Women empowerment

The presentation provides the picture of current status of women in India, the role of government and NGOs.

1. Dr Menaal Kaushal JR III Department of S P M S N Medical College, Agra

2. World Bank says: “Empowerment is the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.”

3. Definition “ Empowerment is the process of increasing the authority and responsibility of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes ”.

4. Women's empowerment has five components : Women's sense of self-worth ; Their right to have and to determine choices ; Their right to have access to opportunities and resources ; Their right to have the power to control their own lives , both within and outside the home; And their ability to influence the direction of social change to create a more just social and economic order , nationally and internationally.

5. Women Empowerment Women Empowerment  refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educational, gender, or economic strength of individuals and communities of women.

6. Women in India Total population - 1210.2 million (2011) {Almost equal to the combined population of U.S.A., Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together } Women population - 586.5 million (48.5% ) Sex ratio : 943/1000 men Child Sex ratio: 919 / 1000 18/1/14 7

7. Shocking Facts According to 2013, UNDP report on Human Development Indicators, all South Asian Countries, except Afghanistan, were ranked better for women than India It predicts: an Indian girl child aged 1-5 yrs is 75% more likely to die than the boy child A woman is raped once in every 20min and 10% of all crimes are reported to be of women abuse

8. Women form 48% of India’s population Only 29% of the national workforce Only 26% of women have access to formal credit

9. NEW DELHI: Being equal to their male counterparts is still a far cry for Indian women. Not only are they marginal as public figures, an average Indian woman can hardly call the shots at home or outside. In 2012, women occupied only eight out of 74 ministerial positions in the Union council of ministers. There were only two women judges out of 26 judges in the Supreme Court, and there were only 54 women judges out of 634 judges in various high courts. Present situation of women

10. Present situation of women 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 2/3 rd of its work hours , receive 1/10 th of the world’s income & own less than 1/100 th 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

11. Educational status of women Census data 2001,2011 , RGI, GOI Literacy rate Department of education, Ministry of Human Resource & Development 18/1/14 12

12. Gender Disparity in Literacy Age Sex Literacy rate (%) Gender Disparity 15-49 Male Female 78 55 29% 20-24 Male Female 84 64 23% 15-19 Male Female 89 74 17% NFHS 3,India 2005-2006

13. Gender Disparity in Media Exposure Not only are fewer women than men literate but fewer are also regularly exposed to media Percentage of men and women age 15-19 regularly exposed to print media, TV, radio, or cinema Men 88% Women 71 % Gender Disparity 19%

14. Employment: Another Area of Gender Disparity Among the population age 15-49 Men are 2 times as likely to be employed Men are 2.7 times as likely to be employed for cash Among the employed , 64% of women vs. 91% of men earn cash Female share of population employed for cash in non-agricultural occupations is 22% Percent NFHS 3,India 2005-2006

15. Economic independence of women Work participation of women– 25.63% Urban: rural ratio of work participation of women- 11.88: 30.79 Women working in unorganized sectors – 80% Women economically active at 15 years (2009) – 33 % 18/1/14 16

16. The majority of employed women are engaged in agricultural work Type of worker Occupational Distribution (%) Women Men Professional 7 7 Sales 4 14 Service 7 5 Production 22 37 Agricultural 59 33 Other 2 4 NFHS 3,India 2005-2006

17. Do married women have access to any other financial resources? Percentage of women who:

18. Do married women participate in other household decision making? Decisions Make decision alone or jointly with husband Own health care 62 Making major household purchases 53 Making purchases for daily household needs 60 Visits to her family or relatives 61 All four 37 None of above 21

19. Women at decision making level Participation of women in elections increased over the years Proportion of women turnout for voting – 58.2% Source: Election Commission of India 18/1/14 20 58.2 48.0

20. Women at decision making level Proportion of women in national parliament dipped till year 2007 “Women Reservation Bill” is still pending in the parliament 18/1/14 21 Proportion of women in national parliament

21. Why Need of women empowerment ? The main problems that were faced by women in past days(and still today up to some extent): Gender discrimination Woman education Female infanticide Dowry Marriage in same caste and child marriage(still existing) Atrocities on Women: Raped , kicked, killed, subdued & humiliated almost daily.

22. NEED FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMNENT : WOMEN ARE DEPRIVED OF : Decision Making Power Freedom of Movement Access to Education Access to Employment Exposure to Media Domestic Violence

23. Holistic approach to Empowerment Health & Nut . Education Water & San. Skills Technology Credit Political Participation Marketing Asset base

24. WAYS TO EMPOWER WOMEN : Changes in women's mobility and social interaction; Changes in women's labor patterns; Changes in women's access to and control over resources; and Changes in women's control over decision-making.

25. WAYS TO EMPOWER WOMEN : Providing education Self employment and Self help groups Providing minimum needs like nutrition, health, sanitation, housing Other than this, society should change the mentality towards the word “women”. Encouraging women to develop in their fields they are good at and make a career .

