Women S Liberation And Voluntary Action

In the Indian context.

This book explores the contribution that five conservative, voluntary and popular women's organisations made to women's lives and to the campaign for women's rights throughout the period 1928-64. The five groups included in this study are: the Mothers' Union, the Catholic Women's League, the National Council of Women, the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds. The book challenges existing histories of the women's movement that suggest the movement went into decline during the inter-war period only to be revived by the emergence of the Women's Liberation Movement in the late 1960s. It is argued that the term 'women's movement' must be revised to allow a broader understanding of female agency encompassing feminist, political, religious and conservative women's groups who campaigned to improve the status of women throughout the twentieth century. This book provides an analysis of the way in which these five voluntary women's organisations adopted the concept of democratic citizenship, with its rights and duties, to validate their demands for reform. Their involvement in a number of campaigns relating to social, welfare and economic rights is explored and assessed. The book provides a radical re-assessment of this period of women's history and in doing so makes a significant contribution to on-going debates about the shape and the impact of the women's movement in twentieth-century Britain. The book is essential reading for those interested in modern British history, voluntary action and the history of the women's movement.

Chronology of events--The women's liberation movement explained--The view from the past--Equal rights, NOW!--:The women's liberation movement,1967-1977--The feminist agenda,1970-1980--Biographies: the women who shaped the women's liberation movement--Primary documents of the women's liberation movement.

While the typical Japanese male politician glides through his district in air-conditioned taxis, the typical female voter trundles along the side streets on a simple bicycle. In this first ethnographic study of the politics of the average female citizen in Japan, Robin LeBlanc argues that this taxi-bicycle contrast reaches deeply into Japanese society. To study the relationship between gender and liberal democratic citizenship, LeBlanc conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in suburban Tokyo among housewives, volunteer groups, consumer cooperative movements, and the members of a committee to reelect a female Diet member who used her own housewife status as the key to victory. LeBlanc argues that contrary to popular perception, Japanese housewives are ultimately not without a political world. Full of new and stimulating material, engagingly written, and deft in its weaving of theoretical perspectives with field research, this study will not only open up new dialogues between gender theory and broader social science concerns but also provide a superb introduction to politics in Japan as a whole.

Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their capacities.The subject of empowerment of women has becoming a burning issue all over the world including India since last few decades. Many agencies of United Nations in their reports have emphasized that gender issue is to be given utmost priority. It is held that women now cannot be asked to wait for any more for equality.Inequalities between men and women and discrimination against women have also been age-old issues all over the world. Thus, women’s quest for equality with man is a universal phenomenon.The sex ratio in India has improved from 930 in 1971 to 940 as per 2011 census. The female literacy has also increased from 18.3% in 1961 to 74% in 2011, in addition to decrease in male-female literacy gap from 26.6% in 1981 to 16.7% in 2011.These indicators may show improvement, however, the pace is not desirable.The economic empowerment of women is a vital element of strong economic growth in any country. Empowering women enhances their ability to influence changes and to create a better society.Empowering Women through Education: “Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process”. In the political field, the reservation for women is a significant step forward towards their political empowerment. When thirty-three percent reservation for women in Parliament becomes a reality, women’s voice will be heard in the highest forum of democracy.into lime-light the constraints and benefits of empowering women at the integrated process of development and social change. All the articles have been covering a wide range of issues relating to women, particularly women living at grassroots level, downtrodden and helpless.The Article on ‘Efficacy of Entrepreneurial Training Self Help Group Women’ presents the entrepreneurial training given to SHG women to equip them with all the skills required for the establishment and smooth functioning of their micro-enterprises and their responses during pre-training, training and post-training phases.I hope that this book is highly useful to the students and researchers in women’s studies and related fields. I derived encouragement and support from my Husband Mr. P. Muthukumar, Daughter Er. M. Sangeetha and Son Er. M. Vignesh for finalizing these papers. My thanks are due to Mr. Janarthanan of MJP Publishers, Chennai, Tirunelveli and New Delhi, for his constant support and meticulous care in publishing this book.

Introduction Approaches to the planning of gender Women's organisations and voluntary institutions Government policies and programmes for the advancement of women Impact of globalisation and Act on Women Gender development indicator Conclusion Index

1. Legal Empowerment of Women: Theoretical and Practical Considerations, 2. Leadership and Women Empowerment: A Theoretical Perspective, 3. Violence against Women: Issues, Challenges and Policy Considerations, 4. Rural Economy and Empowerment of Women with Special Reference to Agriculture, 5. Biodiversity Management through Empowerment of Women, 6. Information Technology and Empowerment of Rural Women, 7. Status of Women in Tourism: Issues and Challenges, 8. Globalization, ICT and the Changing Trend of Women Empowerment, 9. Women Empowerment in Tamil Nadu: Strategies and Systems for Gender Justice, 10. Women in Tamil Nadu: Towards Empowerment with Reference to Human Development Indicators.