TAP THE HIDDEN TALENTS, N.Pushpalatha Reddy M.A(Eng) II-Sem

INTRODUCTION:-

“Every person is the Architect of his own fortune”

The basic issue that a percents women for playing full participatory role in nation building is the lack of economic independence. It is the base and bed rock for the empowerment of women. Community Development (CD) is incomplete with out developing the women who constitute about 50 per cent of the population. The CD has social economic and political dimensions. There fore, the role Government or Non Government organizations have realized the same. The key to long term poverty alleviation in developing and under developed countries is empowerment, in its broadest sense of increasing self-reliance of weaker and poor sections of people, particularly rural women.

Women constitute only 670 of the total work force in corporate houses and this percentage decreases in big industrial organizations, while in medium organizations it stands at 18% according to a study conducted by the confederation of Indian industry.

EMPOWERMENT:-

It is a people’s ability and aptitude to organize and influence change based on their access to knowledge as well as to political processes, financial, social and natural resources.

In the present society, empowering women has been the central agenda for both central and state Government and NGOS driven sectoral interventions. The key elements of empowerment are “enabling”, providing and powering and they reinforce each other.

A first and crucial condition for enabling women’s participation is the recognition at all levels making decision and taking collective action to fight. In order to empower women, male must be taken into confidence and with corroborative support.

ROLE OF DRDA:-

District Rural Development Agency has been the chief administrative machinery, which helps in planning, administering and monitoring the several developmental programmers for the rural poor like self-help Groups. This programmer was introduced as a sub-component of the Integrated Rural Development programme in 1982-83.




KEY ELEMENTS FOR EMPOWERMENT:


(A) INDEPENDENCE & SELF –RELIANCE:-


Freedom of action, possession of critical elements to under take desired and designed activity, development of a sense of self potential and vision of the future and absence of undue influence in decision–making.


(B) POSSESSION:-

Right to equitable stake of resource wealth or means of producing wealth in the home, village and society at large.

(C) ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:-

Influencing decision, programme implementation, accepting responsibility and ready to bear the consequences of decision.

(D) BUILD UP CAPAC ITY:
Improving abilities in under taking economic, social cultural and political programmers.
Self-respecting: Independent thinking to make choice to challenge the subordination, to develop self-confidence and assertiveness in attaining the autonomy is ought to be enriched.
(E) ROLE OF SHGS:-
“Do head work before the hand work”. The functions of SHGS are based on cooperation rather than competition. It follows the principle of contribution according to her ability and extract according to her need.

There are over 2.5 million SHGS in India, according to ministry of Rural Development and the NABARD has granted over 800 crores for providing credit through banks to SHGS & Swarna Jayanti Gram Swaraj Yojana. The NABARD’s goal is to credit link around one million SHGS by March 31, 2008.