Role of Education in Women Empowerment PDF

© 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) ROLE OF EDUCATION IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT T Mutyalu Assistant Professor of Economics, Dr. S. R....

© 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) ROLE OF EDUCATION IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT T Mutyalu Assistant Professor of Economics, Dr. S. R. K. Govt. Arts College, Yanam-533464 Pondicherry University, Pondicherry (U.T.), India. Abstract:Today women play a vital role in the progress of the Economy. It is well known fact that discrimination of women from womb to tomb. Still there is inequality and vulnerability of women in all sectors. Education is the main factor for women empowerment, prosperity, development and welfare. In order to fight against socially constructed gender biases, women have to swim against the system that need move strength such strength comes from the process of empowerment and empowerment will come from the education, and rural development will come from women empowerment. This paper gives awareness about the impact of education on overall womenempowerment in General. Key Words: Women empowerment, education, rural development Introduction Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing individual to think, take action and control work in an autonomous way.Empowerment can be viewed as means of creating a social environment in which one can make decisions and make choices either individually or collectively for social transformation. The empowerment strengthens the innate ability by way of acquiring knowledge, power and experience. It is the process by which one can gain control over one’s destiny and the circumstances of one’s lives. There are always a number of elements in the society which are deprived of their basic rights in every society, state and nation, but these elements lack in the awareness of their rights. If we enlist such elements from the society, then women would top this list. In fact, women are the most important factor of every society. Even though everybody is aware of this fact, but nobody is ready to accept this fact. As a result, the importance which used to be given to women is declining in today's society. As a consequence of this growing tendency of underestimating women such as to make them occupy a secondary position in society and to deprive them of their basic rights, the need for empowering women was felt.. Empowering women has become the focus of considerable discussion and attention all over the world. Today we enjoy the benefits of being citizens of a free nation, but we really need to think whether each of the citizens of our country is really free or enjoying freedom, in the true sense of the term. The inequalities between men and women and discrimination against women are an age-old issue all over the world. Thus women quest for equality with man is a universal phenomenon. Women should equal with men in matters of education, employment, inheritance, marriage, and politics etc. Their quest for equality has given birth to the formation of many women’s associations and launching of movements. The Constitution of our nation doesn't discriminate between men and women, but our society has deprived women of certain basic rights, which were bestowed upon them by our Constitution. Empowerment allows individuals to reach their full potential, to improve their political and social participation, and to believe in their own capabilities. JETIRBN06033 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 138 © 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) WomenEmpowerment Women empowerment is a process of enabling women to have access and make productive contributions to their economic independence, political participation and socialdevelopment. Empowerment enables the individuals to realise their identityand powers in all spheres of life. It consists of greater access to knowledge and resources, greater autonomy in making decisions or free from the shackles imposed on them by custom, belief and practices in the society. As per the latest Census of India, women constitute 48.49%of the country’s population and about 90% of the informal sector. Women are mostly venerated and found valuable. Yet theyare often invisible in the development scenario. It is said that between the rhetoric of women’s empowerment and the reality of decreasing fund allocation for schemes relatedtowomen’shealth, education etc.,liesthestoryofwomen’sdevelopmentinIndia. Denialofaccessandopportunitiestorightfulplace,possessionandpositiontowomen begins from home and extends beyond to schools and other institutions of learningand work. Differences in avenues to growth and development thus, become issues. The issues become areasofconcern,notjustforwomen,butfortheentiresociety. Importance of women education “If you educate a man you educate an individual, however, if you educate a woman you educate a whole family. Women empowered means mother India empowered”. PT. Jawaharlal Nehru. Women education in India plays a very important role in the overall development of the country. It not only helps in the development of half of the human resources, but in improving the quality of life at home and outside. If it is said that education is the key to all problems, then it won't be improper. Thinkers have given a number of definitions of education but out of these definitions, the most important definition is that which was put forth by M. Phule. According to M. Phule, "Education is that which demonstrates the difference between what is good and what is evil". If we consider the above definition, we come to know that whatever revolutions that have taken place in our history, education is at the base of them. Education means modification of behaviour in every aspect, such as mentality, outlook, attitude etc. Educated women not only tend to promote education of their girl children, but also can provide better guidance to all their children. Moreover educated women can also help in the reduction of infant