I.

JASWANTH REDDY

THE

EMPOWERMENT
OF

WOMEN

I. JASWANTH REDDY

1. Definition of Women Empowerment

Women empowerment means giving powers to women.
Giving them importance can be called as women empowerment.

2. The various principles in women empowerment

1. Having decision-making power of their own
2. Having access to information and resources for taking proper
decision.
3. Having a range of options from which you can make choices
(not just yes/no, either/or.)
4. Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision
making.
5. Having positive thinking on the ability to make change.
6. Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group
power.
7. Ability to change others' perceptions by democratic means.
8. Involving in the growth process and changes that is never
ending and self-initiated.
9. Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma.

3. Necessity of women empowerment

Women in many cultures are considered to have lower
status than men, and empowerment is a way of helping them to
believe in themselves and be more powerful.

I. JASWANTH REDDY

4. The process of women empowerment

Empowerment is the process of obtaining basic
opportunities for marginalized (CONFINED) people.
Empowerment also includes encouraging, and developing the
skills for, self-sufficiency, with a focus on eliminating the
future need for charity or welfare in the individuals of the
group. This process can be difficult to start and to implement
effectively.

5. National policy for the empowerment of women

(2001):
The principle of gender equality is enshrined (PRESERVE A
RIGHT, TRADITION, OR IDEA IN A FORM THAT ENSURES IT WILL BE
PROTECTED AND RESPECTED) 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.
The national commission for women was set up by an Act
of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal
entitlements (RIGHT) of women. The 73rd and 74th Amendments
(1993) to the constitution of India have provided for reservation
of seats in the local bodies of panchayats and municipalities for
women, laying a strong foundation for their participation in
decision making at the local levels.

I. JASWANTH REDDY

5.1 Goal of the national policy

The goal of this Policy is to bring about the advancement,
development and empowerment of women

5.2 Objectives of the national policy

1. Equal access to participation and decision making of
women in social, political and economic life of the nation.
2. Equal access to women to health care, quality education
at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal
remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security
and public office etc.
3. Mainstreaming a gender perspective
in the development process.

(A POINT OF VIEW)

4. Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence

against women & the girl child.
5. Building and strengthening partnerships with civil
society, particularly womens organisation

5.3 National policy instructions

5.3.1 Judicial Legal Systems

New laws will be enacted and existing laws

reviewed to ensure that justice is quick and the punishment meted
out to the culprits is commensurate with the severity of the
offence.

I. JASWANTH REDDY

The Policy would aim to encourage changes in

personal laws such as those related to marriage, divorce,
maintenance and guardianship so as to eliminate discrimination
against women.
5.3.2 Decision Making

Womens equality in power sharing and active

participation in decision making, including decision making in
political process at all levels will be ensured for the
achievement of the goals of empowerment.

5.4 Economic Empowerment of women

5.4.1 Poverty Eradication

Since women comprise the majority of the

population below the poverty line. Steps will be taken for
mobilization of poor women and convergence of services, by
offering them a range of economic and social options, along
with necessary support measures to enhance their capabilities
5.4.2 Micro Credit

In order to enhance womens access to credit for

consumption and production, the establishment of new, and
strengthening of existing micro-credit mechanisms and microfinance institution will be undertaken so that the outreach of
credit is enhanced.
5.4.3 Globalization

Globalization has presented new challenges for

the realization of the goal of womens equality.

I. JASWANTH REDDY

5.4.4 Agriculture

In view of the critical role of women in the

agriculture and allied sectors. The programmes for training
women in soil conservation, social forestry, dairy development
and other occupations allied to agriculture like horticulture,
livestock including small animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries
etc. will be expanded to benefit women workers in the
agriculture sector.
5.4.5 Industry

The important role played by women in

electronics, information technology and food processing and
agro industry and textiles has been crucial to the development
of these sectors. Women at present cannot work in night shift
in factories even if they wish to. Suitable measures will be
taken to enable women to work on the night shift in factories.
This will be accompanied with support services for security,
transportation etc.
5.4.6 Support Services

The provision of support services for women,

like child care facilities, including crches at work places and
educational institutions, homes for the aged and the disabled
will be expanded and improved to create an enabling
environment and to ensure their full cooperation in social,
political and economic life.

