SA Project on Status of Women in Punjab from 1971-2001

Submitted for the degree of

B.A. HONOURS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
(Institute of Social Sciences Education and Research)

By- Vanshika Sharma (20042748)

Under the Guidance of Ms. Simrit Kahlon
Affiliating University, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
January 2023

Interdisciplinary Project (REM 503)

Graphs and Diagrams

DATE OF SUBMISSION- 16TH JANUARY 2023

SEMESTER V, ISSER
 TABLE OF CONTENT

[Link]. CONTENT PAGE

NUMBER
1 ABSTRACT 3
2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4
3 DECLARATION 5
4 INTRODUCTION 6-8
5 STATUS OF WOMEN IN PUNJAB 9
6 DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE STATUS 10
OF WOMEN
7 FEMALE LITERACY 11-13
8 MALE FEMALE LITERACY DIFFERENTIALS 14-16
9 SEX RATIO 17-19
10 CHILD SEX RATIO 19-23
11 FEMALE EMPLOYMENT 24-26
12 CONCLUSION 27-28
13 BIBLIOGRAPHY 29
 ABSTRACT

A truly developed country is one which incurs and promotes the equal growth
of men and women. Today, the status of women in India compared to prior
years have changed drastically. The role of a woman has altered from a house
taker to a respected individual of the society, not held back by any rituals, laws
or customs. Constitution has brought in, a number of necessary changes and
helped in raising the status of women. Equal participation of women and men in
all societal spheres is very important but considering Punjab, women's
development still remains abysmal, resulting in a low Gender Development
Index. The focus here is on status of women in Punjab from the time period of
1971-2001. Demographic indicators are essential tools to depict the reality.
Therefore, here adult sex ration and child sex ratio- in different districts of
Punjab along with female literacy and employment rate is taken under study to
acknowledge the true status of women in Punjab.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to our Mentor, Prof.
Simrit Kahlon, who was a continual source of inspiration. She pushed us to
think imaginatively and her vast knowledge, extensive experience, and
professional competence in this arena enabled me to successfully accomplish
this project. This endeavour would not have been possible without her help and
supervision. This project would not have been a success without the
contributions of each and every individual. I’d like to thank Panjab University
for providing me with the opportunity to work on this Interdisciplinary project
on the topic: Status of women in Punjab from 1971 - 2001. Last but not least, I
would like to express my gratitude to my family, siblings, and friends for their
invaluable assistance, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed
to the successful completion of this project.
 DECLARATION

I certify that this project is my own based on my personal research. I have

acknowledged all the sources used in the project including reports, notes,
newsletters, electronic media, or any other articles. I have cited the works at
every means to ensure no plagiarism. Further I give assurance that this project
has not previously been submitted for any assessment.
NAME: Vanshika Sharma
DATE: 16th January 2023
 INTRODUCTION

The status of women in India has been subject to many changes over the span of recorded
Indian history. Their position in society deteriorated early in India's ancient period, and their
subordination continued to be reified well into India's early modern period. During the British
reign, several measures aiming at amelioration were enacted, including Bengal Sati
Regulation, 1829, Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856, and others. Later with the
development of the Indian constitution prohibition of discrimination based on sex and
empowerment of the government to undertake special measures for them were introduced.
Women's rights under the Constitution of India mainly include equality, dignity, and freedom
from discrimination; additionally, India has various statutes governing the rights of women.
However, many women in India continue to face significant difficulties. The rates of
malnutrition are exceptionally high among adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women
in India, with repercussions for children's health. Violence against women, especially sexual
violence, is a serious concern in India a woman to obtain a degree. The Constitution of India
guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State (Article
15(1)), equality of opportunity (Article 16), equal pay for equal work (Article 39(d)) and
Article 42. In addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in favor of women
and children (Article 15(3)), renounces practice derogatory to the dignity of women (Article
51(A) (e)), and also allows for provisions to be made by the State for securing just and
humane conditions of work and for maternity relief which is Article 42.
Feminist activism in India gained momentum in the late 1970s. One of the first national-level
issues that brought women's groups together was the Mathura rape case. The acquittal of
policemen accused of raping a young girl Mathura in a police station led to country-wide
protests in 1979–1980. The protest, widely covered by the national media, forced the
Government to amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Penal
Code; and created a new offense, custodial rape. The Government of India declared 2001 as
the Year of Women's Empowerment.

