Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340, Volume 9, Number 9 (2022):1-8 © Arya PG College (College with Potential for Excellence Status by UGC) & Business Press India Publication, Delhi http://apcjournals.com, www.aryapgcollege.ac.in

Home Science Education Fostering Women’s Empowerment

Anita Raj
Assistant Professor
Department of Home Science
Government College for Women, Panchkula
(Haryana), India
Email: anitagrover7@gmail.com
Abstract
Women empowerment is a multi-faceted phenomenon that enables women to be self-reliant, self-economically, self-independent, have positive self-esteem, have the power to face troublesome things, and be ready to participate in the process of decision making. The present study deals with women’s empowerment and the present position of women. The aims of this study are to find out the forms of women empowerment, how education has helped in empowering women, and how Indian society is changing by women empowerment. The present study is a qualitative study. Data has been collected from different secondary sources like books, magazines, journals, various government organizations, websites, etc. As a result, it is observed that women empowerment refers to increasing and improving the economic, social, political, and legal power of the women, to make sure equal-rights for women and to make them more confident to claim their rights. A country’s all-around development is only possible when its women become powerful. Overall, this study shows that women’s empowerment changed the present position of women.
It can be concluded that present societies have accepted women’s empowerment for the development of the world. Women today occupy a high-ranking post in the society. Home Science education has released women’s power in the outside world of work. Home Science education has proved that women along with being homemakers can be a teacher, researchers, entrepreneurs, and administrators. Thus, along with utilization, it shows beyond doubt, the woman’s potential in each and every field of life.
Keywords: Elimination of Violence, Equal-Rights for Women, Women Empowerment, Home Science, Women’s Potential.
Introduction
Empowerment means transforming oneself from a position of enforced powerlessness to a position of power (Batliwala 1994). Empowerment is an active, multi-dimensional process that should enable women to realize their full identity power in all spheres of life. It would consist of greater access to knowledge and resources, greater autonomy in decision-making, greater ability to plan their lives, have control over circumstances that influence their lives, and free them from shackles imposed on them by customs, beliefs, and practices.
Women's empowerment means women gaining a more important share of control over resources such as material things, human and intellectual facets like information, knowledge, ideas, and financial resources like money, approach, and authority over decision-making in the home, community, society, nation, and to obtain strength.
Women play very significant roles in the formulation of society. Men and women are two wheels of the same cart. A cart cannot move without either of the wheels, the cart like society also cannot formulate without either men or women. They are equally needed in society.
Women’s entrepreneurship was thought to be an extension of their kitchen activities in the early phases in India, primarily to 3 Ps, viz. Pickles, Powder, and Pappad. However, with growing awareness, women have started shifting from 3 Ps to 3 modern Es, viz. Engineering, Electronics, and Energy. Many of the successful women entrepreneurs of our country are Mrs. Shanaz Hussain, Mrs. Neena Malhotra, and Tarala Dalal etc.
The government of India has defined women, as entrepreneurs, as, it'll take time in dynamic angle, technological innovation, and trendy ways of thinking to scale back inequality and reduce the disparity between men and women to bring equality. Consistent with previous studies, women’s entrepreneurship is a crucial tool for empowering ladies. The word empowers means to bestow power. Empowerment of women through entrepreneurship involves access to resources and markets, actual possession, and active management, there were also three vital factors for empowering women. Within the method of empowerment, women ought to think about their strengths, opportunities, and threats and move forward to unfold their own potential to realize their goals through self-development in our country with such an enormous population.
The most powerful and important tool for women empowerment is doubtless “Education” and thenceforth availableness of ample and appropriate earning opportunities that enable her to assert herself, maintain an independent opinion and have a say in house matters. To create women “Empowered” in the true sense, there’s a necessity to educate them and assist them to develop the requisite skills and talents. For this, there ought to be continuous orientation, sensitization, capability building, and counselling through individual organizations.
Home Science Education Empowering Women
Home science education isn't developed to educate the girls simply to get the degree that may be a passport to matrimony, however, it's designed to achieve the fullest development altogether personally, socially, and economically.
