Women, Employment and Empowerment

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Empowerment of women through gainful employment is a constituent - as well as an instrument - of development in any country. No country can be deemed developed if half of its population is severely disadvantaged in terms of basic needs, livelihood options, access to knowledge, and political voice. Strong national machineries for the advancement of women and the promotion of gender equality require political commitment at the highest level. Reforms to meet the challenges of the changing world are essential to ensure women's equal access to institutions and organizations. Effective and coordinated plans and programs for the full implementation of women-oriented policies require a clear research-based knowledge of ground realities of the socio-economic status of women, particularly rural women. The realization of the goals of women empowerment needs to be supported by the allocation of necessary human and financial resources at local, regional, and national levels, as well as by enhanced and increased international cooperation. Based on research in India, this present work unravels the intricate relationship between women's work and their empowerment. It adopts a holistic approach to explore the interface between the nature of work performed by women and the indicators of their empowerment.