Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century

International Conference
Women in Science & Technology : Creating Sustainable Career
(ICWSTCSC-2016)
Editorial Board ICWSTCSC-2016
Prof. Pratapsinh K Desai
President, ISTE
Prof. Vijai Vaidya
Executive Secretary, ISTE
Dr. K. Lal Kishore
Vice Chancellor, JNTU, Anantapur
Dr. K. P. Isaac
Vice Chancellor, Kerala Technological
University
Dr. Mahesh Appa
Vice Chancellor, VTU, Belgaum
Shri Rakesh Kumar Verma, IAS
Vice Chancellor
PTU, Jalandhar
Prof. Prabir Bagchi
Vice Chancellor
SRM University, Tamil Nadu
Prof. (Dr.) G. D. Yadav
Vice Chancellor
University Dept. of Chemical Technology,
Mumbai
Prof. Pradeep Kumar
Vice Chancellor
DTU, Delhi
Dr. Hans J Hoyer
Secretary General, IFEES
Prof. (Dr.) rer. Nat. Norbert Gruenwald.
Director Robert – Schmidt – Institute
Hochschale Wismar
Dr. F. S. Umrigar,
Principal, BVM Engineering College
Dr. Alaa Abd – El – Aziz
President & Vice Chancellor
University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Dr. J. D. Patel,
Hon. I/C Secretary, CVM
Dr. M. N. Patel
Vice Chancellor, Gujarat University, Gujarat
Dr. B. G .Patel
Provost, CHARUSAT, Gujarat
Dr. Renu Bapna
Joint Secretary, Group IV, Higher Education
Department, Govt Secretariat, Govt of
Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
Dr. Jyoti Sharma
Principal Scientific Officer, KIRAN & Science
for Equity Empowerment and Development
(SEED) Division, Government of India, India
Lubimova Ekaterina
Head of Institute of International Education,
Ural Federal University, Russia
Dr. (Prof.) Kiran Saxena
Head, NITTTR, Bhopal National Institute of
Technical Teachers’ Training & Research,
Bhopal, India
Dr. Rita Goyal
Senior Consultant (Academic), NPIU, India
Dr. Rajul Gajjar
Director, GTU
Principal, VGEC, Chandkheda, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat
Prof. R. Hariharan
Projects Coordinator, ISTE

(ICWSTCSC-2016)
THEME INDEX
Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century
Sr.
No.
Paper ID Title
Page
No.
1. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_012 Recognition Of Women In Science In India
Dr.Ratan P Solanki
1
2. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_062 Challenges For Women At Work Place And In
Society
Bhavna G. Solanki
8
3. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_078 Key Deliberations On Challenges And
Opportunities For Women In 21st Century
Neha Agrawal, Priksha Dalal, Vandana Parmar
13
4. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_079 Challenges Faced By Women In 21st Century
Khyati A. Patadia
20
5. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_082 Challenges And Opportunities For Women In 21st
Century
Prof. Sanjay Shah,Prof. Vipul Dabhi,
Prof. Devenrivedi
26
6. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_094 Women Scenario-Challenges And Opportunities
For Women In 21st Century
Dr. Yogeshkumar Pathak
30
Century
Utpal R Mahitcha, BeenaSujit
34
8. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_098 Status And Problems Faced By Women In Indian
Society
Kinnari Sutaria, Kailash Patil
42
9. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_105 A Comparative Study Of Opportunities And
Challenges For Urban Women And Rural Women
Bhupendra J. Marsonia
48
10. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_149 Challenges Faced By Indian Women In 21st
Century
Chetna Shah, Neha Upadhyaya
55
11. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_152 The Challenges Faced By Indian Working Women
To Balance Professional And Social Life In 21st
Century
60

(ICWSTCSC-2016)
THEME INDEX
Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century
Priyanka Panchal, Sonal Belani, Mittal Darji
12. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_158 Challenges And Opportunities For Woman In 21st
Century
Trupti Desai , Priti Kothari
67
13. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_180 Changing Society For Working Women
Alefiya Kachwala, Arti Pamnani, Amit Raval
72
14. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_197 21st Century Women- Challenges And
Opportunities
Prakash George M
77
15. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_209 Work - Family Balance – A Challenge For A
Women
Vinita Shah, Prachi Shah
85
16. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_215 A Survey On Challenges And Problems Faced By
Indian Working Women With Possible Solutions
Prof Ghansyam B Rathod
91
17. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_260 Comparative Analysis Of Challenges And
Opportunities Of 21st Century Working Women
From Rural And Urban Areas
Umang S. Wani, Vishva M. Jain,
Harshada C. Sulkashane, Ashish B. Chaudhari
96
18. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_297 Role Of Political Reservation Policies For Women
Preety Shah
103
Century (In The Field Of Science And Technology)
Prof. B. S. Patel, Richa Bathija
109
20. ICWSTCSC2016_Paper_320 A Study Of Challenges And Opportunities For
Woman Of Gujarat In 21st Century.
Avani H Shah
114

Indian Journal of Technical Education (IJTE) | Special Issue for ICWSTCSC‐2016 1 | P a g e
RECOGNITION OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE IN INDIA
Dr. Ratan P.Solanki*
*Shree mahila arts & home science college- kodinar, Gujarat-India
Abstract
There have been many path-breaking developments in science and
technology throughout the world in the last century. Like in different walks of social
life, women have played significant role in the scientific domain and their significant
contribution have got International recognition with conferring of Nobel Prize and
other awards. Indian women are not much lagging behind and their level of
recognition is also increasing. In this context an attempt has been made to assess the
status of recognition of women in science in India through tracing the database of
Bhatnagar Awardees, Fellows of three principal science academies, and General
Presidents of Indian Science Congress. It has been found that Indian women have
been recognized in scientific arena for their significant contribution and the level of
recognition is increasing. But, still in science and technology domain there are far
less women and the visibility needs to improve significantly.
Keyword:
Missing woman scientist, medicine physiology, science academy, Indian science
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
India is home for about 17% of the World population1, and the population is
quite young with average age of people being lowest in the world. 48% of the
population is females2. This huge women population is characterized by problems of
illiteracy, early marriage, complications arising out at the time of child birth etc3.
Although these inhibitions persists in many a way even in the recent century, efforts
of women are being recognized significantly for the progress of nation in different
spheres. World history of the Twentieth century is replete with instances of women
making significant contribution in all walks of public life, including the field of
science and technology. To recognize their contributions efforts have also been
made. An attempt has been made, in this context, to assess the status of recognition
of women in science in India through tracing the database of Bhatnagar Awardees,
Fellows of three principal science academies, and General Presidents of Indian
Science Congress.

FINDINGS
Recognition of Women in Science: International scenario
Women’s efforts in the field of science, like other walks of social life, started
receiving major international recognition with the beginning of twentieth century,
with Nobel Prize also being awarded to women. In the field of science, globally, from
Madam Curie to Ada Yonath, in recent times, there has been significant recognition
being accorded to women with conferring of Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize, initiated
in the year 1895 by the will of Alfred Nobel, and also the prize in Economic Sciences,
has been awarded to women 45 times between 1901 and 2013. Only Marie Curie
received the honor twice, in 1903 in Physics and in 1911 in Chemistry, i.e., 44
women in total have been awarded the Nobel Prize till date. Of these, Nobel Prize has
been awarded 16 times to women in science disciplines, 13 time in literature, 15
times Nobel Peace Prize ad once the Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to
a woman (Table 1).
Table 1. Exhaustive list of women Nobel Laureates in Science
Year Name of laureate Category
1903 Marie Curie-Sklodowska Physics
1911 Marie Curie-Sklodowska Chemistry
1935 Irene Joliot-Curie Chemistry
1947 Gerty Theresa Cori, nee Radnitz Physiology or Medicine
1963 Maria Goeppert Mayer Physics
1964 Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Chemistry
1977 Rosalyn Yalow Physiology or Medicine
1983 Barbara McClintock Physiology or Medicine
1986 Rita Levi-Montalcini Physiology or Medicine
1988 Gertrude B. Elion Physiology or Medicine
1995 Christiane Nusslein-Volhard Physiology or Medicine
2004 Linda B. Buck Physiology or Medicine
2008 Francoise Barre-Sinoussi Physiology or Medicine
2009 Carol W. Greider Physiology or Medicine
2009 Elizabeth H. Blackburn Physiology or Medicine
2009 Ada E. Yonath Chemistry
Not only Nobel laureates, women of India and Indian origin like Kalpana
Chawla and Sunita Williams have become household names because of their
international recognition through significant achievements. Although women excel
in all walks of life, including science and all sectors of economy, female
representation in science and technology workforce is lower than their male

