Schemes for promoting Women Empowerment in India:

An Analysis

Dr. Manalisha Bhattacharyya

Asst. Prof, Department of Economics,
Dispur College, Guwahati

Mr. Dhritiraj Sarma

PhD Scholar, Department of Economics,
Cotton University, Guwahati

Abstract
In economics and development, women's empowerment has become increasingly important.
Building stronger economies, achieving globally agreed-upon goals for growth and
sustainability, and raising the standard of living for women, men, families, and communities
all depend on empowering women to engage fully in economic activity across all sectors. The
socioeconomic advancement of society and the mainstreaming of women are both influenced
by the empowerment of women. It improves the status of women in terms of their social,
economic, and political empowerment, which results in having an equal voice in politics and
the decision-making process as well as actively participating at all stages of development. It
assists women in developing their capacities, resulting in increased involvement, effective
decision-making authority, and control, which ultimately leads to revolutionary action.
Various initiatives have been introduced by the central and state governments to advance the
position of women. The purpose of this study is to explore the significance of women's
empowerment and the numerous government initiatives launched by the Indian government
to advance women.
Keywords: Women Empowerment, gender discrimination, government schemes,
demography, domestic violence, safety

Introduction
Women empowerment is fundamentally the process of improving the position of historically
underprivileged women in society on the economic, social, and political fronts. It entails
protecting them from all sorts of abuse and violence. The process of empowering women
entails creating a culture and political climate in which women may live freely, free from
oppression, exploitation, anxiety, discrimination, and the overall sense of persecution that
comes with being a woman in a system that has historically been controlled by
males. Empowering women entails giving them the tools they need to be economically
independent, self-sufficient, and confident enough to deal with any challenging
circumstances. It also means enabling them to take part in development efforts. It is
appropriate for the empowered women to have a say in how decisions are made.
Nearly half of the world's population is made up of women, however India has a
disproportionally low female population compared to its male counterparts. They are not
always regarded on an equal footing with males in terms of social standing. Women in
Western nations enjoy the same rights and status as males in all spheres of life. However,
prejudice and restrictions against women are still present in India today. There is an urgent
need to re-evaluate India's affirmative action policies, bringing new vigour to the
empowerment of girls and women via conventional education as well as support for skill
development, equal economic opportunity, and provision of appropriate medical and
healthcare (Singh & Singh, 2020). The government has a strong commitment to supporting
the progressive modern society. India's federal and state governments both fervently desire a
society that is progressive, prejudice-free, and radical in its thinking. Each and every
authority longs for a reforming outlook. A tolerant outlook anticipates a revolutionary
endeavour. The government has thus launched a variety of initiatives to quell the raging
unrest that is preventing women from moving into any unanticipated societal catastrophe.
Therefore, in this paper we try to assess the various initiatives of government for uplifting
women empowerment in India (Tripathy & Raha, 2019).

Women in India: What existing literatures says

Over the course of Indian history that has been written down, the position of women has
undergone several transformations. Early in India's ancient period, particularly in the Indo-
Aryan spoken areas, their status in society began to decline, and their subjection persisted far
into the country's early modern era. Improvement-focused laws were passed during the
British Raj (1858–1947) and the British East India Company (1757–1857), including the
Bengal Sati Regulation (1829), Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (1856), Female Infanticide
Prevention Act (1870), and Age of Consent Act (1891). The Indian constitution forbids sex-
based discrimination and gives the government the authority to implement particular
measures for them. The rights of women in India are primarily protected by the Constitution,
which emphasises equality, dignity, and freedom from discrimination. India also has several
laws that protect women's rights.
Many women have held top official posts in the Indian government, including those of
Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister, and President of India. But many Indian women
still have a lot of challenges to overcome. The health of children is negatively impacted by
the extraordinarily high rates of malnutrition among teenage girls, pregnant women, and
breastfeeding mothers in India. In India, there is a severe problem with violence against
women, particularly sexual violence. These negate and nullify their total accomplishments
and sense of empowerment in the face of typical obstacles and difficulties.

