Women Empowerment Through Skill Development

1. Women Empowerment Through Skill Development Women empowerment is all about making women independent in handling their own lives financially, emotionally, psychologically and mentally. However, empowerment is directly linked to financial stability. Women who are able to generate their own income and support their own livelihood are more confident and courageous in facing the challenges they face in life. Is education an empowering tool in India? – The grass root reality Education is undoubtedly the most powerful empowering tool. However, the real picture in several parts of India show another picture. Although massive literacy drives have been carried out all over the country and girls have been tremendously encouraged to go to school, a large percentage of women in the rural areas are still illiterate. Even in the modern day, most girls in the rural and suburban areas drop out in high school. A survey by Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) (http://www.thehindu.com/data/India- falls-short-in-female-literacy/article16080505.ece) brought to light that only 48 percent of women in India completed the basic five years of primary education in India. Comparatively, the neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh showed 74 percent, 92 percent and 54 percent respectively in this regard. Furthermore, what is more concerning is the quality of education being imparted in the rural and suburban areas in India where most children depend on government schools. The same research by DHS (http://www.thehindu.com/data/India-falls-short-in-female- literacy/article16080505.ece) showed that girls who have completed 5 years of education are unable to read a simple sentence. Out of 51 developing countries that were considered for this survey on the quality of education, Indian ranked 38th. Several rural communities in India lack facilities of higher education. In fact, due to the orthodox and highly conservative nature of the rural dwellers, women are not allowed to go beyond the village to obtain quality education. Considering all these factors, the question that arises is this – "if girls do not have access to the quality and standard of education that can get them a so called "white collar job", what other options do they have to empower themselves?". Making women self-sufficient and empowered through skill development Workforce participation rate of women in India is not very encouraging. According to a recent study (http://www.swaniti.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Women-Livelihoods-and- Skill-Development-in-India.pdf ), the WPR of women in India is 31.8% while the same of men is 73.2. In order to increase the participation of women in the work arena, skill development programs have been initiated in almost all parts of the country under National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. More than 14 lakh women have been trained in various skills in order to help them have a reliable source of income. In addition to the ITIs and other institutes that offer vocational trainings, women in rural and suburban areas also have tremendous scope in the handicrafts sector. There are multiple benefits of training women in crafting different kind of local handicrafts. It is not only profitable for the craftswomen but also sustainable. The field seems to be working

2. wonderfully both for the women in the rural areas and the companies or traders who sell the products made by the women. In fact, women in villages have begun to contribute significantly to the domestic income by making some very beauty handcrafted items. According to a study, there are more than twenty three million people who work in the handicraft industry in India and many of them are women. Craftspeople are the second biggest employment group in the country. The good thing about the handicraft industry is that it can be home based venture. Secondly, the diversity in this sector is almost endless. From making baskets, bags and embroidery to more complicated traditional arts, the opportunities are enormous. Women are trained to make use of locally available materials to make some very beautiful products. Once trained, women start using their craft as a second source of income for the family, the first in most of these families being agriculture and animal husbandry. Involvement of the corporate sector Women in rural areas know or are taught to make handicrafts. However, their lack of exposure to the outside world becomes a barrier in turning it into a successful industry. Besides, since they stay in the rural areas, most women do not know what kind of products are highly saleable in the current market. The corporate sector plays an important role here. With creative designing techniques and by adding bits of twists that transform simple handicrafts into highly attractive products that are of interest for the present consumer base, the corporate sector is playing a major role in marketing the handicrafts made by the rural women. There's a huge base of women who are eager to learn new skills and empower themselves. Women prove to be hardworking, reliable and consistent at their work. With the right kind of cooperation between the rural and corporate sector, and by giving the right kind of training and encouragement in marketing the products they make, rural women can be truly empowered through the handicraft industry.