Gender equality and women empowerment

The PowerPoint presentation is all about the need for empowerment, existing problems, and gender equality. (Also an interview transcript is attached with the PPT)

1. GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

2. INDEX •DEFINITION AND MEANING •NEED OF EMPOWERMENT •EXISTING PROBLEMS •EFFORTS MADE TO ACHIEVE IT

3. DEFINITION AND MEANING “WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY REFERS TO INCREASING THE SPIRITUAL, POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC STRENGTH OF WOMEN.” THE CREATION OF AN ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN WHERE THEY CAN MAKE DECISIONS OF THEIR OWN FOR THEIR PERSONAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS FOR THE SOCIETY.

4. NEED OF EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY • Reflecting into the “Vedas purana” of Indian culture, woman is being worshiped such as LAXMI MAA , goddess of wealth; SARASWATI MAA , for wisdom; DURGA MAA , for power. • The status of women in India, particularly in rural areas needs to address the issues of empowering women. • Leaving a major number of urban and suburban women, the Indian women are still crying for simple justice. Which is not even allowed to have been accessed to them.

5. • About 66% of the female population in rural area is unutilized. This is mainly due to existing social customs. • In agriculture & animal care the women contribute 90% of the total work force. • Women constitute almost half of the population, perform nearly • 2/3rd of its work hours, receive 1/10th of the world’s income & own less than 1/100th of the world property. • Among the world’s 900 million illiterate people, women out number men two to one. • 70% of people living in poverty are women.

6. EXISTING PROBLEMS THE MAIN PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMEN IN PAST AND PRESENT : • Gender discrimination • Educational problems • Problem related with health • Lack of unity • Dowry • Marriage in same caste and child marriage. • Society • Low confidence • Poverty and Ignorance • Traditional barriers • Atrocities on women: With their age, they have been raped, kicked, killed, subdued & humiliated almost daily

7. SOME INDIAN EYE OPENER FACTS • 60 % of the Girls are married before the age of 16 • Nearly 60% of the married girls bear children before they are 18 • 125,000 women die from pregnancy and related causes every year • Maternal mortality in India is the 2nd highest in the world • 37% women victims of domestic violence: NFH survey

8. THE INDIAN EFFORTS FOR THIS BURNING ISSUE: TO BRING BACK THE DIGNITY AND GLORY OF WOMEN. SOME OF THE ENACTMENTS ARE: • Act prohibiting the practice of sati (in 1850) • Cast disabilities removal act, 1850 • The Hindu widow remarriage act, 1856 • The special marriage act III of 1872 • The married women’s property act, 1874 • The child marriage act, 1929 • The Hindu gains of earning act, 1930 • The Hindu women’s right to property, 1937 • The Christian marriage act, 1872 • The Parsee marriage and divorce act, 1936 • The dissolution of the Muslim marriage act 1939

9. INDIAN GOVERNMENT EFFORTS: • MINISTRY FOR WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT • Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme • Short Stay Home For Women and Girls (SSH) • Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) or SABLA • STEP (Support to Training and Employment Program for Women) • Kishori Shakti Yogana • Mid Day Meal

10. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN This commission has around 15 major ministries of Indian government as its partner. There are number of schemes running under the women empowerment mission we will discuss the major schemes here: • Poverty Alleviation and Economic Empowerment of Women • Schemes of Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying Fisheries • Scheme on Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture • Scheme on Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post harvest Operations • Capacity Building to enhance Competitiveness of Indian Agriculture and Registration of Organic Products • Technology Development and Transfer for Promotion of Horticulture • Marketing Assistance Scheme • Scheme of Support to Voluntary Agencies for Adult Education and Skill Development • Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) • Performance & Credit Rating Scheme for Small Industries • Entrepreneurship Development Institutions (EDIs) Scheme

11. SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION • Elementary Education • Secondary Education • Adult Education • Higher and Technical Education •Nutrition Education and Extension •Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

12. HEALTH & NUTRITION • Integrated Child Development Scheme • Reproductive & Child Health Program, Ph.II (RCH II) • National Rural Health Mission • Janani Suraksha Yojana • Integrated Child Protection Scheme • Food Security Mission • National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Program (NIDDCP)

