Women’s Employment, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment: Sustainable Pathways to Egalitarian Society

A National Seminar on ‘Women’s  Employment, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment: Sustainable Pathways to Egalitarian Society’, sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi,  was organized by The Centre for Research, Innovation and Training (CRIT), The IIS University, Jaipur, on 30-31 January, 2017.

Women Empowerment is the process of challenging existing power relations and gaining control over resources in the society. Economic dependence of women is one of the major obstacles in the path of empowerment of women in contemporary Indian society.  As per Census 2011, the workforce participation rate for females at the national level stands at 25.51% compared with 53.26% for males. In the rural sector, females have a workforce participation rate of 30.02% compared with 53.03% for males. In the urban sector, it is 15.44% for females and 53.76% for males (NSSO Report, 2013). This indicates that there is a marked difference in the work participation rates of males and females. As far as the work participation rate is concerned, the institutionalization of mother –housewife role is the primary reason for subordination of women in the occupational structure. Lack of mobility, invisibility and cultural taboos related to patriarchy are the other specific constraints faced by women. Moreover, women in India are not a homogenous group. There are urban women, rural women and tribal women. Each of these segments have different sets of structural and cultural problems. The status of rural and tribal women is lower than their urban counterparts, in terms of access to knowledge and resources.  Women also tend to get displaced by new technologies and in this context skill development for employment and entrepreneurship assume key importance. The concept of women empowerment is rooted in the economic status of women. This status emerges with capacity building and skill development which promotes self-reliance. Women’s participation in the work force is regarded as an index of empowerment. The changing economic and social conditions in the society due to forces of globalization present new challenges and opportunities for women, which have to be dealt with in a pragmatic manner. Entrepreneurship and employment are critical to enhance the status of women. The state interventions to redress the problem of gender imbalance and gender mainstreaming have to be coupled with coordinated and concrete efforts from all segments of society.  It is imperative to understand the opportunities and challenges of women’s employment and entrepreneurship in any evaluation of nature and pattern of social changes in the status of women in contemporary Indian society. To address these issues this seminar was organized with the following objectives:

• To discuss the government policies and societal efforts to promote women entrepreneurship and employment.
• To explore the new avenues of employment of women in service sector.
• To explore sustainable pathways for development of egalitarian society.
• To address the social and economic issues pertaining to women empowerment.

A brief report of the seminar is as follows:

The two –day seminar comprised of the inaugural session, five technical sessions and the valedictory session. The first and fourth technical sessions were panel discussion and the other three  technical sessions comprised of expert talks followed by paper presentations. The seminar was attended by one hundred and sixty three participants from different states of the country like Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerela, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Jharkhand and  Rajasthan . In all eighty four papers were received from different parts of the country.

The inaugural session of the seminar began with lamp lighting and Saraswati Vandana followed by the welcome address of the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr. Ashok Gupta. He extended a warm welcome to the participants and delegates. He also thanked the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi for providing necessary funds to organize this seminar. He emphasized the need for quality education for empowerment of women. He was confident that this seminar will help in building a synergy between gender equality and sustainable development by providing a comprehensive understanding of gender issues and lay out strategies for building an egalitarian society.

Dr. Subhash Garg, Dean & Director, Centre for Research, Innovation and Training, The IIS University, Jaipur highlighted the aims and objectives of the seminar. He stated that this seminar is unique in the sense that resource persons have been invited from various disciplines and there is a mixed academic galaxy. He also informed that this is the second seminar on the same theme and is an attempt to review the existing gender gaps in employment and entrepreneurship of women as well as to identify those strategies which would result in building an egalitarian society through adoption of sustainable practices.

Prof. Arvind Kumar, President, Indian Commerce Association from University of Lucknow was the Guest of  Honour. He said that there are certain hindrances like lack of education, child marriage and  family responsibilities which are responsible for gender discrimination as well as for gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship. He stated that although  patriarchy prevails in our society yet Indian culture is based on empowerment of women. The rights and power of women cannot be overlooked. He recommended that rural marginalized women should be given priority in development programmes.   

The inaugural address was delivered by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairperson, Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. He congratulated the university for organizing a seminar on topic of contemporary importance. He emphasized that there are a couple of questions to be addressed like the need for separate policies for women and the reasons of discrimination of women by men. He stated that women face differential treatment in education, right to property, right to remarriage, division of labour and in other social, economic and political spheres. It is essential to trace the roots of discrimination. He referred to the theory of prejudice and economics of discrimination and discussed the reasons behind discrimination of women. He stated that discrimination is used as an instrument by men to establish their dominance in society. He opined that in Indian society women have rights as a matter of law but not in practice. He emphasized that in addition to general policies, affirmative group focused policies are also required for marginalized sections of women to ensure gender equality.

The seminar proceedings of the ICSSR, New Delhi sponsored seminar on Women Empowerment and Inclusive Growth organized by The Centre for Research. Innovation and Training, The IIS University, Jaipur on 13-14 March, 2015 and the souvenir of the seminar were   released by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat and Prof. Arvind Kumar.

