WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
DR. RAGHAVENDRA HUCHCHANNAVAR
JUNIOR RESIDENT
PGIMS, ROHTAK.

The origin of a child is a mother, a woman… she
shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all
about. That is the essence of a woman.
Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe, 1994

CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Current status of women
1. Economic participation
2. Political empowerment
3. Educational attainment
4. Health and well-being
5. Legislative measures
• Gender budgeting
• Some bright spots

INTRODUCTION
UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
•Article 1: “All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights…”
•Article 3: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and
security of person”

INTRODUCTION
• According to the UN definition, women’s empowerment
has five components:
• Women's sense of self-worth;
• Right to have and to determine choices;
• Right to have access to opportunities and resources;
• Right to have the power to control their own lives,
both within and outside the home;
• Ability to influence the direction of social change to
create more social and economic order, nationally
and internationally.

INTRODUCTION
• Vedic period: Scholars believe that in ancient
India(1500-1000 BC), the women enjoyed equal
status with men in all fields of life, had freedom to
choose partners for marriage. Daughters were not
considered as liability or unwelcomed guest in the family.
• However, later (approximately 500 B.C.), the status of
women began to decline.
• Age of Manusmriti (500 – 200 BC): Women were not
given freedom at any point of time in her life. Not marring
a girl before the age of 14 years was a sin.

INTRODUCTION
Sati system, child marriage, purdah,
Medieval Period devdasi, ban on widow remarriage

INTRODUCTION
19th century
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Sati practice abolished - 1829 Widow Remarriage Act – 1856

INTRODUCTION
Annie Besant Sarojini Naidu
Queen of Jhansi 1st female president 1st Indian female president of
Indian Rebellion of 1857
INC - 1925

Kalpana Chawla
Indira Gandhi - 1966 Kiran Bedi - 1972
Mother Teresa - 1979 Kalpana Chawla - 1997

I measure
the progress of
a
community
by the degree of progress
which women have
achieved
Dr B R Ambedkar

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• According to International Labour Organisation
(ILO) reports
• while women represent
– 50 percent of the world adult population and
– a third of the official labour force,
• they perform
– nearly two-third of all working hours, and
– receive only a tenth of world income.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Among the population age 15-49
87
• Men are 2 times as likely to be 79
employed
• Men are 2.7 times as likely to be
employed for cash 43
29
• Among the employed, 64% of
women vs. 91% of men earn cash
• Female share of population
employed for cash in non- Employed Employed for
cash
agricultural occupations is 22%
Women Men
Source: NFHS 3, India, 2005-06

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
HAVE TAKEN LOAN FROM 5
MICROCREDIT PROGRAM
HAVE MONEY WHICH THEY CAN 45
DECIDE HOW TO USE
HAVE A BANK OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT 15
THAT THEY THEMSELVES USE
0 10 20 30 40 50
Percentage of women
Source: NFHS 3, India, 2005-06

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY:
• covers aspects of Self Employment in rural areas such
as organization of the poor into self help
groups, training, credit, technology, traditional
industries, infrastructure and marketing.
• specifically earmarked for upliftment of certain target
groups (SC/ST, women and disabled).

TRAINING

FINANCING

MARKETING

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• Swayamsidha scheme; 2001 :
 Self Help Groups based programme with emphasis
on convergence activities.
 Objective is to ensure that Self Help Groups members
avail the benefit of all schemes and services in an
integrated and holistic manner.
 Involved in Income Generating Activities i.e. Food
preservation, Vermi
Compost, Embroidery, Beautician, Dari making, Gur
patti making, Cutting & Tailoring etc.
 Implemented in 6 districts of Haryana State
(Ambala, Panchkula, Rewari, Hissar, Narnaul and
Yamuna Nagar) under which 13 blocks have been

