Gender issues not addressed by present system: Book

Our present political, social and education systems have failed to address gender issues appropriately as women still have to face exclusion at all levels, a book highlighting gender issues says.
The book, titled 'Pervasive Exclusion and Challenge of Inclusion: Gender Patterns in South and Central Asia' and written by Associate Professor Sabiha Hussain of Centre for Dalit and Minority Affairs at Jamia Millia Islamia, looks at how women in different fields are excluded at social, political and economical levels.
Rajya Sabha MP and CPI(M) politburo member, Brinda Karat said gender issues were never addressed in the right light.
"Gender issues are not addressed appropriately by our political, social and education systems. I am sure works like these would help us in understanding how to include women in the policy discourse and more empowering positions," Karat said while launching the book.

The book is a compilation of various research papers from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on the issue.
The author said during the course of putting together the book, she came across various interesting facts.

"In a country like Pakistan, which is yet to call itself a full-fledged democracy, women are active participants in the polity. Women have 33 per cent reservation in Parliament. Similarly, we should also learn from Sri Lanka, where women's health policy has improved considerably," she said.
Nidhi Sabharwal, Director, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, who wrote a chapter on the rights and citizenship of Dalit women in India said, "Poverty, illiteracy and patriarchy add an extra layer of disadvantage to the Dalit women in our country."

She said Dalit women were at the crossroads of caste and gender and although women all over the world were affected by patriarchy and violence, Dalits were at a greater disadvantage due to poverty and illiteracy.
"The policy framework has been successful in reaching out to the section as we found out that school education and political participation among Dalit women have increased but the 'impact' has been unequal," she said.
Hussain said the book deals with the solution to gender issues.
"I would describe my solution to the gender issues with the three Rs -- 'Rights, Resources and Relationships'. If women can exercise their right, have access to resources and have an equal hand at personal and public relationships, gender issues will cease to exist," she concluded.

"We always hear men talking about women, let us work for an environment where the voices belong to more women," she added.