RECENT TRENDS IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT : AN ANALYSIS

The empowerment of the women is a highly significant issue of our times. There are so many saints and statesmen who have struggled for the empowerment of women in India. Several international conferences were organized to take stock of the situation and prepare grounds for the empowerment of women in all walks of human life. The empowerment of women is a multi-dimensional aspect which demands active participation of various stakeholders in a developing nation like India. Series of Constitutional protective and promotional measures are designed and implemented in India to achieve the goal of empowerment of women. In the present times women studies has become an important branch of academic mainstream in India. Recently series of innovative approaches are adopted to ensure equality of opportunity and empowerment of women in all respects. Gender justice is considered as a vital necessity in India. Educational empowerment includes training, orientation and academic progress of women. The physical empowerment of women includes food, nutrition, health, sanitation, life expectancy and growth. The social empowerment of women includes better status in the family, freedom for marriage, right to property, social mobility, social freedom, family welfare, social transformation and gender equity. The economic empowerment of women includes ownership and control of research right to property, employability, improvement in the standard of living, fulfilment of basic needs, entrepreneurship development and improvement of bargaining power of women. The legal empowerment of women includes constitutional protection, fundamental rights, protection against gender based discrimination, women specific laws, women courts and other safety measures. The political empowerment includes political reservation, political participation and political leadership development of women. The spiritual empowerment includes emancipation from superstitions, misbelieves, customs, traditions and unhealthy practices that safeguard the interest of women. In the present times, state, civil society, universities, media institutions, social organizations, judicial organizations, non-government organizations and other institutions are called upon to work together to achieve the goal of empowerment of women in India. Series of intellectual, research and developmental initiatives are also developed with a view to empower women in all respects.