WOMEN EMPOWERNMENT

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WOMEN EMPOWERNMENT

Women Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength ofWomen. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.

Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar capabilities:

*Having decision-making power of their own

*Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision*Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.)

*Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making*Having positive thinking on the ability to make change

*Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power.*Ability to change others perceptions by democratic means.

*Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated* Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma


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STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Women in India now participate in all activities such as education, politics, media, art andculture, service sectors, science and technology, etc.

The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no discrimination

by the State (Article 15(1)), equality of opportunity (Article 16), equal pay for equal work(Article 39(d)). In addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in favour of

women and children (Article 15(3)), renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women(Article 51(A) (e)), and also allows for provisions to be made by the State for securing just and

humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. (Article 42).

The feminist activism in India picked up momentum during later 1970s. One of the first nationallevel issues that brought the women's groups together was the Mathura rape case. The acquittal

of policemen accused of raping a young girl Mathura in a police station, led to a wide-scaleprotests in 19791980. The protests were widely covered in the national media, and forced the

Government to amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian PenalCode and introduce the category of custodial rape. Female activists united over issues such as

female infanticide, gender bias, women health, and female literacy.

Since alcoholism is often associated with violence against women in India, many women groups

launched anti-liquor campaigns in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Orissa, MadhyaPradesh and other states. Many Indian Muslim women have questioned the fundamental leaders'

interpretation of women's rights under the Shariat law and have criticized the triple talaq system.

In 1990s, grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-orientedNGOs. Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) have

played a major role in women's rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of localmovements. For example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

The Government of India declared 2001 as the Year of Women's Empowerment (Swashakti).

The National Policy For The Empowerment Of Women came was passed in 2001.

From an unknown period in Medieval India to the modern times the condition of women is still the

same with hardly any change. In India, the families are always `Patriacal` that is male dominated.

Women were never given any rights of liberty and equality. They were always treated in an inferior way.Women were considered as machines for giving birth to children. The condition of women was so bad

that if she gave birth to a girl child she was treated in a humiliated manner. Women were not only

abstained from being educated but also were not permitted to step out of the house. They were asked

to eat after their husbands have eaten and in fact were given to eat the leftovers of their husband`s

meal.


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Child Marriage in Modern IndiaChild Marriage in Modern India was one of the chief issues taken up by women activists. A lot

of propaganda and campaigning was done during this time to fight against the evils of childmarriage and make the people aware of the drawbacks of this obsolete custom. The women got

involved in national level political campaigning during this time and the Government could nolonger ignore this issue. The biggest achievement regarding the child marriage issue during this

time was the passing of the Child Marriage Restraint Act.

Women in Post Independent India

Women in Post Independent India faced a major upheaval as regards their position, perceptionand role in society. In the period immediately following Independence, a number of

constitutional provisions were made for women`s social, economic and political benefits.However, the most revolutionary change in the position and role of women in the post

Independent period was brought about by the Towards Equality Report. Following thepublication of this report much more comprehensive and detailed work was undertaken to

improve women`s position and guarantee their rights.

Indian Women in Politics

Indian Women in Politics are seen participating in great numbers today. Despite the initialhurdles of womens participation in politics, such as managing the family, the issues of

feminity etc, Indian women are quite active in the political arena and their participation todayremains stronger than ever.

Women`s Employment under British Rule

Women`s Employment under British rule saw a gradual rise in the number of working womenalongside a fall in the number of women employed in the traditional economic activities. Most of

the women during this time were employed in the manufacturing industries and factories, with avery small percent gradually emerging in the field of professional education such as medicine

and teaching.


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FEMINISM

Pre-colonial social structures and womens role in them reveal that feminism was theorized

differently in India than in the west. Colonialessentialization of "Indian culture" andreconstruction of Indian womanhood as the epitome of that culture through social reform

movements resulted in political theorization in the form of nationalism rather than as feminismalone.[1]

Historical circumstances and values in India make womens issues different from the westernfeminist rhetoric. The idea of women as "powerful" is accommodated into patriarchal culture

through religion. This has retained visibility in all sections of society; by providing women withtraditional "cultural spaces". Another consideration is that whereas in the West the notion of

"self" rests in competitive individualism where people are described as "born free yeteverywhere in chains", by contrast in India the individual is usually considered to be just one part

of the larger social collective, dependent for its survival upon cooperation and self-denial for thegreater good.

