WOMEN

EMPOWERMENT
Women's empowerment is the process in which women
elaborate and recreate what it is to be in a circumstance
that they previously were denied. Empowerment can be
defined in many ways, however, when talking about
women's empowerment, empowerment means accepting
and allowing people (women) who are on the outside of
the decision-making process into it. “This puts a strong
emphasis on participation in political structures and formal
decision-making and, in the economic sphere, on the
ability to obtain an income that enables participation in
economic decision-making. Empowerment is the process
that creates power in individuals over their own lives,
society, and in their communities. People are empowered
when they are able to access the opportunities available to
them without limitations and restrictions such as in
education, profession and lifestyle. Feeling entitled to
make your own decisions creates a sense of
empowerment. Empowerment includes the action of
raising the status of women through education, raising
awareness, literacy, and training. Women's empowerment
is all about equipping and allowing women to make life-
determining decisions through the different problems in
society.
Entire nations, businesses, communities and groups can
benefit from the implementation of programs and policies
that adopt the notion of women
empowerment Empowerment of women is a necessity for
the very development of a society, since it enhances both
the quality and the quantity of human resources available
for development. Empowerment is one of the main
procedural concerns when addressing human rights and
development.

METHODS
1)Economic empowerment

Economic empowerment increases women's

agency, access to formal government programs,
mobility outside the home, economic independence,
and purchasing power. Policy makers are suggested
to support job training to aid in entrance in the formal
markets. One recommendation is to provide more
formal education opportunities for women that would
allow for higher bargaining power in the home. They
would have more access to higher wages outside
the home; and as a result, make it easier for women
to get a job in the market.

Strengthening women's access to property

inheritance and land rights is another method used
to economically empower women. This would allow
them better means of asset accumulation, capital,
and bargaining power needed to address gender
inequalities. Often, women in developing and
underdeveloped countries are legally restricted from
their land on the sole basis of gender. Having a right
to their land gives women a sort of bargaining power
that they wouldn't normally have; in turn, they gain
more opportunities for economic independence and
formal financial institutions.

2) Political empowerment

Political empowerment supports creating policies

that would best support gender equality and agency
for women in both the public and private spheres.
Popular methods that have been suggested are to
create affirmative action policies that have a quota
for the number of women in policy making and
parliament positions. As of 2017, the global average
of women whom hold lower and single house
parliament positions is 23.6 percent.[11] Further
recommendations have been to increase women's
rights to vote, voice opinions, and the ability to run
for office with a fair chance of being
elected Because women are typically associated
with child care and domestic responsibilities in the
home, they have less time dedicated to entering the
labour market and running their business. Policies
that increase their bargaining power in the
household would include policies that account for
cases of divorce, policies for better welfare for
women, and policies that give women control over
resources (such as property rights).[12] However,
participation is not limited to the realm of politics. It
can include participation in the household, in
schools, and the ability to make choices for oneself.
Some theorists believe that bargaining power and
agency in the household must be achieved before
one can move onto broader political participation.
 BARRIERS
Many of the barriers to women's empowerment and equity
lie ingrained in cultural norms. Many women feel these
pressures, while others have become accustomed to
being treated inferior to men. Even if legislators, NGOs,
etc. are aware of the benefits women's empowerment and
participation can have, many are scared of disrupting the
status of the women and continue to let societal norms get
in the way of development.
Research shows that the increasing access to the internet
can also result in an increased exploitation of
women. Releasing personal information on websites has
put some women's personal safety at risk. In 2010,
Working to Halt Online Abuse stated that 73% of women
were victimized through such sites. Types of victimization
include cyber stalking, harassment, online pornography,
and flaming. Sexual harassment in particular is a large
barrier for women in the workplace. It appears in almost all
industries, but is most notable in the following: business,
trade, banking and finance, sales and marketing,
hospitality, civil service, and education, lecturing and
teaching. According to the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), sexual harassment is a clear form of
gender discrimination based on sex, a manifestation of
unequal power relations between men and women.
Furthermore, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is
urging for increased measures of protection for women
against sexual harassment and violence in the workplace.
54% (272) had experienced some form of workplace
sexual harassment. 79% of the victims are women; 21%
were men.
Recent studies also show that women face more barriers
in the workplace than do men. Gender-related barriers
involve sexual harassment, unfair hiring practices, career
progression, and unequal pay where women are paid less
than men are for performing the same When taking the
median earnings of men and women who worked full-time,
year-round, government data from 2014 showed that
women made $0.79 for every dollar a man earned. The
average earnings for working mothers came out to even
less—$0.71 for every dollar a father made, according to a
2014 study conducted by the National Partnership for
Women and Children. While much of the public discussion
of the "wage gap" has focused around women getting
equal pay for the same work as their male peers, many
women struggle with what is called the "pregnancy
penalty". The main problem is that it is difficult to measure,
but some experts say that the possibility of having a baby
can be enough for employers to push women back from
their line. Therefore, women are put in a position where
they need to make the decision of whether to maintain in
the workforce or have children. This problem has sparked
the debate over maternity leave in the United States and
many other countries in the world.
ROLE OF EDUCATION
It is said that education increases "people's
self-confidence and also enables them to
find better jobs and they can work shoulder
to shoulder with men". They engage in
public debate and make demands on
government for health care, social security
and other entitlements". In particular,
education empowers women to make
choices that improve their children's health,
their well-being, and chances of
survival. Education informs others of
preventing and containing the disease, and
it is an essential element of efforts to
reduce malnutrition. Furthermore, it
empowers women to make choices that can
improve their welfare, including marrying
beyond childhood and having fewer
children. Crucially, education can increase
women's awareness of their rights, boost
their self-esteem, and provide them the
opportunity to assert their rights.

