The Women with Mission, the Women with Vision

Abstract: S. Vidya Saraswathi, Lecturer in Commerce, Hindu College For Women, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana

Introduction:

India is known for its culture, tradition and spirituality. Indian culture also says about respectful position of women. We respect women in India and we treat women is equal to nature, respecting women may also called as respecting nature. Women play a key role in fulfilling her responsibilities. The greatness of women can be depicted through our history. Besides our history our Vedas also speak about the respectful position of women. Women have the prominent place right from ancient age to modern age and from Vedic culture to modern culture.

Women in Vedic culture:

We have four Vedas, in all four Vedas, women are regarded in a way that they live with honor, respect and protection, Vedas also says that women can be given the opportunity to reach their real potential in life. There is Vedic saying “where women are worshipped, there the gods dwell”. We can also say this in other words “where the women are happy, there will be prosperity”.

Atharva Veda says that “When a woman is invited into the family through marriage, she enters as a river; she enters the sea and rule there along with her husband as a queen over the family members.

From this saying it is meant that “A women enters into the family through marriage as a river and she will be with her husband like a queen and she will be held with some responsibilities, as a queen she has to fulfill her responsibilities along with her husband”.

There were also some women who revealed their Vedic knowledge to others. For example: 126 hymn of the first book of Rig-Veda was revealed by Vedic woman whose name was Romasha; and 179hymn was by Lopamudhra. There are more women revealers of Vedic wisdom such as Visvavara, Shashvati, Gargi, Maitreyi, Apala, Ghosha and Aditi who revealed higher wisdom of Brahman. Here from Vedic culture we come to know that women were always encouraged and empowered to pursue the knowledge about Vedas without any obstacle.

The greatness of women can also be depicted through our epics i.e. the name of the women is added before the name of men for instance Sitha Rama and Radha Krishna. Our epics also have great importance about women and their respect.

Women in modern culture:

Today we are in modern era, we know how women are aiming towards sky and reaching the sky. As of now, some women have served in different official positions in Indian Government like President of India, the Prime Minister of India and the speaker of Lok-Sabha. This shows the capability of the women that they can serve the nation.

Women have flourished not only in the positions of serving the nation but also in various fields like IAS, IPS, Chattered Accountants, and Company Secretaries. Women have not only flourished in studies but in sports like Badminton, Cricket etc. As we all know that Kiran Bedi is the First IPS officer and Smitha Sabharwal is the first Lady IAS officer, in India to be appointed to the Chief Minister’s Office and PV Sindhu is the Bad Minton player who became first woman to win an Olympic silver medal. All the women have to their desired goals through their determination. This is possible through women empowerment on the other hand. In Vedic Culture women were always encouraged and empowered, so that they revealed their Vedic knowledge. Also in modern culture women are empowered so that they have attained and achieved greater positions.

Women play the role of daughter, wife and mother. As a daughter she fulfills her responsibilities, as a wife she executes her responsibilities and as a mother she grooms her children. She has an important place in all the aspects of everyone’s life as we know that she plays a key role as daughter, sister, wife and mother. In all these roles woman is not only fulfilling her responsibilities but also she is grooming herself and moulding herself. This is possible with dynamics nature and acceptability towards adaptability.

Hence, in personal life we know the greatness of women as she plays various roles in our life. Besides personal life she plays an imperative role in professional life.

Women are aiming high, reaching the sky. This is possible with encouragement and empowerment of women. Women have to develop the attitude of encouraging and empowering herself and that leads them to aim high and reach the sky. They should not wait for the opportunity instead they should grab the opportunity in fulfilling the desired goals. We have learnt the importance of women in Vedic culture and in modern culture. We also know that they play a major role in all the aspects of the life and no one can replace their role, their position. Therefore, woman deserves all the respect.

Women empowerment:

Women empowerment is the process in which they elaborate and recreate themselves. Women empowerment is the concept of encouraging women and developing themselves to reach the extent of their desired levels.  Even though women are aiming sky as their limit, it is important to speak about women empowerment. Empowering women is possible only when we empower as a human being primarily.