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• Haryana Women Development Corporation (HWDC);
1982
– Set up as Haryana Economically Weaker Sections
Kalyan Nigam Limited
– Later it was named as HWDC
– Micro Credit Scheme through HWDC: loans to SHGs
and the individual members.
HWDC District office, Rohtak
• H. No. 557-B, Kamal Colony, Tilak Nagar
• Phone No.: 01262-279701

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh Scheme
recognizes SMS as an eligible NGO for the purpose
of promoting micro-credit and undertaken the
responsibility of training members of SMS.
Skill Development training regarding Mushroom
Cultivation, Tailoring ,Beauty Culture Training and
Integrated Training programme on Diary productions have
also been conducted respectively in District Sonipat.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• Support to Training and Employment Programme of
Women (STEP) scheme under Ministry of WCD
– with a view to help assetless and marginalised
women become economically self-reliant
• Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana - Development
of Women & Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)
• Short stay home for Women and Girls (SSH)
• Schemes of department of animal
husbandary, dairying, fisheries.
• Promotion and strengthening of agricultural
mechanization through training, testing and
demonstration.
• Marketing assistance scheme

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
• Scheme of fund for regeneration of traditional industries
(SFURTI)
• National award scheme.
• Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS)
• Performance and credit rating scheme for small
industries
• Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana
• Indira Awaas Yojana

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
• The global average of women holding parliamentary
seats (18.6 percent) is far from the target of 30 percent
set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
• Many factors hinder women’s political participation, such
as
– political parties being slow to respond to Women’s
interest,
– under-investment in women’s campaigns,
– cultural barriers, and
– their domestic and social responsibilities.
• Proven means for supporting Women’s engagement in
political competition:
– Quotas such as reserved seats,

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
No. of women candidates contested in
election
• 556 women candidates 600 556
contested the polls in 2009
No. of women candidates
500
AS AGAINST 400 355
284
300
355 (2004) & 284 (1999) 200
100
0
1999 2004 2009
Year

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
58.2
48.0 • Participation of women in
elections increased over
the years
• Proportion of women
turnout for voting (2009) –
58.2%
Source: Election Commission of India

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
11
• Proportion of women in
10.5
10.3
Proportion of women in national parliament
10
9.5
9.7 9.6 9.2
national parliament
9 9.1
8.5 dipped till year 2007
8
7.5
7
6.5
6 Source : upsc.gov.in
1991 1999 2004 2007 2009

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
Women’s position in the administrative jobs (2009)
100% 10.4 11.9 4.4 4.7
90%
80%
70%
60%
Women
50% 89.6 88.1 95.6 95.3
Men
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2002 2006 2005 2006
IAS IPS
Source : upsc.gov.in

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
Women’s position in the administrative jobs (2009)
Panchayti raj institutions Parliament
10.3
36.83
63.17
89.7
Women
Men Women
Source : upsc.gov.in Men

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT
• The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2010
as approved by Rajya Sabha, seeks to reserve
one third of all seats for women in the Lok
Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, and the
state legislative assemblies including Delhi.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
The education and
empowerment of women
throughout the world
cannot fail to result in a
more caring, tolerant, and
peaceful life for all.
- Aung San Suu Kyi
General Secretary
National League for Democracy, Burma,
Nobel Peace Prize in 1991

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
100 Total
90
80
74.00
70
65
60
50 52
44
40
35 Total
30 28
20 18
16
10 7 10
5 6
0

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
100
90 80 82.00
80
74.00
70 64
56 65
60
50 46 52
40 44
40 Male
27 35 Total
30 24 28
20 16
10 11 12 16 18
10 7 10
5 6
0

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
100
90 80 82.00
80
64 74.00
70
56 65
60 66.00
50 46 52
40 54 Male
44
40 Female
27 35 39
30 24 28 Total
20 16 29
10 11 12 16 18 22
10 7 10 15
5 6 9
0 7
1 1 2 3
Female
Literacy
Haryana –
66.7%
Rohtak –
71%

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Percent distribution of men and women age 15-49 by
highest level of education
No
education
Men 18 27 20 35
< 8 years
complete
Wome 8-9 years
n 41 23 14 22
complete
10 years
complete
and above

