National policy: Women Empowerment

2. NATIONAL POLICY FOR
EMPOWERMENT
OF
WOMEN

3. INTRODUCTION
• The principle of gender equality is
enshrined in the Indian Constitution in
the Preamble, Fundamental Rights,
Fundamental Duties and Directive
Principles.
• The constitution not only grants
equality to women, but also empowers
the State to adopt measures of
positive discrimination in favor of
women.

4. GENESIS
• From the 5th Five Year Plan (1974-
1978) onwards, approach shifted to
women’s issues from Welfare to
Development.
• The National Commission for Women
was set up by an Act of Parliament in
1990 to safeguard the rights and
legal entitlements of Women.

5. • The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993)
to the Constitution of India have
provided for reservation of seats in
the local bodies of Panchayats and
Municipalities for women, laying a
strong foundation for their
participation in decision making at the
local levels.

6. • India has also ratified various
International conventions & human rights
instruments committing to secure equal
rights of women.
• Convention on Elimination of all forms of
Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW)-1993 is one of them.
• Gender disparity manifests itself in
various forms, the most obvious being
the trend of continuously declining
female ratio in the population in last
few decades.

7. National Policy For The Empowerment Of Women
(2001)

8. National Policy for
Empowerment of Women
Objectives
Advancement, Development and
Empowerment, Elimination of Discrimination.

9. Themes and issues
Judicial legal system, Economic
empowerment, Social empowerment
(Health, Education, Science and
Technology, drinking water and
sanitation, protection from violence)
women and decision making girl child

10. “EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
NOT JUST A GOAL IN ITSELF,
BUT KEY TO ALL GLOBAL
DEVELOPMENT GOALS”

11. EMPOWERMENT?
Empowerment is the process which enables
one to gain power, authority and influence
over others, institutions or society.
Empowerment is probably the totality of
the following:-
• Having decision-making power of one’s
own.
• Having access to information and
resources for taking proper decision.

12. • Having positive thinking on the ability
to make change
• Ability to learn skills for improving
one’s personal or group power.
In short it is the process that allows one
to gain knowledge, skill and attitude
needed to cope with the changing world
and the circumstances in which one lives.

13. Empowerment has to be
–Holistic (Political, Social and Economic)
–Universal (Equal opportunity and level
playing field)
–Participative and Inclusive

14. Institutional Empowering Mechanisms
• Parliamentary Committee on
Empowerment of Women
• National Commission for Women

15. Policy Prescriptions
 Judicial Legal Systems
 Decision Making
 Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in the
Development Process

16. Economic Empowerment of Women
Poverty Eradication
Micro Credit
Women and Economy
Globalization
Women and Agriculture
Women and Industry
Support Services

17. Social Empowerment of Women
Education
Health
Nutrition
Drinking Water and Sanitation
Housing and Shelter
Environment
Science and Technology
Women in Difficult Circumstances
Violence Against Women
Rights of the Girl Child

18. Operational Strategies
Action Plans
Measurable goals
Identification and commitment of resources
Responsibilities for implementation of action
points
Structures and mechanisms to ensure
efficient monitoring, review and gender
impact assessment of action points and
policies.
Introduction of a gender perspective in the
budgeting process.

19. Action Areas
• Women availing services of public
utilities like road transport, power,
water and sanitation, telecommunication
etc.
• Training of women as highly skilled
workers- top end skills
• Research/Technology for women
• Women in the work force
• Asset ownership by women
• Women as Entrepreneurs

20. NATIONAL POLICY FOR WOMEN2016
Articulating a vision for Empowerment of Women
Government of India
Ministry of Women & ChildDevelopment