Why did HNF-HECA declare 2022-23 as the ‘Year of Women’s Empowerment’
Hamdard National Foundation - HECA and its allied societies have declared the financial year 2022-23 as the ‘Year of Women’s Empowerment’. This article elucidates the reasons for this decision.
Despite perceived progress in recent years in the empowerment and rights of women in India, the numbers tell a different tale altogether. Women’s participation in the labour force has been falling in India. According to the World Bank, India has one of the lowest female labour participation rates in the world, even among developing nations. Female participation in the Indian workforce fell from 26% in 2005 to 20.3% in 2019. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the rate dropped even further to 15.5% in the April-June 2020 quarter. Though the numbers recovered only slightly to 16.1% in the next quarter, this is a dismally low number. Even our economically weaker neighbours have more participation of women in their workforces. In 2019, female labour participation in Bangladesh was 30.5% and in Sri Lanka, 33.7%.
For Indian women, Covid-19 has been a devastating setback. The sectors of the economy most badly hit, hospitality and small-scale manufacturing, are the ones where female participation is relatively high, and because of strong influence of the family, it is difficult for women who drop out of the workforce to return when the economy gets better. Another effect of lower female labour participation is a fall in the average marriage age of girls. A nudge through incentives and programs designed to attract women back into work is the need of the hour.
Women’s empowerment is a phrase thrown about at random, but only proper planning, long term projects, and sustained programs are likely to yield maximum benefit. Here are a few suggestions:
1) Safety First: In the hierarchy of needs, the basic needs of food, shelter, and safety need to be met before higher level needs and achievements can be targeted. In India, the tragic truth is that even in the 21st century, girls and women are victims of abuse, trafficking, child labour, child marriage, and other offences that undermine their safety. Programs designed around educating and training women in self-defence, family planning, childcare, and basic financial understanding can go a long way to ameliorate the dangers that Indian women are prone to. In addition, programs to educate men on the role and potential of women are equally important. Workplaces must be made safe through strict policies for maintaining respect of women.
2) Medical Care: Easily accessible and affordable healthcare is a necessity for women to thrive. Due to certain taboos in Indian society, a lot of women’s ailments go untreated because of the unwillingness of women to step forward and get treated. Safe spaces for women to discuss their health issues and get them resolved in an affordable manner is a basic necessity in a conservative society like India. Providing new mothers with essentials like diapers, blankets, soap, clean water, and proper sanitation facilities can help save young lives. One component of healthcare that goes largely untreated due to the stigma attached to it is mental illness, like depression, trauma, or fear. Major advances in healthcare and support infrastructure are desperately needed in this field.
3) Financial Independence: In some circles, the recession caused by the coronavirus shutdowns is called a ‘shecession’ because of the disproportionately high loss of jobs held by women. A financial cushion to fall back on is the much needed key that can unlock a better life. Financial independence is tied to more authority in the household, better health, better childcare, and a plethora of other benefits. Sometimes, it takes merely a small push to change a life. For women motivated to take initiative, a short training course or a micro loan can open up an entrepreneurial career. Small acts of assistance, which might seem meaningless, can be the lifeline that turns around the life of a person in desperate need.
4) Creating Safe Spaces: In a society where many avenues of expression are still closed off to women, not by law but by culture, the importance of mentorship and support networks cannot be underestimated. Support is a creator of opportunities as it advances the notion that you are not alone in facing issues of mental anguish, domestic abuse, childcare, etc. Like micro-loans, micro-cheers and encouragement by example are soft but extremely effective calls for action.
5) Keep Girls in School: Over the long term, education and literacy will play a key role in female involvement in work. There is a wide disparity in literacy rates among men and women. In the 2011 census, male literacy rate was 85% while the female literacy rate was 70%. A higher female literacy rate is tied to the wellbeing of the family, as it leads to better family planning and longer lifespans, better nutrition, and higher earning potential. A lack of education among women is tied to negative effect on the health and wellbeing of children as well. In general, the positive effect of education is exponential, as every year of formal education adds multiple years of earning potential and health benefits. Many NGO’s and government programs, including ours at HNF, offer scholarships, fellowships, and other financial aid for those without means to continue their formal studies.
6) Women in the Board Room: According to a recent report by the consulting firm Deloitte, globally only 6.7% of Board chairs are women. Women in the CEO position are even lower, at 5% globally. Only 19.7% of Board seats are held by women, an increase from 17% in 2018. It is really no surprise that having a woman CEO has a positive correlation with the diversity on the Board. Research suggests that providing women with elevated responsibilities and the opportunity to manage high-value assignments is the greatest predictor of success and career advancement.
In a developing economy like India, a lot of problems are hidden or not quantifiable because of societal norms. Lack of opportunity or behavioural patterns cannot be put into numbers, but these institutional and cultural obstacles play a large role in a country’s path towards gender equality. The way to ameliorate them is through a slow process of behaviour change, but mountains can only be climbed one step at a time.
We will be rolling out many initiatives over the coming year, working with government agencies and other like-minded NGO’s, to improve gender equality of opportunity.