Empowerment of Women

in the New Millennium

Dr. Vibhuti Patel

Director, PGSR
Professor and Head,
Post Graduate Department of Economics
SNDT Womenƍs University,
1 Nathibai Thakersey Road, Churchgate, Mumbai-
Mumbai-
400020
Mobile--9321040048 Telephone-
Mobile Telephone-26770227 (R),
22052970 (O)
E mail: vibhuti.np@gmail.com m
reaking the Glass Ceilings
Women's entry into the decision-
decision-making
bodies of the industry, financial
institutions, government and non-
non-
government structures, international aid-
aid-
agencies, electoral bodies, international
human rights organizations and electronic
media with global coverage has removed
several bottlenecks coming in the way of
empowerment of mass of women.

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 Women Friendly Environment

è Women's projects are executed faster, salary scale of women

in the government and non-
non-government sectors have risen,
remuneration of women beneficiaries and workers of women's
projects has enhanced, complaints of sexual harassment at
work--place are judiciously examined and the culprits are
work
punished, global traveling of single women has increased
multifold, women professionals are ready to work with
women's groups.

è Feminist economists who were working on a national plane are

now working globally with membership of 550 economists
working in 31 countries. In the millennium era womenƍs issues
have been integrated in the mainstream discourse.

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 Women Component Plan
è Womenƍs Component within the 11th Five Year Plan of GoI
assures at least 30% of funds/benefits from all
development sectors-
sectors-education, health, skill development,
social protection, employment-
employment- flow to women.
è Due to consistent lobbying by the gender economists and
womenƍs groups, for the first time, last year, the Ministry of
Finance has given a mandate to all ministries to establish a
Gender udgeting Cell and by now 24 ministries and
departments have formed Gender units and have promised
to submit annual reports and performance budgets
highlighting budgetary allocations for women.
è These budgets are expected to be placed before the
parliament along with detailed demand for grants for
women. One third reserved seats for women in the
Panchayati Raj Institutions has brought more than 100,
000 in the public arena since 1992.
è As elected representatives in gram, tehsil, district councils
and urban local self government bodies they have been
able to address practical gender needs of poor women =
 Gender udgeting
è Women specific schemes where 100 %
of the allocation is required to be spent
on women.
è Pro--women schemes where at least
Pro
30% of allocation and benefits flow to
women.
è Gender neutral schemes meant for the
benefit of community as a whole where
both men and women avail these
benefits.
è The residual state specific programmes
having profound effect on womenƍs
position/ condition.
K
 Entry of Women in the Development Sector

è Women's organisations have created their

constituency, mass-
mass-base, think-
think-tank, pool
of professionals, progressive male allies
and self-
self-sustaining financial base.
è Women entrepreneurs from the upper
class, middle class as well as in the self
help groups of toiling poor are getting
support in terms of credit and market
facilities.
þ
 Science, Technology and Women
è Globalisation has encouraged induction of women
engineers, architects, pilots, scientists, technicians and
journalists with super-
super-specialisation into challenging
and rewarding assignments.
è Facilities of safe transport, flexi time, variety of fresh
and durable food available in the market, absence of
policing, place for night-
night-halt, separate toilets and rest
rest--
rooms for women and enlightened management which
does not see women employees as burden have
provided conducive atmosphere for women to join the
fields which are highly demanding.
è The state has provided tax relief to women from the
upper crust of society.
è Even the R&D Department of the corporate world, multinational
companies, government institutions and autonomous research
institutions are providing congenial atmosphere to women
professionals and employees.
h
 Women in Development discourse
è During 1970s and 1980s, the women's movement highlighted
marginalisation of women from the economy.
è The efforts of women activists were directed in terms of
agitation and propaganda for women's rights, street fighting
against escalating violence against assertive women and team
building to counter sexual harassment at work place.
è In the 1990, the women's movement is demanding its
legitimate place within the mainstream with its own agenda of
empowerment of women with partnership with men.
è It has been able to identify its allies in all sections of society.
è Its horizontal and vertical networking has created congenial
atmosphere to execute development agenda with the help of
effective use of information technology, communication
channels, modern managerial practices and efficient law and
order machinery.

¢
 Challenges before Poor Women in India

è The most difficult areas have been providing

educational and decent employment
opportunities for the poverty groups, low-
low-cost
housing and trade centers, environmental and
occupational safety and human rights
concerns.
è Development thinkers and workers need
safety nets to operate without pressure from
the local bullies and vested interests.
è ullies of each and every communities are
increasingly taking advantage of development
workers/teachers/ academicians because they
are non-
non-hierarchical in their functioning and
also because they are not very commercial 

minded in their day-

day-to-
to-day affairs.
 Duty of the State
è The state, political parties and beneficiaries of
women's groups too have duty to ensure
democratic and multicultural atmosphere within
which the women activists can take judicious and
gender--just decisions about allocation of
gender
developmental resources and development
funding for construction of schools, shelter
homes for women in difficult circumstances,
community centres, sports-
sports-clubs, libraries and
reading rooms, low cost hospitals and low cost
housing for the poverty groups leading settled
life.

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 Decision Making for the Global Governance
è Gender parity through distributive justice has been one of the
milestones of the UN Millennium Development Goals officially
accepted by GoI.
è Women decision-
decision-makers across the globe must strive
collectively and see to it that resources and fruits of
development and economic prosperity are distributed justly
among countries, within countries and among all human
beings thereby eliminating poverty.
è This will ensure everyone access to food and nutrition,
shelter, health services, safe transportation, right to
information, education, justice, culturally rich leisure-
leisure-time
activities.
è To deal with this crucial task force, we will have to evolve
high levels of participatory democracy in governance so that
we can improve lives and freedoms of peoples in all parts of
the globea
globea

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Thank You

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