Women empowerment refers to providing women with
equal opportunities in all fields. It also means giving women absolute autonomy
to manage their lives independently. Empowerment of women is a vital concept
for the overall growth of the society. Empowerment means to
inspire women to break the chains of suppression, traditional beliefs and
attitudes. It could lead to an incredible change in the
position and status of women and is helpful in transforming the face of the
world. It involves giving them their due recognition and place in the society.
In the past women were restricted to domestic
chores. They were considered as a sign of disgrace and were forced to play a
second fiddle in their life. They were regarded merely a puppet in the hands of
their in-laws to cook food and wash clothes. They became helpless victims of
male chauvinism in almost all walks of life. Many social evils which were
prevalent in our society like Sati, Purdah system, dowry system, child
marriage, female infanticides further made women’s life deplorable. But today
the scenario is completely different; women form an integral part of the
society and have made their presence felt everywhere.
Women empowerment has always been a contentious
issue for a long time. With the rise of democracy, women have gained more
rights all around the world and a lot of
women have been able to contribute towards the development of the society. Many notable personalities of the world have emphasized on the
increasing importance of women in the society. Napolean Bonaparte once said
“Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation”. Abraham Lincoln the
16th President of US advocated the importance of women by saying,
“All that I am or hope to be I owe to my mother”. Women are not only good
mothers but also emerging as good leaders in nurturing the society in many
ways.
The role of women is unimaginable in the present
era. Women are equally contributing to pull on their families. They now are
walking shoulder-to-shoulder with men and have become an important asset in
augmenting the growth of a nation. It is impossible to achieve
the goals of being a developed nation without the active participation of
women. They are marching ahead in life with an unbeatable speed. More number of
girls is getting enrolled in school, colleges and even in the professional
institutes. Women are scaling unprecedented heights and have reached the
pinnacle positions in business, administration, banking, politics, acting,
music, sports and many more professions. Women have proved their mettle in
every sphere. The late Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Sarojini Naidu, Mother
Teresa, Kiran Bedi, Indira Nooyi, Chanda Kocchhar, Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Naina
Lal Kidwai, Sunita Williams, Tessy Thomas, Meira Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Sania
Mirza, Aishwarya Rai Bacchan are few names who have set an example and have made
their names immortal in the history of India. Many women have been an exemplary
and have consolidated the position of women at the world’s panorama. Angela
Merkel, Dilma Rouseff, Hillary Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Oprah Winfrey,
Christine Lagarde are few names who have carved a niche for themselves as the
most powerful women of the world according to the Forbes Magazine 2013 survey.
In India Government
has been constantly emphasizing on empowering the women in true spirit. Article
15 of the constitution prohibits gender discrimination. It has launched various
schemes and programs like Support to Training
and employment Programme for Women, RGSEAG
– ‘SABLA, Central Social Welfare Board, the Nirbhaya Fund etc. It is interested
to know that twenty six laws have been enacted so far in India to protect women
from crimes. It is a grave concern that despite having effective laws like
Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Dowry Prohibition Act 1961,
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 etc, an empowered women
still feel insecure and have to encounter many challenges. They are still subjected
to atrocities at the hands of male counterparts. Sexual harassment,
eve-teasing, rapes, dowry deaths are still pervasive in our society. Every year
March 8th
is celebrated as the International Women’s Day but the lamenting irony is that
on March 8th
2011, a 22 year old college girl was shot dead in Delhi in broad daylight. In
another most shocking incident in Delhi, a 23 year old girl was brutally raped
in a moving bus. This incident generated widespread national and
international coverage and has raised many questions on women’s safety. In the
most recent incident in Mumbai , the 22 year-old photojournalist was brutally
raped while she was on an assignment taking photos in an abandoned mill
compound.Hindu Preacher Asaram Babu who is worshiped like God in our
country, was accused of sexually assaulting a 16 year old girl at his ashram
on the pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits.
Empowerment is the need of the hour and can viewed as an important too to consolidate the position of women in our society.The importance of women can not be overlooked as they are the soul of a nation. T The importance of women can not be overlooked as they are the soul of a nation.
There is an urgent need to bring a change in our
outlook towards women to rebuild a strong society. Women education should be
made compulsory through stringent laws. Parents should be severely penalized
for not sending their daughters to schools and colleges. The introduction of
new policies and the formulation of new priorities should encompass the overall development of
women in the society. Development should percolate to all sections of women in
India. Change needs to be incorporated at the administrative and justice level
to revive the system and to ensure women's safety. Fast Track Courts must be
established all across the country to ensure speedy justice to women. Women
Reservation bill which proposes 33% for women in parliament is still pending.
Its approval will women at par with men and give them political empowerment.
From influencing they are outwitting men in jobs and from outwitting they are
dominating in many spheres. Thus, presence of women is imperative in
rejuvenating the society.
