In view of this year’s theme of International Women’s Day ‘Choose to Challenge’ and to celebrate, ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav-India @ 75’, the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has made major announcements including the launch of Super- 75 Scholarship scheme to support the education of meritorious girls belonging to poor families. The Scholarship scheme shall enable them to excel in streams like Medicine, Engineering, ITI, and Humanities so that they may contribute to nation building. ‘A new era of change and development is ushering in J&K that will provide women their rightful place, voice, identity and individuality’ said Lt. Governor. He has called for creating Gender Neutral Ecosystem where women can choose any profession.
Someone has appreciably described a WOMAN: W-Wonderful Wife, O-Outstanding friend, M-Marvellous daughter, A- Adorable sister and N- Nurturing Mother. To the question as to why women cry so easily, God may reply, “When I made a woman, I decided that she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet her arms gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her the inner strength to endure child birth and rejection that many a times will come even from her own children. I gave her hardness that allow her to keep going and take care of her family and friends even when everyone else gives up. I gave her sensibility to love her children under all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her badly. She has a very special power to make a suffering child feel better and quell a teenager’s anxieties and fears. I gave her strength to take care of her husband despite his faults. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife but sometimes tests her strength and her resolve to stand beside him unfaltering. For all this hard work I also gave her a tear to shed. It is hers to use whenever needed and it is her only weakness.” A little girl asked her loving father as to why a ‘boy’ is called ‘He’ and a girl is called ‘She’, the father replied that (S)he is superior (He).
Women empowerment is gaining momentum with each passing day. Today, women profess an independent outlook, whether they are living inside their home or outside. They are increasingly gaining control over their lives and their own decisions with regard to their education, career, profession and life style. With steady increase in the number of working women, they have gained financial independence, which have given them confidence to lead their own lives and built their own identity.
Women empowerment is not limited to Urban working women but Women working in even remote towns and villages are now increasingly making their voices heard loud and clear in society. Educated or not, they are asserting their social and political rights and making their presence felt, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. Unfortunately, many of them face exploitation and harassment which can be emotional, physical, mental and sexual.
Let us hope women empowerment spreads to progressive as well as backward areas. In the truest sense, it will be achieved only when there is attitudinal change in the society with regard to womenfolk, treating them with proper respect, dignity, fairness and equality. Appreciably India, perhaps, is the first country in the world to adopt a grassroots approach to the awareness and empowerment of women. India has begun to reserve seats for women at the lowest tier of governance that is 3tier PRIs and is working way upwards.