India holds a special place in the world because of its history and culture. Our country is among the best countries in the world in terms of culture, politics, economy, military power etc. Although initiatives were taken to improve these conditions of the country after independence, but in recent times, initiatives in these areas have been accelerated. For this, the human resources of the society are being continuously improved, strengthened and empowered and special efforts are being made for women who constitute half of the population of the society.
Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar had said that if you want to know the correct progress of a society, then know about the status of women in that society. How strong a society can be can be estimated from this because women are half the population of any society. No society can improve in its entirety without taking them along. The lust for power from the primitive structure of the society has given birth to exploitation. The exercise of seeing women as second class is an important aspect of this link. Women as half of the population in India India is a confluence of different cultures. Women are at the center of every culture but are far from the center. Simone de Beauvoir says, “Woman is not born, she is made.” Society has been molding women according to its needs. From her thinking to her way of living, men have been controlling her till now and even today they keep trying to do so. Patriarchal society has decided everything according to its own wishes. Whenever the question of empowerment arises, society itself stands in the dock. There is a continuous struggle for changes in society.
Matriarchal society
India and the entire world have lived in the framework of patriarchal society. It is necessary to make it clear here that when we are talking about women empowerment, it does not mean that now patriarchal society should be changed to matriarchal society. In India, the concept of matriarchal society is seen in Khasi and some other tribes of the Northeast where women are dominant. Some tribes of the world like Mosuo of China, Bribri tribe of Costa Rica, Nagoisi tribe of New Guyana are matriarchal. Here women take decisions related to politics, economy and social activities. If the society has to move forward in a healthy direction, then instead of being matriarchal or patriarchal, the society should be independent of these, then a better social structure will be created and in true sense men and women will be equally empowered.
The basis of women empowerment - Women's movement in the world and its impact in India
The foundation of women's movement in the world was laid in the 19th century itself. Many nations of the West became participants in this movement in that period. When the women's movement came to the fore, only then the concept of women empowerment came prominently before the world. Therefore, to understand women empowerment, it is also very important to understand the women's movement. In simple words, the women's movement started when the society considered women inferior. An important principle of feminism is that in this patriarchal society, women have an inferior status. It is this society that forms the rules and form of living for them. It denies the independent personality of women. The women's movement does not oppose any man but the patriarchal idea. This movement believes that women should also get equal respect, rights and opportunities as men. The women's movement believes in the concept that women are also human beings instead of gender inequality. Along with being human, they are half the population of the world. They have as much contribution in the creation of the world as men.
The first phase of the women's movement is the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Its first objective was to provide equal opportunities to women in the urban, liberal and industrial environment of America. The second wave is considered to have started from the sixties. In this, it was recognized that both legal and real inequalities are intricately connected with each other and this should be removed. The third wave starts from the nineties. It arose as a result of the reaction to the second wave. In this, the definition of womanhood given by the second wave was challenged. The way feminism was being seen and shaped globally, in the same sequence, in India too, extensive efforts were being made for social reforms regarding the conditions of women. But its form was not the same as it has been in the West. In India, the renaissance is considered to have started from the second half of the nineteenth century, which lasted till around 1915. This upliftment was progressing along with social reforms and the national movement. In this, voices were raised against superstitions, child marriage, Sati Pratha and Devdasi Pratha. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, People like Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule, Pandita Ramabai did important work towards empowering women by creating a favorable environment for them and removing their problems according to the society of that time. The second phase of women's movement towards empowering women in India, which started almost with the arrival of Gandhi in India, is considered to have started from 1915. This was the period when women were actively participating in a call. This is the same period when the Indian Women's Association was established in 1917. At this time, the efforts made by Gandhi and Ambedkar to bring women into the mainstream of society are seen as commendable. Mahatma Gandhi was talking very practically about the abolition of purdah system, child marriage, dowry system and the problems of widows and the abolition of untouchability. On the other hand, Dr. Ambedkar was doing similar work where he played an important role in getting the right to vote, ending gender discrimination and getting the right to equality.
