This is a book about understanding women’s empowerment and pathways as well as roadblocks to women’s economic empowerment in rural India, as understood through an evaluation-based research of a state-funded social sector programme located in the education department – Mahila Samakhya (MS) – in Bihar, one of the socially and educationally most underdeveloped Indian states. The book presents findings of the three-year research that adopted a mixed-methods approach and evaluated the impact of MS on various facets of empowerment of women coming from the most marginalized communities. The study, therefore, tries to go beyond evaluating the MS programme and uses the research findings and insights to raise certain critical issues pertaining to social policy planning and implementation, especially in the context of women’s education and empowerment. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Contributed articles.

The extent of empowerment of women in a nation is largely determined by three factors - economic, social, and political identity. India's Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) called for a three-pronged strategy of social empowerment, economic empowerment, and providing gender justice to create a positive environment of economic, and social policies for women, and eliminating all forms of discrimination against them. The government of India has initiated various schemes spread across a broad spectrum, such as women's need for shelter, security, safety, legal aid, justice, information, maternal health, food, nutrition etc., as well as their need for economic sustenance through skill development, education, and access to credit and marketing. In order to address the phenomenon of domestic violence, which is widely prevalent but remains largely invisible in the public domain, the Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 2006 was enacted by the Indian Parliament. This collection of 35 papers examines various areas of interest including socio-economic status, women entrepreneurship, women in politics, role of information and communication technology in empowering women, and domestic violence.

Ram Narayan Prasad, b. 1941, Professor of Public Administration, Mizoram University.

Contents: Empowerment of Women in Orissa: A Case Study of Koraput District, Empowerment of Indian Women: A Challenge for 21st Century, Women Empowerment: Dynamics and Dimensions, Women Empowerment: A Historical Perspective, Globalisation and Its Impact on Women Empowerment, An Insight into Women Empowerment: The Indian Panorama, Role of Women in Indian Politics: A Study, Women Lagging Behind in the Era of Women Empowerment: A Study on Ganjam District, Some Legal Provisions in Respect of Women Empowerment, Empowerment of Tribal Women-Still Miles to Go: A Study in Kandhamal District of Orissa, Women Empowerment in Nationbuilding, Women Empowerment in Policy and Politics, Empowerment of Women through Information Technology.

In this book by Subhas C. Parida and Sasmita Nayak the concept of Human Resource Development in the national context is highlighted. The HRD for women covers a wide range of areas like education in wider context, political empowerment of women and other development programmes of women sponsored by the government. In this book women education since Vedic period, provisions in the Five-year plans, literacy dropouts at school level, gross enrolment ratio in India are briefly analysed. In the second part of the book, the political empowerment of women at both national and international level has been critically discussed along with the obstacles for women and their strategies. The book is a unique document for the researchers, academicians, NGOs and the government to bring changes which is the need of the hour.

Despite recent advances in important aspects of the lives of girls and women, pervasive challenges remain. These challenges reflect widespread deprivations and constraints and include epidemic levels of gender-based violence and discriminatory laws and norms that prevent women from owning property, being educated, and making meaningful decisions about their own lives--such as whether and when to marry or have children. These often violate their most basic rights and are magnified and multiplied by poverty and lack of education. This groundbreaking book distills vast data and hundreds of studies to shed new light on deprivations and constraints facing the voice and agency of women and girls worldwide, and on the associated costs for individuals, families, communities, and global development. The volume presents major new findings about the patterns of constraints and overlapping deprivations and focuses on several areas key to women s empowerment: freedom from violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, ownership of land and housing, and voice and collective action. It highlights promising reforms and interventions from around the world and lays out an urgent agenda for governments, civil society, development agencies, and other stakeholders, including a call for greater investment in data and knowledge to benchmark progress.