Pt. J.L.Nehru once said “In order to awaken the people it is the women who have to awaken. Once she is on move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation also moves”.
With the slogan of women empowerment the question arise that “are women become really strong” and “is long term struggle has ended”. Many programmes have been implemented and run by the government such as International Women’s day, mother’s day, etc in order to bring awareness in the society about the true rights and value of the women in the development of the nation. Women need to be progressed in the number of spheres. There is a high level of gender inequality in India where women are ill treated by their family members and outsiders.
Women constitute about 35% of the workforce in software industry and enjoy the same status, wages and perks as men. They have also made great progress in various fields equaling and even surpassing men as doctors, teachers, engineers, managers, law enforcers and soldiers. However, it has to keep in mind that many of these women, who have made great strides, did it braving very adverse situations, shrugging of social criticism and at times have even risked getting ostracized.
But is the picture same in rural area? Well, not so. A large number of women in rural area have remained untouched by empowerment. After more than six decades of independence women in rural areas continue to play second fiddle to men and are handicapped socially and economically cutting across the lines of caste, creed and economic status, and bonds of custom and tradition help keep them under the male yoke.
Ancient Indian scriptures show that women enjoyed a respectable position during that time and many ancients texts also talk about women scholars and sages. But gradually the patriarchy tightened its grip over the society and women were subjugated by men and this subjugation continues even today. It is precisely this subordinate position that necessitates women’s empowerment so that a change can be brought about in their socio-economic growth.
In rural India there is more need for empowerment. The factors which determine women’s empowerment are education, poverty, health and safety. Education here just does not mean merely teaching the three R’s – reading, writing & arithmetic, but to make them aware of their rights and also realize the discriminatory treatment given to them. Economic independence is a vital aspect of empowerment. For this linking self help group movement with Micro-Credit facility will help reduce poverty and empower them. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is another means to provide job opportunities to women.
Some government schemes which are launched specially for women are
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBP)
BBBP was launched on 22nd Jan 2015 in Panipat in Haryana, a state that has one of the worst SRB (sex ratio at birth) of 775 girls per 1000 boys by the PM. And improve gender inequality through education, creating awareness.
The four main objectives of the scheme are
- To prevent sex selective abortion by stringent monitoring of PNDT (pre natal diagnostics technology) Act.
- To improve CSR through compulsory registration of pregnancy, institutional delivery and registration of births.
- To ensure participation of girl in health and education programmes by providing monetary and non monetary incentives for the family.
- To create a nurturing and safe environment for the girl child by ensuring her access to all the entitlements available to her.
The BBBP has been included in as a priority policy to be implemented in 100 select districts of India with an estimated cost of Rs 200 crores.
Sukanya Samridhi Yojana
Who can open: – In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana a girl can only open account
Age Criteria: – For Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana age limit is 0-10 years.
Where to open:-In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana you can open the account in post office and RBI listed 28 banks, for Public Provident Fund you can open the account in Post-office, public sector banks and some private banks
Yearly Deposit Frequency:-For Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana there is no limit in year.
Interest Rate: – For Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana at present the interest rate is 9.1%.
Maximum & Minimum: – For Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana min amount is Rs 1000/- per year and max amount is Rs 1.5 Lakh per year for each child.
SIP/Recurring: – In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana you can do SIP/Recurring
Penalty: – In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana if you have not done any deposit in whole year than there will be a penalty of Rs 50.
Tax Benefit on Interest: – In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana the interest earned is Tax free.
Tax Benefit on Contribution:-In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana tax benefit is under 80C.
Withdrawal:-In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana you can do withdrawal at the age of 21 or at the time of marriage or at the age of 18 year you can withdraw 50% for higher education
Maturity:–In Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) you can have maturity at the age of 21 Years or at the time of marriage.
Note: Rate of interest on Sukanya samridhi yojana has been increased to 9.2% for financial year 2015-16
People of India used to say this country as “Bharat-Mata” however never realized the true meaning of it. Bharat-Mata means a mother of every Indian whom we have to save and care always. Women give birth to the baby means future of the nation so only they can better involve in making the bright future of the nation through the proper growth and development of the children. Women need to be empowered instead of treating as a helpless victim of male chauvinism.
Further in order to empower women any type of crime against women is to be rooted out, be it domestic violence, dowry death, rape or other forms of cruelty. So true empowerment means not only education and economic empowerment but also the fact that women are able to move in the world fearlessly. Further, unless women are a part of the decision making process and are able to stand up to men in every walk of life, a country cannot be said to be fully developed and women cannot be fully empowered.
If we want our country to become a developed country then we have to empower women then in true sense we would be a developed country otherwise there is not meaning of such a development where women are facing hilarious crime like domestic violence, dowry death, rape or other forms of cruelty. This write up is an effort to make you aware of the problems that women are facing in men dominated world.
“Women are the real architects of society.”—Harriet Beecher Stowe
Good one buddy….