What does women's empowerment mean to you?
To all of us, it means something ' we probably never had the time to think about it much
Maybe because like me, you live in a society where you are well protected by sensible laws of equality, there is pretty much a zero tolerance of discrimination and most women can enjoy a degree of financial freedom to make their own decisions or choices in life.
For some women around the globe however, this is just a dream, a life they could barely imagine let alone enjoy.
I guess it is for this reason that in countries such as India, television plays maybe a more prominent role in influencing in women in particular, because most women can access a TV whereas they may not have accessed an education to be able to read a newspaper.
Indian TV serials by this token are therefore influential on the women who may watch them.
Channels such as Star Plus are only too aware of the powerful consumer that is a woman so as to hold themselves out as the women's champions, the appreciators of all that is a woman and the sacrifices she makes in their women-centric shows. These shows will often show a strong female protagonist, or at least one with some kind of social message to portray, with a rather supplementary supporting or supportive male lead upon whom the female does not need to look to for a sense of identity.
So how do these female protagonists portray themselves as empowered women?
They had access to education
Education: something which popular protagonist Pratigya from MKAP certainly has, as do most of the Star Plus protagonists.
A front runner of the principles of women's empowerment is this -something so many women do not have a fundamental right to but should as should any human being. This leads nicely to the next category below.
They are usually treated, or expect to be treated, as equals by their male partners
These women are not natural subordinates, they have demonstrated they have an education and therefore an appreciation of a civilised society as well as an awareness of their place within it' they will therefore be happy to work and feel they can make a contribution, financially and emotionally. So many of their men refer to their names with "ji" on the end of their names, a novelty hitherto reserved for a time previously, for the men only and when women could not even call her husband by his name. Again using Pratigya as an example, she is happy to call her husband by his first name, without the ji too!
They are able to control their fertility and plan when they want a family
Much more subtly shown, but nevertheless there is the ability of these female protagonists to withstand any external pressure to reproduce and firmly show she is in the driving seat when it comes to panning for a baby. Some of the shows are also making inroads in dispelling the myth surrounding infertility too, in showing it isn't always the woman's fault even though socially she is always stigmatised and that it isn't women who determine the gender of babies but in fact men.
Again MKAP is an example which has decided to highlight the issue of male fertility and even before that showed Pratigya resisting calls for a baby from her in laws with sensible reason, ie the desirefor her husband Krishna to be show his capability and readiness for fatherhood by being able to financially support mother and child-to- be before actually planning a baby.
All positive social messages delivered by strong minded female protagonists
The one thing however that these women have in common with virtually all women around the world, educated or otherwise, is the struggle for survival
The path to empowerment for a woman is not easy, and just as hard is staying on it. To change society's views of women takes time and perseverance. Despite some 4 years or so of marriage, steadfast support from her husband, Pratigya has yet to endear herself and find a place in the hearts of the other women in her in-laws, due to her boldness, adherence to "right" and upholding of "justice".
As shocking as it may seem, women themselves can be the biggest enemy to women and a significant obstacle in allowing women to be empowered ' take any typical Indian saas-bahu serial and you get the drift in the controlling saas and cowering bahu type scenario. But here too we see a shift - no longer does the bahu cower, but patiently, always respectfully, answers her saas with reason and intelligence ' the two qualities most hated by controlling types. Need I quote pratigya again!!!!!
The only sad thing is good sense and intelligence does not always prevail ' as good TRPs need serials to have lots of clashes and sensationalism ' understanding and the betterment of relationships doesn't keep the viewers nearly as hooked.
Despite this, I would still take on the struggle to become empowered. I cannot imagine what life must be like for my sisters who live in much tougher circumstances than I could imagine, I can only hope like every other empowered woman out there to do my bit to help promote women becoming empowered and never forget to be grateful to enjoy what I have whilst wishing it for every woman.
"Education is important for everyone, but it is especially significant for girls and women. This is true not only because education is an entry point to other opportunities, but also because the educational achievements of women can have ripple effects within the family and across generations. Investing in girls' education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Investments in secondary school education for girls yields especially high dividends.
Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their rights and to gain confidence to claim them. However, women's literacy rates are significantly lower than men's in most developing countries.
Education has far-reaching effects
The education of parents is linked to their children's educational attainment, and the mother's education is usually more influential than the father's. An educated mother's greater influence in household negotiations may allow her to secure more resources for her children.
Educated mothers are more likely to be in the labour force, allowing them to pay some of the costs of schooling, and may be more aware of returns to schooling. And educated mothers, averaging fewer children, can concentrate more attention on each child.
Besides having fewer children, mothers with schooling are less likely to have mistimed or unintended births. This has implications for schooling, because poor parents often must choose which of their children to educate."
Excerpt taken from United Nations Population Fund project on the Empowerment of Women
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