EMPOWERING WOMEN: A STRATEGIC INDIAN IDEOLOGY THROUGH FIVE YEAR PLANS *Mr. D. THOMAS VICTOR RAJA **Dr. R.

CHANDRAMOHAN Introdu t!on The Government of India had ushered the new millennium by declaring the year 2001 as 'Women's Empowerment ear' to focus on the vision 'where women are e!ual partners li"e men'# The most common e$planation of 'women's empowerment' is the ability to e$ercise full control over one's actions# The last decades have witnessed some basic changes in the status and role of women in our society# There has been a shift in policy approaches from the concept of 'welfare' in the seventies to 'development' in the eighties and now to 'empowerment' in the nineties# %n overview of how the &ive programmes# Wo"#n !n D#$#%o&"#nt &%'nn!n( !n Ind!' The importance of the role of women in development had been recogni)ed by the government of India right from the very first five year plan *1+,1-,./# 0owever( women in these earlier plans were treated as sub1ects of 2welfare3 and clubbed together under the category of disadvantaged groups such as destitutes( disabled( aged( etc# The 4econd to &ifth 'lans *1+,.-5+/ i#e# all the plans till the early 50s thus continued to reflect the very same welfare approach( besides giving priority to women3s education( and launching measures to improve maternal and child health services( supplementary feeding for children and e$pectant and nursing mothers# The 6entral 4ocial Welfare 7oard *64W7/( set up in 1+,8( served as an %pe$ 7ody at the national level to promote voluntary action at various levels( especially at the grassroots( to ta"e up these welfare-related activities for women and children# ear 'lans loo"ed at women in India in the conte$t of development gives us a clear picture of changes in vision( strategies of welfare in involving

9 :ecturer in 6ommerce( %nnamalai ;niversity( %nnamalai <agar( Tamil <adu( India# 99 'rofessor and 0ead( %nnamalai ;niversity( %nnamalai <agar( Tamil <adu( India#

Wo"#n ') P'rtn#r) !n D#$#%o&"#nt In the beginning of seventies( the development was not proceeding as planned# The fact was that women did not actively participate in the process# It was underlined that women must be urgently e!uipped with the capabilities re!uired for them to ta"e up these new responsibilities# These revelations and recommendations gave birth to the concept of women as =partners> in development and too" the importance of their education to a new threshold# 0owever( it was after the early 4eventies( that there was a gradual shift in the approach from 2welfare3 to 2development3( which started recogni)ing women as important participants of the developmental process# In 1+51( in response to a re!uest from the ;nited <ations( the government of India appointed a 6ommittee on the 4tatus of Women in India *64WI/ to e$amine all !uestions relating to the rights and status of women in the conte$t of changing social and economic conditions in the country# The 6ommittee3s comprehensive report named *To+'rd) E,u'%!t-. saw a significant change in the government3s policies for women# Women were now no longer viewed as targets of welfare policies but as critical groups for development# This was reflected in the /t0 F!$# Y#'r P%'n 123456478 where strategies for women3s employment ? economic independence( education( health care and family planning and the creation of a supportive legal and institutional environment were conceived# It was for the first time the 'lanning 6ommission included a separate chapter on 2Women and @evelopment3 in the 4i$th &ive ear 'lan# In the 4eventh 'lan *1+A,-+0/( the developmental programmes continued with the ma1or ob1ectives of raising the economic and social status of women and bringing them into the mainstream of national development# In the year 1+A,( t0# D#&'rt"#nt o9 Wo"#n 'nd C0!%d D#$#%o&"#nt was set up as a part of the Binistry of 0uman Cesource @evelopment# This department plans and implements certain innovative programmes for women and children# The ma1or policy initiatives underta"en by the @epartment in the recent past include the establishment of the <ational 6ommission for Women *<6W/( Cashtriya Bahila Dosh *CBD/( adoption of <ational <utrition 'olicy *<<'/( setting up of <ational 6reche &und *<6&/( launching of Indira Bahila o1ana *IB /( 7ali"a 4amriddhi o1ana *74 / and Cural Women3s @evelopment and empowerment pro1ect *CW@E'/#

