A

SEMINAR ON WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT

SUBMITTED TO
SUBMITTED BY
MRS.JESMI JOHN
MRS.LEKSHMI P
SENIOR LECTURER
1ST YEAR MSC NURSING

JOSCO COLLEGE OF NURSING

COLLEGE OF NURSING

JOSCO

INTRODUCTION
For the development of any country hundred percent investment on human
resources must exist in the economy. Half of the total population of India is
women who are not able to share the development process as they are not
equally empowered. Hence women empowerment is a global issue.
Empowerment of any society is possible only when women are empowered
as it strengthens family as a basic unit of any civic society. To empower
women is to educate them, build confidence in them and provide equal
opportunity in every aspect.

DEFINITION
The manifestation of redistribution of power that challenges
patriarchal ideology and male dominance Chandra 1997
The process aimed at changing the nature and direction of
systematic forces which marginalize women and other disadvantaged
section in a given context Sharma 1992
Women empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual,
political, social or economic strength of women. It often involves the
empowered developing confidence in their capacities.
It is the process of challenging existing power relations and of
gaining greater control over the sources of power.

NEED FOR EMPOWERMENT

Empowerment is needed to get solution for the following problems of
women in the society.

Educational problems
Problems in the society
Gender prejudice
Health problems

Educational problems

About 50 percent of total population consists of women but women

education in India is much lower as compared to men. It is not because the
women are not interested in higher education, but they are forced with
some serious difficulty.
In India vast majority of population is poor. They cannot afford to give
education to all their children. When choice comes they prefer to invest
on education of sons, rather than their daughters.
It has been also linked with employment i.e. children are educated
simply because they are to get some employment. Those people who
are not in favor of sending their daughter for employment do not feel
the necessity of educating them.
Another problem is the condemn and dislike to the idea of co education
and the parents are not ready to send their daughters to the co
education institutions.
Problems in the society
The socio cultural attributed in the society have left a deep mark on women
empowerment in India.
Parents depend on sons for support in old age and daughters are
considered to destine for others.
Women faces various crime from the society involving sexual
exploitation for economic gain like prostitution and trafficking,
adultery, abduction, rape, etc.
In Indian society men it is widely accepted that within the family man
is the master and women is the inferior and subordinate partner
contributing to domestic violence against women.
Gender prejudice
The society refers women to be the weaker sex and is therefore
discriminated on the basis of their sex and gender.
The importance and care that a boy gets is not provided for a female
child. This gender discrimination is one of the main causes of female
infanticide and feticide.
They find female child as an unwanted burden
This prejudice also prevail in the employment sector also as they think
female as a weaker section.

Health problems
The socio cultural practice of women eating last in the family has eminent
effect on her health especially if it is a low economic status family.
Most direct effect of poor health and nutrition among women in Indian
society are high mortality rates among young children and women of
child bearing age.
Due to gender bias nutritional needs are not controlled equally for
male and female children.
Ignorance
The major problem with many women in the society is that they are
unaware about their rights and privileges.
Women bear all the assault and harassment as they are unaware about
the laws that are implemented by the government for their protection.
They continue to be in the backward category as are unaware of the
provisions that are there for their importance in society.
PATHWAY OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment of women can be achieved through

Education
Awareness
Special initiative by the government
Legislative efforts

Education
Give emphasis on educating girl child.
The government policy should ensure equal access to education for
women and girls. Special measures should be taken by the government
to eliminate discrimination, universalize education, and eradicate
illiteracy.
Improve the quality of education to facilitate lifelong learning as well as
development of occupational, vocational skills of women in India.
Reduce the gender gap in secondary and higher education and gender
sensitive curriculum should be the focus of area.
Awareness

 Empowerment can be achieved by providing proper awareness and this

can be achieved through media and NGOs i.e. through TV
advertisements, public campaigns.
Involvement of private sectors partners and media network to all levels
of information and communication.
Encouragement should be given to actively participate as well as be a
part of the social changes.
Adequate opportunities should be there to prove themselves and this
can be done by the reservation system for women.
Special initiative by the government
Special initiatives are taken by the government for building confidence and
self dependency across Indian women. Some of them include
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

v.

vi.
vii.

