Author : Vijaya C , Lokeshwari.N, A.A.Kittur, S. Mohan Kumar and H.S. Chandrika Mohan

Women can be empowered only if they are given education and made aware of their rights and hence they themselves prioritise their lives. Violence has to be completely eradicated from her life, then and only then can the dream of empowerment becomes a reality. Women have to be given due respect in a society to have actual empowerment. Women have always been suppressed, underestimated and valued less in the society and also within her family. Although efforts have been taken to improve the status of women, the constitutional dream of gender equality is miles away from becoming a reality. Even today, ‘the mainstream remains very much a malestream’. The dominant tendency has always been to confine women and women’s issues in the private domain. Women empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of women. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities. An important factor in achieving these reforms will be a greater presence of women in decision-making bodies, be they scientific or political. The voice of women in governance is required to create the political will essential to bring about changes that will benefit all of society.

Keywords: Salary bias, Violence, Laws and Regulations, Work and Family.

Article published in the Proceedings of National Conference on ‘Women in Science & Engineering’ (NCWSE 2013), SDMCET Dharwad