The Eighth 'lan *1++2-+5/( with human development as its ma1or focus( played a very important role in the development of women# The Eighth 'lan promised to ensure the benefits of development from different sectors and did not bypass women( the Ath plan implemented special programmes to complement the general development programmes and to monitor the flow of benefits to women from other development sectors which enabled women to function as e!ual partners and participants in development process# L!9# C- %# A&&ro' 0 In the <inth 'lan *1++5-2002/( the 'lanning 6ommission( with a view to converge the benefits in the social and economic development sectors for women had re!uested all the 4ecretaries of the various Binistries and @epartments of the Government of India to draw up a Women3s 6omponent 'lan to identify allocation in all the sectors at the 6entre by aggregating them in an integrated manner# The <inth 'lan adopted the :ife 6ycle approach in the empowerment of women which categori)es women in to , distinct sub-groups *population as pro1ected for 2001/# They includeE Girl children in the age-group 0-1F years who account for 151#,0 million *8F#. percent/( deserve special attention because of the gender bias and discrimination they suffer from at such a tender ageG %dolescent girls in the age-group 1,-1+ years who account for ,2#2F million *10#, per cent/ are very sensitive from the viewpoint of planning because of the preparatory state for their future productive and reproductive roles in the society and family( respectivelyG Women in the reproductive age-group 1,-FF years numbering 288#52 million *F5#1 per cent/ need special care and attention because of their reproductive needsG Women in the economically active age group 1,-,+ years( who account for 2A+#F0 million *,A#F per cent/ have different "ind of demands li"e educationHtraining( employment( income generation and participation in the developmental process( decision ma"ing etc(G and

 The elderly women in the age-group .0I years numbering 8F#A5 million *5#0 per cent/ have limited needs mainly relating to health( financial and emotional support# Co""!t"#nt) o9 N!nt0 P%'n O:;# t!$# Empowering Women %s the %gents Jf 4ocial 6hange %nd @evelopment Str't#(!#) To create an enabling environment for women to e$ercise their rights( both within and outside home( as e!ual partners along with men through early finali)ation and adoption of =<ational 'olicy for Empowerment of Women> To e$pedite action to legislate reservation of not less than 1H8 seats for women in the parliament and in the 4tate :egislative %ssemblies and thus ensure ade!uate representation of women in decision ma"ing To adopt and integrated approach towards empowering women through effective on$#r(#n # o9 #<!)t!n( )#r$! #)= resources( infrastructure and manpower in both women specific and women related sectors# To adopt a special strategy of *Wo"#n>) Co"&on#nt P%'n. to ensure that not less than 80 percent of fundsHbenefits flow to women from other developmental sectors To organi)e women into S#%9 H#%&6Grou&) and thus mar" the beginning of a ma1or process of empowering women# The 4elf-0elp Groups developed and to provide a permanent forum for articulating their needs and contributing their perspectives to development# To increase access to credit through setting up of a 2@evelopment 7an" for Women Entrepreneurs3 in small and tiny sectors#

Wo"#n E"&o+#r"#nt Y#'r The finance Binister in his 7udget speech of 2000-01 had announced that the year 2001 will be observed as =Women Empowerment ear># 0e also announced setting up of a Tas" &orce to chal" out specific programmes for observing the year 2001 as =women Empowerment ear># The ob1ective of the Women3s Empowerment year was to create large-scale awareness with the active participation of women themselves# % special tas"force also was created to plan and e$ecute programmes to observe the year and the national policy was declared# The goal of this policy was to bring about the advancement( development and empowerment of women# Co""!t"#nt) o9 t0# T#nt0 P%'n to E"&o+#r Wo"#n 1?55?6?55@8 T0# A&&ro' 0 To continue with the ma1or strategy of 2Empowering Women3 as %gents of 4ocial 6hange and @evelopment Str't#(!#) To adopt a 4ector-specific 8-&old 4trategy for Empowering Women( based on the prescriptions of the <ational 'olicy for Empowerment of Women# They includeE So !'% E"&o+#r"#nt To create an enabling environment through various affirmative developmental policies and programmes for the development of women besides providing them easy and e!ual access to all the basic minimum services so as to enable them to reali)e their full potentials# E ono"! E"&o+#r"#nt To ensure provision of training( employment and income-generation activities with both 2forward3 and 2bac"ward3 lin"ages with the ultimate ob1ective of ma"ing all potential women economically independent and self-reliantG and G#nd#r Ju)t! # To eliminate all forms of gender discrimination and thus( allow women to en1oy not only the de-1ure but also the de-facto rights and fundamental freedom on par with men in all spheres li"e political( economic( social( civil( cultural etc#