National commission for women was set up as a statutory body in

January 1992
Reservation of women in panchayat and municipalities
The national plan of action for girl child (1991-200) to ensure survival
protection and development of girl child.
National policy of empowerment of women(2001) to bring
advancement, development and empowerment of women in all sphere
of life through creation of more responsive, judicial and legal system
sensitive to women and mainstreaming a gender perspective in the
development process.
Protection of women from domestic violence act (2005) for more
effective protection of the rights of women. It provides immediate and
emergent relief to women in situation of violence of any kind.
Ministry of women and child development was created in January 2006
and is the nodal ministry of the government of India.
National plan of action was prepared in 1998 for improvement of
statistic on gender to bridge the data gap.

Legislative effort
The government of independent India undertook a number of legislative
measures to safeguard the interest of women. Some of them are
i.

ii.

The Hindu marriage act, 1955 which prohibit polygamy, polyandry and
child marriage and provide equal right for women to divorce and to
remarry.
The Hindu section act 1956 women right to parental property

iii.
iv.

v.

Hindu adoption and maintenance act women right to adopt a child and
to claim maintenance from husband if she is divorced.
Special marriage act 1954 right for women for intercaste marriage,
love marriage, registered marriage. Also fixed the minimum age of
marriage at 21 for males and 18 for females.
Dowry prohibition act 1961 taking dowry is an unlawful activity and
thereby prevents the exploitation of women.

LEVEL OF EMPOWERMENT
Welfare
Access
Conscientisation
Participation
Control
Welfare
The basic need of women is fulfilled, without attempting to solve the
structural causes, through provision of welfare services.
Access
To make meaningful progress, equality of access to the resources
Conscientisation
Women have to take appropriate action to close gender gaps, gender
inequality. They have to recognize the role they can play in reinforcing the
system that restricts their growth.
Participation
Women should take decision along with men equally. Mobilization of women
is necessary by organization themselves and gain increased representation
which will lead to increased empowerment and ultimately greater control.
Control
Balance of power between men and women should be equal, they should
not dominate other. Women are able to make decision over their lives and
children lives and play an active role in development process.

ADVANTAGE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

EMPOWERMENT

INCREASED EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES AND BETTER
LIVING

PROTECTION AGAINST
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND

INCRESED PRODUCTIVITY

IMPROVED HEALTH AND

NUTRITION

FAMILY WELFARE

STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIAN SOCIETY

In the past women were treated as mere slaves as they
belong to weaker sex. Men used to keep them under thumb. They were
denied from freedom. Our country is changing politically economically and
socially at a swift speed. The condition of women is also gradually changing.
They have begun to take their due place in free India. In free India women
cannot be kept as sheer domestic servants. They have to play their vital role
in the development of the country. Women have been given equal voting
rights with men. No discrimination has been made on the basis of caste
religion or sex. Their right has been safeguarded. Government has taken all

efforts to abolish the difference between men and women. According to

constitution of India men and women are equal before law and reservation
for women in state assemblies, parliaments are provided. They occupy high
position in our country.

ROLE OF WOMEN IN FAMILY AND SOCIETY

Women have a vital role in modern society. She has to
sweeten way of life as mother, wife, sister and daughter. A woman is
responsible for the training of the children at the home to become useful to
the family and the nation in future. She also carter the physical, emotional
and the spiritual needs of the family. She is in charge of home management
and is expected to use available resources effectively to carter for the
family. Women is the basic unit of society as she make family, family make
home and home make society.
RESEARCH ABSTRACT
A study was undertaken to assess the status of women who are involved in
agriculture at selected village of Tamil nadu during the year 1991 and it
proved that the number of female worker increased from 117 million to 407
million between 1901 and 1991.Nearly 80% women are engaged in
agriculture, while the figure for men is 60%.

CONCLUSION
The empowerment and autonomy of women and the
improvement of their social, economic and political status is essential for
achievement of transparent, accountable government administration and
sustainable development in all areas of life. Women should be empowered
and brought to the mainstream of development. If education of women is
improved women would automatically become economically stronger which
will lead them to become powerful forces in contributing to the social and
economic development of India.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
TEXT BOOK
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3. C N Sankara Rao. Principles of sociology with an introduction to social
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JOURNAL
4. Social welfare. ISSN 003758. Volume 58. No 6. September 2011.
5. Social welfare. ISSN 003738. Volume 56. No 12. March 2010.
6. Golden media journal. ISSN 2070 2469. Volume 4. Issue 1.June 2009.
INTERNET
7. www.indg.in
8. www.unfpa.org
9. www.womenempowermentindia.com
10.
www.aamjanata.com