Posted on : 6th March 2024

Women’s Empowerment in India and Why is It Important?

Is women’s empowerment in India just about improving the political, socio-economic, and health status of women, or is it more about promoting gender equality and safeguarding the rights of men as much as those of women? There is an increasing need for policies for women’s empowerment in India to assess the critical issue of empowering all genders, for it is only then that true empowerment will spark off for women. Nevertheless, the improvement of the political, socio-economic, and health status of women is just as important as anything.

Importance of Women's Empowerment

There are different aspects and types of women empowerment, and considering those aspects and types is essential to understanding the significance of empowering women. Do you know that our nation’s GDP will grow with empowered women? Households will come out of poverty, and society and the government will get to hear different perspectives and progress at a more rapid pace. When we invest in educating women and securing equal pay for them, more importantly, we will be breaking cycles that have so long hindered the overall development and collective well-being of our country.

Challenges and Obstacles to Women’s Empowerment in India

A multitude of challenges and obstacles make it difficult to achieve the objective of women’s empowerment in India. Although our country and society as a whole have made progress, a lot still needs to be done to ensure real empowerment for all.

Social Norms and Cultural Barriers

Traditional roles have set not only expectations for today’s men and women but also their entire course of life. Social norms and cultural barriers, which severely reduce the autonomy of women and their aspirations that go beyond family, are still very challenging to address.

Gender Pays Gap

When women are paid less than men, it not only reduces their economic status but also affects their social status. This is why the gender pay gap is a critical area of concern that needs to be closed to promote equal status and also equal opportunities for them.

Limited Access to Education

Since there is limited access to education for women, policies for women’s empowerment in India need to focus on this very important challenge. Education is not only the key to success in life and career, but it is also the key to eliminating the entrenched stereotypes that devalue women.

Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence is one of the major reasons that often women themselves experience a sense of powerlessness and trauma that snatches away their self-confidence when it comes to employment and leadership roles. This adds to perpetual discrimination.

Types of Women Empowerment

There is no one way in which we can ensure the empowerment of women in India. Rather, there are different angles that have to be taken into consideration, and there are different types of women empowerment.

Legal Empowerment

Justice should be accessible to everyone, regardless of gender or any other differences. However, that is not yet a reality in India, and women still have to fight for their rights regarding marriage and property ownership. Also, protection against gender-based violence is a far-fetched reality.

Education Empowerment

Around 1.8 million girls are married before they come of age, and in India alone, around 33% of women are illiterate. The significance of education cannot be underestimated, and such circumstances call for immediate measures for the education empowerment of women.

Social Empowerment

When women’s participation and decision-making are encouraged in society, that helps make them socially empowered and contribute to the growth of the nation through their diverse perspectives that affect the Indian population, around 48% of whom are women.

Political Empowerment

Not only in society but women’s equal participation in governance and politics can help change the face of the nation for good. There are various systemic barriers to making that happen, but if our collective well-being is what we look forward to, gender-based discrimination has to be addressed in political environments, and women have to be free to voice their concerns.

Economic Empowerment

Economic empowerment refers to providing women with an equal right to access economic resources and opportunities. It includes the eradication of discriminatory practices that exist in labour and employment, and it also includes providing them with equal access to education and control over their finances and choices.

Policies for Women’s Empowerment in India

Not only education and employment but policies that aim to address every aspect of women’s empowerment, including their healthcare and legal rights, are integral to promoting gender equality in India and our future prosperity.

Mahila Shakti Kendra

Mahila Shakti Kendra Yojana was a significant initiative on the part of the government to empower rural women and help them reach their utmost potential through active involvement in society and national progress. Although the scheme was discontinued in 2022, it is one of the important schemes initiated.

One-Stop Centre and Universalisation of Women Helplines

One-stop centres and the universalisation of women's helplines play a crucial role in the empowerment of women. Since such facilities offer a range of services to women, from legal and medical aid to counselling and temporary shelter, they contribute greatly to increasing awareness about gender-based discrimination and violence.

Ujjawala Scheme

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched the Ujjawala Scheme for women from households below the poverty line, providing them with free LPG connections and access to clean fuel and smoke-free houses. It is empowering in the sense that health hazards get reduced for women and they are also saved from the drudgery of gathering firewood.

Working Women Hostel

Working women often lack safe and affordable accommodation, which makes it hard for them to go the extra mile many times and grab opportunities in higher education and employment that can break generational cycles. The Working Women Hostel Scheme aims to address this issue through reasonable rents for safe and accessible accommodation.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

This campaign was launched by the Indian government for the education and empowerment of women and also for the alarming child sex ratio that was not in favour of women. It is one of the most successful campaigns to have increased awareness among the masses.

Government Schemes for Women’s Empowerment in India PDF

In case you want to delve deeper into such government schemes meant to empower women in India, kindly visit the official website at wcd.nic.in.

All Things Considered!

The empowerment of women is a pressing concern in India, as without empowering this 48% of our population, it is not even possible to think about competing with developed economies and becoming one. Traditions and societal norms are one of the major challenges when it comes to empowering women, and unless a change in mindset is triggered by valuing the economic contribution of women equally, it will not be possible for them to realise their full potential and be such valuable assets to the country which they have all the potential to be. Various policies do exist for women’s empowerment, but it is high time to take vigorous measures and achieve the goal.

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