In a landmark judgement, the Chhattisgarh government was directed by the Supreme Court to appoint Ms Richa Mishra as the Deputy Superintendent of police. She was rejected by the state government to be appointed for the post after clearing the state civil services exam as she had crossed the upper age limit of 24 years. However, she was eligible for the relaxation of the age limit which the state government refused to apply. Hence she filed a petition against this decision and won the case.
Although gender equality is a constitutional right in India, yet it remains a distant dream for many women in the country. According to the Supreme Court, this discrimination can only be removed through economic empowerment. The good news is that women’s economic empowerment is supported by many international platforms. Some of them being: Beijing Platform for Action which focuses on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, a series of International Labour Organisation Conventions on gender equality and Girls 20 Summit, all working towards economic empowerment of women. UN supports the economic empowerment of women in line with these platforms.
There is growing evidence that gender equality plays a major role in advancement of the economy and sustainable development of a country. There are various areas which need to be looked at for empowering women economically. One such critical area of focus is to measure and increase women’s participation in the work force. Higher incomes, better access to resources, security and protection especially from workplace harassment are the issues which need to be resolved in order to economically empower women.
News Source: UnWomen | Uni India | Times Of India
Image Source: IASPaper.net
