Madhu Tandon
Women empowerment encompasses enhancing the status of women via education, literacy, awareness and involvement at various levels. It is essential to ensure proper social development of society so as to explore their full potential for making their lives better and productive.
As far as empowerment is concerned, it is purely an intrinsic motivation involving four cognitions viz; Self-confidence, competence, determination and broader impact allowing the people to achieve their intended results after enabling the individuals to understand the relationship between their perceived actions and the outcomes.
The broader objectives of women empowerment is to enhance both individual as well as team effectiveness to build a healthy society; to create a conducive environment for all to make sustainable progress and also to ensure organisational success over a period of time. No doubt, various initiatives have been taken by Government for empowering target groups since independence but still a lot remains to be done in this direction.
Generally, empowerment can be categorised into two forms viz Group empowerment and individual empowerment. While the former i.e. Group empowerment encompasses participation with others to achieve the common desired goals to make optimum use of resources for better socio-political and environment mandatorily required for upliftment of all involved in the initiative and the later i.e individual empowerment involves critical understanding of the basic things for growth and development. In brief, both of these are meaningful processes aimed at helping of the people especially women at grassroot level.
It is to state here that the issues relating to women and women organisations, gained momentum during mid 1800s and early 1900s. In this regard, reference can be made to the Seneca falls convention, New York,USA and this was the first such convention convened on 19th of July, 1848 to debate over women issues. Even earlier during 1840s, when Anti-slavery convention was held, in London, some of the women delegates especially Lucretia Mott and five other US women delegates were not allowed from participating in the event. However, at two days convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19 and 20, 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an activist and leaders of rights drafted the declaration of sentiments, which called for women equality and suffrage and this meeting virtually gave birth to the women suffrage movement which after more than 07 decades paved the way for ensuring women, the right to vote.
In India, the pioneer of women rights and education initiative was taken independently in Maharashtra where Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls in India in 1848. Subsequently, Tarabai Shinde, wrote first feminist text entitled “Stri Purush Tulana” (A comparison between women and men) in 1882.
It is to highlight here that not only India but different countries of the world also witnessed similar women rights movements during the late 18th century and early 19th century and finally 8th of March is decided to be observed as International Women day to celebrate the progress made by women across the globe in socio, political, cultural and economic spheres of life. The day also reiterates a call to action for accelarating women equality.The theme of 2023 International Women Day is “Embrace Equity” and this theme focuses on a gender equal world which is free from bias/prejudicing, discriminatory, practices and above all stereo types so as to ensure diverse, equitable and inclusive socio-economic growth and development of all segments of society.
Now, women are contributing their best in all aspects/spheres of life and after recognising their contribution in Nation’s building, growth and development, the present Modi Government ensured the passage of Women Reservation Bill in Parliament in 2023 to ensure larger participation in all segments of life including political and decision making process with the hope that women will transform the society in a better way.Further, it is also hoped that with these contemporary changes, the women would be able to overcome challenges coming in their way and would definitely prove mettle in times to come.
The author is Senior Lecturer (DIET Jammu)
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