Women Empowerment in India

    The mother, the wife, the daughter, the sister, avtars of the female species of the human creed in our society, even today, in the ever - so advanced 21st century, face a myriad of problems.67 years of independence and democracy past us; we still remain in a very complicated doubt: is women empowerment really implemented in India?

    Amidst all the negative sentiment up in the air due to the media reports of the increasing no of rape cases, a disgraceful and emphatic NO seems to be an obvious answer.

    But friends I beg to disagree.

    Harassment, poverty, malnourishment and disease are women’s unrelenting curse. There is no denying the fact that India has seen rampant incidents of violence being reported against women. The cases being reported is in itself a great aid to women empowerment. To simply forget and ignore the efforts taken by the citizenry of the country to protect and empower the women is nothing but disrespectful undermining of the truth.

    India has traditionally been a patriarchal society. We worshipped Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga but mercilessly let our wives with the same names suffer within the four walls of the kitchen. Draupati was placed as a bet by the great dharmaraj Yudhishtir. Our society was more bothered about the dowry she brought than the talent or beauty of the bride. And as if all this was not enough, once she was widowed, she was pushed on to the burning pyre of her husband.

    We have come a long way from there. Efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar have freed the women of our country from sati and polygamy. And today women empowerment is govt.’s main agenda. The Fundamental rights of equality, liberty and freedom are applicable for the women as well. India has assured full voting rights to all women which even now is not available in many countries. Dowry prohibition act 1961, Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act 2006 & anti-rape ordinance 2013 are all stepping stones towards women empowerment. The literacy rate of Indian women has shot up to a staggering 65% from just 2.4 at the time of independence. Such a rapid progress has enabled my sisters to work shoulder to shoulder with men in all fields of life, earn well, and add value to the society.

    Reservations are implemented for women in legislative bodies, parliament, administration and the police to bring them to the forefront.

    Early marriages have reduced, so have early pregnancy and maternal mortality rate. Iron and folic acid tablets are distributed to girls at school where they get education free of cost. My dear friends, what else should we do to empower women? Still some orthodox minded people would argue that the govt. must do more, but I would term it as mere foolishness and nothing else...! The govt. is doing the maximum of what they can.

    The woman in India is getting a better life every passing day. But it’s true that we lag in several aspects. But to discourage and lament is not the way forward. Women must realise that empowerment cannot be served on a platter. It has to come from within. I am confident we will take huge strides in empowering our women the day she wakes up and claim well-being as her birth right.

So let’s accept the fact that women empowerment is a reality in India and encourage our women to fly free from bondage and touch the horizons of success.

           I’d conclude not with a thank you but an inspiring, Bharat Mata Ki jay.