Confidence and empowerment are cousins in my opinion. Empowerment comes from within and typically it’s stemmed and fostered by self-assurance. To feel empowered is to feel free and that’s when people do their best work. You can’t fake confidence or empowerment.” – Amy Jo Martin
As indicated by Mcleod, the idea “Strengthening” infers from Latin word “potere” which signifies “to be capable or to be able“. From the perspective of sociological angle, strengthening is a multi-dimensional, multi-layered and multifaceted idea. The term strengthening has diverse implications in distinctive socio-social and political settings. World Bank Report 2000/2001 depicts strengthening as a methodology of expanding the limit of people or gatherings to settle on decisions and to convert those decisions into sought activities and conclusions. As indicated by nation report of Government of India, “Strengthening means moving from a position of upheld weakness to one of force.”
India is regarded as a conglomerate nation of ethnic ,linguistic , physical and geographic features, today is in phase of change in its growth and the position it retains in the world. However, India is even known for its moniker (nickname) ‘ patriach nation.’ Our country is often described as ‘Mother India’ who is portrayed as a woman that serves as the mother of every individual who resides in India. India, which s a conglomerate of diverse ethnic, linguistic and geographical features, today is at the cusp of a paradigm change in its growth and its position in the world. However, India is even known for its sobriquet ‘male-chauvinistic nation’. Indian myths describe our country as ‘Mother India’ who is a woman that serves as the mother of every Indian. While such a woman looks after every Indian child, women in general are simply being disregarded at the dominant men’s best.
The importance for women Empowerment has been experienced within India prolonged rear. Raja Rammohan Roy, the actual faith based, sociable, and also educative reformer and also ‘the machine involving Modern day India’, ordered to provide inheritance property or home rights for girls, afforded huge hard work to get rid of the actual defunct customized ‘Sati’, the actual Hindu memorial service process. Key figure involving Bengali Renaissance, Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, championed the actual uplift from the standing involving women within India. Jyotirao Phule, Pearicharan Sarkar and so forth additionally struggled with regard to uplift involving women. Afterwards, Mahatma Gandhi acquired announced on the Second round table conference that the purpose has been to establish any political society within India, where women might take advantage of the equal rights because adult males and the teeming a lot of India would be ensures self-worth and also justice at social, economic and also political area. Empowerment involving women requirements to begin with her contribution in various spheres involving lifetime. Education and learning is a good determinant in this particular respect. To realize empowerment, women must be informed and also conscious of the rights and also liberties in a very modern society.
The maker and drafting members of Indian Constitution had the opinion that unless women are empowered, nothing was going to bring about any change in their life. The principle of gender equality is clearly mentioned in the Constitution of India in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution grants equality to women. Within the framework of a democratic nation, our laws, statutes, development policies, plans and programmes have aimed for women’s advancement in different spheres. India has also observed various international conventions and carefully studied human rights instruments committing to secure equal rights of women. Some main implementation include the ratification of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1993. According to the 2001 Census, the percentage of female literacy in the country is 54% up from 9% 1951 by implementation of several constitutional privileges, legislative support for women, and some yojana and mission.
Constitutional Privileges for girls consists of certain legislative enactments
- Equality before law for women (Article 14), The State not to discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them
- (Article 15 (i)), The State to make any special provision in favour of women and children
- (Article 15 (3)), The State to direct its policy towards securing for men and women equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood
- (Article 39(a)) equal pay for equal work for both men and women
- (Article 39(d)), The State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief
- Article 243 D(3))Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat to be reserved for women and such seats to be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
The involvement technique for empowering women to possess educated and also powerful alternatives on their health and nourishment and also for the progress involving youngsters and also teenagers really needs to be multi-pronged. For instance, Antyodaya Anna Yojana(2000), Nationwide Rural Health and fitness Vision, 2005, Janani Suraksha Yojana, 2005, Indira Sahara, 2000, Mukhya Mantri Antodaya Pusthaar Yojana, ’09, Hindu Succession Take action, 1995, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, 1993, Apna Beti Apna Dhan Yojana, Haryana(1994), Kamdhenu Yojana, Maharashtra, Girls Little one Protection Scheme, Andhra Pradesh and so forth. Despite various acts ,statutes, laws, women and also young girls experience violence in numerous types in their everyday life. This specific takes the shape involving female foeticide and also infanticide, rape, dowry death and much more oblique types such as desertion involving older women. Child abuse and molestation of a women as well as of young girls can be seen in many parts of the nation i.e. Nirbhaya or delhi Gang rape case , Mumbai or Shakti Mills Gang Rape Case, Anuhya esther rape case, Park Street case of Kolkata are some of gruesome and horrendous acts done by some of the so called ‘Civilised’ individuals who are a part of our society only.
For that reason, each of our efforts need to be directed towards the all over progress and empowerment of women in our nation, not limiting the power to only one sphere or part of women within society, giving them their lost rights, status and in a brief her share. This can also be a measure to defend the chastity, modesty and also self-worth and also ensure the dignity of women within society. The governmental and also non-governmental firms which include an active media should arrive forward to play an active and responsible role in creating awareness to the masses. We need to emphasis specifically about women, because in most society they are deprived of their gender norms, opportunities and because we also know that through women empowerment we can see a social change in the society. This task is not herculean to achieve but it demands honesty, dedication and involvement from the citizens of this nation. Hence, women empowerment is the utmost need for our society and nation. It becomes worthy to summarize while using well-known quote of Swami Vivekananda “There is no chance of the actual welfare of the world unless the status of women is enhanced.”
About the Author
Ashutosh Shukla is pursuing law from NLU, Visakhapatnam, has keen interest in sports especially volleyball and basketball and has represented Uttar Pradesh in Volleyball Nationals. He is a follower of Swami Vivekananda and Former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. His ideology and success mantra is a very famous quote of Swami Vivekananda “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”. His inspiration for life is his father who is a Police Officer. Ashutosh also aims to crack Civil Services after completion of Law. He is currently pursuing his internship with Alexis Centre for Public Policy and International Relations.
