ISSN 2231-5829

*Shivendra Chandra Soti ** Amit Sharma

Abstract: Women-empowerment is a vital need of present time. Women-empowerment is remedy for various socio-economical problems, homely violence, illiteracy, and exploitation. Women-empowerment is a device of women-upliftment, women-happiness, national development, prosperity, peace and progress. This piece of writing is an effort to scan, arrange and present various factors affecting women-empowerment, various problems of girls' education, and education, remedies or suggestions to ameliorate girls' education and girls' education as an effective gadget for women-empowerment.

Keywords – empowerment, exploitation, upliftment, education, gender empowerment measure

To Cite:Soti, Shivendra Chandra. Sharma, Amit (2021). Role of Education in Women Empowerment, BRICS Journal of Educational

Research, 11 (2), 62-66.

Role of Education in Women Empowerment

BRICS Journal of Educational Research | April-June 2021 | Vol - 11 | Issue - 2

* Retired Principal,S. S. (PG) College, Shahjahanpur.Ex-OSD and Director, Institute of

Distance Education,CCS University, Meerut, U.P.

** Ex-Head, B.Ed., Deptt., Khandelwal College Bareilly U.P.

Corresponding Author: Dr. Amit Sharma

dr_amitsharma08@rediffmail.com

62

INTRODUCTION

According to the Cambridge International Dictionary, the 'Empowerment' means to give someone the official legal authority or freedom to do something. In this way, women empowerment means is a process which elaborate that women can be, can do and can achieve in a circumstances, they were previously denied and agreeing to and permitting women in decision-making process. It is a process of enabling the women to access the opportunities available to them without limitations and restrictions and elevating the status of women through awareness, education and training. Women empowerment can be evaluated through the Gender Empowerment Measure or GEM. GEM exhibits women's participation in political and economic affairs such as share of seats in parliament held by women, proportion of women on various positions, number of female professionals and technical workers, and women as senior officials and managers. The Gender Parity Index and Gender-related Development Index can also be taken as measuring tool for women empowerment.

Women-Empowerment and Role of Education: Education may be defined as - “Education is an art, science (positive and normative science) and a process (continuous, tetra-polar, life long, philosophical, social, psychological process) of harmonious development of innate powers, adjustment capacity (Adjusting with the ultimate nature of universe, with physical, social and spiritual environment), behaviour and personality.” Education increases self-confidence among the women and equips various skills, talents and abilities and capacities which enable them to find better jobs and opportunities. Education brings awareness about women's rights and various legal provisions to provide safeguard to women. Education empowers women to make their own decisions According to the ICPD Program of Action, paragraph 4.2 “Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process.”

University Education Commission (1948) paid special attention

on the education of women and suggested that in view of the parallel field of activity for men and women and some particular requirements of women maximum facilities should be given for education in Home Economics and Home Management. Education is mile-stone of women empowerment because it facilitates them to react to the challenges, to tackle their conventional role and change their life. Napoleon was once asked, what the great need of France was. He answered “Nation's progress is impossible without trained and educated mothers. If the women of my country are not educated, about half of the people will be ignorant.”

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was ardent champion of women, education in India. He held that women are human beings and have equivalent right to complete development as men have. Indira Gandhi was the great promoter of women's education. She boldly stated, “An uneducated woman becomes a helpless dependent on her parents, her husband and her children. She considers her own life a burden. She realized that education provides a feeling of self-respect to the women, expanding her range of options. She can work, make a mark in the profession and earn recognition for her parents.” She conceptualized that no society can progress if half of its members do not have equal opportunity and their talents and capabilities are ignored. She said, “It is through education that women can stand on their own feet and contribute to the nation and to society in many different ways.” According to her - Women are women, they do not want to imitate men, they have distinctive personalities and those personalities should be given full play, full opportunity without any discrimination because of sex or race or religion or caste or creed. She has woven her educational philosophy on a practical ground. She assigned an important duty to the educated women to eliminate or to reduce the gap between educated and uneducated women. Indira Gandhi maintained that women's education is almost more important than the education of boys and men. She boldly stated that women's education had been neglected badly. She further stated that she was one of those, who always believe that education needs a thorough overhauling. But at the same time she thought that everything in education was not bad. She said, “Even present education has produced very fine men and women, specially scientists and experts in different fields.”

Malala, a brave lady, maintains that education is the birth right of every child. She boldly states, “…I would tell him (militant) to shoot me but first listen to me. And I would tell him that education is my right and education is the right of your daughter and son as well. And I'm speaking up for them. I'm speaking up for peace.” She advocates equalization of educational opportunity in the world. Malala maintains that education is the most powerful weapons against poverty, illiteracy and terrorism. Appealing the young generation, she states, “To let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.” She provides most significant place to education in her life philosophy and trusts that education is the only solution of all problems. She holds that education, peace and dialogue are more suitable weapon against terrorism. She says, “…You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.” Father of nation, M.K. Gandhiji said, “I am

