Page 31 - Employment News 2 - 8 March 2019

Employment News 2 - 8 March 2019 EDITORIAL www.employmentnews.gov.in 31
GENDER ... Women Empowerment financial empowerment of women,
Women's empowerment is making them beneficiaries of
Continued from page 1 critical to achieving gender formal financial institutions. It
equality. It is the skill of women to provides collateral-free loans to
Unfortunately, India ranks 108th in exercise full control over their entrepreneurs and help them
the report. activities. It means control over achieve their dreams.Another
Gender Equality intelligent assets, material programme, Stand Up India, also
Equality is a fundamental resources, and even over their provides entrepreneurship loans
human right. It is the right of philosophies. Women are missing of up to Rs 1 crore to women or
different groups of people to have of chances in different fields of SC/ST entrepreneurs. Over 9
a similar social position and employment and are segregated crore women, till date, have
receive the same treatment. on account of they are women. availed entrepreneurship loans
Equality on the basis of gender is Deep biases and severe poverty jointly from MUDRA and Stand Up
a pre-requisite for making a just against women create a pitiless India. Women constitute over 70%
and sustainable society. UNICEF cycle of inequity that keeps them of MUDRA's beneficiaries.
defines it as, from satisfying their maximum The recently launched
"Gender Equality means that capacity. POSHAN Abhiyan is an initiative
women and men, and girls and Empowerment is the helping to tackle malnutrition through
boys, enjoy the same rights, tool for women to attain equality multi-modal interventions. Multiple
resources, opportunities and with men and to reduce gender ministries are coming together
protections. It does not require bias noticeably. Women play an and ensuring a targeted approach
that girls and boys, or women and important role in the development through the power of technology in
men, be the same, or that they be of different sectors and contribute this battle against malnutrition.
treated exactly alike." for economic improvement in the Mission Indradh-anush is a
According to ABC of Women visible and invisible form. Hence program that aims to boost the
Worker's Rights and Gender there is a need of social, political, health of pregnant women and
Equality, ILO, 2000: economical and cultural children through vaccination.
"Gender equality, equality empowerment of women More than 80 lakh pregnant
between men and women, entails simultaneously to remove this women have been immunised
the concept that all human beings, cruel cycle in which Indian women under the mission.
both men and women, are free to have been entrapped very badly. to the dignity of women. Prohibition, and Redressal) Act Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
develop their personal abilities The actual truth is dreadful The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 was enacted in 2013 to help those Yojana provides economic support
and make choices without the conditions and exploitation of has determined the age for who face sexual harassment at to pregnant women and lactating
limitations set by stereotypes, rigid women specially women from marriage, provided for monogamy work. This law mandates every mothers. It ensures timely
gender roles and prejudices. deprived sections of the society and guardianship of the mother company to have a well- checkups, an important factor in
Gender equality means that the and those belonging to rural and permitted the dissolution of documented mechanism to ensuring the health of mothers
different behaviour, aspirations areas. marriage under specific address complaints about sexual and children. Cash incentive of Rs
and needs of women and men are Constitutional & Legal circumstances. Under the Hindu advances and demands for sexual 6,000 is offered to pregnant or
considered, valued and favoured Provisions for Women Adoptions and Maintenance Act, favours at work.This Act entitles lactating mothers to help them
1956, an unmarried women,
every woman a safe work
equally. It does not mean that Empowerment in India widow or divorce of sound mind environment and offers guidelines afford better nutrition. More than
women and men have to become After the independence of India can also take child in adoption. on initiating action against any 50 lakh women are expected to
the same, but that their rights, in 1947, the constitution makers Similarly, the Dowry Prohibition sexual misconduct. The Act also benefit from PMMVY every year.
