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Women’s Rights and Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Women Empowerment.
Husenasab Vanageri 1
Research Scholar, Department of Studies in Social Work,
Karnatak University, Dharwad.
Mail: husenasabvanageri@gmail.com Phone No:7829606194.
Dr. Renuka E. Asagi 2
Assistant Professor, Department of Studies in Social Work,
Karnatak University, Dharwad.
Abstract
This paper highlights women’s rights and role of NGOs in empowerment of women. Empowerment is a multi-dimensional process that helps women to gain authority and self-realization in improving their life standards. Women empowerment can be achieved through provision of adequate education facilities, political support, and effective legislation system and employment generation for women. Women should realize that they have constitutional rights to good quality health care, financial security, and access to knowledge, information, education and equal opportunities for the girl in the society. Women’s groups, non-governmental development organizations, activists, politicians, governments and international agencies refer to empowerment as one of their main objectives. This paper seeks to explore some of the important women rights which India has given to women for overall development of women and role of the NGOs for their development.
Keywords: Women, Rights, Empowerment, Role of NGO, development.
Introduction:
The Articles under Part III of the constitution of India, relating to the Fundamental Rights which try to improve the status of women and provide equal opportunities for and many types of NGOs are working for empowering the women through the women rights which is given by our Indian constitution. Women rights and NGOs helps to the empowerment of women capacitates sustainable rural and urban development by the uplifting the economic, social and political status of women in India. Empowerment in the present existence has become one of the most comprehensively used terms that indicates progress and development of Women. Empowerment leads to generation of awareness and understanding amongst women regarding programs, schemes, measures, strategies, policies, and rules. Empowering the women in these aspects is necessary to convert the idle society into self-sustainable society. Empowerment of women through women rights can help reduce the problem of women and several social problems that go with it.
Objectives of the Study:
- To understand the women rights for overall development women.
- To examine the NGO’s role in view of empowerment.
Methodology:
Explorative research methodology has been used to find out the women rights and role of NGO’s in women empowerment. The present study is based on secondary source, online journals and self-observations to comprehend and analyse the new wave of the understanding of women rights and role of NGO’s in women empowerment.
Women empowerment:
Women's rights under the Constitution of India mainly include equality, dignity, and freedom from discrimination; additionally, India has various statutes governing the rights of women. The Empowerment essentially means that the women have the power or capacity to regulate their day to day lives in the social political and economic terms, a power which enables them to move from the restrictions to the center stage. Empowerment is an active and multidimensional process, which enables women to realize their identity and power in all aspects of life.
What is an NGO?
The term NGO stands for nongovernmental organization, and it includes a variety of organizations such as “private voluntary organizations,” “civil society organizations,” and “nonprofit organization” Chapter 9 Role of Governments and Nongovernmental Organizations 221 (McGann & Johnstone, 2006). The term NGO describes a range of groups and organizations from watchdog activist groups and aid agencies to development and policy organizations. Usually, NGOs are defined as organizations that pursue a public interest agenda, rather than commercial interests (Hall-Jones, 2006).
Constitutional Rights to Women:
India can be classified into two categories, namely as constitutional rights and legal rights. The constitutional rights are those which are provided in the various provisions of the constitution. The legal rights, on the other hand, are those which are provided in the various laws of the Parliament and the State Legislatures.
The rights and safeguards enshrined in the constitution for women in India are listed below:
- The state shall not discriminate against any citizen of India on the ground of sex [Article 15(1)].
- The state is empowered to make any special provision for women. In other words, this provision enables the state to make affirmative discrimination in favour of women [Article 15(3)].
- No citizen shall be discriminated against or be ineligible for any employment or office under the state on the ground of sex [Article 16(2)].
- Traffic in human beings and forced labour are prohibited [Article 23(1)].
- The state to secure for men and women equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood [Article 39(a)].
- The state to secure equal pay for equal work for both Indian men and women [Article 39(d)].
- The state is required to ensure that the health and strength of women workers are not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their strength [Article 39(e)].
- The state shall make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief [Article 42].
- It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women [Article 51-A (e)].
- One-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women [Article 243-D (3)].
- One-third of the total number of offices of chairpersons in the Panchayats at each level shall be reserved for women [Article 243-D (4)].
- One-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Municipality shall be reserved for women [Article 243-T (3)].
- The offices of chairpersons in the Municipalities shall be reserved for women in such manner as the State Legislature may provide [Article 243-T (4)].
Legal Rights to Women:
The following various legislation’s contain several rights and safeguards for women:
- Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) is a comprehensive legislation to protect women in India from all forms of domestic violence. It also covers women who have been/are in a relationship with the abuser and are subjected to violence of any kind—physical, sexual, mental, verbal or emotional.
- Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (1956) is the premier legislation for prevention of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. In other words, it prevents trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of prostitution as an organised means of living.
- Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1986) prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner.
- Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act (1987) provides for the more effective prevention of the commission of sati and its glorification on women.
- Dowry Prohibition Act (1961) prohibits the giving or taking of dowry at or before or any time after the marriage from women.
- Maternity Benefit Act (1961) regulates the employment of women in certain establishments for certain period before and after child-birth and provides for maternity benefit and certain other benefits.
- Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1971) provides for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners on humanitarian and medical grounds.
- Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (1994) prohibits sex selection before or after conception and prevents the misuse of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for sex determination leading to female foeticide.
- Equal Remuneration Act (1976) provides for payment of equal remuneration to both men and women workers for same work or work of a similar nature. It also prevents discrimination on the ground of sex, against women in recruitment and service conditions.
- Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act (1939) grants a Muslim wife the right to seek the dissolution of her marriage.
- Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act (1986) protects the rights of Muslim women who have been divorced by or have obtained divorce from their husbands.
- Family Courts Act (1984) provides for the establishment of Family Courts for speedy settlement of family disputes.
- Indian Penal Code (1860) contains provisions to protect Indian women from dowry death, rape, kidnapping, cruelty and other offences.
- Code of Criminal Procedure (1973) has certain safeguards for women like obligation of a person to maintain his wife, arrest of woman by female police and so on.
- Indian Christian Marriage Act (1872) contain provisions relating to marriage and divorce among the Christian community.
- Legal Services Authorities Act (1987) provides for free legal services to Indian women.
- Hindu Marriage Act (1955) introduced monogamy and allowed divorce on certain specified grounds. It provided equal rights to Indian man and woman in respect of marriage and divorce.
- Hindu Succession Act (1956) recognizes the right of women to inherit parental property equally with men.
- Minimum Wages Act (1948) does not allow discrimination between male and female workers or different minimum wages for them.
- Mines Act (1952) and Factories Act (1948) prohibits the employment of women between 7 P.M. to 6 A.M. in mines and factories and provides for their safety and welfare.
- National Commission for Women Act (1990) provided for the establishment of a National Commission for Women to study and monitor all matters relating to the constitutional and legal rights and safeguards of women.
- Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal). Act (2013) provides protection to women from sexual harassment at all workplaces both in public and private sector, whether organized or unorganized.
Role of NGO’s in women empowering.
Many NGOs that work to alleviate poverty among women also focuses on advocating the women’s rights. These have brought important changes in the lives NGOs also play a significant and meaningful role towards promoting self-employment of women by the following ways:
- Educating the women in rural area about rights
- Legal Awareness and Property Rights NGOs are working with women to generate awareness regarding their legal rights. They also provide loan facilities.
- Promoting leadership in women
- Ensure women’s participation in their empowerment
- Training & Skill Development NGOs train poor women and provide them opportunities of self-employment to improve their social and economic status.
- Promotes the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for empowering women
- Represents the problems faced by rural women to the concerned authorities and carries out impact assessment of the policy decisions affecting women.
- Mobilizes optimum resources and plans and implements the projects that have bearing upon women empowerment.
- Research, Monitoring and Evaluation for Innovative activities need to be carefully documented and shared - effective participatory monitoring would permit the sharing of results with the people themselves as well as with the project staff for women empowerment from the help of government.
- Technical Assistance and Training: Training institutions and NGOs can develop a technical assistance and training capacity and use this to assist governments.
- Organizing seminars, lectures and group discussion for development of women in particular areas with support of government and many departments for overall development of women.
- Being involved in the protection of women rights to have a better life.
- Suggestions towards women protection, some suggestions that can be made towards protection of women could be made in the following areas where NGOs could play an effective role with the assistance of the governmental agencies for achieving the ultimate goal of healthy society.
Conclusion:
NGOs are playing crucial role in women empowerment. Government, NGO and people collaboration is the imminent need of the hour. NGOs are the watch dogs of the governmental issues. Women are an important part of any society because of their multidimensional role in society. The main purpose of this research paper is to acquire understanding of human rights of women and role of NGO in women empowerment. And NGOs are conducting many activities, trainings, workshops, seminars for development of the women to get their rights for overall development and to be empowerment.
References:
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- Brahmbhatt, R. and Sheth, P. The Roles of NGOs in Empowering Women: An Empirical Study of the Selected NGOs of India. Asian Journal of Multidimensional Research. 2:3, 23-34, 2013.
- Cousins William, "Non-Governmental Initiatives" in ADB, the Urban Poor and Basic Infrastructure Services in Asia and the Pacific". Asian Development Bank, Manila, 1991.
- India: The Legal Framework for Women and Work. (2012).
- Korey, William (1998) NGOs and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "A Curious Grapevine". New York, St. Martin’s Press.
- Women’s Rights are Human Rights. United Nations.2014