counterparts all over the world, even in the developed countries. With rapid
scientific development, gender divide is also increasing in various forms, which
results in the exclusion of women from science and technology field. This will
continue unless efforts are made to empower women, the so called weaker section of
the society, to actively participate in nation’s development through scientific
inventions. Not only empowerment, efforts should also focus on recognizing the
achievement and contributions of women scientist in science cultivation for creating
scientific temper.
Recognition with Bhatnagar Award:
Bhatnagar award, named after its founder Director, late Dr (Sir) Shanti
Swarup Bhatnagar (1894-1955) for Science and Technology, is given by CSIR since
1957 in applied or fundamental science, in the disciplines of Biological, Chemical,
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary, Engineering, Mathematical, Medical, and
Physical Sciences. 15 women out of over 450 total awardees have so far received the
prize since its inception for notable and outstanding research work. The following is
the exhaustive list of 15 Women recipients of Bhatnagar Award since its inception.
(Table 2)
It is worth noting that out of 9 recipients of S S Bhatnagar Award in 2010, 3
were women.
Professor Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006), the first women Bhatnagar
Awardee, got the award in Chemical Sciences in 19614 and in recent
Table 2 Exhaustive list of women Bhatnagar Awardees
Name of the Awardees Year of receiving
the award
Disciplines
Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006) 1961 Chemical Sciences
Archana Sharma (1932-2008) 1975 Biological Sciences
Indira Nath (born in 1938) 1983 Medical Sciences
Raman Parimala (born in 1948) 1987 Mathematical Sciences
Manju Ray (born in 1947) 1989 Biological Sciences
Sudipta Sengupta (born in 1946) 1991 Earth Sciences
Shashi Wadhwa (born in 1948) 1991 Medical Sciences
Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath (born
in 1953)
1996 Medical Sciences
Sujatha Ramdorai (born in 1962) 2004 Mathematical Sciences
Rama Govindarajan (born in 1962) 2007 Engineering Sciences
Charusita Chakravarty (born in
1964)
2009 Chemical Sciences
Mitali Mukerji 2010 Medical Sciences
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay (born 2010 Engineering Sciences

in 1968)
Shubha Tole (born in 1967) 2010 Biological Sciences
Yamuna Krishnan (born in 1974) 2013 Chemical Sciences
Past in 2013 Yamuna Krishnan got the prestigious award also in Chemical Sciences.
Professor Asima Chatterjee, a noted Chemist, has made valuable research
contributions in the field of production of natural products, especially, alkaloids,
ployphenolics, terpenoids ets derived from Indian medicinal plants.
Dr. Krishnan received the award in Chemical Sciences for her work with the
structure and dynamics of nucleic acids5
Women Fellows of Science Academies:
The participation of women in the principal science academies was negligible
for a long period of time. But today many women scientists have been honored with
Fellowship of science academies in the country.
The national Academy of Sciences, India was founded in the year 1930 as the
first science academy of the country, under the initiative of great scientist and
patriot Prof. Meghnad Saha, then Professor of Physics at University of Allahabad. The
Academy started in 1930 with 57 ordinary Members and 19 Fellows. Prof. Meghnad
saha was the founder President of this science academy. Presently, it has about 1571
Members and 1579 Fellows including 29 Honorary Fellows and 88 Foreign Fellows
from various disciplines of Science and Technology from all over India and abroad.
The Academy has many women fellows; Archana Bhhattacharyya, Manju Banerjee,
Geetha Bali, V Ravindranath are t a name a few.
The Indian Academy of Sciences was founded and registered as a society by
Nobel Laureate Professor C.V. Raman (1888-1970) in 1934 with the aim of
promoting the progress and upholding the cause of science, in both pure and applied
branches. The formal inauguration took place on July 31, 1934 with 65 Founding
Fellows. Some of the renowned women fellows of this academy are Sashi Wadha,
Shubha Tole, V Ravindranath, Amita Das, Tanusri Saha, Manju Bansal. It is important
to mention here that Council of Indian Academy of Sciences constituted a committee
on ‘Women in Science’, presently chaired by Prof. Rohini M Godble, to look into the
issues of women scientists. Such initiatives for recognizing the work of women
scientists are highly appreciable.
Indian National Science Academy, a premier science Academy in the country,
plays crucial role in promoting, recognizing and rewarding excellence in scientific
domain. It was established as the National Institute of India on January 7, 1935 at
Calcutta and then got shifted to Delhi in 1951. Aparna Dutta Gupta, Ashima Anand,

Joyoti Basu, Raman Parimala, Chanda Jayant Jog (newly elected Fellow 2013) are
some of the women fellows in this renowned science academy.
Women in Indian Science Congress:
Indian Science Congress began its journey a century ago in 1914 at the
initiative of Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, the then Vice Chancellor of the University of
Calcutta6. In the century old history of Indian Science Congress, 4 women have so far
been elected as General Presidents. Professor (Mrs.) Asima Chatterjee, distinguish
scientist, was the first women president of ISCA who conducted the 62nd session in
Delhi in 1975. Professor (Mrs.) Archana Sharma, Professor of Genetics, University of
Calcutta, conducted the 74th session in Bangalore in 1987. Dr. (Mrs.) Manju Sharma
conducted the 86th session in Chennai in 1999, and in recent past Prof. Geetha Bali,
former Vice Chancellor,Karnataka State Women’s University, Bijapur, who hold the
99th session in Bhubaneswar in 2012, adorned the chair of the General President of
Indian Science Congress. Interestingly, in the 99th session, the focal theme was
Science and Technology for Inclusive Innovation – Role of Women. This is reflecting
that achievement and contribution of women is increasingly getting recognized.
Formally “Women’s Science Congress”, was started in 2012 in the 99th session of
Indian Science Congress. It is an effort to motivate women scientists and enhance
their participation in science and create a sustained platform to demonstrate
women’s contribution to science I India7 and also to create the much needed
awareness and confidence amongst the public and policy makers that women have
the potential too to harness the power of Science and Technology for shaping the
future of India.
DISCUSSION
The findings reveal that there have definitely been some efforts to recognize
the contribution of Indian women in the scientific field where they have left indelible
mark and helped the nation move forward. Although women are universally
underrepresented in science and technology and India, viewed as a potential
powerhouse of innovations, is no exception, women excel in many a way in scientific
arena. Besides the mentioned major recognitions, the level of recognition of women
scientists is increasing in scientific domains in many different ways also. Indian
women scientists have received the prestigious civilian Padma awards from
Government of India. In recent past, Manju Sharma, past Secretary, DBT’
Government of India received Padmabhusan in 2007, Vijayalakshmi Ravidranath,
founder Director NBRC, Gurgaon received Padmashree in 2010. Professor Asima
Chatterjee, besides being a Bhatnagar awardee, received many honors and awards
including Nagarjuna Prize and Gold Medal; watumull Fellowship,; Bhuban Mohini

Gold Medal; Sir C.V. Raman Awards; Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Gold Medal and most
importantly Padma Bhushan. She was also nominated Rajya Sabha Member during
1982-92. In this context, it is important to mention that presently women scientists
account for 15% of the Research and Development professionals in India. There has
also been an increase from 13 to 31% in women receiving extra mural research
funding.
India, the second most populous country with a population of more than 1.21
billion has about 0.58 billion female citizens, who are relatively young in terms of the
mean age of the population. It could be viewed as a huge untapped talent pool. If
properly harnessed, with recognition and facilitating participation through
motivation and encouragement, it may be expected that the society would
meaningfully gain8. As in some selected areas, intellectual competence Supersedes
physical strength, there is immense scope and urgent need to channelize the diverse
manpower for the development of country. To improve the participation of women,
constituting almost half of the human resource, in science and technology it is
important to empower them with their fundamental rights and transform them to
preferred workers. Women’s participation in science and technology refers to the
extent that women have been able to utilize the tool in capturing the opportunities
ranging from research to highly skilled employment.
CONCLUSION
In the light of the discussion, it may be mentioned that women have been
recognized in India for their contribution in scientific arena, and the level of
recognition is increasing in the twenty first century. It is expected that women will
bring more honor to the country, as there is increased attempt to facilitate their
scientific endeavor. Although the mentioned examples of recognition are inspiring,
there are some real ground level problems hindering the progress of Indian women
in participating in science and nation development process necessitating a look into
the issue.

REFERENCES
1. A. Nayak, V. Patel, B. Koria, I. Kotecha, A. Trivedi, M. P. Singh, NJIRM, 4, 86-
89, 2013.
2. V. Srinivasan, R. George, IIM Bangalore Research Paper No. 427, 2013.
3. G. Bali, Proceedings of Women’s Science Congress, 16-20, 2013.
4. S. C. Pakrashi, Current Science, 92, 1310, 2007.
5. S. Modi, S. Halder, C. Nizak and Y. Krishnan, Nanoscale, 6, 1144-1152, 2014.
6. D. P. Sengupta, Current Science, 78, 1566-1573, 2000.
7. N. Banerjee, S. Chatterjee, S. Mukherjee, Proceedings of Women’s Science
Congress, 92, 2013.
8. M. Tembhre, Proceedings of Women’s Science Congress,61-62, 2013.

CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN AT WORK PLACE AND IN SOCIETY
Bhavna G. Solanki*
*Polytechnic, The M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Abstract
In a male dominated society with an added feature of orthodoxy, women at
the workplace and at social front faces various challenges. These challenges are
much different from those workplaces and social front which are more gender
balance. Such challenges affect very much their self-esteem and at times success in
career also. In this paper, the author explores challenges that women have to face at
the workplace and at the social front also while discharging their duties towards
workplaces, home and family.
Keywords
Working women, work place, challenges
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Women are contributing equally in society for its overall progress. They are
actively participating for social, economic and political progress of the country. But
unfortunately, women are not given importance at their workplaces and at social
level also. At workplaces, women face disfavor and vengeance from their superior
male bosses. It is so ironically, that women are not given proper recognition in
society at large. It is not new to hear, if working women are facing more struggle at
the career due to their family responsibilities. Earlier, Indian women were taking
care of only family responsibilities such as caring old in-laws and raising a child, but
in recent time due to education, awareness, and high cost of living women are
compelled to go out and opt for a career. An orthodox society still dreams that man
is the only bread earning member in the family. But, in recent times women have
started working outside their homes and are having equal share and status in
running the family. Women are making significant gains in the workforce, bridging
pay gaps and becoming c-suite leaders [1]. But, it is just a beginning and women
have to go a long way both socially and economically. In days to come there shall be
a positive attitudinal change in the society.
There are several challenges that a woman has to face both at workplace and
at social front. Sometimes, they are not treated equally in their workplace and are
considered as inferior to their male co-workers [2]. Following are some of the grey

areas that need to be addressed in order to bring women at par with men and to
make their lives more worthy of living.
Poor and Biased Based Infrastructure
Working women, though qualify as the 21st century women, still has to face
various biased and inadequate infrastructural facilities. These facilities are more
specifically needed for those women who are working in industries, consumer
markets and places which calls for changing of their clothes while moving on to the
job. It is seen that either these women don’t have their separate changing rooms or if
at all they have, then they are very small, with no locker facilities. Working women
also have to face the issues of not having proper ‘ladies-room’. Or at times if such
rooms are there, then they are not in the same building/floor and are located at
distant place. Even ladies toilets are not hygienically cleaned. Such issues, which call
for immediate attention, are not addressed as women do not raise such issues in
public or are feeling embarrassed while talking on such aspects which are neglected.
Even separate sitting arrangement for women at the work place is often neglected.
Such issues are not looked from women point of view and thus remain unattended.
The answer to such issues lies in the fact that women must raise their voice against
such issues. It’s time to come out of being shy; being felt embarrassed while
discussing upon these aspects and to fight for their rights.
Expectations to Do Conventional Jobs
Often it is thought that women have to do a stereotype job only. It would not
be a new thing to hear (or to see a TV advertisement) where a woman approaches a
male dominant person in family and asks for taking up new venture. This venture
could be a new field of studies which are generally opted by males or take up new
job such as airplane pilot, astronauts etc. And she gets a reply that such
jobs/professions are not meant for women. A typical orthodox society assumes that
women have a limited arena of jobs that she can do, and that fits here chemistry
(both physically and psychologically).
Unsupportive Behavior of Males towards the Women in Workplace
In a male dominated society where workplace is not an exception, men feel
that they rule the workplace and this so-called self-image of man has been pampered
due to practice followed from the decades. In workplace, where apparently it may
seem that the organization/institution is accommodating a women for new
job/venture, but the fact remains that the males at the workplace often feel insecure
that this calls for very little genuine support. Working men are usually given unfair
advantage in comparison to the working women [3]. Not only this, often it is seen
that women at the workplace has to face (and experience) malevolent and
unsupportive behavior from male colleagues. Attitude of male co-workers is
sometimes really humiliating and biased. It is considered that women are hired just
to add color to the office environment [4]. There are institutions/organizations
where women are not allowed to participate in various decision making meetings/
committees.

Health Related Difficulties of Women Make the Occupation More Male
Dominated
There are areas of work which calls for more labor and hard work. Though
such aspects could not be a reason for neglecting women in those working fields, but
the biological (and physical) creation of women limits their potentials. Such areas of
job become more male dominated. Areas such as mining, construction, night shift
jobs, plant maintenances etc are some areas where the physical attributes of women
become their limitations.
Underestimated Perceptions by Women
Many a times women herself lacks a confidence and competence. It’s not that
she cannot do a particular task/job which is done by males, but a hesitant and
negative self-perception of women makes her approach to such tasks/jobs more
reluctant, and nonetheless she demonstrates a reluctancy to progress into highly
competitive environment.
Maintaining a Balance between Workplace and Family Life
The different roles that women have to play at workplace and at home are
often at conflict. At times, it becomes difficult to balance them both. Being not
married and not having children does not provide any exemption from the
demanding liabilities which they have to discharge both at home (as a family
member) and at workplace. Their prominent role at house and at workplace
becomes difficult to manage at times. The domestic responsibilities limit the growth
of women at workplace when compared to their male colleagues. Finding the time to
grocery shop, clean house, do laundry and cook dinner -- never mind taking care of
the kids -- is difficult even when that's the only job you have. Add a demanding boss,
deadlines and ambition to succeed, and you have a recipe for anxiety that causes
many women to feel overwhelmed and guilty [5]. Thus a woman has to neglect the
aspects of one (workplace progress) in order to focus on another (family life).
Treatment as Family Servants
There are many developing countries where birth of a girl child is considered
as added ‘expense’. There are many parts in India, where there is a tradition to greet
the family to whom a girl is born by saying: The servant of your household has born”.
It is a pathetic condition for a girl when her opportunities are taken back and she is
made to feel that she is second rate.
Dowry
The lesser we say is better. It is more than 60 years of our independence and
still we are not able to come out of this shackles. In developing countries where it is

difficult to have meals for two times a day for poor, the birth of a girl shall prove to
be a monetary drain where dowry is permitted by society.
Abortions
When a girl child is considered to be an added financial burden for a family it
has been seen in many cases that parents themselves ends up the life of the baby girl
child. Sex-selective abortions are even more common than infanticides in India.
Sexual Abuse
Women in every society are vulnerable to abuse. But the threat is more
severe for girls. Mothers who lack their own rights have little protection to offer
their daughters. The frequency of rape and violent attacks against women in the
developing world is alarming [6].
Denial for Education
It is not a new phrase to hear ‘why do you want to go to school…girls have to
learn how to prepare food and take care of kids and family. Girls don’t have to go out
to earn…” These are the common terminologies that a girl child has to hear. Denial of
the education to the girl child is the ‘root cause’ of the gender discrimination.
Conclusion
It is submitted that the above mentioned reasons for discrimination of
women at work place, at social front, and the consequent evils can be eliminated
only through education. Educating the girl child and the society as whole is the only
means to enlightenment. Government has come up with many policies for
upbringing the level of education of the girl child, but its execution is not done
properly. Secondly, various caste systems and religious beliefs also play a vital role
in gender discrimination. Rigid customary beliefs and low income of the family adds
fuel to the fire. Thus, Education is the only means to resolve these issues. It is
submitted that women serving in those organizations/institutions/occupations that
are male dominated often work in such a fragile conditions that do not answer their
specific needs as a women. This happens due to biased culture in the
organization/institution. There are very few organizations/institutions whose
cultures and policies are more supportive towards women. For many organizations
adopt their own policies that try to meet the balance between the needs of women at
such male dominated work places. It is submitted that organizations must come up
with such policies which are female focused and that answers the challenges faced
by women at workplace and even at social front. It’s time for the society to come out
of their biased, dogmatic and orthodox beliefs for the women and society must treat
women with respect, dignity and worthiness.

References
1. Puri R. Women at workplace: 3 unique challenges women face, available at,
https://www.workintelligent.ly/workstyle/work-life-balance/2014-8-1-women-in-
the-workplace/, last accessed on 10th Oct 15
2. Jet H R., Problems faced by Women at Workplace, available at
http://www.jethr.com/magazine/miscellaneous/problems-faced-by-women-at-
workplace/article.html, last accessed on 12th Oct. 15
3. Shine PK, Challenges faced by Women workers, available at
http://www.paycheck.pk/main/career-tips/women-and-work/challenges-faced-by-
women-workers, last accessed on 12th Oct 15
4. Ibid 3.
5. Lisa B., Problems women encounter in workplace, available at,
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/problems-women-encounter-workplace-
15405.html, last accessed at, 11th Oct. 15
6. Julie M. Gender Discrimination. Why is it still so bad and what can you do
about it? Available at, http://childreninneed.com/magazine/gender.html, last
accessed on 13th Oct 15

KEY DELIBERATIONSON
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN 21st CENTURY
Neha Agrawal*, Vandana Parmar+, Priksha Dalal
Atmiya Institute of Technology & Management
Abstract
Women are inseparable part of human society since time immemorial. They
are mother of mankind. Our Vedas tell us that women hold a significant place in our
culture. No ritual is ever complete in absence of a woman.
But now gradually, the things are changing, women are developing and
coming out of their restricted boundaries. They are acquiring equal status with men.
21st century is the century for change. The time has ripen for women irrespective of
caste, color and creed to come together to be the harbinger of change.
We have the number of evidences where we can see great women leading the
various fields viz: Indra Nooyi, Merissa Mayer, Neeta Ambani and many more. Even
politics cannot be ignored where great political leaders like Indira Gandhi, Menka
Gandhi, Kiran Bedi and many such more have created or are creating history by their
hard work.
Yet, in 21st century, women are still facing many hurdles like gender
discrimination; lack of societal support; lack of freedom; physical harassment;
inequality in education and politics and so on.
Thus, to uplift women, the whole world needs to support her. When such a
day will come where everyone will support her, women will be touching greater
heights.
Our well design review and deliberations explore that the present situation of
the women indeed needs to be changed and this change is inevitable not only for the
upliftment of the women but also for the country. Because what a man can do, can
better be done by a woman. Women have the power to lead the whole country.
Thus, our research paper says the same thing that in spite of the women
being awakened there is a need for the awareness of the society to support a woman
move further and develop. The research paper also says how a woman can overcome
the various challenges coming in her way and convert them into opportunity. Thus
our research paper talks about the various opportunities for a woman in this
developing economy.
Keywords
Women, 21st century Opportunities and Challenges, Discrimination
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Since ages there has been discrimination between men and women on the
grounds of gender. If we look back into the past, women were highly discriminated
on various grounds. The question is how all these began. The answer lies in the past.
Man took the role of main earner of the family while woman “a nurturer”. Men were

