Development Will Not Cure Gender Inequality, Policy Will: Examining the Economic Survey 2017-18

Lahoti, Rahul (2018) Development Will Not Cure Gender Inequality, Policy Will: Examining the Economic Survey 2017-18. Economic and Political Weekly, 53 (21). ISSN 2349-8846

Text
Restricted to Registered users only
Download (145kB)

Abstract

It was with great hope that I started reading the separate chapter on gender in the recently released economic survey 2017–2018 (ES or referred to as the survey). Finally, the abysmally low status of women in India would get some recognition by the finance ministry. However, what followed was only disappointment upon knowing that the typical stereotypes on gender were still prevalent among policymakers at the highest level (and the use of pink colour to recognise the women’s movement!), and the low quality of analyses in the chapter. Apart from the data and analyses on son preference, the chapter is misleading and flawed. In this article, I will point out some areas of concern in the analyses and discuss what the ES could have focused on with the aim of reducing gender inequality.

Item Type:

Article

Authors:

Lahoti, Rahul

Document Language: