EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN.
The issue of "Women Empowerment," which is very pertinent worldwide, is
covered in this article. Global issues include "Empowerment of women" and
"Equality between Men and Women". The term "Women Empowerment"
describes the establishment of an atmosphere in which women are empowered to
make decisions that will benefit both the community and themselves. Women
empowerment is the process of strengthening women's positions in society, the
economy, politics, and the law, as well as giving them the confidence to assert their
rights. These rights include the freedom to live their lives with dignity, respect, and
self-worth; total control over their lives at home and at work; the ability to make
their own decisions; equal status in society; equal rights to participate in social,
religious, and public activities; and equal rights to social and economic justice.
Women now even have the advantage over men in several economical pursuits.
Women's empowerment leads to a decrease in domestic violence. Uneducated
women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence than educated women.
Keywords: Gender equality, Women empowerment, Economic empowerment,
Cultural empowerment, victims.
INTRODUCTION:
Education is a milestone of concern empowerment because it enables them
to respond to the challenges to confront their traditional role and change their life .
It exists to promote equality and serves as a tool to raise their standing in the
political-economic system, within their family and society. For millennia, women
were seen as inferior to males in many areas.
Education is a vital component of empowerment, yet many women
throughout the world still encounter obstacles while trying to get it. In honour of
International Women's Day in 2024, let us not forget how important education is to
building a just society. Gender equality and societal advancement depend on
women being empowered via education and leadership development. Women may
fully engage in society and make informed decisions about their life when they are
equipped with the information, skills, and confidence that education offers.
Girls mostly in India encounter a variety of obstacles to obtaining an
education, such as violence, poverty, and cultural prejudices. In addition to helping
individual girls and their families, investing in girls' education also has larger
societal and economic advantages. For instance, it has been demonstrated that
educating females promotes more gender equality, faster economic growth, and
lower rates of maternal and newborn mortality.
DEFINITION:
In general , empowerment is a multidimensional process that helps people gain
control over their own lives.
Women Empowerment is the process and the outcome of the process by
which women challenge gender based discrimination in every institution and
structure of the society.
According to swami Vivekananda, Women Empowerment is “There is no
chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women’s improved “.
Gandhiji, quoted that “woman is more fitted than man to make exploration
and take bolder action in nonviolence. He also quoted that “There is no occasion
for women to consider themselves subordinate or inferior to men.
In words of APJ Abdul Kalam, “empowering women is a prerequisite for
creating a good nation, when women are empowered, a society with stability is
assured.
STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIAN SOCIETY:
“In order to awaken people, it is the people who have to be awakened,
once she moves, the country moves and thus we build the Indian of tomorrow.”
said by Pandit. Jawaharlal Nehru.
India is currently in a period of transformation; this century is known as
the "Knowledge Century Era." A generation that is focused on information will be
beneficial to the advancement and growth of the country. All members of the
population should have equal access to education in order to attain and maintain
the high growth rates. Since women are the dynamic forces of societal change.
Education and Empowerment for them are essential.
STATUS OF WOMEN IN ANCIENT INDIA:
Women enjoyed great social and religious prominence throughout this time.
Vedic literature provides enough proof that women received vedic education and
participated in religious ceremonies throughout the Vedic era.
They wrote several of the Vedic songs as well. Philosophical theories were
learnt and understood by women at that time. Women in the Vedic era stay single
to pursue further education. In Atharva Veda, women's education is highly valued.
But as the Vedic era progressed, female education gradually decreased.
STATUS OF WOMEN IN MODERN INDIA:
The status and position of women in Indian society today have undergone
significant shift. A nation or a society cannot be deemed civilized if women are not
respected. Indian laws are necessary, and they do not discriminate against women.
Indian women now hold prominent positions in our society as a result.
