Women empowerment refers to making women strong regardless of what challenges they face, both great and small. Women have suffered a lot through the years at the hands of men. In earlier centuries, they mostly had no rights; they could not vote, were expected to stay at home and raise kids while the man was in charge of all property. In short, women had almost non-existent.
Women empowerment became a breath of fresh air for most, granting them equal rights to men and an understanding that they too could make decisions for themselves rather than depending on or needing assistance from another person. When they realized this, they began revolutionizing themselves. In such a way, they could change their lives and those around them by demanding their rights rather than having them given by others.
As time went on, women realized that they too had power! They started to expect that they are also granted with same rights and freedoms as everyone else. They began emphasizing woman’s right to vote. They began to demand equal pay and equal opportunities in employment and all facets of life like social and political levels where they had very little room to participate.
Need for Women Empowerment
History tells us that women have received violence across the ages. Some to consider are the Sati Pratha of the ancient era, which is akin to modern-day bride burning, to favoring baby boys over girls in present times due to the unfair practice of dowry. We hear stories of great harm against women such as rape, acid attack, honor killing, and domestic abuse; these brutal practices not only continue but also worsen in present scenarios.
Years later, we come to recognize that violence against women is unacceptable and such practices such as rape, abuse, dowry killings, forced marriage, etc. are now considered crimes against humanity! Whether you’re a woman or not, these facts about how women have long been treated both in Indian society and around the world may instill fear and anger concerning what our sisters and mothers might be going through right now.
Many world leaders and scholars have argued that sustainable development is impossible without gender equality and women’s empowerment. In order for a country to be truly successful in sustainable economic development, both men and women should work toward the same vision and goal together; so that they can all benefit from what is being worked on from a societal standpoint whether it involves business or community ventures.
Steps to Empower Women
Women can be empowered in various ways. They can be given opportunities to do jobs in industries in which they feel comfortable. We should encourage them to take up higher education and business activities so that women are no longer subordinate to their families or husband’s wishes, but can communicate with their family members in a way where both sides are heard. At an individual level, we should respect and honor women – and begin giving them opportunities equal to men. Also, the government has come up with various schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, Mahila-E-Haat, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Working Women Hostel, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, etc., to empower women.
To empower women in business, we need to give them more avenues to succeed than in the past when government regulations considered their work less important than men’s roles when it came to national productivity.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana
Launched on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana, Bachpan Bachao Andolan is a nationwide child rights movement that aims to spread awareness about the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and to urge federal and state governments to take a more proactive approach towards addressing issues concerning the girl child. The campaign kicked off to raise awareness regarding the alarming fall in Sex ratio across India but has moved on to address other concerns such as gender-biased sex-selective eliminations, going so far as to promote education, prevent deaths of young girls, and ensure protection from sexual harassment.
Mahila Shakti Kendra
The government launched the Mahila Shakti Kendra in 2017, an initiative to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development, employment, digital literacy, health, and nutrition. The project will use community engagement through student volunteers in the 115 most backward districts to reach women effectively.
Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP)
STEP Programme aimed to provide opportunities for women to develop skills that will enable them socio-economically. In short, This skills training initiative will assist women in providing the right skills for employability and entrepreneurship. The initiative can be taken seriously by any woman above the age of 16 years on the condition that they are registered properly on the website portal. Women can participate in any sector they like and there is no limit on what they specialize in: agriculture, horticulture, food processing, handlooms, tailoring, stitching, embroidery, zari, handicrafts, computer services, and Soft Skills.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
The government of India has been working on many schemes which encourage women’s empowerment. One such scheme aimed at girls under a program called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme is Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. It is a savings scheme where accounts are opened for babies. Under this scheme, parents can open an account for their daughters in any India Post office or an authorized commercial bank at any time after their birth up till they reach the age of 10 years. There are no limits to how many times you can make contributions in a month or in a year either. And best of all, the interest rate is 8.6%.
Where Do We Need Empowerment?
There are certain areas we need to focus more on when it comes to empowering women such as Social, Economic, Educational, Psychological, Political, etc. Because these are some of the areas where they need more attention and assistance to rebuild themselves.
Social Empowerment
Social empowerment may be one of the most prominent forms of empowerment shown in the mainstream media. It builds on women’s social relations and positions within socially structured contexts, offering them more opportunities to contribute productively without regard to gender. Social empowerment is one way to empower oneself socially. By being able to successfully function within society, an individual can attain a sense of self-confidence which will benefit them in the long run while empowering others around them at the same time. In short, women need empowerment in all aspects of life.
Educational Empowerment
Education plays a crucial part in our growth and development. But there are still people in this world who believe that women don’t need to go to school. This takes away a fundamental skill everyone has the right to: knowledge. Without a proper education for all, gender empowerment isn’t possible. Not only that, obtaining knowledge can uplift self-confidence, self-esteem, but also make girls self-sufficient. This will also give them access to social, political, intellectual, and religious consciousness which discourages the growth of bigotry, superstition, intolerance, and narrow-mindedness.
In short, education puts everyone on an equal footing. Also, education allows women to have an understanding of what they are capable of doing.
Economic Empowerment
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can allow you to become empowered: people who don’t have the money needed to purchase something may feel as though they don’t have control over their lives. Although not everyone is born with equal access to resources, closing this gap would enable everyone to have access to what they need and then be able to leverage that human capital into material, intellectual or financial capital for themselves and their families.
In short, Having less money means more challenges in life. Also, good economic standing is necessary to get a better education, treatment, shelter, etc.
Political Empowerment
Having a voice in politics is crucial for women. Having involvement in politics will allow women to express themselves and their views to society. Our nation needs more women candidates to participate in elections, and we need to support them as well. Also, our government has taken steps to bring down gender inequality in politics by institution reserved seats for women. Like men, women also have the ability to lead and take decisions in critical situations. All they need is an opportunity to do and they can make wonders.
Psychological Empowerment
Psychological empowerment involves social empowerment—it breaks free of the “traditional and patriarchal taboos and social obligations” and allows women to go beyond what’s expected of them in society. This can build self-confidence, help women recognize their self-worth, and gives them the chance to take control of their life.
Conclusion
Women’s Empowerment is very important. We all need to do our part in empowering women and respecting their rights and respecting their contribution to society. We hope this blog post has helped you understand the importance of empowering women and enjoyed our article. So what are you waiting for? Download Free Women Empowerment PPT by clicking the below button.