Home science training can facilitate women to empower through the information of science and technology to face the challenges of today’s technological age. Home science training and education not solely educate a woman but enables her to make decisions and settle for responsibilities at her home and outer world. All over the world, the movement for empowering women’s status has always emphasized education is the most vital instrument for social change. Education for women’s development ought to include personal development, self-reliance, productive capability, social development, social integration, and political understanding. Home science training is the perfect means for achieving the top of given requirements.
Areas of Women Empowerment
1) Economic Empowerment
Home Science is the only discipline that trains the students for two important goals in life:
• Caring for home and family.
• Shaping up a bright career.
Thus, Home science education provides a wide variety of employment in both wage and employment and self-employment.
2) Social Empowerment
• Elimination of Violence Against Women
All forms of violence against women, physical and mental, whether at domestic or social levels, significantly, sexual abuse and violence, together with resources to customs, traditions, and practices are eliminated by home science education. Because it enables the girl to be aware relating to varied rules and rights associated with women’s protection, domestic violence, sexual harassment, etc. For instance, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, and the Act of Sexual Harassment, etc.
• Ending Discrimination against Women
Women recognizes the equal claim of women and men to human rights and elementary freedom in different spheres i.e. political, social, economic, cultural, civil, etc. by ending discrimination against them. Home scientists can never permit the discrimination in law or follow against the females. She's going to access equal rights in relation to health care, quality education, career, vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health, safety, and social security.
• Elimination of Discrimination Against and Violation of the Rights of the Girl Child
All the discrimination against the female child and violations of her rights shall be eliminated by the Home Science education. The home scientist can never permit the activities like pre-natal sex choice and induced abortion, female infanticide, or child marriage etc. This may take away the discrimination within the treatment of the girl child within the family and outdoors. Special focus is on the wants of the female child, so empowerment of the females and girls continues.
3) Personal Development
• Decision Making
Since home science education provides knowledge relating to each facet of life like health, nutrition, food, body physiology, time management, money management, budgeting, banking, family planning, child-rearing, clothing, entrepreneurship, communication, and lots of additional, a home scientist woman has knowledge of each facet of life and this information permits her to require selections concerning her personal life, family and alternative social affairs.
Education of home science ensures equal access to education for ladies and girls. Such education develops occupational activities, vocational and technical skills of females.
• Health
Home science education provides a holistic approach to women’s health and offers special attention to the wants of the ladies throughout their lives, together with terms of nutrition and basic services throughout infancy, childhood, adolescence, reproductive years, adulthood, and old age. This information will enrich their own skill as well as their family’s nutritional status and nutritional mortality and morbidity can even be reduced.
• Maximum Utilization of Resources
Home science education emphasizes the way to create correct utilization of all the available human and non-human resources in such an economical and efficient way to get the output maximum. This reduces the wastage of time, energy, materials, and area and provides efficient output to the females.
• Capacity Building
Capacity building is called the principal feature of home science education. Since it builds the capabilities to make awareness, improve skills of ladies, develop leadership, and link with recent technological trends, money establishments, and native governance. These empower the woman by encouraging her to take part actively in socio-economic development at par with others. Such a female will lead the community towards a literate and progressive society.
4) Political/Societal Empowerment
Home science education not solely contributes to recognizing the status of females within the family but additionally to the economic and social development of the society. Home science education realizes girls’ capability to play a significant role in community development. Several home scientist women are also participating in gram sabhas and work for the development of the society. A home scientist can definitely work additional expeditiously for social group development than another common person. Nowadays the leadership of females has been recognized by society additionally.
Women Entrepreneurship
Women entrepreneurship is the procedure where women lay hold of, lead and organize a business or industry and supply employment opportunities to others. Women set out into all kinds of enterprises. Women entrepreneurs are contemplating to be the most important economic agents for the economic expansion of the country. They are the producers, owners, co-coordinators, decision-makers, sellers, risk-takers, and innovators, etc. Today’s women must supplement the family income using the potential and skills that they possess. Her talents, skills, and capabilities may be sharpened and turned by the technique of training. Thus, women in India, no longer need to wait for employment outside the home. They can successfully begin their endeavour and earn their livelihood.
