Women's empowerment
The Constitution promises gender equality, but women still lack equal access to education, health and resources. Empowerment works on economic, social and political fronts.
The gap between promise and reality
The Constitution enshrines gender equality in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. It also allows positive discrimination in favour of women, meaning special measures to help them catch up. Yet a wide gap remains. Women, especially in weaker sections, have less access to education, health and productive resources such as land and credit. Many remain poor, marginalised (pushed to the edge of society) and left out.
Three fronts of women's empowerment
| Front | Main steps in the lesson |
|---|---|
| Economic | Anti-poverty programmes aimed at women's needs; training and extension for women in farming; labour laws and social security for women in electronics, IT, food processing and textiles; creches at workplaces and other support services |
| Social | Equal access to education for girls; higher enrolment and retention; vocational and technical skills; a holistic approach to health and nutrition at every stage of life; ending all violence against women, at home or outside |
| Political | The right to vote and stand for election since independence; one-third of seats in rural and urban local bodies (73rd and 74th Amendments); a 2023 amendment for one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies |
Reservation for women in law-making bodies
The 73rd and 74th Amendments were a breakthrough. Lakhs of women now sit in panchayats and municipal bodies. In 2023, Parliament passed a constitutional amendment called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. It reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. It will apply after the next Census and the delimitation (redrawing of constituencies) that follows. Your NIOS lesson was written earlier, so it still calls this a Bill under consideration.
Activity: why are girls treated unequally?
Give a reason for each situation, then suggest remedies.
- 1Situation: in many families girls get fewer chances for education than boys. A possible reason: the belief that a son will support the family while a daughter will marry and leave.
- 2Situation: a woman's illness is taken less seriously than a man's. A possible reason: women's health and needs are given lower value in the family.
- 3Situation: women and girls do most of the housework alone. A possible reason: the traditional idea that housework is only women's work.
- 4Situation: the birth of a girl is not celebrated like a boy's. A possible reason: preference for sons, and worries such as dowry.
- 5Write three remedies. For example: equal schooling for girls and boys, sharing housework, and strict use of the laws against dowry and sex tests before birth.
Women's self-help groups take small loans, girls get scholarships to stay in school, and women sarpanches run gram panchayats. These are common examples of empowerment in India today.
3 marks: “How are women being helped to earn and work on equal terms? Give three steps from your lesson.” (1) Anti-poverty programmes designed around women's needs. (2) Training and extension services for women in farming and allied work. (3) Labour laws, social security and support services such as creches so that women can work in industry.
2 marks: “How have the 73rd and 74th Amendments helped the political empowerment of women?” In force from 1993, they reserved one-third of seats for women in rural and urban local bodies. This brought many women into decision-making and public life.
2 marks: “Why have efforts so far not fully empowered women?” Women, especially from weaker sections, still have poor access to education, health and productive resources. Many remain poor, marginalised and socially excluded.
Women's empowerment stands on ESP: Economic (income), Social (school, health, safety), Political (seats and votes).