GENDER RELIGION & CASTEPRESENTED BY- SADHNA SHARMAHEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT(POLITICAL SCIENCE)

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DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF LIFE WHERE WOMEN ARE DISCRIMINATED1 Literacy rate among the women is 54% as compared to 76% among men.2 Women are paid less than men, even when both do the same work e.g. in factories, films women are paid less as compare to men.

3 In India, parents prefer to have sons than girls. They find many ways to have the girl child aborted, before birth.4. This decline in the sex ratio. The number of girls per thousand boys in our country is 933.

5. There are reports of various kinds of harassments, exploitation and violence both in rural and urban areas.6. Women are not safe at home even due to harassment and domestic violence.

FEMINIST MOVEMENTFeminist movements are the movements organized by the women organizations for equality for women in personal and family life.

EFFECTS-1a) Pol. Expression of gender division b) political mobilization helped in improving womens role in public life.

2 Now, women are working as scientists, doctors, lawyers, managers, engineers and teachers.3 In countries like Finland ,Norway and Sweden the participation of women in public life is very high.

DEMANDS-1 Equal rights for women in all spheres of life.2 Extension of right to vote.

3. Enhancing political and legal status of women.

4. Improvement in educational and career opportunities for women.

STATUS OF WOMENS REPRESENTATION IN INDIAS LEGISLATIVE BODIES1 In India women participation in political area is very low.2 In Lok Sabha it is not even 10%.3 In State Assembly it is as low as 5%.4 Latin America and Africa women participation is higher than India.

STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE WOMENS REPRESENTATION IN POLITICS 1 It should be legally binding to have fair proportion representation of women in the elected bodies.2 Some seats should be reserved for women in State Assemblies and in lok sabha.

3 Political parties should give proper representation to women members.4 Women participation can be increased by raising the literacy rate.

RELATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS1.Mahatma Gandhi used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. According to him, politics must be guided by ethics, drawn from all religions.

3 Womens Movement have argued that Family Laws of all religions should be same.

2 Human Right Groups have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in country are people from religious minorities. They have demanded that government should take special steps to protect them.

HOW CAN RELIGION INFLUENCE POLITICS

2 Ideas, ideals and values drawn from different religions should play important role in politics.

3 People should be able to express in politics their needs and demands as a member of a religious community.

4 Those who hold political power should be able to prevent discrimination on the basis of religion.

Mahatma Gandhi Believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from all religions.

MEANING OF COMMUNALISMCommunalism is a situation when a particular community tries to promote its own interest at the cost of other communities.

WHEN DOES COMMUNALISM PROBLEM BECOME ACUTE?1 Religion is seen as the basis of the nation.2 When one religion and its followers are discriminated by others.3 When people start believing that belief of their religion is superior than other religions.4. When the state power is used to established the domination of one religion over the others.

MAJOR BELIEFS OF COMMUNAL PEOPLE

1 The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.2 Their fundamental interest should be same.3 people who follow different religions can not belong to the same social community.4 If the followers of different religions have commonalities these are superficial.

IDEAS OF COMMUNAL POLITICS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED1 Most of these beliefs are not true.2 People of one religion dont have the same interests and aspirations in every context.3 Everyone has several other roles, positions and identities.4 There are many voices inside every community.5 All these voices have the right to be heard.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNAL POLITICS-1 PEOPLE OFFEN BELIEVE THAT IDEAS OF THEIR RELIGION ARE SUPERIOR TO THE IDEAS OF OTHER RELIGIONS.2 PEOPLE OF A PARTICULAR RELIGION WANTS MAXIMUM REPRESENTATION OF THEIR RELIGION IN THE POLITICS. THIS TAKES THE FORM OF MAJORITARIAN DOMINANCE.

3 As a result of it people of minority community then demand separate state for themselves.

4 Mobilizing people on communal lines in politics is another form of communal politics. 5 Mobilization is done on the basis of emotional appeals, fear, symbols, religious slogan by leaders etc.

5 In its most ugly form communalism leads to violence. People from various religions are opposite to each other and they use violence to show their religions domination.

EXAMPLE India and Pakistan suffered some of the worst communal riots at the time of partition.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS THAT MAKE INDIA A SECULAR STATE1 There is no official religion for the Indian State.In Sri lanka-BuddhismIn Pakistan- IslamIn England- Christianity2 The Constitution provides to all individual and communities freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion of their own choice.

3 The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.4 It bans Untouchability.

CASTEISM IN INDIA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SOCIETIES1 In India casteism is different from other societies as in India hereditary occupational division was sanctioned by rituals.2 Members of the same occupation married with their caste group and did not eat with the members from other caste group.

MEANING OF CASTEISM- Organizations of people into social groups for the purpose of marriage, work and diet is known as Caste System.

CASTE INEQUALITIES STILL CONTINUED IN INDIA1 Most people marry within their own caste and tribe.2 Despite provision in the constitution untouchability has not ended completely.3 There has been rich and educated people from lower caste also now-a-days but their percentage is much less as compared to upper caste.4. Large mass of low caste people still do not have access to education and have remained illiterate and uneducated.

CASTE ALONE CAN NOT DETERMINE THE ELECTION RESULT1 No State Legislature in the country has a majority of any caste.2 Every caste group has its presence in Parliament.3 It is not necessary that the people of same caste vote for same political party.4 It might happen that there are more than one candidate from one caste and no candidate from other caste.

CASTE SYSTEM IS DISAPPEARING IN INDIASocial reformers like Jotiba Phule, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr.B.R Ambedker ,etc. advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.

The constitution of India prohibits discrimination of any type. It provide equal opportunities to all.The caste system can further be reduced spreading education and by promoting inter-caste marriages.

CASTEISM IN INDIAN POLITICSWhile choosing candidate: When parties choice candidate in elections, they keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate and nominate candidates from different castes so as to get necessary support to win elections.

While forming a government: When the government are formed, political parties usually take care that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.While campaigning: Political Parties and candidates in elections make appeals to people to give them their votes on the basis of caste.

Universal Adult Franchise: UAF and the principle of one person on vote compelled political leaders to raise the caste based issues during elections.