Article review: Empowerment of Rural Women

Patel, A. (2010). Empowerment of Rural Women – Concern and Commitment of Elected Women Representatives. Kurukshetra, 58(8), 3-7.

Dr. Amrit Patel, author of this article is Ex-Deputy General Manager, Bank of Baroda, currently International Consultant, Kazakhstan

Summary

Dr. Amrit described the role of women in an agrarian India. He indicated that women constitute about 66% of the agriculture force. Around 48% self-employed farmers are women and 64% of the informal sector work force depending on agriculture is women.

He clearly documented the “genesis of women empowerment” and the establishment of “Women’s Day” (p. 3) in the international arena. He highlighted the status of Indian women in ancient, medieval and modern India (p. 4). He categorically emphasized on the pathetic condition of the rural Indian women stating that “the plight of most rural women has been pathetic since they have to collect firewood, fetch drinking water, search fodder to feed cattle, work on their meagre land to raise crops, work as labourer on another farms, take care of children etc.” (p. 4). He further elaborated the gradual improvement of rural women by means of “Self-Help Group” (p. 5), “Education” (p. 6) and in the field of politics. Many of his view explained the “weak enforcement” of women related acts passed by the government of India.

Reflections

The dominant purpose of this article seems to be to convince the reader that empowerment of women would be one of the pillars that could change India into a developed country.  The author of this article, Dr. Patel begins with the intention of comparing the Indian women with the international women empowerment movements by stating that the “right to vote” was first granted to women by the New Zealand government in September 19, 1893, the celebration of International Women Day on 19th March 1911 in Germany whereas the first All India Women’s Educated Conference was held in Pune in 1927. India in the later part guarantees several provision for the empowerment of women and declared 2001 as the “Year of Women’s Empowerment” and the National policy for the Empowerment of Women came into force from 2011.

The author highlighted the pathetic condition of India’s rural women; He further described India as home to the largest number of poor and malnourished people in the world and the hopeless condition of the farmers.

Women, despite their unbearable hardship and commitments have beyond doubts demonstrated their loyalty to financial banks through above 95% repayment of loans by means of self-help groups. It is the duty of the elected women representatives to demonstrate serious concern and commitment to strengthen law and order enforcing machinery at all levels in order to be in the same status with their foreign counterparts.

Although the government of India has passed several acts to protect and safeguard girls child and women from social evil practices, it could not be achieved due to the weak law enforcement. Be it the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act of 1956, Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, The Indecent Representation of Women [Prohibition] Act of 1987 and The Protection of Women Domestic Violence Act of 2005, yet, there are an unaccountable number of such incidents were reported from different corners.

The author stressed on the need of improving female literacy rate as it significantly influenced the improvement of social and economic status of women.

India has been working towards empowering the status of women ever since independence, and especially since the 1990s. The government and non-government sectors have both been pushing ahead with programmes aimed at imparting education to women, giving them better health care, providing them with means of livelihood and opportunities to participate in the decision making process at home and in the society.

The author mentioned on the need to have reservation for women in the Panchayats level and also discussed on how women can be empowered to effectively take on the challenges facing the society. 

Conclusion

Patel presented convincing research the fact that the number of women in India far outnumber the total population of many countries, on would expect the Indian woman to be a socially strong and empowered class. The reality, as we know it, is otherwise. Despite the principles of gender equality being enshrined in our constitution and despite the state being empowered to adopt measures of positive discrimination in their favour, women of India continue to bear the brunt of societal discrimination. Whether it is health, education, mortality rate or any other development parameters, women of India are on very weak footing. Despite efforts to raise the social status of women for more than a century, India still ranks 118 among 177 nations on gender equality according to the Human Development Index for 2008.

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Submitted as an assignment on 28^th September 2011