The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women came was passed in 2001. The Sexual
Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a
legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from sexual harassment at their place of
work. The Act came into force on 9 December 2013. Since the very early periods, women in
India were regarded as the weaker section of society and were confined to her family and
household task. They were highly dominated by men and had low status in family and
society. After independence, India faced major transformation in the different facet of the
economy. One of them was the status of women in India. The status of women in India
improved over the years and have provided equality of opportunities to women in education,
employment and political participation. Women representing 48.3 percent of the total
country’s population are contributing a lot towards the growth of the economy in various
fields. A substantial level of gender disparity can be witnessed in different fields like
education, work participation, wage distribution which vary from region to region, class to
class, caste to caste, age to age and location to location. Until now in a few regions of India,
they are highly dominated by men. More noticeable are the northern states such as Haryana
and Punjab, where women of families are usually less educated and are not supposed to work.
Moreover, men are the only bread-earner for the family. In light to this, the proposed study
makes a comparative analysis of the educational status of women in two northern states of
India i.e., Haryana and Punjab. The study examines the educational qualification based on
Literacy rate of women of the above states.

Status of women can be determined by equality and freedom enjoyed by women to shaping
and sharing of power. Theoretically, there is gender parity, but practically the picture is not
the same. The political empowerment of women is critical for equitable and sustainable
development. Nonetheless, women are absent and unheard in the decision-making process. It
is asserted that only by feminization of politics and bringing a critical mass of women into
politics can a politics that is both ‘transformed’ and ‘transformational’ be brought about.
Only the entry of women into the political mainstream can achieve a politics based on
participatory, consensus-oriented approach, wherein the government is accountable,
transparent, responsive, effective, efficient, equitable and inclusive. In short, a transformative
and gender sensitive political system ensuring human rights of all, be it women and children
or the marginalized and downtrodden people, becomes the hallmark of a system based on
good governance.2 The 73th and 74th Amendments to the Constitution were enacted to
provide 33% reservation for women at the grass root level of politics. This has been termed
as the ‘greatest social experiment of our time’. India became the first country worldwide to
take such affirmative step for ensuring women participation in politics which further enables
them to enter the decision-making bodies and build a ‘New India’. This ‘silent revolution’
opened more avenues for the meaningful participation and representation of women as also
facilitated the women not only to get their first experiences in politics, but also to be more
directly involved with the needs of women.
Status of women in India differs from state to state, family to family, area to area, and is a
result of number of factors together. Status of women may differ based on the educational
system of the particular state, the development status of the state, the traditional views and
customs of the state, etc. The ground reality of the status of women can be revealed through
demographic indicators such as literacy rate, and others.
 STATUS OF WOMEN IN PUNJAB

Women are the axis of our society. If we want to develop any society, we should try to
develop the axis of society which means development of women. In the eyes of constitution,
every citizen of India is same. Now the question in place is that if constitution of India is
supreme and the best in every sphere, why is the development speed of India and its states not
in sync. Why is that some states depict a differing result. One of the main reasons here is the
difference in participation of women in each state towards development. Punjab is that state
of India that enriched the history of India with its bravery and role in Independence struggle.
Punjab is a border state which lies between 29°33’ N & 32°31’N latitude and
between73°53’E & 76°56’ longitude, and shares border with Jammu & Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh to the North and North-East respectively, Chandigarh to the East, Haryana
to the South and South-East and Rajasthan to the South-West. It shares its borders
internationally with Pakistan to the west.

