Empowerment of Women

Written by Sushanth KP

In first-world countries, empowering women by placing them in typically male industries generally mean an increase in safety. FMC mines loves employing women in their mines because although women are going to have to work more slowly because of the physical constraints, this allows for an overall increase in safety; less on-site injuries and of course fewer deaths. In management, woman ask more questions, are generally less competitive, and will admit more willingly when they don't understand something. Men aren't smarter than women; women are just more vocal about what they don't know. This leads to improved communication and fewer missteps for big projects.Humanity as a whole can be considered more civilized. We will have less violence against women as they will be less afraid to take action against such things. We will have more specialists and minds focused on improving our future. Disadvantages are mainly for men, but it will create more competition in the workplace for the same amount of jobs and possibly reduce the rate of reproduction (possibly an advantage).In countries where there are educated women,there is less chances of developing population explotion.

Women can plan about their future and chances of unplanned pregnancies will be lesser creating a better environment to lower income families.Overall there are many advantages of women getting educated and employed.Imagine a world where women are given their rightful place, not exactly a higher place than men but an equal place ,there will be less conflicts, no war,more compassion and understanding. In 2001,Harvard scientists have found that the frontal lobe of the brain which is responsible for decision making and problem solving is larger in females than in males.so, a woman in biologically and psychologically more competent in being in managerial positions than men.

If you're a lady still concerned about the size issues let's address that now. In female brains, the neurons are packed in tightly, so that they're closer together. This proximity, in conjunction with speedy connections facilitated by the white matter, is another reason why women's brains work faster. Some women even have as many as 12 percent more neurons than men do .In studying women's brains, psychologist Sandra Witelson found that those neurons were most densely crowded on certain layers of the cortex, namely the ones responsible for signals coming in and out of the brain. This, Witelson believed, may be one reason why women tend to score higher on tests that involve language and communication, and she came to believe that these differences were present from birth . All this ultimately tells us that women are better at some workplaces than men. All this is of use only if a woman is educated in certain fields to begin with a career in which she is certain to excel. In the 18th century a woman wasn't even allowed to get a formal educations. 

Only in the late 19th century did a girl start going to school and college. Even then she wasn't allowed to work. In the beginning of the 20th century, 'feminism' opened doors to woman employment. The real question is, was the word 'feminism' really required to get a woman started with a career ,wasn't it mother nature's original intended structure to have equality between males and females,if that was so why are women not treated the same as men even though they are biologically superior to men. If not superiors at least treat them as equals.

WOMEN EMPOWERED?

I was deliberating onto the question, What is the status of a women in a society?

In a society such as India’s, especially if we view a metropolitan city such as Delhi, the benefits somehow act as a catalyst to improving the position and somewhere they add upon the already enjoyed benefits.

I have had the advantage of experiencing the exposure that many in my country evaluate as a blessing.  If I am to sum up my experience in a day, I somehow meet, see and encounter women from different walks of life, with different expected behavior they have to deliver to the society.

My day starts with waking up to a woman who is a servant, reaching the residence of another women -who is working and raising a family. The lower class hunger driven women, who has little care of her hygiene – has her expectations out of this society to achieve a day’s meal for herself and her family. The other women she is attending to, has what the maid expects but is seeking to a wholesome development of her family in this cost ridden society. Me, on the other hand is a privileged middle class girl, who has been given a chance to fulfill her dreams and is allowed to work, unlike the other lakhs who are deprived. On my journey to my college (I take the famous metro), I get to encounter various women from various walks of life - the entrepreneur, the artist, the housewife, the activist, the lawyer, the journalist, the aged women, the pregnant working ones, the newly married – the common thing about them all is that they are taking a stand and creating their identity as a vital source to this society. In my University, I meet a several more, the ones who are there to do something in life (like “us” reading this) and some there to get a degree to have a better prospectus for a married union and the rest - just following their destiny. After College, I work like many other girls. I am proud to state that – no matter how limited the number is. In my workplace, the Woman owner, is a very powerful educated one with a family. My fellow co – workers - are all educated women, giving a hand in adding to the income of the family. An uneducated yet resourceful women, helps in taking care and managing the centre. I get to interact with beautiful powerful mothers, strong in demeanor, who are perfect in all aspects – in my head I equate them to Gods of management. 

Now, what I fail to understand is, Why do we need to discuss the status of a women in this society, When evidently by proof we are as important as our counter gender. Why does the question of discriminating against us rise.

Is there a problem in how we are educated to think differently? Do we lower our standard in the society by doubting our caliber? Do we perceive that we are weak?

As per my view. I see no weakness in a woman, except belief in their own spirit.

Kritika Angirish

RA Kartini : Mother of the Emancipation of Women

Emancipation of women is an attempt being made to fight for the rights and equality of women. On April 21, 1879 was born a woman named Raden Kartini Ajeng. She was a fighter in the crusade for Indonesian women's emancipation. Kartini tried to make successful the efforts towards the emancipation of women. But to fight for the emancipation of women is not easy, and Kartini saw that the woman of the time was not able to obtain the education and had a low social status. She wanted to create more advanced and intelligent woman in achieving they dream. At that time, Kartini was educating herself by reading books. After collecting and reading books for a long time, she finally made room to educate her friends in her garden. At She taught her friends reading and writing.