strongly of opinion that women should have the same facilities as men and even special facilities where necessary.” He held that in all countries where the people live an elegant life, there is no inconsistency in the condition of men and women. It is easy to see how much the real capital of India would be attenuated, if one half of her human resource remained unaware and existed only as toys for entertaining others. He rightly stated, "We cannot achieve the education of women merely by educating girls. Claimed by the monster of child-marriage, thousands of girls disappear from view at the early age of twelve. From girls they change into house-wives at one stroke. As long as this wicked custom continues, the only alternative is that men must learn to act as teachers to women.” Swami Vivekanand laid emphasis on chastity and fearlessness in respect of women education. He recommended an ideal institution for women–Math. He suggested separate schools for girls. He advised to observe Brahmacharya to women also. He pleaded that women education must be organised, managed and controlled by women. Sister Nivedita, strongly favoured women education. She formulated that first of all barriers of women education must be eradicated. She trusted that there should be separate curriculum for women education. Curriculum for women education must include the stories of ideal and inspiring ladies, like Sita, Savitri etc. Women should also learn foreign languages. Swami Dayanand, favoured education of women but did not favour co-education. He said, “As soon as they are eight years old, girls should be sent to girls; schools and boys to boys; schools.” He also advocated compulsory education of the masses. He pleaded that state must make it compulsory on all citizens to educated their children of both sexes and belong to all classes. Swami Sivanand points out-people say girls should be educated, but no one considers the difficulties they face in their studies. Therefore, many girls abandon their studies and do not graduate. If a girl from here goes to college ten or fifteen kilometres away from home and has no means of transportation, we give her bicycle, so that she can study. She belongs to a backward class and so it will be good if she graduates. Mahatma Phule states that women education and education of the neglected and deprived section of society should be given top priority so that social justice, equality, balance and social progress may be ensured. He further states that education should be based on principle of social equality.

Mary Wollstonecraft was like Dr. Zakir Hussain, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, M.K. Gandhi, and Swami Sivananda, was ardent champion of women-education and women-upliftment. She has woven her educational philosophy on a practical ground. She assigned an important duty to the educated women to eliminate or to reduce the gap between educated and uneducated women. Present Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi is great supporter of women education and welfare. He holds that women education is essential for women upliftment. He maintains that women education is very essential for social change, social progress and social and national strength. With the help of an example of performance of women in commonwealth Games, he states, “...Our sportspersons brought 64 medals. But of them 29 are girls. Let`s feel proud and clap for them. Girls also contribute to India`s fame and glory. Let`s recognize it. Let`s take them along, shoulder to shoulder.” Mr. Modi is very cautious about the girls' education and feels very upset for the reasons behind leaving the

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schools by girls in India especially in rural areas. Rousseau advocated that the feminine arts-like-needle work, should be taught to women. Women should be taught all the details of housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, calculating the price of the food, maintaining accounts accurately and managing their own houses. Women should also be taught about health, balanced diet and cleanliness. Rousseau pleaded that education of women should be given in such a way that they remain chaste and good till their dying day. Rousseau maintained that women were the makers of men. They were the guardians of our morals and the sweet security of men's place. Rousseau suggested a different type of education for women. He believed that the woman is made specially to please man. He further stated that she should be taught to be soft and sweet. Rousseau pleaded that her studies should be practical. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam holds that women-education is very important for social change. He says – "When women are empowered a society with sterility will get assured. For this women education has to be given the highest priority”. He favoured women-education at many places and stated that women are equal partners in national development.

Problems of Girls or Women-Education:Main problems of girls' education in India, especially in rural areas, are as follows –

Girls have to perform homely work responsibilities

Girls have to look after their younger sisters and brothers

They have lack of means of transportation for reaching at schools

Some Girls' parents do not allow their girls to go to schools

Some Girls feel unsafe on the way to schools located at remote areas

Girl-students may be irregular in schools due to their illness or illness of family members

There is no one in the girls' family to guide or to provide assistance in their studies

They have lack of money for private tuitions

Some Girls feel difficulties in studies and have examination phobia

Girls may have problems of dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysorthographia, autism or any other psychological problems

Girls may have problem of teasing by boys in schools or on the way to schools

Girls may have some physical or mental disabilities

Parents may have negative attitude towards girls education

Schools and homely environment may be adverse for girls education

Teachers may have different social, economic, educational, lingual and psychological background from students'

Girls may have over burden of homely works

Lack of cumulative, comprehensive and continuous evaluation in schools

Lack of motivation and awareness for girls education in society

Lack of activity based teaching learning in schools

Lack of co-curricular activities and sports in schools

Less use of teaching learning material aids in schools

Lack of libraries and laboratories in schools

Lack of sports materials and other basic amenities in schools

Lack of separate toilets for girls in schools

Some remedies or suggestions to ameliorate Girl's Education: Proper use of AIDAS model, which emphasises on following steps in the process of education –

A = Attracting Attention of the students

I = Interest (arousing interest towards studies and subject matter)

D = Desire to know (developing desire to know or curiosity)

A = Activity based learning

S = Satisfaction (pondering and ensuring satisfaction of students, guardians, teachers and society)

