EDUCATION FOR EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN MA [Education] Second Semester EDCN 806E [ENGLISH EDITION] Directorate of Distance Education TRIPURA UNIVERSITY Reviewer Dr Sitesh Saraswat Reader, Bhagwati College of Education, Meerut Authors Dr Namrata Prasad: Units (1.0-1.3, 1.4, 1.6-1.10, 2.6.1) © Dr Namrata Prasad, 2016 Dr Md Arshad: Units (1.3.1, 1.5) © Dr Md Arshad, 2016 Vivek Kumar: Units (2.0-2.6, 2.7-2.11, 3) © Reserved, 2016 Paulie Jindal: Units ( 4 & 5) © Reserved, 2016 Books are developed, printed and published on behalf of Directorate of Distance Education, Tripura University by Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. 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Office: 7361, Ravindra Mansion, Ram Nagar, New Delhi – 110 055 • Website: www.vikaspublishing.com • Email: [email protected] SYLLABI-BOOK MAPPING TABLE Education for Empowerment of Women Syllabi Mapping in Book UNIT I Concept of Women’s Empowerment Unit 1: Women’s Empowerment – Women’s Empowerment in Today’s World in India (Pages 1-40) (a) Global Gender Gaps (b) Women’s Rights (c) Women’s Movement UNIT II Unit 2: Health Conditions and Work – Health Conditions, Sex Ratio, Family Planning and Welfare Related Issues of Indian Women – Education: Literacy and Gender Bias (Pages 71-76) – Work Related Issues: Existing Prejudices, Sex Related Violence, Gender Discrimination UNIT III – Political Participation: Lack of Women’s representation Unit 3: Political, Social and – Economic Conditions: Prostitution Economic Conditions of Women – Social Conditions: Divorce, Rape, Domestic Violence (Pages 77-119) UNIT IV – Approaches to Women’s Education – Education for Achieving Quality of Life, Equality of Unit 4: Women’s Education in India opportunities, and Equity (Pages 121-148) UNIT V – Women in Developing Countries with Special Reference Unit 5: Women and Development in India (Pages 149-274) – Women in National Development – Women in Decision Making CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 UNIT 1 WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IN INDIA 1-40 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Unit Objectives 1.2 Concept of Women’s Empowerment 1.2.1 Women’s Empowerment in Today’s World 1.3 Global Gender Gaps 1.3.1 Gender Gaps in Workplace 1.4 Women’s Rights 1.5 Women’s Movements 1.5.1 Women’s Movements in India 1.6 Summary 1.7 Key Terms 1.8 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 1.9 Questions and Excercises 1.10 Further Reading UNIT 2 HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WORK RELATED ISSUES OF 41-76 INDIAN WOMEN 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Unit Objectives 2.2 Health Conditions 2.3 Sex Ratio 2.4 Family Planning and Welfare 2.5 Education: Literacy And Gender Bias 2.6 Work Related Issues: Existing Prejudices, Sex Related Violence, Gender 2.6.1 Sexual Harassment and its Different Forms 2.7 Summary 2.8 Key Terms 2.9 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 2.10 Questions and Exercises 2.11 Further Reading UNIT 3 POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF WOMEN 77-119 3.0 Introduction 3.1 Unit Objectives 3.2 Political Participation: Lack of Women’s Representation 3.2.1 Current Global Status of Leadership and Political Participation of Women 3.2.2 Political Participation of Indian Women 3.3 Economic Conditions: Prostitution 3.3.1 Prostitution: It’s History In India 3.3.2 Causes of Prostitutes 3.3.3 Countering Prostitution 3.4 Social Conditions 3.4.1 Divorce 3.4.2 Rape 3.4.3 Domestic Violence Against Women 3.5 Summary 3.6 Key Terms 3.7 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 3.8 Questions and Exercises 3.9 Further Reading UNIT 4 WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN INDIA 121-148 4.0 Introduction 4.1 Unit Objectives 4.2 Importance of Women’s Education 4.2.1 Approaches to Women’s Education 4.3 Equality of Opportunities and Equity 4.3.1 Education for Achieving Quality Life 4.4 Summary 4.5 Key Terms 4.6 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 4.7 Questions and Exercises 4.8 Further Reading UNIT 5 WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT 149-174 5.0 Introduction 5.1 Unit Objectives 5.2 Women in Developing Countries 5.3 Women in National Development 5.4 Women in Decision Making 5.4.1 Schemes Pertaining to Safety-net for Women 5.4.2 Power