The main points of its third phase which can be seen in India till now are related to equality in the socio-political-economic life of women. Thus, the feminist movement has played a major role in the direction of women empowerment in India. At present, there are many aspects of women empowerment in many areas and the challenges faced in it are also not less.
The real meaning of women empowerment
International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March all over the world. Harishankar Parsai ji has a satirical line that "Days are celebrated for the weak, not for the strong." Empowerment does not mean only going out of the house and doing a job or walking shoulder to shoulder with men. Empowerment here means the basis of her ability to take decisions, whether she is taking her own decisions or she is dependent on someone else for this. Similarly, today it is very important for her to be economically empowered. If she is not economically independent, she will never be able to be empowered, so this is another important aspect. Women in India have equal rights in all fields legally, but they still have to struggle for it in society. Socially, the core of our society still exists in the form of patriarchy. The patriarchal structure is still very strong in rural areas. From time to time, Khap Panchayats or other similar institutions keep suggesting various provisions of moral policing regarding the clothing of women. Religion also plays its role in this many times. The latest result of this is the prohibition of women's entry into religious places. Not entering Sabarimala or other religious places is a violation of fundamental rights. The alliance of religion and caste, tradition and superstition have further exploited women.
The field of politics has been a monopoly of men from history till date. Women have never established a monopoly over it. Politics comes out of the domestic walls and works to run and give direction to the society. In every corner of the world, only men have been seen in political positions in the entire society. Indian society is also no different from this. The male-dominated tradition that has been going on since ancient times is still continuing. Currently, out of the total 542 MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha of the country, only 74 are women MPs, whereas in 2019 their number was 78. Whereas there are only 24 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Women have a share of only 13 percent in the new Parliament. Currently, there is only 1 woman Chief Minister in a total of 28 states. The current President is only the second woman to adorn this post. In India, the Prime Minister's post has been considered more practical than the President's, the fact that only one woman has come to this post reveals everything.
Women being economically empowered determines their entire future. If we can take our own decisions, then in the true sense we are completely free. Our decision on many issues is affected due to dependency. In the Indian social structure, women did not go out to work, so they did not have any economic independence. For money, they used to depend on the men of their house such as father, brother, husband or son. Today these circumstances have changed. Women have come out of their homes, studied and are doing jobs in all fields. They are working on equal salary in government and private sector but in private sector, many times, in many places they still have to face discrimination. For a long time, there was discrimination in the annual fees given by BCCI to Indian male and female cricket players, this has now been removed in 2022. In the entire film industry, the fees of women are much less than the fees of male stars. Such inequalities persist in private sectors today which need to be removed. Barring a few examples, only men dominate places like film direction, entrepreneurship and corporate head, which shows that signs of male dominance are present. Efforts for women's education in India were made in the early period of the modern era, the spread of which can be seen continuously now. In today's India, girls from rural areas have also started going to school. Caste concepts are still strong in rural areas, despite which girls from lower castes are now turning towards primary schools, which is a positive sign, but a large part of them is still limited to household chores. The difference in the conditions of women in cities and rural areas still exists. It is very important to bridge this gap in empowering the status of women in the entire country.
In the present times, women are moving towards their betterment, but the status of women was not always so poor. If we look from the Vedic period to the present time, women have lived a respectable life earlier also. She has been a witness to an empowered life earlier also.
There was no sudden change in the status of women from the post-Vedic period. Countless restrictions were imposed on women. By the time of the medieval period, the condition of women had become pathetic. Although a positive attitude towards women developed during the Bhakti movement in Indian history, but due to continuous attacks, women were again imprisoned in their homes. Women were the most exploited in any attack. Later, the custom of keeping many queens in a harem became common. Women have been transformed into objects of pleasure.
The campaign to improve the condition of women is being run by Chanakya Jan Utthan Foundation. The foundation deeply considers every possibility of employment for women and tries its best to implement it. This will open the way for women's empowerment.