Gender Inequality MCQs Quiz | Class 10
This quiz is designed for Class X students, covering Political Science, Unit: Gender, Religion and Caste. It focuses on Gender Inequality, specifically exploring aspects of political representation. Test your knowledge and download a PDF of your answers at the end!
Understanding Gender Inequality and Political Representation
This section delves into the concepts of gender inequality, patriarchy, and the critical issue of women’s political representation in India. It highlights how societal norms often lead to a ‘public-private’ divide, limiting women’s participation in public life and decision-making. We will explore the constitutional provisions and ongoing challenges faced in achieving gender parity in political spheres.
Key Concepts
- Gender Division: Not merely biological differences, but refers to the unequal social roles, responsibilities, and expectations assigned to men and women by society. These roles are culturally defined and learned, leading to specific gender identities and norms.
- Patriarchy: A social system where men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. It often results in the marginalization of women in various spheres of life.
- Feminism: A diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies working for the social, political, economic, personal, and cultural equality of sexes. It challenges patriarchal structures and aims to empower women.
- Public-Private Divide: The notion that women’s primary role is within the private sphere of home and family (domestic responsibilities, childcare), while men’s role is in the public sphere of work, politics, and social life. This division significantly impacts women’s political participation by limiting their time, resources, and opportunities to engage in public affairs.
Political Representation of Women in India
Despite being the largest democracy, India faces significant challenges in achieving gender parity in political representation.
- Local Self-Government: A landmark achievement came with the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992), which mandated the reservation of one-third (33%) of seats for women in Panchayats (rural local bodies) and Municipalities (urban local bodies). This provision has led to a substantial increase in women’s participation at the grassroots level, bringing over 1.5 million elected women representatives into local governance.
- State Assemblies and Parliament: In stark contrast to local bodies, women’s representation in State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha (Parliament) remains remarkably low. The percentage of women MPs in the Lok Sabha has gradually increased but still often hovers below 15%, which is far below the global average and what is considered adequate for equitable representation.
Challenges to Women’s Political Representation
Several factors contribute to the low political representation of women:
| Challenge Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Patriarchal Mindset | Deep-rooted societal beliefs that politics is primarily a male domain, discouraging women’s entry. |
| Lack of Political Will | Political parties are often reluctant to nominate women candidates, especially in ‘winnable’ constituencies. |
| Financial Barriers | Campaigning is expensive, and women often have less access to financial resources compared to male counterparts. |
| Domestic Responsibilities | Traditional gender roles burden women with disproportionate household and family care duties, limiting time for politics. |
| Safety and Security | Women in politics can face harassment, intimidation, and threats, which deter participation. |
The Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, has been pending in Parliament for decades. Its implementation is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the severe underrepresentation of women in higher legislative bodies and ensuring their voices are heard in national and state-level policy-making.
Quick Revision
- Gender Division: Social roles and responsibilities, not biological sex.
- Patriarchy: Male dominance in power structures.
- Feminism: Movement for gender equality in all spheres.
- Local Bodies: 33% reservation for women (73rd/74th Amendment).
- Parliament/Assemblies: Women’s representation remains low.
- Obstacles: Patriarchal norms, party reluctance, finance, domestic roles, safety concerns.
- Women’s Reservation Bill: Key demand for 1/3rd seats in Parliament and State Assemblies.
Extra Practice Questions
- Define the term “gender roles.” How do they differ from biological sex, and why is this distinction important in understanding social inequality?
- Explain how the “public-private divide” contributes to gender inequality in political participation. Provide examples from Indian society.
- Discuss the significance of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in promoting women’s political representation in India. What impact have they had?
- What are the primary reasons for the persistently low representation of women in the Indian Parliament and State Assemblies despite progress at the local level?
- Why is increasing women’s political representation considered essential for a truly democratic and equitable society?
Content created and reviewed by the CBSE Quiz Editorial Team based on the latest NCERT textbooks and CBSE syllabus. Our goal is to help students practice concepts clearly, confidently, and exam-ready through well-structured MCQs and revision content.