Education: A Milestone for Political Empowerment of Women with Special Reference to Panchayats in J&K (Journal: Religion and Law Review) (2016)

Education: A Milestone for Political Empowerment of Women with Special Reference to Panchayats in J&K  (Journal: Religion and Law Review), Vol. XXV No. 01 & 02 - 2016

ISSN: 0971-3212

(published by Institute of Objective Studies - Jamia Nagar, New Delhi)

Journal: Religion and Law Review

Editor:  Prof. M. Afzal Wani

Mushtaq Ahmad, Uzma, Nayeem- Article 05:  Education: A Milestone for Political Empowerment of Women with Special Reference to Panchayats in J&K (Pg. 65 - 106)

Web Link: http://oldwebsite.iosworld.org/journalpage3.htm

                                   http://www.iosworld.org/

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EDUCATION: A MILESTONE FOR POLITICAL

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN WITH SPECIAL

REFERENCE TO PANCHAYATS IN JAMMU

AND KASHMIR*

Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad[1]

                                                                                                   Uzma Qadri[2]

                                                                                     Nayeem Ahmad Bhat[3]

I.                   Introduction

The status of women varies from country to country and even within a country. It also varies within the locality (rural / urban), religion, caste and community. It manifests in terms of level of education, occupation, income, restrictions imposed in their activities and financial independence. To understand the Indian scenario, history is witness to the fact that there were distinct stages of rise and fall of the status of women. Constitution contemplates a social revolution, brought about through the use of law as an instrument of social change. The attainment of equality for status for women was one of the specific objectives implicit in the preamble, the fundamental rights, and the directive principles of state policy. The heterogeneous nature of Indian society with economic and social inequalities influences the status of women. In spite of several measures women’s status in India remains in a deprived condition. Mahatma Gandhi, a great crusader for the emancipation of women in India, wrote, “I am uncompromising in the matter of women’s rights. In my opinion she should labour under no legal difficulty not suffered by men”. The report of the Committee on the Status of Women (1975) in India criticized the Indian state that had failed in its constitutional obligation of not discriminating on the grounds of gender.  The committee strongly recommended for reservation of seats for women in political institutions and decision- making bodies at national, state and local self-government institutions at the grassroots level.

     The issue of women empowerment has received perhaps most attention in today’s development debate which is fairly reflected in contemporary literature. Development is a multi-dimensional process which involves not an acceleration of economic growth to reduce inequality and eradicate poverty, but progression of a traditional society towards modernization and much towards the ideas of democracy. Social and economic developments reinforce and are dependent on one another for full realization. Empowerment is an active process; power cannot be given to them easily. It has to be acquired and when once acquired, it needs to be exercised and sustained. It is a growth process that involves intellectual enlightenment, economic enrichment and social emancipation of women folk. The continuing exclusion of women from many economic and political opportunities is a continuing indictment of modern progress. Several indicators such as decline in sex ratio, maternal mortality rate, improper and unequal health care for women and girl children continue to exist.Of all the indicators, education of women seems to be one of the basic indicators which can determine their fate in socio-economic and political spheres. Education improves the status of women within the family as well as in society. So we cannot ignore the importance of women’s education in reference to women empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir and helping the women to grow in political field and in turn will reap the socio-economic benefits. The present paper is attempt in this direction to highlight the importance of education as a basic indicator of women’s empowerment and their participation level in political institutions with special reference to political empowerment through grass-root level institutions in Kashmir region of J and K State.