Much later did I realise how great it was to be educated and to be treated as equal.  Since then I have cherished the Constitution of India wherein the very preamble pledges the Indian citizen for secular democracy and equality to all irrespective or “Religion, Race, Caste, Sex or Place of birth“ .  The term is secular as it applies to Indian democracy is not restricted only in the sense of religion but carries  the essence of equality to all without any discrimination on the ground of religion, race, sex, caste or place of birth economic status.

 During the 50 years which is prior to Indian independcence we saw a substantial participation of women in the freedom movement, through revolutionary activities and social activities.  We can cite the examples of Capt. Laxmi of the Azad Hind Fauj and Durgabhabhi or Kasturba Gandhi and Kamla Nehru who participated in either kind of activities.

 It was a result of this meaningful participation of women during the freedom struggle and through the social reforms started by great stalwarts like Swami Vivekanand, Dayanand Saraswati or Subramanyam Bharati, Savitribai Fule or Mahatma Gandhi etc. etc. that while drafting the Constitution of India, members of the drafting committee put great emphasis on being both secular and democratic in the affairs of governnance of the country.

 During the 50 years after independence, which is the Kal of this seminar, the question of bringing women in the forefront through opportunities and capabilities has been considered from time to time.  Our various national plans started using the term "women's development" during the early period itself.  During various social and economic movements, especially the Cooperative movement, it was realised that women’s participation in decision making was important.  The Coop. Act Societies Act or the SP Act of 1960 of Maharashtra can be cited as example in which it is mandatory to coopt two lady members if they are no elected lady members.  During 80's the concept of women’s political participation evolved in a big way.  Only towards the end of the century which is the  aaj our planning strategies have started talking about womens empowerment.  Thus we find in terms of government policies and programmes we have moved from the concept of wome's development to women's participation in the social and political affairs to women's empowerment.  This can be considered as theoretical or attitudinal change in our perception of the role of women.
 
 The question which remains for the future kal is how do we accelerate the process of women’s empowerment.

 In the last 50 years we have witnessed the invididual achievements of women.  We can name them, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsale, Mother Teressa, Amrita Pritam, Anna Malhotra, Rama Devi, Nirmala Buch, Sujata Manohar, Subbalaxmi, Sonal Mansingh, Bachendri Pal, P.T.Usha, Meera Kumari, Navedita Sobti, Urmila Thapar, Kiran Bedi, Sudha Chandran, Neerja Bharti, Nandini Satpathi, Shashikala Kaktekar, Kalpana Chawla etc.etc.  We had Smt. Indira Gandhi at the topmost executive level in the country.

 In the above examples who are still see some gaps.  There are some areas where Indian women have yet to make an invididual mark.  These are the areas of financing, banking, industries, reserve bank, raw, IB, trading sector, military, science and technology, oceonography, space, philosophy etc.  Wome also have to make their mark in areas of coordination, team leader, or as a tough negotiation especially in financing, industry and trade sector.

 Empowerment needs some basic ingredients.  They are:-
 a) Economic earning and productivity
 b) Ability to travel and to tenant
 c) Authority to make decision
 d) The liberalising education that can prepare grounds for all
  the three above.

 May I take the liberty of putting the personal experience!  I had once launched a programme of economic rehabilitation of Devadasis in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.  This included vocational training and some working capital for production.  We found that the programme could big beyond a certain level only when we supplemented the vocational training programme that another training called personality development training which emphasised on 4 skills:

 i) Singing group songs
 ii) March past and saluting
 iii) Cycling and
 iv) Photography

 Even among these four mastering of skills to right the cycle and commute on the cycle was most effective in making the training successful.  In another example of training to the rural women, a group was given vocational training in measonary work.  However, after three months, the women demanded that the training emphasised should be changed.  Accordingly they were trained not just how to worki as a meason but further as to how to fill up the tender for the works in the Gram Panchayat and Taluka panchayat.  How to engage construction labour, how to measure the work done and how to inspect quality of work done and accordingly decide the labour payment to the labourers etc.  These women’s group has not become the building contractor today.  The 3rd is the example of many women sarpanches who were able to achieve spectacular  developments in their villages in areas of proper schooling for drop out girls, water shed management and other normal rural development works.  These example show the important of mobility, the decision making authority and economic vocability in the empowerment of women.

 The role of proper education cannot be over emphasised.  We have heard the old saying lk fo|k;k foeqDr;s Then applied litmus test we find that our education today needs a complete overhaul especially in the direction of economic productivity.  The system, therefore, has to be more vocational oriented and has to promote skill building.  It sould be a tool to character building in which the values of truth, honesty, expertise, justice and patriotism are carefully inculcated.  It should be more and easily accessible and should invoke quest for knowledge and travelling.  When we think of future policies for women education is the first crucial aspect.

 The 2nd aspect is of the family system just so unique to the Indian culture and Indian society.ma has been created as to whether the family system creates hinderence in the programme of empowerment of women as I see the situation, the family system is the root of any bigger social system but it can sustain only when there is an equitable sharing of roles, responsibility and decision making authorities and importance of sustenance many of the family members, this requires the sharing and caring of each others + points and equalities and compliments each others gaps on the basis of equal recognition of inherent equality of the members of the family.  Unfortunately it has to be admitted that after 50 years of Independence we are witnessing unprecedented rise in family education lead to domestic violence against women, their desertion, adverse, etc. which is cutting into our family system.  Surely it will be very unwise to agree tio lay the blame on women whose self confidence and selt esteem has increased and hence, her demand and equality within the family but sensitivity of the man in the family has not developed at the same rate and hence, frictions.

 The third important aspect for future will be the impact of information technology and bio technology.  Both these technologies are capable of creating either emmense  centralisation or emmense decentralisation.  Both these technologies are also capable of creating large scale opportunities for women provided to women are given the right kind of know how to control this and the right kind of authority to take decisions that decided that decide the economic and productivity from them.  That half of our family population still reeling under illiteracy and another 1/4th of our women population dropping within the school before completing primary schooling, it will be a challenge for all above to ensure that these very women should be at the controlling heights.  Tese two technologies in the coming century.  Let us hope that are secular democracy rights given to every citizen will move in the right direction to ensure this in the coming years.