Empowerment of Women

February 14, 2012  

INTRODUCTION:

“Nature gave women too much power. The law gives them too little”. - William Henry

Introduction:

India is a democratic and political country with a well streamlined administrative structure, and an already existing mixed economy, with a rich experience of private sector operations. Also available in India is a vast stock of skilled manpower and entrepreneurial class, a reasonably good basic infrastructure and a good track record of fulfilling past international obligations.

In this highly competitive world the development of a society is highly influenced by productive contribution from each member. Contributions from women in different walks of life can’t be neglected. But the experiences show that the benefits of development are not equally shared by all sections of the people.

The status of women in the Indian society:

From time immemorial women faced the challenges of coping with a male chauvinistic society. Even after several years of planned development in India, the status of women in our country is low and their socio-economic conditions are much more depressed than that of men. The most important factor that have affected non-participation of women in decision making and governance is the private – public divide associated with men and women. Women’s place is in the private domain is associated with household. Whereas, the public domain is associated with political authority, public decision making, productive work and masculinity .Such assumptions have always hindered women to negotiate in the public domain and they find themselves either being criticized for their inadequacies or patronized by men. The recent experience of structured adjustment reveals that the women are the most marginalized sections. They are destined to a disproportionately larger share of the burden,iiliteracy and unemployment.

Challenges faced by women:

o Gender disparity in school enrolment and literacy rates

o Gender disparity in wage rates

o Women’s employment and livelihood opportunities

o Causes of gender-based poverty

o Infant and maternal mortality rates

o Restrictive fertility control practices

o Violence against women

o Vulnerability of women in crisis situations

o Depiction of women in the media

Grave Disappointment in some areas:

Marginalization of women as a particular species has put women on a footing with inherited handicaps. It is now generally accepted that unless women constitute a ‘Critical Mass’of at least one third of those in decision making their presence makes little difference to the outcomes of governance. Experiences from different countries reveal that the struggle is on, but mainstreaming gender as an institution and cultural transformation process should continue to eliminate gender biases in development and governance frameworks.

Impact of education and technology:

The challenge of development in the broadest sense is to improve the quality of life which generally calls for better education, higher standards of health and nutrition, a cleaner environment, more equality of opportunity, greater individual freedom and a richer cultural life. Development, being a human centered process is obvious but until women reach the same footing as men, special attention for empowerment is called for. Empowerment is a multi dimensional process which enables an individual to realize his or her potential. In the light of the above background it is clear that empowering women will change the destinies of nations.

Education is the most important instrument through which human resources can be developed. Education enables people to acquire basic skills and inculcate abilities which are helpful in raising the social and economic status of women. Education helps to expand the economic opportunities for women. Higher female literacy is associated with better hygiene, lower infant mortality, better family nutrition, reduced fertility and lower population growth rates. Education has been included in the successive five year plans as a major program for the development of women.

Today women are and integral part of the new economic order and play an important part in the economy. In India, women in lower income groups were the first to enter into the labor market to earn their livelihood who were followed by middle class women. Due to the development of education and technology, the middle class women have greater preference for white collar jobs. The economic and social empowerment of women in any society is influenced by the extent of their involvement in income generating activities outside the household. An important role is played by the Self Help Groups to uplift the economic as well as the social status of women in the society.

Self Help Group is a homogenous group of rural poor voluntarily formed to save whatever amount they can save conveniently out of their earnings and mutually agree to contribute to a common fund, to be lent to the members for meeting their productive and emergency needs. The basic principles on which self help groups functions are group approach, mutual trust, organization of poor, manageable small groups, group cohesiveness, spirit of thrift, demand based lending and women friendly loans. SHG have been fast emerging as a powerful and alternate banking structure to cater to the needs of its members mostly women.

Altogether the self image of the women as respectable source of strength improves significantly within and outside the family, their improved earnings is spent by them for the education and improved nutrition of their children, thus paving the way for human resource development in villages.