Women empowerment issues in India

Demographic Imbalance is one of the key problems with women's empowerment in India. In
few states, female foeticide and female infanticide are still common. High rates of infant and
maternal mortality as well as dowry-related and domestic violence-related fatalities are
highly frequent. Other difficulties, such adolescent pregnancies, an unbalanced sex ratio, and
health problems like anaemia, are widespread in India.
The lack of resources and infrastructure in India causes problems with access to basic health
care, and for those who are marginalised, such as women, the situation is worse. India's
overall health is still a major concern, and the situation for women in particular is particularly
challenging. For instance, even the death of a woman is not treated seriously. The culture of
silence is prevalent among women as a result of a particular type of indoctrination, which is a
barrier to advancing women's emancipation. The lack of female education is another
problem. It is connected not only to enrolment but also to how female education is regarded.
Equal enrolment for men and women is not achieved. Even when girls are enrolled, there is a
very high dropout rate since girl children must stay home when there is a certain type of
difficulty. Insufficient infrastructure in schools, such as a lack of female-only restrooms,
contributes to dropout rates among females.
Another issue affecting women in India is a lack of political and economic equality. Even
though schooling is given a lot of attention these days, the fact that fewer women are
participating in the workforce raises concerns. Because staying at home is viewed as unmanly
for a man, for instance, the woman is almost always the one who must quit her career in a
pair. In any event, it is viewed as being against Indian customs if the man remains behind.
The same is true for political involvement, where we seldom ever see women involved. The
panchayat-level reservation is still not something that people are prepared to accept.
Violence comprises both physical and non-physical forms, such as psychological and
emotional violence. Violence is now more fully understood thanks to recent changes. For
instance: At the moment, verbal abuse counts as violence. Violence can take many different
forms, such as harassment, dowry deaths, rapes, murders, beatings of wives and infants,
forced prostitution, trafficking, stalking, acid assaults, etc. In India, empowering women also
includes lowering the rate of crime against them.

