CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY &

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

-BY AMRITA JADHAV -BY AMITA KOLI

C ORGANISED BUSINESS S - EVERYTHING DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE

R - ACCOUNTABILITY BETWEEN THE TWO

Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.

Corporate Social Responsibility is operating a business in a manner which meets or excels the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has from the business.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF C.S.R

Better anticipation and management of an ever expanding spectrum of risk

Improved reputation management

Enhanced ability to recruit, develop and retain staff

Improved innovation competitiveness and market positioning.

Improved ability to attract and build effective and efficient supply chain relationships. Enhanced ability to address change More robust social license. Access to capital

Improved relations with regulators.

A catalyst for responsible consumption.

Empowerment is derived from the word` power the prefix` em is attached to it. This prefix is used to form verb meaning to `make into` cause power. Thus` to empower is to` make or cause power i.e. ` to power or grant power . Women in the Indian society still looks towards the society to grant them power or empower them in various ways. women empowerment talks much about empowering women.21st century women are now become vital part & parcel of society.

Women as employees Women in management Women as owners/shareholders Women as professionals Women as suppliers Women as customers Women as dealers Women in local communities

Indira Gandhi, served as Prime Minister of India for a period of fifteen years is the world's longest serving woman Prime Minister.

The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women- Equality (Article 14), No discrimination by the State (Article 15(1), Equality of opportunity (Article 16), Equal pay for equal work (Article 39(d)). Special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women and children (Article 15(3)), Renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e), Provisions to be made by the State for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. (Article 42).

The feminist activism in India picked up momentum during later 1970s. One of the first national level issues was the Mathura rape case. The feminist activism in India picked up momentum during later 1970s. One of the first national level issues was the Mathura rape case.

 Female activists united over issues such as female infanticide, gender bias, women health, and female literacy. Since alcoholism is often associated with violence against women in India many women groups launched anti-liquor campaigns in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and other states. The Government of India declared 2001 as the Year of Women's Empowerment (Swashakti) The National Policy For The Empowerment Of Women came was passed in 2001. In 2010 March 9, one day after International Women's day, Rajyasabha passed Women's Reservation Bill, ensuring 33% reservation to women in Parliament and state legislative bodies

Male-Female ratio of Work force participation rates

Year Rural Participation Rates (%) Ratios Urban Participation Rates (%) Ratios

Male 1972-73 1977-78 1983 1987-88 1993-94 54.5 55.2 54.7 53.9 55.3

Female 31.8 33.1 34.0 32.3 32.8 1.71 1.67 1.61 1.67 1.69

Male 50.1 50.8 51.2 50.6 52.1

Female 13.4 15.6 15.1 15.2 15.5 3.74 3.36 3.39 3.36 4.46

1998a
2002a

53.9
54.6

26.3
28.1 ----

2.05
1.94 0.76

50.9
53.4 ---

11.4
14.0 ---

3.81
2.02 2.45

Index of ---Dissimilarity

Female workforce national v/s international level

India has the lowest percentage of women employees (23%), followed by Japan (24%), Turkey (26%) and Austria (29%), Corporate Gender Gap report OF the World Economic Forum. The United States of America (52%), Spain (48%), Canada [(46%) and Finland (44%) display the highest percentage of women employees, WEF survey. Greatest percentage of women employees- the financial services and insurance (60%), professional services (56%) and media and entertainment (42%) industries employ the greatest percentage of women. The lowest percentage of women in automotive (18%), mining (18%) and agriculture (21%).

The statistics testifies to the brutalities afflicted on women folk

Social Indicator
Infant Mortality Rate, per 1000 live births Maternal Mortality Rate, per 100,000 live births

India
73 570

World
60 430

Female Literacy, %
Female School Enrolment Earned Income by females, %

58
47 26

77.6
62 58

Underweight Children, % Total Fertility Rate

Women in Government, % Contraception usage, % Low birth weight babies, %

53 3.2
6 44 33

30 2.9
7 56 17

 India has 1/5th of the worlds total population. India has got a head start in the field of IT and has the largest manpower trained in the field of IT in the world. The varied agro-climatic zones in India are unmatched by any other country in the world and the country can grow almost everything under the sun. India began to experience the average growth rate of over 6% only after the onset of the process of reforms and it is only recently that the growth rate of around 7 % per annum has become a matter of routine. According to the Economic Survey2005-2006 India has already got 8.1 of growth.

SHAKTI means Strength. Project SHAKTI is HULs initiative to upliftment of standard of living in rural India by creating income-generating capabilities for underprivileged rural women. Providing a small-scale enterprise opportunity, and to improving rural lives through health and hygiene awareness. Project SHAKTI is taken up in rural areas only whereby women are the Distributors for HUL products and are called Shakti Ammas. This identity is ushering prosperity in their lives and most importantly self-respect.