Entrepreneurship was the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be interpreted as “one who tackles innovations, finance, and business sharpness, in an effort to transfigure innovations, into economic goods. Women’s entrepreneurial evolution was one of the significant areas, the majority of countries have been concentrated on as a part of overall human resource development. It was well ascertained by policymakers across the courtiers that the strategic development of an economy needs equal participation and equal opportunities for all sects and genders. Entrepreneurial development was one of the important factors for sustainable socio-economic development. Specially, the development of women was inviting exceptional significance because many small and medium companies were well operated by women and although it was less recognized.
Women entrepreneurs often face gender-based barriers to begin and develop their businesses, like discriminatory property, limited movements, matrimonial and inheritance laws and/or cultural practices; lack of access to formal finance mechanisms, and access to information and networks, etc.
Women Entrepreneurship in Home Science
Home science is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge with a focus on Food and Nutrition, Fabric and Apparel Designing, Human development, Resource Management Communication, and Extension as follows:
1) Food and Nutrition
Food and nutrition deals with nature of food, the constituents of food, food needed for the growth and maintenance of body functions, food needs at the different stages of life, nutrimental deficiencies and ways that of overcoming them, preparation of food in such a way to conserve the maximum nutritive value of food and preserve its flavour; biochemical changes in food during digestion, preservation of foods, and eating habits of food.
The study in this field objectively prepares the students to figure in any of the subsequent enterprises:
• Catering
Catering may well be provided to fulfil desires of the society. Service may well be extended for parties which arranged at home like kitty parties, birthday parties or anniversary parties etc. Catering could be created at special places like colleges and hospitals. Besides these, it will be very beneficial in the running canteen in numerous types of settings. The trained professionals can even undertake catering services for those who are working in factories, and offices and don't have time or arrangements to cook meals, notably unit days meals.
• Confectionery and Bakery
The home science graduates/postgraduates can set up ice-cream parlors, confectionery, and bakery stores. They can use their innovation talent to evolve their own products which are tastier as well as nutritive and different from the traditional ones and add variety at parties or at the dining table.
• Preservation
Preservations of vegetables and fruits in the forms of pickles, jellies, jams, marmalades, etc. may well be undertaken. The requirement to shop for these preserves from the market would definitely increase keeping in mind the provision of time with women who traditionally were busy doing the work at home.
• Ready to Cook/Serve Food
Small units may well be established to clean/cut/shell the vegetables, therefore, creating these prepared for cooking by the housewife. A range of salads could be prepared to set up a salad bar along with fast food to promote healthy living.
• Health Centres
Health centres may give special advice for the dietary requirements of individuals suffering from different diseases. Appropriate therapeutic nutrition and physical education would enable the home science graduates to line up support centres for people with special dietary needs. Guidance and counselling could be given to the persons for keeping fit through diet and exercise and to manage obesity and related conditions. Graduates / post-graduates can seek jobs as dieticians in hospitals, clinics and fitness or wellness centres; else become nutrition counsellors and nutrition experts in national/ international agencies like ICMR, NIN, CARE, WFP, UNICEF, and CRY etc. Food technologists and research entrepreneurs are giving health and nutrition consultancy services in mass media trade as nutrition journalists. They will be part of catering organizations, and food processing industry apart from choosing teaching and research.
2) Resource Management
Resource management undertakes the study of managing the house economically and effectively. The house implies the essential facts regarding housing designs, and furnishing which can save money and labour and strategies of getting the utmost work done through the minimum equipment. Management of home in creating the most effective use of the available resources, to derive the most effective price to conserve time, energy, money, area and labour. The home-maker should arrange with wisdom to produce out of the market resources, the most effective potential food, clothing, shelter, health, education and recreation for the members of the family. Home science graduates/postgraduates acquire ample management talent to open guidance and training centres wherever they will impart training within the following listed fields of entrepreneurship:
• Interior Designing
They can impart training in the art of interior decoration. Such centres can even give services for decoration of various settings like offices, hospitals, and schools.