 Lack of Women Empowerment in the society:

It is important to speak about women empowerment as there is a presence of abusement cases against women, not only women abusement but there are other incidents happening like ill-treatment, torture, harassment and eve teasing etc. we require the prevention of these kind of cases and the punishment after the happening of the event. We know that there are certain incidents happened. In Jammu and Kashmir an eight old year girl is accompanied and attacked by the men as if they are like beasts and not like human beings, it is horrible to speak about the incident that how a girl is accompanied and killed by the men. In this incident the culprits have punished after the happening incident by the Law. Here, in this the culprits are punished after happening of incident. There are many incidents happened and it is very difficult and sad to speak about the incidents. There are many incidents happening in which we are watching every day. Only 15% of the culprits have punished and rest of the cases was in pending. 40% of the victims are not yet justified by the law. In the year 2016, there are 36022 cases have filed and 12000 cases are pending, in the same year it was 48,000 cases have files charge sheets. The position of the case is in similar position in 33,000 courts nearly. In this year there was already 70000 cases are pending and in addition to that there are 33,000 new cases have added to the existing 70,000 cases already. Out of these many cases only 11,000 cases have given the judgement and only 3% of the cases i.e. in 330 cases the culprits were punished. In rest of the cases the culprits have proved they are innocent and they have released.

Keeping this kind of situations in view the government has established tough rules in the Acts to punish the culprits. POCSO Act, have come into existence in the year 2012 for protection of Children from Sexual Offences. There are many Acts like POCSO they are Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place Act 2013, Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act, 1986 and National Commission for Women Act 1990, Domestic Violence Act 2005etc. There are many acts to protect the women. Government has initiated many Acts, Laws to eradicate the women abusement cases.

Achieving women Empowerment in the Society:

We know that there are Acts, Laws and Amendments to protect women. Acts are here, Laws are in present and Amendments are in existence to punish the culprits after the happening of incidents. We need the society of respect and not the society of punishment. Even though government has initiated many Acts and Laws there is no break for such sad incidents so inorder to prevent these cases there should be a change in the mindset of oneself. Women are not able to survive in the society because of happening certain incidents in the society. So, there is a need to speak about women empowerment.

Women empowerment is possible only when we empower as a human-being. Women empowerment is possible in the society only when there is a change in thinking methodology and change in the mind set of the people. Change in thinking methodology can be ascertained only through proper education and inculcating good moral values in people.

In my point of view there are some factors which are needed to change the mindset of the people in the society. My objective of the presentation is say that if there is a change in thinking methodology and mindset of the people then it ultimately leads to the society of women respect and empowerment. There are some factors which are helpful in changing the mindset of the people. They are:

• Implementing proper education system
• Inculcating ethical values through education system
• Inculcating moral values in everyone right from the stage of childhood
• Discipline creates the good citizens of the country.

*Implementing proper education system: We have good education system; we have good facilities of learning various activities like dance, singing etc and in my point of view proper education system includes inhibiting ethical values and moral values which creates the good citizens of the nation.

* Inculcating ethical values through education system:  Implementing proper education system will lead to inculcate the ethical values among the pupil. Ethical values are the values relating to respect towards fellow-being.

*Inculcating moral values in everyone right from the stage of childhood: Inhibiting the ethical values lead to inculcate the moral values from the stage of childhood.

*Discipline creates the good citizens of the country:  If there is a proper education system then there will be good ethical and moral values which create good citizens of the nation.

Therefore these are the factors needed for everyone to change mind set of the people in the society in my point of view. If the above factors are fulfilled then we can achieve the society of respect and thus it leads to women empowerment.

Scope of the Study:

My scope of the study covers about women empowerment and limited causes for lack of women empowerment. It covers only to the limited extent of study which I have collected the data from various sources like news papers and websites etc.

Methodology of the study:

I have collected the data through secondary resources. My resources are news papers, websites and I have also ascertained the opinions of the others to make research paper successful.

Conclusions of the study:

• In order to change the mindset of the people, primarily one should change themselves.
• Government is making the Amendments to prevent the women abusement cases similarly everyone should amend themselves to empower women.
• In order to change the mindset of the society, we should change ourselves and that leads to the change in our family and change in family will lead to the extent of the society, so that women empowerment and development will be the ultimate consequence.

Women empowerment finally leads to “The women with Mission, The women with Vision”.