of Decision-Making at Household Levels, Class and Community Level 5.5 Summary 5.6 Key Terms 5.7 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 5.8 Questions and Excercises 5.9 Further Reading Introduction INTRODUCTION NOTES Despite the rapid advancements seen in the condition of women in recent times, the status of women in India, especially rural women, continues to be abysmal. A recent report ranked India the worst G20 country in terms of its treatment of women. Even today, women in India continue to face all sorts of prejudice in the private and public sphere. In the private sphere, they are expected to conform to societal expectations to be either a ‘good wife’ or a ‘good daughter’. In the public sphere, they continue to be discriminated against in terms of wages and promotion. Women are also forced to confront violence and sexual exploitation on almost a daily basis. It would not be an exaggeration to state that no understanding of society can be complete without looking at the issues facing women. This book entitled Education for Empowerment of Women has been written in a simplified manner to gives students an idea of the status of women in modern society, especially India. It will introduce you to concepts related health and political participation of women. It will also discuss the exploitation on the basis of gender in the workplace and the evolution of the position of women in India. It will also examine the various issues related to women’s education in India. This book has been designed keeping in mind the self-instruction mode (SIM) format and follows a simple pattern, wherein each unit of the book begins with the Introduction followed by the Unit Objectives for the topic. The content is then presented in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, and is interspersed with Check Your Progress questions to reinforce the student’s understanding of the topic. A list of Questions and Exercises is also provided at the end of each unit. The Summary and Key Terms further act as useful tools for students and are meant for effective recapitulation of the text. Self-Instructional Material 1 Women’s Empowerment UNIT 1 WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT in India IN INDIA NOTES Structure 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Unit Objectives 1.2 Concept of Women’s Empowerment 1.2.1 Women’s Empowerment in Today’s World 1.3 Global Gender Gaps 1.3.1 Gender Gaps in Workplace 1.4 Women’s Rights 1.5 Women’s Movements 1.5.1 Women’s Movements in India 1.6 Summary 1.7 Key Terms 1.8 Answers to ‘Check Your Progress’ 1.9 Questions and Excercises 1.10 Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION In the 19th century, women across societies were mostly confined to the home, household work and taking care of the family. They did not have the right to vote, the right to property and were systematically discriminated against in society. In response to social, political and economic injustices, the women’s movement emerged in the late 19th century. At first, the women’s movement focused on providing voting and property rights for women. It has since then expanded to encompass issues of sexuality, family, male privilege, equal pay, reproductive rights and so on. Due to the work of women’s movements in the 20th century, women today have been able to penetrate almost all spheres of activity and figure prominently in all walks of life, be it education, health, politics, science, social work, or law. However, many challenges remain. With women increasingly asserting themselves in the public sphere, the patriarchal hold of society has been shaken considerably. This has led to a dramatic increase in violence against women in India. The challenges that the women’s movement faces in India in the 21st century is how to counter this reactionary patriarchal response. The recent protests, both by men and women, in reaction to the gruesome incidents of violence against women in our cities has shown that women’s issues today are very much part of the mainstream. This is largely due to the hard work and dedication of women’s activists and the influence that women’s movements have had in Indian society in the previous century. You will study about these movements in detail in the unit. In addition to that, this unit will also talk about the concept of women’s empowerment.