The Indian society has had a history of suppressing women in numerous ways. The patriarchal society of India has preferred boys over girls for a long time in the past. Even in the present, gender inequality prevails all over the world at a large scale. The numbers of sufferings induced by women are uncountable. Women have been a victim to so many forms of violence and discrimination. Dowry deaths, honor killing, female genital mutilation, female feticide and rape are the most common ones in India. There is not a single day with zero rape cases. Women’s will to make her own life choices was denied ages back. Each decision of a woman was either made by the father, or the husband. In absence of a father, the family took it upon them self to make decisions on behalf of the woman. The developing society, however, now has evolved to a great extent. The biased nature towards women still picks men over women believing women are inefficient. This has owed to a great divide in the ratio of men and women in India. the narrow mindset of the Indian society has also impacted the disadvantages for women. During the ancient times women played a social role in the society. In the absence of men, women used to earn and handle the whole family on their own. The situation of women worsened after the Vedic civilization as they were denied the right to remarriage, education, inheritance and property ownership. Evil problems like dowry, child marriages increased in number with each passing day. The real empowerment of women in India began during the British Raj. The evil practice of Sati Pratha was demolished with the enactment of Widow Remarriage Act. Women leaders across the country came together and fought for the freedom of India and other social evils.
The act of protecting women’s advantages at the individual, home, community, and larger levels requires empowerment. It includes actions such as promoting women’s role via education, literacy, employment, and education and awareness. The concept of women empowerment is not a very new or unique concept rather than it is a much-needed topic that should be discussed in the society. Indian Women like Savitribai Phule, Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Indra Nooyi, Mary Kom are exemplary role models for today’s women in process of women empowerment. Women empowerment is not an addition to the benefits enjoyed by women, but it is a concept in whole that benefits the entire nation and ultimately, the entire world. It may begin with a small idea and result in large impact to the society. Education is the ultimate road leading to women empowerment in any marginalized area. Providing opportunities of education and employment are an encouraging trail for a young girl or a woman of any age to feel empowered. Another way of empowering women is by making them aware. Awareness plays a major role in empowerment. Information with all advantages and disadvantages of anything must be known by one and all. By breaking the shackles of gender roles, women and men untie themselves from the roles set by society raised from stereotypes. This happens with education and making women aware of what independence feels like and the wonders it can give us. The government and the legal system has also ensured that the women of country indeed feel empowered and live in a safe space just like men. By Ensuring that new policies are framed, with the need of the hour, the government has established that change is necessary for growth of any living individual. Right to equality is an important provision for Indian women and men. Different provisions have been set up by the Constitution of India to ensure women safety has made the women feel safe and secure in a society that has tormented and disrespected women from time immemorial.
The dependency on men has significantly decreased with the ideal realization that a woman can provide for herself and not feel incomplete. Women today are breaking stereotypes and providing for her household solely.
Women empowerment is a work in progress and shall remain so until a woman can speak for herself, be what she wants to be and think like she wants to think. Let us smash the patriarchy and lead a successful road to women empowerment.