An overview on Role of Higher education in

Empowering Women in India

Abstract
In India, we all know that women are not empowered much in comparison with other
developed nations. In today’s world it is responsibility of all the persons of our society that
women should be empower, they should be stronger and more confident in claiming their all
rights. In a male dominant society in India, women are still not empowered much. They consider
by not men but also the many women that, women are made only to serve men. But gradually
scenario is changing now in India also and women are knowing their rights and also raising their
voice about their rights. This paper is an attempt to know about the role of higher education in
empowering women in India.

Higher Education is one of the basic factors which are playing an important role in
empowering women in India. The word empower means give someone the authority or power to
do something, make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and
claiming their rights. And if we want to make someone more confident about claiming their
rights and to raise voice against any kind of gender discrimination then higher education is the
most important tool to do so.

Key words
Introduction:

In Indian culture from ancient time women always placed behind men and considered as
powerless. In India through centuries, practiced various types of customs and traditions which is
against the women’s rights. Though women is worshiped as various female goddesses. But at the
same time, Indians are also Infamous for dealing their women badly both inside and outside their
homes.

All kinds of discrimination started such as child marriage, devadashi pratha, nagar vadhu system,
sati pratha etc. Women’s socio-political rights were curtailed and they were made fully dependent
upon the male members of family. Their right to education, right to work and right to decide for
themselves were taken away. So keeping in mind above the points we can conclude that in ancient
time in India women were in very poor condition. And still in today’s era not so much progress
towards women’s empowerment has been made by the people of India.

A woman is considered as empower when she can take her life’s decision herself, when she
can raise their voice against injustice etc. And all this can be happen when she at least knows her
rights. Because many women in India especially in villages they think that it is in their destiny to be
slave of the society and to be dominant by the male they do not know their rights. And women can
only know their right when she gets the education, higher education. In this study an effort has been
made to draw attention towards the role of higher education in empowering women in India.

Importance of women’s empowerment in society.

Actually its very important that in our society women also take part in the process of
development of society through participating in all the dimensions of society. Since they are also the
part of the society. Gender equality is very necessary in today’s era for the making the world a better
place to live. In society where women is considered as second class citizen, such society cannot get
development. Without gender equality and empowerment, the country could not be just, and social
change wouldn't occur. Therefore, scholars agree that women's empowerment plays a huge role in
development and is one of the significant contributions of development. Without the equal inclusion
of women in development, women would not be able to benefit or contribute to the development of
the country. All the nation of the world has witnessed then whenever any society give importance to
its women then such society always has seen prosperity and sustainable development. We have the
examples of many empowered women who has not only participate in their society’s development
but also became the role model for others. Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Angela Merkel, Kalpana
Chawla, Mari Kom etc.

In every sector of our society women has proved themselves that if they get the chance then
they can do everything, and they are not weak. A society can never get sustainable development
without women empowerment. Men and women are equal we all must know it.

Higher Education – A Boon to woman

 Knowledge is an ocean which has no coast. Knowledge is very important for every human being.
It results with the experience that she gains from environment and the supporting world around her,
which allow her to live as knowledgeable productive members of the society. The homely environment
with mother’s love is the first source of learning for the child a and an educated mother would create an
environment, allowing her children to gather and analyse information , which helps in adapting to bigger
society in future. Critical thinking and analysis will make the children better members of society. To
educate someone is to deliberately teach them something new and higher education for women is most
powerful means to evolve through/beyond current economical and social crisis in India and to teach her
children the art of thinking and analysis before entering the school for education.

Higher education leads woman to

1. Self- Confidence

Role of Government in promoting girls education

Challenges

Conclusion