Women make half the population of the world, however, if a comparison were to be made about the opportunities both genders have and the level of empowerment each of them has, we would be able to see a stark disparity. There is an urgent need to understand the importance of women empowerment in India and there is an even greater need to spread information regarding the same. The more people who start conversing about this issue, the more solutions that will emerge and the greater the chances of empowerment.
H2: What are the 7 main challenges faced by women?
Although it might be difficult to quantify the challenges faced by women, there are always some that stand out more prominently than others. In other words, certain problems seem a lot larger than others and these probably need a faster address than others. Here are the 7 most prominent ones:
- Gender discrimination – In India, women are discriminated against simply because they are women! families, especially in rural areas and marginalised sections of society, will prefer a male child as opposed to a female. Although gender determination has been made illegal in the country, there are still ways to find the gender of the unborn child, which leads to female foeticide. There are still several cases of female infanticide occurring all across the country, showcasing gender discrimination in its most horrific form. Families show discrimination, when they choose to send their sons to school and relegate their daughters to the kitchen.
- Societal issues – The mindset of Indian society is such that many times, women are seen as inferior; for many families, women are meant to be neither seen nor heard. They are supposed to take care of the household, raise families, and be constantly submissive to the men of the house. Moreover, the society around them also does not give them the opportunities or the encouragement they require to move forward in life.
- Education – A lack of education is perhaps one of the greater challenges faced by women; girls who belong to financially challenged families often never have the opportunity to go to school or if they do, their chances of completing their education are minimal. Without a proper education, their future remains bleak; they are stuck in the rut of the same narratives that they have lived in for so many years and unfortunately, they transfer the same to other women around them too.
- Health and nutrition – In several parts of the country, especially in rural and marginalised sections of our nation, health and nutrition also take a back seat when it comes to women. Empowerment challenges might come in forms as simple as not having access to proper sanitary care during menstruation or not having medical facilities during childbirth. Similarly, the lack of education and information leaves women unable to take care of nutrition, either for themselves or their families.
- Child marriage and dowry – Although both, child marriage and dowry, have been made illegal as per the legal and judicial system of the country, these continue to exist in some form or other. Girls are married off at a young age because it sheds the family of a responsibility and families with sons tend to find themselves in the position to demand money and other items at the time of the marriage. When there is almost a trade being conducted on a female, the question of empowerment is nowhere on the horizon.
- Domestic violence – This unfortunately is a problem that transcends geographical location and, in many cases, even social status. When a woman becomes a victim of domestic violence, she often finds herself alone and cornered. She is unable to step out and face people – studies have shown that women have to skip work due to domestic violence. Empowerment of women in India becomes all the more important for women who are unable to defend themselves.
- Inequality in work opportunities – Finally, we come to inequality in the workspace; although the participation of women in the domestic workforce has seen an increase, there are still inherent inequalities that are present. From women not being considered worthy for certain posts or promotions to being harassed at the workplace, there are plenty of ways in which the Women Empowerment in India mission is being blocked. Several women are looked over, simply because they are newly married and might plan a family soon or women who are mothers. Unfortunately, many times, merit takes a back seat to gender!
H2: How TRRAIN is helping with Women’s Empowerment in India
It is not difficult to understand many of the issues women face today and we at TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India) have taken concrete steps to not only help women who come from several difficult situations but also create programs that allows them to surge forward.
With our TRRAINHer Ascent program, we have been able to help contribute to the empowerment of women in India – we help women who come from marginalised sections of society or belong to financially challenged families to become empowered in the real sense of the word. Through our training programs, we are able to provide these women with opportunities of employment, through which they not only gain financial independence, but also a sense of self. From retail stores to logistics centres, women who have completed our training programs are now present in so many spaces and they are proving – all they need is an opportunity and some support and they will soar!
You too can help in the empowerment of women – when you donate to TRRAIN, you are donating to the creation of livelihood opportunities for women!