The name Punjab came long after many alterations from Sapta-Sindhu to Pente Potamina.
Punjab provides the synthesis of many communities and cultures of Asia. The advent of
Sikhism gave a hope to the people of Punjab under Guru Gobind Singh Ji who founded the
Khalsa to liberate the repressed from the clutches of the Mughals. The legacy was continued
by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh led and formed the mighty
kingdom of Punjab which was annexed by the British in 1849. The spirit of Punjab, however,
remained unvanquished, and Punjab became the sword-arm of India. Punjab and Punjabis
played an important role in the freedom struggle. The women of Punjab in the freedom
struggle as well played a crucial role. Some outstanding women freedom fighters of Punjab
were Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, Har Devi, Purani and Pushpa Gujral. This status of women
changed as the years passed by which will be observed further.
 DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Basic Demographic Indicators constitute a statistical operation formed by a set of indicators
that allow analyzing how basic demographic phenomena occur in an area. Its objective is to
provide the intensity, the main characteristics, the dynamics and evolution of the
demographic phenomena over the population. The provided indicators summarizes the
historical evolution of the behavior of the basic demographic phenomena that is birth rate,
fertility, mortality, marriage rate, divorce rate, migratory movements and of the growth and
structure of the population resident in the country. They are calculated based on the results of
the Births, Deaths and Marriages statistics of the Vital Statistics, the statistics of annulments,
separations and divorces, the Migration Statistics and the referent figures of the resident
population.
Demographic data is a sensitive indicator of the status of women in any society at a given
point of time. Sex ratio, life expectancy, birth and death rates are impacted by as well as
influence women's position in society. In Punjab, a decline in the birth, death and population
growth rates, relatively higher age at marriage and declining total fertility rate, accompanied
at the same time by a decline in sex ratio and drastic decline in child sex ratio are vitally
important structural characteristics of the States demographic map. These indictors help in
revealing the reality and compare the progress with every census. The five main indicators to
study about the status of women in Punjab used here are – Female Literacy, Male Female
Literacy Differentials, Sex Ratio, Child Sex Ratio, Female Employment.
 FEMALE LITERACY
Education provides a vital key to break open the vicious cycle of ignorance and exploitation;
it is the key to empowerment. It leads to improvement in health and longevity, economic
achievements, improves productivity and above all brings about a transformation is society
towards equality, liberty and justice for all. Education is therefore the best social investment,
given the synergies and the positive externalities that it generates for people in their well-
being. It is also a priority for countries seeking to develop and sustain their level and pace of
development.1 The National Policy of Education, 1986, recognized education as a vital key
to women's empowerment. Significant progress has been made in the field of education, yet
vast gender gaps persist.

TABLE 2
Literacy Rate Punjab, 1971-2001

YEAR PERSONS MALE FEMALE

1971 34.12 42.23 24.65
1981 43.37 51.23 34.35
1991 58.51 65.66 50.41
2001 69.95 75.63 63.55

Source: Census of India, 2001, Series-4, Punjab (Provisional Population Totals, Paper 1 of
2001)

One of the key features of demography is literacy, which is seen as a fairly accurate indicator
of sociocultural and economic progress. A literate person will have a greater understanding of
societal issues, better information, and the ability to establish a nondiscriminatory atmosphere
for women. Therefore, it may be assumed that in a society that values literacy, the gender
ratio will be high and that there will be roughly equal numbers of men and women overall. In
developing countries generally, the male literacy rates are quite high than the female literacy
rates. So higher female literacy proves to be a sure bet for increased economic development.
In case of India, role of education and particularly female education in the development
process is well document. Increasing literacy is considered a harbinger for economic
development. Women and Education is the gift to humankind making them socially and
mentally aware about their surroundings, moral values, rights and responsibilities, their
nation as well as the outside world. It is a vital tool or means to empower humankind to
become active contributors in the transformation of societies. Over the years, economies have
realized the worth of educating a woman of the country. The focus of the study is to examine
the progress of India and its state namely, Punjab. In Punjab female constitute 47.23% of total
population of the state as compared to 48.5% at national level. In-case of education, as per
2001 census, the literacy rate of punjab was 69.65%, it is higher than the literacy rate as per
the 1971 census, which was 34.12. In 2001 only 63.55% of females in Punjab were literate
compared to 75.63% of men. The literacy rate also directly affects work force participation
which is dealt with later.

