GENDER RELIGION &

CASTE
DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF LIFE WHERE WOMEN
ARE DISCRIMINATED
1Literacy rate a m o n g t h e w o m e n i s 5 4 % a s
compared to 7 6 % a m o n g m e n .
2 Wo m e n are paid l e s s th a n m e n , e v e n w h e n both
do th e s a m e work e.g. i n factories, f i l m s w o m e n
are paid l e s s a s compare to m e n .
3 In India, parents prefer to have s o n s than
girls. They find m a n y w a y s to have the girl
child aborted, before birth.
4 . This decline i n t he s e x ratio. The
n u m b e r of girls per t ho us and boys i n our
country i s 933.
5.There are reports of various kinds of
h a r a s s m e n t s , exploitation a n d violence both i n
rural and urban areas.
6 . Wo m e n are n o t safe at h o m e ev en due to
h a r a s s m e n t and d o m e s t i c violence.
 FEMINIST MOVEMENT
F em in ist m o v e m e n t s are t h e m o v e m e n t s organized by t h e w o m e n
organizations for equality for w o m e n i n personal and family life.
EFFECTS-
1a) Pol. Expression of gender division
b) political mobilization
helped i n improving w o m e n ’s role i n
public life.
2 N o w, w o m e n are wo r king a s s c i e nt is ts ,
docto rs, lawyers, m a n a gers, e n g ine e r s and
teachers.
3In countries like Finland ,Norway and
Sw e de n t he participation of w o m e n i n
public life i s very h i g h .
DEMANDS-
1 Equal rights for w o m e n i n all
s p heres of life.
2 Extension of right to vote.
3. Enhancing political and
legal status of w o m e n .
4 . I mp ro v e me n t i n educational
and career opportunities for
women.
STATUS OF WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION
IN INDIA’S LEGISLATIVE BODIES
1In India w o m e n participation i n political area i s very
low.
2 In Lok Sabha it i s n o t e v e n 10%.
3 In State Assembly it i s as l ow as 5%.
4Latin America and Africa w o m e n participation i s hi gher
t han India.
STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE
WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN
POLITICS
1It should be legally binding to have fair
proportion representation of w o m e n i n the
elected bodies.
2 S o m e s e a t s s ho uld be reserved for
w o m e n in State Asse mblie s and in lok
sabha.
3Political parties should give proper
representation to w o m e n m e m b e r s .
4 Wo m e n participation can be
increased by raising the literacy rate.
RELATION BETWEEN
RELIGION AND
POLITICS
1.Mahatma Gandhi
us ed to say that
religion can never
be separated f ro m
politics. According
to h i m , politics
m u s t be guided by
ethics, drawn f ro m
all religions.
3 Wo m e n ’s M o v e m e n t have
argued that Family Laws of all
religion s should be s a m e .
2 H u m a n Right Groups have argued
that m o s t of th e victims of c o m m u n a l
riots i n country are people f ro m
religious minorities. They have
d eman ded that g o v e r n m e n t should
take special s t e p s to protect t h e m .
HOW CAN RELIGION INFLUENCE
POLITICS
Mahatma Gandhi Believed that politics m u s t be guided
by ethics drawn f rom all religions.
2 Ideas, ideals and values drawn f rom different religions
should play important role i n politics.

3People should be able to express i n politics their n e e d s

and d e m a n d s a s a m e m b e r of a religious c o m m u n i t y.

4 Tho s e w h o hold political power should be able to

prevent discrimination o n t he basis of religion.
MEANING OF COMMUNALISM
C o m m u n a l i s m i s a situation w h e n a particular
c o m m u n i t y tries to prom ot e its o w n interest at
t he cost of other c o m m u n i t i e s .

WHEN DOES COMMUNALISM PROBLEM

BECOME ACUTE?
1Religion i s s e e n a s t he basis of t he nation.
2When o n e religion and its followers are discriminated
by others.
3When people start believing that belief of their religion
i s superior t han other religions.
4 . When t he state power i s used to established t he
dom i nat i on of o n e religion over t he others.
MAJOR BELIEFS OF
COMMUNAL PEOPLE

