Women empowerment implies the ability in women to take descision with regard to their life and work and giving equal rights to them in all spheres like personal, social, economical, political, legal and so on. Women empowerment has become the buzzword today with women working alongside men in all spheres. They profess an independent outlook, I whether they are living inside their home or working outside. They are increasingly gaining control over their lives and taking their own decisions with regard to their education, career, profession and lifestyle.
With steady increase in the number of working women, they have gained financial independence, which has given them confidence to lead their own lives and build their own identity. They are successfully taking up diverse profession to prove that they are second to none in any respect. But while doing so, women also take care to strike a balance between their commitment to their home and family. They are playing multiple roles of a mother, daughter, sister, wife and working professional with remarkable harmony and ease.
While it is true that women, by and large, do not fave discrimination in society today, unfortunately, many of them face exploitation and harassment which can be of diverse types: emotional, physical, mental, and sexual. They are often subject to rape, abuse and other forms of physical and intellectual violence.
The successive government have implementated various constitutional and legal rights to help women lead purposeful and meaningful lives. There is an increasing awareness about women’s rights which is evident know the emergence of several NGOs and self -help groups. At the individual level too, women are now breaking the shackles if suppression and making their voices hard for their rights.
The parliament of India too has passed various legislations to save momen from various forms of injustice and discrimination. Following are some of these laws to empower women: Equal Remuneration Act – 1976, Dowry prohibition Act-1961, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act-1971, Maternity Benefit Act-1961, Commission of Sati (prevention) Act -1987, Prohibition Of Child Marriage Act-2006.
More recently in the wake of Nirbhaya case involving the rape and brutal murder of para medical student in Delhi, the Government passed the the Juvenile Justice (Care and protection of Children)Bill,2015. This act makes a significant departure from the earlier Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, as the Juvenile age inviting punishment for offense now stands reduced from 18 to 16 years.
If we want to bring about women empowerment in the true sense, there is crying need for the elimination of the male superiority and patriarchal mindset. Also, women need to be given equal opportunities for education and employment without any sense of discrimination. Unless there is attitudinal change in arming them with legal and constitutional rights will be simply inadequate.
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