The document discusses women's empowerment in India. It defines empowerment as giving women the power to control their own lives. It outlines problems facing women like violence, discrimination, and unemployment. Components of empowerment include self-worth, choices, opportunities, and influencing social change. Factors like education, health, poverty, and traditions can affect empowerment, while policies aim to facilitate it through rights, freedom, and participation.

1. WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT

2. DEFINITION
 The term “empowerment of women” refers to
the process of providing power to woman to
become free from the control of others, that is,
to assume power to control her own life and to
determine her own conditions.
“Women empowerment refers to increasing the
spiritual, political, social or economic strength
of women. It often involves the empowered
developing confidence in their own capacities”.

3. PROBLEMS OF WOMEN IN MODERN INDIA
 Increasing Violence Against Women
 Gender Discrimination
 Problems of Female Education
 Problems Relating to Employment and
Unemployment of women:
 Harassment of women at workplace
 Exploitation of women in the media
 Divorce and desertion
 The problem of dowry
 Decline in the political participation of women

4. COMPONENTS OF WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT
 Women's sense of self-worth
 Right to have and to determine choices
 Right to have access to opportunities and
resource
 Right to have the power to control their own
lives, both within and outside the home
 Ability to influence the direction of social
change to create a more just social and
economic orders, nationally and internationally

5. FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT
 Educational problems
 Gender prejudice -
 Problem related with health
 Poverty
 Societal issues
 Low confidence
 Lack of unity
 Ignorance
 Traditional barriers

6. FACTORS FACILITATING
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
 Acknowledging womens rights
 Freedom to take decisions and choices
 Access to education and employment
 Educate girls
 Opportunities for political participation

7. NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
 Goal and Objectives
 Creating an environment through positive
economic and social policies for full
development of women to enable them to
realize their full potential
 Fundamental freedom by women on equal basis
with men in all spheres – political, economic,
social, cultural and civil
 Equal access to participation and decision
making of women in social, political and
economic life of the nation

8.  Equal access to women to health care, quality education
at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment,
equal remuneration, occupational health and safety,
social security and public office etc.
 Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all
forms of discrimination against women
 Changing societal attitudes and community practices by
active participation and involvement of both men and
women.
 Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development
process.
 Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence
against women and the girl child; and
 Building and strengthening partnerships with civil
society, particularly women’s organizations.

9. POLICY PRESCRIPTIONS
 Judicial Legal Systems
 Decision Making
 Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in the
Development Process
 Economic Empowerment of women
 Social Empowerment of Women
 Women in Difficult Circumstances
 Violence against women
 Rights of the Girl Child
 Mass Media
 Legislation

10. SPECIFIC MEASURES
 Strict enforcement of all relevant legal
provisions and speedy redressal of grievances
will be ensured, with a special focus on violence
and gender related atrocities.
 Measures to prevent and punish sexual
harassment at the place of work, protection for
women workers in the organized/ unorganized
sector and strict enforcement of relevant laws
such as Equal Remuneration Act and Minimum
Wages Act will be undertaken

11.  Crimes against women, their incidence, prevention,
investigation, detection and prosecution will be regularly
reviewed at all Crime Review fora and Conferences at the
Central, State and District levels. Recognised, local,
voluntary organizations will be authorized to lodge
Complaints and facilitate registration, investigations and
legal proceedings related to violence and atrocities
against girls and women.
 Women’s Cells in Police Stations, Encourage Women
Police Stations Family Courts, Mahila Courts,
Counselling Centers, Legal Aid Centers and Nyaya
Panchayats will be strengthened and expanded to
eliminate violence and atrocities against women.
 Widespread dissemination of information on all aspects
of legal rights, human rights and other entitlements of
women, through specially designed legal literacy
programmes and rights information programmes will be
done.

12. NATIONAL MISSION FOR EMPOWERMENT OF
WOMEN
 Support to Training and EmploymentProgramme of
Women (STEP) scheme
 “Priyadarshini” scheme
 Swarjjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
 India Vision 2020
 Helplines for Women
 Women’s Leadership Summit 2010
 Women’s Reservation Bill 2010:
 India’s Tirade Against Anti-Woman Activities

13. OTHER LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
 The Hindu Marriage Act (1955)
 The Hindu Succession Act (1956),
 Dowry Prohibition Act (1961)
 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1971)
 Equal Remuneration Act (1976)
 Child Marriage Restraint Act (1976)
 Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act (1986)
 Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique (Regulation and
Prevention of Measure) Act (1994)