The status of women in India has undergone relevant changes over the past. Women in India now participate in namely all activities like education, politics, media, art and culture, service sector, science and technology, etc. Our Constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women. A woman’s right to equality and non/discrimination is defined as justifiable fundamental rights. The Government of India has always attached great importance to the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and is committed to achieving it. National plans and policies have consistently reflected a vision of progress that is not narrowly confined to expanding incomes, but a central place to the achievement of human rights, freedoms and well-being for all.
Women Welfare Process
The planning process has evolved over the years from purely welfare oriented approach where women were regarded as objects of charity to the development programmes and currently to their empowerment. The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007) is based on social empowerment, economic empowerment and providing gender justice to create an enabling environment of positive economic and social policies for women and eliminating all forms of discrimination against them. The Approach Paper to the XI Plan has also laid great emphasis on removing gender disparities. XI Plan will seek to reduce disparities across regions and communities by ensuring access to basic physical infras¬tructure as well as health and education services to all. It will recognize gender as a crosscut-ting theme across all sectors and commit to respect and promote the rights of the common person.
New Acts have been passed and some existing acts amended during the X Plan period. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 is first of its kind in the country and gets into the private sphere of a household. The Hindu Succession Act has been amended to give daughters equal rights as sons in ancestral property. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act which seeks to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas give priority to women by reserving at least one-third of the jobs for women who have registered and requested for work under this Act. The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act is being amended to strengthen its provisions, enforce more stringent punishment for traffickers and prevent revictimisation of victims.
The impact of the various developmental policies, plans and programmes implemented by the government over the last years has brought forth a perceptible improvement in the socio economic status of women. Expectation of life at birth has increased over the years. There has been a decline in the infant and maternal mortality rates. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has declined. The work force participation rate for women has increased.
In the XI Plan, the Ministry proposes to take up the second phase of Swayamsiddha. This phase would be a countrywide programme with larger coverage in States lagging behind on women development indices. Government is playing an important role in up lifting the status of women in India. As citizens of the country it is our duty to respect the women with dignity.