Introduction

Women’s rights and issues have always been a subject of serious concern of academicians, intelligentsia and policy makers. From pastoral society to contemporary information and global society, the role of women has changed drastically. The role of a typical “Grihani” (house wife) who catered to all the requirements of the house holds including the rearing and upbringing of children in various sub roles of daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, mother, aunt etc. has been played quite efficiently. The continuity of changes in socio-economic and psycho-cultural aspects of human living has influenced the role of women. With the process of Industrialization, Modernization and Globalization showing its deep impact on the human society all over the world, the role and responsibilities of women has attained new definition and perspective. Further this has also led to addition of responsibilities and widened the role of women who also shares the financial responsibilities.

The women issues have received tremendous attention in the planning circle and in wide intellectual discussions and forums at national and global platforms. However the existing lacuna in the formulation and execution of the policies has not changed the grass root situation to a great extent. On the encouraging front, in the South Asian countries there have been relatively increasing economic participation in past one decade. Statistically the rate of literacy among women has also increased. The educational and occupational patterns have also changed and widened with women entering the domains, which till decade back was considered to be dominated by men. Further there has been encouraging rise in the percentage of the women joining service sector especially Banking and Information Technology. In the background of the gigantic transformation, the core issue, which still remains unanswered, is that of women’s right and empowerment.

The women rights are not any exclusive rights as has been debated and put forward. In specific reference to Indian context (and which to some extent can be generalized to the South Asian countries) Patriarchal structure of the society over centuries has gradually led to gender inequality. Women rights in this context have assumed exclusivity. Further when women are not considered equal to the men in the social context the question of women rights arise. The women rights are the means by which a dignified living is ensured thereby safeguarding her privileges. Thus the basic fundamental rights of speech, freedom and decision-making are her basic rights as an individual and citizen. The right for education and employment are significant for women development and national development in the wider sense. The power and freedom to exercise these rights is women empowerment. Women rights and empowerment are not independent of each other. The women empowerment can only be facilitated only if she is able to exercise her right in the socio-economic spheres of decision-making.

Critical Paradigms

There are certain critical paradigms, which need to be examined from the point of view of women issues.

1. Constitutional Provisions and Policies: The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Constitution of India (in the Preamble and fundamental rights) where by the constitution upholds and grants the equality to women. The National commission for women, which was set up in 1990 through an Act of Parliament to safeguard the rights and legal entitlements of women, is considered to be the apex body to ensure rights and work towards the women empowerment. In terms of five-year plans the fifth five-year plan (1974-78) is considered to be very crucial from the point of view of women development with 1975 being declared as International Year of Women.

The 73^rd and 74^th Amendments of constitution of India in 1993 are landmarks to ensure political empowerment of women. The Ninth Plan also recommends the adoption of National Policy for the empowerment of Women along with a well-defined Gender Development Index for the monitoring and evaluation of women’s rights and empowerment. The ratification by the Government of India of various International Conventions like Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1993, speaks of the political will. The endorsement by the Government of various declarations consolidates the administrative willingness. The description of such provisions incorporates the perception of absolute women empowerment.

These provisions surely ensure of legal protection of women’s rights, but socio-economic rights of freedom and decision-making is still not realized to the extent of social empowerment. One of the reasons is the rigid patriarchal structure of the Indian Society. The rate of illiteracy among women hampers the awareness and the claims of such provisions. The distinct socialization of girls from the beginning also contributes to the easy acceptance of suppression by women. The changing trends of education and employment among women have relatively transformed the situation towards the positive direction. However the nature of problem has also changed its direction in the sense that crime against women in the working places are at steep rise. The workable and pragmatic commitments of the Government of India at various forums and National Policy for the empowerment of women can prove to be a milestone in ensuring women’s rights and facilitate women empowerment.

1(a). National Policy for the empowerment of women (2001): The goal of the National Policy for the empowerment of women is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. Some of the specific objectives of this policy are: a) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential, b) Equal access to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance etc, c) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and girl child.

The policy also provides for economic empowerment through poverty eradication, micro credit programmes, training of women to facilitate them in playing efficient role in agriculture and industry. The social empowerment of women is facilitated through effective provisions of Education, Health, Nutrition, Drinking water and Sanitation, gender sensitization etc. Elimination of all forms of violence against women, physical and mental, whether at domestic or societal levels, including those arising from customs, traditions and accepted practices. A National Resource Center for Women (NRCW) is being set up which will provide relevant technical back up for the successful implementation of the policy.

The Government has also committed the following provisions to ensure women’s rights and women empowerment. Some of the commitments are:

• To increase the Investment in Education to 6% of the GDP with major focus on Women and the girl Child.
• Universalisation of Mother and Child Care Programme to reach out to every corner of the country.
• Appointment of Commissioner for Women’s Rights.
• National Level Mechanism for Platform for Action.

The effective implementation of the policy at all levels can be a gigantic step for women development and can set an example for other countries in South Asia.

2. Urban Tilt: Women rights and women empowerment are most of the times looked from an urban perspective whereby the situation relatively appears to be in favor of women when compared to their rural counterparts. The rural and tribal women owing to topographical, socio-economic and cultural factors are highly vulnerable. The lack of drinking water and sanitation facilities, high instances of early marriages, insufficient reproductive health care and termination of female foetus and the infants are some of the facts which question the claims of women’s rights and her empowerment. The dramatic drop in the sex ratio in the states of Punjab (793) and Haryana (820) are the glaring examples of the questioning of female right to life (2001 census). In the urban scenario, whereby the education and awareness among the people has favored women’s rights and empowerment, the increasing rates of crime against women especially in the working places has created a lacuna and the validity of empowerment is a matter of debate.

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