I. JASWANTH REDDY

5.5 Social Empowerment of Women

5.5.1 Education

Equal access to education for women and girls

will be ensured. Special measures will be taken to eliminate
discrimination, universalize education, eradicate illiteracy,
create a gender-sensitive educational system, increase
enrolment and retention rates of girls and improve the quality of
education to facilitate life-long learning as well as development
of occupation/vocation/technical skills by women
5.5.2 Health

Womens health which includes both nutrition

and health services will be adopted and special attention will
be given to the needs of women and the girl at all stages of the
life cycle.
5.5.3 Nutrition

In view of the high risk of malnutrition and

disease that women face at all the three critical stages viz.,
infancy and childhood, adolescent and reproductive phase,
focussed attention would be paid to meeting the nutritional
needs of women at all stages of the life cycle.
5.5.4 Drinking Water and Sanitation

Special attention will be given to the needs of

women in the provision of safe drinking water, sewage disposal,
toilet facilities and sanitation within accessible reach of
households, especially in rural areas and urban slums.
5.5.5 Housing and Shelter

Special attention will be given for providing

adequate and safe housing and accommodation for women

I. JASWANTH REDDY

including single women, heads of households, working women,

students, apprentices and trainees.
5.5.6 Science and Technology

Programmes will be strengthened to bring about

a greater involvement of women in science and technology.
These will include measures to motivate girls to take up science
and technology for higher education and also ensure that
development projects with scientific and technical inputs
involve women fully.
5.5.7 Violence against women

All forms of violence against women, physical

and mental, whether at domestic or societal levels, shall be dealt
with effectively with a view to eliminate its incidence.
5.5.8 Rights of the Girl Child

All forms of discrimination against the girl child

and violation of her rights shall be eliminated by undertaking
strong measures both preventive and punitive within and
outside the family.

6. Laws Related to Women

6.1 Women-SPECIFIC Legislations
1. The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
2. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (28 of 1961) (Amended
in 1986)
3. The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act,
1986
4. The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (3 of 1988)
5. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

I. JASWANTH REDDY

6.

7.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace

(PREVENTION, PROHIBITION and REDRESSAL)
Act, 2013
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013

6.2 Women-RELATED Legislations

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

18.
19.
20.
21.

The Indian Penal Code,1860

The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 (15 of 1872)
The Married Women's Property Act, 1874 (3 of 1874)
The Guardians and Wards Act,1890
The Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923
The Trade Unions Act 1926
The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 (19 of 1929)
The Payments of Wages Act, 1936
The Payments of Wages (Procedure) Act, 1937
The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act,
1937
Employers Liabilities Act 1938
The Minimum Wages Act, 1948
The Employees' State Insurance Act,1948
The Factories Act, 1948
The Minimum Wages Act, 1950
The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 (amended by Acts Nos.
42 of 1953, 34 of 1960, 53 of1961, 58 of 1981 and 61
of 1986)
The Special Marriage Act, 1954
The Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955
The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (28 of 1989)
The Hindu Adoptions & Maintenance Act, 1956

I. JASWANTH REDDY

22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.

39.
40.
41.
42.
43.

The Hindu Minority & Guardianship Act, 1956

The Hindu Succession Act, 1956
The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (53 of 1961)
The Beedi & Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment)
Act, 1966
The Foreign Marriage Act, 1969 (33 of 1969)
The Indian Divorce Act, 1969 (4 of 1969)
The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 (34 of
1971)
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1979
The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of
Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
The Family Courts Act, 1984
The Muslim women (Protection of Rights on Divorce)
Act, 1986
Mental Health Act, 1987
National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (20 of 1990)
The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 [As amended
by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act,
2006 - No. 43 of 2006]
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,
2000
The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act
The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques
(Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
The Cinematograph Act, 1952

I. JASWANTH REDDY

7. Necessity of women reservation:

Reservation is not the solution to our problems. The only
people who do need reservation are the ones who have been
oppressed (SUBJECTED TO HARSH) over the years, and
have not had fair opportunities or representation, who have
been socially/economically backward or weak, and women, in
no way, are weak. The ones willing to enter politics will do that
anyway.

8. A Simple Quotation on Women Empowerment:

Girls compete with each other,

Women empower one another.