Women empowerment is the reflection of gender equality that acts as a precursor to move the country forward. Their contribution is increasingly deepening to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for the nation. So far the country’s development was taking place with entrepreneurial skills and initiative mainly by men, but we can surely say adding similar contribution by female entrepreneurs, the spectrum of development will manifold increase. Women have already proven that they are capable in running microcredit institutions, poverty reduction programme and promoting agriculture.
They are producing home textile; some of then running family garment factories shoulder to shoulder with men. Many of them are even producers and exporters of traditional and many non-traditional products. But except few in forefront line business and leadership role, others are not treated fairly well in maters of business loans and such other regulatory matters. The need to fulfil strict collateral requirement for business loans and face harassment in other matters compared to easy treatment meted out to a male businessman. So the emphasis is that women must have business friendly policies and their priority must be ensured so that they can face challenge with confidence to come out from a mentality of fear and uncertainly.
Women are already working as top bureaucrats, engineers and researchers; they are making good physicians and educationists. They are distinctly visible in police and defence services and taking part in international peacekeeping mission. We have already many role models now but what is important is to break the horizon for them to work more freely alongwith men to build the nation and make it prosperous. So what is to be talked about now is not only to take the case of empowerment issue but also to make them fore-runner many ways to the country’s development.
We are now looking forward to become a middle-income nation by 2021, but our looking must go much deeper to create a vibrant women presence in all sectors of the national life. That needs a distinctly focused national policy with all support to women in playing a greater role for the country’s socio-economic development. In our view women will be second to none in their workplace soon.
