Towards Economic Independence of Women
Source: Press Information Bureau

India envisions a future in which Indian women are independent and self-reliant. Their participation in remunerative work in the formal and non-formal labor market has increased significantly in the past decade. Women’s income is becoming very necessary to households of all types in the wake of globalization and changing economic structures.

It is estimated that India is home to 92 million working women, though 90 per cent of them are working in the unorganized sector. The female Work Participation Rate (WPR) increased from 14.2 per cent in 1971 to 22.3 per cent in 1991. Women’s share in the organized sector meanwhile, increased from 11 per cent in 1971 to 15.9 per cent in 1997. The requisite steps have to be taken to recognize this and take cognizance while framing economic policies and programs.

Progress

The need of the hour is economic independence for women. To translate this hope into reality, the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) has taken up various projects directed towards advancement of women. Besides coordinating various programs, the Department monitors 27 beneficiary-oriented schemes. The concept of a ‘Women’s Component Plan’ was mooted in the Ninth Plan document. This is an important strategy to ensure that not less than 30 per cent of funds/benefits from other development sectors flow to women.

The schemes include the Support for Training and Employment Program (STEP) aims to raise the incomes of rural women by updating their skills in the traditional sectors, such as dairy development, animal husbandry sericulture, handloom and social forestry. Since its inception in 1987, this program has benefited 4,48,000 women.

Assistance extended by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) for training and skill development, and also for promotion of self-reliance through the generation of income for women in non traditional trades. Till date, 1745 projects have been sanctioned to benefit 2,49,000 women.

Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY), the prosperity of the Girl Child was launched in 1997 and revamped in 1999, with the specific objectives of changing community attitudes towards the girl child, and improving her enrolment and retention in school.

The Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation of the Ministry of Rural Development has initiated several schemes in which 30 to 40 per cent of the benefits are reserved for women below the poverty line. The underlying philosophy of these schemes is to encourage entrepreneurship and self-help among women.

Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana Scheme (SGSY), the amended and merged version of the erstwhile Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Integrated Rural Development program (IRDP) and Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM), was launched in April 1999. It is a holistic credit-cum-subsidy program, covering all aspects of self-employment. The stipulated 40 per cent reservation for women will be implemented through the panchayat samitis (local self-government).

The Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) provides facilities for women through training and employment. The Indira Awas Yojana, a art of the JRY, aims at providing houses free of cost to poor people. The houses are allotted to female members, or in the joint names of the husband and wife to enable women to own assets.

A new scheme, called the Trade-Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD), was launched by the Government in 1998. It was designed to generate self-employment for 45,000 women in rural and urban areas. The package involves financial assistance and services through NGOs in the non-farm sector.

The National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) links banks with self-help groups with the objective of meeting the credit needs of the poor. As many as 85 per cent of the groups linked with the banks are women’s groups.

Women’s development corporations set up in 19 States since 1986-87, to play a catalytic role in identifying women entrepreneurs as well as providing consultancy and other assistance.

Support systems set up in the form of 841 working women’s hostels for 59,591 working women with 301 crèches/day centers for 7,878 children of working mothers.

In a landmark judgment in the Vishaka Case, the Supreme Court passed an order on 13 August 1997, laying down certain norms and guidelines to be followed by employees while tackling incidents of sexual harassment at the workplace.

The Supreme Court has, in March 2000, ruled that Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, be extended to those women (muster roll) employees of municipal corporations and bodies who have been working on daily wages.

In 1998, the Central Government Service Rules made provision for paternity leave of 15 days - an important beginning in creating an environment conducive to the equal sharing of family responsibility.

Employment exchanges take special care to cater to the employment needs of the women registered with them.

Women’s Cell under the Directorate General of employment and Training (DGE&T) coordinates with the States for the vocational training of women.

Indira Mahila Yojana (IMY) was launched in 1995 in over 200 blocks of India, for the holistic empowerment of women. IMY is being implemented in 238 blocks and till now, 40,000 women’s groups have been formed under the scheme. Of these, 3,000 groups were formed in 1999-2000.

Rural Women’s Development and Empowerment Project (Swa Shakti Project), was launched in 1998, for strengthening the process of empowerment of women in six States through the establishment of self-help groups.

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), a national credit fund extends credit facilities to poor and needy women. The RMK has extended loans to 20,000 self help groups of women and has a membership of over 3,00,000. It is instrumental in encouraging women to take control of their own development, and has helped build confidence and political awareness. Till today, the RMK has been able to sanction credit limits of more than Rs. 773.6 million, with the help of about 688 NGOs which it works through, and has reached out to more than 3,49,752 women.

At the initiative of the DWCD, the process of monitoring the implementation of 27 beneficiary-oriented schemes for women was reviewed by the Prime Minister’s Office. The existing Review Committee has been renamed the Committee for Monitoring of Gender Mainstreaming in the Government to reflect the changed focus.

A task force has been constituted in 1999 to review all existing legislation and government schemes with a view to enhancing the access of women to national resources and ensuring that they take their rightful place in the mainstream economic development. The task force will also chalk out specific programs for observing the year 2001 as "Women’s Empowerment Year". This is one of the most crucial areas of work that has been taken up by the Government. The primary aim is to make women economically independent and help them gain full confidence in themselves.