Women : Leadership and Empowerment

Organisations are increasingly relying on women leaders because of their inherent and valuable attributes of nurturing, caring, self-sacrificing and emotional intelligence. India is one of the leading countries witnessing an increased participation of women employees at administrative and managerial positions. Women leaders are found to be efficient in decision-making in terms of providing reward and recognition to employees. The realisation of the goals of women leadership needs to be supported by the allocation of necessary human and financial resources to ensure gender equality at the local, regional, national, and international levels as well as by enhanced and increased international cooperation. Empowerment of women has been a leading objective of state policy ever since the attainment of Independence in 1947. Gender equality is a constituent of development as well as an instrument of development. No country can be deemed developed if half of its population is severely disadvantaged in terms of basic needs, livelihood options, access to knowledge, and political voice. It is an instrument of development because without gender equality other goals of development will be difficult to achieve. Effective and co-ordinated plans and programmes for full implementation of women-oriented policies require a clear research-based knowledge of ground realities of the socio-economic status of women, particularly the rural women. The present work explains and examines in detail the issues related to leadership behaviour and styles of women. It also focuses on various aspects of policies and strategies to enhance economic, social and political empowerment of women.