APSC CCE Mains PYQ Solved | APSC CCE 2023 Model Answer

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APSC Mains GS Paper 1: 2023: What do you mean by feminization of poverty? What steps have been taken in recent times to address the issue? (15 marks, 250 Words)

Model Answer:

Coined by Diana Pearce, the “feminization of poverty” refers to the phenomenon where poverty disproportionately affects women due to systemic patriarchal barriers, unequal access to resources, and the overwhelming burden of unpaid care work.

1. Deconstructing the “Feminization of Poverty”

The concept extends beyond mere income deprivation to encompass multi-dimensional marginalization:

• Asset and Resource Deficit: Despite significant labor contributions, women severely lack property and land rights. (According to the Agriculture Census, women own merely ~14% of agricultural land in India).
• Concentration in the Informal Sector: As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), a vast majority of the female workforce is trapped in low-paying, precarious informal jobs (domestic work, agriculture) with wage disparity and zero social security.
• “Time Poverty”: Women disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid domestic and caregiving duties, drastically reducing their opportunity for skill enhancement and formal employment.
• Health and Nutritional Poverty: Intra-household discrimination often leads to severe nutritional deficits. (NFHS-5 data reveals that over 50% of Indian women of reproductive age are anemic).
• The Assam Dimension: Women laborers in the tea estates of the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys exemplify this phenomenon, historically facing wage stagnation, high maternal mortality rates, and generational economic immobility.

2. Recent Steps Taken to Address the Issue

The government has shifted from a welfare-based approach to a women-led development paradigm:

Dimension Addressed	National Initiatives	Assam-Specific Interventions
Financial Inclusion & Direct Income	PM Jan Dhan Yojana (over 55% accounts belong to women); Stand-Up India for women entrepreneurs.	Orunodoi Scheme: A landmark DBT scheme transferring ₹1,250/month directly to women, recognizing them as the head of the household.
Livelihood & Skill Development	DAY-NRLM mobilizing millions into Self-Help Groups (SHGs); Target of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis.	Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) empowering indigenous weavers and rural SHGs.
Mitigating “Time Poverty” & Health	PM Ujjwala Yojana (clean cooking fuel) and Jal Jeevan Mission save millions of hours spent fetching water/firewood.	Wage Compensation Scheme for pregnant women in tea gardens to ensure nutritional security and reduce MMR.
Legislative & Social Security	Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act (26 weeks of paid leave); Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam for political empowerment.	Strict state crackdown on child marriage in Assam, directly targeting early socio-economic marginalization.

3. Remaining Structural Bottlenecks

• Digital Divide: The disparity in smartphone and internet access restricts women from fully participating in the modern digital economy.
• Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB): While GRB exists, state allocations often remain underutilized or misdirected toward generic schemes rather than targeted asset-creation for women.

Realizing the Constitutional mandate of Article 39(a) and (d) requires completely dismantling systemic patriarchal barriers. Empowering Nari Shakti through targeted financial autonomy and equal asset ownership is the ultimate catalyst for building an equitable and prosperous society.

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