Today's Indian women are employed as high-ranking posts like I.A.S. and
I.P.S., they work in defense, and engage in a variety of sports. Women have also
attained great success in the fields of acting, music, and writing. In addition, more
and more women are entering the fields of science and technology from the later
Vedic era.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN DIFFERENT SECTORS:
1. Medicine:
According to the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of
Education, Government of India's annual report on the All-India Survey
on Higher Education (AISHE), women enrolled in more B.Sc. Nursing
programs and were less likely to be recruited for postgraduate programs
between 2013 and 2020. The study concludes that the involvement of
women in medical education is crucial.
The medical profession has always been one of the most cherished
profession in our country. This profession, being once dominated by men
doctors in the 19th and also in first half of the 20 th centuries, has witnessed a
slow transformation in allowing women to join . The absence of women
doctors also kept the women patients away from receiving medical treatment
because of societal practice which prohibited close and physical contact
between men and women.
However, when economic development occurred, people's
perspectives drastically changed, which led to an exponential increase in the
number of women entering these fields. Currently, there is nearly equal
representation of men and women enrolled in medical colleges. Even after
that, data show that just 5% of all degrees in the area of medicine were
obtained by women in 1952. In 1988, this progressively increased to a point
where over 50% of applicants to medical colleges were female.
Examples :
Dr. Manjula Anagani - She is an Indian gynecologist and obstetrician
specializing in minimally invasive surgeries. She has been primarily recognized for
her work on primary amenorrhea.
Her health campaign, ‘Suyosha-A Perfect Woman’, aims to address all
aspects of a woman’s health. It also focuses on child abuse and the health
education of adolescent girls. She has co-founded an NGO called ‘Pratyusha
Support’ working on women empowerment.
Dr Manjula Anagani also conducts free health checkups in slums,
orphanages and schools. She has collaborated with the state of Andhra Pradesh to
undertake free cervical cancer vaccination for young girls. This initiative is being
carried out in Kasturba Balika Vidyalayas in the state. Unparalleled expertise
Dr.Manjula Anagani’s journey in the field of gynaecology spans over 26 years,
marked by numerous milestones and accolades. As a Padmashree awardee and
Guinness record holder for removing 84 fibroids from a single patient , she has
demonstrated unparalleled expertise and commitment to excellence.
Dr. Kamini A.Rao - Hailing from Bangalore, Dr. Kamini Rao has
contributed immensely towards the field of fertility and reproductive
endocrinology.
She graduated in medicine from St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore.
After training in areas such as foetal medicine, she took a significant step. She set
up South India’s first Semen bank. Moreover, she is credited with engineering
South India’s first Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Babies through the
laser-assured hatching technique.
She has set up the Milann Centre for reproductive medicine. For her services
to the field of medicine, she received the Padma Shri in 2014. Dr. kamini Rao is
one of the stalwards of the medical profession in india and her contributions to the
medical field and in particular to assisted reproductions are immeasureable . she
has done india proud not only with her achievements in her own specially and
academically but also as a champion for the cause of women be it safe abortion,
female feticide or women’s sexual & reproductive rights with the aim improving
the quality of life and the status of women in society .
2. Science:
Since its founding in 1934 by Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman, the Indian
Academy of Sciences has never had a female head of science. According to
statistics, women make up just 14% of working scientists in India, while
they only make up 15% of faculty members at research institutes across the
country. Out of 571 winners, only 20 women scientists have received India's
esteemed SSB medal for science and technology during the course of the
award's 65-year history.
Examples :
Nandini Harinath - A Part of one of the most glorifying space missions in
the country, Nandini Harinath was a part of the Mangalyaan Mission of the Indian
Space Research Organization. She had been a monumental part of the Space Travel
Initiated by ISRO.
The aforementioned women have been instrumental in orchestrating the
growth of educational culture among women in the country and their progress is
expected to drive generations of women to achieve the improbable and dream the
impossible. nandini harinath has 27 years of experience working at ISRO ,
specializing in mission design and spacecraft operations. During her tenure, she
has held key positions in more than 20 satellite missions. Currently, she serves as
the deputy director at ISRO’S telemetry tracking and command network centre
( ISTRAC ) where see oversees the tracking and control of all ISRO’S low earth
orbiting satellites and interplanetary missions.