Technical Session I

     The first session was panel discussion on the subtheme, ‘Policies of Women’s Employment and Entrepreneurship’. The chairperson of the session was Prof. Arvind Kumar,  University of Luknow, Lucknow.  The panel experts were Prof. B. P. Singh, Delhi School of Professional Studies and Research, New Delhi, Dr. Anita Hada Sangwan, Talk Show Host, Zee News, Rajasthan and Dr. Manjula Jagatramaka, Director, Vaitarna, Mumbai.  The session was co-ordinated by Dr. Radhika Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur.

Prof. B. P.Singh highlighted the fact that the problem of underrepresentation of women is a worldwide phenomenon. There are only five countries in the world; Norway, France, Finland, Iceland and Latavia, where women constitute more than 30% of the workforce. In rest of the countries the participation of women is considerably less. A wide gender gap exists in employment and entrepreneurship. He discussed at length the government policies for empowerment of women and suggested that it is necessary to achieve alignment between specific needs of women and institutional arrangements to increase the participation of women in employment and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Anita Hada Sangwan reflected on  various components of women empowerment like generating women’s sense of self -worth, right to determine their choices, access to equal opportunities and resources, power to regulate and control their own lives and ability to contribute in creating a more just social and economic order. She stressed that education is one of the important means for empowering women. She pointed out that major barriers faced by women entrepreneurs are access to finance, market and networks. Therefore they tend to gravitate towards the informal sector because of the skill gap. She concluded by saying that women specific solutions to these issues should take into account policy bias and discrimination, lack of training and misconceptions about female credit risks and social issues like women’s reluctance to enter into business due to high failure rates or lack of training. She suggested that policy on paper will be effective only if implementation is proper and the implementers should be empathetic and committed.

       Dr. Manjula Jagatramaka stated that employment has always been a central issue in development. Employment means economic freedom for women. She focused on the reasons for unemployment of women and stated that cultural and traditional expectations of what is appropriate for employment of women present daunting barriers.  She opined that encouraging women entrepreneurship is essential because there is a huge productivity gain to be reaped by more effectively using the unrepresented portion. Gender disparities not only effect women negatively but also depress economic growth. She  stressed the need for literacy of women especially financial literacy and networking to promote entrepreneurship of women. She proposed establishment of Enterpreneurship Development Cells in universities and colleges to provide platform for interaction between industry and academia.  

The expert talks were followed by interactive session with the participants. The participants raised several questions related to gaps in policies, patriarchal mindset and interventions to be used for enhancing the employment and entrepreneurship of women. The panel discussion and the interactive session proved to an enriching and enlightening experience for the participants.

Recommendations

• Women should be encouraged to get technical and professional education.
• Women empowerment and entrepreneurship cannot be limited to only to women receiving training in traditional activities like sewing, weaving, soap making etc but training in non-traditional activities mechanics, driving, plumbing etc. should be encouraged.

• Establishment of support systems for   reproductive and domestic roles of women with work, which lead to temporary or permanent halt of employment.

• Entrepreneur friendly gender inclusive ecosystem is required. The right blend of suitable policies, empowering ecosystem, provision of infra structure, access to finance and incubation are required to energize women owned business and to reduce the gap between men and women.
• Enterpreneurship Development Cells should be established in higher education institutes to provide training in entrepreneurial activities and sustainability of business. These centres should be the basic criteria for accreditation of universities.
• Consultative support regarding local and external market opportunities should be provided to small women entrepreneurs so as to ensure sustainability of business.

Technical Session II

The second technical session was paper presentation session on ‘Gender Disparities in Service Sector.’ This chairperson of the session was Prof. Ramchandran Gowda, University of Bangalore, Bengaluru. The invited speakers were   Prof. Nisha Yadav, The IIS University, Jaipur and Dr. Balwinder Singh, Gurunanak Dev University, Amritsar. The session was co-ordinated by Dr. Shweta Kastiya, The IIS University, Jaipur.

Prof. Ramchandran Gowda expressed his concern over gender disparities in service sector and threw light on the reasons for discrimination. He stated that although government has taken a number of steps to reduce gender discrimination by means of policies and legislations yet proper and effective measures are required to be taken in this direction.

Prof. Nisha Yadav talked about socio-cultural discourse related to gender inequality and stated that gender is a social construct. She raised several questions on the notions of masculinity and feminity, role of nature and nurture in construction of gender and the process of gender socialization. She gave an overview of gender stereotypes and the historical reasons for subordination and oppression of women. She concluded by saying that patriarchy is responsible for gender gap in work participation and  the policies have to be backed by simultaneous changes in the mindset of members of society.

Dr. Balwinder Singh opined that bias against women has resulted in skewed growth. Empowering a society calls for empowering women by giving them equal opportunities to showcase their inherent talent. The scarce presence of women directors in corporate board is a matter of concern.  He explained at length the causes and consequences of this imbalance. He emphasized that this imbalance should be corrected and more research should be carried out on the quality of women directors in corporate boards.

In this session papers were presented by the research scholars and academicians on a wide range of topics ranging from analytical study of CSR Practices in Indian

Commercial Banks in strengthening  empowerment of women, role of women employment and entrepreneurship in Indian economy, unseen barriers for women rising at workplace, institutional and cultural context of employment of women, public and private sector initiatives for women empowerment, study on gender disparities in Indian railways, gender disparity in Indian media, women empowerment through entrepreneurship etc.  The session was   very informative  and proved to be a good learning experience for the  the participants.

