define gender equality

woman empowerment challenges in 21st century

Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal
ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic
participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and
needs equally, regardless of gender.UNICEF says gender equality "means that women and men,
and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. It does not
require that girls and boys, or women and men, be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike.

Women's empowerment can be defined to promoting women's sense of self-worth, their

ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for
themselves and others.

In the ancient Indian society women were adored and worshiped as goddesses. However in the
middle age, the status of women got down to a great extent. Women are considered in the society
only to perform duties like bring up children, caring every family member, and other household
activities. There is old and traditional faith of people coming out for years that men are for thy
field whereas women are only for the home.

Empowerment as a process in leadership education is seen as fundamental to community

development. Often, empowerment is considered only from the individual, psychological
perspective in community development interventions. That is, practitioners may argue that
individuals basically empower themselves through personal knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
(self-empowerment). The extensive literature on empowerment also makes clear that
empowerment is an outcome of interpersonal (mutual empowerment) and collective social action
(social empowerment). The extent to which community developers are incorporating these
dimensions into their interventions via leadership education is explored. The results of the
literature review indicate that these interventions fall short of fully utilizing what we know about
empowerment and its role in community development.

Why is empowering girls and women so important?

Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities
and countries.When women are living safe, fulfilled and productive lives, they can reach their
full potential. contributing their skills to the workforce and can raise happier and healthier
children. They are also able to help fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and
humanity at large.A key part of this empowerment is through education. Girls who are educated
can pursue meaningful work and contribute to their country's economy later in life. They are also
four times less likely to get married young when they have eight years of education, meaning
that they and their families are healthier.

Women Empowerment and Economic

Development

Women empowerment and economic development are closely related: in one direction,
development alone can play a major role in driving down inequality between men and women; in
the other direction, empowering women may benefit development. Development policies and
programs tend not to view women as integral to the economic development process. This is
reflected in the higher investments in women's reproductive rather than their productive roles,
mainly in population programs. Yet women throughout the developing world engage in
economically productive work and earn incomes. They work primarily in agriculture and in the
informal sector and increasingly, in formal wage employment. Their earnings, however, are
generally low. Since the 1950s, development agencies have responded to the need for poor
women to earn incomes by making relatively small investments in income-generating projects.
Often such projects fail because they are motivated by welfare and not development concerns,
offering women temporary and part-time employment in traditionally feminine skills such as
knitting and sewing that have limited markets. By contrast, over the past twenty years, some non-
governmental organizations, such as the Self-Employed Women's Association in India, have
been effective in improving women's economic status because they have started with the premise
that women are fundamental to the process of economic development.
THE GLOBAL ROLE OF WOMEN –
CARETAKERS, CONSCIENCE,
FARMERS, EDUCATORS AND
ENTREPRENEURS
Throughout history, the central role of women in society has ensured the stability, progress and
long-term development of nations. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the world's
agricultural labor force – rising to 70 percent in some countries. For instance, across Africa, 80
percent of the agricultural production comes from small farmers, most of whom are rural women.
It's widely accepted that agriculture can be the engine of growth and poverty reduction in
developing nations. Women, notably mothers, play the largest role in decision-making about
family meal planning and diet. And, women self-report more often their initiative in preserving
child health and nutrition.

Women Change the World: Few Examples

Ramabai Pandita is also as Pandita because she could read and write in Sanskrit, during her time
females weren't allowed to study. She was a rebel. Pandita studied and proved everyone that
even women can study. She also set up a mission in Khedgaon for widows and the poor, who
were encouraged to be literate and independent.

Laxmi Lakra became the first woman engine driver for Northern Railways. She is from
Jharkhand and over there females aren't encouraged to work or study. However, Laxmi broke the
norm and became an engine driver.

The Effect of feminism

The feminist movement has effected change in Western society, including women's suffrage;
greater access to education; more equitable pay with men; the right to initiate divorce
proceedings; the right of women to make individual decisions regarding pregnancy (including
access to contraceptives and abortion); and the right to own property.
Harvard Psychology Professor Steven Pinker argues that feminism has reduced domestic
violence against men as their likelihood of being killed by a female intimate partner has
decreased six-fold. However, fourth-wave feminism has coincided with significant increases in
male violence and femicides against women, a lot of it regarded as a backlash.