A Study on the role of women in sustainable development with special reference to education and self sufficiency

Gender equality is a major fact to get sustainable development. Developed countries are providing equal opportunities and platforms for both genders and ensuring women's participation in national progress.

1. WELCOME

2. A STUDYONTHEROLEOFWOMENINSUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENTWITHSPECIALREFERENCETO
EDUCATIONANDSELFSUFFICIENCY
SARATH CHANDRAN R.
RESEARCH SCHOLAR
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
UNIVERSITY OF KERALA

3. INTRODUCTION
Womenplayagreatestroleinthesustainabledevelopmentof
anation.Becauseweknowthatthebasicunitofanationis
family.Otherhigherlevelsaresocietyandcountry.
Thesehigherlevelsareformedasaresultofthein-
cooperationoffamilies.Ifwethinkaboutfamilies,mothers
arethebackboneofeveryfamily.
Inthissituation,womenliteracy,educationandeconomical
selfsufficiencyhasmuchimportance.
Womenactastheagentswhotransfertheculturalheritageof
nation,variousvaluesinsociety,traditionalknowledgeetc.

4. Sustainabledevelopmentofacountrydeterminespoverty
eradicationandenvironmentalconservation.
Environmentalconservationmeansthatweareconserving
natureforcominggenerationsofeveryorganism.
Participationofeachindividualisneededforthesustainable
developmentofacountry.
Genderequalityisamajorfacttogetsustainable
development.Developedcountriesareprovidingequal
opportunitiesandplatformforbothgendersandensuring
womenparticipationinnationalprogress.
SoIndiaalsoneedstoconcentratemoreandmoretoempower
womenbymeansofeducationallyandfinancially.Education
anddevelopmentofacountryareinterconnected.

5. MEANINGOFSUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT
Sustainabledevelopmentisthedevelopmentthatmeetsthe
needsofthepresentwithoutcompromisingtheabilityof
futuregenerationstomeettheirownneeds.
Theultimateaimofthatsustainabledevelopmentisthe
conservationofearthandprotectionofdifferenttypesof
species.
Sustainabilitycanbedefinedasthepracticeofreserving
resourcesforfuturegenerationwithoutanyharmtothenature
andothercomponentsofit.
Varioussystemsareinvolvinginthisdevelopmentsuchas
ecological,social,political,culturaletc.

6. IMPORTANCEANDINVOLVEMENTOFWOMENIN
SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT
Women’scontributionandparticipationhaveveryhigh
significancetothesustainabilityofanation.Weknowthat
Indiaisthesecondlargestcountryinpopulation.
Nowdaysourcountryisusingmalehumanresourceas
directlyandmostlyfemalehumanresourceasindirectly.Ifwe
usethisfemalehumanresourcealsoasadirectmanner,easily
ourcountrycanbecomedeveloped.Itwillleadtothegender
equalityalso.
Ifwomenhavetocontributeinnationaldevelopment,firstwe
needtoempowerthemthrougheducationallyand
economically.Educationandeconomicallyselfsufficiency
arethetwokeysoftheempowermentofwomen.

7. SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENTBYWOMEN
EDUCATION
AccordingtoAlfredMarshell,educationisthemostvaluable
ofallcapitalthatisinvestedinhumanbeingsandtherefore
considereditasanationalinvestment.
Alldevelopedcountrieshavehighratesofliteracywithafew
expectations;countrieswhichareeducationallyadvanced
enjoybetterstandardsofliving.Thuseducationisamajor
factorineconomicgrowthalso.
Forincreasingfemaleproductivityontopofenhancingthe
well-beingoffamiliesandalsonation.Withouteducation,itis
moredifficultforwomentomoveoutofpovertyandthey
enterintoaviciouscircleofreducedemployment
opportunitiesandoccupationalmobility,lowerincome,early
marriage,poorchildhealthcareandincreasingfertility.

8. IMPACTOFWOMENEDUCATIONINSOCIETY
Major impact of woman education will happen in family
through the increasing of standard of living.
Women have their own duties in family. Education helps to do
such duties without misconception.
Gender inequality will be reduced in the society.
Women education will help to the general welfare of the
society.
Value based true education will enhance self esteem.

9. SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENTOFACOUNTRYBYSELF
SUFFICIENTWOMEN
Womenempowermentandeconomicdevelopmentiscloselyrelated.
Femaleeconomicpoweralsoenhancesthewealthandwellbeingofa
nation.
Investmentstoadvancewomen'seconomicopportunityinclude
financialinclusion,womenandagriculture,enterprisesgrowth,
technologyaccesscapacitybuilding,businessleadership.Throughthe
womenempowermentwecanreducepovertyandpopulationgrowth.
UnionandKeralagovernmentsimplementedvariousprojectsfor
womentoattaineconomicselfsufficiency.
ImportantprojectsareMahatmaGandhi’sNationalruralemployment
guaranteescheme,KudumbasreeProjectetc.

10. MahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteescheme
wasstartedonFebruary2,2006byUnionGovernment.
Thisschemeensureshundreddaysworkperyearandgettingtwo
hundredandtwelverupees(2014-2015)asdailywageinKerala.
Kudumbasreeiswomenoriented,communitybased,poverty
reductionprojectofthegovernmentofKerala.
ItwaslaunchedonMay17,1998.Theaimoftheprojectis
empowermentofwomenthroughformingselfhelpgroupsand
encouragingtheirentrepreneurialorotherwiderangeofactivities.
Thepurposeofthisprojectistoensuretheactiveparticipationin
nationaldevelopmentthroughpovertyeradication.

11. RECOMMENDATIONSFORWOMENEMPOWERMENT
Promote women literacy.
Provide skill development programs and vocational education.
Encourage women entrepreneurship
Society should encourage working women and give respect to
them.

12. CONCLUSION
PresentlyIndiaisadevelopingcountry.OurGDPisincreasing
yearbyyear.Ifweobserveournationcarefullywecanseeitis
merelyaphysicaldevelopmentnotasustainableone.
Ifadevelopmentissustainablethatshouldconductwiththe
environmentalconsiderationandalsoshouldensurethe
participationofbothgendersandweakersectionsofthissociety.
CertainstatesinIndialikeKeralaareensuringgenderequality
andconcentratingtoempowerwomen.
KeralastateisarolemodelforotherIndianstatesand
developingcountries.Kudumbasreeprojectisoneofthebetter
examplesforwomenempowerment.
WeexpectotherstateswillalsofollowKeralamodelandwomen
getempowered.