Even if things have changed for the better over the past twenty years, more work still needs to be done. According to the most recent Corporate Gender Gap study, India continues to have a historically low proportion of female employees compared to several western nations. Due to the lesser ratio of women, India urgently needs to empower women with a comprehensive strategy that addresses social, political, economic, and health issues. Equal and complete engagement from men and women is required for a better and brighter future.

It is necessary to feel a sense of shared responsibility for each productive and generative life to maintain not just the social unit but also society as a whole. Therefore, empowering women is crucial for a society free from prejudice and discrimination while yet being spiritually and materialistically prosperous. While several NGOs and self-help organizations are striving to empower women and are making significant progress in this area, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives have also proven to be very effective for social welfare, particularly matters about the advancement of women. The Indian Parliament recently made corporate social responsibility (CSR) a legal requirement.

The philosophy entails giving back to society what has been taken from it. Through profit-maximization and wealth creation, this can take the form of community relations, volunteer programs, health care initiatives, educational coaching programs and scholarships, preservation of cultural heritage and the environment, etc. Corporate citizenship and responsible business, or CSR partnership, is another name for it. Taking responsibility for the effects of our actions on our customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities, and other stakeholders as well as the environment is a concept known as corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Any development strategy must prioritize empowering women because, in addition to being denied equal status, they suffer the most from poverty in developing nations. In many rural Indian households, if not most, women perform more physical labor than males, eat less, have less access to health and education resources, earn less money, and are primarily responsible for caring for the family and raising children. This significant contribution is frequently ignored.

Even a role in household decision-making is denied to women. Thus, empowering women is undoubtedly a fundamental human rights problem. It is also a problem that is intimately related to eradicating poverty. A substantial body of research demonstrates that empowering women results in faster progress in reducing poverty. Community-based development has been the focus of many firms’ corporate social responsibility initiatives in developing nations like India. Many people have made an active effort to promote the economic and social empowerment of women. Some of them have encouraged the creation of self-help organizations, which were then assisted in beginning income-generating livelihood activities following adequate training and capacity building.

The four stages of CSR’s development in India parallel the country’s historical progression .It led to various CSR implementation. The phases are not static, though, and certain aspects of each phase may overlap with those of previous phases. The primary forces behind CSR during the initial phase were philanthropy and charity. CSR was influenced by culture, religion, family values, customs, and industrialization.

How Can Women Be Made More Powerful?

Women in India have been denied access to the majority of fundamental services including healthcare and education because of the country’s societal structures. Education is the first step on the path to Indian women’s total empowerment. Education will cause women to challenge the status quo since educated women have been doing so globally. Education will provide women the power to make decisions that are best for both their welfare and the welfare of society as a whole. Their sense of self-worth will increase, and they’ll learn more about their responsibilities and rights, which will enable them to finally claim those rights in public.

Through a job or a business, education leads to financial stability and a reliable source of income. Financially secure women have been found to have higher levels of confidence and stronger decision-making skills, which empowers them. Two critical determinants that help women stand strong on their own are education and financial security.

Following the distribution of fundamental education to women, the UN’s guidelines for women’s empowerment can be implemented. The UN developed nine guiding principles that the government, businesses, NGOs, and SHGs may all work together for CSR implementation.

Here are these guiding principles:

• Facilitate high-level business leadership for gender equality by creating the right conditions.
• Treat everyone equally at work, without any form of discrimination.
• Ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all employees, whether male and female
• Society must support women’s access to education, training, and career advancement.
• The use of supply chain, marketing, and enterprise development strategies that support women.
• Promoting equality through grassroots campaigns and activism.
• Track and disclose advancements toward achieving gender equality.

Wrapping Up

Corporate social responsibility refers to an organization’s promise to handle its social responsibilities as a producer, employer, marketer, client, and citizen ethically and sustainably. The goal of CSR partnership is to make a difference in society in addition to gaining brand exposure. Any plan for empowering women must take into account several variables.

• Education
• Changing social norms
• Family planning
• Health and sanitation
• Starting a livelihood
• Environment, planting trees, and kitchen gardening
• Cooperative efforts by diverse groups and NGOs at the grassroots level

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