by Dr Basant Goel
In the last 12 years, the perspective of Indian female citizens has changed dramatically since the introduction of female citizens as contributors to nation building instead of beneficiaries of various welfare schemes. The governmental programs have shifted from providing support services for female citizens to programs that allow female citizens to support economic growth directly through their work within the economy. The policy landscape has changed significantly during this period, from only being a focus for government to becoming the foundation for many government policies designed to enhance the quality of life for all female citizens.
Unlike in prior generations where female issues were only considered safety and needs-based, now many government programs focus on providing opportunities for females to be part of the entire development process, which has allowed for female citizens to improve their ability to contribute to the growth and development of India.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign is one of the most successful examples of the way India has tackled the urgent social problem of deteriorating child sex ratio and the discrimination against female children. The Campaign focuses on addressing the need for society to value and support the contribution of female children through education and support for a long time. While laws alone will never eradicate social problems, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign has changed society’s perception of female children and is catalyzing social change.
Women’s financial empowerment is one of the key characteristics of programs aimed at women. For example, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana helps families save for their daughter’s future, while the promotion of women’s businesses has allowed many women to achieve financial independence. If women are financially secure, that will generally allow them to develop confidence, dignity and independence.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has been one of the most successful programs for rural women. Millions of rural women had to put themselves at risk for many generations from smoke in their kitchens and to spend a great deal of time collecting firewood to cook. Access to clean cooking fuel has provided not only better health for those women, but also less time spent on a chore and therefore more time to pursue education, work and family welfare.
Also, the expansion of the number of households connected to a tap through the Jal Jeevan Mission has addressed a major impediment to women’s productivity. When there were no taps in rural homes, a great deal of burden was placed on women to carry water from long distances. By putting taps in the home, women have increased their standard of living and are no longer required to carry water, which takes a lot of time and is physically demanding.
Policy makers have also started to pay more attention to maternal health issues. There have been many programs created to help pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to improve nutrition and health care during this critical time in their lives. Maternal health should not be separated from a nation’s development, and investing in the health of mothers leads to families that are healthier and communities that are stronger as a whole.
The level of safety for women is still an important measure of progress for any society. The strengthening and establishment of institutional mechanisms to help assist women like hotlines and integrated service centers recognizes that empowerment cannot exist without security. In order for women to be fully involved in the public sphere they need to have access to timely support, legal services, and protection.
Self-Help Groups for women have developed all over the country from small and localized groups to powerful forces of economic and social change. Today there are millions of women managing their own businesses, contributing to the local economy in their area, and assisting with rural development through collective action and entrepreneurship.
As entrepreneurship becomes more prevalent in society, women are entering areas that would otherwise have been closed off to them. With more accessible funding and skills training available to them, female entrepreneurs are increasingly creating jobs instead of looking for jobs. These changes will not only help drive economic growth, but will also help to change the traditional roles of women in society.
The recent emphasis on connecting women to technology through policy and programs has also encouraged the growth of female entrepreneurs. For instance, the creation of training programs for women as drone operators and other technology service providers is an innovative way to prepare women for future job opportunities. In order for women to become empowered into the 21st century, they need access to technology and innovation, as well as digital and computer skills.
Programs focusing on women and children’s nutrition and health have also been critical to the empowerment of women as entrepreneurs by targeting malnourished mothers and children. By providing programs that promote better nutrition, health care, and development for young children, these types of programs are expected to create a solid foundation for future generations and improve the overall quality of life for women.
The advancement of women’s rights and Gender Equality is considered another significant milestone to have occurred recently. A presiding belief that greater representation of women in the political arena is important for the advancement of gender equality through policy decisions has created a change in perception by the passage of laws. Increased representation of women in governance can introduce additional viewpoints into the decision-making process and result in more equal treatment of all individuals.
In addition, the cumulative effect of these initiatives on the overall empowerment of women has the potential to create an environment conducive to women’s empowerment. All of the initiatives fall under the categories of clean fuel, access to quality water, access to affordable and quality health care, access to financial services, access to entrepreneurship opportunities and technology training; and political representation may seem to be separate interventions but they form an ecosystem, whereby working together support the empowerment of women. True empowerment occurs when multiple barriers to women’s empowerment are successfully addressed at the same time.
As previously explained, challenges still exist for women in the form of regional disparities, implementation gaps, social prejudices, and economic inequalities throughout the country. The existence of such social challenges limits the potential of any one line of government programs to provide immediate resolution to long-standing social problems. Since the passage of multiple federal laws over the last twelve year, it has been clear that there has been a long-term commitment by the federal government to break down barriers for women through a combination of the provision of assistance through indirect means (i.e. welfare) and direct means (i.e. economic and opportunity creation). Based on the experience of the last twelve years, investing in women should not only be viewed as a social imperative, but rather as a national necessity.
Author is Social Activist and Chairman, Mission Sarvarth Seva Foundation. He can be mailed at drbasantgoel@yahoo.com
