Gender Justice and Feminist Jurisprudence | Indicators of Status

In the study of Gender Justice and Feminist Jurisprudence, "status" is not a vague social standing but a measurable set of Indicators. These indicators reveal the extent to which a society values one gender over another and how power is distributed.

I. Survival and Physical Integrity

The most fundamental indicator of status is the very right to exist and survive.

1. Likelihood of Survival: In societies with high gender inequality, the "biological advantage" of women is often negated by social neglect. This is reflected in higher mortality rates for females due to lack of nutrition or medical care.

1. Female Foeticide and Infanticide: These practices represent the lowest indicator of status, where "human worth" is assigned at birth (or before) based on sex. The preference for male children leads to a skewed sex ratio, treating the female life as a liability rather than an asset.

1. Control over One’s Body: This involves the right to be free from violence and the right to bodily autonomy. Low status is marked by high rates of domestic violence, sexual harassment, and the lack of laws protecting physical integrity.

II. Economic Resource and Property Control

Economic status is a primary driver of social power. Feminist jurisprudence argues that without "property status," a gender remains perpetually dependent.

1. Control over Property: This includes the legal right to inherit, own, and sell land or assets. Historically, many legal systems (like the pre-1956 Hindu law) restricted women's property rights to "limited estates," signifying lower status.

1. Valued Goods and Services: Status is indicated by who manages the family’s wealth and who decides on the purchase of high-value goods.

1. Working Conditions: This examines whether a gender is relegated to the "informal" sector, characterized by low pay, lack of benefits, and poor safety, versus the "formal" sector with legal protections.

III. Knowledge, Information, and Symbolic Representation

Power is often held by those who control the "narrative" and "knowledge" of a society.

1. Knowledge and Information: Access to education is a gatekeeper for status. When women or marginalized genders are denied technical, legal, or digital literacy, they are excluded from the modern power structure.

1. Symbolic Representation: This refers to how a gender is portrayed in media, literature, and religion. If a gender is consistently represented as "subordinate," "temptress," or "victim," their social status remains diminished.

1. Daily Lifestyles: Status is reflected in the "politics of the everyday"—who gets to rest, who performs the "invisible" domestic labour, and who has the freedom of movement in public spaces at night.

IV. Political and Reproductive Processes

These indicators measure the ability of a gender to influence the future of the state and their own biological destiny.

1. Political Processes: This involves representation in decision-making bodies (Parliament, Panchayats, Boardrooms). True status is achieved when a gender moves from being a "voter" to being a "policy-maker."

1. Reproductive Processes: This is a core pillar of Feminist Jurisprudence. Status is high when individuals have control over their reproductive choices—deciding if, when, and how many children to have. Lack of access to reproductive healthcare or forced sterilization are indicators of extreme status deprivation.

V. Summary Table: Indicators of High vs. Low Status

Synthesis

These indicators show that gender status is intersectional. For example, a woman might have high status in "knowledge" (education) but still suffer from low status in "reproductive control" or "property ownership." Gender justice seeks to elevate all these indicators simultaneously to ensure substantive equality.