physically strong while women inherently. Over the period, men started believing
that they are superior to women and can dominate the women and physically feeble
women accepted this.
Background
Women now-a-days are using the new secretarial services on demand, the
Internet, mobile phones, software programs that facilitate administration, answering
machines which are supporting them to work for themselves. They do not favour
hierarchical and rigid systems that come with fixed working conditions.
Management trainers tell us that working outside of an office environment allows for
creativity to flourish, and this may be the most valuable advantage of working
flexibly and outside a fixed office structure. (Alkistis A. (ID 704) (Women In
Business) [1]
There was another research, conducted by International Research Centre for
Research on Women on Intel Teach. The research paper says that how a company
can contribute for the empowerment of the women in today’s digital world. As per
this research paper, female teachers and students are gaining these vital benefits
through Intel Teach’s combination of student-centered, project-based, inquiry-
driven pedagogy and its incorporation of technologies into the learning process. It
also mentioned that how others like Governments, corporations, and organizations
committed to advancing the world’s women and girls through education and
technology can benefit from—as well as build on—Intel’s experience. (Allison M.
Glinski, Ellen Weiss & Adithi Shetty, with Gillian Gaynair 2013) [2]
One of the paper in the IOSR Journal of Business and Management talks about
a few challenges faced by women that are hindering them to avail their rights. The
paper held Poverty, Education, Health and Safety, Morality Inequality, Professional
Inequality and Household Inequality. (Dr. (Smt.) Rajeshwari M. Shettar 2015) [3]
Provide broad definitions and discussions of the topic and incorporate views
of others (literature review) into the discussion to support, refute or demonstrate
your position on the topic.
Issues of 21st century
Women are the most underutilized natural resource
of the universe. This is because they are not given the equal
space and the freedom to uplift themselves and to
contribute their part in the development of the country.
They have always been criticized and under estimated on
various grounds.
Sexual Exploitation
Number of laws have been framed in legislation in favor of women like The
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND

REDRESSAL) Act, 2013, The immoral
Trafficke (PREVENTION ) Act, 1956, The
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, number of
reservations have been meant for women
like 33 per cent seats in the Lower house
of Parliament of India, The Lok Sabha and all
State Legislative Assemblies, 50% seats in
Panchayati Raj but the question is how
many of them are actually implemented
effectively. Are the women actually made
aware of all these laws? And the answer will be No. There is no strictness in the
application of all such laws meant for the protection of the women. How a woman
will develop if the law will not help and protect her, to whom will she go if the law is
not serious about their rights? Such laws are useless if are not implemented.
The cases of sexual harassment have augmented to that extent that a 9 month
old baby was even not spared by the beastly behavior of the world who was raped
by her own father. Fathers are the first hero of the daughters but now they are
becoming the villains of the society. When the protector himself becomes the life
taker whom can a girl depend on or trust on. The numbers of such rape cases are
increasing day by day where the women are not only being raped by the cruel
rapists but are also being killed then after so that they cannot identify the rapists.
The things don’t get finished here, fathers are not just harassing their daughters but
are also selling them for the same so that they can earn handsome money to fulfil
their self-interested desires. There are many cases of women trafficking where
women are being trafficked for sexual exploitation and for commercial purposes.
According to one NGO about 12000 to 15000 girls each year are sold from Nepal to
India brothels and extorted to become prostitutes. Recently the result of Nirbhaya
case that occurred in 2012 came out where the victim was being brutally raped and
killed by 6 persons. Out of these 6 culprits, one committed a suicide, one was minor
who was sent to the observation center earlier and now has been allotted with bail
and the remaining 4 were sentenced to death. This is the story of everywhere.
Discrimination at Work
If we talk about the corporate sector, they also
don’t lack behind in gender discrimination at work in
the ways like unequal pay to the women, position
biases, jobs according to the gender, underestimation
of the women. One of the example here we would like
to cite is of the Walmart stores where Betty Dukes, a
54 year old worker in California was denied to have
training to advance for a higher salaried employee.
Also there were some cases of unequal pay and
promotional discrimination on the gender basis.
Here we would like to cite an example of how
corporate can encourage activities to avoid
discrimination at work.

There is a company situated at Samakhayali (Kutch) and Morbi (Rajkot)
which gave employment to more than 6000 employees. It was earlier known as a
clock manufacturing company and it was later
known as Ajanta Quartz. They recruited the
women who graduated in recent years and
provided them required training which was
required to fulfil their task as well as gave a
sense of self dependency to the women
employees. They were hired for the clock
manufacturing. Not even this, the women also
help each other in involving with the new
activities and favored too in each other social work. Hence, we can say that women
are doing their best in making themselves more productive and self-determined.
Education
Even in educational field, there are people who still don’t acknowledge
education as essential element for their girl child. They don’t understand that by
educating a girl they can build her life, reshape the society, and bring tremendous
change towards the development of our nation. Women are still considered a burden
by many parents. The investment on education for a girl child is considered to be a
cost. And many are such that if they give education they don't give them the liberty
to move ahead and build their career and are compelled to marry. So education wise
also they are discriminated. We have a great example in this reference of Mary Kom.
When her father came to know about her interest in boxing, he didn't acknowledge
her initially. Why just because it is believed that boxing is meant for men and not for
women.
Also in politics there are only a few instances of a lady holding a leading
position. This is because earlier women were not having the courage to raise their
voice and when they started to do so, the society, their own family; friends humiliate
them, discourage them, demotivate them and pull her down rather than supporting
them.
So this is the real picture of 21st century women.
Opportunities in 21st Century
However, despite of all the challenges today there are many women who have
started to come out of their shells and take a stand for their selves and meet the
dreams they wanted to meet and in the way they wanted. Women are no more a
burden for their parents. They are no more that feeble, fearful turtle who always
used to stay in their shell to be safe. They have started to become independent. They
have begun to create their own image rather than always being recognized as a wife
or a daughter of someone. Now, nobody has courage to dominate them because if
women can become sweeter than ever they can even become the bitterest as ever.
Laws
Several laws have been implemented like for sexual harassment, the
government came with anti-rape act, sexual harassment at the workplace act (2013),

protection of children from sexual offences act (2012) and many others sections are
implemented against the dowry system too.
According to System of National Accounts (SNA) activities, in today’s world,
the women are equivalently participating and managing both the professional and
personal life. Women like Neeta Ambani, Dr. Chandra Koccher, Sudha Murthy etc. are
prominent examples for us. According to U.S department of commerce, economics
and statistics administration, approximately 11% of the females have their sales
business and 13% of employment among privately held companies.
Women are not lacking behind in any of the sector whether it is corporate
sector or technological. Women like Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams are
conspicuous personalities for their contribution. Such women are the spark for the
feeble women.
There is a beautiful saying about women, “If we educate one girl, she is
plentiful to educate the whole family.”
Education
Earlier the women were not aware about the need and significance of
education in their life. But now, the scenario has transformed. Education is the
milestone of women empowerment because it enables them to responds to the
challenges, to confront their traditional role & change their life.
Women are focusing on reshaping their careers in various fields, emerging
with innovative and creative ideas. They are quite aware of their rights such as right
to education, such as girl like Malala Yousafzai. Our government is also putting step
forward for shaping the women future in education sector by opting programme
such as digital education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan . Our HRD Minister
Smriti Irani had also taken incentive to encourage
women to be independent and self-employed. Women
education in India has also been a major preoccupation
of both the government and civil society as educated
women can play a very important role in the
development of the country.
Politics
In 21st century, women are being elected as the head of state as well as
central government. The government is including reservation seats in electoral
system to the women. If we say contributors toward our country from female
politicians, we can implicate examples like Kiran Bedi, Prathibha Patil, Sushma
Swaraj, Indira Gandhi, Anandiben Patel; these women are proactivist and have
played the prominent role for the upliftment of the society. Women are also famous
for different arts like singing, dancing, acting, designing, sports.
Representation of women leaders at the grassroots level in India is nearly
50%, especially since the passing of the 73rd amendment of 1992, which allotted
one-third of all seats to women. The panchayati raj, that bedrock of rural
government, has fostered more and more women participants and leaders. (A
panchayat is a five-person elected village council.) Some states like karanataka had

inducted women into rural politics even before it was mandated by the Constitution.
Several states including Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand
have allotted not just 33% of seats for women but has increased it to 50%.
“Women are the Lakshmi for their family.” They enlighten two families.
Today, a woman can endurably play their roles. The woman, who is successful today,
have climb a mountain of many wreckage of beliefs and become self-reliant. They
have diverse bag of skills to be a leader in all the area where they are working.
In 21st century, not only at national level but also at the international level,
women are amplifying in all the area. The government is taking many steps related
to women empowerment but, government initiatives alone would not be sufficient to
achieve this goal. Society must take initiative to create a climate in which there is no
gender discrimination and women have full opportunities of self decision making
and participating in social, political and economic life of the country with a sense of
equality.
“When a woman moves forward, the family moves, the village moves and the
nation moves”.
Conclusion
At the end of this paper, we can conclude
saying that there needs to be a sea – change in
the mindset of the people in the country. Not
just the women themselves, but the men have
to wake up to wake up to a world that is
moving towards equality and equity. It is better
that this is embraced earlier than later for our
own good.
There are several Government
programmes and NGOs in the Country, there is still a wide gap that exists
between those under protection and those not.
Development of Women could only be happened if their economic and
social status is improved. This could be possible only by adopting definite
social and economic policies with a view of total development of women and
to make them realize that they have the potential to be strong human beings.
Moreover there are many places across the world where women are
unaware about their rights that can be told to them.
Thus, to create a sustainable world, we must begin to Empower
Women.