Recommendations 

• Gender focused policies are   required to ensure women are able to benefit from the remarkable growth that has occurred over the last decade. The policymakers need to take more effective measures to support women’s constructive engagement in the workforce through greater investments in secondary and tertiary education, vocational training and  by formulating laws and policies to support working women.
• Organizations should develop specific career paths for women which permit breaks for reproductive roles and child care. Subsequently training programmes should be organized for reorienting and reskilling the women in their new roles.
• The government should provide tax benefits to companies which  accomplish definite standards in women empowerment like fifty percent women at senior

Technical Session III  

This session was Paper presentation session on ‘Linkage between Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship.’  This session was chaired by Prof. Ravindra Vinayak, Dean, Academic Affairs, M.D University, Rohtak. Prof. Sanket Viz, BPS Mahila Viswa Vidyalaya, Sonepat and Prof. Kavaldeep Dixit, International School of Informatics and Management, Jaipur were the invited speakers in this session. The session was coordinated by Dr. R.K.Tailor, The IIS University, Jaipur.

Prof. Sanket Viz stated that if we want to work for women empowerment then we cannot limit our activities to closed rooms. We have to step out in the society and promote awareness about educating the girl child. He discussed various measures for sensitization of society towards importance of quality education and stressed that employment and entrepreneurship of women can only be enhanced through education. 

Prof. Kavaldeep Dixit talked about reinventing linkage between management education, employment and entrepreneurship in India. She referred to several case studies  like  Multibhashi- Language learning Platform, Tapri- The Tea House, Kanha- The Fast Food Chain etc. to explore the entrepreneurial ventures of first generation entrepreneurs. She stressed on reinventing management education in order to build entrepreneurial skills among  women  . She concluded by saying that women should be prepared to face crucial challenges and learn to deliver in competitive ecosystems. They should think out of the box to deliver solutions for business of tomorrow and to set up business of their own.

The papers presented in this session covered a wide range of topics like understanding entrepreneurship in BRIC countries with economic indicators, empowered women –scaling new heights through micro finance, facts and realities of women empowerment, educated women and labour force participation, a study of relationship between emotional intelligence and stress level among working women, need of guidance and counseling in women empowerment, opportunities for rural women in agribusiness etc.  Overall it was a very educative and learning experience for the delegates and the participants shared their views on various aspects of women empowerment.

Recommendations

•  Equal educational opportunities for women should be ensured since education is one of the most powerful tools for women empowerment.
• Adoption of positive educational reforms which contribute to achievement of equality between girls and boys.
• The stereo type definitions of masculinity and feminity are the barriers in entrepreneurship and employment of women as well in upward mobility. It is essential to bring attitudinal changes in public and private spheres.
• Group focused policies should be framed as general policies cannot cater to the needs of   heterogeneous groups of women with different social circumstances and different set of challenges.
• Management education should be focus on cross disciplinary education. It should inculcate and nurture entrepreneurial skills among women and assist them in becoming job providers instead of job seekers.
• Development of symbiotic partnership between management education institutes and corporate companies should be promoted so that  knowledge about financial investment and on site experience can be provided to women in order to  familiarize them  with real world situations.

Technical Session IV

The second day of the seminar began with the Technical Session IV. This session was Panel Discussion on ‘ Public and Private Sector Initiatives for Empowerment of Women: Sustainable Pathways to Egalitarian Society’. The chairperson of the session was Prof. M.K.Singh, Vinoba  Bhave University, Hazaribagh. The panel experts were Ms. Nisha Jain Grover, Founder Director, Vatsalya Legacy, Jaipur, Prof. Manju Nair, International School of Informatics and Management, Jaipur and Ms. Chanda Asani, Co-ordinator, Centre for Women Studies, The IIS University, Jaipur. The session was coordinated by Dr. Chandrani Sen, The IIS University, Jaipur.

Ms. Nisha Jain Grover elaborated on her vision of women empowerment with the help of several examples from real life situations. She stated that women empowerment can be meaningful only if the women develop the capability to sustain themselves in adverse circumstances. She stated that a lot of progress has been made in the direction of women empowerment and visible changes can be seen in the attitude of society towards women. This empowerment can further be strengthened if the private sector takes initiatives for providing equal job opportunities for women.

Prof. Manju Nair dealt with the current status of gender inclusivity in India and the challenges associated with it. She discussed the problems related to gender inclusivity like voluntary attrition of working women and lack of pro-family public policies. She pointed out that one of the most significant aspects that conflicts with the role of women as a professional is the double burden of work, where women time and again leave the workforce due to difficulty in striking a balance between their family and work life. She advocated for initiatives to be taken at individual, organizational, societal and governmental level. She recommended that it is essential that the women recognize their skills, competence and weakness, the organizations should recognize the importance of gender inclusivity, the government should ensure proper monitoring and implementation of policies and the society needs to share the burden of work in order to develop sustainable pathways for an egalitarian society.

Ms. Chanda Asani shared her experiences of working with a rural women’s cooperative,  Kalyani in Kolak village in South Gujarat. She narrated the stories of women associated with this cooperative. She pointed out the fact although the women were skilled yet they did not have proper networking and marketing capabilities. This had led to the downfall of the cooperative. Empowerment has no meaning unless work is sustainable. She concluded that dependency on others is a hindrance in empowerment of women and has a negative effect on functional existence of any entrepreneurial venture.