Where Whisper helped to restore eyesight to 250 blind girls through corneal transplant operations in which P&G contributed Re 1 for every pack of whisper sold. Project OPEN MINDS to support and educate children across the Australia, ASEAN and the India (AAI) region. For every large size pack of Vicks Vaporub, Whisper, Ariel Power Compact, Head & Shoulders and Pantene purchased by consumers during November 1999 to January 2000,

Avon Cosmetics commitment to women runs deeper than the boundaries of business. Women are the heart of Avon's success and Avon continues to support and understand their needs through Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade. The goal of the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade is to improve access to quality breast health care for underserved, uninsured and low income populations, and to support biomedical research focused on prevention and improved methods of Diagnosis and treatment to Cure and prevent breast cancer.

(i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social

policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential (ii) The de-jure and de-facto enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres political, economic, social, cultural and civil.

(iii) Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political and economic life of the nation.
(iv) Equal access to women to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public office etc.

(v) Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

(vi) Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women.
(vii) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process. (viii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and the girl child. (ix) Building and strengthening partnerships with civil society, particularly womens organizations. Media should expose performances, contributions and achievements of women in an idealistic way

1) Working women with children have difficulties finding adequate child care in their area. Time off and absenteeism are big issues for working mothers.
2) Gaining co-worker acceptance of women in non-traditional roles is a serious problem. Many of our executives are uncertain how to manage women. 3) We have more women managers, but few women officers, and none on the board of directors. The glass ceiling is a reality. 4) Women executives still face the problem of less delegation of authority that is why they play passive role in decision making process which effect in demoralisation of women .

5) Women at work place face worst problem of sexual harassment after being sincere and talented they pay price to remain in job.

6) To strike proper balance between personal and professional life they have to work harder which sometimes result into giving up their bright careers for family cause.

7) Even though women are highly qualified and competent but they still have to depend on the family decision to take up any career before marriage as well as after marriage.

8) India being on the path of development still struggles with the social issues relating to women such as female infanticide, illiteracy, dowry, child marriages, inequality of gender, child labour, In equal property rights, prostitution, trafficking and other serious problems.

SUGGESTIONS

Corporate social responsibility is more than a topic to discuss about it is changing fate and face of society but it should be adopted by all the business houses voluntarily.

Country like India should specially advocate for corporate social responsibility as it can be possible remedies for many issues like illiteracy, poverty, child labour, unemployment and rural development.

Women related issues need important attention from government, society and specially from corporate sector.

India is developing in all possible areas but there are certain areas where development is almost stagnant gender discrimination is one of them

Corporates can definitely empower women right from encouraging them to get education till getting respectable livelihood to become productive citizens.

Corporate can provide finance to overcome some unsolved issues if properly utilised

Women related issues at work like sexual harassment though comes under legal framework but it can be stopped by corporate if internal control within organisation gives due importance to women related rules

Women since ages have silently witnessed the significant changes in society whether its countrys freedom, agricultural development, modernisation, liberalisation, privatisation& globalisation

but one thing which has not changed satisfactorily is gender inequality
in Indian society. This discrimination though age old still rules the society right from discrimination to not to give birth to girl child till not to give them opportunity in employment after marriage, women for their living & livelihood still majorly depends on familys decision

Which is almost absent in case of male members of the same society. From

Vedic period till the now society looks for sacrifices from women not men.
They have to strike balance between social, personal & professional lives. Corporate social responsibility towards women empowerment can become ray of hope in many ways right from changing attitude towards women in the society to making women independent financially, physically and socially and enabling them to stand on their feet. The motive behind joining CSR with women empowerment is to provide solutions to women related issues. Every

project needs finance from society which can be amply supplied by big business houses but society should also become instrumental in developing womens status. Providing competitive jobs equal to men is not only providing bread and butter to women but also uplifting them, society can only develop when growth is equally enjoyed by every section of society though

we have shining examples of women achievers in India like

president Mrs pratibha patil, Indias nightingale Lata Mangeshkar

, women astronauts late Kalpana Chawla and so on but these are in

few thousand there is a need to have such achievements in lakhs and

lakhs. when a girl in small village can also read these success stories and

get inspiration and when right to get birth will be given to girl child then

only our country will stand to be differert atleast in case of equal respect to women.

I HAVE RIGHTS, I WILL RECLAIM THESE

RIGHTS, AND DAYS WILL PROVE IT. - FATIMA,LEADING TO CHOICES WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT, LEBANON