• Hobby Centres
Hobby centres may well be started where interested people may learn candle and paper flower making, preparation of ornamental articles, soft toys, rangoli, jewellery designing, pot making, wall painting and creating useful articles from the household waste products.
3) Fabric and Apparel Designing
This domain of home science targets the choice; construction and care of clothing, and its result on the family income; the behaviour and chemical nature of various kinds of textiles; different types of weaves; the quality, color, shrink ability and durability of the fabrics; quality of natural fibres like silk, wool, cotton; nature of synthetic fibers like nylon, rayon, terricot, etc. Home science graduates/postgraduates acquire ample management skills to open their own centres where they can give training in the following listed areas of entrepreneurship e.g. boutique, readymade garment unit, dyeing and printing unit, embroidery centre, and weaving unit.
4) Human Development
Human development enriches emotional relationships among members of the family. The foremost necessary amongst a family are the children. They have to be brought up in an environment conducive to growth and development. Children should incline strength of character to meet the challenges of their later life by their oldsters and other members of the family.
Human development is imparting training within the following listed fields of entrepreneurship:
• Child Care Centres
Women participating in income generation activities outside the house have the requirement of kids’ care outside the family. Children usually need care by adults until they're 12 years of age and should not be left alone at home with the basic knowledge of child development, the Home science graduates can run childhood care units like day-care centres, crèches, and play school and after school centres etc.
• Old Age Homes
An increase in the nuclearization of families has compelled many old age people to stay in old age homes away from their families. Such an old-age home is managed by home science graduates wherever numerous varieties of activities may well be arranged for old people with proper food services and psycho-emotional enrichment.
• Rehabilitation Centres for Children with Special Needs
Home science graduates can open rehabilitation centres for children with special needs. These centres will not only be a service to the community but would facilitate to produce employment for themselves and others. Graduates / post graduates can take up jobs as counsellors, teachers, education officers, and researchers or can develop programs.
Self-Employment/Entrepreneurship
1) Producer of household craft items, creative items, and decorative articles.
2) Owner of a play school, day-care centre, balwadi or crèche.
3) Tailor and/or finisher or fashion designer for stitched garments, e.g. sewing buttons, doing hemming or attaching a fall on a sari, and making designer dresses, etc.
4) Owner of boutique, weaving unit, fabric enrichment unit, and knitted garment unit.
5) Owner of a dry-cleaning shop.
6) Owner of a canteen supplier of packed meals, tiffin or food service from home.
7) Owner of the confectionary, bakery, processed and preserved foods.
8) Manager of outdoor catering service for parties and functions.
9) Conducting classes of cooking, garment construction, garment making, soft toy making, knitting, weaving, tie, dye and printing, etc.
10) Gift wrapping, selling fresh and dry flower arrangements, and contractual services for decoration for parties.
11) Gift wrapping, selling fresh and dry flower arrangements, contractual services for decoration for parties.
12) Author of articles for children’s/ women’s magazines and other magazines (Rani & Kaur 2014).
Conclusion
Women’s empowerment makes them independent decision-makers. Through the women’s empowerment, social, political, and economic development of a country is possible. So, to develop a country, women should be empowered from all directions. For this, the women should be provided more scopes and advantages. Entrepreneurship among women, no doubt improves the wealth of the nation. Women play an important role in the economic welfare of the family and nation. Home science education provides complete equal access to and control over factors contributing to such empowerment. Home science education provides different skills, lifelong teaching for self-development, employment, and income-earning opportunities in a different areas of home science. It provides opportunities for wage employment and self-employment. Through home science, one can open their own units and earn money like printing units, dying units, knitting, and weaving units, surface ornamentation units, boutiques, and the bakery. So, home science education provides a way for women for making their own businesses.
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