The panel discussion was followed by interactive session. The participants raised questions related the government initiatives and implementation of gender inclusive policies in private sector. They took keen interest in understanding alternative pathways which would result in egalitarian society.

Recommendations

• There is a need to adopt a holistic perspective and a cohesive linkage at the individual, organizational, government and societal level for empowerment of women.
• The private and public sector should provide support services to women by way of transportation facilities and child care centres.
• The organizations should recognize the importance of gender inclusivity and recognize the skills and competence of women.
• Gender sensitive training programmes should be organized. Participation of women in life skills and awareness raising workshops, which include child and women’s rights and reproductive health should be encouraged.

Technical Session V   

This session was Paper Presentation session on the sub-theme ‘Women Empowerment: Opportunities and Challenges’. The session was chaired by Prof. N.K. Garg, MDS University , Rohtak.  Prof. Promila Batra, Department of Psychology & Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, MDS University, Rohtak and Prof. Roopa Mathur, Department of Psychology & Dean, Academics, The IIS University, Jaipur were the invited speakers. The session was coordinated by Dr. Vandana Sachdeva, The IIS University, Jaipur. 

Prof. Promila Batra  elaborated the concept of misogyny. She explained that the gender related roles, age old beliefs, stereotypes and fixations have evolved from past experiences. Gender discrimination has its roots in the distant past and social reinforcement leads to conformity of these behaviours. The chain of discrimination is not easy to break due to firm adhesion by men and women and also because change is a difficult process. She suggested  that modification of existing beliefs related to the roles and capacities of women is required for women empowerment. Cognitive restructuring is the only solution.  Motivational counseling should be an integral part of any gender sensitization programme.

Prof. Roopa Mathur reflected on psychological empowerment of women. She discussed the psychological barriers associated with empowerment of women. She stated that women define themselves not in context of human relationships but their ability to care for others. There is a constant struggle in their existence and family obligations are their priority. They lack resilience i.e capacity to face adversity and harbour fear of success. They have this deep seated notion that if they become too competent they will be disliked by their peers. She concluded by saying that there is a need to change the mindset of women and their outlook towards life. The women have to rise above their narrow definitions of self and mental change has to take place within the women themselves. Special  motivational counseling should be provided to women for overcoming psycho-social barriers.

The papers presented in this session covered various dimensions of women empowerment like role of women empowerment in sustainable development, a study of education policies and initiatives related to girl child, women empowerment in Indian banking sector, the role of community radio in empowering women in India, empowerment and quality of life, empowering women through digitalization etc.  The talks of invited speakers and the paper presentations made this session interesting and enriching for the participants.

Recommendations

• Literacy and education must be the key components in empowerment of women. The educational opportunities must address the unique challenges faced by the girl child.
• It is required to that women are motivated to build a positive self-image and develop the capacity to question traditional practices and beliefs.

• Cognitive restructuring of both men and women is required to eradicate the myths pertaining to gender roles. This process should include didactic information exchange and motivational counseling.

The seminar ended with the valedictory session. Dr. Chandrani Sen, The IIS University, Jaipur gave the welcome note and Dr. Radhika Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur presented the seminar report. Prof. Balwinder Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar was the Guest of Honour. He stated that women should respect women and values should be the basis of respect instead of gender related perceptions. The religious scriptures which denounce women should not be accepted. The society should be redefined and the notion of gender equality should be adopted in spirit.

The valedictory address was delivered by Prof. B.P. Singh, Delhi School of Professional Studies and Research, New Delhi. He emphasized that beyond classroom activities should be organized in order to sensitize the students towards gender equality. Education should lead to rationalization and educated citizens should make all efforts to establish an egalitarian society. The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Shweta Kastiya, The IIS University, Jaipur.

 This National Seminar brought together  scholars from diverse disciplines  to share their experiences and research covering various aspects of employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment of women. The seminar sensitized the participants towards various challenges and opportunities in different areas related to upliftment of women and also provided a broad platform for convergence of research being carried out by academicians and professionals working at the ground level.  We hope that the deliberations at this two-day seminar and exchange of knowledge through panel discussions and paper presentations will prove to be benchmarks in creation of sustainable pathways for moving in the direction of egalitarian society.

 General Recommendations

 The seminar proved to be an enriching mix of experiences, perspectives and research. The discussions and presentations at the seminar provided a firm basis for identifying strategies related to empowerment of women. Overall the participants generally agreed that multiple roles of women with very little societal and institutional support prevent their upward mobility in employment and entrepreneurship and suggested the following strategies for future action:

 There is a need to build synergetic networks to be developed among researchers, academicians and voluntary organizations in order to ensure sharing of knowledge and capacity building.

• The government as well as nongovernmental organizations should take concrete steps to improve women’s access to public schemes.

• Strong collectives of women should be build through which problems of women can be addressed.
• The measures for empowerment of women should be accelerated with active participation of print and electronic media.

