India is a famous country proving the common proverb ‘Unity is Diversity’, where people of many religious beliefs are in the Indian society. Women are given a special place in every religion. In ancient Indian Society, many ill practices were performed against women because of male superiority complex and patriarchal system of the society. Socio-political rights for women were restricted by male members of family.

Even the preamble of our country starts by saying- “We, the people of India. The source of the constitution is thus traced to the people, i.e., men and women of India, regardless of caste, community, religion or sex. The preamble also contains the goal of equality of status and opportunity to all citizens.

Empowerment can be viewed as means of creating a social environment in which one can make decisions and make choices either individually or collectively for social transformation.

Women Empowerment means-

  • Acquiring knowledge and understanding of gender relations and the ways in which these relations may be changed.
  • Developing a sense of self-worth, a belief in one’s ability to secure desired changes and right to control one’s life.
  • Gaining the ability to generate choices exercise bargaining power.
  • Developing the ability to organize and influence the direction of social change, to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally.

For providing social justice to women, the most important step has been codification of some laws in our country.

Part-lll of constitution (Article-12-35) consists of heart of constitution. Human rights are the entitlement of every man, woman, and child because they are human beings, have been made enforceable as fundamental rights.

Article-14 guarantees that the state shall not deny equality before the law and equal protection of laws.

Article-15 prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the bottom of sex. It also empowers state to make positive discrimination in favour of women and child.

Article-16 provides equality of opportunity in matters of public employment for all citizens.

Article-21 provides protection of life and personal liberty to every person.

Article-23 prohibits trafficking in humans and forced labour.

There is still a considerable gap between constitutional rights and their application in day -to- day lives of most women.

The government of India has declared 2001 as Women’s Empowerment year. The national policy of empowerment aims at upliftment, development, and empowerment in socio-economic and political-cultural aspects, by creating them aware on various issues of empowerment. Ensuring women’s social, economic and political empowerment, fulfilment of their rights, promoting their participation and leadership requires comprehensive gender responsive measures at different levels, including through legal, policy, and institutional framework. The 73rd Constitutional amendment act has given a replacement dimension to the method of women’s empowerment, with women panchayat members emerging in many settings as change leaders.

Now, many states are earmarking 50% reservation for women in Panchayati raj institutions. A Major thrust for economic empowerment has been through the formation of thrift and credit-based self-help groups (SHGs) formed by women. Increased support for women SHGs in the national rural livelihood mission and MGNREGA with women having a significant share have been positive developments. Many micro -finance institutions have helped in creating additional incomes, jobs and small enterprises for women.

As we all know that India may be a male dominated country where males are dominated in every area and females are forced to be liable for only family care and live in the home including other many restrictions. Almost 50% of the population in India is covered by the female only so the full development of the country depends on the half population means women, who are not empowered and still restricted by many social taboos. In such condition, we cannot say that our country would be a developed within the future without empowering its half population means women. If we would like to form our country a developed country, first of all it's very necessary to empower women by the efforts of men, government, laws and ladies too.

Women empowerment has the facility to vary many things within the society and country. They are much better than men to deal with certain problems in the society. They can better understand the disadvantages of the overpopulation for his or her family and country. They are fully ready to handle the economic conditions of the family and country through proper birth control . Women are capable enough to handle any impulsive violence as compared to the lads whether within the family or society.

The most critical component of women’s empowerment is found to be education. It leads to improved economic growth, low fertility rate, health and sanitation and an awareness of factors that disempowered women. Work participation rate and political participation also grows in women’s education. The expansion of the market economy and industrialization and globalization brought increased inequalities, resulting in loss of livelihoods, erosion of natural resources and with it decreased women’s access to water, fuel, fodder and traditional survival resources. It also brought new sorts of exploitation-displacement, tourism, sex trade and retrenchment to say a couple of Women are being pushed into less productive sectors. Increased pressure on rural resources accelerated migration to urban areas in search of livelihood. People from backward regions, tribal communities, disadvantaged castes and therefore the displaced communities were being pushed against the wall. Women in such countries shouldered the brunt and this phenomenon was labelled feminization of poverty.

About the Author: This Legal Article is prepared by Ms. Ridhi Malhotra, law student at Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Management & Research and is a Campus Ambassador at MyLawman. She can be reached at ridhimalhotra2911@gmail.com. 

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