The table above reveals that the overall literacy rate for Punjab has almost doubled in the last
40 years. Female literacy, it is significant to note has increased at a faster rate as compared to
male literacy rate; increasing by almost three times in this span of time. More significant is
the fact that there has been a decline in the gender gap from 17.58% in 1971 to 12.08% in
2001, indicative of increasing availability as well as accessibility of educational facilities.
The graph indicates that although by every decade the condition of education and literacy
improved in Punjab in accordance to total literacy rate and female literacy level, the
gruesome fact remains the same of inadequate and insufficient educational facilities and
opportunities in the region of Punjab.

Some interesting facts that have been noted are: first, the overall enrollment in Punjab is
much lower than the all-India enrollment at the primary stage, while in the middle school
stage, overall enrollment in Punjab is higher by almost 6 percentage points. Secondly, at the
primary school stage, the gap for the all-India rates and Punjab enrollment ratio for males is
much higher than that for females. In contrast at the middle school level, Punjab has a much
higher level of female enrollment as compared to the national level. Male enrollment in
Punjab continues to be lower than the national average for this category of enrollments.
Thirdly, in both the stages, female enrollment in Punjab is higher than male enrollment. But
the gap is lower at the middle school stage as compared to the primary stage. Low
enrollment of girls is compounded by higher dropout rates for girls. The causes are many,
including inadequate facilities for girls in schools, absence of female teachers, insecurity,
etc. However, Punjab is one of the few States of India which has a lower dropout rate for
females as compared to males. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that Punjab has one of the
lowest dropout rates for girls in Classes I-X. It ranks seventh amongst the States and Union
Territories of India, while Chandigarh, the joint Capital of Punjab and Haryana, has the
lowest dropout rate for girls in Classes I-X. Table 3.4 further reveals that the dropout rate for
girls in Punjab for Classes I-VIII is almost double the dropout rate for girls in Classes I-V.
However, there is a difference of only 1.40 percentage points in the dropout rate for girls
between Classes I-VIII and Classes I-X. In contrast at the all-India level, not only is the
dropout rate for girls higher than that for boys, but it increases by 14-15 percentage points
between the various categories.

Thus, it is quite clear how the literacy rates of women in Punjab have increased but has still
not reached its maximum potential. It still requires a ton amount of effort and awareness.
 MALE FEMALE LITERACY DIFFERENTIALS
When it comes to the male female literacy differential, there is not a single district of Punjab
which has a higher female literacy rate than males. In all districts of Punjab females are less
educated than males. It all has been happening despite a huge hike in the total education plan
of the state.

A district wise analysis reveals Hoshiarpur to be the most literate district with almost 4 out of
every five persons having some sort of educational attainments with 86.5% in males and
75.3% in females, while Roopnagar is at second place with 84% male and 71.4% in females.
Mansa stands at the bottom rung of the ladder with only 52.50 % of literates. In respect to
female literacy too, Hoshiarpur tops the list (75.56%) while Mansa is at the bottom (45.07%).
Noteworthy is the fact that Mansa shows the highest increase in overall as well as female
literacy in 2001 over 1991 (15.27 & 16.53), while Jalandhar and Ludhiana show the least in
both these categories. (9.00 & 10.87) It is generally believed that a greater degree of
urbanization would make the area more conducive to learning for women. This holds true
only to a very limited extent in Punjab. Ludhiana, notwithstanding its high level of
industrialization and urbanization, ranks at fifth place in literacy levels, while Hoshiarpur,
where industrialization is relatively a new phenomenon ranks at the top.

