Women Empowerment in India - Key for Self Reliance and Empowerment

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International Journal of Research and Development - A Management Review (IJRDMR)

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ISSN (Print): 2319–5479, Volume-5, Issue–4, 2016 14

Women Empowerment in India - Key for Self Reliance and Empowerment

1Jaya Gupta, ²Sangya Shrivastava

1Rai University, Jharkhand, Ranchi (Jharkhand)

2Manav Sampada & Associates, Raipur (CG) Abstract : Women workers are active agents of production.

And, as they gain experience in the process of production, their market behavior will undergo a change. Women lose opportunities in the labour market even when they are preferred because of lack of education and access to information owing to socio-economic discrimination in the other spheres of life. Women’s working conditions are not favorable in terms of their social and economic security. To minimize these handicaps, institutional reforms such as formulation of labour laws and regulations and their strict implementation are essential. Top priority should be given in our development plans for improving female literacy and creating skills and capability among women for enabling them to stand on their own feet. Unless the process of development is properly engendered, it shall remain endangered.

Key Words : Women economic power. labour force, Organized Sector

Historical Background

Historically, India has been a male dominated society.

Yet, in the past two decades or so, social change has opened the possibilities for women’s to attain managerial role in corporate India. As more India women enter the workforce particularly in the corporate world, this change is in dramatic contrast to the traditional Indian culture, where a women’s expected role has been to marry, raise the family and take care of the household. Amartyasen, Indian author and winner of the noble prize in economics discuss gender inequalities in his book.The argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity.He points out that the social women for Indian women had been until recently primarily focused on achieving better treatment of women and their well beings. ”In the course of the evolution of women’s movement[…]women are not passive recipients of welfare- enhancing help brought by the society, but are active promoters and facilitators of social transformations. Such information’s influences the lives and well-being of women, but also those of men and children- boys as well as girls. This is a momentous enrichment of the reach of women’s movement.”

Present condition

In the 21^st century, women enjoy more freedom and power than ever before. However, they are still disadvantaged when compared to men in the virtual aspects of life. “Women are deprived of equal access to education, health care, capital and decision making powers in the political, social and business sectors. Whereas men are credited with performing three quarters of all economic activities in developing countries, women actually perform 53% of the work”- United Nations.

Slowly, the literacy level of a girl child is increasing, and gradually, women have begun to attend universities.

Today, the number of women students in business schools has grown significantly. These changes are in large part due to a significant cultural shift in parental perspective- that is, an increased acceptance of giving education to girls- that allows for the possibility of women working outside the home, contributing economically to the family and even pursuing a career.

With more Indian women in the workforce, a number of employment laws, such as the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, addresses equality in the workplace. Yet, with long-held traditional and social views of women, and despite legislation, change can be slow.

Women economic power also enhances the “wealth and well being of nations”. Women who control their own income tent to have fewer children’s, and fertility rates have shown to be inversely related to national income growth. Women are also more able - and generally more willing than male counterparts – to send the daughters as well as son’s to school, even when they earn less than men. In turn, a women’s level of educations affect her decision making process when it comes to questions about contraception age of marriage, Fertility, child mortality, modern sector employment and earnings.

Women’s empowerment is a new phrase in the vocabulary of gender literature. The phrases are used in two broad senses that are general and specific. In a general sense , it refers to empowering women to be self dependent by providing them asses to all the freedom and opportunities, which they wear denied in the past only because of their being women. In specific sense,

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women empowerment refers to enhancing their position in the power structure of society. The word women empowerment essentially means that women’s have the power of the capacity to regulate their day to day life’s in the social, political and economic terms a power which enables them to move from the periphery to the central stage.

India is a largest democratic nation in the world. The constitution of India provides equal rights to them. In urban sector, the difference between men and women labour is disappearing speedily. But in rural areas, women are still backward and neglected. In rural areas, 87% labour is performed by women labour force in agricultural sector. The percentage of women labour in plantation industry is estimated at 51, in factories, 10 and 8 in mines. The Govt. of India has decides togive 33% reservation to women in service sector. Thus the profile of employment to women has altogether changed. But the conditions of illiterate women are still miserable.

The position of women and their status in any society is and index of its civilization. Women are to be considering as equal partners in the process of development. But, because of centuries of exploitations and subjugations, Indian women have remained at the receiving end. Women in India have been the neglected a lot. They have not been actively involved in the main streams of development even though they represent equal proportion of the population and labour force.

Primarily women are the means of survival of their families, but are generally unrecognized and undervalued, being placed at the bottom of the pile.