E%#$#nt0 P%'n 'nd Wo"#n E"&o+#r"#nt 1?55@6?52?8 The main tas" of the KI & ' is to ensure that women are at the centre L stage of all the activities L economic( social and political# The crucial areas concerning themselves( to a large e$tent( suggest the thrust areas that are re!uired to be "ept in view in the Eleventh plan( while priority will continue to be laid on health( nutrition( education( income generating activities( relief and rehabilitation for women in distress# Bicro credit will be continued to remain the bac"bone of 40G finances and therefore will need to be strengthened and streamlined in the eleventh 'lan# There have been many instances of e$ploitative rates of interest charged by the unscrupulous agencies which has led to economic distress in many parts of the country# Therefore it is imperative that the Binistry of &inance formulates a regulatory mechanism for micro credit lending to ma"e the system more transparent and beneficial# N't!on'% Co""!))!on 9or Wo"#n The <ational 6ommission for Women was set up in 1++2 to protect and safeguard the rights of women# The activities of the 6ommission include receiving complaints or suo moto en!uiring in cases of deprivation of rights of women( providing counseling( conducting 'arivari" :o" %dalats and legal awareness programmes and organising public hearings# The <ational 6ommission for Women being the nodal agency for protection of the rights of women needs to be strengthened# The <6W %ct needs to be suitably amended to give the 6ommission more power# The re!uirement of funds for the KI 'lan for the activities of the 6ommission is estimated as Cs#8, crore# The Binistry of Women and 6hild @evelopment( as the nodal agency for all matters pertaining to welfare( development and empowerment of women( has evolved schemes and programmes for their benefit# These schemes are spread across a broader spectrum such as women3s need for shelter( security( safety( legal aid( 1ustice( information( maternal health( food( nutrition etc as well as their need for economic sustenance through s"ill development( education( and access to credit and mar"eting# The schemes of the Binistry li"e Swashakti, Swayamsidha, 4TE' and Swawlamban enable economic empowerment# Wor"ing Women 0ostels and 6reches provide support services# Swadhar and 4hort 4tay 0omes provide protection and

rehabilitation to women in difficult circumstances# The Binistry also supports autonomous bodies li"e <ational 6ommission( 6entral 4ocial Welfare 7oard and Rashtriya Mahila Kosh which wor" for the welfare and development of women# These schemes were run in the Tenth 'lan# It was proposed to continue some in the Eleventh 'lan and also to ta"e up new schemes# 4cheme-wise brea"-up of the re!uirement is given in the table below#

S 0#"# +!)# &ro&o)#d '"ount !n AIt0 F!$# Y#'r P%'n N'"# o9 t0# S 0#"# 4wayamsidha Including I&%@ 'ro1ect *Implementation &inancial %ids and @evelopment/ Wor"ing Women 0ostel 4TE' *4teps for Training and Education 'rogramme/ 4etting up G7 6ell( 4tatistical @ivision and Bedia ;nit 'reparation of Training Banuals for Gender 7udgeting Cesearch and Evaluation 'ilot 'ro1ects for Women in @ifficult 6ircumstances Implementation of @omestic Miolence and other %cts Celief and Cehabilitation for Cape Mictims Bedia Cashtriya Bahila Dosh 6entral 4ocial Welfare 7oard <ational commission for Women 4wadhar Tot'% r#,u!r#"#nt A"ount 1R). !n ror#)8 8000#00 ,00#00 2F0#00 10#00 ,0#00 1,#00 2000#00 .00#00 2,0#00 ,00#00 ,00#00 +00#00 8,#00 1000#00 3/55.55

Con %u)!on Nawaharlal <ehru once said = ou can tell the condition of the nation by loo"ing at the status of women#> There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence# Empowerment is a ma1or step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational conte$t# In recent years there have been e$plicit moves to increase women's political participation# The Women's reservation policy bill is however a very sad story as it is repeatedly being scuttled in parliament# 7ut after a long battle( the resolution has been passed in parliament on + th Barch 2010# % clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of women's emancipation both from the government and women themselves# Efforts should be directed towards entire development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share# R#9#r#n #) 1# Ceports of &ive ear 'lans 2# 6ensus of India(2001 8# www#google#com