Citation

Chowdhury A, Patnaik MM. J. Dev. Soc. 2010; 26(4): 455-471.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0169796X1002600403

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Promoting gender equality and improvement in the status of women are specifically stated to be central goals of development and social policy in India. However, women in the country are still far behind men in most indicators of human development. Women’s subordination status and inequalities are reflected in almost every sphere in Indian society. Hence, promoting gender equality in patriarchal social order is impossible without the consent, mindset, and involvement of male population. In order to improve the status of women in India, the efforts need to get the support, assistance, understanding, and involvement from the major partner – the "male" of the society. There is the need to empower the boys and men in terms of their understanding, information, and capacity building regarding equal opportunity for both the sexes. This article tries to justify the need for empowering boys and men to achieve gender equality in India, without which any amount of women reservation and welfare programs will not be able to enhance the status of women folk.