• Further research is required with regard to oppressive structures responsible for discrimination of women and implementation of policies.
• Women should be encouraged to get technical and professional education.
• Women empowerment and entrepreneurship cannot be limited to only to women receiving training in traditional activities like sewing, weaving, soap making etc but training in non-traditional activities mechanics, driving, plumbing etc. should be encouraged.
• Establishment of support systems for   reproductive and domestic roles of women with work, which lead to temporary or permanent halt of employment.
• Entrepreneur friendly gender inclusive ecosystem is required. The right blend of suitable policies, empowering ecosystem, provision of infra structure, access to finance and incubation are required to energize women owned business and to reduce the gap between men and women.
• Enterpreneurship Development Cells should be established in higher education institutes to provide training in entrepreneurial activities and sustainability of business. These centres should be the basic criteria for accreditation of universities.
• Consultative support regarding local and external market opportunities should be provided to small women entrepreneurs so as to ensure sustainability of business.
• Gender focused policies are   required to ensure women are able to benefit from the remarkable growth that has occurred over the last decade. The policymakers need to take more effective measures to support women’s constructive engagement in the workforce through greater investments in secondary and tertiary education, vocational training and  by formulating laws and policies to support working women.
• Organizations should develop specific career paths for women which permit breaks for reproductive roles and child care. Subsequently training programmes should be organized for reorienting and reskilling the women in their new roles.
• The government should provide tax benefits to companies which  accomplish definite standards in women empowerment like fifty percent women at senior level.
• Equal educational opportunities for women should be ensured since education is one of the most powerful tools for women empowerment.
• Adoption of positive educational reforms which contribute to achievement of equality between girls and boys.
• The stereo type definitions of masculinity and feminity are the barriers in entrepreneurship and employment of women as well in upward mobility. It is essential to bring attitudinal changes in public and private spheres.
• Group focused policies should be framed as general policies cannot cater to the needs of   heterogeneous groups of women with different social circumstances and different set of challenges.
• Management education should be focus on cross disciplinary education. It should inculcate and nurture entrepreneurial skills among women and assist them in becoming job providers instead of job seekers.
• Development of symbiotic partnership between management education institutes and corporate companies should be promoted so that  knowledge about financial investment and on site experience can be provided to women in order to  familiarize them  with real world situations.
• There is a need to adopt a holistic perspective and a cohesive linkage at the individual, organizational, government and societal level for empowerment of women.
• The private and public sector should provide support services to women by way of transportation facilities and child care centres.
• The organizations should recognize the importance of gender inclusivity and recognize the skills and competence of women.
• Gender sensitive training programmes should be organized. Participation of women in life skills and awareness raising workshops, which include child and women’s rights and reproductive health should be encouraged.
• Literacy and education must be the key components in empowerment of women. The educational opportunities must address the unique challenges faced by the girl child.
• It is required to that women are motivated to build a positive self-image and develop the capacity to question traditional practices and beliefs.

• Cognitive restructuring of both men and women is required to eradicate the myths pertaining to gender roles. This process should include didactic information exchange and motivational counseling.

List of Invited Speakers

1.       Dr. Arvind Kumar, University of Lucknow, Lucknow
2.       Ms. Manjula Jagatramka, Director Vaitarna (NGO), Mumbai
3.       Dr. Balwinder Singh, Gurunanak Dev University, Amritsar
4.       Prof. M. Ramchandran Gowda, Professor, Department of    Commerce,      Banagalore University, Bengaluru
5.       Prof. M.K. Singh, Head & Dean, Faculty of Commerce       University, Deptt. of   Commerce & Business       Management,Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh
6.       Prof. Sanket Vij, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Viswavidyalaya, Khanpur     Kalan, Sonepat
7.       Prof. N.K. Garg, Professor, Department of Commerce, Maharshi Dayanand           University,Rohtak 
8.       Prof. Ravindra Vinayak, Dean,Academic Affairs, Maharshi Dayanand       University, Rohtak
9.       Dr. Promila Batra, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, M.D.   University, Rohtak
10.       Prof. B P Singh, Chairman, Delhi School of Professional Studies     and Research   (DSPSR) 9, Institutional Area, Sector-25, Rohini Delhi-110085
11.       Dr. Anita Hada, The IIS University, Jaipur
12.       Prof. Nisha Yadav, The IIS University, Jaipur
13.       Prof. Kavaldeep Dixit, ISIM, Jaipur
14.       Ms. Chanda Asani, The IIS University, Jaipur
15.       Ms. Nisha Jain Grover, Founder Director, Vatsalya legacy   Pvt.Ltd., Jaipur
16.       Prof. Manju Nair, Principal, ISIM, Jaipur
17.       Prof. Roopa Mathur, Head, Dept. of Psychology, The IIS University, Jaipur

