1. Women Empowerment In India
A Challenge of 21st Century

2. Overview
 Women’s empowerment is a new phrase in thevocabulary of gender literature. The
phrase is usedin two broad senses i.e. general and specific. In ageneral sense, it refers to
empowering women tobe self-dependent by providing them access toall the freedoms
and opportunities, which theywere denied in the past only because of their being
‘women’. In a specific sense, womenempowerment refers to enhancing their positionin
the power structure of the society .
 The principle of gender equality is enshrinedin the Indian Constitution in its
preamble,fundamental rights, fundamental duties anddirective principles. The
Constitution not onlygrants equality to women but also empowers thest ate to adopt
measures, a position;indiscrimination in favour of women. Within theframework of
democratic polity, our laws,developmental policies, plans and programmesare aimed at
women’s advancement in differentspheres. India has also ratified various
internationalconventions to secure rights of women. The women’s movement and a
widespread network of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) having strong grass-
root presence and deepinsight into women’s concerns have contributedin inspiring
initiatives for the empowerment ofwomen. Women today are trying to understandtheir
position in the society. Women have becomeincreasingly aware of sexual inequalities in
everysphere of life and are seeking ways to fight them.

3. Overview cont . . .
 The Indian women have cast of their age-old shackles of serfdom
and male domination. Shehas come to her own and started scaling
theladders of social advance with proud and dignity.Women of
India are now uplifted and emancipatedand granted equal status
with men in all walks oflife-political, social, domestic and
educational.They have a franchise, they are free to join anyservice
or follow any profession. Free India has,besides her woman prime
minister, womenambassadors, women cabinet ministers,
womenlegislators, women governors, women
scientists,engineers-doctors-space researchers-giant ITspecialists,
women Generals, women publicofficers, judiciary officers and in
many moreresponsible positions. No distinction is now madein
matters of education between boys and girls.Their voice is now as
forceful and important asthat of men. They are becoming equal
partners inmaking or dismissing of a government.

4. Overview cont . . .
Hindu law has been changed and modified.Far-reaching
changes have been introduced in theHindu Marriage Act.
Women have been givenright to divorce in certain cases.
Besides this, theHindu Succession Act has given to the
daughter;the right to the property of her parents.
OurConstitution has given equal rights to women.
Nodistinction has been made on the basis of caste,religion or
sex. Their rights have thus beensafeguarded. Thirdly, three
percent reservationfor women is apt to be enacted in the
future.

5. Women Empowerment- still an illusion
of reality:
 Not-withstanding the remarkable changesin the position of women in
free India, there is stilla great divergence between the
constitutionalposition and stark reality of deprivation anddegradation.
Whatever whiff of emancipation hasblown in Indian society, has been
inhaled andenjoyed by the urban women, their populationbelonging to
the rural areas are still totallyuntouched by the wind of changes. They
still havebeen living in miserable conditions, steeped inpoverty,
ignorance, superstition and slavery. Therestill exists a wide gulf between
the goalsenunciated in the Constitution, legislations,policies, plans,
programmes and relatedmechanisms on the one hand and the
situationalreality on the status of women in India, on theother. The
human rights scenario in the countrycontinues to be dismal and
depressing. Womenare being brutalized, commodified, materializedand
subjected to inhuman exploitation anddiscrimination.

6. Women Empowerment- still an illusion
of reality: (cont . . .)
 Although, gender discrimination has beenbanned by the Constitution and women have
beenguaranteed political equality with men, yet thereis a difference between the
constitutional rights and the rights enjoyed in reality by women. Evenafter half a century
of independence, barring afew exceptions, women have mostly remainedoutside the
domain of power and politicalauthority. Although they constitute about half ofthe
citizen and over the years their participationby way of voting has increased, yet
theirparticipation and representation in law making andlaw implementing bodies are not
very satisfactory.No doubt the 73rd and 74th constitutionalamendment acts have
provided access to womenin the decision making process at the grass-rootlevel but their
representation in the Parliament andstate legislatures is woefully poor. Insecurity
doesnot allow the women leaders to identify leadershipat the grass-root level. In politics
when a manproposes, they themselves depose. In realitywomen representatives are
ornamental in natureand political consciousness is found lacking amongthem. They are
affected by the caste and classdivisions, feudal attitudes, patriarchal nature of thefamily
and village-social, environmental, ethnic,religious separatism and the like. They
aremembers on record only. Allegedly, they are notconsulted while taking decision.
Thus, womenrepresentatives are not free from male dominancein the village
administration and no significantchange in the power equal is observed in thevillages.

