By Dhruvi Shah
In 1921, Kamini Roy, a leading member of the Bangiya Nari Samaj and a commissioner of the Female Labour Investigation Commission, spearheaded efforts that culminated in women’s right to vote in the 1926 Indian General Elections.
Nearly five decades later, in Chamoli district’s Reni village, Gauri Devi emerged as one of the most significant figures in Indian environmental movements—the Chipko Movement. Her courageous resistance against deforestation led to the formation of a committee to investigate the issue in the Alaknanda valley and a subsequent ten-year ban on commercial logging.
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Indian history is abounded with examples of women who have not only advanced their own lives but also their communities. Yet, gender parity remains a challenge socially and economically. While efforts have been made towards inclusion work from a broader perspective, acceptance of such strategies, laws and provisions are heavily influenced by immediate communities, families, social and religious beliefs and economic status.
India’s vast geographic diversity, coupled with complex socio-economic factors, renders women’s empowerment a non-linear process. The influences on decision-making, policy implementation, and societal acceptance are intricate and multifaceted. Ultimately, true women’s empowerment can be achieved only through social and behavioural change – something slow to attain over a long period of time, often over generations.
Studies have consistently shown that empowering women contributes substantially to economic growth. Increased female labor force participation can boost GDP, while women-owned businesses create jobs and drive innovation. Microfinance initiatives, often targeting women, have demonstrated a remarkable ability to alleviate poverty and stimulate entrepreneurship. An UN Women estimate shows that bridging the gender gap has the potential to boost the global economy by $7 trillion.
Legislative and Policy Milestones
In India, government initiatives have been steadily creating possibilities for women to have an equitable stake in the country’s economic growth. Recent data highlights the impact of schemes like Stand-Up India and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, with women comprising 84% and 69% of beneficiaries respectively. Furthermore, India boasts a substantial pool of women STEM graduates, constituting 43% of the total.
The 2017 amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, extending maternity leave to 26 weeks, marks a significant stride in India’s journey towards gender equality in the workplace. This policy change is expected to substantially increase the number of women who rejoin the workforce after giving birth. By enhancing their economic independence and empowering them to actively contribute to decision-making processes affecting their lives.
Besides, women’s self-help groups have undergone a transformative journey in recent decades to don leadership roles in their communities. Initially platforms for financial inclusion and knowledge sharing on topics like agriculture, health, and nutrition, SHGs have evolved into powerful advocacy tools. Today, women-led SHGs are at the forefront of combating issues like domestic violence and gender-based discrimination. According to the Economic Survey 2023-2024, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM has empowered over 89 million women through 8.3 million SHGs.
Funding agencies and corporate foundations benefit greatly by collaborating with these grassroots women-led groups. They have the power to aid the real-world acceptance of laws, policies, schemes and provisions made for the empowerment of women.
Still work in progress
Despite substantial progress, deep-rooted socio-cultural barriers and persistent economic disparities continue to hinder women’s advancement. Challenges such as the gender pay gap, limited access to financial services, and inadequate childcare remain prevalent.
It is an imperative that efforts are made in tandem by workplaces, governments, law enforcement, judiciary, funding agencies, corporate foundations and civil society organisations. Only through these concerted efforts can systems rightly support equitable inclusion of women within their homes, communities as well as in the workforce.
Above all, it is on women from varied strata—the educated, uneducated, employed, unemployed, urban-dwellers and rural-dwellers—to define the narrative of our endeavours. The stories we tell in unified voices of our experience of exclusion, discrimination, abuse and oppression have the power to define the path to a true Viksit Bharat.
(Dhruvi Shah is the Executive Trustee & CEO of Axis Bank Foundation)
(Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.)
From: financialexpress
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