Indian feminist scholars and activists have to struggle to carve a separate identity for feminism in

India. They define feminism in time and space to in order to avoid the uncritically followingWestern ideas. Indian women negotiate survival through an array of oppressive patriarchal

family structures: age, ordinal status, relationship to men through family of origin, marriage andprocreation as well as patriarchal attributes - dowry, siring sons etc. - kinship, caste, community,

village, market and the state. It should however be noted that several communities in India, suchas the Nairs of Kerala, certain Maratha clans, and Bengali families exhibit matriarchal

tendencies, with the head of the family being the oldest women rather than the oldest man. Sikhculture is also regarded as relatively gender-neutral.

The heterogeneity of Indian experience reveals that there are multiple patriarchies and so also arethere multiple feminisms. Hence feminism in India is not a singular theoretical orientation; it haschanged over time in relation to historical and cultural realities, levels of consciousness,

perceptions and actions of individual women and women as a group. The widely used definitionis "An awareness of womens oppression and exploitation in society, at work and within the

family, and conscious action by women and men to change this situation". (Bhasin and Khan1986) Acknowledging sexism in daily life and attempting to challenge and eliminate it through

deconstructing mutually exclusive notions offemininity and masculinity as biologicallydetermined categories opens the way towards an equitable society for both men and women.

The male and female dichotomy of polar opposites with the former oppressing the latter at all

times is refuted in the Indian context because it was men who initiated social reform movementsagainst various social evils. Patriarchy is just one of the hierarchies. Relational hierarchiesbetween women within the same family are more adverse. Here women are pitted against one

another. Not all women are powerless at all times. Caste-community identities intensify all otherhierarchies. The polytheisticHindupantheon provides revered images of women as unique and

yet complementary to those of male deities.


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WOMEN AND EDUCATION

Some of the main reasons that girls are less likely to reach optimal levels of education include

the fact that girls are needed to assist their mothers at home, have been raised to believe that alife of domestic work is their destined occupation, have illiterate mothers who cannot educate

their children, have an economic dependency on men, and are sometimes subject to child-marriage.[10]

In 1986, the National Policy on Education (NPE) was created in India, and the governmentlaunched the program called Mahila Samakhya, whose focus was on the empowerment of

women. The programs goal is to create a learning environment for women to realize theirpotential, learn to demand information and find the knowledge to take charge of their own lives.

In certain areas of India, progress is being made and an increase in the enrollment of girls inschools and as teachers has begun to increase. Efforts are still being made to improve the level of

education that females receive to match that of male students.

Something important to note is that educated women are becoming associated with lower fertilityrates in India, and making efforts to spread the use ofcontraception to uneducated Indian

women.[13]


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WHAT CAN BE DONE ?

The government has passed many laws so as to empower the women. These rules haveempowered them socially, economically, legally and politically. Not only the government but

various non-governmental organisations have done a lot so as to improve the status of woman inour society. Child marriages have also been stopped.

A study by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies in Hyderabad found that child marriage

has declined among project participants. Groups have also started campaigns against thetrafficking of women and girl children with the support of police, the revenue administration and

NGOs.

In a bid to reduce child labour, new residential schools have been set up in six districts to providequality education to girl child labourers. Over 40,000 girls are now enrolled in these schools.

According to an impact evaluation, these schools have outperformed other public schools in

terms of regular attendance, academic results and facilities provided to students, leading to a fallin the drop out rate from 14.8 per cent in 2001 to 4.3 per cent in 2005-2006.

In recent years many steps have been taken so as to increase the participation of women in thepolitical system. The Women's reservation policy bill is however a very sad story as it is

repeatedly being scuttled in parliament. Further, there is the Panchayati Raj system, wherewomen have been given representation as a sign of political empowerment. There are many

elected women representatives at the village council level. However their power is restricted, asthe men wield all authority.

All this shows that the process of gender equality and women's empowerment still has a longway to go and may even have become more difficult in the recent years. Empowerment would

become more relevant when women are actually treated as equal to men. This division of labourthat a women is supposed to do only household chores and the men are the only one who can

earn a living for the family, has to be removed.

