WOMEN & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE B.R. AMBEDKAR PERSPECTIVE

A thread https://www.theindiapost.com/articles/women-economic-development-the-b-r-ambedkar-perspective/

I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

B.R. Ambedkar’s Jayanti is on the 14th of April, and this article is to commemorate his egalitarian vision for a brighter future, and his noble causes, especially related to women. As he was a champion for the underprivileged and marginalized, in my eyes he is a true hero.

For a hero is not someone who plays a role on the screen, but an individual who saves lives and whose legacy lives on.

Ambedkar’s legacy is that today we have a discourse on his thoughts and ideologies, and those thoughts are echoed by millions across our nation, that the work that he has done for women is giving results through reformation, policies and law.

May we all continue in this great man’s footsteps and forge our path forward tirelessly, as he has done for us.

Women empowerment stems from self-respect, it is a process and not a product. We cannot think of empowerment as an end goal. You might see a woman who is successful in her career but she might not have equal rights in her household, or vice versa.

We should also remember that empowerment is a baton to be passed on from woman to woman. Empowerment is not about ego, it is not about constantly being on guard for your self-respect, it is also not simply about power.

There are many dynamics a woman has to handle, empowerment allows women to balance the many dynamics as she chooses.

An important facet of women empowerment is gaining economic strength. It provides independence and the ability to make decisions based on our own thoughts. Economic empowerment of women is very powerful, it allows us to feel secure, safe, and boosts our confidence.

To truly achieve the empowerment of women and help women realize their rights as individuals, opportunities for economic empowerment should be encouraged and provided.

Dr. Ambedkar’s key work in the preparation of Indian Constitution made it to be known as a New Charter of Human Rights. Articles 14, 15, 16, 39 and 42 are the platforms which provide women the right to equality, and empowerment.

Based on these Articles over the decades India and its government has collectively worked to bring about systematic change in women’s parity. India could boost its GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points to 9 percent per year if around 50% of women could join the work force.

McKinsey’s 2015 ‘Power of Parity’ report suggests that raising India’s female labour force participation by 10 percentage points would bring 68 million women into the economy and increase the country’s GDP by $0.5 trillion by 2025.

Other studies such as those by the International Monetary Fund also estimate a high increase in India’s annual GDP from assured economic participation of women.

Women’s economic empowerment is highly connected with poverty reduction as women also tend to invest more of their earnings in their children and communities. As more women take up new opportunities for paid jobs, they challenge entrenched cultural and social norms.

A woman with a job will help mold the attitudes of her household and the next generation. India’s society is changing. The equal renumeration act, 1976, ensures equal wages and equal work for women. Today we see that there is no gender pay gap among pilots.

Our proportion of female commercial pilots at 13% is the highest in the world, more than double the global average of 5%.

Development has a close link to women empowerment, with implementation of programs and policies that are for empowerment we see great benefit to entire nations, businesses, communities and groups.

Many world leaders and scholars have argued that sustainable development is impossible without gender equality and women's empowerment.

Our environment, work place, policies should be geared to enhance the participation of women instead of pushing women to create a masculine identity.

As B.R.

Ambedkar also said, “It is in the interest of the nation that the mother ought to get a certain amount of rest during the pre-natal period and also subsequently.” The Bill for which he advocated was not received with warmth, nonetheless with time our government has heard his…

…voice and encouraged private organisations to provide Maternity leave and facilities on par and even better than that of developed nations. This is a huge milestone which shows that we are listening, and we are moving forward step by step towards the fulfilment of B.R.

Ambedkar’s dreams.

We have come a long way since B.R. Ambedkar laid the foundation for the Indian constitution and advocated for the rights of women and the marginalized. Today our nation stands united against similar problems and we have inched forward and taken control of the situation.

We can take courage from the fact that we are more aware and better equipped at resolving the mishaps of our pre-Independence era.

This thread can be read here: https://www.theindiapost.com/articles/women-economic-development-the-b-r-ambedkar-perspective/