Women Empowerment : the Gateway for Development

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT --- THE GATEWAY FOR DEVELOPMENT

By: RICHA ARORA (Lecturer)

(Doon Institute of Management & Research, Rishikesh)

ABSTRACT

“Empower the woman who empower the world”

The empowerment of women has been widely acknowledged as an important goal in

international development, but the meanings and terminologies associated with this concept

vary, and methods for systematically measuring and tracking changes in levels of

empowerment are not well established. The Government of India had ushered in the new millennium by declaring the year 2001 as 'Women's Empowerment Year' to focus on a vision 'where women are equal partners like men'.

Empowerment would become more relevant if women are educated, better informed and can take rational decisions. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities. The discrepancy in the ideology and practice of the empowerment policy of women in India constitutes its continued social, economic and social backwardness. Hence there can be no progress unless their needs and interests are fully met. Drawing from a review of theoretical,

methodological and empirical literature on empowerment from the fields of demography,

sociology, anthropology, and economics, this paper describes and attempts to clarify basic

issues that emerge from the literature and the status of women in India. It then discusses some of the key issues that need to be addressed in measuring women’s empowerment empirically, emphasizing points on which important progress has been made as well as identifying challenges that remain to be addressed.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT --- THE GATEWAY FOR DEVELOPMENT

By: RICHA ARORA (Lecturer)

(Doon Institute of Management & Research, Rishikesh)

INTRODUCTION

Women empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political,social or economic strength of women....