References
1. Alkistis A. (ID 704) nd. Challenges and opportunities in the new economy.
Women in Business.
2. Allison M. Glinski, Ellen Weiss & Adithi Shetty, with Gillian Gaynair 2013.
Preparing Girls and Women for 21st Century Success: Intel® Teach Findings.
International Center for Research on Women. (11)
3. Dr. (Smt.) Rajeshwari M. Shettar 2015. A Study on Issues and Challenges of
Women Empowerment in India IOSR Journal of Business and Management
(IOSR-JBM)
4. Vipul Pandey nd. Essay on Women in Indian Politics. (Civil Service India)
5. US Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration for the
White House Councils for Women and Girls 2010. Women Owned Businesses
in 21st Century.
6. http://creative.sulekha.com/women-in-the-21st-century_333374_blog
7. http://study.com/academy/lesson/feminism-in-the-19th-century-womens-
rights-roles-and-limits.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Reservation_Bill
9. http://ncw.nic.in/frmllawsrelatedtowomen.aspx
10. http://thediplomat.com/2014/02/women-and-girls-a-commodity-human-
trafficking-in-nepal/
11. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-examples-of-gender-bias-
you-may-encounter-in-the-workplace/
12. www.unstats.un.org
13. www.oreva.com/company profile.php
14. economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/special-report/women-rule-at-
ajanta-clock-manufacturing-in-rajkot/article-show/5652839.cms
15. http://www.expertbase.org/a299-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-new-
economy-
16. http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Essay/women-in-indian-
politics.html

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FACED BY WOMEN IN 21ST
CENTURY
Khyati a. Patadia*
*Atmiya institute of science & technology, India
ABSTRACT
Focuses on the opportunities and challenges facing women managers in
corporate India, against the backdrop of a worldwide trend aimed at reducing the
gender gap. We can now see women in almost every field: architecture, lawyers,
financial services, engineering, medical and IT jobs. They have also entered service
occupations such as a nurse, a beautician, a sales worker, a waitress, etc. They are
increasingly and gradually seen marching into domains which were previously
reserved for males i.e., police, driver’s army, pilots, chartered accountants,
commandos, etc. In spite of their increasing number in every field, women still
remain perhaps the world’s most underutilized resources. Many are still excluded
from paid work and many do not make best use of their skills. The rapid pace of
economic development has increased the demand for educated female labor force
almost in all fields. Women are earning as much as their husbands do, their
employment nonetheless adds substantially to family and gives family an economic
advantage over the family with only one breadwinner.
KEY WORDS
Women Entrepreneur, Education, Work Life Balance, etc.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
For centuries women were not treated equal to men in many ways. They were not
allowed to own property, they did not have a Share in the property of their parents,
they had no voting rights, they had no freedom to choose their work or job and so on.
Now that we have come out of those dark days of oppression of women there is a
need for strong movement to fight for the rights of women and to ensure that they
get all the rights which men have or in other words a movement for the
Empowerment of Women. The present paper has been planned with a view to

discuss the various issues related to the Empowerment of Women and to suggest
measures for achieving this end.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Delgado and Canabal (2006) Women still perform majority of the care giving role
and juggling of work in the family. Gender is seen as a significant determinant of
negative job spill-over because employed women are expected to carry out the
responsibility for family services and still be able to smoothly handle their work
roles.
Ming (2007) “examined the relationship of self-efficacy, work family conflict, social
support, gender role attitude, role model and career aspiration to top management
among women in middle management at the manufacturing line.
Ronald J. Burke, Mustafa Koyuncu and Lisa Fiksenbaum (2010) examined the
relationship of the perceived presence of organizational practices designed to
support women’s career advancement and their work attitudes and satisfaction and
their psychological well-being.
Sophia J. Ali (2011) “investigated the challenges facing women in career
development. She found that most of the women employees were dissatisfied with
career development programmers and women were discriminated against in career
development opportunities. The study recommended that organizations should
strive to ensure that career development programmers were set to enhance career
development amongst women employees. Top management should also be
committed to the career development of women, and organizations should also
introduce affirmative action to urgently address career development of women.”
(A) CHALLENGES FACED BY THE WOMEN
Problems of Women Entrepreneurs:
There are umpteen problems faced by women at various stages beginning from
their initial commencement of enterprise, in running their enterprise. Their various
problems are Patriarchal Society, Absence of Entrepreneurial Aptitude, and Quality
of EDPs.
Women as an Engineer:
Every profession wants to attract top-quality graduates. Data suggests that
women are capable of entering engineering but are not choosing. Increasing the

number of women entering and remaining in the profession will help the economy
growth and development. Thus, increasing the involvement of women in the
engineering profession will help to ensure the profession remains relevant and
representative of the society it serves. It may help increase the competitiveness of
the profession.
Problems of Female Education:
Social reformers and social thinkers believe that in a nation like India giving
education to women in as large a number as possible can prove to be a panacea for
many of the problems of women. Accordingly, much attention is paid to the
education of women after independence. The female literacy level is also increasing
steadily. It has increased from 18.7% in 1971 to 39.42% in 1991 and to 64% in 2001.
In spite of this change in the trend towards literacy, some problem has cropped up.
We find glaring differences between the level of education of men and women. For
example,
(I) It is found that girls are being discouraged to go for higher education and
also for professional and technical education.
(II) There are regional imbalances also. In states like Kerala, Karnataka and
Maharashtra, female education is encouraged and given almost equal
importance. Whereas in states like Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh etc.
education of girls is neglected even today.
DECLINE IN THE FEMALE POPULATION
Normally, in the population of any country, male- female ratio remains more or
less the same, that is, 50:50. In India as the census reports reveal female population
has been steadily declining ever since 1901. The male preference has led to the
abuse of technology. Thousands of “unwanted female” children are killed at the stage
of fetus itself. It is said that in India, out of 12 million female children born every
year, around 25% of them die before they attain the age of 15. Of the children who
die every year, about 3 lakh female children, that is, more than the number of male
children, die for one or the other reason. Of the children which die every year in
India, the 6th child dies due to gender discrimination.
Discrimination at Workplace
However, Indian women still face blatant discrimination at their workplaces. A
major problem faced by the working women is sexual harassment at the work place.

Further, women employees working in night shift are more vulnerable to such
incidents. Nurses, for example, face this problem nearly every day. There is nothing
that is done in hospitals to tackle and address the danger they face. Such blatant
disregard of current Indian laws is one reason why sexual harassment at the
workplace continues to increase.
Safety of Working Women While Traveling
Typically, the orthodox mindset in the Indian society makes it difficult for a
working woman to balance her domestic environment with the professional life. In
some families, it may not be acceptable to work after six o’clock. Those families that
do accept these working hours may experience considerable anxiety every day about
a woman’s safety while traveling. So many issues affect a working woman because
she is closely protected or watched by her family and the society.
WORK/LIFE IMBALANCE
For women, work doesn’t stop when they leave the office. They’re often
responsible for a number of responsibilities that have historically been associated
with women — childcare, household chores and the like. And it can be exhausting. At
the end of the day, it’s hard for women to feel like they can go home and completely
relax. After working long hours, they often are expected to spend long hours
cleaning.
(B) OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN
ADVOCATE
A career in Legal field is nowadays very much preferred by women. An advocate's
job demands integrity, hard work, extensive reading, memorizing capacity and
excellent negotiating and convincing skills. For a woman, the job of an advocate gives
her respect, recognition and an esteemed social status. In this profession one needs
to be very dedicated, working, and intelligent, have a great memory and be patient
because in it takes some years to be established. Only rigorous practice and
experience makes the study worthwhile.
JOURNALISM
Journalism is a very challenging and adventurous profession. In the recent years,
with the advent of private channels, and Internet, the scope of journalism has
increased manifold. Reporters, copywriters, freelancers, experts and columnist are
various career profile where one can focus while opting for a career in Journalism. A
splendor in writing, excellent command over the language, and lavish and rich
expression of ideas are very important in Journalism. Your reporting should be
unbiased and appealing to the readers. You should be able to captivate the minds of

the readers and have a tremendous convincing power. Complete dedication and
patience is equally important
FASHION DESIGNER
Fashion is an important aspect of our life style. For today's modern Indian woman
who is smart, career-minded, professional, independent and successful. Fashion is an
important part and parcel of life. Fashion designing involves serious work. You have
to be a dreamer and you should be able to bring your dream into reality. Thus if you
are the kind of a person who takes interest in fads and trends of the society, a career
in fashion designing is for you.
BEAUTICIAN
By the day-to-day increasing awareness of beauty and fitness, women are more
and more being attracted to this field. Women today are more concerned about their
looks and appearances and thus those who are looking for a full-fledge and
rewarding career in cosmetology, can take up beauty courses. This field is effectively
equipped with both institutes imparting training in beauty therapy and beauty
parlors, which also run training programs for the aspiring candidates.
ADVERTISING
An ad captivates the minds of the consumers and also create a reliable image of
the product in the consumer's mind. It also informs the public about numerous
social, health and civic issues. Today, careers in advertising have seen an
unprecedented rise and more and more young girls opt for this career.
CONCLUSION:
It can be concluded that:-
Professional women feel isolated and burdened by the simultaneous demands of
their new aspirations on one side and the traditional way of life on the other. Women
are discriminated against in all walks of life. They are subjugated, dominated and
exploited both at work places and home. Women are generally unable to give proper
and quality time to households, kids and family. They generally face problems like
workplace sexual harassment, mental pressure, and safety issues. Females are also
highly judgmental about other female colleagues and try to put one at any given
opportunity. They also face problems like leaving kids at home and going to office
early in the morning. Child rearing problems are always faced by working women.
People make particular perception or draw conclusion about characters of working
women. The social system cannot accept the new roles of women who end up feeling
misunderstood and distressed.

