International Journal of Research in Social Sciences

Women empowerment is still a debatable issue in India. She is still treated as a second class citizen especially in State like Jammu and Kashmir and the reasons are, besides illiteracy, customs, traditions, poverty, ignorance, her own lack of interest and motivation. The empowerment of women is a multi-dimensional aspect which demands active participation of various stakeholders in a developing nation like India. The focus of this paper is on exploration of women's empowerment and its challenges in Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu and Kashmir Valley, Women are the most vulnerable and worst hit section of the society especially under situations of violence caused by militancy and armed conflict. They don't only suffer from intense humiliation and harassment but also undergo traumatic experiences with prolonged depression making them mentally sick. Like many other places woman's role in Jammu and Kashmir has been central in the upbringing of children and managing domestic affairs. Men generally assume the role of breadwinners. Traditionally, the woman had a limited role in the economic life and her participation in the political sphere. However the disturbing situation prevalent in Kashmir has hit the Kashmiri women hardest. Thousands of women who have become widows have to bear the entire responsibility of bringing up their children and running the household expenditure. The Central Government and State Government are jointly working for the empowerment of women in Jammu and Kashmir. This paper discusses to what extent the Central Government, State Government, have achieve women's empowerment and what the challenges for women's empowerment in the State.