ISSN: 2456–4397 RNI No.  UPBIL/2016/68067 VOL.- VIII , ISSUE- IV July  - 2023
Anthology The Research
Gandhi, United Nations and Women Empowerment
Paper Id :  17414   Submission Date :  22/03/2023   Acceptance Date :  23/05/2023   Publication Date :  05/07/2023
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Vishwamitra Vaishnav
Assistant Professor
Political Science
Government Girls College Sarwar,
Ajmer,Rajasthan, India
Abstract “There are two powers in the world: one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both: that of women” Malala Yousafzai In today’s era women empowerment issue is getting more and more attention, women are becoming more aware of their rights in all spheres of life. Women were always subject to restrictions, judgements and stereotypes of gender specific roles, but now they are aware that they are equal to men and fighting for the same. Many organizations come up to support women’s viewpoints, one in an international and very famous United Nations. It has worked through different programmes to encourage women. Talking of women empowerment and not mentioning famous personalities will be unfair, one such personality is Mahatma Gandhi, who immensely contributed in emancipating women’s position in society by eradicating social evils from society that too 70 years ago. Many movements, programmes, organizations are supporting women empowerment, still more has to be done to bring women into the mainstream. In this paper we will see how Gandhian principles can be adopted to empower women and the United Nations can also opt his principles in it’s women empowerment programmes.
Keywords Gandhian Principles, United Nations Programmes, Women Empowerment, Empowering Women.
Introduction

Empowerment refers to a person's ability to think, make decisions, and act independently after it has been strengthened. It installs confidence in a person's ability to overcome external hurdles to resources and change established ideologies. In today's society, women's empowerment has become a popular issue. Women's empowerment can be described in a variety of ways, including accepting or attempting to seek out women's perspectives, and elevating women's status through education, awareness, literacy, and training. Women's empowerment equips and empowers women to make life-changing decisions in the face of societal issues. “Women’s empowerment is gaining ground because so many brave women have been unwilling to accept anything less.” Madeleine Albright This sort of movement started because women are not given equal rights in all aspects, even in some countries the status of women is very low. Gandhian principles and United Nation programmes come to rescue to improve women’s position in society.
Aim of study

1. To show that countries can opt for Gandhi's ideas or principles for implementing women empowerment, as in today’s era where women empowerment is much needed.

2. To show that women can be empowered by applying Gandhian principles in one's day to day life.

3. To show the role of the United Nations in encouraging women empowerment.

4. To show that the United Nations can opt for Gandhian principles for its various women empowerment programmes.

5. To show that Gandhian principles and United Nations programmes can hand in hand to empower the women.
Review of Literature
Gandhi on Women Empowerment
Mahatma Gandhi was indeed a visionary who saw women's value in society. He abolished dowry, the purdah system, untouchability, and child marriage, among other regressive parts of Indian culture and custom. His policies elevated women's stature in society and gave them more influence. Mahatma Gandhi's actions raised women's self-esteem and upheld their dignity.[1] As a result, he included women in the struggle for independence. He believed that women's active participation was crucial to the Satyagraha and Dandi March's success. Gandhiji learned the Satyagrah method from his mother and wife, who he observed silently opposing exploitation at home. He credited his wife and mother with instilling in him empathy for women.
Gandhiji recognized that women are equal to men in terms of intellect, mentality, and spirituality, and that they may participate in all activities. He believed that women should be educated in order to become self-sufficient and confident. They should be taught a variety of skills to help them become financially independent and provide support to their families. "To label women a weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to women," Gandhiji said. Gandhi's development philosophy was 'Sarvodaya via Antyodaya,' which translates to "welfare for everyone through the poorest element of society." [2]
The three major criteria for fostering women's empowerment, according to Gandhi, are education, employment, and a change in the social structure, all of which are equally significant and intertwined. Gandhi believed that women have been oppressed by men's norms and laws, and that women have been indoctrinated to view themselves as men's slaves. He was opposed to women being exploited in the name of customs and tradition, and he encouraged women to see themselves as fellow human beings who complement males. [3]
Gandhiji gave his views addresses problems that affect the status of women in India, either directly or indirectly The following concerns are being examined- both sexes are equal, marriage, purdah, dowry system, remarrying a widow, divorce, women's dignity, education and coeducation, birth control, sterilization.
We may put aside some of his opinions, such as women being a complement to males in issues of work and education, and female chastity in the context of women's honor, because he wrote his ideas roughly 70 to 80 years ago. By far, the Mahatma can be considered India's and the world's best friend for women. The Mahatma's mental purity and sincere intentions are unquestionable. Gandhian literature will continue to be a prescription for both men and women seeking a deeper understanding of each other and life for many years to come.
Main Text