Despite significant improvements in recent

decades, education is not universally
available and gender inequalities persist. A
major concern in many countries is not only
the limited numbers of girls going to school
but also the limited educational pathways
for those that step into the classroom. More
specifically, there should be more efforts to
address the lower participation and learning
achievement of girls in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM)
education.
THE INTERNET USE TO
EMPOWERMENT
The growing access of the web in the late
20th century has allowed women to
empower themselves by using various tools
on the Internet. With the introduction of
the World Wide Web, women have begun
to use social networking sites
like Facebook and Twitter for online
activism.

Through online activism, women are able to

empower themselves by organizing
campaigns and voicing their opinions for
equality rights without feeling oppressed by
members of society.For example, on May
29, 2013, an online campaign started by
100 female advocates forced the leading
social networking website, Facebook, to
take down various pages that spread hatred
about women.
In recent years, blogging has also become
a powerful tool for the educational
empowerment of women. According to a
study done by the University of California,
Los Angeles, medical patients who read
and write about their disease are often in a
much happier mood and more
knowledgeable than those who do not. By
reading others' experiences, patients can
better educate themselves and apply
strategies that their fellow bloggers
suggest.

With the easy accessibility and affordability

of e-learning (electronic learning), women
can now study from the comfort of their
homes. By empowering themselves
educationally through new technologies like
e-learning, women are also learning new
skills that will come in handy in today's
advancing globalized world.

Oftentimes, the internet is very useful as

source of empowerment for women through
its creation, dispersion, and utilization of
hashtags on social media. One prime
example of hashtags supporting women
empowerment was in 2017 when the
#AintNoCinderella hashtag came into
existence. This hashtag spread like wildfire
on social media after Varnika Kundu (a 29-
year-old woman in India) was driving home
past midnight on August 4 when she was
followed and harassed by two men in a
SUV, Kundu was blamed for being out late
at night, particularly by the BJP government
Vice-President Ramveer Bhatti. This led to
women all across India and the world
posting pictures of themselves out late at
night with the hashtag "#AintNoCinderella"
to show that women do not have a
particular curfew to which they have to
adhere to (like Cinderella did).

NATIONAL POLICY FOR

WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT
(2001)
The principle of gender equality is enshrined 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.

Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws,

development policies, Plans and programmes have aimed at
women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth
Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift
in the approach to women’s issues from welfare to
development. In recent years, the empowerment of women
has been recognized as the central issue in determining the
status of women.

The National Commission for Women was set up by an Act

of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal
entitlements 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.

Goal and Objectives

1.11 The goal of this Policy is to bring about the
advancement, development and empowerment of
women. The Policy will be widely disseminated so as to
encourage active participation of all stakeholders for
achieving its goals. Specifically, the objectives of this
Policy include

(i) Creating an environment through positive

economic and social policies for full
development of women to enable them to
realize their full potential
(ii) The de-jure and de-facto enjoyment of all
human rights and fundamental freedom by
women on equal basis with men in all spheres
– political, economic, social, cultural and civil

(iii) Equal access to participation and decision

making of women in social, political and
economic life of the nation

(iv) 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.

(v) Strengthening legal systems aimed at

elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women

(vi) Changing societal attitudes and community

practices by active participation and
involvement of both men and women.
(vii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of
violence against women and the girl child.

(Viii) Building and strengthening partnerships with civil

society, particularly women’s organizations

WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT IN
INDIA
 The principle of gender equality is enshrined 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.

 Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws,

development policies, Plans and programmes have
aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres.
From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards has
been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues
from welfare to development. In recent years, the
 empowerment of women has been recognized as the
central issue in determining the status of women. The
National Commission for Women was set up by an Act
of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal
entitlements 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.

 India has also ratified various international conventions

and human rights instruments committing to secure
equal rights of women. Key among them is the
ratification of the Convention on Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in
1993.

 The Mexico Plan of Action (1975), the Nairobi Forward

Looking Strategies (1985), the Beijing Declaration as
well as the Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome
Document adopted by the UNGA Session on Gender
Equality and Development & Peace for the 21st
century, titled "Further actions and initiatives to
implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for
Action" have been unreservedly endorsed by India for
appropriate follow up.
 The Government of India attempted to gender sensitise
the Budget initially through the Women’s Component
Plan (by state governments also) and then more
intensively with Gender Responsive Budgeting
institutionalized through the Gender Budget Statement
published every year since 2005 ‐ 2006 with the Union
Budget (in some states as well). This highlights the
budgetary allocations for 100 percent women specific
programmes (Part A) and those programmes in which
at least 30 percent flows to women (Part B) in the
annual expenditure budget.

 The women’s movement and a wide-spread network of

non-Government Organisations which have strong
grass-roots presence and deep insight into women’s
concerns have contributed in inspiring initiatives for the
empowerment of women.