Further, women should be better educated , better informed only then can take rationaldecisions. It is also necessary to sensitise the other sex towards women. It is important to usher

changes in the societal attitudes and perceptions with regard to the role of women in differentspheres of life. Adjustments have to be made in traditional gender specific performance of tasks.

Meanwhile, a woman needs to be physically healthy in order to work equally. This is sadlylacking in a majority of women especially in the rural areas. They have unequal access to basic

health resources and lack adequate counselling. The result is an increasing risk of unwanted andearly pregnancies, HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases.

There is no doubt that the status of women has improved a lot. Evil practices such as the purdah

system, child marriage and the like, have not been completely eradicated but have seen adownfall.Thus, a clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of women's

emancipation both from the government and women themselves.


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Women Empowerment

The empowerment of women, also called gender empowerment, has become a significant topic

of discussion in regards to development and economics. Entire nations, businesses, communities,and groups can benefit from the implementation of programs and policies that adopt the notion

of women empowerment. [1] Empowerment is one of the main procedural concerns whenaddressing human rights and development. The Human Development and Capabilities Approach,

The Millennium Development Goals, and other credible approaches/goals point to empowermentand participation as a necessary step if a country is to overcome the obstacles associated with

poverty and development.[2]

Measuring Gender Empowerment

Gender empowerment can be measured through The Gender Empowerment Measure, or the

GEM. The GEM shows womens participation in a given nation, both politically and

economically. Gem is calculated by tracking the share of seats in parliament held by women; offemale legislators, senior officials and managers; and of female profession and technical

workers; and the gender disparity in earned income, reflecting economic independence. [3] Itthen ranks countries given this information. Other measures that take into account the importance

of female participation and equality include: The Gender Parity Index and The Gender-RelatedDevelopment Index (GDI),

[4]

[edit] Ways to Empower Women

One way to deploy the empowerment of women is through land rights. Land rights offer a key

way to economically empower women, giving them the confidence they need to tackle genderinequalities. Often, women in developing nations are legally restricted from their land on the sole

basis of gender. They encounter tremendous barriers to claim the land that should rightfully betheirs. Having a right to their land also gives women a sort ofbargaining powerthat they

wouldnt normally have, in turn; they gain the ability to assert themselves in various aspects oftheir life, both in and outside of the home.

[5]Another way to provide women empowerment is to

allocate responsibilities to them that normally belong to men. When women have economicempowerment, it is a way for others to see them as equal members of society. Through this, they

achieve more self-respect and confidence by their contributions to their communities. Simplyincluding women as a part of a community can have sweeping positive effects. In a study

conducted by Bina Agarwal, women were given a place in a forest conservation group. Not only

did this drive up the efficiency of the group, but the women gained incredible self-esteem whileothers, including men, viewed them with more respect.

[6]Participation, which can be seen and

gained in a variety of ways, has been argued to be the most beneficial form of gender

empowerment. Political participation, be it the ability to vote and voice opinions, or the ability torun for office with a fair chance of being elected, plays a huge role in the empowerment of

peoples.[7]

However, participation is not limited to the realm of politics. It can includeparticipation in the household, in schools, and the ability to make choices for oneself. It can besaid that these latter participations need to be achieved before one can move onto broader


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political participation.[8]

When women have the agency to do what she wants, a higher equalitybetween men and women is established. It is argued that Microcredit also offers a way to provide

empowerment for women.[9]

Governments, organizations, and individuals have caught hold ofthe lure ofmicrofinance. They hope that lending money and credit allows women to function in

business and society, which in turn empowers them to do more in their communities. One of the

primary goals in the foundation of microfinance was women empowerment. Loans with lowinterest rates are given to women in developing communities in hopes that they can start a smallbusiness and provide for her family.

[10]It should be said, however, that the success and efficiency

of microcredit and microloans is controversial and constantly debated[11]

Economic Benefits of Women Empowerment

Most women across the globe rely on the informal work sectorfor an income.[12]

If women wereempowered to do more and be more, the possibility foreconomic growth becomes apparent.