*Impact of participation of women in SHGs

( after two to three years )…..(Results from some independent studies)

oAverage value of assets (livestock, consumer durables, etc.) per household increased by 72.3 % from Rs. 6,843 (pre-SHG) to Rs. 11,793

o59 per cent of the sample households reported increase in assets.

oHousing conditions improved

oAll members developed saving habit as against only 23% of households earlier

oAverage annual savings per household registered over threefold increase from Rs. 460 to Rs. 1,444

oAverage borrowings per year per household increased from Rs. 4,282 to Rs. 8,341.

oShare of consumption loans declined from 50% to 25%.

o70% of loans taken in post-SHG situation were for income generating purposes.

oAverage net income per household increased by 33% from Rs. 20,177 to Rs. 26,88

Impact on Empowerment

Related to Economic Issues

% members

ocontributing to family income

65

o% share of contribution to family income

40

ofeeling improvement in financial status

89

ofeel enhanced contribution to household income after joining the group

74

ofeeling consulted in finance related decisions

60

Related to Self Development

o(of those) earlier unable to but now able to write
their names (after joining the group

100

onot formally educated, now read forms in banks

42

oread newspapers regularly or occasionally

41

omore confident in taking decisions on their own

66

ofeel recognised in family

59

ofeel being increasingly consulted by other women

44

ofeel more confident in dealing with people

75

ofeel more confident in dealing with various

institutions with which they interact regularly

59

oregularly attend Village Meetings

41

ocast their votes in last local elections and 96

Interactions with Others and Local Level Decision Making

*Source: SHG – Bank linkage program status as on 31st march 2004, NABARD.

Recommendations:

oEnable women to overcome barriers and constraints to their economic productivity.

oAddressing gender gaps in governance

oEngendering different institutions for good governance

oTo form and strengthen women’s groups to play an active role in the social change.

oRemove illiteracy through women participation in education

oEnable women to use modern science and technology

oFlooding the rural areas with quality SHG

oEncourage NGO’s

R. GAYATHRI SARAVANAN M.A., M. Phil.
Email: gayathri_srvnn @yahoo.co.in

Author: Gayathri Saravanan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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CPA Review Classes

January 31, 2012  

Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are accountants who have passed the Uniform CPA exam under the supervision of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and possess state requirements for licensure as a CPA. Only CPAs are professionally qualified to provide the public, attestation along with auditing opinions on publicly distributed financial statements. Many states forbid those without a CPA license to label themselves “public accountants.”

While CPAs are recognized by the common public typically for their tax know-how and for “doing the paperwork” for minor companies, they are exclusively educated for the attestation task mentioned above, and also for all-purpose business information that enables them to function competitively in the private sector.

CPAs have to go through rigorous education and training and educate themselves with the economics and tax structure of their country, and this needs special coaching classes. These classes are called ‘CPA review classes.’ They equip a CPA to understand all the nitty-gritty details of tax and accounting and business. They train them to understand the complexities and clauses involved in specific business conditions, as well as the business law and tax structure laid down by the government’s budget. They are taught on advisory skills and inter personal relations, as well as in how to increase the client’s profits and minimize their losses. They are taught all the particulars of tax documentation and the paperwork that they are so famous for.

CPA review classes are in almost all states in the US, and they are affiliated to all the prestigious universities. There are many independent review classes that are conducted by individuals or organizations that deal with finance and accounts. The study and reference material for these classes are available at different sources, and the most famous are the Internet sources. These days the Internet has made CPA review classes available online.

CPA provides detailed information on CPA, CPA Exam, CPA Review, CPA Firms and more. CPA is affiliated with Expense Report Software.

Author: Max Bellamy
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HR Seminars

January 17, 2012  

Human Resource (HR) seminars are mostly one-day events that provide workforce solutions for both private and public sector organizations. Human resource professionals from several different organizations attend, meet, and speak on various HR related topics and problems. These seminars are intended to keep the supervisors and HR management staff well-trained in areas such as employment law, workers’ compensation, etc.

A lot of organizations conduct seminars and workshops on human resource management. The HR seminars mainly focus on three specific areas of HR management – development, functions, and quantitative analysis. They are specifically designed to assist individual organizations to invigorate and reposition their HR department and practices. These seminars help HR management to discover new approaches and techniques for training their employees and building organizational unity. These seminars also enable HR professionals to manage employees beyond geographical and cultural boundaries. HR seminars help professionals to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into operational objectives that drive both performance and behavior.