mortality rate and growth of the population. Obstacles: Gender discrimination still persists in India and lot more needs to be done in the field of women's education in India. The gap in the male-female literacy rate is just a simple indicator. While the male literary rate is more than 82.14% and the female literacy rate is just 65.46%. (b). the women were consider only house wife and better to be live in the house Women empowerment through education Women empowerment is the pivotal part in any society, state or country. It is a woman who plays a dominant role in the basic life of a child. Women are an important section of our society. Education as means of empowerment of women can bring about a positive attitudinal change. It is therefore, crucial for the socioeconomic and political progress of India. The Constitution of India empowers the state to adopt affirmative measures for prompting ways and means to empower women. Education significantly makes difference in the lives of women. JETIRBN06033 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 139 © 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Women Empowerment is a global issue and discussion on women political right are at the fore front of many formal and informal campaigns worldwide. The concept of women empowerment was introduced at the international women conference at NAROIBI in 1985. Education is milestone of women empowerment because it enables them to responds to the challenges, to confront their traditional role and change their life. So we can’t neglect the importance of education in reference to women empowerment. To see the development in women education India is supposed to upcoming super power of the world in recent years. The increasing change in women education, the empowerment of women has been recognised as the central issue in determining the status of women. For becoming super power we have mostly to concentrate upon the women’s education. By which it will force on women’s empowerment. As per united national development fund for women (UNIFEM) the term women’s empowerment means: Acquiring knowledge and understanding of gender relations and the ways in which these relations may be changed. Developing a sense of self-worth, a belief in one’s ability to secure desired changes and the right to control one’s life. Gaining the ability to generate choices exercise bargaining power. Developing the ability to organize and influence the direction of social change, to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally. *Every woman has got her own aspiration which may be high or low, but education helps to maintain a balanced aspiration knowing her interest, ability and potential which further helps her to choose a correct field of her work.  Education helps in balanced personality development by giving due weight to various aspects of personality.  Education of women also plays an important role in teaching her expression of feeling or through effective communication which can solve disputes and adjustment problems of any level.  An educated women is a guiding light for the children, family members, society and nation, she knows how to have a happy family and balanced and healthy relations with others.  Education gives power to a women to become strong physically by giving her knowledge about sports, exercise, health- related aspects and good physical health; this willdefinitely benefit her mental health.  Education helps to improve the sex ratio and in controlling population.  Education encourages women especially the rural women to take advantage of the various schemes like SarvaShikshaAbhiyan, Operation Black-Board, and Total Literacy Programmes etc. Education liberates: Education liberates the mind. Whether you’re studying the sciences, history, literature, languages or social sciences, you are gaining knowledge. You are educating yourself about the world, about how nature, people and nations work. Books which educate open up our minds to places, people and possibilities we’d never have thought of otherwise. Therefore, an educated woman will also be a liberated woman. Education breaks down barriers: Education enables us to break down all barriers- religious, linguistic, cultural, political, gender and geographical. An educated woman will not discriminate others on the basis of these barriers- she will treat everyone the same, and work with them. She might also chose a husband neglecting such barriers, and can bring families from different backgrounds together. This can form a nice way of fostering both national and international integration. Education allows the privilege of choice: As education opens up new worlds to women, it will enable them to make their own choices, in everything- whether it be lifestyle, career, life-partner, sexuality, food etc. Education will teach them to discriminate between wrong and right, and make the correct choices in life. JETIRBN06033 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 140 © 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Plus it will also teach them to be independent, make their own choices and not bow down to anyone, or society’s asinine norms. Education mobilizes: Education will galvanize women into fighting against the social evils which still plague Indian society. An intellectually enlightened woman will actively fight against dowry, bride-burning, marital rape, rape in general, molestation and sexual harassment, and objectification of women. She will also fight misogyny and patriarchy. Look at the widespread protests after the December 2012 Delhi gang-rape. Most women who protested were young and educated. Education fosters independence: Most young, educated women of today are coming into their own being. They know about their autonomy over their lives- they no longer bow down to moronic societal diktats. They live life on their own terms. They live how they want to, they date who they like, they also chose their life-partners and just about everything else. Education helps choose a career and gets financial independence: This is an extension of