Sunita Pandya Lyn Williams - Sunita Williams (born September 19,
1965, U.S.) is an American astronaut who set records on her three flights to
the international space station (ISS).
In 1983 Williams entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis,
Maryland. She was made an ensign in 1987 and reported for aviator training at the
Naval Aviation Training Command. In July 1989 she began combat Helicopter
training. She flew in helicopter support squadrons during the preparations for
the Persian Gulf War and the establishment of no-fly zones over Kurdish areas of
Iraq, as well as in relief missions during Hurricane Andrews in 1992 in Miami. In
1993 she became a naval test pilot, and she later became a test pilot instructor,
flying more than 30 different aircraft and logging more than 2,770 flight hours.
When selected for the astronaut program, she was stationed aboard the
USS Saipan.
Sunita Williams has many awards and recognitions for her feats and
achievements. She has been considered one of the most experienced spacewalkers,
a prestigious and pride thing for a woman to achieve.The government of India
conferred on her, the Padma Bhushan award for the immense contribution in her
field in the year 2008.Just three years later, in 2011, she was offered a prestigious
medal from the government of Russia for her meritorious work in space
exploration.The World Guajarati Society conferred on her, in September 2007, the
Sardar Vallabhai Patel Pratibha award for her excellence in space exploration.
3. STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering , Math):
Women make up the largest percentage of STEM graduates worldwide—
roughly 43%—but they only hold 14% of STEM positions in India. Although they
make up 33.3% of all researchers, women receive less funding for their studies
than their male counterparts. Additionally, just 12% of national scientific
academics are female. Even with the fourth industrial revolution being driven by a
lack of skilled workers in most technology professions, women still make up just
28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science and informatics
graduates. In the STEM areas (science, technology, engineering, and math),
women only make up 34 percent of the workforce, and the majority of STEM
majors in college are male.
Examples :
Rashmi Sinha career seemed to be destined in academia. She had done her Ph.D.
in psychology at brown university. She left academia in 2006 and embarked on the
journey of entrepreneurship. Rashmi teamed up with her husband. Jon boutelle and
her older brother, Amit Ranjan to launch startup software called slide share.
Rashmi Sinha is an Indian businesswomen and CEO of San Francisco – based
technology company slide share.
In 2008 she was in list of top 10 women influencers in web 2.0 by fast
company . In 2012, fortune named her no. 8 on its most powerful businesswoman
entrepreneurs list. The economic times listed her in one of the 20 most influential
global Indian women in January 2015.
Vanitha Narayanan is an Indian business executive. She is managing
director of the IBM-verizon relationship. she was the chairman of IBM India from
2017 to 2018. Vanitha Narayanan is a senior global executive and broad leader
with a successful track record spanning three decades in technology and
telecommunications. In 2020 Vanitha retired after a successful career at IBM
where she held multiple key roles leading large businesses in the US, Asia –
Pacific and India geographies.
Vanitha Narayanan played a significant tole as an influencer across industry
bodies during her decade in India. She was the first woman chairperson of
AMCHAM India (2015-2016 ) and served as a member on the national executive
board from 2014-18. She also served as chairperson of the board of governors for
national institutes of technology, Suratkal and was a member of the national
council of confederation of Indian industry and served as co- chair of national
committee for MNCs. Vanitha Narayanan is passionate about mentorship elevating
the presence of women in technology and advising corporations as they strive to hit
key growth milestones. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of ReNew
power, one of the largest renewable power companies in India, as well as HCL
technologies and Schlumberger.
4. Culture :
The capacity of women to engage in cultural and creative endeavours, such
as dance, music, and visual arts, is referred to as cultural empowerment. Research
has indicated that cultural empowerment can provide favourable outcomes for
women's mental health and overall wellbeing, in addition to enhancing their
capacity to confront prejudice and gender stereotypes. According to the majority
of studies on women's empowerment, when they are granted equal opportunity and
access to resources, they may realise their full potential and positively impact their
families and communities.
