Women’s psychological empowerment: Annihilation of cultural devaluation

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International Journal of Development Research

Women’s psychological empowerment: Annihilation of cultural devaluation

Abstract: 

Present paper aims to utilize the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s philosophy to comprehend women’s devaluation through the ideological control upon women. Empowerment means the movement from enforced powerless status to powerful one. Women’s subordinate position is not natural but socially constructed and forced upon them. The mechanism through which patriarchy operates is culture. The devaluation of women has been carried out through culture to establish it as a divine truth. This constructed truth is internalized by women as well as merged with schema of “feminine identity”. Thus addressing the schema of being “ideal women” becomes essential to overcome patriarchal oppression. Further women need a comprehensive empowerment which includes the psychological empowerment of women along with social, political and economic. Annihilation of cultural devaluation is required to achieve psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment includes autonomy, decision making capacities, and Positive self evolution as well as having capacity to regulate her own life as a person and not as a constructed feminine identity of subservient. In this paper role of Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy will be explored to understand the mechanism and genesis of oppression of women and how it relates with caste system. Contribution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for women empowerment will be discussed further how these provisions help to achieve psychological empowerment for women, will be analysed. Psychological significance of provision like Hindu Code Bill etc. will be found trough Dr. Ambedkar writings and speeches.

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