The problem of drug use and addiction among women

The problem of drug use and addiction
among women cannot be separated
from other aspects of their social
existence and conditioning. The social and
economic status of women directly impinges
on their freedom in real terms. Their status is
therefore of great relevance in cases of substance
abuse by women themselves, and even more
so where women suffer the consequences of
such abuse by members of their family.
Women in India: How Free? How
Equal?
India ranks 115 in the Human
Development Index of 2001 (UNDP, 2001).
The country has made considerable progress
since independence; economic reform and
liberalization measures over the 1990s have led
to strong economic growth, increased exports
and reduced inflation. Overall life expectancy
is 62.9 years, and projections for 2000-2005
suggest that life expectancy of males and
females will be 63.6 years and 64.9 years
respectively (United Nations Population
Division, 2000). According to the 2001
Census, overall literacy has increased to 65.38
percent (Census of India, 2001).
What does this mean for the country’s
women?
A report commissioned by the United
Nations Resident Co-ordinator in India
(Menon-Sen and Shivakumar, 2001) titled
‘Women in India: How Free? How Equal?’
raises several disturbing issues concerning the
current status of women in India. The study’s
main findings are outlined below. Data from
the Census of India 2001 and the Human
Development Report 2001 also corroborate
some of the study’s observations.
These include:

Although the
absolute number of
females has grown
21.79 percent in the
last decade, the malefemale
ratio is still
lower than it was 100
years ago. In societies
where men and
women are treated
equally, women tend
to outlive and
outnumber men.
Typically, one would
expect to find 103
India, in the words of
Amartya Sen, has to account for some 25
million ‘missing women’.

The Indian girl child is disadvantaged right
from birth. The sex ratio...