Women Empowerment

Syllabus: Social Empowerment

Source:  IE

 Context: India has witnessed remarkable progress in women’s empowerment across education, societal participation, and personal efficacy. However, access to employment opportunities remains stagnant, limiting women’s potential contribution to the economy.

Women empowerment and its types:

• Economic empowerment: Equal access to employment, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
• Political empowerment: Women’s participation in decision-making and leadership roles in politics.
• Social empowerment: Ensuring equal rights in health, family decisions, marriage, and societal engagement.

Social constraints are not holding women back:

• Educational gains: Gender gap in education has disappeared; 26% of young women now have college degrees (up from 12% in 2011-12).
• Marriage and Autonomy: Marriage age is delayed; more women (52%) have a say in choosing their partners.
• Societal engagement: Women’s mobility and political engagement have increased; Self-Help Group (SHG) participation doubled to 18%.
• Family support: 80% of women report family approval for work, indicating social norms are no longer the main barrier.

Lack of employment opportunities holding women back:

• Stagnation in wage labour: Women’s participation in wage labour declined from 18% in 2012 to 14% in 2022.
• Mismatch in job availability: Women are willing to work but lack suitable job opportunities.
• Role in unpaid work: Most women contribute to family farms but lack access to formal employment.

Other challenges to women empowerment:

• Economic challenges:
  • Persistent pay gaps and overrepresentation in informal sectors.
  • Motherhood penalty and unpaid care work reduce women’s economic participation.
• Political challenges:
  • Low representation in legislative bodies and lack of intra-party democracy.
• Social challenges:
  • Health burdens from limited access to menstrual hygiene and healthcare.
  • Threats to safety, including domestic violence and workplace harassment.

Government schemes for women empowerment:

• Economic empowerment:
  • Maternity Benefit Act (2017) for paid leave.
  • Mudra Yojana for financial support to women entrepreneurs.
• Political empowerment:
  • Nari Shakti Vandana Adhiniyam (33% reservation in Lok Sabha and Assemblies).
  • 73rd and 74th Amendments provide reservations in local bodies.
• Social empowerment:
  • Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006) and MTP Amendment Act (2021) ensure reproductive and marital rights.
  • Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme for securing women’s land rights.

Way ahead:

• Enhance employment opportunities: Create public and private sector jobs tailored to women’s needs and implement skilling initiatives.
• Ensure workplace safety: Strict enforcement of the POSH Act (2013) for harassment-free work environments.
• Improve basic amenities: Focus on health, hygiene, and education for rural women to enhance workforce participation.
• Promote women-led development: Shift the narrative from women’s welfare to enabling them as drivers of progress in all sectors.

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