REFERENCES
1. Karat, B. (1997). The Multiple Struggles of Women. Frontline, 14(19).
2. Majumdar, M. (2004). Social status of women in India. New Delhi: Dominant
Publishers and Distributors.
3. Karat, B. (2005). Survival and emancipation: notes from Indian women's
struggles. Three Essays Collective.
4. Shyamalie, H. W., & Saini, A. S. (2011). Socio-economic Status and Livelihood
Security of Women in the Hills of India and Sri Lanka. New Delhi: Read worthy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my guide Prof. Alpesh Joshi for his expert guidance and
uplifting inspiration, continuous support and cooperation throughout my project
without which the present work would not have been possible. In spite of his busy
schedule and overwhelming responsibilities, he always extended full attention,
patient hearing and complete support to me, without which the present work could
not have come to light. For his keen interest, valuable discussion, constructive
criticism, timely advice and able guidance, it has been possible on my part to plan,
review and give shape to my dissertation work.
This research paper has been a great learning experience for me and I would like to
express my gratitude towards all the people who have guided me throughout and
without whose guidance and support this project would not have been completed
successfully.

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN 21ST CENTURY
Prof. Sanjay Shah*, Prof. Vipul Dabhi†, Prof. Deven Trivedi+
*,†,+Madhuben & Bhanubhai Patel women’s engineering college for information and
communication (MBICT), Anand, Gujarat, India
Abstract
It is firmly convinced that it is women in the main that understand the need
for a civil society. It is women that through our nurturing, strength and endurance
provide the basis for civil society to bloom, and in this troubled world. It is a sign I
believe, that our country is beginning to grow up. A physical representation that
women in my country know it is no longer sustainable to keep Indigenous people at
the margin of life and society. It is a sign that the practice of truth telling is crucial in
the maturation of a nation.
Keywords
Women empowerment, challenges, Opportunities
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
In today world, we are called to recognize and welcome women and men as
full partners on the journey towards a just world order where no one will be
excluded. The Decade has provided an opportunity for women and men of faith to be
in solidarity with all women in society, to overcome the years of oppression that
millions of the women in our world daily experience. The church is called to
conversion so as to stand in active solidarity with all women. This calls for a
sometimes radical reordering of aspects of the life of the church, rooted in a
reinterpretation and reconstruction of those practices and teachings that
discriminate against women. As we move beyond the Ecumenical Decade and into
the 21st century, we bring to the churches the following challenges, which have been
identified by women for action:Recognizing the context of growing globalization of
economies and the concurrent liberalization of markets, individualization and cuts in
social services/welfare, and the fact that women (and children too) are the most
directly affected by these trends, we call on the churches and the ecumenical
movement to speak out clearly about these trends which exclude whole nations and
peoples demand a cancellation of internal and external debts of the poorest nations,
as part of the Jubilee challenge, and to take steps to ensure that the resources so
saved are used to improve the quality of life of the poor, especially women and
children work for changes in laws that exclude women from property and other

rights promote demilitarization and challenge the links between militarization, the
arms trade and global economic institutions establish specific programmes/desks in
all churches for economic issues include intentionally gender perspectives in
analysis and study in order to prepare women for leadership, establish more
scholarships for them ensure equal salaries for women and men in church
institutions and structures break the link between the exploitation of the earth and
economic growth, and share the responsibility for the care of the earth and all of
creation.
Background
Women must become literate, as education is beneficial for them as well as
their families. The family web is woven around the women. The status of women
would improve only if they educate themselves and grab every opportunity to
become stronger and more powerful than before. The discussion brings a major
conclusion to light-the status of women could be improved by women themselves
and nobody else. It is the modern era of satellites, achievements and technology-
based gadget. Why should women be left behind? There should be a better and fuller
understanding of the problems peculiar to woman, to make a solution of those
problems possible. As these problems center round the basic problem of inequality,
steps should be taken to promote equality of treatment and full integration of
woman in the total development effort of the country. Women will have to empower
themselves µfrom below in order to compel the government to empower them from
above Further, there is a need for a change of values and behavior in the society, a
need for positive socio-cultural and economic empowerment and above all the will
power and strong determination of women to join politics. Education can play a vital
role in bringing about the desirable behavioral changes among the women and make
them well equipped in terms of knowledge, competence and capacity to deal with
different political problems. It may be concluded that women have shifted traditional
assumptions about their roles and capabilities. There has been a marked change, and
it has been for the better. Many of its benefits however have yet to touch the
majority and all of us continue to experience various forms of gender discrimination.
If laws designed to address the concerns of women are to have a dramatic and
positive impact on women’s lives, they must be sensitive to the social, economic and
political disempowerment of women throughout the world. The most important
measure of their success should be the extent to which they enable woman to
interpret, apply and enforce laws of their own making, incorporating their own
voices, values and concerns.
Main Thrust of the Paper
The main stress should be on equal work and elimination of discrimination in
employment. One of the basic policy objectives should be universal education of
woman, the lack of which tends to perpetuate the unequal status.Recognizing the
context of growing globalization of economies and the concurrent liberalization of
markets, individualization and cuts in social services/welfare, and the fact that

women (and children too) are the most directly affected by these trends, we call on
the churches and the ecumenical movement to speak out clearly about these trends
which exclude whole nations and peoples demand a cancellation of internal and
external debts of the poorest nations, as part of the Jubilee challenge, and to take
steps to ensure that the resources so saved are used to improve the quality of life of
the poor, especially women and children work for changes in laws that exclude
women from property and other rights; promote demilitarization and challenge the
links between militarization, the arms trade and global economic institutions;
establish specific programmes/desks in all churches for economic issues; include
intentionally gender perspectives in analysis and study in order to prepare women
for leadership, establish more scholarships for them ensure equal salaries for
women and men in church institutions and structures break the link between the
exploitation of the earth and economic growth, and share the responsibility for the
care of the earth and all of creation. Participation of all its members is an ethical
imperative for the church. To this end we call on the churches to provide more
theological training opportunities for women. Include in theological
education/courses the theological voices and contributions of women and other
socially excluded groups look again at the liturgical life and ministry of the church in
order to incorporate the experiences and spiritual gifts of women develop gender
policies for all churches and organizations provide gender sensitivity training for all
male and female clergy and leaders of the churches and church-run institutions, at
all levels of administration of the churches and ecumenical organizations;
Recognizing that new forms of racism and ethnic tensions are emerging in all parts
of the world, and that racism and xenophobia have links with economic exploitation,
cultural justifications and exclusion of millions in our world, we call on the churches
and the ecumenical movement to strengthen where present, and initiate where non-
existent, programmers that tackle racism and xenophobia, including within them a
strong educational component develop a new inclusive vocabulary and a new
analysis of racism and xenophobia, taking into account that it exists even within the
life of the churches, and that sometimes the language of liturgy and theology and the
images and symbols we use in the churches reinforce racial prejudices develop new
ways of celebrating the diversity and differences among us as God’s gift to the world
and develop educational instruments to strengthen this vision provide a strong voice
of solidarity with Indigenous peoples all over the world and support the women of
Indigenous communities in their struggles for dignity, sovereignty and land rights
strengthen and support the SISTERS (Sisters in Struggle to Eliminate Racism and
Sexism) network at the regional and national level and involve all church women’s
networks in doing this. Recognizing the increasing violence in our societies and
particularly the violence against women, we call on the churches to denounce the
various forms of violence, culturally sanctioned or not, against women inside and
outside the church. We call on the church to declare that violence against women is a
sin. We urge them to take the side of the victim instead of protecting the aggressor,
and to offer pastoral counselling that targets a concrete improvement in the
survivor’s life situation instead of simply preaching patience, silence and submission.
To this end we call on the churches to deconstruct the often used theological
explanations and justifications of violence provide the space and atmosphere for

open discussions on human sexuality and affirm the right of women to make
responsible sexual choices find ways to expose cases of clergy sexual abuse and
abuse by other congregational members, and use appropriate administrative
decision making processes which include the active presence of women, to deal with
the perpetrators and survivors of violence develop pastoral care for victims and
congregations where clergy sexual abuse takes place develop disciplinary as well as
pastoral responses to abusers focus education in congregations on male violence and
male sexuality and encourage the formation of men’s groups to discuss these issues
recognize violence against women as human rights violations and affirm the new
definitions of human rights that women bring, based on their experiences of violence
in their own contexts denounce the rape of women and girls in any circumstances
including the use of rape as a weapon of war and to challenge governments.
Conclusion
By this paper we can conclude that we must encourage and empower women
for all aspects in society.
References
1. Purvis, "Women's History Today," History Today, Nov 2004, Vol. 54 Issue 11,
pp 40-42
2. Norton, Alexander, Block, Mary Beth, Ruth M., Sharon (2014). Major Problems
in American Women's History. Stanford, Connecticut: CENGAGE Learning.
p. 1. ISBN 978-1-133-95599-3.
3. Maria Bucor, "An Archipelago of Stories: Gender History in Eastern
Europe," American Historical Review, Dec 2008, Vol. 113 Issue 5, pp 1375-
1389
4. Andrea Petö and Judith Szapor, "The State of Women's and Gender History in
Eastern Europe: The Case of Hungary," Journal of Women's History, Spring
2007, Vol. 19 Issue 1, pp 160-166
5. Françoise Thébaud, "Writing Women's and Gender History in France: A
National Narrative?" Journal of Women's History, Spring 2007, Vol. 19 Issue
1, pp 167-172.

