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Women Empowerment - The need of the hour

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Sixty five percent of our population is under 35yrs .

The striking thing is the youthfulness of the population. The number of adolescents comprise about 22 percent of population, unfortunately, the special needs of adolescent are rarely addressed by the educational, health and family welfare programs in India.

I believe if we want to bring a change in our society, invest in adolescent girl.

The opportunities available to them, will impact an entire generation of men and women.

Women and girls do not enjoy equal access to resources, opportunities or political power in most regions of the world.

If poverty is to become history, then discrimination and gender inequality has to be tackled. There is gender imbalance in areas of education, training and professional work.

We know that education is among the most important drivers of human development helping a person to become more dependable worker and a better citizen. The need of the time is to recognize the vital importance of education as a main aspect of human security and a means to empower women.

When I compare my experiences with those of my grandmother and mother, it is evident that education of girl child has contributed largely to the choices we make. Education has given us a voice, an ability to exercise full control over our actions, thus a tool to empower ourselves and advance further than our grandmother's did.

Empowerment process has already begun yet change is actively slow, so slow that we have to set quotas for women, given the appalling gender imbalance of the crucial net mark event. I believe key to all locks that keep this cycle going from AIDS to poverty to inequality lies in access to education, training and opportunity.

Empowering women through entrepreurship teaching them to FISH rather then just feeding them-is the main key to economic growth

Increased income controlled by women gives the self-confidence, which helps us to obtain a voice. The need of the hour is to bring uneducated and unemployed women into financial mainstream, helping them become savers for their families and expanding their decision making.

As we know, when we empower a woman, we empower a family; major influence is on the children, thus the society.

So empowerment of women will give new workforce for society.

Our mission should be to develop the potential of this NEW WORKFORCE.

This revolution cannot be imposed from outside but can be encouraged through support for leadership figures that are emerging in every type of society. This encouragement must be our mission. The government needs resources to bring the Public welfare friendly projects directly accessible to the needy.

Government and non govt. organizations can be powerful partners in bringing a transformative push for improvement to women.

For Example:

Many women self-help groups in rural India have motivated thousands of uneducated women to work in community to achieve financial independence. Micro-enterprise development related to livestock management activities like dairy farming, poultry farming, livestock feed production and production of vermi compost using the animal waste can be an important area in which women can utilize both their technical skills and raw materials from the farms and livestock to earn substantial income.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras(KVK) do provide training to women farmers in agriculture and allied agricultural activities like cultivation of organic vegetables , flower, oil seeds and seed production which are some of the areas besides mushroom growing and bee keeping, dehydration of fruits and vegetables, canning or bottling of pickles, chutneys, jams, squashes and other ready to eat products. Training and awareness of the technology through expo visits, village meetings, field visits to women farmer do help.
ITIs and NGOs hold programs related to household based operations like knitting, stitching, weaving, embroidery, bakery, food preparation and preservation.

Now, what is the need of the hour is providing knowledge regarding accessibility to loans available from various funding agencies, procedure regarding certification, awareness on government welfare programs, motivation, technical skill and support from family, government and other organizations. Support and assistance required by unemployed women can be achieved through discussions with groups of women and interaction with officials of concerned departments, village panchayats and NGOs.

There is weak communication between the women bodies and associations whose role is confined on suggesting recommendations for the concerned departments.

Based on my experiences while working with girls in different projects, I would like to suggest some steps that can be taken by voluntary organizations and other research institutions, who are working for the empowerment of women.

My emphasis is that the natural talent be shaped in such a manner so that they do not hunt for jobs rather create jobs for them selves.

Some recommendations

Technical and Vocational Education In a developing country like ours, we are suffering from shortage of human resource in technical and vocational areas. Technical and vocational education pages an easy way for employment of such trained manpower towards raising the household income and in turn encouraging the economic growth of the family and in turn the country as a whole.

NGOs with the help of village panchayats/municipal committees can become powerful and responsible partners in implementation of certain Center sponsored skill promoting welfare schemes reach the target audience.

The same has practically been implemented under SEWA Society in my district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, which has seen certain encouraging results

Promoting Leadership Qualities among Youth Educated adolescent girls from their native areas should be encouraged to motivate girl children to complete their basic elementary education and mobilize their collective potential to solve their issues. To promote and encourage this among the youth, the local panchayats/or religious committees should be involved in recommending the names of such people to the district administration for honoring them with appreciation letters in doing so.
Information on sexual health care.

Adolescence is shrouded in myths and misconception about sexual health and sexuality. Adolescent friendly health services education can be delivered in Anganwadi health centers in the rural areas or at high school level with the help of lady doctors or Asha workers..

Supplementary Education NGOs along with help of village panchayats can help girls from uneducated, poor families by supporting supplementary education classes for girls studying high school to enhance their performances and bringing them at par with the town or city folks.
Educating School Drop-Outs Most of the girls between the age group of 10-17 years in the rural areas are forced by their families to be helping hands in seasonal agricultural working and other household responsibilities This creates a discontinuation of their education and breaks the interest of the child which has been the one of the main factors for major drop outs at the 8th class level. Under Sarb Shiksha Abhiyan, a programme could be developed where these drop outs could be helped through some bridge courses to equip them to appear either privately or through open schools so as to encourage them to complete their elementary education.
Equality in Decision Making Bodies Women must make up at least 1/3 rd of all decision-making bodies, committees and groups. The effects would be evolutionary. District Town planning Board committee of my District Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar has only me as the lone female on board of 15 members.
Protective Homes for women There is an urgent need for setting up of a Nari Niketans at district level. Not only would these be rescue homes for these destitutes but could also double up as short stay homes for vocational training and act as production centers to enable women in such institutions to rehabilitate themselves. Corporates could be encouraged involvement in this project by enabling their budget spends under corporate social responsibility to be tax free. These centers would act as their human resource development centers

Need for Gender Sensitization in Police

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Violence against women is too complex, takes too many forms and intersects with too many other issues for it to be eradicated without a long struggle. Women of all classes have to contend with harassment as part of their daily lives.