Eliminating half of a nations work force on the sole basis of gender can have detrimental effectson the economy of that nation. [13] In addition, female participation in counsels, groups, and

businesses is seen to increase efficiency

[14]

. For a general idea on how an empowered womencan impact a situation monetarily, a study found that offortune 500 companies, those with more

women board directors had significantly higher financial returns, including 53 percent higherreturns on equity, 24 percent higher returns on sales and 67 percent higher returns on invested

capital (OECD, 2008).[15]

This study shows the impact women can have on the overalleconomic benefits of a company. If implemented on a global scale, the inclusion of women in the

formal workforce (like a fortune 500 company) can increase the economic output of a nation.

Barriers of Women Empowerment

Many of the barriers to women empowerment and equity lie ingrained into the cultures of certain

nations and societies. Many women feel these pressures, while others have become accustomedto being treated inferior to men.[16]

Even if men, legislators, NGOs, etc. are aware of the benefitswomen empowerment and participation can have, many are scared of disrupting the status quo

and continue to let societal norms get in the way of development. [17]


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The process of empowerment

The process which enables individuals/groups to fully access personal/collective power,authority and influence, and to employ that strength when engaging with other people,

institutions or society. In other words, Empowerment is not giving people power, people

already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobsmagnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out (Blanchard, K)." It encouragespeople to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or

work environment and ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.

Empowerment includes the following, or similar, capabilities:-

y The ability to make decisions about personal/collective circumstancesy The ability to access information and resources for decision-makingy Ability to consider a range of options from which to choose (not just yes/no, either/or.)y

Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making

y Having positive-thinking about the ability to make changey Ability to learn and access skills for improving personal/collective circumstance.y Ability to inform others perceptions though exchange, education and engagement.y Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiatedy Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigmay Increasing one's ability in discreet thinking to sort out right and wrong

Workplace empowerment

One account of the history of workplace empowerment in the United States recalls the clash ofmanagement styles in railroad construction in the American West in the mid-19th century, where

"traditional" hierarchical East-Coast models of control encountered individualistic pioneerworkers, strongly supplemented by methods ofefficiency-oriented "workerresponsibility"

brought to the scene by Chineselaborers. In this case, empowerment at the level of workteamsor brigades achieved a notable (but short-lived) demonstrated superiority[18]

Empowerment in the workplace is regarded by critics as more a pseudo-empowerment exercise,the idea of which is to change the attitudes of workers, so as to make them work harder rather

than giving them any real power, and Wilkinson (1998) refers to this as "attitudinal shaping".However, recent research suggests that the opportunity to exercise personal discretion/choice

(and complete meaningful work) is an important element contributing to employee engagementand well-being. There is evidence

[19]that initiative and motivation are increased when people

have a more positive attributional style. This influences self-belief, resilience when faced withsetbacks, and the ability to visualize oneself overcoming problems. The implication is that

'empowerment' suits some more than others, and should be positioned in the broader and widercontext of an 'enabling' work environment.

Empowerment to employees in the work place provides them with opportunities penda to make

their own decisions with regards to their tasks. Now-a-days more and more bosses and managers


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are practicing the concept of empowerment among their subordinates to provide them with betteropportunities.

In Management:

In the book Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, the authors, Ken Blanchard, John P.Carlos, and Alan Randolph, illustrate three simple keys that organizations can use to effectivelyopen the knowledge, experience, and motivation power that people already have. The three keys

are that managers must use to empower their employees are: share information with everyone,create autonomy through boundaries and replace the old hierarchy with self-managed teams.

Share information with everyone this is the first key to empowering people within anorganization. By sharing information with everyone, you are giving them a clear picture of the

company and its current situation. Another strong point that this brings is trust; by allowing all ofthe employees to view the company information, it helps to build that trust between employer

and employee. Create autonomy through boundaries this is the second key to empowerment

which also builds upon the previous one. By opening communication through sharinginformation, it opens up the feedback about what is holding them back from being empowered.Replace the old hierarchy with self-managed teams this is the third and final key to

empowerment which ties them all together. By replacing the old hierarchy with self-managedteams, more responsibility is placed upon unique and self-managed teams which create better

communication and productivity.[20]

WOMEN EMPOWERNMENT

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