Women Empowerment for Sustainable Social Development: Interlinkages and Dynamics

Abstract

Gender is a social function that does not exist in a vacuum. It is influenced by caste, class, ethnicity, and race, forming a complex matrix. This article considers the Garhbeta-II Community Development Block (CDB) of West Bengal. The authors have observed that women contribute almost equally to their families as their husbands in the study area. They cannot apply their democratic right to make decisions in their own lives. They have no agency or institution to care for their feelings and ideas. Therefore, the social lives of the women of the region are hampered. Gender inequality impoverishes a nation and creates constraints for holistic social development. Empowerment eliminates disparities and injustices against women. This study aims to a reorientation of the present social structure. It employed a case study method to attain the study goals. A specialized policy framework, special funding, and reservations in every social sector are required to ensure these marginalized women's social exclusion. The administration should focus on women's capacity building to minimize the gender gap.