WOMEN

EMPOWE RME N
T

PRESENTED BY:
Badri Malav
Empowerment
Empowerment is about people -
both women and men - taking
control over their lives: setting
their own agendas, gaining
skills, building self confidence,
solving problems and developing
self reliance.
 WOMEN STATUS IN OUR
SOCIETY
In INDIA gender inequality was part
and parcel of an accepted male
dominated culture.
Atrocities and discrimination are the
two major problem, which the Indian
women face in the present society.
The traditional mentalities of India
assume that the place of women is
mainly concentrated to the household
activities like kitchen work and
upbringing the children.
The sati pratha, pardah system, child
marriage and dowry system etc. have
been some form of atrocities and
discriminatory attitude against the
women.
After sixty one years of independence,
women are still one of the most
powerless and marginalized section of
our society.
Census shows that the sex ratio for
India is 933,which is lowest in the world.
Percentage of female literacy rate is
54.16 against male literacy of 75.20%.
Women representation in parliament
and in the state assemblies has never
beyond 8 and 10 % respectively.
2.3% women are administrators and
managers, 20.5% professionals and
technical workers all of whom
collectively earn 25% of the shared
income.
Jawaharlal Nehru said “You can tell the condition
of the nation by looking at the status of women.

the following phrase of Manusmriti, “Na Stree

Swathantryam Arhati” (woman is undeserving for
independence), reflects our whole attitude towards
women in our country. Woman suffers discrimination
and injustice in all stages of her life.

Swami Vivekananda said “That country and that

nation which doesn’t respect women will never
become great now and nor will ever in future” and in
pursuit of making India a great nation, let us work
towards giving women their much deserved status.
 The main processes that could
lead to women's empowerment.

1. changes in women's mobility and

social interaction.
2. changes in women's labour
patterns.
3. changes in women's access to
and control over resources.
4. changes in women's control over
decision-making.
 National Pol icy for
Empo wer men t of
Women
Objective –advancement,
development and empowerment,
elimination of discrimination
Themes and issues – Judicial
legal system, economic
empowerment, social
empowerment (health, education,
science and technology, drinking
water and sanitation, protection
from violence) of women.
 Women and Le gal
Fr amew or k
Women specific Legislations
The Maternity Benefit Act 1961
The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
 The Medical Termination of
Pregnancy Act 1971,
The Commission of Sati (Prevention)
Act, 1987
Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act, 2005
 Action Areas
•Women availing services of public
utilities like road transport, power, water
and sanitation, telecommunication etc.
•Training of women as highly skilled
worker.
•Research/Technology for women.
•Women in the work force.
•Asset ownership by women.
•Women as Entrepreneurs.
Empowerment has to be:
Holistic: Political, Social and
Economic
Universal: equal opportunity
and level playing field
Participative and Inclusive
Programme for women
The various welfare measures have been taken up
by the govt. from time to time to empower to the
women. They are following….
 Employment programme(1987)
 Mahila samrridhi yojana(1993)
 The rashtriya mahila kosh(1992-93)
 Indira mahila yojana(1995)
 DWACRA plan(1982)
 Balika samrridhi yojana(1997)
 SEWA(Self-Employed Women’s Associations-
1972)
 On july 2001 Mahila samrridhi yojana and Indira
mahila yojana have been merged into the
integrated Self-help group programme
i.e.Swayam Siddha.
SEWA (Self-Employed
Women’s Associations)
SEWA was born in 1972 as a trade
union of self employed women.
SEWA’s main goals are to organize
women workers for full employment and
self reliance.
SEWA is based on some principles like
as Satya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence),
Sarvadharma (integrating all faiths, all
people) and Khadi (propagation of local
employment and self reliance)
 TH E Rashtr iya Mahi la
Kosh (RMK ),
The common features of these
programmes is:
2. target orientation
3. based on grant/subsidy, and
4. credit linkage through
commercial banks.
 BALIKA SAMRIDHI
YOJANA
The scheme of Balika Samridhi Yojana was
launched by Govt. of India in 15-8-97 with the
following objectives:-
1. To change negative family and community
attitudes towards the girl child at birth and
towards her mother.
2. To improve enrolment and retention of girl
children in schools.
3. To raise the age at marriage of girls.
4. To assist the girl to undertake income
generating activities.
 Self-Help Groups
Small, local gatherings of people who share
common problems and provide mutual
assistance at very low cost
Example: Alcoholics Anonymous
 Access to credit for
Crisis/consumption needs
Mobility
Legitimate space in public realm
 conclusions

“It is more important to create a general

awareness’ and understanding of the
problems of women like as
employment, education, political
participation etc. There is also the
special problem facing women like the
preference for male children for social
and cultural reasons. This will require
awareness, understanding and action.
The best way to do so is to educate the
children and ensure that the next
generation grows up with new
thinking.”
 “The origin of a child is a
mother, a woman. ….she
shows a man what sharing,
caring, and loving is all
about. That is the essence of
a woman."

Sushmita Sen,
Miss Universe 1994
…but that is just a beginning….

THANK YOU