Role of Women in Development Sector

The book Role of Women in Development Sector has been taken as an academic exercise to provide an overview on issues and problems related to womens empowerment at national as well as international level. This book has been published by Adhyayan Publishers and Distributors in the year 2005. In women empowerment field lots of research has been conducted by social scientists, planners and administrators, social workers and educationist .It added a great deal in attracting the attention of the people to the importance of issues of women development and also their role in development of country.

Author: Shruti Banerjee (b. 1966) has done her Post graduate from Calcutta, West Bengal. She has to her credit various research papers and articles on Women and Child Development, published in various Journals of repute. She has written number of books on women issues. Presently she is engage in various activities in the Research and Development Division of Institute for Social Development. All the chapters in this book have been discussed with recent data from reliable resources which makes the study of the book more interesting. This book has 12 chapters discussing various issues. The book also has annexure in which the Slum areas improvement and clearance act 1986 has been given.

Introduction The core ideology discussed initially is Fuller and effective utilization of human resources is the means of development of a country to raise the standard of living of people. It covers the trends in the participation of women in various employment sectors. The data on employment and labor force have been taken from i) The Decimal Census and ii) National Survey Sample (NSS). The trend of Indian labour force with the other countries then it is found that the differentials by sex are not unique, it shows worldwide disparity. So it calls for urgent need for the whole world to act upon it. The analysis of womens work decision shows that the influence of socio, cultural, and demographic variables like literacy caste, landholding, technological change etc. affects the participation ratio. Different approaches have been used in defining the issues and the problems. Like disaggregate studies, micro-cross section studies, institutional approach, neo classical theory (it provides rich insights into the number of issues pertaining to women). Women labour force behavior has implication for a number of issues like time allocation, income distribution marriage, fertility, demand for schooling or children, male female wide wage gap etc. These in turn has huge impact on overall development of country. The major obstacle identified in not granting equal opportunity for women in Higher EducationGender discrimination. Womens is crucial issue to empower women with power of decisionmaking, freedom of expression and control over resources. Empowerment is the manifestation of a redistribution of power that challenges patriarchal ideology, transforming the institutions that reinforce or perpetuate gender discrimination. With the introduction of technological and communication developments lots of changes in educational systems have been observed worldwide. India is facing a number of challenges in the field of education. For e.g. adjustment to social demands for new options in Higher Education and for removal of gender barriers is creating pressures on educational leaders. Higher Education is finding it difficult to meet the challenges of a knowledge explosion, uneven growth and inequities in policies. As a consequence, there is a fall in standards, posing a serious threat to Indias national development. Strategies to provide management training and research work for women are the areas which Higher Education needs to address to promote womens advancement and empowerment. Evidence of a paradigm shift from pure industrialization to an information-based society is present.

Indicators of women development and peoples participation in welfare activities It became necessary to deal urgently with the social and economic explosive situation brought up by population boom. The two folded approach was followed firstly, to provide employment to bottom deciles of the population and secondly, to provide them basic minimum needs to sustain minimum level of physical and mental productivity. The most effective way lies in increasing womens share of employment in traditional and modern occupations all across the board and also enforcing all the wages laws. In Indias sixth plan document are described as women prone industries or occupation i.e. those industries which employ fair proportion of women. Most are committed to steady expansion of public sector. The public sector wages act as pace setters widening the difference in level of wages in the labour intensive sectors of the economy. The two important indicators are Parental Mortality and Post neonatal Mortality. The birth rates and the mortality rates have been used to analyze the data and come to the conclusions. . The indicator of health and nutrition used is birth weight. It is operationally limited indicator. The sex ratios and the life expectancy have also been used. The literacy and educational indicators are also important to consider, this the reason that women education has been given importance these days. The schemes have been started not only at primary but also at higher education level as lack of education leads to lower employment rates in women due to the fact that they are less skilled and this leads to the chief hindrance in socio economic development. Peoples participation is currently recognized as a pivotal element for the welfare programmes. In a modern viable theory of democracy participation is described as the process of increasing value of his freedom to the individual by enabling him to own master. In development it is an educational process. It creates a sense of awareness, a sense of involvement, a sense of belongingness and a sense of possessions and ownerships. It is develop self-reliance, selfconfidence, competence and managerial capacity. It is develop and discover inmate potential. This will in turn mobilize resources for production purposes. Widespread education and equability distribution of wealth were recognized as the conditions for human resource development (HRD). Participation is a need where holistic approach is better than fragmented approach. People must learn participative skills in democracy. It is at various levels in various kinds and modes. The barriers of participation can range from social to ignorance and lack of motivation. NGOs do not view poverty as purely an economic problem instead as function of socioeconomic and politico-structural locations of the poor which meet barriers.

