Women
empowerment may have become a buzzword of today but as the world strives to
achieve gender equality in all spheres, the latest report of the Central
Statistical Office (department of Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation) on the participation of women in economic sphere gives a jolt
to your high hopes. If you think India has many Indira Nooyis and Sumitra
Mahajans in the making, you are wrong, atleast what the report data tends to suggest.
Titled as "Women and Men in India 2014",
the report analyses the participation
rate of women in various sectors. To begin with, women constitute a little more
than 15 percent in the present Central Council of Ministers of the NDA regime,
as against 10 percent in 2004.Among the women MPs only 44 percent of them are
post-graduates. The report further points out that only 11 percent of current
Lok Sabha members are women. The states present even more dismal picture with
only four percent of State Council comprising women and eight percent share
commanded by women in the State Assemblies.
If that is not enough to shock you, there is more to
follow. The report shows that administrative and judicial services continue to
be dominated by men. There are only 2 women judges out of 30
judges in the Supreme Court and only 58 women judges out of 609 judges in
different High Courts. Six High Courts have no women judge at all. The share of
women in Administrative and Foreign Service too remains dismal at 14 and 19
percent respectively.
However
there is a silver lining too. The report shows that the women’s share in
panchayats is pegged at 46.7 percent and women participation in sixteenth
general election has jumped by 10 percentage points since the last election to
66 percent.
You
may be aware that there is a direct link between economic participation and
women empowerment. The participation of women in economic sphere is a key
indicator of gender empowerment and equality. It enhances self-confidence of
the woman and makes her an active contributing factor in society rather than
just being passive agent. Swami Vivekanand had rightly said:-
“There is
no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is
improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing.”
Having
presented the above figures, it is important to analyze why this trend
continues. This bleak performance stems from patriarchal mindset that still
views women as a ‘second class citizen’ and considers household as her primary
domain of activity. We may have entered an era of nanotechnology but on the
social front, we continue to lag behind many countries. Three months back,
India may have celebrated 67 years of independence yet it is a shame that our
women continue to be enslaved by orthodox and stereotypical notions. The
progress and success of Indian women is still adjudged by her looks and her
role in family rather than in economic sphere. Perhaps which why many families
still don’t bother to educate their daughters and let them be financially
independent. Dowry is another reason. Most girls even though educated, are so for
the sake of happy and successful marriage rather than for making a successful
career. Coming to politics, it is still viewed by many as a ‘dirty game’ of men.
As a woman starts getting older, she has to face an irresistible pressure of
getting married which perhaps explains why women are meagerly represented in
Administrative and Judicial Services, both of whom require years of patience
and effort. What is even more distressing is the fact that women sometimes
themselves do not bother to invest their time and efforts in carving their own
identity and do not realize the importance of being financially independent in
today’s world.
So
what do you think is the solution? Take action against all wrongs against women
and also expect to things take their own course. Perhaps no. What we need is a
paradigm shift from reactive to a more proactive approach in boosting gender
empowerment. We need to understand that women are not merely passive agents but
vibrant, dynamic players who can contribute to the nation’s progress. Disseminating
awareness about the significance of the girl child is a possible solution for
the latter’s birth is still unwelcomed today in many homes. But we cannot
expect government to take all the initiative. An Indian citizen is as much
bound to work for society as the government. It is commendable that in the
recent past, non- governmental organizations and media have stepped up their
campaign for gender equality and empowerment. But lot more needs to be done.
Each and every one of us especially women must try to be aware of gender issues
for we are significant stakeholders in the legislative process. We got to
understand that everyone needs to be financially independant in today’s era of
uncertainty. Giving reservation to women in jobs has shown positive results in
case of panchayats but that should be accompanied by other concrete steps
rather than being a solo, ‘vote bank politics’ measure. Every woman should
realize that unless we are united, nothing can be done for our welfare. So we
must also assume the responsibility of educating every other woman on the need
of economic empowerment. A liberal education focusing on gender issues is also
the answer to our woes. It is high time that politicians behave as more
responsible citizens and media assume a more credible role in fulfilling their
promises towards gender equality. Last but not the least, appropriate policies
should be framed to enhance women participation in economic sphere. Special
assistance in education and vocational training should be given to women of weak
economic background to help them carve their niche. It is only through the
conscious effort of each one of us that we can dream of a truly progressive nation!
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