EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
Empowerment of women means providing equal rights, opportunities and responsibilities to women and achieving the goal of gender equality. In India, the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act has made an effort to give some special powers to women in all three tiers of Panchayat Raj. As per the provisions of this Act, one-third of the seats are reserved for women along with scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes. There are certain reasons for which women should be empowered –
Economic exigencies:
Women are mostly dependent on men for their subsistence. This made it hard for them to make their claims and demands freely and with confidence. Society won’t respect women until they are able to take care of themselves and make a living on their own. So, their social status is based on how much they can contribute to the economy.
Poor Literacy:
As women are not considered an active participant in the economic field, their education is a secondary requirement in the family. As per the census of 2011, an effective literacy rate for men was 82.14% whereas for women it was 65.46%. Though there has been seen a substantial increase in the number of literate women and this gap is narrowing, it still persists. According to the 2011 census, since year 2011, 110 million additional women had become literate as compared to 107 men that means that the number of literate women is increasing.
Negligence of health:
Women are socially and culturally convinced that they should not care for their health, nutrition, or food habits. Surveys and studies proved that traditional importance is shown towards the male children rather than female children. Women are found to maintain relatively good health in the regions where the rate of female literacy is higher. Kerala here provides the best example. Thus, women should be given opportunities to improve their health conditions and to develop awareness about nutrition so that they can bear and take care of the health of their family members.
Violence against women:
The women are prone to face criminal attacks and maltreatment by their family members because of their physical weakness. Not only outside but also within their own homes; thus, they deserve the right of protection from any possible violence.
UN Declaration and Women’s World Congress:
The issue of empowerment of women no more remains a regional matter and it has become an international issue. The UN Declaration of 1975 compelled the national government to shift its emphasis on women’s programmes from welfare to development.
The Empowerment of women has become one of the most important concerns of the 21st century, not only at national level but also at the international level. Government initiatives alone would not be sufficient to achieve this goal. Society must take the initiative to create a climate in which there is no gender discrimination and Women have full opportunities for self-decision making and participation in the Social, Political and Economic life of the Country with a sense of equality.
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