WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTION TO FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

Women gain economic empowerment through participation in small-scale entrepreneurship initiatives, often supported by the Self-Help Movement. This economic advancement fosters broader empowerment across various dimensions, including access to socio-economic opportunities, property ownership, political involvement, social equity, individual rights, family wellbeing, community progress, and ultimately, national development. Globally, women occupy 48 out of every 100 wage-earning jobs in the non-agricultural sector. However, only 24 of 166 countries have successfully achieved gender parity in education at all levels. Despite educational attainment and skill levels, women continue to enter the workforce under unequal conditions compared to men. According to the UN Secretary-General’s pre-CSW report titled Challenges and Achievements in the Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for Women and Girls, while Goal 3 includes significant indicators of gender disparity, its limited scope overlooks crucial issues. These include gender-based violence, unequal distribution of unpaid care work, restricted access to resources, violations of sexual and reproductive rights, and limited involvement of women in both private and public decision-making beyond national legislatures. The report highlights that women, on average, spend twice as much time as men on unpaid domestic and caregiving tasks. It emphasizes that without addressing all aspects of gender inequality, the overarching goal of achieving gender equality and women's empowerment will remain unmet.