For the lower literacy rate among females than males in all districts we should not blame only
government officers as they could not forcibly take the girls to school. Female literacy rate in
Punjab is lower than the male literacy rate as many parents do not allow their female children
to go to schools. They get married off at a young age instead. Planners must plan programmes
of action to improve education conditions in Punjab in general and primary education level in
particular. Women should be encouraged particularly at primary level, so that women
enrollment increases. For this purpose girl students should get special incentives at primary
level to improve educational status. In order to improve their literacy level more educational
facilities should be made available to women of Punjab as well as India. For low literacy rate
among females than males in all districts of Punjab we should not blame any government
officers as they could not forcibly take the girls to school. There is a need of change of
attitude. Thus, disparities still persists in the state in terms of literacy rates, especially in the
case of its female population.

It is concluded from the results that gender disparity is higher in some of the districts, but in
some developed districts of Punjab, there is successive decrease in gender disparity as
compared to Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, by enforcement of government
rules, policies and along with that general awareness of people can reduce this difference.
Literacy rate and sex ratio are two most important aspect of any society or country as they
determine the development stage of society or country. The area having low sex ratio and low
literacy rate are considered as backward or undeveloped area of the world. Literacy is one of
the important aspects of demography and considered as a fairly reliable index of socio-
cultural and economic advancement
 SEX RATIO
The sex ratio represents the number of females in the country per 1000 males. This is sign for
the increase in the total population of females in the country with respect to males. The study
of ratio holds importance in our country to rescue the women from the problems they are
suffering like inequality, female feticide, violence, sexual harassment and health problems.
The study of demographic profile is the most initial and fundamental footstep towards having
a deep insight on the status of women in any [Link] or underdeveloped regions of
the world are those with a trend toward low sex ratios and literacy rates. The sex ratio is
crucial social indicator for determining the level of fairness that exists between men and
women in a community at any particular [Link] low sex ratio in Punjab has always been
a matter of concern. With the efforts of the state government and public awareness, it has
improved during the last decade but it is still low.

Source: Economic and Statistical Organization, Punjab, Director, Census operations, Punjab

As per the figures of census 2001, the number of females per thousand male is 876 in contrast
to the number of females per thousand male was 865 as per census 1971, depicts an increase
but at a very slow rate. The reasons behind are mainly for declining sex ratio are sex ratio at
birth, sex-selective abortions, sex ratio of children and sex-differentials in mortality etc. This
in turn leads to several consequences to men and on the society. The low sex ratio in Punjab
has always been a matter of concern. With the efforts of state government and public
awareness, it has improved during the last decade but it is still low. Punjab has the dubious
distinction of being a dhi-maru (killer of daughters) State and along with Haryana and
Chandigarh has been termed as India’s Bermuda Triangle, wherein girls vanish without a
trace. This is evident from the sex ratio of Punjab; there has always been a preponderance of
males over females. Punjab has stepped into the 21st century with 1637428 “deficit women”.
The same grim picture of unfavorable sex ratio prevails at the district level. This table
reveals that only Hoshiarpur has a sex ratio, which is at least comparable with the national
average and only two districts, viz. Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr have a sex ratio above 900.
All the other fifteen districts of the State have sex ratios lower than 900. Diversities in sex
ratio patterns occur along social, regional, cultural and even age group dimensions.
Comparing the inter-district rankings it would be seen that although the top and bottom status
of Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana remained unchanged, considerable shifting has taken place in
district-wise (15) ranking between 1991 and 2001. Muktsar, for instance, has improved from
11th to 4th place, while Patiala has gown down from 10th place to 15th. Only Kapurthala,
Ferozepur and Moga have shown no variation in ranks, continuing at 5th, 6th and 7th places
respectively. Significantly, only five districts have seen an improvement in sex ratio, with the
highest increase in Nawanshahr of 13 points followed by Hoshiarpur (11), Muktsar (6),
Mansa (2) and Amritsar (1). All others reveal a regression, the highest being in Ludhiana and
Fatehgarh Sahib(20 points each). An equally wide variation is noticed in the rural-urban
scenario. The rural sex ratio is generally higher then the urban one. Vis-à-vis the districts, it is
noteworthy that Hoshiarpur ranks at the top in respect of rural sex ratio, but 3rd in urban sex
ratio. Nawanshahr is at the top in urban sex ratio. Paradoxically, Ludhiana is 17th in urban
sex ratio, but 10th in rural sex ratio. (This would seem to justify the hypothesis of male in
migration as the cause of low sex ratio) But Fatehgarh Sahib is last in rural sex ratio and 16th
in urban sex ratio. It is significant to note, further, that Faridkot, Mansa, Ropar and Patiala
have better sex ratios in urban areas in contrast to the generally prevailing trend in Punjab,
reflective, perhaps of greater son preference in rural areas particularly in districts with a
lower level of urbanization.
The effects of such a kind of imbalance are visible in the form of declining sex ratio at birth
and overall adverse sex ratio. Although the gender ratio in Punjab has been consistently low,
the situation was a little bit improving till 1991 but the census figures of 2001 was a great
setback as the figures again show the downward trends. The consistently low sex ratio proves
that in Punjab the boys are preferred over girls. Abortion of female fetus, sex determination
tests, low status of the girls and women in rural areas and less attention in upbringing and
health facilities to females are among the main reasons for the lower sex ratio in Punjab.
Broadly seen that in the state the northern areas has high sex ratio as compare to the southern
parts of Punjab.
 CHILD SEX RATIO
The child- sex ratio is an important demographic characteristic. The ratio between female
children and male children in the age group 0-6 is called child sex ratio. In India the child sex
ratio is calculated in terms of female children over male children. The child sex ratio is
important information about the status of females children in a country, it is low in the region
where the practice of female foeticide, female infanticide and girl discrimination prevent.

