The term women empowerment is commonly used in various contexts. If one, need to define it than one would describe it in terms of social and gender equality, economic independence and capacity building, political representation and freedom to take decision at her own. However, we all know that it is not as simple as it sounds. In India, several social and cultural practices contributed to keep women oppressed and deprived from their just rights. Even after independence, the situation did not get any better, child marriage, malnutrition, maternity at early age, female feticide, low sex ratio, indifference towards female literacy and many other social evils could not been stopped in spite of government efforts and laws. The second half of 70s decade is an important turning point in India when the women movement got a formal identity. Women related issues such as, their security, special treatment, freedom, gender biases and female literacy etc. has raised a hot discussion among the intellects and government as well. GOI had made amendments in civil and criminal laws to ensure the women security and dignity. 90s decade brought a new wave in women movement, many NGOs, civil organizations and advocacy groups emerged and started getting enormous funds and aid from both national and international sources for the betterment of women and female child. The era of economic liberalization also affected the conditions of women, gave them more opportunities to get education, good jobs in various fields, and increased the age of marriage. The information revolution also played its role in changing the mentality of a common person towards women abilities and skills. Internet made our world smaller yet vast in context of information and exposure to rest of the world. It broken up the mental blockades and broaden up our vision.
However, our experience says that not all that is enough. The data of literacy among women, sex ratio, drop out ratio, nutrition level, maternal mortality and infant mortality rates shows that the “Glass of Empowerment” is still “Half Empty” and it even has a hole in the bottom of glass. Even the labour done by women as household chores, including assistance in farming and cottage industry, counted as non-productive in our 15th census. Women workers in unorganized sector get lesser salary than men and in organized sector there are many positions where women are not much welcome or don’t get promotions easily. Take example of Civil Engineering; companies or individuals do not prefer female civil engineers, reason, “how she will handle the labors”.
Women security inside home and outside the house is another key issue that need separate attention. Security is a pre-requisite for any kind of capacity building and empowerment, if a woman is not safe in her own house or at work place, being molested by family members than how we can hope that she would be able to ask for her rights.
In the last session of parliament, the GOI approved the bill of Protection for Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace. This could be one of the most important laws until date, because it will empower the women to raise their voice again any kind of harassment and exploitation at workplace. Also ensure their security at workplace and offices. The bill is not just limited towards the employees but also cover each of those women who come to a workplace as visitor or in any other form. The bill has a clear definition of harassment and exploitation including physical and mental harassment and it also makes provisions of suitable punishment for such acts. The government has still to enact it, but the question is, how many women know about this bill and related process like how to complain, whom to complain etc.
Another important bill is Protection against Domestic Violence; it covers all female members of a family and even those women who are in “live-in” relationship. Still the main issue is awareness, what is the use of bill and law when the targeted beneficiary do not know about it or not able to take its help. Domestic violence is an issue where the police also don’t like to interfere and many times suggest the woman to go back home and make some adjustment. Many times the police don’t bother to register the Fir and So-called “Mahila Thanas” do not have adequate female staff while it is mandatory to appoint female in-charge and constables to address the grievance of complainant. Same or may be a bit different situation can occur with Sexual harassment bill, in such a incident of harassment (specially in physical harassment) a woman have to first complain to her office committee and later on to a district level committee. Now this would be a challenging task for government to establish such district committees with adequate female members in every district and compulsory implementation of office level committees. However, the success of these bills is depend on that how many women will dare to come forward to register any such complaints of harassment and willing to face the probable consequances.
In last few years, the uproar of “Women Reservation Bill” occupied lots of space in print and digital media and among the intellectual discussions. It is said that the reservation will help to make our politics and policies more women centric and sensitive towards their interests. The central government has already given 50% reservation for women in local bodies and Panchayats but when it comes to state and central legislative assemblies, they are talking only for 33% percent. That too is not acceptable by all political parties and has contains many objections and demands of amendments. The thing why women participation is not much welcomed at state and central level is because these are decision-making bodies where Panchayats and Municipals are only executive bodies. Moreover, a free and unbiased use of voting right is a key factor of election politics and we all know that in semi-urban and rural areas women are not free to use their vote. It’s a common tendency in these areas that the women of house will cast their vote according to the directions of the males of the family. Illiteracy is the biggest reason behind this condition and of course male dominative mentality who thinks that politics and related decision can not be made by women.
Let’s take the example of other fields as well, take the example of sports federations, no woman is holding top most positions of any sports organization/institution/federation. Though women players are grabbing medals and awards in all major sport events (national or international) but when comes to decision making process or key position form where they can control or direct the structure; their presence is usually not much welcomed. The corporate sector is a kind of exception where a number of women are not only holding the key positions but also successfully running the business. But here also we need to keep one thing in mind that many of them have a strong business background or they were promoted by their family. Though not each one of them still such examples do exist and when we read about the success of brands like Parle, Kinetic Honda, Peeramal, Reddy’s etc. than we can not forget the background of their leading ladies. Here, banking sector is an exception where women are holding key positions of leading banks.
Often the education or increasing level of literacy considered as a solution for above problems or hurdles. But is it the only magic vend? I don’t think so, because if increased education could solve the problem or make the conditions better for women than the problems of dowry, domestic violence, female infanticide and female feticide etc. would have reduced. However, we all know nothing as such happened, not even the era of liberalization/globalization made any significant change in these things. In fact, it is also a false notion that an educated woman is free to take decision for her life and related issues and live according to her choice. Still education, career, marriage and reproduction are the most crucial issues where women have to respect the wishes of family, specially the elder members and male members.
However, women empowerment is not a subject of law but a matter of social, cultural and mental practices. And here I would like to mention a latest tendency which is not completely new but now a days it has posed a new threat for those women who wants to get married with another caste man. Yes, I am talking about those so-called “Khanp Panchayats” and their medieval fatwas of “Honor Kiling”. In all such cases, a woman or a girl used to become target because they are not just human being but a living symbol of family pride and prestige. Therefore, if she is going against of her family than sometimes the couple or sometimes only the girl has to face the death penalty. These caste panchayats are working as independent judiciaries and people also follow their orders without much objections. Hence, the root of problem lays somewhere in mentality and age-old social customs. Law and order has its own limitation, government can not enter in somebody house to implement the law, it is our responsibility to give our daughters/sisters a beautiful today and better tomorrow.
These days a new term is getting popularity among the supporters of women movement, which they are using to explain the root cause for the condition and status of women in society and that is “Mental Empowerment of Men”. Because they says that women are well capable to achieve their goals and objectives , they have all the abilities and skills to prove themselves but it’s a inferiority of men who do not want to see the women as taking decisions and implementing them as well. Nor the men are willing to allow the women to go against of establish system and its rules and regulations. The recent incident of AirIndia’s flight, when a passenger refused to board in to plane because a female pilot was the commander of flight, shows the backward mentality. However, the flight administration did not permit him to travel in the flight. A person who is traveling by plane, obviously belonging to upper class, one can assume that he would be well-educated with modern outlook and when such a man behaves in a hypocritically manner than what should be said about those who are less educated and belongs to rural or semi-urban regions.
However, I would like to conclude with words of President Pratibha Patil; she rightly urged in her speech at Punjab University that women empowerment should not be seen as a matter of competition, where men and women are rivals but “Men should be the partners in Women Empowerment”. A respectful approach towards women of our own family and other females is the call of hour, if we are moving towards 21st century than we have to show this progress not just through science-technology or economic prosperity but through our mindset and behaviors also.