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• Barriers to Female Education
– Poverty: one-third of India’s population : BPL
– Social values and parental preferences
– Inadequate school facilities
– Shortage of female teachers: 29 % (prim.) & 22%
(univ.)
– Lack of transport facilities
– Lack of hostel facilities for girls
– Sexual harassment in school

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• Women with some formal education are more likely to
– delay marriage and child birth,
– ensure their children are immunized,
– be better informed about their own and their children
nutritional requirements &
– adopt birth spacing practices.
As a result, their children have higher survival rates &
tend to be healthier & better nourished.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• SARVA SIKSHA ABHIYAAN (SSA - 2000) aims to
bridge social, regional and gender gaps, with the active
participation of the community in the management of
schools.
Goals of SSA :
• Open new schools in areas which do not have them and
to expand existing school infrastructures and
maintenance.
• Address inadequate teacher numbers, and provide
training a development for existing teachers
• Provide quality elementary education including life skills
with a special focus on the education of girls and
children with special needs as well as computer

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• National Mission for Empowerment of Women:
notified on 8th of March, 2010. The Mission aims at
implementing the women centric programmes in a
mission mode to achieve better coordination.
• The Mission has also been named Mission Poorna
Shakti, implying a vision for holistic empowerment of
women.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• The Poorna Shakti Kendra (PSK)
• Focus areas of mission
– Access to health,
– Drinking water,
– Sanitation and hygiene facilities for women coverage
of all girls especially those belonging to vulnerable
groups in schools from primary to class 12,
– Higher and Professional education for girls/women
– Skill development,
– Micro credit,

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
– Vocational Training,
– SHG development
– Dissemination of information taking steps to prevent
crime against women and taking steps for a safe
environment for women.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• Education Loan Scheme:
– to encourage women/ girls belonging to Haryana
State to pursue higher education at Graduate/ PG/
Doctoral/ Post Doctoral level in the country and
abroad. (HARYANA WOMEN DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION)
– Integrated child protection scheme
– Vocationalization of secondary education
– Higher and technical education
• Swadhar – A scheme for women in difficult
circumstances (destitute and deserted
women, widows, women ex -prisoners, victims of sexual
abuse)

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
• Around 60 per cent of countries have achieved
gender parity in primary education, 30 percent
in secondary education and only 6 per cent in
tertiary education.

WOMEN’S HEALTH
Note: Countries are categorized according to GII scores into four quartiles, reflecting a relative grouping with 34-35 countries in each.
GII – MMR, Adolescent preg %, seats occupied in parliament & women labour %

WOMEN’S HEALTH
• Maternal mortality ratio
• Sex ratio
• Malnutrition
• Family planning
• Institutional delivery
• Domestic violence

WOMEN’S HEALTH
940
FEMALE PER THOUSAND MALE
940 933
920
900 877
880
861 2001
860
2011
840 2011
820
2001
INDIA SEX
RATIO HARYANA SEX
RATIO
Sex ratio of Rohtak -
868

FEMALE PER THOUSAND MALE WOMEN’S HEALTH
914
940 927
920
900
880 830
860
840 2001
820 819
2011
800 2011
780
760
2001
INDIA CHILD SEX
RATIO HARYANA CHILD
SEX RATIO
Child sex ratio of Rohtak - 807

WOMEN’S HEALTH
Percent of women and men age 15-49
Women Men 55
36
34
24
13
9
BMI below normal Overweight/Obese Anaemic

WOMEN’S HEALTH
Percent
Delivery assisted by health
Institutional Delivery personnel
49
41
34
42
NFHS-2 NFHS-3 NFHS-2 NFHS-3

WOMEN’S HEALTH
• Population stabilization cannot be achieved by mere
physical provisioning of contraception mix or emergency
obstetric care. It is critical to involve people - and enable
women in particular – to have a say in decisions relating
to reproduction and livelihood.
• This brings in the issues of reproductive rights of women
and of the larger conceptual issues of gender equality
and of empowerment of women within and outside the
household.

