ESG Seminar on Women Empowerment: Issues and Challenges

To bring awareness about the need and issues related to women empowerment in India, a seminar was conducted by Dr. Mousumi Sengupta, Professor – HRM at SDMIMD. During the seminar, it was discussed that empowering women generally means to facilitate the process of increasing women’s access to control over the strategic life choices that affect them to realize their capacities and status in life. Women empowerment was discussed in regard to social, educational and economic conditions. With several examples, Dr. Mousumi explained how empowerment strengthens women’s positions in social structures, giving them a larger purpose. It was also discussed that, women needed education to boost the self-confidence, self-esteem, and to become self-sufficient. Being at economic disadvantage could take away access to becoming empowered. Thus, economic independence needed to be a significant step towards women empowerment.
 
In the seminar, the students were also informed about how government and non-government organizations, along with several multinational and Indian companies have been involved into enhancing women empowerment in India and how the employees are encouraged to bring innovative ideas in the same context. The seminar also involved the participating students, who proposed certain initiatives to support the movement towards increased women empowerment.