In India, the most widespread gender stereotype is that of a woman as a housewife, cook, mother, or daughter who has to be married off. Taking up difficult work is associated with men and taking care of a household is generally associated with women. In general, in almost all societies, women face discrimination and are given a low status in society. Their work is not valued and they receive lesser wages than men for the same amount of work.

This gender inequality or discrimination has existed since the early times. Probably the reason for this is the biological differences between men and women. Traditionally men were the breadwinners and women were the caretakers. However, in the twentieth century, these ideas underwent a change.

Women across the world demanded to be treated equally and to be given equal wages for the same work. But in India, this progress has been quite slow. Women in ancient times were treated as people, who could not voice their opinions; who were denied access to education and even to basic facilities. The windows could not remarry. When unmarried, girls were under the protection of their father or brother and after marriage, this task fell upon their husbands.

Under the influence of ninetieth-century social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwarchand Vidyasagar, and Dayanand Saraswati, reformers were introduced to uplift the position of women. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was instrumental in abolishing sati, an inhuman practice under which a married woman burnt herself at the pyre of her husband after his death. Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar contributed by getting the widow Remarriage Act passed in 1856.

Dayanand Saraswati opened a number of colleges and schools to promote girl's education. All these reformers emphasized that the improvement in the condition of women was a must if the nation wanted to progress. After independence, our constitution granted equal rights to men and women in all spheres. Even after sixty years of independence, gender equality has not been achieved.

According to Amartya Sen, a famous economist;� Gender inequality exists in most parts of the world, from Japan to Morocco, from Uzbekistan to the United States of America.� Gender discrimination exists both in urban and rural areas. The scale at which it exists might differ. And if you look carefully around you, you would find gender inequality everywhere.

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