Col B S Nagial (Retd)
Women in Jammu and Kashmir are affected by numerous factors, such as religion, culture, social norms, and politics. Like many other parts of India, women in Jammu and Kashmir customarily ought to fulfil gender-specific roles such as taking care of the household and raising children. But, with the spread of education and awareness, women are breaking down these hurdles and playing an active role in different fields.
Recently, there have been attempts to improve the status of women in Jammu and Kashmir. The UT government has implemented numerous policies and programs to support women’s education, health, and economic empowerment. These ingenuities have facilitated an increase in the enrollment of girls in schools, provided healthcare facilities to women, and encouraged entrepreneurship among them.
However, the region has also seen increased terror and violence against women, mainly due to on going cross-border terrorism. Women have been subjected to human rights violations, including sexual violence, by these terrorist organisations allegedly supported by our adversary. This reign of terror and violence has significantly affected women’s lives in J&K and their capability to access education, health, and economic opportunities.
While visible progress has been made towards empowering women in Jammu and Kashmir, much work still needs to be done to address the hurdles and promote gender equality. It requires a concerted effort from the Government and civil society to create a safe and enabling environment for women to thrive.
On 18 Feb 2023, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, in this month’s ‘Awaam ki Awaaz’, mentioned the efficacious conduct of the third Khelo India National Winter Games.
“Sport can bring about optimistic change, and recently conducted Khelo India National Winter Games at Gulmarg have demonstrated that 25 states were playing as one team, and they push forward the growth of winter sports in the country,” said the Lt Governor. He added that society must celebrate women’s achievements, recognise challenges, ensure women’s rights in every sphere and salute the spirit of Nari Shakti.
He praised the grit and resolve of Kritika Khanna of Jammu, India’s first female para rower. She is a true champ, overwhelming as an athlete and inspiring others. At the same time, Sonika Sharma from Kathua made herself a distinctive display of efficacious women entrepreneurs. Her successful dairy business is inspirational for budding female entrepreneurs across the UT. Masrat Jan’s career is full of prospects, challenges and success. Her determination to set up a diagnostic lab while struggling through odds reflects her strong belief in Nari Shakti, the Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor also lauded Zamrooda Ali’s efforts to revive the hand-down craft. Zamrooda Ali has arisen as a successful entrepreneur and works as a dominant artisan. She has established a crewel embroidery training centre at her home in Badamwari, Srinagar,
The hard work and will power of Parveen Sangral from Samba for committing her life to charity and humanitarian work can’t be ignored. Parveen, through her NGO, Muskaan Foundation, is serving people from all walks of life and transforming the lives of those in need.
FICCI Flo JKL organised an event on 05 Mar 2023 at Jammu to recognise the outstanding achievements of women from various fields under the banner of TRAILBLAZERS. This was the second edition celebrating the ‘Women Achievers’ event. The list of winners is Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Anuradha Gupta JKAS, Deputy Commissioner Samba, Seema Khajuria Shekhar, Senior Advocate, Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Rashmi Wazir, Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi, Sargun Shukla IPS, Rupali Singh, Chasfeeda Shah, Editor-in-Chief, Kashmir Scan magazine, Dr. Surbhi Kudyar, Breast Onco Surgeon, Dr Twinkle Suri, Head of Department, Department of English, Cluster University, Humaira Mushtaq, First Formula Car Racer from Jammu and Kashmir, Harman Anand Posthumously, Social Worker, and Seema, First e-Auto Driver in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Army has been involved in several initiatives from the early days of terrorism to help women in Jammu and Kashmir. Here are some of how the Indian Army has been supporting women in the region:
Providing education: The Indian Army has been actively educating girls in the remote and underprivileged areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army runs several schools and colleges in the region, providing education to girls who would otherwise not have access to it.
Creating employment opportunities: The Indian Army has been creating employment opportunities for women in the region by recruiting them as soldiers, doctors, nurses, and other support staff. This has not only provided women with a source of income but has also helped in empowering them.
Ensuring women’s safety: The Indian Army has been working towards ensuring women’s safety in Jammu and Kashmir. They have set up several helplines and emergency response teams to address cases of violence against women.
Providing medical assistance: The Indian Army has provided medical assistance to women in the region by setting up medical camps and hospitals in remote areas. They have also conducted health awareness camps to educate women about health issues.
Promoting sports and cultural activities: The Indian Army has been promoting sports and cultural activities for women in Jammu and Kashmir. They have set up sports facilities and organised tournaments to encourage women to participate in sports.
Overall, the Indian Army has been making significant efforts to empower and support women in Jammu and Kashmir.
Empowerment of women is a multidimensional process which encourages women to realise their goals in life. In general, Indian society is the male dominant, and J&K is no exception. Women were not considered at par with men. But things are changing now, and these changes are happening at the grassroots level. The Government has taken numerous measures like Saath, Umeed, Mumkin, Hausla, and Tejaswani to make women in J&K socially and economically independent. In addition to these initiatives, JKRLM programmes are changing the lives of many rural women in J&K. About four lakh women in 48000 self-help groups (SHGs) are revolutionising the concept of entrepreneurship in UT.
Thus Government has adopted a holistic approach toward developing a women’s entrepreneur ecosystem to connect, collaborate, and invent to make a strong women’s workforce. Women in J&K are transforming society in many ways by ensuring economic security and prosperity for themselves and others.
The women’s issues in J&K have now moved to centre stage both in thinking as well as in planning. Women’s participation is now inevitable. The mindsets of the people toward women have to change. Women’s employment and education are critical variables for their change. Women form a potent power source of the elegant source and society. Women are the backbone of the family as well as of society. The health of a nation can be gauged from the status of women in society-the fruits of labour, whether at the home or national level, must be shared equally. Therefore, investing in women’s capabilities and empowering them to exercise their choice is valuable and the surest way to contribute to economic growth and development.
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