The term ‘equality’ refers to the state of being equal in all respects. Gender equality means equal rights and access to both men and women. It can also be defined as an “integrated overall development of men and women in terms of education, leadership, economy and decision-making and implementation level”.

Society defines men and women as “two wheels of a chariot”. However, blind beliefs among other traditions has made our into a patriarchal society. Only one sector cannot work for the overall development of society. A society needs a balanced, integrated development through eradication of traditions and faiths that prefers one over the other. Women are backward in our society for various reasons, the foremost being the patriarchal nature of our society. Women of rural and remote areas are not even let to go out and work. They do not have the right to make decisions in a family.

In the political and administrative arena, there is just a handful of women. Can we even think of a lady prime minister here?

For gender equality, following rights need to be granted to women — right to education, equal access to politics, simultaneous approach to decision-making, economic rights, and a kind of ‘positive discrimination’ like reservations to a certain extent to deserving women.

This approach will increase participatory means of resolutions of national and global problems. — Pooja Bhatta, Class IX, Mountains English Medium Boarding School, Dadeldhura