest for women and eliminating the gender gap fully. India will be incomplete without its women."Despite recent progress, women are still a small minority in politics. Gender specific obstacles to participating in political life remain, as well as experience of disproportionate levels of threats, harassment and violence. The glass ceiling has not yet been shattered, but does have some cracks.

Today, about 200 million people globally are unemployed and estimates indicate that 600 million new jobs will be needed worldwide in the next 25 years. In a recent study conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union , India is placed at 111th position in the list of 189 countries having women representatives in Parliament, while Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal have a better record.

By Hadra Ahmed