Table depicts the sex ratio and child sex ratio in Punjab from 1971 to 2011 after the
reorganization of Punjab. Sex ratio increases from 865 to 895. Child sex ratio was maximum
in 1981 and it is more than 900 and it was minimum in 2001 that is 798.

It is, indeed, appalling that the 0-6 age group sex ratio has declined in all the districts of
Punjab. A district-wise analysis reveals not only that there is no positive trend in any of the
districts, but that the lowest decline is to the extent of 51 points in Muktsar, while the highest
is in Fatehgarh Sahib (120) The decline is over and above the State average in as many as
nine districts. However, its extent and area varies. In some districts, the urban areas show a
greater diversity in sex ratio, for instance Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar,
Nawanshahr, Moga, and Bathinda. In all the other districts, the rural areas present a higher
degree of decline
Interestingly, Ludhiana, which ranks at the bottom in respect to the general sex ratio ranks
3rd in respect of sex ratio in the 0-6 age group. In contrast, Hoshiarpur is at 4th place. Moga
and Ferozepur are at the top with a sex ratio of 819, while Fatehgarh Sahib ranks last with a
sex ratio a mere 754. The low juvenile sex ratio is one side of the picture. What is even more
appalling is the fact that of the 10 districts in the country having the lowest child sex ratio, 7,
viz. Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Bathinda, Mansa and Amritsar fall in
Punjab, the other three in Haryana. In 1991, three of such districts fell in Punjab, the others
belonged to Tamil Nadu (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (1), Haryana (4). In 2001, it is
indeed alarming that this proportion has increased from 3 to 7. Decline in sex ratio at birth
from 946 in 1981 to 854 in 1991 is equally indicative of increasing feticide.
The reasons must be traced in the popular culture which regards a male as superior, as the
norm, and the breadwinner. Females, on the other hand, are disregarded as being passive,
submissive, docile and incapable of standing on their own in this society. The declining sex
ratio must be considered along with factors of improved life expectancy, greater availability
of health services and declining female mortality. Lower female death rate and higher life
expectancy, seen along with a declining sex ratio can only indicate the increasing incidence
of female foeticide as well as negligence of the girl child. Sex determination clinics continue
to proliferate all over the State. Technology, developed to eliminate birth defects, is being
used to nip innocent lives in the bud and the girl child is even denied the right to be born. In
sum, women in Punjab wield the short end of the stick, so far as demographic indicators are
concerned. There are a few positive indicators in so far as the age at marriage and declining
birth and death rates are concerned. However, the declining sex ratio and the higher
mortality rates for females reveal not only outright discrimination, but also the fact that
women are left out when it comes to utilizing the advantages which development has
showered upon the State. The declining sex ratio brings into question the vital issue of right
to life and right to be born for the girl child.
The Beti Bachao and Beti Badhao programme (save the girl child and educate her) is a
programme of women and child development ministry, Government of India. The aim of this
programme is to address the issue of decline in child sex-ratio. In Punjab Ashirwad (Shagun)
– The amount of Rs.15000/- was given to the parents/guardians of girls belonging to
Scheduled Caste, widows/divorcees and Christian of Punjab domicile under the Ashirwad
scheme on the occasion of their marriage subject to the condition that annual income of
parents/guardians from all sources does not exceed Rs.32,790/-.and Bebe Nanki Ladli Beti
Kalyan - under this scheme state govt. would invest 20,000 per beneficiaries with life
insurance cooperation of India as premium. The scheme would be applicable to the families
who had adopted the two child norms. These are two popular policies to tackle child sex
ratio.
The influence of non-resident Indians (NRIs) from the area has helped change people’s mind
in curbing female feticide in Punjab. A programme under the name of nanhi chan has been
launched to save the girl child. Under this programme various plants and the literature about
the protection of girl child is distributed free of cost.
 FEMALE EMPLOYMENT
In Punjab is 13.90% while the male work participation rate is 55.20% as compared to
national average where corresponding figures were 25.5% and 53.3% respectively. In other
words, workforce participation rate of females in Punjab is over four times lower than their
male counter parts in the state. In Punjab, women are relatively invisible in workforce statics.

