Ever since India opened its doors to liberalization in the early 1990s there has been a steady transformation in India’s economy. Self-reliance helped in building great institutions of learning and taking strides in various field of life in keeping pace with the rapidly changing world. Women who earlier stayed at home to attend their domestic duties now maintain both work and home simultaneously, participating in the process on an equal footing with men in social and economic development.Women have moved away from their traditional roles of homemaker and child rearing to social and business solutions.
The liberalization policy of the last 15 years has yielded good results. The textiles,
garments and leather sectors have flourished as a result of liberalization policies of
the government. In the same way information technology (IT) sector has boomed and
now India is among the top IT hubs in the world. It has become a major centre for
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The business has grown tremendously and
has given excellent opportunities to women to think beyond the four walls of
traditional households.
Women have become equal participants in many respects at all levels of society. The
future would see more women venturing into areas traditionally dominated by men.
This will lead to income generation and greater sense of fulfillment among women. In
almost all the countries governments are providing special provisions for women’s
development & efforts are being made to extract maximum of their talent. In India, as
during Veda & Upanishad periods, women are being accorded with respect and are
facilitated in all spheres of life.
In the modern India, although during British era steps were taken to improve the status of women, it was only after Independence, they enjoyed privileges. As per the Constitution, women are at par with men and several special provisions are provided for upliftment. Women today have made use of their intelligence, knowledge and education. They have a prestigious role to play in the present households as well.They enjoy all the comforts & luxuries of life being economically independent;working not only in the Primary & Secondary sectors but also in the Military &Defense fields.
So many women Doctors, Lawyers, Scientists, Teachers, etc. have shown that they
are equally efficient, intelligent & hardworking as the men. There are women that
have shone in the industrial and commerce sectors and earned both name and fame
outside the country. The special provisions and facilities available for women in the
business field would result in more rapid growth of the nation in the future. In this
modern world where the cost of living has increased significantly, it becomes
necessary for women to undertake economic activity and support their families.
The attitude of the society is changing, though slowly. Women are not seen with
suspicious eyes as before; she is more liberated now and can lead a peaceful family
life and support it economically as well. The World Bank has stated that the only
surest way to lift India out of poverty is to educate and enhance the status of women.
Women’s health and skill are important for any family as they also contribute to the
income of the family. And hence steps are being taken to uplift her position, health,
education and ability.
Thus women are participating in almost all the spheres of economic activity. From
village to city, we can see number of women workers and entrepreneurs contributing
towards the national income of the country. The Government and Non-Government
organizations are also promoting self-employment among women and build women
entrepreneurship. Special financial assistance is provided and training programmes
are being organized for women to start their ventures. Meeting a longstanding
demand for gender parity in the workforce, the Government of India approved an
amendment in the Factories Act to allow women employees to work night shifts.
The amendment, allowing women to work between 10 pm and 6 am, is expected to
benefit those working in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), textiles, garments,
handicrafts, leather and IT sector (especially call centres). Garment units already
employ 60% of women workforce; and with growth in this industry the number this will
go up tremendously. Now India is at par, if opportunities availed, with her immediate
competitors for the use of women workforce as most Asian countries, including
China, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and Taiwan, have huge women labour force.
The amendment suggests that night shift for women shall be allowed only if the
employer ensures safety, adequate safeguards in the factory as regards occupational
safety and health, equal opportunity for women workers, adequate protection of their
dignity, honour and transportation from the factory premises to the nearest point of
their residence. So far, the IT sector and SEZs were employing women for late-night
work hours but had no legal obligation to provide these safety measures.
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