women take up professions such as teaching nursing and hospitality as it gives them time to carry out their domestic chores as well domestic work is seen as their primary responsibility this is a doubleedged sword as it undermines both women as well as professions such as teaching he adds sonya gill of the all india democratic womens association blames the current growth model for gender inequality the government is cutting down on public funding of welfare measures in fields such as health education and food distribution this particularly affects marginalized sections such as women she also points to the governments refusal to implement affirmative action policies such as the reservation bill for women in parliament womens representation in parliament is lower in india than it is in pakistan afghanistan and bangladesh but n hamsa executive director of woman power connect says india does not lack in policy or legislation for women but in implementation for instance despite having an inheritance law women are influenced not to exert their rights it is like having a policy of free education in the absence of schools she says or take the strict laws against domestic violence at the ground little seems to have changed in a startling revelation the national family health survey iii found that over 40 of the 125 lakh women surveyed in 28 states and the capital said they had experienced domestic violence more shockingly 54 of women and 51 of men felt it was justified increasing modernity in indias metros may seem at odds with the low status of women in society but nandita shah codirector of akshara an organization working for the uplift of women feels that modernity reinforces traditional beliefs modernity exists in terms of fashion clothes and brands but not in our worldview or the way we see relationships and here india could learn a thing or two from poorer nations