The above table depicts the wide difference in the female employment as per census 1971 –
1.2 and Census 2001 – 18.7. This increase in female work participation is a sign of
betterment of the status of women in Punjab. Although in comparison to the male work
participation, there is yet quite a lag for women of punjab. Women’s education is strongly
linked to improvement in earning potential and economic empowerment. It is generally
accepted that women who work for wages, earn and contribute to the families income are
generally more empowered. However, the empowering effects of employment are
determined by the type of work, its continuity and the wages accruing therein. Economic
discrimination as evidenced by low workforce participation rate reinforces other
discriminations and perpetuates the subordination of women. The causes of women’s low
participation rate are traced by the Human Development in South Asia, 2000, Report as, The
invisibility of women’s work, domestic chores and other tasks, are part of a
cultural/traditional attitude which views man as the primary bread-winner. Indeed women
report themselves as non-workers because they tend to regard their labour, as domestic
responsibilities and therefore outside market related or remunerated work1 Gender
blindness in data collection-its lack of ability to accurately depict a woman’s contribution to
the economy results in under-enumeration of women’s work. This fact was emphatically
recognized in Shramshakti, which declared.
Although women work for longer hours and contribute substantially to the family income,
they are not perceived as workers by either the women themselves or the data collecting
agencies and the Government as all of them do not recognize the multidimensional
functions of women which include their productive and reproductive labour. Women quite
often are the major earners for their families. This also goes unrecognized. 2 Women play a
significant role in economic development. However, due to various social, cultural and
psychological barriers and societal expectations here primary role is defined as a wife, a
mother and a homemaker. Any other work that a women does as agricultural worker or an
artisan for family enterprise or for supplementing family income receives little weightage.
Her primary role is further reinforced by the general lack of employable skills in women on
account of their low literacy and lack of training. Broad trends in the employment pattern of
women workers clearly indicate that the economic development process has not as yet
brought the desired changes in their economic life, e.g. more than 65 percent of the women
in developing countries are engaged in agriculture and only 16 to 17 per cent in industry or
services. Moreover, many empirical studies have concluded that women’s work and
contributions in economically productive activities are invisible and severely devalued. The
forces which have adversely affected the role of women, in the Indian economy are:
increase of poverty in rural areas, illiteracy, traditional means of livelihood, prevailing
gender stereotypes, general decline of handicrafts, development of modern industry with its
increasing technological advancement, etc.
Statistical invisibility of women in the workforce is particularly pervasive in Punjab; women
are reduced to economic non-entities. Notwithstanding the high level of development and
educational attainments, Punjab has the lowest female workforce participation rate in the
country. Majority of the women are included in the category of non-workers, a conclusive
evidence of invisibility of women’s work. Table 5.1 reveals that the general workforce
participation rates for Punjab are considerably lower than the national level. As compared
to a national workforce participation rate of 39.3 per cent, Punjab has a workforce
participation rate of 37.6 per cent, ranking 24th amongst States and Union Territories of
India. Its male workforce participation rates are higher than the national rate, while female
workforce participation rates are much lower. In sum, female work participation in Punjab is
characterized by low participation, is distributed largely in sectoral categories that provide
for secondary jobs; brings poor remuneration and offers little scope for upward mobility.
Women’s present work participation is largely a function of the nature of development
process in Punjab in consonance with the existing socio-cultural gender work definitions.
 CONCLUSION