Various government initiatives to promote women's empowerment

In order to prevent violence against women and provide them greater opportunity to
contribute to the development and prosperity of the country, the government has recognised
the issue that affects women and has proposed several measures. India has been attempting to
reduce gender inequality and has implemented a number of programmes and plans targeted at
empowering women.
The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 prohibited either party from obtaining or providing a
dowry from their parents or anybody else connected to the marriage. When they could
present evidence of dowry demands or dowry harassment, it penalised violence against
women by their husbands or family. The National Plan of Action for the Girl Child (1991-
2000) is a particularly prepared action plan by the Government of India to safeguard and
promote the Girl Child. It was put into place to stop infanticide and female foeticide, prevent
gender discrimination, provide clean water and nutrition adjacent to households, and
rehabilitate and safeguard girls from exploitation, abuse, and assault. In accordance with the
National Commission for Women Act 1990, the National Commission for Women (1992)
became a statutory authority in January 1992. (Act No. 20 of 1990 of Govt. of India). The
Commission was created to assess the constitutional and legal protections for women, suggest
corrective legislative measures, assist in the resolution of disputes, and provide advice to the
government on all issues pertaining to women's policy. To make dowry and domestic abuse
crimes, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, was passed. It focuses
on the "reliefs granted to the injured women such as compensation, protection, and right to
residence in the shared household." It is a civil law. Domestic violence includes both physical
and emotional abuse, as well as threats to do the same. This Act prohibits all forms of
coercion, harassment, and injury to one's health, safety, or general well-being. The Maternity
Benefit Amendment Act 2017 for the Private Sector took effect on April 1, 2017. The
Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 has been amended. The government extended paid maternity
leave under this Act from 12 to 26 weeks. It stipulates that "any woman who adopts a child
should be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave, from the date of adoption," and it also
extended some privileges to mothers who adopt children. "It established a clause allowing
women to work from home, which can be used following the 26-week leave period."
According to the Women's Reservation Bill, the Indian Constitution must be amended to
provide 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, and all state
legislative bodies for women. This is an effort to enhance the political engagement of women.
According to the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women (NPEW), which was
adopted in 2001, any physical or psychological violence against women that occurs in the
home or in society, including that which results from accepted customs, traditions, or
practises, must be dealt with effectively in order to be eradicated. It aimed to establish and
strengthen institutions, mechanisms, and programmes for assistance and the prevention of
such violence, which also includes dowries and sexual harassment in the workplace, as well
as for the rehabilitation of victims of violence and the effective prosecution of those
responsible. The establishment of several programmes to address the trafficking of women
and girls has also received attention. The Government of India introduced the National
Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) programme to empower women on all
levels. It has aspects like ensuring women's economic empowerment. Additionally, it
emphasises social empowerment of women and the eventual eradication of violence against
them, with a focus on their health and education. Additionally, it attempts to improve the
conceptual and programmatic foundation of current women-centric initiatives.
Education
The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao was introduced to promote girls' education. This programme,
which was introduced on January 22nd, 2015, intends to increase awareness and boost the
efficacy of the social services provided to girls. This programme was initially funded with
100 crore Indian rupees. Preventing sex-selective abortion is the goal of this plan. It also
attempts to guarantee the female child's survival, safety, and access to education.
The Nand Ghar Yojna, which was started in June 2015, is a programme designed to improve
the learning environment through eLearning modules as well as skill development. The plan
includes measures like turning Anganwadi into a community hub for mothers and children.
Other goals include offering a solar power system for use in education and other areas. In
order to combat malnutrition, it also seeks to provide nourishment to young children (0–6) as
well as pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.
The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna programme was introduced in January 2015 in an effort to
encourage parents to have a female child and to raise money for her future education.
Through investments and savings plans, the programme promotes women's financial
independence so they may pursue long-term goals and ambitions including higher education
and financial security.
By outlining the key sectors, the drafting of the National Educational Policy of 2019 also
strives to accommodate the different needs of women. Priority areas are listed in this draught
policy, including employment, food security, education, and health.
Quality of Life
A significant programme was started in 2017 to enhance the quality of life for women. The
Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme seeks to empower rural women by
encouraging community involvement via the use of student volunteers. The primary goal of
this project is to improve women's quality of life. The programme entails protecting young
girls, giving them access to basic and secondary school, and improving quality of life in
general.
In 2016, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna is introduced. Women who live in poverty are
promised access to LPG fuel. Protection of women's health and their empowerment are two
of its key goals. Additionally, it strives to reduce the number of casualties brought on by
indoor pollution and the health problems associated with it, particularly respiratory problems.
Women safety
Women Helpline Scheme was established to safeguard the safety of women. It is a significant
effort that attempts to offer a 24-hour helpline and fast emergency assistance to women who
have experienced violence. It was introduced on April 1st, 2015. The scheme guarantees that
women who are the victims of violence will have access to toll-free, round-the-clock
telephone assistance. It starts with a reference to the appropriate authorities, such as the
police, hospitals, ambulance service, District Legal Service Authority, or protection officer,
for both crisis and non-crisis interventions.
The One Stop Centre Scheme is a smart initiative to support and help women who are victims
of abuse in both public and private spaces. The Nirbhaya Fund will provide funding for the
plan. The government of India announced the Nirbhaya fund, a 10 billion fund, in the 2013
Union Budget. The fund is anticipated to aid government and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in their efforts to safeguard women's social safety and dignities.
However, one of the goals of the One Stop Centre Scheme is to offer comprehensive support
and aid to women who have experienced abuse in both public and private settings. The
programme also aims to make it easier for people to have instant access to a variety of
services like legal, medical, psychological, and counselling help in order to combat any form
of violence.
The She-Box Portal promises to offer a quicker resolution for women who experience
workplace sexual harassment. The She-Box directly handles complaints by sending them to
the relevant state and national authorities who have the capacity to take appropriate action.
The SWADHAR Greh Scheme, launched in 2001, seeks to offer temporary housing and
rehabilitative services to homeless girls and women who are impacted by mental stress, social
