Why Bihar is still considered as a backward state of India?

How rural women are facing struggle to get employment and empowerment.

In India, on one hand, we treat our women as fortune and worship as goddess on many occasions but, on the other hand, Indian women, especially those who belong to the rural areas, still, face many challenges in terms of education, business and politics as compared to men. As far as women's status in the society is concerned, they have often not been given equal opportunities as given to men. Currently, the percentage of women is almost 50% of the world's population but, in reality, we could hardly see its global recognition on the ground today.

With time, we could see the progress of women is on rise but, still, the progress rate is way behind the men. Women empowerment is still limited to a handful women who are able to showcase their talents and come up with their different skills and abilities in order to mark their presence in the world and many of them are able to prove themselves on various grounds but, the huge percentage of women in our country are still living in the patriarchal society and are just limited to the household works.

Rural India has always been the actual identity of our country where, the large amount of population resides. Yet, the rural areas in our country have always faced the most negligence. And, especially, the rural women have always been the major victim of such negligence from the government as well as the society. Their role is considered to be that of caretakers, farmers and child rears. Education would hardly bring any benefits to them, according to typical mentality of the villagers.

Every year, on 15th October, the world celebrates the “International Rural Women’s Day”, in order to recognize their critical role in the various social and economical activities especially, in the rural areas. On this day, their contribution in enhancing the structure of agriculture, development of rural areas and bringing economical advantage to the poorest section of the society get recognition.

But, what should be taken into consideration that, having done a lot for the society and a nation as a whole, their condition is still close to vulnerable and their problems are less entertained. According to the recent ‘Annual Status of Education Report’ from rural India, only 1 out of 100 girls were able to make it to the colleges. This number is both eye-opening and depressing considering the fact that, the population of women in our country is about half the percentage of our total population.

Some of the common practices they always have to go through are:                       

*Gender Discrimination
*No access to education
*Child Marriage
*Lack of proper sanitation
*Domestic violence
*Dowry

Different surveys have stated that about 70% of women are below the poverty line, about 80% of the world's refugees also are women and world's 2/3rd women are illiterate. Domestic violence, eve-teasing, female feticide, rape, discrimination in the society on various grounds etc. have been the global reality, which obstruct the women being empowered. In order to deal with such pertaining issues, women need to come together and should ask the higher authority to enforce the required laws and policies with the purpose to make its goal of women empowerment meet.

                                                                                                                                                      -Aakash Soni