Girl child: a neglected dimension Issues related to the sex ratio continue to be a critical area for policy related advocacy and networking. The Report Planning Families, Planning Gender is envisaged as a means to raise public awareness around the issues involved, including the limitations of existing government policies and the need for further interventions by the state. The Report can be freely accessed from the CWDS website, while hard copies can be requested from the IDRC South Asia office in New Delhi. Issues arising from the study have been presented on several occasions, including with the Ministry for Women and Child Development, on civil society platforms such as that of Wada Na Todo Abhiyan and the Centre for Gender and Budget Allocations, in advising new research initiatives such as the Study on Policies related to the Girl Child in India and China being undertaken by the International Centre for Research on Women; and in initiatives to take forward concerns around womens access to safe abortion. Just like women in general, the girl child is highly neglected in large parts of the world and the society is heavily biased against her. She is killed in the womb even before she takes birth. If she takes birth still she ends up living a very marginalized and neglected life. Her education, her health, her nutrition and her overall nurturing does not come as a major priority in large numbers of societies around the world. She is only considered as a liability which has to be one day transferred to somebody else or she is considered as a future tool for reproduction, procreation and propagating the family line. Moreover she also becomes an easy victim to physical and psychological abuse. In few parts of the developed world the situation may be slightly different and the neglect and marginalization of the girl child may not be overtly visible. But here again things might be going wrong in a covert manner. Here again there are a set of questions that need to be answered like what percentage of female population ends up getting educated for gainful employment ? What is the percentage of female population directly involved in the social, economic, religious and political development and advancement of society? What is the percentage of women who end up living a life which is similar to a life which existed 100 years back? Apart from these basic questions the most important thing to note is that still the society is patriarchal in nature in every part of the world and still there is a glass-ceiling that exists for women in every field. Humanity needs to understand that with the kind of marginalization and neglect the girl child is facing in large parts of the world, there is very little hope of building a new order based on creative and generative action and principles of love, compassion, nurturing & healing. Therefore the requirement is to address the current reality as well as plan for a brighter future. In this regard humanity should rise to stop the neglect and marginalization of the girl child and further help in creation of new structures responsible for the futuristic education of the girl child.

Chapter 5- Women in 2000 A.D.

Study of educational and employment structure of women in India in present system has been covered in this chapter. The todays women are characterized by womens struggle to assert herself as a human being and gain recognition is society Since colonial period Indian education system was job oriented. There have been great reforms in system today but still exists a need to plan for tomorrow. Some points are to be kept in mind for brighter future according to the author these are providing more and more education for girls and women. Projection of women as a labour forces part so that they can also be a part of it. Chapter 6- New Delhi document of women in development It discusses that New Delhi document is an international gathering accepted document which outlines the steps that should be undertaken for development of women ensuring that women get ownership of land as a new strategy which can simulate a different structure which will be more equitable. Industrialization is to be incorporated which will increase employment opportunities. Education, training, culture and mass media are essential to enhance the role of women in promoting new cultural values to call for equal participation in development. Health and social security has to be provided to women for their development. Enhance political participation to gain access to information, resources and channels to increase their effectiveness. Few strategies for advancement of women in following have been discussed equality, development, employment, health, education, food, water, agriculture, industry, trade and commercial services, science and technology, communications, energy etc. Chapter 7 - Scientific revolution for development Initially the history of agriculture and scientific method is discussed. It is the age of scientific revolution for development, the interaction of agriculture and scientific methods. Agriculture laid the foundation for development of civilization, arts, the crafts etc. The use of scientific methods has reduced the danger of hunger in the world. Science, food and people: The birth which was considered as a bless event is posing danger as this event is happening every 4 seconds which is increasing the population of the world and the problems such as less food and more mouths is coming up. Most married couples want to have children but are unwilling to assume the long term responsibilities that go with them. Population growth has surpassed the agricultural production while many argue that discoveries of synthetic goods will take care of population. Unless people change their own attitudes towards agriculture/food, population etc they cannot be controlled via science.

Chapter 8- Impact of unemployment among women In this chapter an effort has been made to provide an understanding of the nature and extent of impact of unemployment on educated female youth. It also seeks to asses new policy initiatives at the level of Social Work Profession. After studies it was found that half of social workers clients approached them for economic support. In another study it was found that unemployment was largely invisible to many social workers. It is difficult or impossible for the poor to escape and enter the modernizing sector of society, where discrimination on the basis of caste or community is less prevalent. In all classes and in urban as well as rural areas, discrimination and at times violence against women is almost taken for granted. Part of the problem of disease and poverty in villages is that poor people cannot afford the money and time it takes to provide treatment for their children, many of whom are already weakened by an inadequate diet. Girls of all classes are given less medical care than their brothers and so die in greater numbers. Many parents prefer sons, who remain with them and provide security for them in old age. Because daughters often require a dowry at marriage and are unlikely to earn an income that could raise a familys economic position, they are seen as a liability. By the mid-1990s, the spread of family planning facilities and the increase in confidence that children would survive to adulthood helped reduce the preferred family size to just three children: two sons and a daughter. Second- and third-born daughters, especially in families without sons, continue to die at higher rates than average which can pose a serious problem in society. Discrimination against women does not end with childhood, nor is it confined to the countryside. Although India has had a woman as prime minister, the percentage of women serving in political or administrative office still remains very low. Some women are major leaders of grassroots movements, and women play an active role in Indias vigorous press. Yet women are rare in senior business positions and in the legal and medical professions. Womens movements to combat violence against women have had considerable success in raising awareness of the issue and stimulating government action. Unemployment rates in India are difficult to estimate because many people work in temporary or part-time jobs. Few workers are permanently unemployed, but seasonally or marginally employed people such as agricultural laborers are often underemployed. State and national governments have established fairly successful rural employment plans that hire labor to build roads and other public works. Labor unions are relatively small in India and operate primarily in public-sector enterprises. Indias labor laws allow multiple union representations not only within an industry but even within a factory. Laws also tend to favor workers rights over employer prerogatives. As a result there is an increasing trend in business to hire workers on daily contracts. Older unions are linked to national trade union federations controlled by political parties. Strategies and activities suggests that social work interested female youth must correspondingly ct on several levels- individuals, family, community and nation simultaneously helping the affected female youth and the familys to plan for and cope with situations arising out of unemployment.