my previous point. Education, today, is enabling women to go beyond professions considered traditionally good for them- like medicine, nursing, teaching, librarian etc. Today, women are becoming models, actors, fighter pilots, gym instructors, cops, writers, engineers, architects, journalists, scientists, corporate, law, filmmaking and whatnot- they are breaking the glass ceiling. Today’s intellectually liberated and emancipated woman is also earning her own keep. Now she doesn’t have to depend on a man to give her a house, food, clothing and shelter. She can earn her own keep, and buy her own house and feed herself. Today, women are leading good lives sans men- they are no longer forced to play second fiddle to males who treat them, in many cases, like doormats. Educated women contribute to economy: Imagine a nation where women are qualified and are able to get jobs. The contribution to the workforce will enhance the output, and therefore, the economy will develop. And I’m not just talking about industries and corporations, but also about healthcare, the education sector itself, arts, science, literature etc. This will contribute greatly to the advancement of any society, both culturally and economically, and also help its human development indicators. Women can help, through their work, get rid of problems like India’s high maternal mortality rate, high rates of gender violence and other crimes against women, child sex abuse, female feticide, implement family planning and other schemes etc. Education empowers women. Educated girls and young women are more likely to know their rights and to have the confidence to claim them. Education promotes tolerance: Education helps people to understand democracy, promotes the tolerance and trust that underpin it, and motivates people to participate in the political life of their societies. Education equality improves job opportunities and increases economic growth:If all children, had equal access to education, productivity gains would boost economic growth. Over 40 years, per capita income would be 23 per cent higher in a country with equality in education. Education is part of the solution to environmental problems. People with more education are more likely to use energy and water more efficiently and to recycle household waste. Educating women avoids early marriages:-If education is provided to more number of women it will be helpful in avoiding child marriage. Education saves mother’s lives. In some countries, many women still die because of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Education can prevent these deaths. Some child diseases are preventable but not without education. Simple solutions, such as malaria nets and clean water, can prevent some of the worst child diseases, but only if mothers are taught to use them. Education saves children’s lives. Education helps women recognize early signs of illness, seek advice and act on it. If all women in poor countries completed primary education, child mortality would drop by a sixth. Education fights hunger. The devastating impact of malnutrition on children‟s lives is preventable with the help of education. JETIRBN06033 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 141 © 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Thus, empowerment means a psychological sense of personal control or influence and a concern with actual social influence, political power and legal rights. It is a multi-level construct referring to individuals, organizations and community. It is an international, ongoing process centred in the local community, involving mutual respect, critical reflection, caring and group participation, through which people lacking an equal share of valued resources gain greater access to the control over these resources. Conclusion Women play an imperative role in making a nation progressive and guide it towards development. They are essential possessions of a lively humanity required for national improvement, so if we have to see a bright future of women in our country, giving education to them must be a pre-occupation Empowerment means moving from a weak position to execute a power. The education of women is the most powerful tool to change the position of society. Education also brings a reduction in inequalities and functions as a means of improving their status within the family. To encourage the education of women at all levels and for dilution of gender bias in providing knowledge and education, established schools, colleges and universities even exclusively for women in the state. The education develops the idea of participation in government, panchayats, public matters etc for elimination of gender discrimination.Apart from these seven reasons listed above, there is a much deeper reason that women must be educated, and they must be encouraged to learn as much as they want. Paraphrasing a popular saying here – educate a man and you will educate one person, educate a woman and you will educate a whole family. I would add that educating a woman can, in fact, educate more generations. References: Alva, A. and Hans V. B. (2013). “Higher Education in India – Opportunities, Changes and Challenges”.Availableathttp://ssrn.com/abstract=2203706 Balve S. (2015). “Women Entrepreneurship towards women Empowerment in India: plan Initiatives”SouthernEconomist54(3):11-16. Suguna M. (2011). Education and Women Empowerment in India. International journal of Multidisciplinary Research: VOL. 1. Issue 8. K. Mahalinga. (2014). Women’s Empowerment through Panchayat Raj Institutions. Indian Journal of Research: Vol. 3. Issue 3. 8. Chibber B. (2010). Women and the Indian Political Process. Mainstream Weekly Journal: Vol. XLVIII. Issue 18. 9. Bhat T. (2014) Women Education in India Need of the Ever. Human Rights International research journal: Vol. 1 p.3 www.un.org/milleniumgoals/gender.shtml 13. http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment http://journalistmpsingh.blogspot.com/2012/10/mpsingh-report.html JETIRBN06033 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 142