The Hindu : `Create awareness among rural women of empowerment'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore

`Create awareness among rural women of empowerment'

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, MARCH 15. Women's Day celebrations should be held in rural areas to create awareness among women of their emancipation and empowerment, said K.S. Anandan, Director (Mines), Neyveli Lignite Corporation.

He was delivering a speech on the occasion of the International Women's Day organised by the Women in the Present Society (WIPS), NLC chapter, at Neyveli, near here.

Mr. Anandan recalled that it was in 1908 that women in New York took out a procession for restoring their deprived rights (including voting rights) and regularising the working hours. Afterwards, women never looked back.

Over the years, women had been growing in stature and contributing a great deal in nation building activities. And this necessitated in the passing of protective legislation to safeguard their interests, but with the participation of women growing, some of these protective measures were dismantled.

Mr. Anandan said that in the NLC there were over 1,617 women employees, of whom 50 per cent were occupying executive posts. This signified the important role played by women in a public sector undertaking.

However, the improvement in the status of women was witnessed only in urban areas, whereas the rural women were lagging far behind.

The WIPS president, C. Dharini Mouli, said the global impact on the concept of progress of women had made great strides. Women's empowerment was a crucial issue that could not be overlooked. For a society to develop, "due care, credit and respect" ought to be given to women.

Ms. Mouli said women had scaled enviable heights in certain spheres, and yet there remained a vast untapped potential.

She identified certain factors such as female infanticide, gender discrimination, poor literacy, economic dependency, dowry and imposition of irrational beliefs on women down the ages that were impeding the growth of women, and called for a critical review of the entire scenario.

Usha Subramanian, writer and entrepreneur, said India had the largest number of women professionals in the world. She maintained that women could not blame men for exploitation, because the former allowed themselves to be exploited.

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`Create awareness among rural women of empowerment'