26. Women Empowerment Programmes Swayamsidha Swa -Shakti Project Support to Training and employment programme for Women (STEP) Swalamban Creches / Day care Centers for the Children of working and Ailing Mothers Hostels for working women Swadhar Rashtriya Mahila kosh (RMK)

27. Swayamsidha : ( Indira Mahila yojna ) It is an integrated project for the development and empowerment of women through Self Help Groups (SHGs) with emphasis on covering service, developing access to micro-enterprises. About 10 lakh women have taken membership. Swam- Shakti Project: Earlier known as the Rural Women ’ s Development and Empowerment Project , was sanctioned in October 1998 as centrally sponsored scheme to be implemented in the states of Bihar, Chattisgarh , Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.

28. Swayamsidha:

29. Programmes contd … Support to Training and employment Programme for Women (STEP): The program seeks to provide updated skills and new knowledge to poor asset less women in eight traditional sectors of employment, agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, handlooms, handcrafts, Khadi and Village industry and sericulture.

30. Swadhar : This scheme was launched in 2001-2002 as a central sector scheme for providing holistic and integrated services to women in difficult circumstances . NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN (2001) The goal - of this Policy is to bring about the advancement , development and empowerment of women .

31. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK): Also known as the National Credit Fund for Women was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on March 30, 1993. Credit support or micro-finance to poor women to start income generating activities such as in - Dairy , Agriculture ,Shop-keeping ,Vending and Handicrafts. In 2003-04, an amount of Rs.25 crore was sanctioned through RMK benefiting about 32,765 women.

32. Women Empowerment Measure taken in different five yr plan by GOI Five year Plans Women Welfare Measures 1 st five yr plan 2 nd five yr plan 3 rd five yr plan 4 th five yr plan 5 th five yr plan 6 th five yr plan 7 th five yr plan 8 th five yr plan 9 th five yr plan Central Social Welfare Board was set up,1953. Mahila Mandal were organised. Priority for education of women. Supplementry nutrition for women & children. Shift from women’s welfare to women’s development Separate chapter on Women and adoption of a multidisciplinary approach with thrust on health,education and employment. Raise social and economic status of women.a separate department for women & child development under HRD ministery. shift from women’s development to women’s empowerment Vigours steps on economic empowement of women by launching DWACRA,STEP etc.

33. Contd….. 10 th five yr plan Promote access of women to information, resources and services.

34. “ EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN NOT JUST A GOAL IN ITSELF, BUT KEY TO ALL GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS ”

35. MDG GOAL 3 Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women. TARGET 1. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education, no later than 2015

36. UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality

37. Four strategic areas UNIFEM has identified four strategic areas that are of critical concern for the achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment : Reducing feminized poverty Ending violence against women Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls Achieving gender equality in democratic governance in times of peace as well as war

38. GRBI is a collaborative effort between the - United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), The Commonwealth Secretariat and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), To- Support government and civil society in analyzing national and/or local budgets from a gender perspective and applying this analysis to the formulation of gender responsive budgets. 

39. 2014 Theme: Inspiring Change Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 . Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

40. CONCLUSION Women represent half the world’s population, and gender inequality exists in every nation on the planet. Until women are given the same opportunities that men are, entire societies will be destined to perform below their true potentials . The greatest need of the hour is change of social attitude to women.

41. Positive Stories…

42. The Lijjat Papad story Seven illiterate and poor women borrowed Rs 80 to start a papad business in 1959 Its turnover from Rs 6,196 in the first year went upto Rs 300 crore in the next four decades 42,000 women on its revolutionary march Jaywantiben Popat , one of the women involved with this phenomenal spirit, was honoured at the ET Awards for her outstanding achievements

43. Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank Chetna’s foundation established in 1994 a co-operative bank that is completely operated by women and serves women customers. The bank was established with help of a group of illiterate women and has now grown into a $562,000 firm by the end of 2011. In collaboration with HSBC, Mann Deshi Bank established the Udyogini Business School in 2007 .

44. SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association)‏ Started as a trade union, registered in 1972 , founded by Ela Bhat , Organisation of self-employed women workers who earn a living through their own labour or small businesses. SEWA's membership, which is a nominal Rs. 5 a year , includes women from a cross-section of society — from vegetable and fruit hawkers to home-based weavers, potters and manual labourers . Year Number of Members 1973 320 2002 17,50,000

45. EMPOWERMENT INDICATORS I- Legal Empowerment Enforcement of legislation related to the protection of human rights. Number of cases related to women ’ s rights heard in local courts, and their results. Number of cases related to the legal rights of divorced and widowed women heard in local courts,and the results. Increase/decrease in violence against women. Rate at which the number of local justices/prosecutors/lawyers who are women/men is increasing/decreasing.

46. II- Political Empowerment % of seats held by women in local councils/decision- making bodies. % of women in decision-making positions in local government. % of women in the local civil service. % of women/men registered as voters/ % of eligible women/men who vote. % of women in senior/junior decision making positions within unions. % of union members who are women/men.

47. III-Economic Empowerment Changes in employment/unemployment rates of women and men. Salary/wage differentials between women and men. Average household expenditure of female/male headed households on education/health. Ability to make small or large purchases independently. IV-Social Empowerment Control of women over fertility decisions (e.g. number of children) Mobility of women within and outside their residential locality, as compared to men.