List of paper presenters

• Mr. Aehsan Ul Haq, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Women Empowerment   Through Entrepreneurship: A Critical Analysis
• Ms. Abhishika Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Facebook: A Game Changer     in turning Women Homemakers into Women Entrepreneurs
• Ms. Anjoo Chauhan, Kota University, Kota,  Empowered Women- Scaling New   Heights Through Microfinance: An Empirical Study In Udaipur District,        Rajasthan
• Ms. Akanksha Kumari, The IIS University, Jaipur, Empowerment of Women         through Education and Employment Opportunities
• Dr.Anshu, Footwear Design and Development Institute, Rohtak, An Analytical     Study of CSR Practices of Indian Commercial Banks in strengthening Women Empowerment
• Ms. Anshu, Bhagatphool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Sonepat, Employment    and Empowerment Opportunities And Their Impact on Women Empowerment
• Dr. Ankita Jain,The IIS University, Jaipur, Public and Private Sector Initiatives      for Women Entrepreneurs
• Ms. Apoorva Akar, The IIS University, Jaipur, Indian Bank’s Empowerment         Initiatives And Employment Policies for Women: A Review
• Dr. Arti Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Institutional and Cultural Context of Employment of Women
• Ms. Avni Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Role of Working Women in Society             and its Impact on Quality of Life
• Ms. Ayushi Mathur, The IIS University, Jaipur, Systematic Literature Review on   Gender Discrimination at Workplace
• Ms. Almaas Sultana,  Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Stereotype           Threat: The Unseen Barrier to Women Rising at Workplace
• Ms. Anita Kumari, M.L.S. University, Udaipur, ckfydk f’k{kk ds lUnHkZ esa fofHkUu vk;ksxksa       dk vfHker & ,d v/;;u
• Dr. Aditi Pareek, The IIS University, Jaipur, A Case Study of Gulabi(Gulabo):      Famous Kalbeliya Dancer
• Ms. Amita Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur,The Role of Women in Free India:   From Vedic Period to Modern Age
• Dr. Antika Bhargava, Technia Institute of Advanced Studies, New Delhi Role of women Employment and Entrepreneurship in Indian Economy and their Status.
• Ms. Ayushi Godara, The IIS University, Jaipur, Empowering Women Writers
• Dr. Bhawana Arya, The IIS University, Jaipur, Entrepreneurship as a Pathway for             Psychological Empowerment of Women
• Ms. Bhawna Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, A Study on Social and     Economic Issues in Women Empowerment in India
• Ms. Bisma Kanwal, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment  Through    Entrepreneurship   
• Dr. Chetna Chaudhary, Jayshree Periwal High School, Jaipur, Role and Status of   Indian Women in Sports
• Ms. Chetali Shekhawat, The IIS University, Jaipur. Sanshodhan: An Amendment for Change
• Ms. Chetana Agarwal, The IIS University, Jaipur, The Dialectics of Women           Empowerment in Contemporary Indian Society
• Dr. Dalbir Singh Kaushik, Gaur Brahman PG College, Rohtak, An Analytical        Study of CSR Practices of Indian Commercial Banks in strengthening Women Empowerment
• Ms. Divyanshi Bhatt, The IIS University, Jaipur, The Role of Community Radio    in Empowering Women in India
• Dr. Deepika Singh, The IIS University, Jaipur, The Role of Rural Tourism in          Empowering Women
• Dr. Eishwarya Rana, G.G.I.C.Pokhari Thalisain Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand ,        Goverment's Policies towards Women Entrepreneurship in India
• Dr. Fauzia Nafees, The IIS University, Jaipur, Education as an Instrument of         Women Empowerment in India
• Dr. Gauri Dhingra, S.S. Jain Subodh, P.G. College, Jaipur, Issues And Challenges             Of Women Empowerment Amongst Educated Women (In Jaipur)
• Ms. Geetanjali Shekhawat, The IIS University, Jaipur Women Entrepreneurship:    turning Challenges into Opportunities: a case Study of hotel industry in        Rajasthan
• Dr.  Govind Singh Gure, School of Education Central University of Rajasthan,      Ajmer, " Entrepreneurship  Education "A Panacea for Reducing Unemployment            and Poverty
• Dr. Ishani Patharia Chopra,  Bhagatphool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Sonepat, A Study of Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Stress    Level among Working Women
• Prof. Jagdish Narayan, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Scenario Of Women   Education, Employment And Entrepreneurship in Allahabad Division
• Dr. Jubily Navaprabha, S.D. College, Alappuzha, Kerala, Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship: A Profile Of Women Engaged In Snack Shop Business In       Alappuzha And Kottayam Districts, Kerala
• Dr. Jyoti Mishra, Regional Institute of Education, Ajmer, Role of Women Empowerment in Sustainable Development
• Ms. Jyoti Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Enhancing Women Empowerment    through Initiatives acquired by Public Sector and Private Sector
• Ms. Komal Durivedi, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, Empowerment Of Rural Women Through Skill Oriented      Training -An Impact Study
• Ms. Kratika Gupta MJRP University, Jaipur, Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship             In India
• Ms. Kanchan Misra, The IIS University, Jaipur, Empowerment And Quality Of     Life: A Comparative Study Of Working And Non Working Women
• Ms. Kashifa Khan, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Women Empowerment     through Professional Education in India
• Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur , Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, Gender    Disparity in Indian Media: Effects and Remedies
• Ms. Latika Grover, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Gender Disparity
• Dr. Mahima Rai, The IIS University, Jaipur, A Study on Empowerment of ASHA             Sahyogini through Training
• Ms. Megha Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, The Armed Forces:Providing         Employment and Empowerment
• Ms. Meha Saxena, The IIS University, Jaipur, Empowering Indian Housewives      through Digitalization: A Perceptual Study on the Usage of E-Wallets
• Dr. Meenakshi Sharma, Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies , New           Delhi,Women Empowerment Issues in Indian Society
• Dr. Malti , C.C.S. University, Meerut, U.P., Linkage Between Science Education and Women's Employment Entrepreneurship
• Dr. M.L. Agarwal, Vice Principal, Govt. College, Nasirabad, Women         Enterpreneurship with Special Reference to South Asia
• Mr. Manish Yadav, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, Women Entreprenurship in     India : Problems & Prospects
• Ms. Nargis Fatima, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and     Sciences, Allahabad, Empowerment Of Rural Women Through Skill Oriented      Training -An Impact Study
• Ms. Nazia Abbas Abidi, Rachi University, Ranchi, Women Empowerment- Its       Facts And Realities.
• Ms Niharika Srivastava, PBPG College, Pratapgarh, Scenario Of Women   Education, Employment And Entrepreneurship In Allahabad Division
• Dr. Neha Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Role of Working Women in Society             and its Impact on Quality of Life
• Ms. Nupur Jaiswal, The IIS University, Jaipur, Home-Maker to Empire-Maker
• Dr. Neelam Paliwal, Govt. P.G. College, Jhalawar, Ekfgyk l'kfDrdj.k ds izfr iq:"kksa dk cnyrk n`f"Vdks.k
• Ms. Nivedita Singh, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment in India:    Issues, Challenges and Initiatives
• Ms. Nikita Batra, The IIS University, Jaipur, Cyber Crime awareness and   Prevention  : A study of Women in Jaipur
• Dr. Namita, Tecnia Institute of Advance Studies, New Delhi, An  Overview on     Gender budgeting an Emerging tool             towards empowering  the Women on             India  
• Dr. Narendra Kumar, School of Education Central University of Rajasthan,           Ajmer, Significance of Education for Women Empowerment in India   
• Dr. Neeti Naveen S.G.P.G. College, Sarurpur Khurd, Meerut , Role of Education in women's Employment in India

