2. Introduction
“To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened.
Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation
moves”
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Empowerment is considered as the main process for social development
which can enable women to participate in the economic, political and social
development of the nation as a whole. Women constitute roughly 50% of the
nation’s population and a majority of them remain economically dependent,
without employment.
3. Meaning of Empowerment
• Empowerment refers to enabling people towards self determination. For
women, empowerment emphasizes the importance of increasing their power
and taking control over decisions and issues that shape their lives.
• Women empowerment is a process of individual and social transformation; and
begins in the mind from her own consciousness and her own rights, capabilities
and potentials from her self -image and awareness about development in all
fields.
However, women empowerment in India is still an illusion of reality. Indeed, we
used to observe in our day to day life that how women are being victimized by
various social evils such as dowry, rape, female infanticide, inequality, domestic
violence, sexual harassment, illegal trafficking, prostitution and many other
issues. Women particularly in rural areas have lagged behind in the fields of
education, skill development, employment and social status, leadership qualities.
4. The perpetuation of violence against women in India continues as a result of many systems of sexism and
patriarchy in place within Indian culture. Beginning in early childhood, young girls are given less access to
education than their male counterparts which massively affect the progress of women empowerment in the rural
sub corners of the country.
Most importantly, moral degradation and a slide in social values are causing frequent incidents of rape and other
forms of violence against women in the country. Hence, degradation of moral values has been identified as
major factor behind failure of society to protect lives and dignity of girls and women, which has emerged as a
major obstacle for women empowerment.
5. • Individuals constitute society which has certain ideals, models and norms about
behavior, conduct, duties and responsibilities towards one another. Love, universal
brotherhood, sincerity, honesty and integrity of character, firm attitude of rendering
help and performing actions and works for general benefit etc. are some of the
constituents of healthy social life.
• Basic moral values are the guidelines that determine an individual’s understanding of
good and bad. The word moral is mostly associated with good/righteous behavior.
Broadly moral meaning is the similar to one’s ethical behavior. Moral Values are the
sense of right and wrong as per the accepted norms and standards of the society. These
are the basis of ethical behavior, hence our society emphasis on inculcating these moral
values for kids from the early years of their formal education.
• In our everyday lives, these moral values or principles help us to apply our
understanding of good and bad in varied contexts. We often choose our responses, or
our actions on the basis of these virtues. And it is also a firm foundation that develops
our abilities to be active contributors to the society at large.
6. What are basic moral values?
Moral values are the guiding principles for a person’s life. Moral values
provide peace of mind, better quality of life, provide sustainability, and bring
harmony in the global society. Moral values entail incorporating the morals
that guide our thoughts, behaviour and decision-making, especially when it
comes to ethical or social dilemmas.
Therefore, incul-cating moral values in our wards, including boys and girls,
should become a part of our lives. It is high time that we teach our boys that
women and girls are not objects of lust or revenge.
Moral values include:
• Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, Forgiveness, Perseverance, Integrity,
Politeness, Honesty, Intrinsic Motivation, Teamwork and Conflict
Management.
7. Respect
It is an essential moral value that every individual must know at a young age, as it plays an
important role in formulating good relationship towards strangers and elders.
It also includes respecting their property, their privacy, and their views and beliefs. When we respect
someone, we treat them with dignity and consideration and also avoid doing anything that might
hurt or offend them.
Responsibility
Being responsible means being reliable and dependable. It also includes being accountable for our
actions and taking responsibility for the mistakes.
When individuals are responsible, they are also careful in dealings with other people and take care to
not cause them any harm.
8. Compassion
• Compassion is the ability to care for others and feel empathy for their situation. It
includes being kind and understanding. When you are compassionate, you want to
help others who are suffering.
• The world is in a constant state of flux in which many people suffer various
tragedies. The challenges of atrocities, abuse, torture, violence against women,
thus, can be considered in compassionate ground by the every sections of the
society.
Forgiveness
• Forgiveness is the ability to let go of anger and resentment. It is the ability to
forgive others. When we forgive, we do not hold grudges.
• It's natural to feel anger and resentment when someone wrongs us but holding
onto that negative emotion will only hurt us in the end. It's important to learn to
forgive so that one can move on with one’s life.
• Forgiveness does not mean to be friends with the person who did wrong or
criminal deeds , but it does means to let go of the anger and resentment. Holding
in anger can affect the family relationship which may harm physical and mental
9. Perseverance and Sense of Gratitude
• Perseverance is the ability to keep going even when things are tough. It includes
being persistent and never giving up. When individuals persevere, they don't let
obstacles to get in way.
