Abstract |
Women constitute half of the human race, yet their position in society is ambiguous. They have been subject to all forms of discrimination and in every institutional structure extending from family to state. Discrimination has led to her subordination which is defined as the gender gap between men and women. Women not only in India but all over the world have been a subject of suppression, neglect and demoralisation lot on the society. In India women constitute 48.4 per cent of the total population, whether engaged in gainful employment or working mainly as housewives they are an important constituent of the human resources, so closely linked to national development. Thus emancipation of women is an essential prerequisite for economic development and social progress of the nation. The present era needs to react sharply to empower women at all cost. Empowerment is the effective answer to oppression, exploitation, injustice and other maladies which are done on women. Hence the empowerment of women is smart economics. Women's empowerment is an all encompassing phenomenon, social empowerment, economic empowerment and political empowerment are its corner stones. The paper seeks to examine the status of Women Empowerment in Himachal Pradesh and to evaluate the governmental initiatives and policies for empowerment of women in Himachal Pradesh. |