Majority of women do not undertake entrepreneurial of a country. History is full of instances of individual entrepreneurs whose creativity had led to the industrialization of many nations.

Women Employment in the Organized Sector Atotalof20.5%womenwereemployedintheorganizedsecto rin2015with18.1%workinginthepublicsectorand24.3%int heprivate.Thelabourforceparticipationrateforwomenacro ssallagegroupswas25.3inruralsectorand15.5inurbansecto rcomparedwith55.3and56.3formenintheruralandurban.

Table 1.1: State-wise Women Employment in Organized Sector

State Public Sector Private sector 2010 2011 2010 2011 A&N

Islands

7.5 7.5 0.3 0.3 Andhra

Pradesh

246.5 235.3 210.4 218.2 Assam 87.1 87.3 279.7 279.8 Bihar 20.3 20.4 1.8 1.9 Chandigarh 14.4 14.8 11.0 11.9 Chhattisgarh 41.5 43.9 5.7 5.9 Daman &

Diu

0.3 0.3 1.1 1.1 Delhi 95.0 94.6 43.0 44.0 Goa 12.7 12.8 11.3 11.5 Gujarat 166.7 176.6 122.7 130.7 Haryana 59.6 61.3 42.8 51.5 Himachal

Pradesh

54.7 57.3 12.8 14.0 Jammu &

Kashmir

20.7 20.7 1.9 1.9 Jharkhand 91.5 94.5 28.6 24.0 Karnataka 280.9 284.5 470.0 471.2 Kerala 194.9 185.0 249.7 259.5 Madhya

Pradesh

121.1 121.1 19.5 19.5 Maharashtra 442.9 422.8 426.5 482.6 Manipur 18.4 18.4 0.6 0.6 Meghalaya 11.3 14.2 2.3 2.6 Mizoram 10.4 2.5 0.6 0.1 Nagaland 16.2 16.4 1.9 2.1 Odisha 103.5 104.1 11.1 12.0 Puducherry 7.5 6.4 7.1 7.3 Punjab 98.0 98.0 60.7 60.7 Rajasthan 175.2 175.0 48.7 50.9 Tamil Nadu 436.7 428.7 375.9 379.5 Tripura 30.1 28.0 1.9 2.4 Uttar

Pradesh

193.5 199.2 64.6 68.8 Uttarakhand 30.9 31.9 11.2 12.5 West

Bengal

106.0 107.6 137.3 154.5 India 3196.0 3170.7 2662.5 2783.5 Source: Directorate General of Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Table 1.2: Women Employment in Organized Sector ( Figures in Thousands)

Year

Public Sector Private Sector Total Women Total %

Women

Women Total % Women

Women Total % Women 1995 2600.4 19466.3 13.4 1627.5 8058.5 20.2 4227.9 27524.7 15.4 2000 2857.0 19313.7 14.8 2065.8 8646.0 23.9 4922.8 27959.7 17.6 2005 2921.0 18006.6 16.2 2095.3 8452.3 24.8 5016.2 26458.6 19.0

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2010 3196.0 17862.0 17.9 2662.5 10846 24.5 5858.6 28708.0 20.4 2015 3171.0 17548.0 18.1 2783.0 11452 24.3 5954.0 28999.0 20.5 Source: Directorate General of Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Table 1.3: Women employment by Industrial Activity

Industrial activity Public sector Private Sector

2009 2010 2011 2009 2010 2015 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (0) 56.2 60.2 59.6 410.3 416.6 430.8

Mining & Quarrying (1) 75.9 86.6 82.8 6.9 23.9 7.2

Manufacturing (2&3) 79.3 83.0 77.4 910.3 947.2 966.7

Electricity, Gas & Water (4) 51.2 58.0 56.4 2.9 3.0 3.2

Construction (5) 61.2 68.5 65.4 5.2 6.3 7.1

Wholesale & Retail Trade(Restaurants &

Hotels (6)

13.7 14.0 13.9 54.0 59.5 70.0

Transport, Storage & Communications (7) 190.0 190.5 190.0 17.1 24.2 27.3 Financing , Insurance, Real Estate &

Business Services (8)

212.0 225.2 222.4 329.8 372.6 417.1 Community, Social and Personal Services(9) 2502.1 2352.7 2363.5 749.2 848.2 850.6

Total 3241.6 3138.8 3131.3 2485.7 2701.5 2779.9

Source: Directorate General of Employment and Training, Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Sector wise women empowerment

 Women and agriculture

Agriculture workers constitute by far the largest segment in the unorganized sector and their numbers according to 1991 census was 74.6 millions. In addition, a significant number, 110.7 millions are listed as cultivators (large, medium and small) of whom approximately 50% belong to the category of small and marginal farmers. Many of these small and marginal farmers on account of utterly deficit, small and uneconomic holdings and low yield work on the land of others. Further a significant number engage in live stock, forestry, fishing, orchards and allied activities as well as small and marginal farmers work as agricultural workers I their spare time or in times of difficulty to supplement their meager incomes.

