WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

What is women empowerment? To give certain rights or authority. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. To equip or supply with an ability to women . Women and men in India enjoy de jure equality. Article 14 of the Constitution of India guarantees equal rights and opportunities to men and women in political, economic and social spheres, Article 42 directs the State to make provision for ensuring just and humane conditions for work and maternity itself and Article 51 (A) imposes upon every citizen, a fundamental duty to renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women. However this de jure equality has not yet materialised into a de facto equality, despite the efforts made in the Five Year Plans. The First Five Year Plan sought to promote the welfare of women by helping them to play their legitimate role in the family and the community but emphasised that the major burden of organising activities for the benefit of the female population had to be borne by the private agencies. Five Year Plans continued to reflect the same welfare approach to womens interests though they accorded priority to education for both, men and women and launched measures to improve maternal and child health services and supplementary nutrition for children as well as expectant and nursing mothers. It was the Sixth Five Year Plan in which the focus on womens interests shifted from welfare and development. Planners and policy makers began to recognize women not only as partners but also as stake-holders in the development of the country. The Seventh Five Year Plan saw developmental programmes which aimed at raising the economic and social status of women and at ensuring that they get the benefits of national development. This is when beneficiary oriented programmes extending direct benefits to women in different developmental sectors began. There was a stress upon the generation of both skilled and unskilled employment through formal and non-formal education and vocational training. The Eight Five Year Plan had a Human Development focus. It tried to ensure that the benefits of development do not bypass women and it implemented special programmes

for women to complement the general development programmes and to monitor the flow of benefits to women in education, health and employment. The Indian Government has passed various legislations to safeguard Constitutional rights to women. These legislative measures include, the Hindu Marriage Act (1955), The Hindu Succession Act(1956), Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), Medical Termination of Pregnancy act (1971), equal Remuneration Act (1976), Child Marriage Restraint Act(1976), Immoral Trafficking (Prevention ) Act(1986) and finally Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique (Regulation and Prevention of Measure) Act (1994) etc. Apart from these, various welfare measures have been taken up by the Government from time to time empowers the women. They are, the support to Training for Employment Programme (1987), Mahila Samridhi Yojana (1993), The Rastriya Mahila Kosh (1992-93), Indira Mahila Yojana (1995), DWACRA Plan (1997) and Balika Samridhi Yojana (1997). On the 12th July, 2001 the Mahila Samridhi Yojana and Indira Mahila Yojana have been merged into the integrated self-help group programme i.e. swayam Sidhha. The emancipation of women is not a simple matter. It requires the attitudinal change of the husband, other family members and society as a whole to the women. The community consciousness and bureaucratic efforts are integral parts of the implementation of the programmes. The 1st and the foremost priority should be given to the education of women, which is the grassroots problem. The struggle for gender justice will be slow, strenuous and protracted, as the change can not be brought out easily. It has to be fought at emotional, cognitive and action levels. The struggle has to be carried on within caste, class, race, religion, everywhere in which man-woman relationship figure and matter. NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN Introduction: The principle of gender equality is in the Indian constitution of its preamble, Fundamental rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the state to adopt positive discrimination in favor of women. From the Fifth Five year Plan (1974-78) onwards has been marked shift in the approach to womens issue from welfare to development of new issue in determining the

status of women. The national Conference foe women were set up by an act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal entitlements of women. The 73rd &74th Amendments (1993) to the Constitution of India have provided for reservation of seats in the local bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for women, laying a strong foundation for their participation in decision making at the local levels. The Policy takes note of commitments of the Ninth Five Year Plan and the other Sectoral Policies to empowerment of Women. The womens movement and wide spread network of non Govt. Organization which have strong grass roots presence and deep insight into womens concerns have contributed in inspiring initiatives for the empowerment of women. However, there still exists a wide gap between the goals enunciated in the constitution, legislation, plans, policies, programmes and related mechanisms on the one hand and the situational reality of the status of women in India, on the other. This has been analyzed extensively in the Report of the Committee on the status of Women in India, Towards Equality, 1974 and highlighted in the National Perspective Plan for Women, 1988-2000, the Sharmashakti Report, 1988 and the Platform for Action, Five Years After An Assessment. Gender disparity manifests itself in various forms, the most obvious being the trend of continuously declining female ratio in the population in the last few decades. Social stereotyping and violence at the domestic and societal levels are some of the other manifestation. Discrimination against girl children, adolescent girls and women persists in the parts of the country. Goal & Objectives: The goal of this policy is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. The policy will widely disseminate so as to encourage active participation of all stakeholders for achieving its goal. Specially, the objectives of this Policy include (i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential.

(ii)

The de-jure and de facto enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres political, economic, social, cultural and civil.

(iii) (iv)

Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political, and economic life of the nation. Equal access to women to health care, quality education at all levels, career & vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social, security, and public office etc.