• Ms. Pallavi Choudhary, Manipal University, Jaipur, The Role Of Venture Capital   In Promoting Women Entrepreneurs
• Ms. Priya, Bhagatphool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpurkalan, Sonepat,   A Study of Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Stress Level among      Working Women
• Mr. Pankaj Kumar, The IIS University, Jaipur, Traditional Knowledge related        Intellectual Property Rights Empowering Women
• Ms. Pooja Kumari Dudi, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment           Through Media
• Ms.  Pooja Varshney , The IIS University, Jaipur, Perceived Social Support From   Family And It’s Relation To Authentic  Happiness : A Study On House-Wives In       Jaipur City
• Ms. Poonam Singh, The IIS University, Jaipur, Empowering Girls and Women       through Physical Education and Sport
• Dr. Pragya Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Entrepreneurship among Women    of Raika Community
• Dr. Pratibha Tahiliani, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment: A          Myth Or Reality
• Dr. Priti Gupta S.S. Jain Subodh, P.G. College, Jaipur, Issues And Challenges Of Women Empowerment Amongst Educated Women (In Jaipur)
• Dr. Priyanka Kesarwani, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Sciences and             technology, Allahabad.  Entrepreneurship of Rural Women byvalue addition of             unconventional fibres
• Mr. Rakesh Rathore, Institute of Agri Business Management, Bikaner, Rural          Women Entrepreneurship In Rajasthan: Opportunities In Agribusiness
• Ms. Rita Soni University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, An Evaluation Of Stratagem            Composition Encouraging Women Empowerment (With Special Reference To Eradication Of Poverty And Unemployment)
• Ms.Rashika Pareek,The IIS University, Jaipur, Role of Education in the      Empowerment of Women
• Dr. Ruchi Goswami, The IIS University, Jaipur, Coverage of Women by Women: A Study of Women through the Lens of Media in Rajasthan
• Ms. Renu Poonia, S.P.C. Govt. College, Ajmer,Impact of HDI on Female Work    Participation Rate : A Stunning Relation in Women Empowerment 
• Dr. Rashmi Gujrati, Tecnia Institute of Advance Studies, New Delhi, Women        Entrepreneurs in India : Empowerment & Development
• Dr. Rajive Kumar, N.A.S.P.G. College, Meerut, Significance of Education for       Women Empowerment in India   
• Dr. Sadhana Gupta, Govt. P.G. College, Jhalawar, **efgyk l'kfDrdj.k % eafty vHkh nwj gS**
• Dr. Sangeeta Devadiya, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Scenario Of Women             Education, Employment And Entrepreneurship – A Case Study Of Centre Of Fashion Design & Technology,Institute Of Professional Studies (Ips), University            Of Allahabad
• Dr. Shristi Purwar University of Allahabad, Allahabad,Scenario of Women            Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship – A Case Study of Centre of   Fashion Design & Technology, Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), University         of Allahabad
• Mr. Shubham Nahar, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Gender Disparities in        Service Sector
• Dr. Sunitha Ghanapuram, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Women   Empowerment through NREGS: A Study in Erajpalli Village in Nizamabad    District of Telangana State
• Mr. Surjya Kumar Das, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, Reflections of Women’s      Sustainable Development with MGNREGS - A primary survey study in North 24       Parganas of West Bengal
• Ms Swati Sharma, St. Xaviers College, Jaipur, iq#"kksa ds [ksy esa ukjh çfrHkk dk ne[ke        fn[kkrh fganh fQYe esjhd‚e
• Ms. Saloni Singhania, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women's Education: A    Pathway to Sustainable Development
• Ms. Shaivya Dutta, The IIS University, Jaipur, Struggle Between ‘Madam’ And    ‘Mom’: Government Initiatives
• Ms. Shivangani Rathore, The IIS University, Jaipur, A Study on Empowerment of            ASHA Sahyogini through Training
• Ms. Shivani Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur, Pursuing Gender Parity: Stronger             Side Of Society
• Ms. Shubhangi Kulshreshtha, The IIS University, Jaipur, A Study On Gender        Disparities In Indian Railways
• Dr. Shweta Kastiya,  The IIS University, Jaipur, Entrepreneurship As A Solution: The Attraction Of Self-Employment For Women
• Ms. Swati Chaudhary, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment in           Indian Banking Sector: Opportunities and Challenges
• Ms. Suja Sukesan ,Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi. , Entrepreneurship   And Youth In South Korea -The Motivating Factors
• Dr. Swati Vaidya, Smt. B.M. Ruia Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Mumbai            “Understanding Entrepreneurship in BRIC countries with Economic Indicators”
• Ms. Suheba Khan, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Goverment's Arristment    for Promotion of Women's Entrepreneurship
• Dr. Sunita Pachauri, S.P.C. Govt. College, Ajmer, Women empowerment: The       Way and The aim for Sustainable Development  

