Editor's Notes
- #4: In USA girls are raised in different manner, with different expectations and values, than girls in India.
- #5: It is very unfortunate that while people of most of the nations have changed their mindset and given equal status to demads , India is still quite behind. Though as per constitution women are eligible for equal rights in all fields, traditionally due to conservation thinking of our people woman are still struggling to gain same status as man.
- #7: Some great-women rulers were Razia Sultana who was the only women-monarch to-rule-the throne of Delhi, Nur Jahan, Gond queen Durgavati who ruled for fifteen years before she was defeated in a battle by Ali emperor Akbar’s. Nur Jahan is still considered as the most effective ruler by the society. In spite of these powerful women, the condition of poor women remained the same. At this time girl were forced to get married at a very tender age. The society also practiced Sati where women were forced to jump over the burning bodies of their husbands during funerals. The southern India also practiced Devdasi tradition where girls were forced get married to trees or deity.
- #8: A long struggle going back over a century has brought women the property rights, voting rights, an equality in civil rights before the law in matters of marriage and employment (in India women had not to struggle for voting rights as we find in other countries). In addition to the above rights, in India, the customs of purdha (veil system), child marriage, sati system (self-immolation by the women with their husbands), the state of permanent widowhood were either totally removed or checked to an appreciable extent after independence through legislative measures.
- #9: But what does it really mean to empower women? Is it political empowerment? Economic empowerment? Social empowerment? In fact, these categories are not mutually exclusive. They are mutually reinforcing. To “empower women” means to give them power or increase the overall position, status and condition of women in every sphere of life. The barriers preventing women’s empowerment extend beyond individuals – there are institutional and systemic reasons why women in some societies cannot participate freely. To break down these barriers, individuals have to work together to reform the laws, social norms, or whichever institutions are inhibiting women’s productivity.
- #11: Almost 50% of the population in India is covered by the female only so the full development of the country depends on the half population means women, who are not empowered and still restricted by many social taboos. In such condition, we cannot say that our country would be a developed in the future without empowering its half population means women. If we want to make our country a developed country, first of all it is very necessary to empower women by the efforts of men, government, laws and women too.
- #12: Women population constitutes around 50% of the world population. A large number of women around the world are unemployed. The world economy suffers a lot because of the unequal opportunity for women at workplaces. Women are as talented as men. Previously, women were not allowed higher education like men and hence their talents were wasted. But nowadays, they are also allowed to go for higher studies and it encourages women to show their talents which will not only benefit her individually but to the whole world at large.
- #13: Women are increasingly participating in the national development process. They are making the nation proud by their outstanding performances in almost every sphere including medical science, social service, engineering, etc 4. Overall development of society: The main advantage of Women Empowerment is that there will be an overall development of the society. The money that women earn does not only help them and or their family, but it also helps to develop the society.
- #15: Household chores, taking care of the child or aged are unrecognized and undervalued as real work. These kind of works are generally done by women and they do not get paid for it.(their duty) Performed within private sphere, which leads to non payment. If performed in public spehere would be recognized, paid. So location of the work is important in determining the ‘economic’ value of the task.
- #16: The facts about working wives suggest a basic change in Indian family. The traditional (nuclear) household, in which the husband works and the wife remains at home to care for the children, though still a dominant pattern, is changing gradually but steadily. A new pattern is emerging in which both partners work outside the home but do not share equally in housework and child care as we see in Western families. In India, the paternalistic attitude of the male has not undergone much change.
- #17: Lack of education and awareness, Socio-economic status, alcohol abuse. Sometimes children who witness one parent abusing the other tend to abuse later in life. We all know that girls are now doing better at school than boys. The annual results of Secondary and Higher Secondary Board examinations reveal this fact. More women are getting degrees than men, and are filling most new jobs in every field.
- #18: The inbuilt conviction that women are incapable of handling arduous jobs and are less efficient than men influences the payment of unequal salaries and wages for the same job. But yes ..in few kind of jobs they are given priority like nursing, teaching etc.
- #19: Studies show a sharp drop in the sex ratio after the introduction of ultrasound machines, used for determining the sex of foetuses, resulting in selective abortion of female foetuses. And here comes in the truly shameful part — it is not the poorest and least literate areas and communities that are killing off their infant girls; in fact the reverse is true.