ostracism, and other factors and left alone due to family strife, criminality, and violence. It
provides basic needs including food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, and so forth. It also claims
to assist women who lack social and financial assistance in regaining their emotional
strength. It also strives to offer advice and legal support for those taking the initiative to adapt
to family life or society. In other words, the programme enables these women to restart a
fresh life.
The Mahila Police Volunteers scheme strives to expand the proportion of women in the
police force and ensure the safety and security of all people, but especially that of women. A
goal of the MPV is to act as a liaison between the public and the police in the battle against
crime against women. Reporting crimes and acts of abuse against women, such as underage
marriage, receiving dowry, domestic violence, etc., is another aspect of MPV's work.
Health and nutrition
For the purpose of enhancing mother and child health and nutrition, special programmes were
implemented. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme, which was introduced in 2012 and
updated in 2016, is a programme for working mothers and their kids. The goal of this plan is
dual-directional. First off, it offers a nursery where infants and young children are given
quality care and protection while their parents are at work. Second, the government
encourages women to participate in the workforce and the economy with a stronger sense of
freedom through this programme.
In 2010, Indira Gandhi Matriva Sahyog Yojna, the precursor of Pradhan Mantri Mantru
Vandana Yojna, was introduced. Then, in 2014, it was given the name Matriva Sahyog
Yojna, and in 2017, it was given the name Pradhan Mantri Mantru Vandana Yojna
(PMMVY). It strives to make sure first-time mothers have safe deliveries and healthy diets.
One of its goals is to encourage the use of institutional services for pregnancies, deliveries,
and lactations. Additionally, it makes sure that pregnant women and nursing mothers receive
incentives for better diet and health.
Mission Poshan 2.0 is responsible for three important programmes: Anganwadi Services, the
Scheme for Adolescent Girls, and Poshan Abhiyaan. Also highlighted in Poshan 2.0 are
maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding practises, MAM/SAM treatment, and
wellness via AYUSH.
Skills and employment opportunities
The government has put in place programmes for working women. The Working Women's
Hostel (WWH) programme aims to provide women with a secure, reasonably priced place to
stay. This program's main objective is to provide women who work in rural or urban areas
with a convenient place to live and work. Additionally, a day-care facility is promised for the
children of working mothers. Thus, the Indian government encourages women's participation
in the country's economic development through this programme.
"Support to Training and Employment Programme" (STEP for Women) is a programme that
ensures the upgradation of abilities of underprivileged women in order to help them find
employment. This comprises women who live in low-asset rural and urban areas, in
particular, daily wage workers, daily wage labourers, daily wage labourers, and women who
are the head of a family or home that is below the poverty line. It objectifies the organisation
of women into manageable small groups and provides amenities through credit and training.
It also intends to offer skill-upgrading training so that women may enrol in jobs and income-
generating initiatives. Additionally, it promotes women's continued education and favourable
employment conditions. It intends to solve the plight of underprivileged women in rural
regions who are unable to leave their home for vocational training. Women who are self-
employed might benefit from this scheme.
Credit, finance and socio-economic status
The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), which was established in 1993, aims to improve the
socioeconomic status of underprivileged women by offering them microcredit to maintain
their standard of living through the production of revenue through various economic and
productive activities. It also intends to illustrate and replicate participative strategies in
women's organisations for efficient use of credit resources that promote resilience.
Additionally, it encourages and supports women's entrepreneurial abilities.
The Mahila e-Haat strives to increase the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the
economy by giving sustenance and support for their inventiveness. The effort to satisfy the
needs of female entrepreneurs is admirable. Here, they may exhibit their creative abilities.
This innovative e-platform serves as a catalyst by giving women entrepreneurs a web-based
marketing platform to advertise their goods and by promoting "Make in India" through an
online marketing platform, ultimately strengthening and supporting the socioeconomic
growth of women.
Other Schemes
The eSamvad Portal, which was introduced in 2018, intends to give NGOs and ordinary
people a platform and an opportunity to connect with the Ministry on pertinent topics. It
serves as a conduit for communication between the NGOs and the Union Ministry of Women
and Child Development for guidance, proposals, and other reasons.
The NARI Web Portal, which was also introduced in 2018, intends to give information about
the policies and advantages offered by the government. Its objective includes providing
access to information on various programmes provided by the federal and state governments.
The portal contains information about various programmes that is periodically updated.
The Assam government introduced ‘Orunodoi’ or ‘Arunodoi’ Scheme was unveiled on
October 2, 2020. For more than 24 lac low-income households in the state, financial
incentives are planned under "Orunodoi." The schematic benefit has increased from 830 to
1000 rupees per woman. Beginning in October 2020, they received the payment on the first
of every month. Women are preserved as programme recipients since they are the major
household caretakers. This programme would offer 19.10 lakh families in the state Direct
Benefit Transfer (DBT) Financial Assistance of Rs. 1000 per month. Under the ‘Orunodoi
2.0’ scheme, the amount further increased to 830 rupees per women.
Mahila Shakti Kendras (MKS), Nari Shakti Puraskar, Mother Child Tracking System,
Priyadarshini, etc. are a few additional central government schemes. In addition to this, there
are other state-level programmes for the welfare of women and girls, such as the Girl Child
Protection Scheme of Andhra Pradesh. This programme encourages girls to enrol in
education, supports marriage after turning 18, protects their rights, helps fight negative
cultural stereotypes, etc.
The Tamil Nadu government's Shivagami Ammaiyar Memorial Girl Child Protection Scheme
attempts to encourage family planning and end female infanticide. The Madhya Pradesh State
Government launched the Ladli Laxmi Yojna with the intention of enhancing the health,
educational, and social standing of girls. The Ladli Scheme of Haryana seeks to elevate the
position of girls in the home and community. The MAMTA Scheme for Girl Child of Goa
seeks to reduce the state's child sex ratio. The Sarswati Bicycle Scheme of Chhattisgarh,
which was introduced in 2004–2005, seeks to increase girl enrollment in school and decrease
dropout rates for students between the ages of 14 and 18 at secondary and higher secondary
levels.
The government of West Bengal created two programmes for the welfare of females, the
Kanyashree Prakalpa and the Rupashree Prakalpa. Particularly the Kanyashree, which even
attracted notice on a global scale. Through Conditional Cash Transfer, this programme
supports the social and academic well-being of girls. The Rupashree Scheme attempts to
lessen the challenges that impoverished families encounter while trying to cover the cost of
their daughter's wedding. The Karnataka Bhagyalaxmi Scheme strives to elevate the status of
girls in society and encourage the birth of girls in families living below the poverty line.
As a result, the government made every effort to address the social challenges affecting
women. The democratic government of a progressive country is extremely keen about
elevating women and giving them the tools they need for a better future in accordance with
the country's development trend.