13. PATHWAYS OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY : EDUCATION : Educating a male means educating a individual but educating a female means educating a Family. AWARENESS : Government, NGO’s ENCOURAGEMENT : Self independence UNITY : Faith PARTICIPATION : In different fields

14. Discrimination hinders development . While men and women are born equal, gender inequality still persists in every society. The deep-rooted belief that women do not deserve equal treatment underpins violence against women and is used to deny girls and women fair access to education, health, employment, property and influence. . The failure to root out prejudice against girls and women is one of the major barriers to progress and prosperity. Gender discrimination also breaches international human rights agreements and domestic laws in most countries. . There are signs of progress. During the lifetimes of the Elders, in almost every society and in every area, women are breaking down the barriers which have held them and their daughters back for so long . Gender equality is increasingly understood to be a major policy priority for governments worldwide, and its realization is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.

15. LET’S TAKE THEM OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF LIFE. INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS ARE APPRECIABLE, BUT NOT SUFFICIENT.

16. INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

17. Interviewee – Reverent B.C Patro , Designation- Ex-IAS officer, Bhubaneswar   photo photos

18. AUDIO VIDEO SCREENSHOT Audio

19. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF THE INTERVIEW Q1 . Why Women’s Right is essential for a lasting peace? What’s your view ? Ans. ‘Yes’, Women’s Right is essential. Being ‘‘feminine’’ is a burden which most women has to carry, being a newsreader or a head of state. After all, men and women both are creation of God. But he has not created men and women unequally. The equality is something which can be judged in terms of social, political and economic background. According to “Guradev Tagore” human civilization is based primarily on masculine attributes and regretted that women hardly got any space in such a civilization. And he also wanted women to take their place to salvage not only themselves but also the civilization itself. Q2. As we know men and women have equal power and equal opportunities for education and personal development but still globally we find that women had a fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, less access to basic and higher education and less political representation. What’s your opinion regarding this? Ans. First of all women should be educated. Without education, no country has progressed. No country has thrived. If we see and analyze the education percentage of women in foreign countries, almost all of them are highly educated but in India, it is just the opposite. Women must get equal opportunites for economic participation and higher education. The Govt. has made it mandatory that up to certain classes, the fess will be exempted esp. for girl student. Even elderly person should be educated. Due to poverty also, they are not able to study. But certain schemes are there.

20. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF THE INTERVIEW Q3. Are women better decision makers than men because women’s decision are respected less than men’s? Ans. It sounds bit odd because intelligence is something which God has given ,we are only trying to increase our knowledge but as you know to me it appears that almost men and women so far decision making is concerned, that men are dominating no doubt, but no less the women who also take decisions which are quite appreciable. In foreign countries . Many women are taking big decisions. Women are good decision takers. In India there are many women who are taking good decisions. They are also heading some of the cooperate bodies, banks. They are taking good decisions ,otherwise how the country is running. We cannot belittle their position compared to men. Q4. In Rural India, 83.33% of women are illiterates, 10% are primary educated and 6.66% are high school pass. No women is found having higher education level. Why? Ans. So far in our state there are a lot of things to be done for educating . Sarba Sikhya Abhigyan has already been started. Now the percentage of education is already increasing but it will take some time no doubt. There are many factors in India like poverty etc which is the main reason why no women is found having higher education. Govt. is trying to take adequate steps to educate the women. Earlier in rural areas there was no light and no communication but now all things have come up with a great extent. There is communication . No doubt percentage is low but within a couple of years things will change drastically and all the women in rural areas will have higher education. Once the rural folks are educated they will take the seat in the political place like Sarpanch and Samiti Members and can take good decisions. Q5. What few things you will like to address our audiences regarding women’s empowerment and gender equality? Ans. Women empowerment is not only important in the political field but also in the social and economic field. According to David Colman the 21 st century is a century of fear, the weaker ones(women) are always afraid of doing something. They are thinking as if something is trying to stop them to execute that thing . This fear is not found in men. So. Women folk should not afraid of doing anything. They have the right to do whatever they want. When it comes to express their ideas, women become afraid. That fear should not be there. They should be bold enough. They should feel that they are one among the men. There voice should count over the voice of men. So let us not fear and become aggressive to achieve our goals. Women Empowerment is therefore very important for a lasting peace.