responsibilities and opportunities and the leaders recognised the Act of 1961 says that any person has provisions for organising Ujjwala Yojana, launched by the
will not depend on whether they equal social position of women who gives, takes, or abets the workshops and awareness government, is a programme that
are born male or female. Gender with men. The Constitution of giving or taking of dowry shall be programmes on sexual provides free LPG connections,
equity means fairness of India guarantees equality of punished with imprisonment, harassment. has clocked over 5.33 crore
treatment for women and men, sexes, and in fact grants special which may extend to six months or The Maternity Benefit connections even before its
according to their respective favours to women. As per the fine up to Rs.5000/ or with both. (Amendment) Act, 2017 has deadline. This helps women have
Article 14, the government shall
needs. This may include equal not deny to any person equality The government has also taken amended the Maternity Benefit healthier, smoke-free lives while
treatment or treatment that is before law or equal protection of giant steps to empower Muslim Act, 1961, increasing maternity also helping them save the time
different but which is considered the law. Article 15 says that women. The ordinance "The leave available to the working and energy spent on looking for
equivalent in terms of rights, government shall not discriminate Muslim Women (Protection of women from 12 weeks to 26 firewood.
benefits, obligations and against any citizen on the ground Rights on Marriage) Second weeks for the first two children. As Conclusion
opportunities." of sex; while Article 15 (3) enables Ordinance 2019" was recently re- per the provisions of the new law, The Empowerment of women
Gender Equality means equal the state to make affirmative promulgated. It seeks to "protect the employer may permit a woman has become one of the most
opportunity and equal access to discriminations in favour of the rights of married Muslim to work from home if it is possible important concerns of 21st
resources and rewards for both women. Article 16 gives equality of women and prevent divorce by the to do so. century not only at national level
women and men in all spheres of opportunity in matters of pubic practise of instantaneous and Recent Government Initiatives but also at the international level.
life. This needs to be attained employment and directs that no irrevocable 'talaq-e-biddat' by the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao There is no denying the fact that
across four key sectors - citizens on the basis of sex can be their husbands" and to "provide initiative was launched in early women in India have made a
economic opportunity, political discriminated against. Article 42, the rights of subsistence 2015 to usher in a considerable progress in the last
empowerment, educational under Directive Principles of State allowance, custody of minor transformational shift in the way seventy years but yet they have to
attainment, and health and Policy, directs the state to make children to victims of triple talaq our society looks at the girl child. struggle against many handicaps
survival. An important aspect of provision for ensuring just and i.e. talaq-e-biddat" There is a strong emphasis on and social evils in the male
promoting gender equality is the human conditions of work and For better gender balance at mindset change through dominated society. There is a
empowerment of women, with a maternity relief. Above all, the workplaces, several legal training,sensitization, awareness need to take measures to reduce
focus on identifying and constitution regards a provisions have been taken by the raising and community women's unpaid work, initiatives
redressing power imbalances and fundamental duty on every citizen Government. The Sexual mobilization on the ground. Due to to ensure women's equal access
giving women more autonomy to through Articles 51 (A), (E) to Harassment of Women at these efforts, the sex ratio at birth to decent employment
manage their own lives. renounce the practices derogatory Workplace (Prevention, improved in 104 districts among opportunities, resources and
those identified as gender- finance, and helping to develop
sensitive. 119 districts reported and implement gender-sensitive
progress in first trimester budget processes. The
registrations and 146 districts Government is making all efforts
improved in institutional deliveries. to ensure Gender Equality but
Buoyed by the success of this
initiative in these districts, BBBP those initiatives alone would not
has now been expanded across be sufficient to achieve this
all 640 districts of the country. herculean task. We as a Society
Pradhan Mantri Sukanya must take initiative to create a
Samriddhi Yojana was introduced climate in which there is no gender
to ensure the financial security of discrimination and women get full
the girl child. As per the latest opportunities of self decision
official data, more than 1.26 crore making and participating in the
Sukanya Samriddhi accounts social, political and economic life
have been opened with around Rs of the Country with a sense of
20,000 crore deposited in them. equality. It has been found that the
To secure women and strong correlation between a
particularly girl child against country's gender gap and its
violence the government has economic performance. If we as a
made the death penalty for the nation aspires to be the World
rape of a girl child under 12 years. Power in near future, we need to
It has also ensured that the make gender equality a critical
minimum punishment for the rape part of the nation's human capital
of a girl under 16 years is development.
increased from 10 years to 20 The author is a Mumbai based
years. Journalist, e-mail: shreyabh.
MUDRA Yojana was launched journo@gmail.com
EN 48/47 by the Government to boost Views expressed are personal.