WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

"Man can never be a women's equal in the sprit of selfless service with which nature has endowed her"  

 -Mahatma Gandhi

India belongs to the land where women are revered as goddess. They are given as sacred status whereas on the other hand, they are debarred entry to temples (SABRIMALA).

In our society women are seen as home-makers, caretakers even in health front the job of nurse is given mostly to women, but if talk about women's health or nutrition they are most neglected ones.

In the education front over the year girls have more passing percentage in CBSE exam, but still discrimination seen in expenditure on girl's education over a boy in a family.

When we talk about womens' education the statement given by Brigham Young come in mind, " You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a women; you educate a generation".

Lets highlight the success of womens which may be forgotten by a normal orthodox people, a all women crew successfully circumnavigated the globe on India-built sail boat INSV Tarini. Agni-IV missile was successfully tested but very few people know that the Tessy Thomas, an Indian women scientist was the Project Director. 

The highest grossing Indian film ever, the fifth highest grossing non-english film ever is not a romantic or male-protagonist but DANGAL, a story of Gita Phogat and Babita Kumari who go on to become India's first world-class female wrestlers. The story Dangal force me to think about the statement of Eleanor Roosevelt, " A women is like a tea bag; you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water".

According to United Nations women empowerment has five components,i.e. sense of self-worth; right to have and to determine choice; right to access opportunities and resources; power to control their own life inside and outside the home; ability to influence the direction of social change. 

As Kofi Annan said, "No better tool of empowerment than women themselves". The status of women empowerment over the ages tells us that The Rig Veda says," The wife and husband, being the equal halves of one substance, are equal in every respect; therefore both should join and take equal parts in all works, religious and secular."  Also, the Upanishads clearly declare that we individual soul neither male or female".

The status of women of Vedic era began to decline with time with emergence of Later vedic age. Gender equality is started is creeping into the society, led to series of social evils against women-child marriage, sati, jauhar etc. Despite these, there were series of women achivers-Lopamudra, Maitreyi, Gargi, Ahilya Bai Holkar etc.

The Indian renaissance began during the time of British Rule, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra VIdyasagar and western education contributed to passed series of legislation for the betterment of women, Abolish of Sati, increasing the age for marriage, widow remarriage etc.

The next phase in women empowerment came with emergence of Mahatma Gandhi, as women were best placed to participate in the non-violent struggle for India's independence. Women like Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, Kalpana Dutt,Pritilata Waddedar,Sucheta Kriplani, Usha Mehta etc became an integral part of India's independence movement.       

If we talk about field of achievements and prices, Mother Teresa become the first Indian woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, Indira Gandhi 1st women PM of India,Pratibha Patil 1st women President of India, Kiran Bedi 1st IPS Officer, Kalpna Chawla, Justice Fatimah 1st female judge appointed to supreme court,Harita Kor Deol 1st women pilot to fly solo in Indian Air force,Anna Rajam Malhotra became the first woman IAS officer of India,Priyan Jhingan became the first Indian woman to join the Indian Army in 1993.

Even in recent year India have seen women in all field from Jet pilot to Civil servants the number of women contribution enhanced lets memorise few name, Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot of the Indian Air Force to take part in R-Day parade, Kiran Deoli Uniyal is the first Indian woman to have achieved 12 World Records in Martial Arts in speed elbow strikes and kicks, Sania Mirza, Sania Nehwal, Marry Kom, Bachendri Pal  and many more names added very frequently as its tough now to highlight womens in any selected field because they are all over the world shining like starts on the sky which is impossible to count.

 But the importance of those women who were first in their field will never diminished as they become the inspiration for the others just because of them the young girls are now confident to enter in any field without any fear or hesitation.

Let us finish it with the golden words of the B.R.Ambetkar, as the words may finish but the achivement and stories of womens will not end, 

He said, " I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved".

                                                                              .............TA