At 24, she was betrothed by her parents. Kartini was accepted by one of the universities she applied to, but she left it to marry the man of her parents’ choice. When Kartini could not do anything, she corresponded with her friends and with their pen pals in European countries. She would swap stories with her friends. She would tell them of gender inequality in her country, and from that moment a collection of letters that she and her friend sent to each other was made ​​into a book, called "Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang " which in English means “After The Darkness There Will be a Light“.Kartini died on 17 September 1904 and since that time in Indonesia, her birth date has been remembered as Kartini Day. She was remembered as the mother of women's emancipation in Indonesia, and she remains a role model who made real the dream that women can lead happy lives and enjoy gender equality in Indonesia.

By Bella Nabilla

Talking to the Top: Women’s Empowerment and the Mobile Phone

While wireless internet technology is taking the world by storm, boosting businesses and churning out market leaders, for the resource poor developing world, it is the telecommunications technology that’s making waves. Four out of every five new mobile connections are being made in developing countries, according to the mobile phone industry body, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). They also report that about 41 percent of all female business owners in developing countries had higher earnings because they had access to a phone.

In Third World countries, traditional rural communities are characterized by limited infrastructure and low literacy rates, especially amongst women. Women are largely marginalized and given a conservative environment, they are primarily dependent upon a middleman be it their husbands, the village elder or the local teacher. They are often inaccessible and have been known to impose exorbitant fees and unfair conditions for their services. By providing access to a mobile phone, the middleman is eliminated as is the need to travel large distances to use a phone.

Based on this preemptive, several schemes have been developed worldwide to provide access to mobile phones. In Bangladesh, the Grameen Bank  introduced its Village Phone scheme in 2002 that provides modern telecommuncations services to the rural poor. A Grameen Bank member, usually a woman, obtains ownership of a mobile phone under the lease – financing program of the bank. She then uses the phone either for her own business purposes or as a mobile service provider for her neighbours. Following the rapid success of the Village Phone scheme in Bangladesh, the system was then rolled out in Uganda in 2003.

CellBazaar, an initiative by GrameenTelecomm (a sister concern of Grameen Bank) is the e-bay equivalent that provides easy access to the mobile market place for Bangladeshi villagers. Sokhina, a mother of two and a budding entrepreneur has cashed in on Grameen’s CellBazaar initiative and now makes a modest income from selling her handicrafts on the market. Mobile technology means that her illiteracy is not a hindrance anymore and many rural women have transformed themselves into entrepreneurs.

Schemes in Zimbabwe and India are being developed to enable easy money transfer between income earners and their family members living in isolated villages. In crime riddled areas, M-banking would allow people to send money safely from their mobile phones to those of their families, who would be able to redeem cash from mobile airtime sellers where they live.

Readily accessible information via the mobile has gone a long way to help micro- entrepreneurs. One example is Lucy’s story.  Lucy, a micro-farmer in Kenya was struggling with an outbreak of pests in her potato crop and called the GSMA’s m-Kilimo helpline for assistance. Experts on the line talked Lucy through the process of caring for her crop and she was able to have a bountiful harvest that year.

The introduction of mobile phones in villages has abundant benefits, the most profound of which are reduced transaction costs, quicker access to information and less isolation. Women in particular profit by supplementing their families’ incomes and fending for themselves.

Realising the potential for empowering women via access to mobile phones, the GSMA has launched a global public-private partnership between the worldwide mobile industry and the international development community. The Programme aims to reduce the mobile phone gender gap by 50% by 2014, enabling mobile ownership and effective usage for more than 150 million women in emerging markets including by providing access to financial, healthcare and education services.

Written by

Samai Haider

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: An Inspiration to Women’s Empowerment

The percentage of women in the world occupying seats in parliament is 20%. This percentage is highest for the Nordic countries where this rate jumps to 42%. In contrast, the other regions of the world hover right at the world average. Sub-Saharan Africa has 19.8% women participation. However, when one looks at the individual states, the number declines astonishingly. Of 461 seats in the Nigerian parliament, women occupy 31. That is only 6.8% women participation in the government. 

Women in parliament in individual countries of Africa is especially important for not only women’s empowerment but also to provide inspiration to young women to gain education and let them reach their highest potential.  One encouraging woman in Nigeria is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is currently Nigeria’s finance minister. Okonjo-Iweala was born in Nigeria’s Delta State in 1954. She went on to Harvard University and the Massachusets Institue of Technology in 1972 to continue her higher education. Positions held by Okonjo-Iweala include Managing Director for the World Bank (October 2007-2011) and Foreign Minister of Nigeria (2006).  She is a powerful figure in not only in her country and the African continent but also the world. Because Okonjo-Iweala was able to receive prominent higher education, she is able to be a part of parliament and influence politics surrounding women. The primary school enrollment for women is 60% but this percentage falls to 22% for secondary school. Without raising the percentage for women in higher education, it will be hard for women to rise in power into parliament. 

Empowering women through equality in democracies is incredibly important to promote equality and decrease gender discrimination throughout the nation. Women in parliament can push for women-friendly laws such as equal rights for women. Policies for women may include maternal care, equal chance for education, gender-based discrimination, and gender-based violence.  Women represent women. Because there exists much gender-based discrimination in several sectors, it is important for women to continue to rise in power as Okonjo-Iweala did to represent the women in her country. 

Sources: 

• Busari, Stephanie, and Teo Kermeliotis. "Power Women: Africa's Ruling Ladies." African Voices. CNN, n.d. Web. <http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/06/world/faces.africa.politics/index.html?iid=article_sidebar>.
• "Women in Parliaments: World Classification."Women in Parliaments: World Classification. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm>.
• "Women in Parliaments: World and Regional Averages." Women in Parliaments: World and Regional Averages. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/world.htm>.
• "At a Glance: Nigeria." UNICEF. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/nigeria_statistics.html>.

By Surya Singh