Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

        In the past, a person's position was determined by might. Because men were more active in earning, fighting, running a business and so on, they commanded superior position in the society. Many of the world's cultures were patriarchal. They were necessarily founded on the ground of gender discrimination. So women played passive and subservient role in the family and society. Absence of women's participation in the public affair continued for centuries. They are denied voting rights and paternal property rights until 20^th century or even later.

        Now both perspectives and standards are becoming fairer. Muscle power alone cannot determine a person's position in our time, the age of justice and inclusion. The fact that women are not less capable than their male partners, at least in emotional and intellectual aspects, has been universally recognized. Women are no longer going to accept their inferior and submissive role either. They want to be much more than mere housewives and mothers.

        The world is also aware that development is not efficient and sustainable without women's predication. A family treating women as passive and subservient members is not likely to prosper  in the modern time Women must have autonomy over their destiny. They must be enabled to take decisions free from their destiny. They must be enabled to take decisions free from coercion and intimidation.  They must get equal treatment in workplace. Preference to son must end to control the existing high birth rates.

        Gender equality is thus one of the major concerns of our time. Democracies demand more active and effective role of women. They have policies to end gender discriminations at all levels. There are campaigns for the empowerment of women. As a result, in the recent past some remarkable changes have taken place, at least in the legal and political levels. Some women have enjoyed better treatment and participation in public affairs.

        Despite all this, gender discrimination remains an utter reality in practice. The situations are worse in developing countries like ours. It has been very difficult to implement legal managements and political commitments, The society is not free from cultural prejudices that tend to heavily curb women’s freedom. Reservations in parliament or civil service have been taken merely as generosity but not responsibility. Ordinary women suffer ill health, poor literacy and exclusion. Most highest posts in offices and business companies are held by men.

        Women empowerment is a step towards the final goal of gender equality. Reservation cannot be a golden measure for raising women’s status, We must rather work for making them capable in real sense. So women education must get priority. The educated women will be capable to compete with men so that they need no more mercy. It is equally important to rescue women from male-dominated cultures which maintain that women can never be equal to men. Role of enlightened individuals, political parties and media is vital in advocating gender equality. Children should be introduced to non-sexist culture from their early age. To sum up, the campaign against gender discrimination needs to continue for several years to come.