Conclusion
Women's empowerment is one of the most important factors in achieving gender equality, a
topic that is frequently discussed in modern discourse. Equal chances for education, health,
economic engagement, and personal growth should be available to men, women, and
transgender people. Today, we have seen many Acts and Plans from the central and state
governments to empower Indian women. However, women face prejudice and
marginalisation in India on all societal levels, including those related to social involvement,
political participation, economic independence, education access and reproductive healthcare.
In India as a whole, women are considered to be extremely impoverished economically. A
small number of women work in services and other fields. They thus require economic
strength to compete on an equal footing with males. On the other side, it's been noted that
women are reported to have lower literacy levels than males. In India, men have a literacy
rate of 76%, compared to only 54% for women, according to the 2001 census. Therefore,
educating more women is crucial to giving them more influence. Additionally, some women
have been found to be too frail to work. They labour harder and consume less food.
Therefore, women who are supposed to be weaker are intended to become stronger from a
health perspective. The harassment of women at work is another issue. Rape, abduction of
girls, dowry harassment, and other crimes remain prevalent. They need empowerment of all
types in order to safeguard their purity and dignity as well as to defend themselves for these
reasons. The Indian judicial system has also been observed to be failing in its efforts to
safeguard women and girls due to, among other things, corruption and subpar law
enforcement. In order to promote women's empowerment via adequate and fair access to
education, work, health care, and representation—political as well as economic—a
comprehensive and more collaborative strategy is necessary. In conclusion, women's
emancipation is not achievable without their participation in and support of self-
empowerment. Formulating strategies for gendered poverty reduction, women's education
promotion, and the prevention and eradication of violence against women is necessary.

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