Empowering women: New momentum in transforming society in India

Shivangi Singh was part of the IAF team which participated in the just concluded multinational ‘Exercise Orion’ in France. She is the first IAF woman pilot to fly the Rafale fighter aircraft, a twin-engine multi-role air dominance jet which is part of Indian armed forces since July 2020. In fact, like Shivangi, there are as many as 1,636 women who are currently serving in the officer’s rank in the IAF, the air arm of the Indian armed forces that has adopted enabling policies to make more and more women join the force. According to the Ministry of Defence, till March 9, 2023, the total strength of women officers in the Indian Navy was 748 including medical and dental officers. Entry for women candidates in the National Defence Academy (NDA) has been encouraged with 19 cadets including 10 for the Indian Army joining the academy every six months now. The first batch of women cadets has started training in NDA with effect from July 2022 and second batch has commenced training with effect from January 2023, the Ministry of Defence said. These are clear signs of how women are empowered and how they are motivated to break the glass ceiling and become part of an entity which has so far remained a domain for males. To ensure that they walk shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts, the government has introduced several programmes and initiatives for females in the recent past. For example, the government has provided 33% reservation for women in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs). Last year on August 3, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha that more than 34,000 women were serving in various central armed police forces like CRPF, BSF and CISF. These moves illustrate how efforts are being made by the government to create a more just and equitable society for everyone. And then remember, the Indian Constitution dwells in length on women empowerment. Provisions of the Constitution like Article 14 talk about equality before law. Article 15 enables the state to make special provisions for women. Truly speaking, the progress of a society is incomplete without women and hence, importance has been laid on the empowerment of women. Political empowerment of women Article 243D of the Indian Constitution provides for not less than one-third reservation for women out of total number of seats to be filled by direct election and number of offices of chairpersons of Panchayats. However, 21 Indian States such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, have made provision of 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. As per an estimate, till 2021, more than 1.5 million women were elected to Panchayats across India. According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the representation of women in panchayats has steadily increased over the years. In the first round of elections after the amendment was implemented, around 33% of seats were reserved for women. However, by the year 2015, the proportion of women elected to Panchayats had reached an impressive 44.74%. This trend reflects the growing acceptance and recognition of women's leadership abilities in local governance. The impact of this reservation policy has been transformative. Women leaders in Panchayats have been instrumental in addressing issues that were previously neglected, such as education, healthcare, sanitation, and women's rights. A study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) found that women-led Panchayats were more likely to invest in public goods and services that directly benefited their communities. Moreover, women's participation in Panchayats has led to a shift in societal attitudes towards gender roles. As women take on leadership positions, they challenge traditional norms and inspire other women to follow suit. This has created a ripple effect, empowering more women to participate in the political process and demand their rights. Economic empowerment of women To promote economic empowerment among women, particularly in the areas of financial independence and entrepreneurship, several initiatives have been launched in the country. Currently, 70% of Mudra loans are women. Launched on April 8, 2015, Mudra scheme was launched with the aim of providing easy collateral-free micro credit of up to Rs 10 lakh to non-farm small and micro entrepreneurs for income generating activities. As per Union Minister for Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman about Rs 23.2 lakh crore was sanctioned in 40.82 crore loan accounts till March 24, 2023. Of these loan accounts, more than 68% belonged to women entrepreneurs. Besides, under Mahila Samman Saving Certificate Scheme, women are provided with 7.5% interest on their investments. Under the Mahila E-Haat initiative, an online marketing platform, female entrepreneurs are encouraged to advertise their goods and services online. Through this platform, women from all over India sell a range of goods, including homemade food products, crafts, and other distinctive items created by female entrepreneurs. This has aided numerous women who lacked the resources needed or market access to launch small businesses in achieving financial independence. Empowerment of women through skilling In order to enhance the employability of women, steps have been taken to provide training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training Institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes. To ensure economic independence of women through skill development and vocational training, Skill India Mission has been introduced. The National Skill Development Policy focuses on inclusive skill development, with the objective of increased women participation for better economic productivity. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Kendras lay emphasis on creating additional infrastructure both for training and apprenticeship for women by providing flexible training delivery mechanisms, and by ensuring safe and gender sensitive training environment, employment of women trainers, equity in remuneration, and complaint redressal mechanism. There are schemes like Stand-Up India and Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) for helping the women to set up their own enterprise. Further, in order to encourage employment of women, a number of enabling provisions have been incorporated in the recently enacted Labour Codes viz. the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 for creating congenial environments for women workers. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) mandates that at least one third of the jobs generated under the scheme should be given to women. These efforts demonstrate India's commitment to creating an environment where gender-based discrimination becomes less prevalent over time while helping millions of Indian women gain financial independence, develop their skills, and become self-reliant. Social empowerment of women Under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY), emphasis has been laid on safeguarding the health of women by providing them with clean cooking fuel and reducing burden on them from drudgery of collecting firewood. More than 1.20 crore houses were sanctioned and of them, more than 64 lakhs completed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Majority of beneficiaries of the scheme are women. In 2015, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) scheme was launched to address gender-based discrimination and violence against females. This initiative has helped significantly in eliminating gender stereotypes while lowering the child sex ratio and promoting girls' education. It has been successful in raising awareness about the importance of girls' education and has led to a significant increase in the enrolment of girls in schools across the country. Conclusion In order to achieve gender equality, economic growth and development, social justice, health and well-being and sustainable development, women empowerment is a must. India has taken several steps in the direction of women empowerment, but no measure would be successful unless enabling policies and environment are framed. This is what India has done in the recent past. It has tried its best to have well-meaning empowerment measures so that women have equal access to all opportunities to excel in their life. ***The writer is a Bengaluru-based journalist; views expressed are her own