Mahatma Gandhi: The Empowerment Of Women In India

“If you educate the man, you educate the person but if you educate the woman, you educate the nation". Mahatma Gandhi

During Vedic times, men and women were equal in all walks of life, including the religious and intellectual arena. This only asserts the perfect equality of men and women. However, the status of women in India has been subject to drastic transformation over the past few decades. The change was from equal status with men in ancient times, to glimpses of inequality in the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers. Of them the most striking social reformer was Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi invoked the instances of ancient role models who were epitomes of Indian women hood like Draupadi, Savitri, Sita and

Gandhi was of the opinion that until and unless women, on the basis of education and knowledge do not find their proper place in social and economic fields, they could not achieve self- respect for themselves. Nor they could become self- dependent in any of the walks of life. In his lifetime Gandhi inspired Indians to take concrete and practical initiatives regarding women education which will bring them out of these centuries’ old conservative customs and rules, which were responsible for their mental and social slavery. Gandhiji believed that India’s salvation depends on the enlightenment and empowerment of women. For Gandhiji the goal of empowerment depends on a threefold revolution- to change people 's heart, to create a change in their lives and to change the social structure.... He wanted both man and women to come out of "psychological trap" in which they have been

Role of Women As Envisaged By Gandhi

“Train a man and you train an individual, Train a woman and you build a nation”. Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi devoted himself to rejuvenate all aspects of a woman’s life, political, social and domestic and even the very personal. Gandhiji opined that, “Only when the woman is liberated from the slavery of the kitchen that her true spirit may be discovered.” It does not mean that women shouldn’t cook, but only that household responsibilities be shared among men, women and children. Gandhiji in a letter to Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur wrote, “If you women would only realize your dignity and privilege and make full use of it for mankind, you will make it much better than it is.”

Under his guidance and leadership women came out from their houses and joined India’s struggle for independence. As far as the economic emancipation of women was concerned Gandhi felt that female folk could be engaged in the cottage and small scale industries of the village such as spinning, broom, basket and rope making and oil processing so that the rural women can supplement to the family income. Hence empowerment of women has to be the ultimate goal to improve the quality of the society and development of the