Women Empowerment through Capacity Building Efforts for Elected Women Representatives of PRIs: A Study with Special Reference to Andaman and Nicobar Islands
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140318 |
| Author | S.S. Sreekumar |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CAPACITY
BUILDING EFFORTS FOR ELECTED WOMEN
REPRESENTATIVES OF PRis: A STUDY WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ANDAMAN AND
NICOBAR ISLANDS
S.S. SREEKUMAR
Marginalisation became a major topic
of
sociological research
in the 1990s largely in response to the realisation that while
certain developing countries demonstrated rapid economic
growth, members
of
these societies were receiving inc_reasingly
unequal shares
of
the rewards
of
success.
Women
have emerged
to
be
the empirical epitome
of
the marginalised groups in
countries like India. Capacity building measures help women
to orient with knowledge, skills,
and
self-confidence necessary
to participate in the development process. This article deals
with capacity building efforts
for
elected representatives
of
the Panchayati Raj lllstitutions undertaken
in
the Andaman
and
Nicobar Islands. Capacity building efforts conducted in
the Island territory both from the
part
of
Government
and
NGOs have been presented. It has been observed that majority
of
elected women representatives are not fully aware
of
various
aspects
of
decentralised governance.
INTRODUCTION
EMPOWERMENT
HAS widespread usage and is the key focus
of
development programmes. Post-colonial developing world since early
1970s, has experienced a phenomenal shift in the development strategy
of
the marginalised. In the backdrop
of
the declining access
of
a vast number
of
people to the means
of
livelihood security, literacy, healthcare facilities,
housing and other basic necessities
of
life, the philosophy
of
social justice
was integrated in the development discourse in 1970s. Again since 1990s,
especially
in
the wake
of
globalisation, the strategy
of
empowerment with
development has been adopted to integrate the marginalised sections with
WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT
THROUGH
CAPACITY
BUILDING
I
599
. S.S. SREEKUMAR
the mainstream. 1 World Social Development Summit, 1995 talked about
people's initiatives, people's empowerment and strengthening capacities
of
people. Regarding objectives
of
development, it specifically mentions
that empowering people to strengthen their capacities is the main objective
of
development.
2 At the UN General Assembly in 2000, heads
of
States
and Governments took stock
of
the gross inequalities in human development
worldwide
and
recognised
their
collective
responsibility to
uphold
principles
of
human dignity, equality and equity at the global level.3 In
addition to declaring their support for freedom, democracy and. human
rights, they set eight goals for development and poverty eradication to be
achieved by 2015, i.e. Millennium Development Goals. Among the eight
goals
listed,
the
third
relates
to
promotion
of
gender
equality
and
empowennent
of
women.
The
tenn
'empower' literally means to give power
or
authority. The
central notion
of
empowerment is located in the dynamics
of
sharing,
distribution and redistribution
of
power, which has a basis
of
legitimacy.
As viewed by famous sociologist Max Weber, power is one's capacity to
have control over others, and as this capacity is legitimised it becomes
authority.4
In
this context, Herrick points out that authority in general is
.used to mean:
(a) regulatory based on one's formal position and status
in
relation to
others;
(b) expert knowledge, where the expert may possess the power to
define ordinary people; and
(c) relationship ability
or
interpersonal skill where power comes from
interpersonal influence based on abilities to work with them.5
The literature on empowerment offers further insights. It has been
characterised as antithesis
of
paternalism by Swift6 whereas Rappaport7
featured
it
with key themes being the participation
of
people in their
1Singha Roy R.K, "Critical Issues in Grassroots Mobilization and Collective Action ...
in D.K. Singa Roy (ed. Social Development
and
Empowennent
of
the Marginalised
Groups', Perspectives
and
Strategies, New Delhi, Sage Publications, 2001.
2United Nations, Declaration
of
the Social Development Summit, Copenhagen, 1995.
3
UNDP
2002, Human Development Report, 2002, Deepening Democracy
in
a
Fragmented
World,
New Delhi, Oxford University Press.
4Julien,
F.
The Sociology
of
Max
Weber,
New York, Random House, 1968.
5Herrick, "Empowerment Practice
and
Social Change: The Place for New Social
Movement Theory",1995, also accessed
in
2010 (www.interweblech.com).
6Swift, "Empowerment: An Antidote for Folly'', in Rappaport
et
al., Studies in
Empowerment: Steps Towards Understanding Action, New York, The Haworth Press, 1984.
7Rappaport J, "In Praise
of
Paradox: A Social Policy
of
Empowerment, Over Prevention",
American Journal
of
Community Psychology, 9 (I): pp.1-25, 1981.
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