Chapter 9- Role of media in women development With the evolution of society complexities of relations have increased. With new explorations and discoveries new opportunities have been created to accommodate more and more people. American society has become so sophisticated that the no of television sets used by them surpass the number of other electronic goods. Mass media represents point of view of minority as well as majority free from government control. Television has effect on lifestyle even if one doesnt own it. Socialization teaches one how to behave in society and acts as a bond between culture and individual. Television has emerged as the most powerful cultural force for rural development .out Media is the mirror of society and media reports are reflection of happenings in the society. Media has immense power to influence the masses and communication and IT revolution has further increased its importance. Unfortunately, nowadays media is wavering from its actual role and giving biased information which makes development of the society more difficult. Portraying women as equals in the society is a subject that has been given low priority by the Indian media. The Indian media needs to be sensitized to gender issues and now must focus on women issues in a decisive way as their role is detrimental for the women empowerment in India. Television can play a crucial role in instilling confidence in women and helping them secure a dignified and rightful place in society. Chapter 10- Womens participation in economic sector In order to enhance womens programmes there is need to improve economic skills and to improve opportunities and provide necessary support structures for women to make them free from drudgery of domestic chores. A number of steps have been taken for promoting women education. The main strategy for education is a distinct orientation in favour of womens equality and empowerment. These efforts have been made as illiteracy is factor that contribute to the poor plight of women, discrimination and social prejudices on the basis of sex are not only keeping women from development but it is also hurting economy. New economic policies for women like Mahila Samridhi Yojana, National Credit Funds are discussed. Combating social evils is crucial for development. For government there is need to do all the efforts to involve non governmental organizations, experts and subject specialists, social workers, academic and research organizations, technical institutions, trade unions and above all women themselves so as to ensure optimal participation by all concerned at all levels.

Chapter 11- Socioeconomic determinants of induced abortion In the developing world, little is known about the risk and precipitating factors for abortion, due to a dearth of community-based surveys. Most analyses of determinants of induced abortion consider only a small set of household and individual socio-demographic factors and treat abortion as an isolated outcome, which ignores its relationship with prior reproductive health behaviors and experiences. In this book, data from a cross-sectional survey of abortion knowledge, attitudes and practices among 2571 currently married women of reproductive age in Rajasthan, India, were used to examine contextual-, household- and individual-level determinants of abortion. Bivariate probit models, which jointly determine the probability of pregnancy and the conditional probability of abortion, were used to reflect the probability of abortion as a result of interrelated and sequential events. Increased socioeconomic status and lifecycle factors were associated with both the probability of pregnancy and with the conditional likelihood of abortion. Women who reported personal networks were also more likely to terminate pregnancies, particularly if their network members purportedly had abortion experience. Community knowledge of sex-selective abortion also exerted a significant positive effect on the propensity to terminate a pregnancy. For rural women only, community beliefs regarding spousal consent requirements pre-abortion were also significantly associated with abortion.

Chapter 12- Indicators of womens development For knowing the depth of womens development it is necessary to understand the current status of women in society. This has been discussed through the national health survey. The study indicates that there is variation in autonomy of women in different regions, cultures; castes etc. indicators like education have a huge importance and these all lead to freedom of decision making and access to money help and other indirect indicators. Education in particular is important and plays a positive role in enhancing different dimensions of autonomy. The type of family in which women live has a strong association with the autonomy.

Self-assessment: The improvement of the economic, social, cultural and political situation of women in society is a major concern in nation-building in all parts of the world. In recognition of the need to ensure the growth of women in the society and to maximize their contribution to nation-building the author has shared her experience and analyzed the role of women in development sector. This book not only analyses the situation but also motivates women to come out from their cocoons. She has discussed the factors and measures for improvement of women condition in India. The data analysis has been used to attain the problem on basis of primary and secondary data from reliable sources. Fundamental equality before law of women and men, provide womens rights and opportunities equal to that of men, female labor force participation and active population growth and measures their affect on Human Development Index (HDI), peoples participation, neglected girl child, science boon or bane, media, the autonomy for women and women empowerment are the prime issues which are discussed in book with solutions.