Parents have to walk the talk and drive home the point that the girl child is no different from her male sibling
Women’s empowerment has often been a buzzword and the central theme of numerous seminars, webinars and panel discussions in the recent past. This is more so as International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8, approaches. At every such forum, it has been emphasised that a woman must have the courage to stand up and make her presence felt to ensure that she gets her due in every walk of life, be it her family, educational institutions or the workplace. All stakeholders, including the Government and society must play their respective role in ensuring women empowerment, for nurturing and effectively taking women on board for nation building.
Here, rather than mere formulation and enactment of various policies and provisions, society has a much more important role to play in achieving the desired outcome. If you study life histories of those who have made a mark in society, they follow a certain pattern with commonalities including their upbringing, education and career profile, further signifying the impactful role societies play in women’s empowerment.
As it is said, “charity begins at home”, the starting point for women’s empowerment is within the family where each sibling must be given equal opportunity all through their formative years. In this regard, parents can play a very important role and both mother and father have to walk the talk and consciously drive home the point among the children that the girl child is no different and doesn’t have to be treated differently.
The second stage which equally influences the mindset of the young generation towards the principles of gender equality and women empowerment is at the educational institutions. It is here that they come out of their homes and join peers of both genders. These children are under the mentorship of their teachers and the onus lies with the schools and colleges to ensure that the girl child is given a fair chance at every level, not only in academics and research but in all other extracurricular activities as well. It is up to the management to ensure an equal opportunity to all. There should be no discrimination in the selection process and every male and female candidate should be given a fair chance. Thereafter, all through their career, it must be ensured that women are given opportunities at par with their male counterparts and assessed on the same parameters for professional appraisal and promotions. It is also the responsibility of the management to create a conducive work environment devoid of any form of discrimination.
Further, considering the special needs of women and the biological differences with men, maternity and other leaves should be granted at the appropriate time. On the other hand, women must not take any undue favour or advantage and must climb the ladder of success on their merit. Be it professional, administrative, or interpersonal relationship, women must move with confidence. They must prove themselves as competent, committed and self-motivated. Moreover, there is a need to change the male mindset and men must understand that in today’s competitive world with the ethos of gender equality at the helm, if any woman is better, they must accept the fact, learn to respect her authority and take orders from a female boss. Remember there are no free lunches and every opportunity comes with a price tag. The question is whether you are ready to pay the price!
(The writer is Group Pro Vice Chancellor, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh. The views expressed are personal.)