WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Empowerment is a fundamental human right. Women empowerment can be defined as promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their decision making power, equal access to opportunities and resources and their ability to influence social change. It is a critical aspect of achieving gender equality. Empowering women politically, socially, educationally, economically and psychologically helps narrow the gender gap. The full participation and partnership of both men and women is crucial for the overall development of a society.

There is a strong need for women empowerment. Women have been subjected to injustice through decades. The patriarchal society suppressed women’s right and freedom across the world. In India, women empowerment is needed more than ever. Gender inequality remains a persistent issue. The heinous crimes against women such as rape, acid attack, honour killing, girl child abortion, domestic violence are still happening. So without proper empowerment, injustice, gender bias and inequalities cannot be removed.

There are many ways in which women can be empowered. We should establish a mechanism for women’s equal participation and equitable representation at all levels of political process and public life. Women’s full potential can be achieved through promoting their education, employment and eliminating all practices that discriminate against them in family, society and workplace. The government has come up with various schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Sukanaya Samriddhi Yojana, etc. to empower women.

Women empowerment is the need of the hour. It is true that in present times, women are enjoying freedom more than ever. But even today, various kinds of social evils such as child marriage, dowry system and gender discrimination are still prevalent. What is required is the seriousness of the government agencies and attitudinal changes of the society and women themselves to make women empowerment dream a reality.