Women Empowerment

Theoretical Reflection from Global to National

Abstract

Empowerment is a broader term which is achieved by both men and women themselves through their own effort. It facilitates them to achieve collective strength. Women empowerment specifically brings attention on the all round development and emancipation of women in social, economic and political level. The women's movement has been progressed through different wave of feminism and different ideological phenomenon of feminism. During the period of 1960s- to 80s, women empowerment notion became popular in the sphere of development and capacity building. Unorganized five international conferences namely Mexico (1974), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995) on women empowerment and humanitarian approach. The twelve thrust areas of Beijing conference fully played significant role in enforcing women empowerment in global level as well as national level of Indian context. The Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was another effort at the international level for women empowerment. It had great impact in the field of protecting women from different violence. The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), focused on fulfilment of urgent need of women. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relate to women's economic empowerment and commits all governments to take actions to 'achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'. The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) establishes high level corporate leadership for gender equality. At the national level, India is taking various initiatives for empowerment of women both at policy and program level. Besides that various kinds of women specific acts and laws have been passed for the women empowerment.