WOMEN SCENARIO-CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN
IN 21ST CENTURY
Prin. Dr. Yogeshkumar Pathak*
*Government Arts College, Kotdasangani. Dist. Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Abstract:
The present status of women is no different than that of the Vedic ideals
transferred over times. There are warriors, politicians, writers, scientists,
astronauts, administrators, teachers who perfectly render their job while outdoing a
male compatriot. At the same time masculinity devoid of union with felinity is
incomplete in society. It is not out of context to consider Ms. Suzanne Brogger’s
opinion. It is in her words – “If a woman can only succeeded by emulating men, I think
it is a great loss and not a success. The aim is not only for a woman to succeed, but to
keep her womanhood and let her womanhood influence society” Three interrelated
principles guide the positive involvement of men in gender issues: men’s
involvement must have a pro-feminist purpose, interventions must be sensitive to
diversities among men, and we must acknowledge and support men’s positive
contributions. The new divine feminine is modern woman’s way of connecting to
ancient ways of being a woman. Personally as a woman I feel, both women and men
needs to get empowered in their own way as they are equally to be respected and to
be valued as a human. The status of women would improve only if they educate
themselves and grab every opportunity to become stronger and more powerful than
before.
Keywords: Status of women- Vedic ideals- Positive contributions- Opportunity-
Personally as a woman.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Women Scenario-Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century
International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900′s, a time of
great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming
population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. We do have female astronauts
and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work
and have a family, women have real choices. With more women in the boardroom,
greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s
visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that
women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not
paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal
numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the
violence against them is worse than that of men. The United States even designates
the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’. The divinity and value of a
woman. What does it mean when you see a man get down on his knee, get out his

ring, and propose to a woman? It means that in that act the man recognizes your
supreme value. For a man to get down on his knee, with honor and respect, indicates
that you are so valuable. He wants you to come to him; he wants you to give yourself
to him, so he will act in a way to make you give yourself. But a man should never
“have you” just to have you! He’s got to be worthy of you, or he’s not worth having
you! And there is hardly a man out here today that’s worthy of you giving away
yourself to him. Culture is the back bone of any civilized country. Customs, behavior
etc., ordain the very culture. Indian culture is one of the most ancient that has been
accepted by all historians and scholars of all streams. Even centuries ago, mother
India had witnessed all material and philosophical prosperity in a continuous flux.
The status of womanhood reached its pinnacle in vedic times for which extant
sanskrit literature is the evidence (11).
Swami Vivekananda said, “In India the mother is the centre of the family and our
highest ideal. She is to us the representative of God, as God is the mother of the
Universe. It was a female sage who first found the unity of God, and laid down this
doctrine in one of the first hymns of the vedas. Our God is both personal and absolute;
the absolute is male, the personal, female. And thus it comes that we now say: The first
manifestation of God is the hand that rocks the cradle”. In Sanskrit treatises, two
prominent aspects of respect to women as mother and wife are glorified. This entire
world is the union of prakrti and purusha according to Samkhya school that stood on
the edifice of vedic scriptures (11) (12). Prakrti is the feminine energy and the
Purusha is the masculine form of a single absolute entity. ‘The salvation and progress
of any country depends on its women‘.The Role of Women in Familyyatra nāryastu
pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ,yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyā. A
marriage is always of respect, and is not just for lust, it is family building, providing a
happy, safe trusting environment, where both husband and wife have to be happy to
complete the picture. If the husband is called pati-parameshavara i.e. “husband is
ultimate god”, then the wife is also called gṛiha-lakṣhmī i.e. “prosperity of the
home”. Only a balanced, respectful relationship will give any meaning to it. All
individuals inherently possesses male and female attributes, otherwise there is no
balance in the society. A married woman is as revered as one’s own mother, since
mother is the incarnated form of the supreme self. There might be a belief that ‘male
dominated society did not encourage the woman writers in Indian context.’ In the
medieval period, Buddhism duly encouraged women to write the Vinaya
Pithakasand Sutta Pithakas in Pali language. But this itself is not the cause of
emergence of women writers in India. Sri Sankaracharya (8th AD) when visited the
city of Mahishmati to debate with a great scholar Mandana Mishra, he enquires
about his house address with some women carrying water. They guide him by
replying in a poetic way in Sanskrit.
Also, Ubhaya Bharati, the wife of Mandana Mishra is a great scholar in Sanskrit
and philosophy, who could not be defeated in debate by Sankaracharya
“The divine are extremely happy where women are respected;
where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless”
What principles then should inform efforts to engage men in gender-related
policies and practices? Three interrelated principles guide the positive involvement
of men in gender issues: men’s involvement must have a pro-feminist purpose,

interventions must be sensitive to diversities among men, and we must acknowledge
and support men’s positive contributions. In addition, to be effective, the
interventions chosen must be culturally appropriate and theoretically
informed while it is important to understand these three principles for male
involvement in gender-related work, it is equally important to be able to translate
them into effective interventions.
It is clear, for example, that effective interventions must be culturally
appropriate—they must be grounded in the realities of men’s lives and relations and
local gender cultures. There is no doubt that involving men in efforts toward gender
equality has the potential to greatly enhance the impact and reach of this work, but
whether it does so or not will depend on the play of political and cultural forces. Still,
building a gender-just world will bring benefits to both women and men, and the
reconstruction of gender relations will require their shared commitment and
involvement
Feel and Experience the Challenge to Survive the Practical Real Life
No woman is ordinary. We are each a unique expression of the feminine.
Each one of us, male and female, carries within our psyche both Divine Masculine
and Divine Feminine archetype energies. From these archetypal energies come all
our conscious thoughts, plans, desires, goals and agendas. These energies intertwine
and cooperate to produce a uniquely personal expression and experience of life. The
new divine feminine is modern woman’s way of connecting to ancient ways of being
a woman. Personally as a woman I feel, both women and men needs to get
empowered in their own way as they are equally to be respected and to be valued as
a human. The status of women would improve only if they educate themselves and
grab every opportunity to become stronger and more powerful than before. It’s the
totality speaks not either women alone or men alone as critical half. In this context,
the significant details to be practiced which is a real challenge in this fast paced life
of 21st century by the human with all his/her divinity should be as follows:
1. Update your consciousness, clarity, freedom, courage and discipline.
2. Free yourself from false beliefs and assumptions.
3. Uproot dysfunctional patterns of thinking, feeling & behaving.
4. Relinquish guilt, shame, blame, victim consciousness & co-dependence.
5. Communicate & navigate through your experience in a meaningful way.
6. Learn from your life and step forward.
7. Increase your state of awareness.
8. Become more fulfilled & on-purpose in your daily life.
Much of humanity has lost connection with our feminine qualities. There is a deep
disconnection with the Earth, with our bodies, and with the very essence of life. And
as a result, for many people, life has lost its deeper sense of soul purpose or meaning.
When we are starved of this connection, we quite literally wither and dry up inside.
We can feel isolated and alone. As a result, there is a deep healing needed for our
collective planetary soul. And we are called to now offer a place where we can come
together in sacred space and undertake a soul retrieval of the feminine, both for
ourselves and our larger community. In doing so, we have an opportunity to

reconnect with the ancient feminine wisdom that lives both inside our bodies and in
the layers of the collective unconscious.
In developing increased awareness, you get more in touch with your relationships,
your finances, and your creative expression. As you become more aware, more at
peace, you develop more confidence, which automatically brings out your skills. The
time is changing, not to create a world of inequality, but to express balance, hope,
wisdom, and the unique gifts that both men and women share with one another and
with the world. Women today tap into ancient feminine energy — making it their
own. To safeguard your own freedom, divinity and strength, you need to have a
strong sense of yourself, one has to be confident, have a clear vision, take efforts, do
workouts, because if you don’t; you will get distracted by other people’s perceptions.
References
1. Bhuyan, D. D. (2006, January). Empowerment of Indian Women: A Challenge
of 21st Century. Orissa, India.
2. Parikh, B. K. (2005, August). Reflection of Indian Women in Entrepreneurial
World, Ahmadabad, India

