Economic Empowerment of Rural Women and Mgnerga
| Author | Inder Jeet Kaur |
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120140326 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN
ANDMGNERGA
INDER
JEET
KAUR
Based on the premise
of
contextual theory
of
empowerment,
the article looks into the causes
of
inequities and multiple
sufferance
of
rural women
in
India which incapacitated them
to develop as individual
and
as resource
for
community.
According
to
UND
Report-"
Gender equality ...... is also smart
economics. Greater gender equality can enhance productivity,
improve development outcomes
for
the next generation, and
make institutions more representative". The article is based
on this contention that economic empowerment with due
sincere state intervention can assure holistic
development-
socio-eco-political.
With
this notion article strives to find out
how
far
has
MGNREGA,
as
flagship
programme
of
employment, benefitted rural women? How
far
has it ensured
and achieved gender equity and empowerment-both economic
and political? Whether there had been some gaps in assurance
and achievement?
If
yes, why and where? Lastly, a humble
attempt has been made to list some corrective measures
for
improving the structural
and
operational aspects
of
the
programme strengthening their empowerment process.
THIS SAYING by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's that "Man is born free, but
everywhere he is in chains", is more applicable to the status
of
women all
over the humanity, despite its male-oriented tone. The women community
has not only suffered but
is
still suffering not only because
of
deprivations
of
opportunities but also due to the exploitations inflicted by an archaic
society in multiple forms, resulting into inequitable development
of
society
with under or non-utilisation
of
capacities
of
half
of
the society-comprising
of
women. The main cause
of
this ailment lies in the preconceived gendered
roles in the society which takes away even minimal opportunities
of
developing their abilities. Now, it is a proven fact that various kinds
of
limitations on anyone can incapacitate a person even to realise and develop
one's inherent abilities, resulting into deprivation
of
capacities to perform
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
OF
RURAL WOMEN AND MGNERGA I 697
INDER
JEET
KAUR
a desirable role as an individual and in social community. Reversely, such
person is condemned for
one's
worthlessness for undertaking a meaningful
role in societal development, despite this fact that person is a by-product
of
contextual circumstances. With the augment
of
progressive and subaltern
theories
of
empowerment, it is now being strongly contended that there is
a "fundamental difference between inability
to
act, because one has no
choice and lack
of
ability to act. Not every case
of
inactivity may be seen
as lack
of
ability to act".
In simple words, for an individual
or
a group
of
individuals
of
similar
circumstances, the empowerment can
be
defined as a process
of
achieving a
degree
of
consciou~ness
and initial ability or skill for emancipation from
any kind
of
deprivation to realise their
aspirations-personal
or
group
autonomy, which, consequently, paves way for "learning to take on socially
valuable roles, to exercise social skills, to exert interpersonal influence, to
develop commitment, to take responsibility and to acquire political efficacy".
The contextual theory
of
empowerment confirms the connection between
the private and the political.
It
analyses individual issues in social life
politically. As per notion
of
co-existence
of
freedom vis-a-vis responsibility,
the autonomy and freedom herein has been conceived in wider perspective
connoting not only freedom from exploitation, inequality, oppression inflicted
by others but also from self-inflicted conditions
of
ignorance and inaction
thereby preparing them to move ahead to take up social responsibility
of
changing the context-social and political to empower others. Thus individual
empowerment creates a reservoir
of
community potential.
The Chart-I reveals the various stages
of
this process-
CHART
1:
LEVELS
OF
DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT
State
of
taking
up
social
responsibility
State
of
personal autonomy &
achievement
State
of
consciousness
and
Information
Polltlcal
&
social
Intervention
State
of
powerlessness
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