Handout Empowerment of Women It is essential to empower women in the struggle to win gender equality. This means, women acquiring power to control their lives and ensuring parity of status to both men and women in the family and society. By empowering women, they get more opportunities and representation at all levels of society and political process. An empowered woman gains a proper understanding about the gender disparities, the reason leading to it and the manner of dismantling those disparities. Thereafter she comes bravely forward to fight for gender equality. The empowered woman not only fights alone, she mobilizes other women too. Empowerment is a process that takes place differently at different levels. The first thing that has to happen is to strengthen women who have been discriminated over generations. If parity of status between men and women is to be accomplished, women too should be provided with equal rights, freedoms, opportunities and resources. Group feeling and identity can be built by providing women with equal opportunities and resources. this gives them the opportunity to solve their problems collectively and decide on the strategies to be adopted to achieve their targets. Through a process like this women representation can be empowered in the decision making process. Why should women be empowered? The woman too is a human being. Even though there are biological differences between men and women their basic necessities are equal. Basic necessities such as food, housing and health facilities are essential for both sexes. Since both sexes like to live as persons of identity and dignity, both sexes should be ensured with social, cultural, economic and political rights in order for parity of status to be established. It is also essential for gender equality to be established for sustainable development to be achieved. It has been explained that gender inequality leads to development initiatives of developing countries to fail. Gender equality is a prerequisite for democracy and good governance - where there is no equality for men and women, democracy cannot prevail. Where there is no parity of status, freedoms and opportunities for men and women, women cannot have equal status, especially in the process of decision making. The development of a country is a complex process which involves not only economic development but also socio-cultural, political and ethical development. In the development process that takes place through a human rights approach, it is essential to win parity of status for both men and women. Both men and women should be involved in the process of development and they must have equal rights to enjoy the benefits of development. But in many situations benefits of development are favoured towards men. This makes men stronger in the family as well as in society. Therefore it is essential to empower women which should take place under five factors; welfare, access, involvement, participation and control. Welfare: This is the first phase of empowerment of women. Here attention is paid with regard to fulfilling the basic needs (food, housing and clothing) of women. The structural problems which affect in a more disadvantageous manner in fulfilling these basic needs are considered at this level. Women merely become beneficiaries of development at this level. The living conditions of women who had received less nutrition, less education, less property and less income for a long period of time, without obtaining aforesaid benefits, will be brought to a better position through the provision of certain benefits at this level. It is essential to formulate relevant laws, policies and allocate resources for it. 60