Development and Gender Inequality Eliminating Daughters: Paradox of Development in North -West Indian States

Theoretically, development and gender inequality seem to have a conveniently symbiotic relationship. In the Indian context development is taken as a gender neutral concept presuming that it automatically denotes equal opportunities for all segments involved. In fact, in a country like India which has mammoth proportions and variegated diversity, development must take into account a symmetrical and egalitarian distribution of resources and their natural access to all. This is badly lacking with regard to women who are a major chunk of the population and workforce. Unfortunately women do not share the advantages of development, Parameters such as HDI (the Human Development Index), GET (The Gender Equality Index), HPI (the Human Poverty Index) do not specify the number of women beneficiaries. Women face discrimination in all fields – be it health, education, employment or participation in political, social and economic spheres. Despite gender equality being a pre-requisite for human development – it is an issue which is more hyped and little practiced. This paper aims at highlighting these concerns and attempts to suggest some remedial steps. As a teacher of English literature discussing socio-economic issues, the contention is that literary studies should not become a mere pursuit of knowledge and idle regurgitation of theory with no tangible outcome of a praxis. Theory must be allowed to make meaningful social and political interventions. As a student of literature, instances, references and characters from various works to substantiate views shall also be incorporated.