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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

The women play a strategic role in the society and in the economy. The status of
women in India is not even in all the times. The government of India, by passing
timely and essential Acts and implementing rules and regulations
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trying to
empower and strengthen the women. No doubt the government of India has many
weapons to fight for women empowerment, the prompt and strict implementation
is quite essential.
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Womens empowerment in India is heavily dependent on many
different variables that include geographical location (urban/rural), educational
status, social status (caste and class), and age. Policies on womens empowerment
exist at the national, state, and local (Panchayat) levels in many sectors, including
health, education, economic opportunities, gender-based violence, and political
participation. However, there are significant gaps between policy advancements
and actual practice at the community level.
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Empowerment can be viewed as
means of creating a social environment in which one can make decisions and make
choices either individually or collectively for social transformation. It strengthens
the innate ability by way of acquiring knowledge, power and experience (Hashemi
Schuler and Riley, 1996).
As per the United National Development Fund for women (UNIFEM), the term
womens empowerment means:
Acquiring knowledge and understanding of gender relations and the ways in
which these relations may be changed.
Developing a sense of self-worth, a belief in ones ability to secure desired
changes and the right to control ones life.
Gaining the ability to generate choices exercise bargaining power.

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Some key laws and policies include: Articles 14, 15, 16, 39(a), 39(d), Domestic Violence Act (2005), Sati
Prevention Act (1987), Dowry Prohibition Act and Rules (1985), the establishment of the Commission on the
Status on Women, at the National and State levels.
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Dr. Ravi N. Kadam; Associate Professor,Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Economics, Jnana Sahyadri,
Kuvempu University, Shankarghatta, Shimoga Dist. Karnataka, India. On Empowerment of Women in India- An
Attempt to Fill the Gender Gap (June, 2012) International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications,
Volume 2, Issue 6, June 2012; ISSN 2250-3153
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Reecha Upadhyays, WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IN INDIA: An Analytical Overview
Developing the ability to organize and influence the direction of social
change, to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and
internationally.

Policies relating to women's rights have had a positive trajectory in the past few
decades with the central government articulating many progressive measures to
advance gender equality in social, economic, and political arenas. The Government
of India (GoI) has two main bodies to advance gender equality: the Ministry of
Women and Child Development and the National Commission for Women, which
is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Women and Child
Development.
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With a vibrant womens rights movement in India, there are continuous demands
for better laws, provisions, and accountability for implementation. Most recent
examples include the change in Indias rape laws, where in 2006 marital rape was
recognized. Currently, womens rights activists are demanding better provisions in
Sections 375 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code. Since then, there have been
multiple challenges by the womens movement leading to small but significant
amendments.
Some recent statistics on women include:
India ranks 2
nd
among the highest total number of female primary-school-age
children who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools in the world.
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For the rest kindly follow the link given below:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html

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Available on the site of : www.wcd.nic.in
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As last updated on http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Education/Children-out-of-school%2C-
primary%2C-female

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