Batting for gender equality, Union minister Suresh Prabhu today said that for achieving real women's empowerment in the country, it is men who need to change their attitude, more than the society as a whole.
The minister in his address at the Indo-Japan Consultation on 'Women at Social Work and Changing Social Norms' also hailed the performance of the Indian women's cricket team in the recent World Cup, saying it was an indication of the "transformation that has happened in a big way in the country".
"Unfortunately, most of the things are seen from men's eye (point of view). And, that is the root cause of several social problems in the world. Even, many of the so-called developed countries are not so developed, if one measures their development on the scale of women's empowerment," he said.
Acknowledging the role of women working at home, Prabhu said, women are "always at work".
"Whether raising a family or taking care of the household or a woman in a village, they are always working. And, it is when women wish to go to work outside, it is men only who oppose that.
"Women are the half of the population ('Aadhi Aabadi'), so, when people say for women empowerment we need societal changes, I would say, we need to change just one half -- the men - who need to change their attitude. And, that will bring real empowerment," the railway minister said.
Prabhu also asserted that women's empowerment should not be defined for them, rather women should be just facilitated and the society should just allow them to pursue what they want to do, and not what the society wants them to do.
"Just before this programme, I attended an event at this very hotel, where India's women team, which almost won the World Cup was being felicitated," he said.
In India, they say, our life is not complete, unless we know about cricket. And therefore the so-called salvation depends on watching good cricket matches. And, the picture in mind is only the men playing, Prabhu said.
"Today that situation has changed dramatically by that one women's team at the top and rightly so at the top," he said.
"And now please mind it, please remember it.. It is a warning for the men who play cricket. Because, they are worshipped as gods and demi-gods...But, now with women in cricket.. Not the gods, but goddesses of cricket will be worshipped in the future".
The Union minister indicated that the change has been effected due to change in societal mindset.
"But what was it? Was it that women did not know how to play cricket? Was it that women have suddenly found a new skill? It was already there, but the society did not accept it, realise it, and the media did not cover it properly," he said.
Further asserting the importance of women's empowerment, Prabhu said, even if women in the country start getting their minimum wages, "the GDP of the country will rise by 1 or 2 percentage points".
The event was hosted by the Embassy of Japan, the UN Women and supported by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO).
Ambassador of Japan Kenji Hiramatsu said, his country is committed in India to realise targets as envisioned in various agreements, and "geared to play a pro-active role in this movement, in partnership with the government or by forging alliance with the NGOs, especially at the grassroots level".
Senior officials of the UN Office in India, Japanese Embassy officials and representatives of various business houses were also present on the occasion.
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