Working Women Cause Unemployment, Says Chhattisgarh Text-book

NEW DELHI: If restricting women behind the hostel gates by way of a “curfew”, in the name of security, and flaying their dressing style for revealing too much was not enough, the Chhattisgarh government is now blaming women for increasing unemployment.

A class X textbook prescribed by the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) now teaches students that women are the reason for spiralling unemployment. It says that working women take away the jobs from the men, and hence this is one of the primary reasons for their unemployment.

The grossly misleading chapter was reported to the State women Commission by a 24- year old teacher, Soumya Garg. The teacher from Jashpur district in the state decided to take matters into her own hands and filed a complaint with the Womens Commission a month ago. She has still not received an official response.

The young teacher has been quoted in the media asking, “Does it mean that percentage of unemployment is measured on parameters keeping only men in mind? In the age of technology and gender equality, students can't be taught about such prejudices. Women have equal right over jobs as the men."

Instead of being chastised, the Director for State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) defended the chapter by dismissing the whole issue as a matter of subjectivity. "It's a matter of debate. It was a writer's view out of his experience. Now, it is the teacher's job how they explain things to the students and ask the students for their view whether they agreed to it or not", the official said.