WOMEN’S HEALTH
 Any ANC increased by 11 percentage points and 3+ ANC
visits by 7 percentage points between NFHS-2 and NFHS-3
Still, less than half of women get ANC in the first trimester
and get 3+ ANC visits
 Institutional deliveries increased by 7 percentage points
between NFHS-2 and NFHS-3
Nonetheless, more than half the deliveries still take place
at home; half are not assisted by health personnel

Trends in Institutional Deliveries by State
Percentage point change between NFHS-2
and NFHS-3 States
Remained unchanged Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
(2 states)
Increased less than 7 percentage point Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa,
(7 states) Jharkhand, Tripura, West Bengal
Increased by 7-14 percentage points Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya
(10 states) Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh , Mizoram
Increased by 15 or more percentage points Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal
(10 states) Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,
Karnataka, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab,
Sikkim, Uttaranchal

WOMEN’S HEALTH
Percent of currently married women age 15-49
56
48 49 NFHS-1 NFHS-2 NFHS-3
43
41
37 37
34
27
3 5
4 2 3
2 1 2 2 1 2 2
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WOMEN’S HEALTH
Desire for No More Children among Women with 2 Children
Percent
83 90 88
72 76
66
61
47
37
NFHS-1 NFHS-2 NFHS-3
2 sons 1 son and 1 daughter 2 daughters

WOMEN’S HEALTH
• SABLA scheme (Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for
Empowerment of Adolescent girls – RGSEAG)
• The SABLA scheme aims at empowering Adolescent
Girls of 11-18 years by improving their nutritional and
health status, upgradation of home skills, life skills and
vocational skills. The girls will be equipped with
information on health and family welfare, hygiene and
guidance on existing public services.
• The scheme would be implemented using the platform of
ICDS and AWCs would be the focal point for the delivery
of services. However, where infrastructure and other
facilities are inadequate in AWCs, then alternative
arrangements will have to be made in schools/
Panchayat Community buildings.

WOMEN’S HEALTH
• New schemes for well being of mother and new born
care - Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram
(JSSK), launched on 1st June, 2011, entitles all pregnant
women delivering in public health institutions to
absolutely free and no expense delivery including
Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free
drugs, diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport
from home to institution, between facilities in case of a
referral and drop back home.

WOMEN’S HEALTH
• Reproductive and Child Health (RCH)
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
• NRHM
• Janani suraksha yojana
• Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana
• Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme
• Kishori Shakti Yojana
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

“Domestic violence is the leading
cause of injury to women, more
than car accidents, mugging, or
rapes combined.”

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Spousal Violence: The most common form of violence against married women
Percent of ever-married women age 15-49
40 Ever In the past 12 months
37 35
27
24
21
16
10 11
7
Physical, Physical or Physical Sexual Emotional
sexual, or sexual violence violence violence violence
emotional
violence

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Percent of women who have
experienced spousal violence
who had:
Severe burns 2
Wounds, broken bones/teeth,
7
other serious injury
Eye injuries, sprains,
9
dislocations, or burns
Cuts, bruises, or aches 36
Any of these injuries 40

• National Mission for Empowerment of Women-Ministry of
Women and Child Development.
Partner Ministries & Departments for programmes related
to empowerment of women facilitated by NMEW:
– Ministry of Human Resource Development
– Ministry of Finance
– Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
– Ministry of Rural Development
– Ministry of Panchayati Raj
– Department of Agriculture and Cooperation

– Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
– Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
– Ministry of Law & Justice
– Ministry of Environment & Forests
– Ministry of Labour & Employment
– Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
(2001)
• Government had declared 2001 as the year of Women’s
Empowerment by adopting a National Policy to offer
“Swashakti” to women.
• Goal
- The goal of this Policy is to bring about the
advancement, development and empowerment of women.
• The objectives of this policy include
– Creating an environment through positive economic
and social policies for full development of women.

NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
(2001)
– Enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental
freedom by women on equal basis with men in all
spheres.
– Equal access to participation and decision
making, health care.
– Strengthening legal system, elimination of
discrimination and all forms of violence against
women and girl child
– Building and strengthening partnerships with civil
society, particularly women’s organisations.

LEGAL EMPOWERMENT
• There are several laws specially for women & their
constitutional safe guards-
- The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929
- The Factory Act 1948
- The Plantation Labor Act 1951
- The Mines Act 1951
- Hindu Marriage Act 1955
- Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956
- The Dowry Prohibition Act 1961
- The Maternity Benefit Act 1961
- MTP Act 1971
- The Equal Remuneration Act 1976

LEGAL EMPOWERMENT
– The Indecent Representation of Women [Prohibition]
Act 1986
– Constitutional amendments for reservation of seats in
the local bodies of Panchayat and Municipalities 1993
– Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PNDT) act 1994
– Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act
2005

GENDER BUDGETING
is a budget that acknowledges the
gender patterns in society and allocates
money to implement policies and
programmes that will change these
patterns in a way that moves towards a
more gender equal society.

GENDER BUDGETING
Aims of Gender Budgeting
• Close gaps/improve links between policy
pronouncements, resource allocation and outcomes on
gender equality
• Key tool for sensitisation of various stakeholders
• Govts-tool for effective policy implementation
• Committee for Gender mainstreaming: monitors
beneficiary oriented schemes of Ministries

GENDER BUDGETING
Categorisation
• Category I: schemes explicitly mentioned as
women specific schemes in budget allocation of
concerned Ministries
• Category II: schemes not completely focused on
women but schemes with components on
women (GOI calls it pro-women schemes)
• Category III: Ministries, with no explicit listing of
women specific schemes & no women
components

SOME BRIGHT SPOTS
• Women in Uttar Pradesh
have joined hands and have
formed an association called
as Gulabi gang.
• The gang is fighting against
all the big people in power
who think they can exploit
the women as they are
physically and emotionally
weak.
• Till the date they have aided
a lot of women in the
respective area. No matter
what the problem is. Let it be
domestic
violence, rape, dowry you
name it the gang is there to
help.

SOME BRIGHT SPOTS
• India’s President, Speaker
of the Lok Sabha (Lower
House of
Parliament), Leader of the
ruling Congress Party and
Leader of the Opposition
are all women.
• India is also the very first
country to send an all
female police contingent to
participate in a UN peace
keeping mission.

The women power we have..
Health system
AWW
1.2 million
Women
empowerment
ASHA by community
0.75 million
participation
ANM
0.19 million

• I have only one request.
I do not ask for money
Although I have need of it,
I do not ask for meat . . .
• I have only one request,
And all I ask is
That you remove
The road block
From my path.

REFERENCES
• District Rural Development
Agency, http://www.haryanarural.gov.in/DRDA.
• National Family Health Survey 2005-06 (NFHS-3)
• Empowering Women: Promoting Gender Equaility: UNFPA
• Women’s Empowerment Through Gender Budgeting -
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of
India, November 2005.
• Mission National Mission for Empowerment of Women-
Ministry of Women & Child development - nmew.gov.in
• UNIFEM - unifem.org

REFERENCES
• Human Development Report 2010, Human Development
Report Office, UNDP.
• UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2012 – 2013.
• National Policy for the Empowerment of Women 2001.
• Report - Strategies for Empowerment of
Women, Development of Children and Issues for
Adolescents, National Commission on Population, GoI.
• Haryana Women Development Corporation
• United Nations Department of Public Information.
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp

REFERENCES
• Department of Women and Child Development , govt. of
Haryana, wcdhry.gov.in/SWAYAMSIDHA.
• Women in India – Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_India
• indiacurrentaffairs.org/reservation-for-women-in-legislative-
houses-towards-women empowerment.
• www.indiastand.com/articles/the-power-of-pink

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