GENDER DIMENSION OF WEALTH DISTRIBUTION: ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INDIA By

In Indian Society, the inequalities among the different sections of people are prevalent in terms of economic and social status but it becomes more conspicuous when it is viewed from the gender perspective. The concept of gender refers to the socially defined characteristics of men and women, which are shaped by historical, economic, religious, ethnic and cultural factors. To quote Oxfam Gender Training Manual: Gender not only varies from one culture to another but it also varies within cultures over time; Culture is not static but evolves. As societies become more complex, the roles played by men and women are not determined by culture but by socio-political and economic factors. The classical economists like John Stuart Mill recognised that historical and social factors played an important role in determining the distribution of income. Historically, in most cultures women have been made to depend on men, both within the family and in society at large. Because of their economic dependence women became a silent, passive, powerless lot. However, the level of this dependence has varied from culture to cultur