Women Empowerment in India

Women empowerment and the status of women in current India are explained in this concept. This concept will introduce the students to different kinds of causes which hinder the flourishment of the women folk in society. They will realise why women’s empowerment is important for the country.

After reading the concept, students will be able to:

Know about various regressive social practices which discourage the growth and development of women such as:
- Lack of education.
- Malnutrition
- Domestic violence
- Child marriage
- Child labour
- Female foeticide
- Dowry
- Gender discrimination at home and at workplaces.
Understand what is women abuse.
Analyse how women empowerment in India is benefiting us socially and culturally.

Each concept is explained to class 4 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept of Women Empowerment in India provided in PDF format.

What is Empowerment?

Empowerment is the ability to make choices and transform all those choices into proper outcomes and desired actions.
An educated, self-dependent, self-motivated, and decision-making woman is an empowered woman.

Why is Women’s Empowerment Important for Society?

Empowering women and making them independent needs to be done for humankind to progress.
Women should have equal rights and opportunities to participate in education, economics, and politics.
Women must understand the value of self-worth.
They should influence each other and boost the economic growth of the country.

Few Facts Regarding the Status of Women in India:

Only 29 % of women serve in the national workforce.
Crimes against women are not always reported to the police station.
In the villages, many girls suffer from malnutrition.
Women also suffer from domestic violence.
In many situations, a girl child is not allowed to complete her education.

Factors that Prohibit Women Empowerment in India:

1. Lack of Education:

Lack of education among women is more prominent in rural areas than urban areas.
In low-income families, parents do not encourage girl children to complete education and be self-dependent.
Completing education and getting a good job is a long process, and the parents do not have the patience and time for that.

Parents even think investing money for a girl child’s education is a waste; instead, they would spend that money on the girl’s marriage.
If a girl child is discouraged from pursuing education, she does not feel interested and loses motivation.
Sometimes parents encourage them to go for vocational courses before completing education.
These courses may help them earn, but primary and secondary level education is necessary to become self-sufficient.

2. Leaving School Without Completing Education:

Many girls leave school before completing their education for various reasons.
Sometimes parents are not able to provide education due to financial crises.
The lack of a supportive environment may cause students to drop out early.

Parents encourage their girl children to provide support in household work because they think that in the future, they will be doing the same.
Sometimes female students drop out and start working at various places for minimum wages as they think it can help their family to sustain themselves.
In many areas, female students stop going to school because of distance and security reasons.

3. Child Marriage:

Child marriage is banned in India and is a punishable offence.
Each year many girls under the age of eighteen get married in India.
According to the law of the land, girls cannot get married until they are twenty-one years old.
The reason for child marriage could be different in different localities.
In many places in India, child marriage is a social practice, so the parents allow this medieval practice even today.

Sometimes parents prefer their girls to get married because of social security.
Suppose a family with two or three girls suffers from a financial crisis. In that case, the parents always try to get their girls married instead of saving for education.

4. Child Labour:

When a female child below fifteen years of age participates in any labour work in return for money, she is considered child labour.
There are many causes behind child labour. Most of the time girl students drop out of school and start doing various jobs to earn money and support their families.
Families are very poor in rural areas due to the lack of employment opportunities. The parents cannot support their girls' education because of limited earnings and savings.

Children grow up in a challenging environment as they see the struggles and hardships around them. So, they consider completing education less important than earning money and supporting the family.
Sometimes parents also urge their children to support the family economically.
Although child labour is discouraged in India, many girl children work at tea stalls, construction sites, and manufacturing factories at minimum wages.

5. Female Foeticide:

Female foeticide is very much prevalent in some regions of our country.
To destroy or kill an unborn, immature female foetus in the mother’s womb is called female foeticide.
Female foeticide is a punishable offence in India.
It leads to an imbalance in the number of males and females in society.

Since we live in a patriarchal society in India, many parents prefer sons over daughters in their families.
They think daughters cannot take care of them when they get old because daughters will be married off to other families.
Some believe that only sons can give them social and economic stability.

6. Dowry:

Giving dowry is a malpractice prevalent in our society.
When the bride’s family gives cash, goods, and other movable properties to the groom’s family as a condition of the marriage, then that is called dowry.
When a dowry is not given to the groom’s family, the bride may face many difficulties at her in-law’s place.
There are reports that either the groom himself or other family members tortures the newly-wed bride for dowry and money even after marriage.

7. Gender Discrimination:

When women are not given equal opportunities and resources like men in different spheres of society, that situation is called gender discrimination.
In many workplaces, women do not get the chance to be promoted or are not given important roles.
Others might overlook a woman’s hard work and dedication.
Even for the same job role, women get less paid than their male counterparts.
All these instances create a hindrance to women’s empowerment.

8. Women Abuse:

Women abuse is quite frequent in our society.
They are abused both verbally and physically.
Any abuse is a punishable offence as it can lead to anxiety and depression.

Factors That Encourage Women Empowerment:

Education
Job opportunities
Participation in politics, defence, sports and games
Equal opportunities in society
Exposure to media
Freedom of expression
Freedom of movement
Proper nutrition and sanitation
Decision-making power
Introduction to self-help groups
Changes in women’s labour patterns

New Words

Authority: The right to make decisions and to give orders.

Malnutrition: The condition in which proper growth and development of the body do not happen due to the lack of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Vocational: Skill-based training related to an occupation or employment.

Foetus: An unborn baby growing inside the mother’s womb.

Anxiety: An emotion that involves tension and worrying thoughts.

Depression: Feelings of severe sadness.

Patriarchal: Indicating a society controlled by men.

Did You Know?

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a scheme launched by the Government of India to reduce female foeticide and encourage parents to support their daughters in education and sports.
The concept of widow remarriage was introduced in society by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.