Day 42 – Q 4.With the evolving public policy discourse in India, the role of women and women organisations has gained much traction as a factor essential for the success of any scheme/ project. Illustrate with the help of suitable examples.

4. With the evolving public policy discourse in India, the role of women and women organisations has gained much traction as a factor essential for the success of any scheme/ project. Illustrate with the help of suitable examples.  

भारत में विकसित सार्वजनिक नीति प्रवचन के साथ, महिलाओं और महिला संगठनों की भूमिका को किसी भी योजना / परियोजना की सफलता के लिए आवश्यक कारक के रूप में बहुत अधिक कर्षण प्राप्त हुआ है। उपयुक्त उदाहरणों की सहायता से चित्रण करें।

Introduction:

Women in India make up 7.5% of the world’s total population.  In spite of this the representation of women in the level of policy making is abysmally low.The report Women In Politics ranked India at 148 position  in representation of women in executive government.

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Constitutional provisions for women in Political Participation:

The Constitution of India guaranteed justice-social, economic and political, liberty of thought, and equality to all citizens. Constitution provided for equality of women and called State to take measures to neutralize the socio-economic, educational and political disadvantage faced by women.

• Article 14: It guarantees equality before law and equal protection of law with in the territory of India.
• Article 15: It prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth. According to article 15(3), State can make special provisions for the benefit women and children.
• Article 16: Equality of opportunity for all citizens in matter relating to employment. No citizen can be denied employment on grounds of religion, race, cast, sex, decent, place of birth residence or any of them.
• Article 39: Article 39(a) provides for an adequate means of livelihood for all citizen. Article 39 (b) has provisions for equal pay for equal work for both men and women. Article 39 (c) has provisions for securing the health and strength of workers, men and women, and not to abuse the tender age of children.
• Article 42: It guarantees just and humane condition of work and maternity relief. Article 42 is in accordance with Article 23 and 25 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Article 325 and 326: They guarantee political equality, equal right to participate in political activity and right to vote, respectively.
• Article 243 (D): It provides for the political reservation to women in every panchayat elections. It has extended this reservation to elected office as well.

Women and women organization also tends to act as pressure group for the discourse of any public policy, for examples

• Gulabi gang: Sampatlal devi started a society called the Gulabi Gang with a group of women from her village to fight various forms of social injustice. This developed into an organized women’s movement with tens of thousands of members spread over several districts in Uttar Pradesh.
• Nirbhaya vahini: Nirbhaya Vahini is a volunteer unit of the Honour for Women National Campaign founded by Manasi Pradhan. It helps to mobilize public opinion and launch a sustained campaign for the implementation of the movement’s Four-Point charter of demand such as ban on liquor trade, self-defence training for girls, special protection for women security in every district, and Fast-track court and special investigating & prosecuting wing in every district.
• The RAHI Foundation (Recovering and Healing from Incest): This specializes in working with adult women survivors of incest and childhood sexual abuse and offers services that are uniquely important to their recovery process located in Delhi.
• Sabala: This focus on the “empowerment of women”, including the tribal Lambani, through enabling financial freedom, political voice, social acceptance, and educational opportunities, located in Bijapur, Karnataka.
• Sanlaap: Sanlaap is a developmental organization that works towards correction of social imbalances which present themselves as gender injustice and violence against women and children. The primary work is focused against trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and forced prostitution located in Kolkata.

Conclusion

Women role in society has come a long way, which benefits not only women but society as a whole, still a lot needs to be done in our country to bring women at par with men in social status, a lot needs to change to modernise societal mindsets, and men also have a big role alongside women to further this cause. There is a need for women to organize

themselves to be able to carve a niche in all sectors of the society and fight for their needs.