Role of women in New India by 2022
Empowerment of women is fundamental for the progress of the country. The New India initiative has focused on several key areas in which the focus on women empowerment is of utmost importance.constitutional provision The Constitution provides for equality of all Indian women (Article 14), no discrimination by the State (Article 15[1]),equality of opportunity (Article 16),and equal work by the State under the Directive Principles of State Policy. Article 39(D) ensures equal pay for In addition, it allows the state to make special provisions under Article 15(3) in favor of women and children. Emphasizes the abandonment of practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51[a] (e)). And also allows for the protection of human conditions at the workplace and for maternity relief by the state (Article 42)Constitutional guarantees of equality would be meaningless and unrealistic unless women's right to economic freedom is acknowledged and their skill training is improved so as to improve their contribution to the family and to the national economy.(The 734 and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts of 1992 ensured reservation of one-third seats for women in all elected offices of local bodies in rural and urban areas.The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) was carved out of the Ministry of Human Resource Development as a separate ministry on 30 January 2006. It is the nodal ministry for all matters of development of women and children of the country. National Women Commission
was constituted in 1992 as the apex constitutional body at the national level. India is a signatory to many international conventions. Mainly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) recently it has also endorsed the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will further reorient the stream of development in this direction.
concerns
The declining number of female workers in the workforce is a cause for concern,especially when the demographic dividend is increasing. The participation of women in India's workforce is 25.5%lower than that of Somalia. In addition,43 per cent of working women (15-39years) in India work only at home for which they do not get any monetary benefits. This issue needs immediate attention.
