In the last few decades, the mushrooming of new found cities and their metro counterparts have provided livelihood for millions of Indians irrespective of their sex. But it cannot be gainsaid that the picture is same everywhere. India's 140th rank in Global Gender Gap Index delinates her status in women empowerment. The patriarchal society has suppressed women's freedom for years. To lift themselves out of the abyss of insignificance and powerlessness, women must take charge of their own development.
From primordial sati system to female foeticide, heinous crimes have always taken a toll on women lives. Socio-economic anomie negates the gender justice in the country. A girl child is always seen as a burden to the family that stimulates the practice of dowry. Grandiloquent celebration of Women's day seems fuzzy in front of domestic violence, sexual harassment, wage discrimination etc. Doing the household chores, giving birth and rearing children became the ascribed status for them. To live the counterculture , breaking all the social stigma women need to free themselves from the hands of power elites.
The notion of women empowerment is a cumulative process. Article 14, 15, 16 and 39(d) of Indian constitution echo the laudable idea of gender equality. Government has taken many harangue steps to alleviate gender disparity such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna, One stop centre scheme, UJJAWALA, Working women hostel etc. The Supreme Court has also done impermeable job in this regard. But all appear mendacious in front of these convocated problems.
To ameliorate the social taboo and to inculcate equality, empowerment stresses on two main perspectives on this process: namely one more individualistic, through women’s individual capacities and free exercise of personal choice and one more collectivistic, namely through collective behavior and the adherence to cultural norms which emphasize collective growth. Encouraging the analytical understanding of exploitation and discrimination among girls shall result in more confident and aware women who can further help in the formation of a gender just society. Prohibitions, reservations and punitive measures can only be the immediate and temporary interventions to promote gender equality. Stricter laws and their honest enforcements have to be followed up by a change in the attitude towards social evils like rape, female foeticide, acid attacks along with the better treatment of the victims. NGOs and SHGs need to be strengthened as a part of the empowerment process. So, by adopting an iconoclastic approach in the social, economic, political, technological and educational strata, India can fully utilize her latent potential and accomplish SDG-5 by 2030.
-- By Flicker
Sources:
https://www.drishtiias.com/mains/model-essays/the-new-emerging-women-power-ground-realities
https://www.insightsonindia.com/2013/09/29/insights-weekly-essay-writing-challenge-topic-10/
Comments
Post a Comment