ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the book’s major question from an Indian perspective. The world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country in the world is treading a nervous path towards gender equality. First, this chapter analyses the current state of gender equality in India, wherein half-a-billion women call this country home but several more millions go unborn and unwanted, grow undernourished and are unequal in comparison to their male counterparts. Second, the socially deplorable condition of women in the 19th and 20th century is presented, and third, the school lunch programme and its impact on gender equality are discussed. Finally, the policy interventions and progress towards gender mainstreaming are analysed.
