Dravidian model rule in Tamilnadu achieved the top position in Gender Parity

Chennai: Tamilnadu tops in very many criteria nationally. But when India failed to achieve Gender Parity globally, Tamilnadu tops in this category nationally. This was proved in a national-level study by Mckinsey.

On International Women's day CM M.K.Stalin said, "The growth of the nation is in the hands of Women. While we are appreciating the women around us we are developing our nation simultaneously. As far as Tamilnadu is concerned, Women were treated highly respectably from the early Sangam period. We had so many women writers and poets even during ancient times. Kannagi dared to question the King of Madurai.

Poet Avvaiyar was brave enough to stop a war between two Tamil rulers. Gradually, women were sidelined due to multiple cultural invasions. Women were in need of a movement to revolutionise against the patriarchal society and the need for a Dravidian Movement arises".

Tamil women with Global recognition:

CM Stalin added, "Women are financially independent nowadays. Yet some of them think that they are weak mentally". India is struggling to attain Gender equality compared to other nations of the world. Recently the World Economic Forum released a detailed report on the 'Economical Gender Gap' for 2022. This report examined Gender parity in Economic, educational, health and political dimensions. India Ranks 135th position in Economic parity out of 146 countries. Whereas in health, India ranks 143 ahead of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The economic participation of women varies from state to state. In 2015 Mckinsey conducted a national-level study on gender inequality in workplaces. In the report, Tamilnadu and Kerala were placed in the top positions. The women workforce in Tamilnadu is 32% which is double that of the rest of the nation. In Tamilnadu women pursuing higher education is 49%. Whereas it is just 25% when compared to the rest of the nation. The 2019-2020 survey on Women's participation in the Industrial sector revealed that for every 100 Indian women there are 43 Tamil women employed in the Industrial sector. And most of the monthly wage working women were from the Coimbatore district.

Tamilnadu in Top Position:

In terms of Health, the 2029-20 5th Annual National Family welfare survey revealed some interesting data. When compared with the national average, Women in Tamilnadu were using contraception more and received antenatal care in a higher percentage. In the same way, Tamilnadu women are top in getting Institutional deliveries compared to other states of the country. Tamilnadu also has lower infant mortality and lower maternal mortality compared to other states.

This was only possible because of the constant steps taken by the Dravidian Parties who are in power continuously in Tamilnadu. Dravidian Movement is the pioneer in practising Gender equality in India. Social Justice, Equality and rationalism propagated by this Dravidian Movement really challenged the Patriarchy that existed in Tamilnadu.

Dravidian Leader Periyar said, "India cannot be an Independent country until it gives equal power to the women of the nation". The national survey mentioned that the Dravidian parties executed their welfare policies based on the ideology of Periyar in Tamilnadu. In 1967, the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, Annadurai from the DMK party supported widow remarriages and legalised self-respect marriages where there wasn't any need for priests to officiate.

Even after Annadurai's demise M. Karunanidhi continued the efforts of women empowerment in Tamilnadu from 1969. In 1975, the then CM M.Karunanidhi supported widow remarriages and provided compensation for widows in the state. The Hindu Succession Act of 1989 in Tamilnadu made sure that the daughters should be given equal rights in ancestral properties. At that time, Tamilnadu was the first and the only state to implement such an act in India.

Brilliant Women Welfare Schemes:

To improve the education level of women, the Muvalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar scheme in 1989, provided ₹5,000 for women who completed up to Class 8 while getting married. EVR Nagammaiyar Memorial free graduate education scheme for girls and Dr Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme to financially support pregnant women were brilliant schemes for women executed by M.Karunanidhi.

When Karunanidhi provided TV units for every home as a freebie it became quite debatable all over the nation. But the 2009 Oxford University Press' Quarterly Journal of Economics stated that this freebie scheme of M.Karunanidhi actually helped in empowering women to act against domestic violence and to take a stand against bias over male children while increasing women's autonomy in households.

Achievements over 70 years of rule in Tamilnadu:

In the same way, the present Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, M.K.Stalin is still continuing the efforts to empower women in Tamilnadu. CM Stalin increased maternity leave for women from 9 months to 12 months. DMK's major goal is to improve the political participation of women in Tamilnadu. In urban local bodies, DMK ensured 50% of seats for women.

To encourage the independence of women, the Tamilnadu government is providing a free bus ride scheme which enables them to save 10-20% more in their monthly income. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Tamilnadu is higher than in the other states of the nation. To stop girls from getting married at an early stage, the Tamilnadu government is giving an incentive of ₹1,000 to government school girls who are getting enrolled in Government Colleges.

Consistent efforts of Dravidian rule in Tamilnadu empowered women in Tamilnadu more when compared to the rest of the nation.