Author: Sakuntala Narasimhan

Publisher: Sage Publications Pvt Limited

Published: 1999-01-01

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 9780761993414

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Conventional approaches to women's empowerment are based on the twin assumption that alleviation of poverty will automatically lead to their empowerment and that the major constraint on programmes for upliftment is monetary. The result of five decades of planning, however, has shown that economic assistance by itself does not necessarily improve the status of women. Dr Sakuntala Narasimhan argues that the more vital inhibiting factors leading to the disadvantaged position of women are their ignorance, powerlessness and vulnerability. This immensely insightful book emphasis the need for bringing about an attitudinal change among women as the most important step towards empowerment. Dr Narasimhan focuses specifically on rural scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women, who, she says, fare triply disadvantaged as women, as members of the rural section of the populace and because of their low - caste status. The book compares the effectiveness of state initiatives with motivation - and - conscientisation strategy advocated by AWARE (Action for Welfare and Awakening in Rural Environment), a non - governmental development organisation working in 6,000 villages spread over seven states in India. It analyses the success of AWARE's work among women through various case studies and concludes that, besides monetary resources, it is the mindset of the policy makers, bureaucrats and particularly the women concerned that must change in order to assist the empowerment of women. This pioneering book provides a refreshing perspective on an issue that has long been a topic of discussion among theorists of development as well as activists. It will be of interests to policy makers, bureaucrats, non-governmental organisations, social workers and those in the fields of development studies, gender studies and sociology.

Download or read book Empowering Women written by Sakuntala Narasimhan and published by Sage Publications Pvt Limited. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional approaches to women's empowerment are based on the twin assumption that alleviation of poverty will automatically lead to their empowerment and that the major constraint on programmes for upliftment is monetary. The result of five decades of planning, however, has shown that economic assistance by itself does not necessarily improve the status of women. Dr Sakuntala Narasimhan argues that the more vital inhibiting factors leading to the disadvantaged position of women are their ignorance, powerlessness and vulnerability. This immensely insightful book emphasis the need for bringing about an attitudinal change among women as the most important step towards empowerment. Dr Narasimhan focuses specifically on rural scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women, who, she says, fare triply disadvantaged as women, as members of the rural section of the populace and because of their low - caste status. The book compares the effectiveness of state initiatives with motivation - and - conscientisation strategy advocated by AWARE (Action for Welfare and Awakening in Rural Environment), a non - governmental development organisation working in 6,000 villages spread over seven states in India. It analyses the success of AWARE's work among women through various case studies and concludes that, besides monetary resources, it is the mindset of the policy makers, bureaucrats and particularly the women concerned that must change in order to assist the empowerment of women. This pioneering book provides a refreshing perspective on an issue that has long been a topic of discussion among theorists of development as well as activists. It will be of interests to policy makers, bureaucrats, non-governmental organisations, social workers and those in the fields of development studies, gender studies and sociology.