Women Empowerment
...empowerment of women in all spheres of life. However, a close examination of social and economic status of women, especially in the rural areas shows unsatisfactory achievements in most human development indicators. Citing published facts and figures, evaluate the reasons for the failure of the government of India in areas such as growing feminization of poverty; exploitation of women in low paid, hazardous and insecure jobs in the unrecognised sector; wide gender laps in literacy and in wage rate; and escalating violence against women and the rising incidence of female foeticide and infanticide. What concrete steps should the government take to address this issue?
The First Five Year Plan, 1951: highlighted the need for organizing women.
The Second Five Year Plan, 1956-61: made an attempt to protect women against unsafe work, stressed for maternity benefits and crèches for children. It also suggested speedy implementation of the principle of equal pay for equal work and provided for training to enable women to complete for high level jobs.
The Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79): brought in a comprehensive policy for women''s employment. It provided for special steps for admission for women to educational institutions on a strictly non-discriminatory basis and recommended a programme of functional literacy. In 1976, a National Plan of Action was evolved based on the United National World Plan of Action for Women. A Women''s Welfare and Development Bureau under the Ministry of Social Welfare was established to serve as nodal point to coordinate programme of other Ministries and to collect relevant data.
The Sixth Plan: stressed the need for greater attention to the economic emancipation of women along with access to health care and family planning services. It further stipulated that women were to form at least one third of the beneficiaries under the...
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