1. Programmes for Guardian awareness towards girls' education and upliftment, should be run

2. Ensuring awareness about Girls help line numbers and various government policies and programmes concerning women-empowerment

3. Managing pool transportation for girls by villagers

4. Arranging separate toilets for girls in the schools

5. Government should arrange programme for regular check-up of children's health and treatment

6. NGO or Social workers, educated people of the village and government officers should contribute one or two hours in a week to educate rural children and girls

7. Use of 'LADIES Model' for women empowerment which indicates:

L = Life oriented courses

A = Attracting attention and Awareness

D = Designing courses and programmes

I = Interest

E = Equality of educational opportunities

S = Special arrangements

8. Proper use of remedial teaching and participating teaching

9. Arrangement of students' counselling

10. To develop interest in the girls with the help of various co-curricular activities/play –way method of teaching learning

11. Proper inspection/teacher's Diary/ Lesson plan/ supply of teacher's according

12. Providing proper feedback to the students by the teachers

13. Arrangement of motivational programme in school and provide prize distribution

14. Use of TLM for effective and participating teaching-learning by teachers

15. Managing proper educational facility to girls for women empowerment: Contribution of education in women empowerment can be presented with the help of initials of the word 'WOMEN EMPOWERMENT' as follows –

W - Women's independence

O – Opportunities to develop self confidence, decision making ability

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M – Meaning to life

E – Emotional development and balance/ Equality /Equity

N – Nourishment of innate powers, autonomy, self determination

E – Equips professional and vocational skill/ Eradicates of barriers/ Exercises powers

M – Makes women self dependent, self confident, self sufficient/ Maintains Mental health

P – Prosperity/ Physical development/ Personality development/ Providing powers and authority

O – Operational skills

W – Worthiness/ Worthy utilisation of resources

E – Enhancement of knowledge, self respect and self confidence / Earning of livelihood

R – Rationality/ Recognition in society/ Remedy for all problems of women

M – Managed life, behaviour, adjustment capacity

E – Expressions/ Economically sound and strong

N – Notions and values/ Negotiation skill

T – Transforming women into a resource/ Training/ Talents/ Trouble free life

Education as an Effective gadget of Women-Empowerment and Happiness: Education is an art, science and a rational process of person making. It develops a person physically, emotionally, rationally, psychologically, intellectually, spiritually, socially, technically, and professionally. Education develops various skills, values, understandings, positive attitude, operational skills, educational efficiency in the students and trains and educates them to perform their works more efficiently, perfectly, economically, easily, and in better way. Education is a means to quality and utility enhancement in the students. Education works as value addition in the persons and converts them into human resource useful for productive, creative and constructive works. The word 'Education' covers here all type of academic, technical, professional and vocational education. Education converts an ordinary man into human resource such as doctors, engineers, advocates, teachers, professors, authors, business man, entrepreneurs, sportsman, singers, musician etc.

Education converts women into human resource. Human resource is more sensitive, reactive and unique resource than other resources. Education equips an individual with various skills, training, talents, education, understanding, attributes, technical expertise, efficiency and positive attitude towards work and in this way, converts them into a resource. Socio-economic implications of higher education may be presented with the help of initials of the word HUMAN RESOURCE as follows –

H = Human values and Professional Ethics

U = Understanding, Uniqueness

M = Mental health and Mind set

A = Adjustment, Attitude, Aptitude development

N = Network, Notice to opportunities

R = Refines head, heart and hands

E = Enhances efficiency/ Experience/ Entrepreneurship/ Emotional maturity

S = Sharpens the skills/ Shapes the personality/ Specialisation/ Social intelligence

O = Observation/ Operational know how/Opportunity for advancement

U = Uncovers various talents; Unity

R = Rectify errors/ Resourcefulness/ Repairs human defects/Requirement of job/ Rationality

C = Creates Confidence/ Creativity/Communication skill/ Comprehension

E = Expertise/ Exposures/ Ensures all round development

Education plays a very important role in bringing human happiness and empowerment. Its role can be highlighted in the following points:

1. Education helps in character formation and character is essential for happiness

2. Education equips professional and vocational skill which brings prosperity, empowerment and happiness

3. Education also assists in physical development of the students through co-curricular activities and physical education and this leads to human empowerment and happiness.

4. Education in considered to be training to live a prosper and happy life

5. Education also cultivates values essential to live a life happily

6. Education enhance knowledge and knowledge is also essential for living an empowered and happy life

7. Education is a tool for spiritual development and spirituality is necessary for peaceful and happy life

8. Education brings social change and ameliorate our behaviour as per social norms and this leads to happiness

9. Education develops rationality and rationality assists in appropriate decision making; rational and right decisions make our life easy and happy

10. One of the main aims of education is emotional development of the students and make them emotionally balanced and happy

11. Educational develops communication skill essential for self expression and for making the life trouble free i.e. happy

12. Education develops power to earn a livelihood

13. Education develops power of rational thinking and decision making

14. Education develops negotiation and communication skills in students

15. Education makes a man physically, mentally, socially, economically, emotionally and spiritually strong and empowered.

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