Women’s Empowerment in India: From Rights to Agency is a fresh contribution to the debate about agency and ownership as key aspects of empowerment, highlighting the experiences of women who defy dominant narratives and the diverse ways in which Indian women have struggled for empowerment, political voice and representation, and rallied against injustice.
After introductory remarks by two of the three editors, Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya and Åshild Kolås, a panel convened to discuss the content and contribution of the book. The panelists which included Meera Khanna, writer, poet, and gender rights activist, Prof. Reshmi Kazi,Professor at the Department of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and Rita Manchanda, feminist scholar and author, advocate of human rights, gender equality and peace in South Asia, was moderated by Manu Arya, senior advisor on communications and culture at the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The three panelists discussed the definition of “women’s empowerment” in the contemporary Indian context. Panelists noted that we still need to highlight the idea of “women’s empowerment”. While Indian policymakers often talk about rights-based approaches, this is not always applied to schemes for women’s empowerment, as some still perceive “women’s empowerment” within the frame of charity and upliftment. Therefore, we cannot take for granted that women’s empowerment is even a question of rights. Panelists further discussed how women’s activism can be translated into broader, positive outcomes for women’s empowerment, emphasizing collaboration across diverse women’s groups and initiatives such as the “Every Woman Treaty” for ending violence against women and girls, and “The Global Alliance: The Last Woman First”. The panelists all noted the importance of activism for agenda-setting. Academics should also continue to direct attention to the concerns of women, not just in the humanities, but in natural sciences and strategic studies typically dominated by men. Finally, panelists debated how to support Indian women who want to enter politics. They agreed that we should acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments already achieved by Indian women politicians, rather than diminish their achievements by focusing on alleged failures and weaknesses.
The book launch took place at the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, India and was co-organized together with PRIO GPS Centre and MIT World Peace University.