• When individuals remain grateful, they often realize that everything is a blessing
or a learning moment. Being thankful and appreciative not only shows good
morals towards others but can also internally benefit an individual.
Self-Control
• Self-control is the ability to control one’s emotions and impulses. It includes
being able to resist temptation and making responsible choices.
• When individuals have self-control, they are able to resist temptation and make
choices that are in the best interest of those around the individual concerned.
• Learning self-control prevents one from doing something as simple as overeating
to more serious acts such as sexual abuse , assault, physical torture, and other
such acts violence either mental or physical.
10. Kindness
It enables us to show concern for others and act in a way
that pleases or benefits them. It includes being gentle,
caring, and helpful.
There are many ways to show kindness. Human beings can
perform random acts of kindness, such as
• Support girls and women in crisis
• Mentor a girl close to home to make her educated and
financially independent
• Help a new mom.
• Tell the women in your life that you care.
11. Honesty and Faithfulness
• Faithfulness is being reliable, trustworthy, and having allegiance to
someone, something, or an ideal an individual proclaim to believe in.
• Every married person should remain faithful to their spouse by not
cheating on them sexually or emotionally.
12. NEED FOR VALUE EDUCATION
Value based education is investment in individual capability and self responsibility. Value based education
refers to a wide gamut of learning and activities ranging from training in physical health, mental hygiene,
etiquette and manners, appropriate social behavior, civic rights and duties to aesthetic and even religious
training.
The concept of good differs from person to person. But the good considered from moral point of view is regarded as the
highest good. It is education, which can make people understand the nature of the highest good structurally,
pedagogically and philosophically.
Educational institutions, need to play a far more effective role in the development of a new cultural ethos that can
contribute to the realization of the goals of comprehensive development of human material.
Since India has decided to make itself a democratic republic, the Indians should have to be trained to uphold and
practice the values of democratic social order. This can be possible only when the qualities of discipline, tolerance,
understanding, respect, patriotism, cooperation etc. are inculcated, and developed in the students in their young age.
With the influence of different religious and spiritual leaders which have been giving great emphasis on human values, it
is confirmed that any sort of education should be based on value. The most important need of the day is the pervasive
13. • True education, indeed, aims at developing individuals into social beings having
these values. Value based education is the only vehicle for achieving the proper
knowledge and understanding about the rights of women and their problems.
• From the social perspectives, value based education promotes effective learning
and underpins the continuous improvement of personal, social, moral well being.
• So, with the imposition of value education one can promote significant value to
understanding, co-relationship and development of one's personality with other
fellow beings. Indeed, all the prerequisites of women empowerment as a member
of the society can be nourished mostly with value based education.
14. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND VALUE EDUCATION
One of the recommendations of the National Policy on Education-1986, by the Government of India is to
promote 'empowerment' of women through the agency of education and it is considered to be a landmark in the
approach to women's education.
In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of
women. Since independence, the government of India has made concerted efforts towards women empowerment
by removing gender biases so that women enjoy equal status vis-a-vis men in the real sense as enshrined in the
Constitution of India.
Women, by constituting an integral part of any society and culture, are often underestimated and discriminated
in different forms and respects. The status of women is key indicator to the progress of a society as well as of the
country.
15. • In spite of all the provisions of the constitution of India, efforts made by different
conventions and covenants, and laws of different countries of the world, women are still
subjugated in different forms- knowingly or unknowingly.
• Constitutionally, Indian women have been granted equal rights with men, but practically
speaking they are kept much behind men in various life activities. Hence, the women
should be given equal rights with men everywhere according to their special interests
and legitimate demands.
• Women should, also on their side, realize all their potentials and facilities which they
can enjoy as a member of the society. Discrimination on the ground of sex can be
removed only when both the sexes get the value based education. No one should be
permitted to act against the rights and obligation of others.
• Atrocities on women at their working places, as well as, outside, which have resulted in
rape, molestation including murder cited as instances of exploitation, oppression and
subjugation of women.
• Rape of female patients by doctors and sexual torture of women in police custody are
not unknown in this country.
• Trafficking, sexual abuses, violence against women and many other crimes like these
are increasing against women.
• Food and health care is another domain where women are discriminated against men
due to their economic position.
16. onclusion
lue can be developed through acquisition of experiences. Opportunities should be
ovided to both boys and girls to apply and practice the acquired experiences in practical
e. The whole environment must be favourable to the development of values in the younger
neration.
, with the imposition of value education one can promote significant value to understand
– relationship and development of one’s personality with other fellow beings.
l the prerequisites of women empowerment as a member of the society can be nourished
