Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 1 to 8.

The systematic suppression of women is not merely a human rights violation but a structural catalyst for geopolitical instability. Societies entrenched in regressive gender norms - manifested through practices such as polygamy, child marriage, and institutionalized misogyny - exhibit pronounced economic stagnation, political volatility, and heightened susceptibility to conflict.

Afghanistan exemplifies this regression, where the rapid erosion of women’s rights following the Taliban’s resurgence has obliterated two decades of progress in female education and workforce participation. Similar patterns emerge in regions with egregiously unbalanced sex ratios, such as Kashmir and parts of China, where surplus male populations correlate with rising criminality, insurgency recruitment, and social upheaval.

Mitigating these entrenched disparities necessitates a multidimensional policy framework that integrates legal reform, economic empowerment, and pedagogical transformation. Governments must rigorously enforce prohibitions on child marriage, gender-based violence, and discriminatory inheritance laws while dismantling socio-cultural structures that perpetuate female subjugation. Education systems should be redesigned to instill gender equality from an early age, actively challenging cultural norms that reinforce female subordination.

Although these structural reforms are primarily the responsibility of national governments, international entities exert substantial leverage in catalyzing change through diplomatic pressure, conditional aid, and development initiatives. Institutions such as USAID and the World Bank have demonstrably facilitated incremental progress in women’s rights, yet sustained commitment is imperative to counteract regressive backsliding. Empirical research consistently corroborates that societies fostering gender parity demonstrate diminished violence, heightened economic resilience, and enhanced political stability, reinforcing the intrinsic link between equity and sustained national prosperity.

Question 1: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to deep socio-political and economic instability?
A. Lack of women in governance B. Child marriage
C. Institutionalized misogyny D. Polygamy