School and college students in the 15-19 age-group and women workers in the

Unorganized sectors are particularly vulnerable. As a group, women often lack access to the power structures, law, resources and education that would equip them to put an end to this violence. And even when they do have the capacities to stop individual cases of violence, these instances are exceptions. Most of victims were not aware of law and related provisions such as free legal aid, Women Help Lines, counseling centers, short-stay homes etc. Domestic violence in any form harasses women and increases their vulnerability for ill health, ultimately leading to psychosomatic disorders like depression, anxiety, hypertension, high suicidal tendency.

Even in daytime it is plain difficult for ordinary Indian women from the margins, or who don't have any influence whatsoever, to enter police stations. Visiting the police station often leads to secondary victimization of women.

Does the answer lie in opening an all-woman police station along side every normal police station to cover the complete state?

Of course not.

The solution does not lie in opening new all-woman police stations, but in social sensitization. The attitude of the average police and people has to change. Women should feel confident and comfortable in approaching any policeman or policewoman. After all, that is the role and purpose of the police in any civilized society. The political leadership of the state and the senior police officials has a constitutional duty to ensure that the entire police force is responsive to the needs of all the sections of the society, irrespective of their caste, creed, color or sex. But that is hard work. It would entail reforming the existing colonial system of policing — from recruitment to training to the organizational culture, everything needs an overhaul. This is not to deny in any manner that genuine problems exist with the treatment of women in the current model of policing.

The setting up of Crime against Women Cells is indeed a progressive step.

Since issues like domestic violence, dowry harassment and child abuse now invariably end up at police stations and women police by their nature are better equipped to take a sympathetic approach

Enough has been said about the population vs. police ratio in the country; however, research has indeed shown that the increase in the number of police personnel does not necessarily results in decrease in crime in general. However, when it comes to crimes against women, the kind of police force that we have indeed matters. The number of women police personnel in the police throughout the country is very low, less then 4 per cent, that is not sufficient to cater to the growing needs of country where female population constitute 50% of the total half its population

Since past few years, I have got a chance to participate in the working of women Cell, SSP Office, SBS Nagar as one of the panel members of the counseling committee.

This cells adopts a three-point method to deal with the mentioned problems:
• Investigations by the police are expedited and monitored.
• Family disputes are resolved or compromises reached through counseling.
• In case of serious crimes, the Commission constitutes an Inquiry Committee, which makes spot enquiries, examines various witnesses, collects evidence and submits the report with recommendations. Such investigations help in providing immediate relief and justice to the victims of violence and atrocities

I believe that the Incharge Woman cell needs to contact the complainant the very next day to know about her satisfaction regarding action taken and record her comments in daily diary report, which should be submitted to the Senior Officers.

But these women police cells have inherent problems: their coverage is entire district; they are ill equipped in terms of communication and mobility; Counseling to the parties concerned is a major part of the strategy to provide relief to women victims so more focus needs to be given in this regard.

The powers and intervention of the cell should not be limited to marital disputes and but they could play the role as a specialized agency in addressing all issues including the safety of women through consultations with the schools, colleges, the Market Associations, the village panchayats, the municipal bodies primarily engaged in reconciliation and amicable out of court settlement in marital discords, the cell can increase its scope by undertaking a variety of activities to help, guide and Empower and equip women while facing violence, harassment, etc.

Suggestions for improving the police’s service

1. The most important improvement that is required is in the area of further education and training. Most women feel that there should be sensitivity within the police force with regard to women's complainants. The attitude of the police and people has to change, the police should be trained in public relations so that a better rapport can be established between police officials and complainants.

2. Specialised facilities and services for women at police stations (such as trauma units and trained counselors to handle abuse cases) would enable police officials to work more closely with professionals from relevant fields.

3. Every SHO shall ensure that at his Police Station has a lady police official/officer not below the rank of Head Constable available at the helpdesk round the clock

4. To increase the accessibility of Police to the women against crimes Women Cell needs to create a 24 hour women helpline with a mobile police team with a lady police officer which responds to women in distress

5. AWARENESS: The aim should be that the community outreach programmes reach all the schools and colleges and the community at large, in addition to the police personnel within the force, for creating awareness about women's legal rights, remedies available, creating self-help group at micro levels and increasing interaction with police so that we become easily available and accessible to all women and children in need of care and protection.

6. Display of the women help lines Telephone No. at prominent places.

Conclusion

The role of women in nipping this evil is most significant. Efforts should be made on a war footing to develop self-confidence in women that they have the inherent physical and mental strength to face the onslaught of adverse situations both by active and passive means. Women themselves have to rise to the occasion and supplement their will and energy to face the old situations with utmost vigor through encouragement of the government, NGOs and other executive agencies.

Do not be a silent sufferer of these incidents. Protest them with full vigor. Police will extend all cooperation in ensuring your safety. If police becomes sensitive and cases are solved promptly, then the dream of having a safe society will come to reality. The society has also a role to play in ensuring safety of women in their neighborhood.