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN 21ST CENTURY
Utpal R Mahitcha*, Beena Sujit†
*Lecturer in Electrical Engg.,Tolani F G Polytechnic, Adipur(India)
†Lecturer in CACD&DM., Tolani F G Polytechnic, Adipur(India)
Abstract
Women have become self-reliant in almost every sphere of life and they are
availing all opportunities which women were not allowed in the past like: assuming
authority in family, property rights, securing top positions in managerial and
professional jobs. Women have proved that they are resource of our country in every
sector. In 21st century women have made comprehensive steps in educational
achievement and workforce participation. Women’s share in work is the key
indicators of women in overall status in society and gender empowerment. Women
have achieved a perfect balance between domestic chores and work culture. This is
the achievement of women of 21st century.
Along with the notable changes in the position of women in current century,
there is still a great deviation between the statutory position and reality which is still
gloomy and dreaded. The scenario for females in the country is still to a large extent
dismal and disappointing. Women has to combat the array of challenges in front of
her, women are being abused, materialized and subjected to inhuman exploitation
and discrimination. Even though the gender discrimination has been banned by the
constitution of India but this is seldom true in reality. Even after more than five
decades after independence women have mostly remained outside the domain of
power and politics.
The aim of this study is to explore Challenges & Opportunities for Women in
21st Century.
Keywords
21st Century, Women Empowerment, Challenges, Opportunities
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
In the present socioeconomic environment women are not treated on equal
parameters with the males regarding issues like: having authority in the family,
property rights, employment opportunities, social and security aspects. Females face
different kinds of exploitation. In Indian society, the remedy to female exploitation is
women empowerment. A strong male-dominated society with deep-rooted
sociocultural values and customs continue to disturb gender equity and women’s
empowerment. The present evolution of status of women is largely attributed to
spread of modern education and acceptance to the sociocultural values and customs
with passage of time. Now, women are fully participating in all areas such as

education, sports, politics, business, banking media, arts, service sectors, science and
technology.
Historical Background
The early Vedic period suggests that Indian women enjoyed the equal status
with men in terms of social freedom, education and other rights. However, some
others hold contrasting views. Works by ancient Indian grammarians such as
Patanjali and Katyayana and scriptures such as Rigved suggest that women were
educated, married at a mature age and free to select
their husband. In early vedic period of Gargi and Maitreyi, principles of "
, prevailed.
However, later, in the end of Vedic period, the status of women began to
decline. As written by Goswami Tulsidas in Sundarkand of Ram Charitmanas-
“ , , , , which means- A
drum, an Illiterate, poor people, animals and women require a beating to get the best
out of them. Indian women started facing confinement and restriction with
onslaught of Islamic invasion at beginning of Mughal period. The practice of child
marriage started and girl child were married off at very early age to save them from
foreign Islamic tortures. The curse like sati system, jauhar system and pardah or
gunghat system came into existence. A ritual of consigning to flames of pyre by
woman carried out in Rajasthan when their husband martyred in the wars. In south
Indian, the religious practice such devdasi and nagarvadhu existed in which
illegitimate sexual exploitation women in the name of God was carried out at the
hands of prominent citizens and temple priests.
Current Scenario
At the outset of current century, the world has realized that economic
empowerment of women is highly imperative for sustainable development of any
nation. Women now have more equitable access as man to the resources, services
and economic opportunities in the society. New job opportunities for women are
providing more and more economic independence leading them to respectable
status in the society.
The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Preamble, Fundamental
Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles of the Indian constitution.
Article 15 of the Indian constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of
caste, religion, sex, race and place of birth, whereas Article 16 ensures equal
opportunities of employment. The government of India has framed several women-
specific legislations to uphold the constitutional mandate and to protect women
against social discrimination, violence and atrocities.

Opportunities
21st century is the era of globalization which has brought the revolution in
fields of communication and information technology which has immensely
benefitted to women. The media has also played a crucial role in creating awareness
for women empowerment in India by dissemination of information pertaining to
women's rights and protection against exploitation by social evils like rape, devising
a mechanism for their all-round development
Women now accepted as wealth of nation have made notable contribution in
almost every field, which has made country feel proud at every occasion. Women are
in front, leading the country, making mile stones and source of inspiration for many.
There are sectors where women have not only generated opportunities for
themselves but have outshined their male counter parts. They are described below:
Politics
Women of India are highly active today in this area. Sarojini Naidu,
Vijaylakshami Pandit, Sucheta Kriplani were the torchbearers. The most important
name in this category of women politicians is Mrs. Indira Gandhi. She was the first
women prime minister of independent India. Today her daughter-in law Mrs Sonia
Gandhi is following her footsteps and leading the Indian politics.
Other contemporary women who have made their names in modern Indian politics
of India are Sushama Swaraj, Shiela Dixit, Uma Bharti, Jayalalitha, Vasundhra Raje
,Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Anandiben Patel and so on.
Sports
In the fields of sports, Indian women have achieved great glories for our
country. Some of the outstanding sports-women of India are P.T. Usha, (Athletics),
Kunjarani Devi (Weight lifting), Diana Edulji (Cricket), Sania Mirza (Tennis),Karnam
Malleshwari (Weight lifting) and Mary Com(Boxing)
Arts and Music
There are many names to boast of in this category like – classical singer M.S.
Subbulakshmi, Indian nightingales Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, great actresses
like Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Rekha, Nargis Dutt, Nutan and presently Aishwarya
Rai and many others as have been recognized as Bollywood queens i.e. they have
carved a niche in the field of acting. Today Indian woman in arts is an actress, a
singer, a film directors, music composer, choreographer and beauty queen.

Literature
In past, women of India used to write, but their work did not get the
recognition. Today they are getting their dues. Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Kiran
Desai, Shobhaa De, Jhumpa Lahiri are famous names in Indian literature and are
internationally recognized. Arundhati Roy has been awarded with the
Booker’s Prize of 1997 for her work "God of Small Things". Kiran Desai has been
given Booker Prize of 2006 and Jhumpa Lahiri got her recognition in the form of
Pulitzer Prize.
Engineering and Technology
Tradionally, women in India have shied away from fields of engineering and
technology. However recent trends suggest more and more females participating in
the growing technology sector in India. Women’s enrolment have been doubled
their number across the country’s engineering colleges over the past decade,
pushing against one of the most resilient glass ceilings in Indian academics. Latest
University Grants Commission statistics, show that total of 2,76,806 women were
enrolled in engineering and technology courses at start of the 2009-10 academic
session as compared to 1,24,606 in 2000-01. There is unprecedented jump in
enrolment of women in engineering and technology bursting the myth that women
do not take up career in engineering and technology.
Medical and Life Sciences
Previously women were considered as better care giver suitable for nursing
profession only. But now they are almost at par with men. In 2010, when for the first
time more girls opted for MBBS than boys. 2011 data shows that the trend is gaining
strength with 1091 girls’ joining the course, while the number of boys is 967. The
courses like dentistry, physiotherapy and nursing became very popular among the
girls pushing boys into minority in the class room.
Military and Fighter Pilots
Dr Punita Arora is the first woman in India to don the rank of Lieutenant
General of Indian armed forces and the first vice admiral of Indian navy as
permanent commissioned officer. The recent trend is definite indicator that more
and more women are opting for the military career. As per the latest figures
provided by present defence minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar in parliament, the
armed forces have granted permanent commission (PC) to 340 women officers till
now up to August 2015. Of course the number is miniscule considering there are
over 60,000 officers in the 1.3 million strong armed forces. But it does represent a
hard-won victory for women. According to very recent announcement by defence
ministry that women are now eligible to take up the career as fighter pilot work in
battle front. Of course, women are flying rescue and supply cargo planes and
helicopters in armed forces since long but

not considered fit to take up the role as fighter pilot. But now they will be selected if
they fulfil other fitness criteria.
Corporate, Business and Law
Kiran Majumdar Shaw MD of Biocon India is a successful entrepreneur and
business woman. Chanda Kochar, chairperson of ICICI Bank and Indra Nuyi,
chairperson of Pepsi Co, USA. ; Shikha Sharma, Chairperson, Axis Bank; Kalpana
Morarka, Indian Head, JP Morgan and Sudha Sharma, Chairperson, CBDT are some of
the corporate and business women of India or of Indian origin.
The first Indian woman elevated to the position of chief justice of Supreme
Court of India was M. Fatheema Beevi. She was later followed by the appointment of
chief justice Sujata Manohar in the year 1994 and Justice Ruma Pal in the year 2000
and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra. As of now, we have one bench of all woman judges in
the Supreme Court. There are around 52 women judges gracing the benches in the
high courts all over the country.
Saints and Humanity
The world famous woman saint of modern India is a noble laureate. Mother
Teresa. She was saviours of the poor, downtrodden and leprosy patients in
particulars. Irrespective her personal hygiene, she worked with people suffering
from highly communicable diseases day or night. Whenever or wherever one
needed, her services were available. Another important names working for the
cause of people includes Aruna Roy who worked for the save RTI Campaign and
activists Medha Patekar of Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Queens’ of the Universe
Indian women have also earned the laurels in space science. Kalpana Chawla
was the first astronaut who made journey in space by flying in Colombia space
shuttle as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Now following on
her footsteps women of Indian origin, Sunita Williams is an American astronaut who
was first woman space walker in the world.
Apart from these shining stars of women in India, there are thousands of
women who contribute to the Indian society and economy through their untiring
works in the jobs like nursing, computer operators, front office and reception desk,
clerks, personal secretaries, sales girls etc. Their performance in these fields is
perceived as not only high productive but trust worthy in comparison to their male
counter parts. They are increasingly marching into male reserved domains police
department, driving, defence, pilots, chartered accountants, engineers, commandos
etc.

Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century

Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (15)

Similaire à Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century

Similaire à Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century (20)

Theme-2 Challenges & Opportunities for Women in 21st Century