United Nations on Women Empowerment
The United Nations has made great progress toward gender equality over many decades, including through historic agreements like the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). [4]
Despite this, gender inequities persist in every community. Women endure occupational segregation and salary disparities, as well as a lack of access to acceptable jobs. They are denied access to basic schooling and health services far too frequently. The United Nations has faced major hurdles in its efforts to promote gender equality around the world for many years, including inadequate budget and a lack of a single acknowledged driver to guide United Nations actions on gender equality issues. [5]
Hence, UN Women was established to address these issues by giving women and girls a significant voice at the global, regional, and local levels.
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, usually known as UN Women, is a United Nations agency that promotes gender equality and women's empowerment. Women's and girls' rights are promoted through UN Women. UN Women seeks to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between men and women as partners and beneficiaries of growth, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security, among other concerns, based on the UN Charter's objective of equality. [6]
It works on a worldwide level to make the Sustainable Development Goals vision a reality for women and girls, and it advocates for women's equal involvement in all aspects of life, focusing on four key priorities:
1. Women lead, participate in, and benefit equally from governance systems.
2.  Women have income security, decent work, and economic autonomy.
3. All women and girls live in a world free of all forms of violence.
4. Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from natural disaster and conflict prevention, as well as humanitarian action. [7]
UN Women's key roles in working for the empowerment and rights of women and girls around the world are:
5. To assist intergovernmental agencies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in developing policies, global standards, and norms.
6. To assist Member States in implementing these standards by providing appropriate technical and financial assistance to those nations that request it, as well as forging effective relationships with civil society.
7. To lead and manage the UN system's work on equality of the sexes, as well as to encourage accountability, especially through regular system-wide progress monitoring.
UN Women additionally coordinates and encourages the United Nations system's efforts to advance gender equality, as well as all discussions and agreements related to the 2030 Agenda. Gender equality is a key component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a more inclusive world, according to the organization.
Conclusion

We can conclude that the United Nations are really contributing in empowering women and also Gandhian principles are still relevant and anyone opt these principles to empower women. In terms of women's freedom and empowerment, Gandhi was a radical. Women's empowerment, according to Gandhi, is providing women with equal position, freedom, and opportunities to develop themselves that the purpose of empowerment, according to Gandhi, is based on a tripartite revaluation: first, to change people’s heart; second, to creat a change in their lives; and third, to change in the social structure. He believed that women are inherently equipped with traits such as love, nonviolence, forgiveness, and a tremendous capacity for sacrifice, and that he had great faith in their inner power. Only through political, economic, and social emancipation, Gandhi believed, would women from the poorest sections of society be able to grow. There is a long way to go in the world where women will walk with the same rights as men and for that Gandhian principles and United Nations are of greatest hope to the society.
References

1. journals indexcopernicus/api/file/viewByFileId/777572.pdf

2. mkgandhi/articles/womens_empowerment

3. ijstr/final-print/apr2020/Relevance-Of-Mahatma-Gandhis-Ideas-On -Women-Empowerment.pdf

4. wiki/UN_Women

5. https://www.unwomen.org/en

6. peacewomen.org/content/un-women-united-nations-entity-gender-equal ity-and-empowerment-women 

7. wiki/Women%27s_empowerment

8. Representative Indian Political Thinkers by M.S.Chaturevedi (2009) 

9. Indian Political Thinkers by O.P. Gaba

10. International Politics theory and practice by U.R.Ghai (2017)

11. Gandhi Before India by Ramchandra Guha 2012

12. The Good Boatman by Rajmohan Gandhi 2020

13. Gandhi Prisioner of Hope by Judith M Brown 2019

14. Towards a More Peaceful World: International And Indian Perspective by Naresh Dadhich.

15. संजय सुमन संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ एक दृष्टि में, उपकार प्रकाशन, आगरा