HR seminars focus on HR management, HR planning, international HR management, labor law, organizational management, organizational development, information management, compensation management, training and development, and labor economics. High level managers from various industries are invited to share their experiences in an effort to broaden the HR professionals’ perspectives.

The agenda for every HR seminar will vary, and it could include themes such as how to improve human performance, how to implement a highly productive workplace, how to provide feedback on individual performances, etc. The seminars could also educate trainers, HR professionals, IT professionals, and managers to excel in their performances. These seminars could also discuss how to find solutions to human performance problems especially if an emergent situation should occur. Seminars on HR management are mainly based on behavioral sciences, economics, psychology, statistics, and other associated factors. By participating in seminars like these, senior HR executives can address issues such as compliance, talent management, leadership development, healthcare issues of diverse workforces, etc.

In general HR seminars, conferences, and workshops act as a continuing training program for organizational development, HR management, training and development, business administration, information management, finance and economics, current issues on labor problems and many more.

HR provides detailed information on HR, HR Software, HR Outsourcing, HR Jobs and more. HR is affiliated with Recruiting Software.

Author: Kristy Annely
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The Economy Will Decide

January 3, 2012  

As in the theater, the second acts in politics are more difficult to write. In addition to the U.S. returned to the path of economic growth after the biggest financial disaster in eight decades, the president Barack Obama has closed the first half of his mandate with the passage of more laws throughout the fruitful period of the Great Society in the sixties, under President Lyndon Johnson. stimulate the economy ,health reform and financial system , guarantees of fair pay for women, extending the Bush tax incentives …the list is long and varied. In addition, Obama has accomplished in just two months put back the setback suffered in the November elections at the hands of the opposition. The strike, which is close to 10%, is the great stain on the history of these two years and perhaps the greatest obstacle in the way for re-election of the first black president in U.S. history.

But what will happen in 2011 and 2012? This week Obama will give his State of the Union with a new balance of power in Washington: Republicans control the House of Representatives and may exercise the blocking minority in the Senate. For the Democrats, the key to the next 22 months will be whether the electorate will be able to feel the economy is improving, and that forces you to redirect its strategy toward the center.Technically, the great recession ended in the summer of 2009, but the recovery is so slow that the ordinary citizen just the note.

There will be, therefore, two years easy, and these first few weeks will set the tone of the second half of the mandate. Public spending clearly dominate the legislative agenda until the 2012 elections.That’s where Obama will side with the opposition, which soon begin to negotiate the budget to take effect in September.

Democrats and Republicans must also deal together another dark spot on the economic and political future of the U.S.: the degradation of the country’s finances during the Great Recession.U.S. gross debt is now at 14 billion dollars, equivalent to over 90% of GDP and is expected to exceed April from the ceiling of expenditure of 14.3 billion set by Congress. That is, the government will run out of money if not extended by that margin. Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, is a year asking for a plan to let the deficit continue to fatten the account. Current year, Bernanke said, is “unsustainable.”

Before leaving for Hawaii for Christmas vacation, the president said it is “vital” to invest in “things that create an innovative economy” and “cut programs that do not work.” Go back to the struggle between the two parties: the Republicans have already shown their muscle by passing a motion in the House of Representatives to dismantle the health reform adopted by the Democrats. The vote, which was delayed because of the tragedy in Tucson (Arizona) , was symbolic, because the move can not succeed in the Senate, and if you exceed this step, the president would veto it.

Republicans seek roughly cut spending to 2008 levels, about 100,000 million, with 20% cuts in education and transport.But the problem does not end there. The White House also needs to make proposals to change the tax structure to raise revenue and make the collection more efficient combating fraud and abuse. Washington, naturally, stands for division. And although the ultimate goal may be the same, Democrats and Republicans differ on how to achieve it. This becomes even more evident with respect to taxes.

A Barack Obama will be playing, therefore, traversing a hostile political climate, as did Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and should put on the agenda items that pass the bipartisan border, such as reducing the tax burden to businesses. Obama, however, faces a more delicate economic situation. Therefore, from the bank Wells Fargo will believe that any important decision until after the presidential election of 2012.

