• • • • • • Participating in decision making process within household and society and obtaining more power in managing resources than before. Taking relevant action to create more equality between men and women. Attention is paid to the process of empowerment regarding the rights of women and the ability of taking decisions related to them in development strategy. The status of women cannot be enhanced through statutes or policies formulated by these at the top level in decision making process or through the development projects meant for a neglected group. For that development efforts should match with the needs of women. The knowledge of both men and women should be enhanced for it. Women community leaders and local level organizations should assist in identifying the priorities of the needs of women. Human Rights Officers and Women Development Officers can play an important role in this task. They can actively contribute to a number of activities such as providing knowledge to men and women, analyzing the needs of women, identifying the priorities, organizing women to get them fulfilled and encouraging them for it. The officers have been vested with power for it by the state, unlike to community organizations and non-governmental organizations. They have the necessary resources, facilities opportunities and networks for it. Especially due to the fact that assisting in enhancing the living condition of rural women is a prime objective of the job of women development officers, they have the main responsibility of taking action for empowerment of women along with human rights officers and other organizations. Traditional ethics, attitudes and institutions are challenged by the women empowerment process. Hence responses against the empowerment of women are unavoidable from the existing power structures which are based on gender based differences. However, emphasize the fact that gender equality, equity and rights are essential features of democracy and men and the society as a whole are not affected by it and it is conducive for the sustainable development of the family, society, and the nation. In an environment in which some group of people spread domination over another group of people a free content and equal society can never be created. Empowerment of women creates a peaceful and free situation in which they do not spread power or authority on each other and they can take decisions regarding their lives freely. Activity 6 Frame of empowerment of women • Deliver a short lecture using the following facts and the slide below. 52