A top UN official has cited India as an example saying the government there is making tremendous efforts to uplift the better half of its population.
Underling that certain religions and cultural norms around the world were preventing women from attaining an equal status in society, a top UN official has cited India as an example saying the government there is making tremendous efforts to uplift the better half of its population.
"You also find countries like India where there are traditional practices and yet the state in its approach towards women has always held equality as a basis," Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom, told journalists here.
"It doesn't mean they don't have problems...but it means that there is some hope that women will get some hope," Jahangir, also a renowned Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist, said.
At the same time, India has slipped to the bottom half of World Economic Forum's 'The Global Gender Gap Index 2009 rankings placing it at 114 among 134 countries- one rank lower than its last year's position.
The ranking examines the distribution of resources and opportunities among men and women.
Noting that "there was no true equality" in any society, Jahangir pointed out that some countries were bringing women into the mainstream through different programmes including affirmative action.The top UN official contrasted India's situation with certain countries that institutionalise discrimination against women based on religion.
"There are some societies in this world where women are not even allowed to drive a car and that restriction is based in the name of religion and tradition," Jahangir said.
"There are other countries where a women can be punished if she does not cover her head," she said.
"There are states that control women's sexuality, right to their body, birth and birth control," she added.
Jahangir drew attention to the thin line that exists between an individual's right to speak her mind and when this right is abused resulting in violence.
"This is a challenge for governments because you can't stop expression...you have to be able to meet it with political announcements or political messages that are in the right direction," she said.
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