Women Empowerment: Need for Developing India

Introduction: Gender equality is critical to development and peace of every nation and Gender discrimination is the biggest problems facing developing countries like India. Discrimination against women is existing for many generation affecting the society as a whole. The Indian Constitution grants equal opportunities and rights to both genders, but we still see the disparity even after more than 70 years of independence. Although women form roughly fifty percent of the population in India, they are less represented in the public life. They face discrimination right from their birth in various forms like lower education ratios, parent’s reluctance to educate daughters, early marriages, lack of nutritious food, less allocations of managerial positions despite of being well educated, biased capital investments etc. Female foeticide and infanticide are also quite common. Recognizing women’s rights and empowering them is necessary for their development and the development of the country. According to Volart (2004) the available talent in the economy is largely reduced, having negative impact on the country’s economy, due to gender discrimination against women. The inherent talents of women are not utilized lost due to various social practices resulting to economic loss. The paper will argue that the equality of Adam and Eve is the pre-requisite for meeting the challenge of poverty reduction, promotion of sustainable development and building good governance. It also focuses on the root causes and effects of discrimination on the economic development of the country. Research Methodology:Secondary data is collected through reputed journals, books and web articles. Conclusion: The paper concludes with the present condition of women of India, looking for the future road ahead in the movement of women empowerment and their contribution in the development of India.