However, due to the traditional practices and customs the status of women
has not improved much. Some women have felt that traditional values and
practices are interfering and restricting their personality development. They have
started protesting against the traditional values and are trying to break through the
old values.
Their desire for social independence is quite strong. Individual disparities
exist in women's desires for social freedom, yet many of them are content to live
traditional lives with little desire for social freedom. It is imperative that women
participate freely in the National Development Plan. In the sake of the
advancement of the country, modern women have modified their perspectives on
social concerns, behaviours, and other things. Women's desire for social
independence is important for both their own lives and the lives of their countries.
Examples:
Mallika Sarabhai, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, actor,
writer, and social activist, was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 1953. She is well-
known for advocating the arts as a means of bringing about social change. Sarabhai
was a prominent practitioner of Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dance styles.She
became the helm of the Ahmadabad-based performing arts academy Darpana in
1977, following her mother's decades-long establishment of the institution. She led
the dance ensemble to international events. Sarabhai wrote a number of scripts for
film, stage and television productions and wrote weekly newspaper columns for
THE TIMES OF INDIA and Gujarat Mitra . Mallika Sarabhai was awarded Padma
Bhushan in 2010.
One of the top dancers and choreographers in India, Dr. Mallika Sarabhai is
also the co-director of the avant-grade dance academy. The Indian government
awarded her the country's third-highest civilian distinction. As part of the
UNESCO legacy project, she has collaborated closely with UNESCO to safeguard
the Gandhian values of honesty, truthfulness, and non-violence.
5. Economy:
Research suggests that investing in women’s economic empowerment
(WEE) has important linkages with gender equality, poverty eradication, and
inclusive growth. Evidence shows that increasing the share of household income
controlled by women, either through their own earnings or cash transfers, translates
into greater investment in children’s education, health, and nutrition.1
Additionally, women who have access to property and credit are able to ease
hardships for their families during financial shocks.2 Lastly, women’s economic
empowerment can have an overall positive impact on the country’s GDP growth
and economic activity.
According to McKinsey's 2015 "Power of Parity" research, 68 million more
women would enter the workforce and contribute $0.5 trillion to India's GDP by
2025, if the country's female labour force participation rate were raised by 10
percentage points. Additional research, including assessments conducted by the
International Monetary Fund, projects a significant rise in India's GDP every year
as a result of women's guaranteed economic participation. However, new data
indicates that India's rates of female labour market participation may have actually
decreased; they fell sharply from 31.2 percent in 2011–12 to 23.3 percent in 2017–
18. This might have a serious impact on women's economic empowerment in
India.
Examples:
A businesswoman and strategic thinker, Indra Nooyi is regarded as one of
the world's best CEOs due to her 12-year tenure as head of the multinational
conglomerate PepsiCo. She led the first Fortune 50 firm as a woman of colour and
an immigrant. Under her direction, the business improved environmental
sustainability and the nutritional value of its food offerings while simultaneously
increasing profitability. Nooyi is a significant philanthropist as well. She is the first
woman to have endowed a chair at a prestigious business school and the greatest
alumni contributor to Yale School of Management thanks to her gift. In 1994, at
age 38, Nooyi began working at Pepsi, the company for which she would become
famous for leading. Unlike many of her predecessors in the top job, she never
worked in sales, instead focused from the beginning on long-term planning. As
she rose through the ranks at Pepsi, she played an instrumental role in shaping
global strategy, including through acquiring and selling off subsidiary companies.
She led the sale of Yum! Brands (which includes restaurants KFC, Taco Bell, and
Pizza Hut) in 1997 and the acquisitions of Tropicana in 1998, Quaker Oats in
2001, and Gatorade, also in 2001. These acquisitions consolidated profits and
tightened focus at PepsiCo to the core business of beverages and snacks.
