Abstract:The Aim of Skill Development, Particularly in Case of Women, Is Not Merely To

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Abstract :The aim of skill development, particularly in case of women, is not merely to

prepare them for jobs, but also to improve the performance of women workers by
enhancing the quality of work in which they are engaged. The NSDC has identified a
few of the major challenges, which need to be addressed for building a conducive
ecosystem, of skill development for the women workforce. It is argues that the
empowerment practice has to go beyond its focus on women to gender. A focus on
gender would imply as emphasis on advocacy rather on simple focus on basic needs.
The concept of gender will also, analysis of power relations, and enforces the idea of
developing capabilities rather than simply skills. Women are seriously
underrepresented in many occupations, thus, policies are needed to fight exclusions in
the labour market by reducing the incidence of discriminatory practices.
With this background, it is important to ensure women empowerment in the
development programmes and thereby strive to have a conducing atmosphere for their
effective participation. The strategy for women empowerment programme is addressed
through gender sensitization among other sections of the community, capacity building
to enhance their efficiency and contribute to economic development and ensure equality
and status in the society.
Keywords:
•Women Empowerment,
•Gender Sensitization,
•Leadership Skill,
•Discriminatory Practices.

INTRODUCTION
Women in India consistently lag behind the men in terms of access to education, health care, jobs
etc. Apart from the economic and social inequality, women in India are victims of heinous crimes such as,
dowry death, rape, molestation and immoral trafficking.

“Skill Development : The Key to Economic Prosperity”

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Skill and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any
country. Countries with higher and better levels of skills adjust more effectively to the challenges and
opportunities of world of work. Potentially, the target of group of skill development comprises all those in
the labour force, including those entering the labour market for the first time, those employed in organized
sector and those employed in unorganized sector. India has set a target of skilling 500 million people by
2022.The current scenario of women workforce in India; one can observe the huge concentration of female
workforce in favour of the informal sector. Both, women and men, weather urban or rural, are mainly
unskilled compared to having some skills. There are higher number unskilled workers in rural than in urban
areas, and more number of women do not have any skills, compared to men with no skills.It has been
recognised that the status of the women and their contribution is not only managing their families, but also
to the economic and social development of entire society. Women have shown their capacity to play a major
role in community development. Hence it is important that women become part of skill development.
The aim of skill development, related to women is not just preparing them for jobs, but also
improve the performance of women workers by enhancing the quality of work in which they are engaged.
The empowerment practice has to go beyond its focus on women to gender. The concept of gender will also,
encourage an understanding and an analysis of power relation, and enforces the idea of developing
capabilities rather than simply skills.
Educating women in India plays a very important role in the overall development of the country. It
not only helps in the development of half of the human resources, but in improving the quality of life at
home and outside. Educated women not only tend to promote education of their girl children, but also can
provide better guidance to all their children.
In India creation of awareness among men could enlist greater support for women participation in
the various development programmes. In many regions, the men have taken a path contrary to tradition, to
empower the women. Sensitize more men about the benefits of women empowerment particularly, with
respect to development of children and enhancement of skills for income generation. Recognition of their
services to the family and society could empower them further and provide equal status in the society.
Integrated learning programmes for women are recommended which will not only lay emphasis on literacy
but on empowering women through awareness building on social issues, bringing about attitudinal change,
promoting skill training for employment, providing information on health care, nutrition and hygiene as
well as on legal rights. Such programmes are beginning and must continue to be designed and structured so as to be
relevant for the vast majority of women.

Empowering women and girls is not only right thing to do. It is also smart economics and vital to
ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity-the World Banks Groups twin corporate goals. Evidence
shows that resources in the hands of women boast household spending in areas that benefit children. The
World Banks group has made strong commitments on genders. Gender equality is also a key priority for
IDA. According to World Bank gender equality can be achieved by
•Educating girls
•Increasing literacy rate among women.

•Increasing early childhood development interventions.

•Increasing women’s labour force participation and strengthening labour policies affecting women.
•Improving women’s access to credit, land and other resources.
•Promoting women’s political right and participation.
•Expanding reproductive health program and family support policies.
(www.worldbank.org).
To conclude it can be noted that:-
•Empowerment of women is necessary for socio-economic development.
•Increasing literacy rate among women helps in better development of children.
•Given the opportunities women can excel themselves.
•Gender equality has to be established as a crosscutting issue in international development.
•Many private sector actors have placed working with women as core objective of their business and
corporate social responsibilities.
•It’s a starling pair of statistics: when women are able to earn an income, they typically reinvest 90% of it
back into the families and communities. And, for every year a girl stay in school, her future earning will
increase exponentially.
•Since girls and women represent 50% of the world population, enabling them to participate in their local
economics help broaden the employment pool.
REFERENCES
1) Malshe Anuradha, Education of Women, an Indian Story, Hyderabad, The Icafai University press, First
Edition: 2008

2) R. Vasathagopal and Santha S, Women Entrepreneurship in India, New Delhi, New Century Publication,
First Edition: September 2008.

3) http://www.worldbank.org.

Abstract

Empowerment of women has emerged as an important issue in recent times. . The major
strategies of women empowerment include social empowerment, economic empowerment, political
empowerment and gender justice along with demographical justice (rural and urban). Empowering
women particularly rural women is a challenge. Women are economically empowered through small
scale entrepreneurship programme with the help of Self Help Movement. Economic empowerment of
women led to the empowerment of women in several aspects such as socio- economic opportunity,
property rights, political representation, social equality, personal rights, family development, and
community development and at last the nation development. For rural women, economic empowerment
the concept of self Help Groups (SHGs) based on group approach to rural development is indeed a boon
to the rural poor women who undertake viable economic activities on their own. The SHGs are voluntary
associations of people formed to attain some common goals. The present study highlights to evaluate
the empowerment of women through SHGs in India.

Keywords: Economic empowerment, rural women, demographical justice, literacy rates, poverty

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