“Women are born leaders. They have the potential to bring prosperity, happiness and joy to this world”
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Women empowerment means making women powerful enough so that they may become capable of deciding for themselves. It entails raising the status of women by providing them education and training. Nations, businesses, societies and groups may benefit by implementing programs and policies that adopt the notion of women empowerment.
In earlier times, women have suffered a lot all through the years at the hands of men. But now the scenario has changed. Indian government is also doing efforts to secure equal rights for the women. Legal-judicial system has been made more responsive and gender sensitive to women’s needs in case of domestic violence and personal assault.
Women’s equality in power sharing and active participation in decision making, including decision making in political process at all levels has been ensured for the achievement of the goals of empowerment. Equal access to education for women and girls has been ensured by passing various laws.
As a result of all these efforts the position of women in Indian society has improved a lot. It can be seen from the fact that now women are working as teacher, doctor, pilot, soldiers and explorers etc. Participation of 54 women scientists in launch of Mission Chandrayan-3 recently is best example of women empowerment in India.
The need for women empowerment is felt because of the subordination status they have been accorded since the beginning. However, mere realization of the error does not set things moving in right direction. There is a need to redefine the status of women in society. To an extent, a change in women’s position can be brought about through the Constitution and supportive legislation.
The Constitution of India gives women a status equal to men. There have been attempts to reserve seats for women in political bodies. However, merely allowing for reservation of women in political bodies, without each woman being ‘liberated’ individually, falls short of actual women empowerment. The impoverished and illiterate status of most women in the society is due to their inability to attain sufficient levels of economic power.
To sustain any level of empowerment, women have to be educated to be aware of their rights and privileges in a modern society. It is only when they become aware of their status in society that they will be able to take full advantage of the concessions offered to them as a corrective measure. Empowerment of women has to begin with women’s participation.
Unless women throw off the shackles which ignore their talent, their skill and their spirit, women cannot be empowered. Unless they are empowered to take a decisive part in the social, political and economic life of the country, the very development of the country may be adversely affected. Thus, the need to empower women arises. In nutshell, women’s empowerment has five components:
Women’s sense of self-worth
Their right to have and to determine choices
Their right to have access to opportunities and resources
Their right to have power to control their own lives, both within and outside the home
Their ability to influence the direction of social system
By: Chetanya Gupta
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