• Dr. Tripti Vijaywargia, S.S. Jain Subodh, P.G. College, Jaipur,  An Emerging         Transformer Of Indian Society: Women Entrepreneur
• Ms. Urvashi Bhansali, The IIS University, Jaipur, Women Empowerment : The      Psychological Dimension
• Dr.Vandana Sachdeva, The IIS University, Jaipur, Role Of Women            Entrepreneurship In Economic Development Of Rural India
• Ms.Vanshika Bhatia, The IIS University, Jaipur, Rural Women Getting       Independent through ‘Support to Training and Employment Programme for     Women (STEP) Scheme’ in village Akali of Barmer District, Rajasthan.
• Ms. Vrinda Chauhan, The IIS University, Jaipur, Socio- Economic Condition of    Women Artisans in India
• Ms. Yogita Khatri, The IIS University, Jaipur, Systematic Literature Review on     Gender Discrimination at Work Place
• Ms. Tabassum Fatima, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Women            Empowerment through Professional Education in India
• Mr. Farhat Shamshad, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, A Need of Guidance   and Counselling in Women Empowerment
• Mr. Yumna Khan, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Educated Women and       Labour Force Participation
• Dr. Vandana Raghav, Tecnia Institute of Advance Studies, New Delhi, Women    Empowerment: Challenges and Issues

List of contributors

• Mr. Abhishek Sharma, University of Rajasthan, An Evaluation Of Stratagem Composition Encouraging Women Empowerment(With Special Reference To Eradication Of Poverty And Unemployment)
• Dr. Chandralekha C.T., Deva Matha, Kuravilangad, Kerala Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship: A Profile Of Women Engaged In Snack Shop Business InAlappuzha And Kottayam Districts, Kerala 
• Dr. Divya Agarwal , MJRP University, Jaipur, Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship in India
• Dr. Ekta Sharma, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad Warli Paintings: A True Reflection Of Entrepreneurial Skills Of Tribal Women Of Maharashtra
• Ms. Meghna Meena, University of Rajasthan, An Evaluation Of Stratagem Composition Encouraging Women Empowerment (With Special Reference To Eradication Of Poverty And Unemployment)
• Dr. Mohd Asif Khan, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship: A Critical Analysis
• Dr. Salil Seth, Central University of Jammu, Jammu, Advent Of Women Entrepreneurship As An Unexpected Outcome Of Gender Violence
• Ms. Shravasti Jain, The IIS University, Jaipur, Public and Private Sector Initiatives for Women Entrepreneurs

List of Participants

• Ms. Aayushi Gupta, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms.Alisha Choudhary, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Anju Vera, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Aproov Bhatnagar IIIM
• Ms.  Ashita Khandelwal, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Charul Totla, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Chhaya Jain, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Deepali Ratra, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Dimple Panwar, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms.Divya Sarah Lal, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Isha Chaturvedi, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Jyoti Chaturvedi, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Kratika Jain, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Lakshita Goyal, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Laveena Sankhla, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Mandakini Rathore, The IIS University, Jaipur
•  Ms.Manila Shergil, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Dr. Neelam Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Noyonika Banerjee, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Dr.Pragya Sinha, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Sunita Ramchandani, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
• Ms. Rekha Jangid, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Rithika Soni, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Ruchi Khandelwal, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Saloni Aiugh Rathore, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Saloni Sodhani, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Shruti Jain, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Simple Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Simran Madhogaria, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Vagisha Shekawat, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Yamini Surolia, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Rubina, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Dr. Radhika Sharma, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Vijayshree Shekhawat, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. L Seem, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Neha Gahlot, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Khushi Gupta, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Apoorva Bhardwaj, IIIM, Jaipur
• Ms. Yamini Bansal,  The IIS University, Jaipur
• Ms. Mehak Gulati,  The IIS University, Jaipur
• Dr.Shubha Meghwanshi, The IIS University, Jaipur
• Sheh Kidwi, Muslim University, Agra
• Shah Alam, Banasthali University