7. Women Empowerment- still an illusion
of reality: (cont . . .)
What are the reasons for this sorry state ofaffairs ? Issues may be various and
varied,however a few basic issues deserve specificmention :
 Lack of awareness
 Lack of social and economic empowerment
 Lack of political will
 Feebleness of accountability mechanisms
 Lack of enforcement by the police force
 Lack of gender culture
The question arises, how great erparticipation of women in politics can beachieved
? Generally, the answer is suggested inthe form of 'reservation'. However,
merereservation will not solve the problem unless anduntil women are given
commensurate powers tofunction effectively and they themselves becomemore
conscious and aware of their rights andduties.

8. More steps to be taken
 There can not be any dramatic movementin the system just by including women
membersin Gram Panchayat. At the same time, it is alsoessential to shed certain
stereotyped prevailingnotions about role and importance of women insocio-economic
development. Women should beencouraged to play a more active part. The
malerepresentatives have to establish a rapport withfemale representatives and give due
respect andattention to their views. In the process ofdevelopment and decision-making
women haveto operate along with men.
 Of course, there is some awareness amongwomen due to reservation for them in
thePanchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). But there isneed for appropriate training and
education relatingto different aspects in functioning of Panchayatsto make women
members conscious enoughabout their effective role and representation in thePanchayat
Samiti. This kind of training can beorganized at the district or block level
immediatelyfollowing the election. We have to understand that women representatives
can play a vital role in theformulation and implementation of various womenand child
development programmes. This wouldincrease the efficacy of such programmes.
Forinstance, the women representatives and GramPanchayat should have sufficient
control over theprimary education, primary health care and runningof the public
distribution system.

9. More steps to be taken (Cont . . . )
 The state must pass and enforce legislationso that the status of women in
society is broughtto a respectable level through the long arms ofthe law. In
1985, a separate department ofWomen and Child Development was set up.
Inthe Sixth Five Year plan, a separate chapter on³Women and Development´
was included. Thegovernment had started and implemented majorprogrammes
like Support to Training-cum-Employment for Women (STEP),
Mahilakosh,Women’s Development Corporation, etc.However, legislations
and efforts of the state havenot made deeper in-roads into the rural and
urbanareas. For example, sex determination of foetusstill continues in all the
rural regions of the countrydespite the enforcement of legislation on Pre-
natalDiagnostic Technique (Regulation and Preventionof Misuse) Act, which
was passed in 1994. Thewomen of India must o ppose this sexdetermination of
foetus, eve-teasing, brideburning, child marriage, exploitation in the
offices,lower wages for labour etc. women from all walksof life must unite and
must give priority to theireducation, growth and the prosperity of theirfamilies.
Police should accept more female officersand constables so that they are able to
deal withthe female victims of our society. Femaleinfanticide, female torture,
Sati and dowry mustbe banned in the country.

10. More steps to be taken (Cont . . . )
 Women must become literate, as educationis beneficial for them as well as their
families. Thefamily web is woven around the women. She has to be up to the mark and
educated so that shecould fend for herself and her family during thehour of crisis. The
status of women would improveonly if they educate themselves and grab
everyopportunity to become stronger and morepowerful than before.
 The discussion brings a major conclusionto light-the status of women could be
improvedby women themselves and nobody else. It is themodern era of satellites,
achievements andtechnology-based gadget. Why should women beleft behind ?
 There should be a better and fullerunderstanding of the problems peculiar to woman,to
make a solution of those problems possible.As these problems centre round the basic
problemof inequality, steps should be taken to promoteequality of treatment and full
integration of womanin the total development effort of the country.
 The main stress should be on equal workand elimination of discrimination in
employment.One of the basic policy objectives should beuniversal education of woman,
the lack of whichtends to perpetuate the unequal status quo. Thepopular UNESCO
slogan should come in handy:³educate a man and you educate anindividual; educate a
woman and you educatea family.´

11. More steps to be taken (Cont . . . )
 Women will have to empower themselves ’from below’ in order to compel the
governmentto empower them ‘from above’. Further, there is a need for a
change of values and behaviour inthe society, a need for positive socio-cultural
andeconomic empowerment and above all the willpower and strong
determination of women to joinpolitics. Education can play a vital role in
bringingabout the desirable behavioural changes amongthe women and make
them well equipped in termsof knowledge, competence and capacity to
dealwith different political problems.
 It may be concluded that women haveshifted traditional assumptions about
their rolesand capabilities. There has been a marked change,and it has been for
the better. Many of its benefitshowever have yet to touch the majority and all
ofus continue to experience various forms of genderdiscrimination. If laws
designed to address theconcerns of women are to have a dramatic andpositive
impact on women’s lives, they must besensitive to the social, economic and
politicaldisempowerment of women throughout the world.The most important
measure of their successshould be the extent to which they enable womanto
interpret, apply and enforce laws of their ownmaking, incorporating their own
voices, valuesand concerns.

12. Source
http://orissa.gov.in/e-
magazine/Orissareview/jan2006/engpdf/Empowerment_of
_India.pdf