Traditionally Indian women’s position has been one of general subordination to men. Even in matriarchal societies, the actual power holders in the families were men. The UNO in 1948 opened the doors of freedom to women all over the world by recognizing equality as a fundamental human right irrespective of *ex, race, etc., as a result, the women of today are striving to bridge up to the centuries-old gap between the man and the so-called woman’s sphere of work. Women, despite being considered in number received only a small share of development opportunities. Women constitute one-half of the segments of the population in India and women are vital and productive workers in India’s national economy. Though women in India constitute one-third of the total labor force productivity-enhancing women productivity. Women were excluded from education, better jobs and from participation in the political system. Data on the position of women in the world today says, apart from the fact that they do two-thirds of the worlds work; earn just 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of the world’s property.
The United Nations, report (1993) asserts that no country treats women as well as it treats men. Despite the vast numerical strength, women occupied a marginalized position in society because of several socio-economic constraints. Therefore, unless women are empowered, their status in society cannot be improved. Improving women productivity and quality of life implies a multidimensional contribution to overall growth and development. Accordingly, in order to improve the status and participation of women, the government initiated different measures.
In all the cities and villages of India, the women today are breaking the social and psychological barriers and are assuming new responsibilities. Women’s economic horizon once confirmed to domestic servanthood or labor on the farm has expanded considerably. Women from all shades of life started working in other fields. It is inevitable that women employees are increasingly staffing today in organizations. Modern India has facilitated the entry of women into all fields of activity and their empowerment that was rare about three-four decades ago.
The Concept of Empowerment:
Empowerment differs in meaning to people. As such, it becomes important to clarify the term. Nelly Stromquist defines empowerment as “a process to change the distribution of power both in interpersonal relations and in institutions throughout the society”. Similarly, Lucy Lazo described, “It is a process of acquiring, providing, bestowing the resources and the means of enabling access to control over such means and resources”.
According to the country report of Government of India presented at the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing. “Empowerment means working from a portion of enforced powerlessness to one of power. It would promote Women’s inherent strength and positive self-image”.
Srilatha Balliwala has rightly observed, “the term women’s empowerment has come to be associated with women’s struggle for social justice and equality”. According to Kiran Devendra, “empowerment to women means equipping women to be economically independent, self-reliant, having positive self-esteem to enable them to face any difficult situation and they should be able to participate in development activities and in the process of decision-making”.
According to Kelter and Mberwe, “empowerment is a process whereby women become capable to organize themselves to increase their own self-reliance, to assert their independent right to make choice and to control resources, which will assist in challenging and elimination their own subordination”.
Promila kapur views empowerment as “a process in which women get her share of control over resources – material, human and intellectual like knowledge, information, ideas and financial resources like money and access to money and control over the decision in the home, community, society and nation, and to gain power”.
On the basis of this definition, it can be concluded that empowerment is a process in which, women gain control over their own lives by knowing and claiming their rights at all levels of society, viz., international, national, local and household. It is nothing but a religious, cultural and legal struggle against oppression, injustice, and discrimination. In short, it is an ability to organize and mobilize for change. It enables the women to direct their own life and reach a stage where they are most likely to succeed in whatever they attempt to do. It is an ongoing process and not an end itself. Thus, in reality, women empowerment is to empower herself and not to overpower men. In other words empowerment of women is the process by which the disempowered or powerless women could change. Their circumstances and power to have decision making of their own -lives. Empowerment results in a change in the balance of power, in the living conditions and in the relationships. To achieve this, women must be free to decide about their income and should gain self -confidence. Keeping this in mind, the government of India enacted several legislations from time to time to raise the status of women. Women’s empowerment without two things is impossible. The first is education and the second is economic independence. It’s not just enough to make women literate. They have to be provided with an education that will shape and change their outlook and educate the woman to re-define herself and her role in society.
Role of Education in Empowering Women:
In the context of development, education is an instrument that brings about equality of opportunity. Denial of education to women, due to the restrictive social attitudes and the pre-conceived notions regarding women’s non-productive roles, has resulted in the perpetuation of unequal status. Due to their ignorance, women were exploited and tortured for ages. That they comprise half of our society without which national development is deteriorating, is a deliberate blunder. Being a male-dominated society, where men monopolize women’s rights. An illiterate woman does not know her position in the family. Consequently, she becomes a puppet in the hands of her husband and dances to his tune. However, education has unveiled the ignorance and illiteracy. The other important contribution of women education is awareness about their status.
Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Somnath Chatterjee has said that Empowerment emanates from education. Particular attention should be paid to the educationally backward regions and States, to the minority communities, weaker sections, women, etc. who have suffered for historical and other socio-economic reasons. The rural areas and villages should be the focal point for such emancipation. In today’s knowledge-driven society, if not literate and educated, cannot access the benefits of empowerment.
The first international congress at Istanbul, Turkey in 1993 on population, literacy and development on the eve of the twenty-first century, stress was laid on various levels of education to accelerate the pace of development. The action framework comprises four outlines such as:
- Policies, programming, and institutional coordination.
- Conceptualization and content levels of education.
- Strategies for the development of educational actions.
- Logistic approach.
