Question

Explain various measures for the empowerment of women.

Answer 1

1. The world witnessed the rise of feminist movements in the early 19th century. Since then, women's social, political, and economic rights were constantly asserted. They broadly discussed gender equality- equal rights, social equality, political equality, gender justice, etc. Later in the 1970s, women's empowerment came to be accepted as an important concept and philosophy.
2. The United Nations ‘Decade for Women’ began in the year 1975. The aim of this program was the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women across the globe. The program also tried to link women’s issues with developmental issues. They focused on the inequalities women face in education, health care, workplaces, landholding, and human rights.
3. In India, within the framework of a democratic polity, laws, development policies, plans, and programs have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. The Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) was established in 1953 to carry out welfare activities for the general welfare of families, women, and children.
4. The initial approach to women’s issues in India can be described as a ‘welfare approach’. The focus was on community development through Mahila Mandals, protecting women against injurious work, providing maternity and childcare benefits, etc. In the 1960s, the emphasis was on education as a welfare strategy. Health programs concentrated on maternity and child services, health education and nutrition, and family planning.
5. In the 1970s, the approach towards women’s issues shifted from ‘welfare’ to ‘development’. The 1970s was the ‘United Nations’ Decade for Women. The Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India titled ‘Towards Equality’ talked of the rights and status of women in the context of changing social and economic conditions in India. The 1980s saw a further change in the approach towards women in India. Now, the focus was on health, education, and employment.
6. The 1990s saw a shift from ‘development’ to ‘empowerment’. The government wanted to ensure that the development benefits did not bypass women, and therefore, their participation in planning and implementation was necessary.
7. The National Commission for Women was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard women's rights and legal entitlements. The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993) to the Constitution of India have provided for the reservation of seats in the local bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for women, laying a solid foundation for their participation in decision-making at the local levels.
8. The Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India, became a separate Ministry in 2006. Earlier in 1985, it was a Department under the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
9. The Ministry was constituted with the prime intention of addressing gaps in State action for women and children and creating gender-equitable and child-centered legislation, policies, and programs.
10. The Ministry aims at achieving the empowerment of women living with dignity and contributing as equal partners in development in an environment free from violence and discrimination.
11. The Ministry has prepared the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women (2001) and the Draft of the National Policy for Women (2016) to articulate a vision for women's empowerment.
12. The Indian legislature has passed various important legislation in recent years. These include the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prohibition, Prevention, and Redressal) Act, 2013; Muslim Women (Protection of Right on Marriage) Act, 2019.