Open Forum

New Delhi, 19 February 2016

Women Empowerment

VITAL TO USHER PARITY

By Dr.S. Saraswathi

(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)

“Pledge for Parity”, the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) has raised expectations of women and men searching for relief from increasing   problems   the fairer sex are forced to face. Towards that end, the Women and Child Development Ministry is busy redrafting the National Policy for Empowerment of Women 2001 in the light of the current assessment of women’s status.

Pertinently, the document, to be released shortly encapsulating national policy aims at “woman empowerment”, a specific task which comes after and goes beyond rights in democracies. It is in recognition of the truth that rights without empowerment which is a common phenomenon underscores persistence of much social discrimination.

Recall, the Government set up the National Mission for Empowerment of Women in 2010 to promote all-round development of the fairer sex and women alongside a coordinated approach of various Ministries/Departments in implementing schemes.   A high level committee too was constituted for studying women’s status since 1989 to help formulate appropriate policy interventions to improve their lot.

Notably, the Committee identified three burning issues which required immediate attention: Violence against women, the declining sex-ratio and economic disempowerment.   

Besides, it empowered the National Commission for Women to go beyond reactive intervention. Among many of its recommendations, 50% reservation for women in decision-making bodies, gender responsive budgeting and gender auditing in real seriousness along-with a thrust on decentralization deserve consideration. 

Especially against the backdrop that in the past 15 years since the adoption of the 2001 policy, gender discourse has intensified in the country. As also, instances of violence against women cases which are reported and discussed by the public.   Moreover, the awareness level of the public on women’s issues has increased despite any respite in crimes and violence against them.

The less said the better of overt and covert myriad forms of gender discriminations imposed on them. According to press reports, the revised policy will call for change in societal attitude towards women and behavioral changes among boys, men and family institutions and organizations. The aim is to ensure adoption of inclusive strategies to cover females in equal measure.

Importantly, gender perspectives will be used to address discriminations faced by the vulnerable and marginal sections of women in environment policies and disaster management strategies. This policy will insist on gender-sensitive portrayal of women in the media.

Succinctly, the thrust of the plan is to adopt a “rights-based approach” for progress and development of women and to create a conducive social, cultural, and economic environment to enable the fairer sex to enjoy their fundamental rights.   Evidently, the policy is being evolved to enact the rights granted on paper in the actual field of action.

In fact, recognizing  the reality  of the increasing  female workforce  in   agriculture and the important role played by  them  in  this sector,  the policy might include  granting rights  and entitlement to women  over land  and   necessary facilities to obtain  credit, training, and equipment.  The plan would also address   problems of sexual abuse in public and private places and those arising through the social media.

Undoubtedly, women’s empowerment concept as part of a global policy can be traced to the UN Economic and Social Council Resolution adopted in 1946 which established the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).  It was dedicated exclusively to promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women.  And was instrumental in promoting female rights as well as shaping global standards in gender equality.

However, the term “empowerment” came into usage nearly 30 years later in social research and community work after the publication of a 1976 paper on Black Empowerment vis-à-vis racism in the US. Feminists grabbed this term followed by several marginalized groups, disabled people and gays and lesbians.

As it stands, not all languages have a single word equivalent to empowerment.   Hindi is fortunate to derive the term “sasaktikaran” thanks to its Sanskrit origin.

According to the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) the presence of “empowerment” is known by four principal indicators. These include the ability to acquire knowledge and understanding of gender relations and the ways in which these relations may be changed.

Two, develop  a sense of self-worth and belief in one’s ability to secure desired changes and the right to control one’s life;  three, gain  the ability to generate choices and exercise bargaining  power  and develop the ability to  influence the direction of social change to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally.

Thus, empowerment includes control over self, resources, social relations and ideology.  It develops one’s intrinsic capacities and is a process to enable individuals to think, act, and control independently.  It also helps to overcome obstacles in the way, be it their own lack of confidence or external social barriers.  It is an outcome seen in individual capacity to take decisions and exercise choice.

Consequently, empowerment has many dimensions and layers: psychological, social, economic and political. Bluntly, pious resolutions adopted under international pressure are not enough.  A genuine will on society’s (men and women) part and the State ability to address the problems is crucial.

In the case of women in India today, empowerment is urgently required because even as rights exist they cannot be exercised in full due to social obstacles. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen not only legal entitlements but also actual capacity to use these entitlements.

Evidently, India lags behind in catching up with the Beijing Platform of Action adopted in 1995 for protecting women’s rights and promoting their active participation in public and private spheres. This Action Programme was an agenda for empowerment on the lines of the Vienna Declaration adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights. Which states that women and the girl child’s human rights are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.

There is no gainsaying, while a majority of Indian women are struggling for bare human rights there are some liberated sections unencumbered by daily problems but subject to obstacles in their professional careers.   

Remember, the first global code of corporate conduct was developed by Calvert Women’s Principles (CWP).  It focused exclusively on empowering, advancing, and investing in women in the corporate world.

In sum, Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) have been developed by UN Women, the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women along-with UN Global Compact. They are adapted from the CWP and comprise seven principles for over-all development of women to eradicate all types of gender disparities.

These include establishing high level  corporate leadership for gender equality; treating all men and women equally at work with respect and support to human rights and non-discrimination; ensuring health, safety, and well-being of all women and men workers; promoting education, training and professional development for women.

Additionally, implementing enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women; promoting equality through community initiatives and advocacy; and measuring and publicly reporting on progress to achieve gender equality. 

Clearly, women empowerment is not possible without a change in the mindset of the people.  A daunting task before the entire society. ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)