Nooyi received a promotion to Chief Financial Officer and President in
2001. She put pressure on PepsiCo to change its operations to satisfy what she
perceived as a changing customer demand for healthier food. She also urged
PepsiCo to adopt the phrase "Performance with a Purpose" as the company's new
catchphrase, emphasising the need of being a good corporate citizen when it came
to environmental concerns. After Nooyi was appointed CEO in 2006, he oversaw
Pepsi for 12 years, during which the company's yearly net profit increased from
$2.7 billion to $6.5 billion, a more than twofold increase.
LITERACY RATE OF WOMEN IN EDUCATION:
The proportion of literate Indian women has increased by 68% since
independence. Only 1 in 11 girls, or around 9 percent, had access to literacy during
India's independence, according to a World Bank India research. The proportion of
literate women has risen to 77% at now. Kerala boasts the highest literacy rate in
the country, at 92.2%, as per the National Sample Survey report released by the
government. Union territory Lakshadweep ranks second with 91.85%.
The number is significantly higher for girls as they get married early and in
many communities educating girls is not even a priority and is seen as an
unnecessary cost. Mainly 1.8 million girls get married underage. The efforts are
evident in the increase in literacy rate over the last two decades. However, there is
still a long way to go for in achieving universal literacy in India. Additionally,
there is wide inter-state variation in literacy achievement. The variation can also be
seen between men and women, and in rural and urban areas. According to the
PLFS Annual Report (2020-21), Mizoram stands highest at 98% literacy rate, and
Rajasthan at the lowest at 62.5%, for both men and women in rural and urban areas
(age 5 years and above) combined. Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep, Delhi, and
Kerala figure as states with over 90% literacy rate among women from rural areas
for the 5 years and above group.
The disparity in the median literacy rate for women in rural and urban
regions for the year 2020–21—that is, 74.4% for women in rural areas and 85.8%
for women in urban areas—across all states and UTs illustrates the diversity in
literacy rates between these two areas. Even within some social categories, the
percentage of literacy has increased. The total percentage of female literacy in
urban and rural regions increased from 59.3% for Scheduled Tribes and 62.8 % for
Scheduled Caste in 2017–18 to 63% and 66.1% in 2020–21, respectively. The
country's rural sections have a lower literacy rate than its metropolitan areas, as is
well known.
EMPLOYMENT:
More women entering the workforce will undoubtedly result from
advancements in the two pillars of society, health and education. India's growing
economic growth coupled with a falling female labour force participation rate has
long been a contentious issue that has taken front stage in the country's
employment policy discourse. The "Periodic Labour Force Survey" of 2017–18,
2018–19, 2019–20, and 2020–21 is used in the study to provide commentary on the
most recent trend in India's female labour force participation rate.
Women either choose to enter the labour out of necessity or as a
consequence of increased educational options, changing cultural standards, and an
increase in employment prospects. First, women function as a household insurance
mechanism during economic downturns, which is a common observation among
lower-class individuals. The percentage of women participating is rising as more of
them choose to work for pay instead of doing housework. Nevertheless, they leave
the employment as soon as their household's finances improve.
CONCLUSION:
Giving women the chance to learn, grow in confidence and knowledge, make
their own decisions, and improve the world while moving towards inclusive
participation is known as women's empowerment. Empowering women is essential
to the advancement of society. Its main goal is to provide women the tools,
chances, and independence they need to take control of their lives, realise their full
potential, and improve society. Women's empowerment is the process of providing
them with access to political representation, career opportunities, healthcare, and
education so they may take charge of their own lives and destiny. Eliminating
societal and institutional obstacles that keep women from realising their full
potential is a continuous endeavour.
There are many advantages to women's empowerment for individuals,
groups, and society at large. Empowered women have better access to economic,
healthcare, and educational possibilities, which boosts economic growth, improves
poverty rates, and promotes better health. This is supported by several studies.
Additionally, more powerful women are typically represented in politics, which
can result in more inclusive and equal laws. Even while women are becoming
more powerful, some still lack freedom in their families, workplaces, and other
spheres of life, such as sports and the arts.
