Women empowerment in India

Women in India now participate fully in areas such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology etc. The last decades have witnessed some basic changes in the status and role of women in our society. There has been shift in policy approaches from the concept of ‘welfare ’in the seventies to ‘development ’in the eighties and now to ‘empowerment ’in the nineties. This process has been further accelerated with some sections of women becoming increasingly self-conscious of their discrimination in several areas of family and public life. They are also in a position to mobilize themselves on issues that can affect their overall position The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality, no discrimination by the State, equality of opportunity and equal pay for equal work. In addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women and children, renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women, and also allows for provisions to be made by the State for securing just and human conditions of work and for maternity relief.