Société Générale claims that the problems come from then because the decision to extend the tax incentives is not accompanied by measures to reduce the deficit. In contrast, only serves to increase it. And that, he says, increases the uncertainty. The recommendations of the bipartisan commission to deal with debt, he says, are a starting point for future decisions.

Obama, like Reagan, is known for its ambition and for being an ideologue. But it is also a pragmatic politician, which helps to adapt to circumstances. This explains the profoundremodeling is carried out in his team of advisors , veterans of the Clinton Administration and a profile more favorable to business interests. They are Gene Sperling, Jacob Lew, Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman, as well as centrist William Daley as chief of staff.This week they were joined by the chairman of General Electric (GE), Jeffrey Immelt, who is responsible for the new Council for Employment and Competitiveness, a government agency to replace the Economic Recovery Council, headed by former president Federal Reserve (Fed), Paul Volcker.

Employment, housing and the deficit will set the pace of the Federal Reserve during the next two years. In principle, it is expected that the central bank remains active until June of repurchasing debt. But as economic data improve, the pressure will be increased to reduce stimuli. Regarding interest rates, inflation gives leeway to keep close to 0% until 2012.

The price of money can also rising sharply if investors lose confidence in U.S. ability to put their accounts in order, and if Democrats and Republicans opt for the next two years to throw things at the head instead of compromises. “And that can be potentially harmful,” alert from the Council on Foreign Relations.

At this point, Bernanke was clear two weeks ago in the Senate. The cost of this situation, he said, is “severe economic and financial markets if left uncorrected.” Or to put it in reverse, “the prompt adoption of a program to reduce future deficits will strengthen the growth and long-term stability and will leave rates low for an extended period.”

Both Wall Street and Washington are hoping that this year the economy will show that it is able to sustain itself without the aid adopted following the earthquake triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 . There are signs that, finally, growth is gaining strength in the U.S.. Private consumption, which depends on two thirds of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) advanced at the end of 2010 at a rate of 4%.

They have also picked up orders in industry and manufacturing. For Goldman Sachs, both data suggest that “domestic demand steadily advancing.” Nine of the ten leading indicators compiled by the Conference Board, which help predict the evolution of the economy are positive for months. The only one that remains red is for the real estate sector.

The crisis has forced Americans to review how they spend, has reduced its debt and high savings. The level of personal debt compared to disposable income is around 11.9%, according to the Federal Reserve, the lowest level since 1999 and less than 14% just before the recession. “A significant improvement,” the Economic Outlook Group, but the hole remains deep.

There is optimism among managers of small and medium enterprises and among executives of large corporations, which stood at levels close to pre-recession. “Step by step”, said since the conglomerate General Electric. Also, consumers seem less burdened than last summer, judging by the polls at the University of Michigan and ABC.

“The legs are stronger economy,” said PNC Financial experts are convinced that the activity is on track “toward a more durable recovery.” The two-year extension of tax incentives for George W. Bush will have a positive effect this year and next.The Goldman forecast, based on these data is that growth up to 3% in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to 2.6% in the third, and maintain that pace in 2011.

Societe Generale as 3.3%. The question is whether growth is translated into prosperity for what Americans call Main street , that is, for ordinary people. The answer is that the situation is improving but is still far from out of the hole. Conference Board data show that although most households have a healthy balance and are willing to spend more, caution dominates. In fact, the confidence index is at 52.5 points away from the 90 that indicate the economy is healthy and not achieved since 2007.

Wells Fargo economists believe this year will be “turned the corner”, that people will notice that things are better than in 2010. But that point does not mean that there will be a return to normal. “There will be progress, yes, but not to the point where friends, family and colleagues are satisfied with the job prospects and their future.”

The city of Los Angeles, Chicago and Albuquerque does not need a political analyst in Washington or New York to tell you how things are going, and has reason to believe that things will go better in the short term. Nor is it true that the Dow Jones closed 2010 with an increase of 11% and scored his second consecutive year in green.

And is that just a year ago at this time in the U.S. are breathing the same sense of optimism. What did Wall Street, Federal Reserve, the White House and international agencies. Until it all fell apart so abruptly with the outbreak of the crisis of European sovereign debt and it was feared a relapse. The IHS Global Insight analysts say this year will be different. To support his argument are set on four things: increasing business investment in equipment, computers and communications employees work more hours, more money is circulating in the system and the values of the S & P 500-stock index’s largest companies – is at levels seen before the fall of Lehman. Shall, in the best case scenario, “a mild rebound.”

