“The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women. There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved.” — Swami Vivekananda The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to take part in the Government of his/her country. The empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement of women’s social, economic and political status is essential for the achievement of both transparent and accountable government and administration and sustainable development in all areas of life. Women equally forms part of the society that has been predominately dominated by men, for long women’s participation in the society has been limited to a home maker, no doubt that is one of the biggest role in itself but the times are changing and the role and participation of women has gone beyond the four walls of her house, stepping out in the world is in itself biggest challenge that a women ever faces. It is often said that the world outside the house is a man’s world – ruled, judged and dominated by men- it is difficult for a women to establish her in this world but that doesn’t mean it is absolutely impossible. There are women who have come out and actually ruling this so called man’s world for instance Oprah Winfry, Malala Yousafzai, Kalapana Chawla, Indira Gandhi, Indira Nooyi, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra. When women like these step out in the society, she begins a role model for all the women around her. One woman empowered motivates the other to step forward to achieve her dreams and ambitions. Women participation and voices in all aspects of society are very important as it ensures stability, growth and long term development of nations. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the world’s agricultural labor force – rising to 70 percent in some countries. For instance, across Africa, 80 percent of the agricultural production comes from small farmers, most of whom are rural women. Women, notably mothers, play the largest role in decision making about family meal planning and diet. Women self-report more often their initiative in preserving child health and nutrition. In today’s society, women have achieved a very active role. All this happened because of a fight that is still going on somewhere.
The role women play in the present world has changed its form from what it was a few decades ago. Social movements are usually perceived as marvels of the contemporary period and industrialized society, whether situated in the First world or not. Development and urbanization, technological progressions, and ongoing democratization allowed people to push for change together from the margins of the polity, from outside of less-than-open institutions. Young women, women with disabilities, women from rural areas, and women from minorities, women of color or those with a migration background are still not represented in the political sphere and in decision-making. There are still too many constraints on their active participation. The under-representation of women creates a serious democratic deficit, which weakens the lawfulness of the modern democratic ideal. Parity democracy implies the equal representation of women and men in decision-making positions. It goes a step further than quotas as it is based on the idea that women are not a minority: they represent more than half of humanity – a measurable dimension – and one of its components – a qualitative dimension. Societies with greater gender equality not only offer better socioeconomic opportunities for women, but also tend to grow faster and more equitably. There are gains in poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, consumer choice, innovation and decision-making. Thus, we can see that now women are becoming more noticeable and prominent in the professional as well as the public spheres. No longer considered as a financial liability, they have become independent and are the earning members of the family. The future of Indian women is bright and flourishing. The society is opening all the doors for them to progress and succeed, realizing their true potential. They are conquering every field, be it science, technology, research, defense, politics, space, literature, or arts.