Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said violence is used in society to prevent women from progressing and that 80 per cent of them face harassment.
Describing women as the country’s biggest asset, he said they should stand for themselves and believe in themselves.
Speaking at his party’s youth outreach programme ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ here, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha listed “three forms of violence against women: physical violence, violence through denial of opportunities, economic violence”.
Gandhi said 4.5 lakh female foeticides take place every year, 80 per cent of women encounter harassment, 29 per cent endure physical violence and 6 per cent face rape. He claimed 99 per cent of incidents of sexual violence are not reported because of fear of social stigma.
He said 50 per cent of women are denied opportunities for education or employment in the name of safety. Women have to spend an additional Rs 17,500 every year in the name of safe travel.
The Congress leader also said women face restrictions in several ways, claiming that 60 per cent of women cannot go outside their homes alone.
“The boy is allowed to go out anytime and can come late, but you girls have to come back by 8 pm. Boys can go for any exams multiple times, but for girls, they get only one attempt. They are told it is their marriage time and no need to go for the exam,” he said.
While 45 per cent of women have to leave education or work because of marriage or household responsibilities, only 8 per cent own land.
Highlighting disparity in households, Gandhi said women in the age group of 15 to 29 work 5.5 hours at home, while in the same house, boys work only 30 minutes.
He also claimed that 84 per cent of women need their family’s permission to take up employment.
According to Gandhi, women earn 25 per cent less than men and do not get promotions easily.