Gender Disparity in India : The Nature and Extent

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Review of Literature. 3. Son Preference in India and Tamil Nadu. 4. Characteristics of the Sample respondents in the study are. 5. Determinants of Son Preference in the Kanchipuran and Salem Districts. 6. Summary, findings, suggestions and conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

The word gender refers to the socio-cultural definition of man and woman, the way societies distinguish men and women and assign them social roles. Gender is seen closely related to the roles and behaviour assigned to women and men based on their sexual differences. As soon as a child is born families and society begin the process of gendering. The birth of the son is celebrated, the birth of a daughter filled with pain, sons are showered with love, respect, better food and proper health care. Gender discrimination against women in the market place reduces the available talent in an economy, which has negative economic consequences. Gender discrimination takes many forms. Many social practices seen as normal from a religious or cultural point of view leave women out of the economic mainstream. These social practices have profound economic consequences because they do not allow society to take advantage of the talent inherent in women.

Many developing countries including India have displayed gender inequality in education, employment and health. It is common to find girls and women suffering from high mortality rates and with poor levels of education. India has witnessed gender inequality from its early history due to its socio-economic can religious practices that resulted in a wide gap between the position of men and women in the society. This book examines the nature and extent of gender inequality in the form of son preference which has been taking place in the Indian society even today, though the Government has enacted many affirmative policy interventions to stem the problem. Studies which have attempted to examine various aspects of son preference or to understand the determinants of the same have done so in a uni-dimensional manner, without considering the existing sex ratio in a region. In this background, this book makes an attempt in examining the nature and extent of gender inequality or son preference in two different regions in the state of Tamil Nadu.