Couse work answers

1. What is women empowerment and also Explain women empowerment in global perspective?
Ans:

Abstract:
Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human right. A woman is entitled to live in dignity and in
freedom from want and from fear. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing
development and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of
whole families and communities and to improved prospects for the next generation. The importance of
gender equality is underscored by its inclusion as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals. Gender
equality is acknowledged as being a key to achieving the other seven goals. Yet discrimination against
women and girls - including gender-based violence, economic discrimination, reproductive health
inequities, and harmful traditional practices - remains the most pervasive and persistent form of
inequality. Women and girls bear enormous hardship during and after humanitarian emergencies,
especially armed conflicts. There have been several organisations and institutions advocating for women,
promoting legal and policy reforms and gender-sensitive data collection, and supporting projects that
improve women's health and expand their choices in life. Despite many international agreements
affirming their human rights, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate. They
usually have less access than men to medical care, property ownership, credit, training and employment.
They are far less likely than men to be politically active and far more likely to be victims of domestic
violence. The ability of women to control their own fertility is absolutely fundamental to womens
empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. When
she is healthy, she can be more productive. And when her reproductive rights including the right to
decide the number, timing and spacing of her children, and to make decisions regarding reproduction
free of discrimination, coercion and violence are promoted and protected, she has freedom to
participate more fully and equally in society. Gender equality implies a society in which women and men
enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. Equality between
men and women exists when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and
influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting up
businesses; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions. A critical
aspect of promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and
redressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. Women's
empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights for all. Where
womens status is low, family size tends to be large, which makes it more difficult for families to thrive.
Population and development and reproductive health programmes are more effective when they address
the educational opportunities, status and empowerment of women. When women are empowered, whole
families benefit, and these benefits often have ripple effects to future generations. The roles that men
and women play in society are not biologically determined - they are socially determined, changing and
changeable. Although they may be justified as being required by culture or religion, these roles vary
widely by locality and change over time. Key issues and linkages: 1)Reproductive health: Women, for
both physiological and social reasons, are more vulnerable than men to reproductive health problems.
Reproductive health problems, including maternal mortality and morbidity, represent a major - but
preventable - cause of death and disability for women in developing countries. Failure to provide
information, services and conditions to help women protect their reproduction health therefore
constitutes gender-based discrimination and a violation of womens rights to health and life. 2)
Stewardship of natural resources: Women in developing nations are usually in charge of securing water,
food and fuel and of overseeing family health and diet. Therefore, they tend to put into immediate
practice whatever they learn about nutrition and preserving the environment and natural resources.
Economic empowerment: More women than men live in poverty. Economic disparities persist partly

because much of the unpaid work within families and communities falls on the shoulders of women and
because they face discrimination in the economic sphere. Educational empowerment: About two thirds of
the illiterate adults in the world are female. Higher levels of women's education are strongly associated
with both lower infant mortality and lower fertility, as well as with higher levels of education and
economic opportunity for their children. Political empowerment: Social and legal institutions still do not
guarantee women equality in basic legal and human rights, in access to or control of land or other
resources, in employment and earning, and social and political participation. Laws against domestic
violence are often not enforced on behalf of women. Experience has shown that addressing gender
equality and womens empowerment requires strategic interventions at all levels of programming and
policy-making. Womens Work and Economic Empowerment: In nearly every country, women work longer
hours than men, but are usually paid less and are more likely to live in poverty. In subsistence
economies, women spend much of the day performing tasks to maintain the household, such as carrying
water and collecting fuel wood. In many countries women are also responsible for agricultural production
and selling. Often they take on paid work or entrepreneurial enterprises as well. Unpaid domestic work
from food preparation to care giving directly affects the health and overall well being and quality of life
of children and other household members. The need for womens unpaid labour often increases with
economic shocks, such as those associated with the AIDS pandemic or economic restructuring. Yet
women's voices and lived experiences whether as workers (paid and unpaid), citizens, or consumers
are still largely missing from debates on finance and development. Poor women do more unpaid work,
work longer hours and may accept degrading working conditions during times of crisis, just to ensure
that their families survive. Intergenerational gender gaps: The differences in the work patterns of men
and women, and the 'invisibility' of work that is not included in national accounts, lead to lower
entitlements to women than to men. Womens lower access to resources and the lack of attention to
gender in macroeconomic policy adds to the inequity, which, in turn, perpetuates gender gaps. For
example, when girls reach adolescence they are typically expected to spend more time in household
activities, while boys spend more time on farming or wage work. By the time girls and boys become
adults; females generally work longer hours than males, have less experience in the labour force, earn
less income and have less leisure, recreation or rest time. This has implications for investments in the
next generation. If parents view daughters as less likely to take paid work or earn market wages, they
may be less inclined to invest in their education, women's fastest route out of poverty. Empowering
Women through Education: "Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with
the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process."

2.What is Worklife Conflict ? Explain the various models of worklife balance ?