The Conference Board notes that there are still clouds over the medium term and that will cause the average citizen still see things differently. “It is the dual reality” that, according to the Economic Policy Institute, “will continue to dominate in 2011.” All analysts agree that the biggest problem, the cloud is the persistently high unemployment rate is at 9.4%. Are about 14.5 million Americans, 44.3% of them long term.

The Federal Reserve itself admits in the minutes of the last meeting. The recent strength of economic indicators “not enough” to justify a change in its strategy of stimulating the economy. In other words, there are still risks that push in the opposite direction of growth and, in the words of Ben Bernanke, will be five years until things normalize. The slowdown in growth, he says, prevents the recruitment exceeds 100,000 new jobs a month, which makes the great concern over the medium term future is the job market. The unemployment rate in the IHS predict, will continue at over 9%.

If for the 2012 elections has not fallen below 8%, it will be difficult for the tenant in the White House will be reelected. There are, however, good news. The private sector added 297,000 net jobs in December, the biggest on record, perhaps driven by a more favorable tax climate. CareerBuilder is anticipated that more companies are able to sign more full-time permanent contracts in 2011 (24%) than in 2010 (20%) and 2009 (14%).

There are also those who intend to continue reducing staff (7%), but less than last year (9%) and anterior (11%). The rest expect no change (58%) or unsure (11%). Manpower believes the hiring plans of companies are “most promising” in two years. “The momentum in hiring is imminent,” Barclays added.

At Mesirow believe that there are better prospects since 1983. That is, if expectations are met, the economy could generate about 200,000 jobs per month in 2011. “If sales are better, there is no reason why the job does not follow the same trend,” he added at Credit Suisse. What about salaries? The modest increase is expected there, at around 3%. To fit all the puzzle pieces will not be easy after the mess lived for the past three years. The house will be another point of attention in this second act. After signs of recovery in the spring, the price falls back. There are about 10 million homes “under water” (with a larger mortgage than they are worth today) and 1.2 million at risk of eviction.

Although home sales rose 5.5% in November, the activity remains depressed, at levels not seen since 1981. The end of the tax incentive to buy housing sector got the brink of a second recession, as indicated from S & P Case Shiller. All this explains, according to IHS, prices fall 10% more for excess supply. And if home values fall, people feel poorer.

The evolution of employment, not only by the unsustainable rate of unemployment, but also by the perception of safety in the workplace and salary, will be key to real estate out of this spiral to which output is not seen at the earliest, until next spring. And economists are clear that while they remain stuck there will be no real recovery.

Meanwhile, core inflation (which excludes volatile items like energy and food) is at 0.8%, its lowest level in half a century.And with the current unemployment level, prices could go even less, 0.5% in 2011 and remain at that level in 2012. That, in principle, it gives leeway to the central bank to keep rates near 0%, says Goldman.

But some prices are rising, such as food, clothing and transport, and this is reflected in bills later this month and forcing families to pay more attention to what you put in the basket. And the picture is now added the rise in oil prices, which threatens to become an “additional tax” for consumers.

This year is also significant for being the first in which the impact will be felt a wave of retirements among the generation ofbaby boomers. The pension system is literally insolvent in its present structure. The reform, therefore, is urgent. Here again, the ideological division in tackling the debate on how to update a system designed to protect the elderly is abysmal.

And it will also key to bring the paper to reality of financial regulation [http://www.newswoofer.com/the-economy-will-decide-512/], aimed at solving the problems that led to the Great Recession. So far it has been more talk than action. One of the real changes will start operating when the new consumer protection agency, which will be addressed in the shade by Elizabeth Warren.

With the uncertainty and volatility in 2010 and in the rearview mirror, Obama says it’s time to look ahead. The challenge will be to convince politicians of both parties together to underpin recovery. “There will be time in 2012 to campaign,” he said.The first act ended. Now you need to consolidate what has been done if you want to secure his reelection.

Author: Anuj Kaushik
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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