EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN INDIA

The milieu of women in India is changing along with her economic growth. The empowerment process of women has already begun in India and has accelerated only after women leaders have taken the Centre stage. The best example is the long pending issue of 33 percent reservation for women in the India’s highest Law making authority-the SANSAD, which was passed by the Upper House, but according to me reservation for anything in India is fundamentally wrong principle; in order to implement a fundamentally wrong principle, one has to devise numerous irrational laws to cloak the ugly core of the principle. The idea of reservations was first introduced to correct historical wrongs. That it doesn't accomplish that in any way and only aggravates differences between different 'groups' of people is a totally different issue. The concept of reservations is now being expanded to include current perceptions of injustice to certain sections of society, more precisely that section which is made of people of a particular sex, women. What really matters is the candidate’s merit and not sex.rnThe status of women can be perceived from the works of the most erudite playwright of English language, Mr. William Shakespeare. In most of his works; many female characters are manipulated if not controlled by men in their lives as father, uncles, suitors, husbands. Therefore, Shakespeare’s works sends mixed signals regarding the notion of women empowerment.rnEmpowerment has multiple, interrelated and interdependent dimensions-economic, social, cultural, political. It could be implied in relation to resources, perceptions, relationship and power. But what does women empowerment mean? Women empowerment has to ensure five things: firstly women’s sense of self-worth; secondly, their rights to have and determine choices; thirdly, their right to have access to opportunities and resources; fourthly, their right to have the power to control their own lives, both within and outside home; and lastly, their ability to influence the direction of social change to create a social and economic order. rnEducational attainment, Economic participation and involvement in making risky decisions are the key constituents in ensuring empowerment of women. Persuasion for education is essential for empowering women in all spheres of society. Twenty six laws have been enacted so far to protect women from various crimes. The law on the ‘Protection of Women against Domestic Violence’ and the ‘Marriages Amendment Bill (2010)’ which includes irretrievable breakdown as a ground for permanent separation satisfies the long pending demand of women activists. rnThe passionate women who are empowered today are either guided by corporate background, parental-couching or were educated abroad and married to affluent men who rightly encouraged their talent but empowerment should include women from diversified backgrounds, I would rather say that empowerment of women in India is the accomplishment of economic policies which demanded team working, adaptable, smart spoken and commercially aware labourers which India boasts in large numbers, other way can be viewed as India’s transformation into ever demanding and dynamic service sector(mostly outsourcing).rnThere is no doubt that nowadays women demonstrate effective leadership skills in almost all sectors from Banking to Biotechnology to BSF, there are many day-to-day role-models to be praised but their lag is the inability to balance work-life decisions, True Empowerment does not lie in the ability to demonstrate power and that Dependent women are not empowered women, but if a woman is independent it doesn’t symbolize that she is empowered. Being interdependent and faithful to themselves (herself and her beloved) will empower a woman to high status within and outside her home.