(v) (vi) (vii)

Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women. Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process. child; and

(viii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and the girl (ix) Building and strengthening partnerships with civil society, particularly womens organizations. Policy Prescriptions Judicial Legal Systems Legal-judicial system will be made more responsive & gender sensitive to womens needs, especially, in cases of domestic violence and personal assault. New laws will be enacted and existing laws reviewed to ensure that justice is quick and the punishment meted out to the culprits is commensurate with severity of the offence. At the initiative of and with the full participation of all stakeholders including community and religious leaders, the Policy would aim to encourage changes in personal laws such as those related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, and guardianship so as to eliminate discrimination against women. The evolution of property rights in patriarchal system has contributed to the subordinate status of women. The Policy aim to encourage changes in laws relating to ownership of property and inheritance by evolving consensus in order to make them gender just.

Decision Making: Womens in power sharing and active participation in decision making, including decision making in political process at all levels will be ensured for the achievement of the goals of empowerment. All measures will be taken to guarantee women equal access to and full participation in decision making bodies at every level, including the legislative, executive, judicial, corporate, statutory bodies, as also the advisory Commission, Committees, Boards, Trusts etc. Affirmative action such as reservations/quotas, including in higher legislative bodies, will be considered whenever necessary on a time bound basis. Women friendly personal policies will also be drawn up to encourage women to participate effectively in the developmental process.

Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in the Development Process: Polices, programmes and systems will be established to ensure mainstreaming of womens perspective in all developmental processes, as catalysts, participants and recipients. Wherever there are gaps in policies and programmes, women specific interventions would be devised to access from time to time the progress of such mainstreaming mechanisms. Womens issue and concerns as a result will specially be addressed and reflected in all concerned laws, sect oral policies, plans and programmers of action. Economic Empowerment of Women: Poverty Eradication Since women comprise the majority of the population below the poverty line and are very often in situation of extreme poverty, given the harsh realities of intra household and social discrimination, macro economic policies and poverty eradication programmes will specially address the needs and problems of such women. Steps will be taken for mobilization of poor women and convergence of services, by offering them a range of economic and social options, along with necessary support measures to enhance their capabilities.

Micro Credit: In order to enhance womens access to credit for consumption and production, the establishment of new and strengthening of existing micro-credit mechanism and microfinance institution will be undertaken so that the outreach of credit is enhanced. Other supportive measures would be taken to ensure adequate flow credit through extant financial institutions and banks, so that all women below poverty line have easy access to credit. Women & Economy: Womens perspective will be included in designing and implementing macroeconomic and policies by institutionalizing their participation in such processes. Their contribution to socio-economic development as producers and workers will be recognized in the formal and informal sectors (including home based workers) and appropriate policies relating to employment and to her working conditions will be drawn up. Globalization Globalization has presented new challenges for the realization of goal of womens equality, the gender impact of which has not been symmetrically evaluated fully. However, from the micro level studies that were commissioned by the Department of Women & Child Development, it is evident that there is a need for re-framing policies for access to employment and equality of employment. Benefits of the growing global economy have been unevenly distributed leading to wider economic disparities, the feminization of poverty, increased gender inequality through often deteriorating working condition and unsafe working environment especially in the informal economy and rural areas. Strategies will be designed to enhance the capacity of women and empower them to meet the negative social and economic impacts, which may from the globalization process.

Women and Agriculture The important role played by women in the agriculture and ailed sectors, as producers, concentrated efforts will be made to ensure that benefits of training, extension and various programmes will reach them in proportion to their numbers. The programmers for training women in soil conservation, social forestry, dairy development and other occupation ailed to agriculture lie horticulture, livestock including small animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries etc. will be expanded to benefit women workers in the agriculture sector. Social Empowerment of Women Education Equal access to education for women and girls will be ensured. Special measures will be taken to eliminate discrimination, universalize education, eradicate illiteracy, create a gender-sensitive educational system, increase enrolment and retention rates of girls and improve the quality of education to facilitate life-long learning as well as development of occupation/ vocation/technical skills by women. Reducing the gender gap in secondary and higher education would be a focus area. Sectoral time targets in existing policies will be achieved, with a special focus on girls and women, particularly those belonging to weaker sections including the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes/ Minorities. Gender sensitive curricula would be developed at all levels of educational system in order to address sex stereotyping as one of the causes of gender discrimination. Health A holistic approach to womens health which includes both nutrition and health services will be adopted and special attention will be given to the needs of women and the girl at all stages of the life cycle. The reduction of infant mortality and maternal mortality, which are sensitive indicators of human development, is a priority concern. This policy reiterates the national demographic goals for Infant Mortality Rates (IMR), Maternal access to comprehensive, affordable and quality health care. Measures will be adopted that take into account the reproductive rights of women to enable them to exercise informed choices, their vulnerability to sexual and health problems together with endemic, infectious and communicable diseases such as malaria, TB, and water borne diseases as well as

