Empowerment of Women in India: A Critical Analysis
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| Author | Mamta Mokta |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140308 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
EMPOWERMENT
OF
WOMEN
IN
INDIA:
A
CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
MAMTAMOKTA
The principle
of
gender equality is enshrined in the Indian
Constitution
in
its
Preamble,
Fundamental
Rights,
Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles.
The
Constitution
not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the state
to adopt measures
of
positive discrimination in favour
of
women. 'Empowerment' may be described as a process which
helps people to assert their control over the factors which affect
their lives. Empowerment
of
women means developing them
as
more aware individuals, who
are
politically
active,
economically productive and independent and are able to make
intelligent discussion in matters that affect them. Present
article discusses about various initiatives taken by Government
of
India
for
empowering women by analysing position
of
India
in Gender Inequality Index and Global Gender Gap Index
of
United Nations. Article concludes with the note that due
recognition must be given to women and society should come
forward to ensure equal status
for
women in all spheres
of
life.
'EMPOWERMENT' MAY be described as a process which helps people
to assert their control over the factors which affect their lives. Empowennent
of
women means developing them
as
more aware individuals, who are
politically active, economically productive and independent and are able
to
make
intelligent discussion in matters that affect them.1 Women
empowerment as a concept was introduced
at
the International women
Conference
in
1985 at Nairobi, which defined it
as
redistribution
of
social
power and control
of
resources in favour
of
women.2 The United Nations
1
U.
Koko, "Empowering People for Health and Family Planning", /ASS/ Quarterly,
Vol.11,
p. 2,
1992.
2Suman Panucha and Ankita Khatik, "Empowerment
of
Rural Woman'', Social Action,
Vol.
55,
p.
349,
2005.
474 I
INDIAN
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
VOL
LX,
NO.
3,
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2014
Development Fund for Women (UNDFW) includes the following factors
in its definition
of
women empowerment:
• Acquiring knowledge and understanding
of
gender relations and
the way in which these relations may be changed.
• Developing a sense
of
self-worth, a belief in one's ability to secure
desired changes and the right to control one's life. 3
Batliwala (1974) defines empowerment as "the process of challenging
existing power relation and
of
gaining greater control over the source
of
power". Women's' empowerment is seen as the process and the result
of
the process of:
• Challenging the ideology
of
male domination and
women's
subordinations.
• Enabling women to gain equal access to and control over the
resources (material, human and intellectual}.4
EMPOWERED WOMEN'S CHARACTERISTICS
(i)
Empowered women define their attitude, values and behaviours'
in relation to their own real interest. They have autonomy
because they claim their freedom from existing male hierarchies,
whether they live in traditional societies or modem industrial
societies.
(ii)
Empowered women maintain equal mindedness. They act out
roles that challenge male dominance. They respond as equals
and co-operate to work towards the common good.
(iii)
Empowered women use their talent to live fulfilling lives. They
not only survive the harshness
of
their own subjugation but also
transcend their subjugation.
(iv) Empowered women maintain their strength on the face
of
pressures from the religion and work and contribute towards
the empowerment
of
all women.
(v) Empowered women define their values and formulate their
beliefs themselves, they do not derive their sense of being from
male authorities nor do they live vicariously through men. 5
3V.S. Ganeswamurthy, "Empowerment
of
Women in
India-Social
Economics and
Political", New Century Publications, New Delhi, p. 4, 2008.
4R.R. Kumari and K.N. Yadav, "Economic Reform and Empowerment
of
Women: Issues,
Options and Concerns",
in
N.K. Thakur and R.N. Thakur (eds) Impact
of
Economic Reform
Policies on Dalit and Weaker Sections, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi, p. 106,
2008.
'Suman Pannecha and Ankita Khatik, op.cit., p. 353, 2005.
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