- #20: Physical abuse such as slapping, beating, arm twisting, stabbing, strangling, burning, choking, kicking, threats with an object or weapon, and murder. It also includes traditional practices harmful to women such as female genital mutilation and wife inheritance (the practice of passing a widow, and her property, to her dead husband’s brother). b). Sexual abuse such as coerced sex through threats, intimidation or physical force, forcing unwanted sexual acts or forcing sex with others. c). Psychological abuse which includes behavior that is intended to intimidate and persecute, and takes the form of threats of abandonment or abuse, confinement to the home, surveillance, threats to take away custody of the children, destruction of objects, isolation, verbal aggression and constant humiliation. d). Economic abuse includes acts such as the denial of funds, refusal to contribute financially, denial of food and basic needs, and controlling access to health care, employment, etc. Women married to men who get drunk frequently are more than twice as likely to experience violence as women whose husbands do not drink alcohol at all.
- #22: Unaware of their legal status: Women are generally not aware of the provisions related to the improvement of their own position. Even if they know about some of the provisions related to their rights of succession, marriage, or family, they do not desire to invoke them. Traditional dominance of the authority of the male parents, husband, and other elder members of the family often restricts the enjoyment of their legal rights by the women. The materialization of these problems still depends largely upon the attitudinal changes in society.
- #23: Woman’s right should be treated as human rights.
- #24: Women can be empowered through the creation of safe working environment. The workplaces should be safe for the female members of the society. People will like to send their daughters and wives to work if they are assured of safe environment at workplaces. : Women can be empowered by decreasing the gender inequalities or disparities in all sectors of the society especially in education sectors. Proper training should be provided to women’s for better results. There should be greater number of part-time job opportunities. In India, mostly women are housewives so they do not get any opportunity for full-time work. Hence, more part-time and flexible jobs should be created so that more and more women get engaged into commercial activities.
- #25: Lot of hardship is being faced by her at working place.
- #27: The increasing work participation rate of women made it imperative for enacting a comprehensive legislation focusing on prevention of sexual harassment as well as providing a redressal mechanism. Many activists blame the rising incidents of sexual harassment against women on the influence of “Western Culture”.
- #28: Most of the problems that beset working women are rooted in the social perspective; that men are the bread winners and women are seen as the house-keepers and child bearers. This typecast role model continues to put obstacles for the working women. A fundamental change is required in the attitudes of the employers, policy makers, family members, and public at large.
- #29: The Act is enacted by the Indian Parliament to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at workplace and prevention and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Sexual harassment is termed as a violation of the fundamental rights of a woman to equality under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India and right to life and to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Sexual harassment is also considered a violation of a right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business which includes a right to a safe environment free from sexual harassment.
- #32: The Act requires all workplaces to set up Internal Complaints Committees to address the issue of sexual harassment. There will also be a Local Complaints Committee for each District where complaints can be filed.
- #33: Provide a safe working environment Display at the workplace, details of: the penal consequences of indulging in acts of sexual harassment composition of the ICC the grievance redressal mechanism available to aggrieved employees Organize workshops and awareness programs for sensitizing employees Organizing orientation programs for members of the ICC
- #35: The Act provides the option of a settlement between the aggrieved woman and the responded through conciliation but only on the request of the woman. However, money compensation cannot be a basis for the settlement. The inquiry has to be completed within 90 days. In case of malicious complaints or false evidence, the Committee may take action against the woman/person. However, simply not being able to prove an allegation will not mean that it is a false/malicious complaint. The identity of the aggrieved woman, respondent, witnesses as well as other details of the complaint cannot be published or disclosed to the public/media. The Act also hopes to prevent such incidents by placing a duty on employers to hold regular workshops/awareness programmes as well as, display the consequences of harassment in the workplace. Every employer has a duty to provide a safe working environment to all employees.
- #37: Chetal Bhagat article
- #38: To sum up, women empowerment can not be possible unless women come with and help to self-empower themselves. There is a need to formulate reducing feminized poverty, promoting education of women, and prevention and elimination of violence against women.