Women Empowerment in India

Abstract

Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with feminism. The subject of empowerment of women has becoming a burning issue all over the world including India since last few decades. It is held that women now cannot be asked to wait for any more for equality. In other words, Empowerment is not giving people power; people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. Empowerment occurs through improvement of conditions, standards, events, and a global perspective of life. The status of Women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennium. In early Vedic period Women enjoyed equal status with men. Rigved & Upanishads mention several names of women sages and seers notably Gargi & Maitrey. However later the status of women began to deteriorate approximately from 500 B.C., the situation worsened with invasion of Mughals and later on by European invaders. Feminist activism picked up momentum in India during later 1970’s. Later on Many groups and NGO’s have been working for the Empowerment of women. We are proud that in India Women got voting right much before USA and some other European countries.