Women Welfare And Empowerment In India

In India, policies and programs at different levels of the government cover various dimensions and strategies in gender development. Over the years, efforts have been made to empower women socially, economically, and politically. However, due to a lack of synergy and coordination, the achievements are not satisfactory. It is imperative that an integrated policy and strategy be formulated to address the economic, social, and political issues related to women, along with the requisite programs and schemes. Though India has created protective legislations for women, the enactments have not been easy to implement. The vastness of the country, the scattered nature of women workers, their lack of education and legal literacy, and the indifferent attitude of government bureaucracy have all contributed to the continuing vulnerability of women. This is true not only for unorganized rural women, but also for urban women workers. Although the constitutional commitments to women find reflections in the planning processes, legislation, policies, and programs of the central and state governments, the current socio-economic status of women is unsatisfactory in terms of almost all important indicators of human development. Women, Welfare and Empowerment in India contains research papers by social scientists and academics from different parts of India, focusing on specific gender-related issues. The collection provides valuable information for researchers, non-governmental orgainzations, and government agencies and functionaries. It contains 42 contributions related to women issues, categorized into the following six themed parts: Health, Nutrition, and Fertility of Women . Education and Training of Women . Employment of Women . Self-help Groups and Empowerment of Women . Problems of Rural Women . Women, Media, Politics, and Human Rights.

According to India's 2011 Census, the country's population has increased by 17.6% since 2001. The Census shows that 51.6% of the population is male, while 48.4% is female. Unfortunately, the 2011 Census data also shows that the gender ratio for children below six years has dropped. This decline is unabated since the 1961 Census. This gender bias draws attention to a lingering societal flaw which economic growth has not been able to correct. Gender equality is a constituent of development, as well as an instrument of development. No country can be deemed developed if half of its population is severely disadvantaged in terms of basic needs, livelihood options, access to knowledge, and political voice. The advancement and empowerment of women in India has been a leading objective of state policy ever since the attainment of Independence in 1947. India's Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012) recognized women, for the first time, not just as equal citizens, but as agents of economic and social growth. Women's lack of economic empowerment not only impedes growth and poverty reduction, but also has a host of other negative impacts, including less favorable education and health outcomes for children. Thus, it is extremely important to ensure that women are economically, socially, and politically empowered. This book provides a vivid account of the problems faced by Indian women, particularly those belonging to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. It explains the various policies, programs, and schemes initiated by the government of India, in co-operation with other agencies for the welfare, development, and empowerment of women.

This Book Traces The Evolution Of Indian Women Through The Mists Of History To The Present Efforts To Empower Them And Give Them Their Rightful Place In Society. Attempts In This Direction Have Not Been Dramatic Or Aggressive But Rather After The Old Indian Fashion Of Combining Chance With Continuity. It Was Gandhiji Who Brought A Dramatic Chance Among Our Women, When At His Bidding They Came Out In Large Numbers From The Shelter Of Their Homes To Take Their Part In The Struggle For India'S Freedom. Once The Old Shackles Were Removed, It Was No Longer Possible To Replace Them In The Same Way. Attempts Were No Doubt Made To Go Back, But They Were Bound To Fail. This Book Brings Much Information, Which Will Enlighten The Reader'S Mind And Give Him And Idea Of What Our Women Have Done And Are Doing.

Contents: Gender Dimension in Economic Reform Programmes, Gender Related Issues of Urban Informal Labour Market, Gender Discrimination and Poverty, Women s Participation in Rural Non-Farm Employment, Factors Influencing the Participation of Females in RNFE, Women in Farm and Non-Farm Employment in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, Employment of Women in the Farm and Non-farm Sector in Goa, Women Enterprises in the Informal Sector in Punjab, Globalisation and Empowerment of Women, Need for Empowerment of Tribal Women, Endowment, Entitlement and Empowerment, Information Economy and Empowerment of Women, Views and Perceptions of DWCRA Beneficiaries, Empowerment of Women Through DWCRA Programme, Empowerment of Women, Welfare and Empowerment of Women in India, Conditions of Scheduled Caste Women in Social Sector, Strategies for Empowerment of Women in India, Problems of Girl Child Labour in India, Women Empowerment.

The extent of empowerment of women in a nation is largely determined by three factors - economic, social, and political identity. India's Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) called for a three-pronged strategy of social empowerment, economic empowerment, and providing gender justice to create a positive environment of economic, and social policies for women, and eliminating all forms of discrimination against them. The government of India has initiated various schemes spread across a broad spectrum, such as women's need for shelter, security, safety, legal aid, justice, information, maternal health, food, nutrition etc., as well as their need for economic sustenance through skill development, education, and access to credit and marketing. In order to address the phenomenon of domestic violence, which is widely prevalent but remains largely invisible in the public domain, the Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 2006 was enacted by the Indian Parliament. This collection of 35 papers examines various areas of interest including socio-economic status, women entrepreneurship, women in politics, role of information and communication technology in empowering women, and domestic violence.

Section I1. The Setting2. Rural Women3. Education and Empowerment of WomenSection II4. Women Professionals and EmpowermentIndex

Ram Narayan Prasad, b. 1941, Professor of Public Administration, Mizoram University.