1 The followers of a
particular religion m u s t
b elo n g to o n e c o m m u n i t y.
2 Their fundamental
interest should be s a m e .
3people w h o follow
different religions can n o t
b elo n g to the s a m e social
c o m m u n i t y.
4If th e followers of
different religions have
c o m m o n a l i t i e s t h e s e are
IDEAS OF COMMUNAL POLITICS
FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED
1 Most of t h e s e beliefs are n o t true.
2People of o n e religion don’t have the
s a m e interests and aspirations i n
every context.
3Everyone h a s several other roles,
p o s i t i o n s and identities.
4There are m a n y voices in s id e every
c o m m u n i t y.
5All t h e s e voices have th e right to be
heard.
DIFFERENT FORMS
OF COMMUNAL
POLITICS-
1PEOPLE OFFEN BELIEVE
THAT IDEAS OF THEIR
RELIGION ARE SUPERIOR
TO THE IDEAS OF OTHER
RELIGIONS.
2PEOPLE 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
co m m unity t he n d e m a n d s e parate state
for t h e m s e l v e s .
4Mobilizing people o n c o m m u n a l l i n e s i n
politics i s another f o r m of c o m m u n a l
politics.
5Mobilization i s d o n e o n t he basis of
e m o ti o na l appeals, fear, s y m b o l s , religious
s l o g a n by leaders etc.
5 In its m o s t ugly f o r m c o m m u n a l i s m
leads to violence. People f ro m various
religions are opposite to each other
and they u s e violence to s h o w their
religion’s domin ation .
EXAMPLE – I n d i a and Pakistan
suffered s o m e of t h e worst
c o m m u n a l riots at th e t i m e of
partition.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS THAT MAKE INDIA A
SECULAR STATE
1 There i s n o official religion for t he Indian State.
❖ In Sri l a n k a - B u d d h i s m
❖ In P a k i s t a n - Islam
❖ In E n g l a n d - Christianity
2 The Constitution provides to all individual and
c o m m u n i t i e s f re e do m to profess, practice and propagate
any religion of their o w n choice.
3The Constitution prohibits
discrimination o n t h e grou n d s of
religion.
4 It bans Untouchability.
CASTEISM IN INDIA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
SOCIETIES—
1In India c a s t e i s m i s different f ro m other
societies a s i n India hereditary occupational
division w a s sanctioned by rituals.
2 M e m b ers of t h e s a m e occupation married with
their caste group and did n o t eat with th e
m e m b e r s f ro m other caste group.
MEANING OF CASTEISM-
Organizations of people into social
groups for the purpose of
marriage, work and diet i s k n o w n
a s Caste S y s t e m .
CASTE INEQUALITIES STILL CONTINUED
IN INDIA
1M os t people marry wi t hi n their o w n caste and tribe.
2Despite provision i n t he constitution untouchability h a s
n o t e nde d completely.
3There h a s been rich and educated people f rom lower
caste also n o w - a - d a y s but their percentage i s m u c h l e s s
as compared to upper caste.
4 . Large m a s s of l ow caste people still do n o t have access
to education and have remained illiterate and
uneducated.
CASTE ALONE CAN NOT
DETERMINE THE ELECTION
RESULT
1No State Legislature i n t he
country h a s a majority of
any caste.
2Every caste group h a s its
presence i n Parliament.
3It i s n o t necessary that t he
people of s a m e caste vote for
s a m e political party.
4It m i g h t happe n that there
are m o re t han o n e candidate
f rom o n e caste and n o
candidate f rom other caste.
CASTE SYSTEM IS DISAPPEARING IN
INDIA
Social reformers like Jotiba Phule,
Mahatma Gandhi, Dr.B.R Ambedker ,etc.
advocated and worked to establish a
society i n w h i c h caste inequalities are
absent.
The constitution of India prohibits
discrimination of any type. It provide
equal opportunities to all.
The caste s y s t e m can further be
reduced spreading education and by
p ro m o t i n g i n t e r- c a s t e marriages.
CASTEISM IN INDIAN POLITICS
While c h o o s i n g candidate: When
parties choice candidate i n elections,
they keep i n m i n d th e caste
c o m p o s i t i o n of the electorate and
n o m i n a t e candidates f ro m different
cas t es s o a s to g e t necessary support
to w i n elections.
While f o r m i n g a government : When
t he g o v e r n m e n t are formed, political
parties usually take care that
representatives of different castes and
tribes find a place i n it.
While campaigning : Political Parties and
candidates i n elections m a k e appeals to
people to give t h e m their votes o n t he basis
of caste.
Universal Adult Franchise: UAF
and the principle of o n e person o n
vote compelled political leaders to
raise the caste based i s s u e s during
elections.