No nation or community can hold its head high and claim to be the part of civilized world if it
condones the practice of discrimination against one half of the community. India’s population
has been marked by a low and declining gender ratio ever since the beginning of Census
operations in the country. This has been a matter of much investigation and speculation
among researchers and policy makers In Punjab, beside prosperity, the state has shown some
serious cause of concern related to demographic issues. . In spite of all the great efforts by the
state government and non government organizations in Punjab, the demographic indicators’
results are still not satisfactory.. Unfortunately the females are always the subject to neglect
from the historical times. This type of treatment still persisted in the recent period but with
varying amount.

The state of Punjab reflects a a very grim picture in Gender Related Development Index
issues especially the sex ratio in the state. Such a trend of imbalanced gender ratio is a silent
emergency but the crisis are real and its persistence has profound and frightening
implications for society and the future of mankind. Punjab has made rapid strides in the field
of education in general and female education in particular. Yet, the decline in sex ratio and
increasing violence against women would seem to indicate that this education is limited more
to the three r’s and the approach is not a holistic awareness which would inculcate rationality
and scientific thinking leading to an overall improvement in the status of women. The
declining sex ratio and the higher mortality rates for females reveal not only outright
discrimination, but also the fact that women are left out when it comes to utilizing the
advantages which development has showered upon the State. The declining sex ratio brings
into question the vital issue of right to life and right to be born for the girl child. There is not
a single district with higher women work participation rate than that of male. It shows that in
Indian society, male give less priority to their women. The position of women in the society
is an index of its development and civilization. The contribution of female workforce in
agriculture will improve socio economic status of women. Female work participation is
declining, while that of manufacturing, construction and service sector is increasing, it
reveals that women has potential to adjust themselves in the emerging sector like service and
non-agricultural activities

As the position of women in a society is an index of its development and growth., if the
declining trend continues for some more time, there will be serious repercussion to the
society we left for the generation to come. The half-century of struggle and reform has
undoubtedly had considerable impact on women’s world. Some of the key indicators of
development have perked up significantly; women’s life expectancy has risen; education
levels have improved; economic participation has grown. But there are areas of darkness too;
crimes against women, both at home and outside, continue unabated; traditional economic
occupations have withered in the face of global competition; there is increasing
commodification of women’s persona and vulgarization of their image in the media’s
marketplace. The new economic regime, where Sensex swamps sensibility, has meant the
precipitate withdrawal of the state from many fields leaving the weak, including women, in
the cold. Similarly, laws change; minds don’t. Therefore, between progressive legislation and
sensitive enforcement falls a long shadow. Critics also point out that whatever advances have
been made remain confined to urban India and the vast hinterland resists change obstinately.
Therefore, it is quite evident in rural areas of punjab that women are not aware of their own
need there, hence their needs are not met. They are stuck in a groove with little or no escape.
Their health is often neglected, the daily chores are endless, insecurities abound and higher
education is a distant dream. Hence, it is the high time for a gender sensitive employment
generation strategy to secure the socioeconomic interests of females in the state. The state of
Punjab still requires a number of efforts, policies and awareness among its population and a
better state is still far fetched.
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