WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

Development of women has always been the central focus of planning since independence. Govt. of India has declared the year 2001 as the year of women’s empowerment to equalize men and women. Women’s empowerment means the ability to exercises full control over one’s action. This policy was WELFARE in seventies, DEVELOPMENT in eighties and EMPOWERMENT in nineties. The news on violence committed against women reveals the position of women has worsened. The constitution of India grants equality to women’s in various field oflife yet a large number of women are either ill equipped or not in a position to propel themselves out of their traditionally unsatisfactory socioeconomic condition. They are absorbed to sustain the family emotionally and physically. Due to patriarchy women are denying to decide their choice. Govt’s various programmes on women’s empowerment like Swashakti, Swayamsidha, Streeshakti, Balika Samruddhi Jojana. But it does not contain any meaning unless they are not made strong, alert and aware of their equal status in this society. For this purpose female literacy is the key to development. Empowerment will be more relevant if they are educated better informed and can take rational decision. Empowerment may be described has a process which help people to assert their control over the factors which affect their lives. It means to develop them as more aware individuals who are politically active, economically productive and independent and are able to make intelligent decision in matters that affect them. Generally power results from interplay between individual consciousness and the external forces, values and beliefs. So that the support and liberate the person. It liberates new currents of activity and enthusiasm often from people who have lowest status. It would necessarily mean red efining the notion of faminity and masculinity changing man, women relationship, recognizing women’s contribution women’s knowledge helping them to fight their own fears and feeling of inadequacy and inferiority, enhancement of their self respect and self dignity, controlling their won bodies becoming economically independent and self reliant, controlling resources of work specially within the home creating strengthening women’s groups and organizations, promoting quality of nurturing caring gentleness not just in. Women’s Empowerment is very much essential to achieve sustainable development. Women empowerment is the manifestation or redistribution of power that challenges patriarchal ideology and the male dominance. It is both a process and result of a process. It is a process that enables women to gain access to and control of material as well as information resources. It reflects the critical consciousness about external realities and an awareness about internal through construction and belief system that affect their well being in terms of gender, justice and social justice, as well as the determination of use their physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual resources to protect, nurture and sustain values that guarantee gender equality at personal, family, social, political and institutional level. Women’s empowerment is a process of challenging the male dominating power structure and gaining the control over the sources of power. It should be done in individual and collective level. It is a continuous process consists of several components like awareness building, capacity building and skill development. Women’s empowerment can be viewed as a continuity of several interrelated and mutually reinforcing components.

Awareness building about women’s situation, discrimination and right and opportunities as a step towards gender equality, collective awareness building provides a sense of group identity and power working as a group . Capacity building and skill development especially the ability to plan making decision organize, manage and carry out activities to deal with people and institution in the world around him. Participation and gender control and decision making power in the home, community and society d. Action to bring about greater equality between man and roman. Women’s empowerment is a movement of collective action. It enhance the ability of disadvantage and powerless individuals or group to challenge and change in their favour existing power relationship that places the min Sub- ordinate Socioeconomic and political position , Empowerment is a process which goes around in a circle. Here the beginning ends in a change and the change leads to another beginning. No one magic formula can exist for empowerment. Empowerment is not and cannot separate from empowerment of nature, empowerment of all marginalized people and countries though women contribute 50% of world’s population they get less opportunity for their development. Empowerment of women also implies avoidance of crime and atrocities against women and improvement in education, health etc. Improvement of status of women and their access to family planning service makes triple contribution to suitable development such as they make their contribution to the equality of life and eradication absolute poverty. They contribute to economic growth by raising the quality and skim of the work force and slowing down population growth. Thus reducing the burden on the environment which will improve sustainability. Empowerment of women means the improvement of their education, health and financial status. It also enhances the decision making capacity in vital area like reproduction. Education is one of the most important part of empowerment and a give them knowledge and self confidence. It is not a one way process it is not possible for the educators and activist can go and empower and a get empowered. Women need to get empowered for gaining collective strength is necessary for building solidarity and support among worker to achieve empowerment. In the other hand a struggle against existing forces of oppression has to be under taken and on this other support for women’s worker has to generate through collective strength. Most of the women’s work in the agricultural sector either worker in household from or as wage worker but they don’t receive appropriate wages for their labor there is also significant number of on paid or non-marketed labour within the household. Now a days there is increase participation of women in politics. It is a sad story that the women reservation policy bill is being repeatedly scuttled in parliament in Panchayatiraj System the women are giving representation as a sign of political empowerment. Gender equality and women’s empowerment still has a long way to go. For every problem of women the education is the only panacea. Denial of education in young girls is crime. It is also found in developed countries many society treat women as the child producing machine and caretaker of the household. Teen age girls are married at a very young age to man who are much older. If not married they are forced to care of the home and others siblings. The importance of women education in the society is as essential as a moon in a dark night. In ancient time the family education was entirely domestic and vocational female education made in Odisha under the initiative of the missionaries as early as 1822. According to UNICEF illiterate to means unable to read a book, sign their name, unable to fill up a simple application form or to operate a computer. The consequences of illiteracy are profound and even potentially life threatening. Denial of education harms the cause of democracy and social progress and by extension international peace and security.