An Empirical Study on Status of Women Empowerment in India

Abstract

Women's empowerment is a long-standing and big challenge among all sections of society across the nations. Undoubtedly, a great deal of progress has been accomplished in empowering women; still, women and girls continue to face discrimination and violence in almost every part of the world, and India is no exception. At present, women participate in all activities in India, including education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science, and technology. Moreover, the Indian Constitution guarantees equal opportunities to women. However, multiple studies have shown that women's role in society has not changed drastically; and gender discrimination persists in India. Thus, empowering women is essential for the betterment of family, community, and national development. This study aims to assess the understanding and extent of the genuine meaning of women's empowerment amongst different sections of the society classified on basis of income level; and to compare their perspectives on the issue. Further, it seeks to analyze the acceptance of gender role reversal in the family. It is a primary study based on a survey conducted with the help of a structured questionnaire. The study has been conducted on the hypothesis that women respondents are relatively less empowered, and their status is lower than that of men. The study finds that in almost all cases, the family's financial standing has been strengthened wherever the women have earned to supplement the family's income. In some cases, the positive attitude towards women's economic empowerment is a major step in strengthening women's empowerment.