hypertension and cardio-pulmonary diseases. The social, developmental and health consequences of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases will be tackled from a gender perspecitive. To effectively meet problems of infant and maternal mortality, and early marriage the availability of good and accurate data at micro level on deaths, birth and marriages is required. Strict implementation of registration of births and deaths would be ensured and registration of marriages would be made compulsory. Womens traditional knowledge about health care and nutrition will be recognized through proper documentation and its use will be encouraged. The use of Indian and alternative systems of medicine will be enhanced within the framework of overall health infrastructure available for women. Gender Sensitization Training of personnel of executive, legislative and judicial wings of the State, with a special focus on policy and programme framers, implementation and development agencies, law enforcement machinery and the judiciary, as well as non-governmental organizations will be undertaken. Other measures will include: (a) (b) (c) Promoting societal awareness to gender issues and womens human rights. Review of curriculum and educational materials to include gender education and human rights issues. Removal of all references derogatory to the dignity of women from all public documents and legal instruments. (d) Use of different forms of mass media to communicate social messages relating to womens equality and empowerment. Panchayati Raj Instructions The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993) to the Indians Constitution have served as a breakthrough towards ensuring equal access and increases participation in political power structure for women. The PRIs will play a central role in the process of enhancing womens participation in public life. The PRIs and the local self Governments will be actively involved in the implementation and execution of the National Policy for Women at the grassroots level.

International Cooperation The Policy will aim at implementation of international obligations/commitments in all sectors on empowerment of women such as the Convention on all forms of discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+5) and other such instruments. International, regional and sub-regional cooperation towards the empowerment of women will continue to be encouraged through sharing of experiences, exchange of ideas and technology, networking with institutions and organizations and through bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships. Why it should be? Reflecting into the Vedas purana of Indian culture, woman is being worshiped such as LAXMI MAA, goddess of wealth; SARASWATI MAA, for wisdom; DURGA MAA, for power. The status of women in India, particularly in rural areas needs to address the issue of empowering women. Leaving a meager number of urban and suburban women, the Indian women are still crying for simple justice. Which is not even allowed to have been accessed to them Ironically, women have not actively participated in their own emancipation mainly due to low economic independence. With their age, they have been raped, kicked, killed, subdued & humiliated almost daily. About 66% of the female population in rural area is unutilized. This is mainly due to existing social customs. In agriculture & animal care the women contribute 90% of the total work force. Women constitute almost half of the population, perform nearly 2/3rd of its work hours, receive 1/10th of the worlds income & own less than 1/100th of the world property. Among the worlds 900 million illiterate people, women out number men two to one.

 70% of people living in poverty are women. Lower sex ratio i.e. 933. The male child perceived as an asset for the landless rural labourer, a dowry earner for a greedy middle class family and a simple matter of pride for the mother. The existing studies show that the women are relatively less healthy than men even though, they belong to same class. They constitute less than 1/7th of the administrators & managers in developing countries. Only 10% seats in worlds parliament & 6% in national cabinets are held by them. HISTORY It dates back to the 1970s and the beginnings of the international women's movement. Many women's organizations worldwide set up credit and savings components as a way of both enabling women to increase their incomes and come together to address wider gender issues. Not only 'reaching women' but 'empowering' them is the second official goal of the Micro credit summit programme. Women's empowerment is not a Northern concept. Women all over the world, including countries in the South, have been challenging and changing gender inequalities since the beginnings of history. These struggles have also been supported by many men who have been outraged at injustices against women. What are the main problems? Lack of education, Financial constraint, Family responsibility, Low mobility, Low ability to bear risk,

 Low need for achievement, Absence of ambition for the achievement, Social status How to achieve it? One of the strategies is EDUCATION that builds a positive self-image and boosts self-confidence among them & develops their ability to think critically. Promoting self-employment, through credit & training. Providing lean season wage employment. Addressing minimum needs such as nutrition, health, sanitation, housing & education. Direct involvement of women who are likely to be affected by development programme. Providing saving habit among them. Kasturba Gandhi Swatantrata Vidyalaya: residential school for girls. National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) Development of women and child in rural areas (DWCRA): Implemented during 1982. Support to training & employment for women (STEP): 1987 Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK):1992-93 Mahila Samridhi Yojna (MSY): Oct. 1993 Indira mahila Yojana (IMY): 1995 Women Entrepreneur Development Programme: Given top priority in 1997-98. Mahila samakhya: being implemented in about 9000 villages. Achievement Women have more opportunities for education and stronger legal rights in many countries, they are taking leadership roles in local communities, and stand at the forefront of the peace movement Perhaps the greatest change will come when women and men agree to work together for gender equality.

 International Women's Rights Agreements --Women's rights are wellestablished by international agreements, notably the international Convention on Eradication of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which explicitly include women within the definition of 'human' and hence in all International Human Rights Conventions. Trade Related Entrepreneurs Development for Women (TREAD): had revenue capital 0.11 crores in state budget 2006-07. Subsidy for units providing employment for women: 5% on total investment is available to the SSI units providing employment for women at least to the extent of 30% of the total strength. Formation of women self help group: Total women SHG formed as on 31/07/2007 Total SHG members 15847 250319

Since 1950-51 the total enrolment at the primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary stages increases by 6,14,and 20 times respectively, among them the girls enroll. increased by 9, 37 & 60 times resp. during the same period. The scheme of granting capital subsidy for small scale industries has been revived and & Rs.20 crores have been provided for 2007-08 for providing capital subsidy to women entrepreneur. The rate of literacy has gone up from 39.29% in 1991 to 54.16% in 2001.