 Women and industry

The important of plaid by women in electronics, information technology and food processing and agro industry and textiles has been crucial to the development of these sectors. They would be given comprehensive support in terms of labour legislations social security and other support services to participate in various industrial sectors. Women at present cannot work in night shift in factories even if they wish to. Suitable measures will be taken to enable women to work in the night shift in factories. This will be accompanied with support survive for securities, transportation etc.

 Women and politics

Women of India are highly active today in this area.

Sarojininaidu, vijayalaxmipantit, suchatakriplani were the torchbearer for the women of India. Mrs.

Vijayalaxmipandit was the first Indian women to hold a post in the cabinet. Thus paving the way for other women. The most important name of the category of women politicians of recent time Mrs. indira Gandhi.

She was the one who made world stop and notice the talent and potential of Indian women. She was the first women prime minister of independent India. Today her daughter in law Mrs Sonia Gandhi following her footstep and leading the Indian national congress. Other women who had made their name in politics of India are shiela dixit, umabharti, jayalalitha etc.

 Women and sports

Indian women had achieved great laurels for the nations in every sport. Whether is it cricket and hockey India have national women team for every game. Indian women cricket team has won asia cup of 2004 and 2005 and made country proud. Some women sport icons of india are:

 Pt. usha (atheletes)

 Kunjranidevi (weight lifting)

 Diana edulji (cricket)

 Saniamirza (tennis)

 Karnammaleshwari (weight lifting)

 Womens- Art, entertainment

This arena is full of Indian women. We have many names to boast of like M.S subbulakshmi Indian nightingale latamangeskar, ashabhosle as famous singersmadhubala, rekha, aishwariyarai as bollywood queens. Today Indian women is a painter, and actor, a singer, and a beautiful queen.

Women’s economic opportunities in India

India is one of the fastest growing economics, with women mainly from the middle class increasingly entering the work force. The global gender gap report by the world economic forum in 2009 ranked India 114th out of 134 countries for inequalities between man and

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women in the economic, politics, health and education.

On equal economic opportunities and women’s participants in the labour force India ranked 127th and 122 and respectively, the number of women in the work force is varies greatly from state to state: 21% in delhi, 23% in Punjab, 65% Manipur 71% in Chhattisgarh, 76%

in arunachal Pradesh. The diversity of women’s economic opportunities between states is due to the cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity of each state. The northern states like Delhi and Punjab lack for behind on gender equality measures including the alarming sex ratio between men and women (due to son preference and sex selective abortion), low female literacy levels of high rates of gender-based violence.

In rural India women’s economic opportunities remain restricted by social, cultural and religious barriers.

Rural, low caste and tribal women also make up 70 % of domestic workers in India, a sector which is largely unregulated and unorganized. Currently a national- level Taskforce on Domestic workers has been formed that will present recommendations to the central govt. on better enforcement of rights for the many undocumented domestic workers in India.

Women contribution to the economy

Although most women in India work and contribute to the economy is one form or another, much of their work is documented or accounted for in official statistics.

Women plow fields and harvest crops will working on farms, women weave and make handicraft will working in household industries, women sell food and gather wood will working in the informal sector. Additionally, women are traditionally responsible for the daily household chores (e.g., cooking, fetching water and looking after children’s) since Indian culture hinders women’s access to job in stores, factories and the public sectors, the informal sector is particularly important for women. There are estimates that over 90% of working women are involved in the informal sector.

CONCLUSION

Women workers are active agents of production. And, as they gain experience in the process of production, their

market behavior will undergo a change. Women lose opportunities in the labour market even when they are preferred because of lack of education and access to information owing to socio-economic discrimination in the other spheres of life. Women’s working conditions are not favorable in terms of their social and economic security. To minimize these handicaps, institutional reforms such as formulation of labour laws and regulations and their strict implementation are essential.

Top priority should be given in our development plans for improving female literacy and creating skills and capability among women for enabling them to stand on their own feet. Unless the process of development is properly engendered, it shall remain endangered.

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