pAPER PUBLISHED IN
Mahila Pratishtha (UGC Approved, International
Multidisciplinary Journal of Women & Gender
Studies). Vol.5, Issue 1, July - Sept.
ISSN 2454-7891.
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WELFARE
TO EMPOWERMENT OF PEOPLE - OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCLUSIVE & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Lakshmi Narayana
N
Mentor
Geo
Rehabilitation Centre, Hyderabad.
ABSTRACT
The model of “Welfare” or “Social Welfare” of the people in general and particularly women does
face several limitations in achieving their sustainability in an accessible and
inclusive environment. The people will always be the receivers to fill the gaps
with increased dependency and sometimes become lazy or unproductive. The needs
of the people are many and should be catered with effective Service Delivery
Systems but it is dominantly operated with top down approaches which are not
either need based or demand based but popularity based. The People’s
development is controlled and influenced by Political, Government and
Investors. The Nation has changed its concept of Welfare to Empowerment and has
changed its Ministry from Welfare to Social Justice & Empowerment. The
model of empowerment supports for the development of people both socially and
economically with wellness or quality of life. The changeover of Development
from Welfare to Empowerment is facing several challenges and at the same time
opens several opportunities to equip people & community to face the
unhealthy activities of hazards and disasters known as disaster risk reduction.
The limitations of Government and Private working either individually or
together can be minimized with the addition of Civil Society Organizations with
better effectiveness and efficiency both at production, productivity,
distribution and management. The partnership of Government, Private and Civil
Society Organizations should start at the level of Gram Panchayat. The initiatives
taken up have resulted for significant impact among the groups. The models, strategies and interventions are
simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable matching the dynamics of
the given environment.
Key Words: People,
Welfare, Development, Challenges, Opportunities, Empowerment, Environment,
Accessibility, Inclusion, Sustainability.
Statement of the Problem
The model of “Welfare”
or “Social
Welfare” of the people in general and particularly women does face
several limitations in achieving their sustainability in an accessible and
inclusive environment. The people will always be the receivers with increased
dependency and sometimes become lazy or unproductive.
Conclusions
The study made on the shift
from Welfare to Empowerment model of People’s Development has revealed several
interesting features and some of the conclusion emerged includes:
ü The model of “Welfare” or “Social
Welfare” of the people does face several limitations in achieving their
sustainability.
ü The people will always be the receivers
with increased dependency and sometimes become lazy or unproductive.
ü It is true
that a ‘Social Welfare’ system provides assistance to needy
individuals and families. The welfare measures will try to fill the gaps of the
needy individuals and families.
ü The welfare
measures have become more of charity or mercy or favoritism which varies from
one Government to another. Every Political Party (either in the power or in the
opposition) will use all such social measures mostly momentary or short terms
with temporary relief are used for capturing the vote bank.
ü Since
Independence of the Nation, the measures of poverty alleviation are going on to
ensure Roti (Food), Kapada (clothing) and Makhan (Housing) – RKM for all but
still larger population is struggling for these critical needs.
ü People are
at confusion that, is such welfare measures are working for eradicating poverty
(Garibi Hatao) or remove poor people (Garibo Ko Hatao)?
ü The needs of the people are many and should
be catered with effective Service Delivery Systems (SDS) so that they can
utilize them with better availability, accessibility and affordability (3As).
ü The Service Delivery System is dominantly
operated with top down approaches (TDAs) which is not either need based or
demand based but popularity (vote bank) based.
ü The People’ development is controlled and
influenced by the interest of three key Stakeholders namely: Political,
Government and Investors (PGI).
ü People’s Development involves four domains
including Social Development, Economical Development, Individual Development,
and Environmental Development (SEIE).
ü The Nation has changed its concept of
Welfare to Empowerment (1989) and has changed its Ministry from Welfare to
Social Justice & Empowerment.
ü The model of empowerment supports for the
development of the people both socially and economically and to be independent
in an accessible, inclusive and sustainable community / environment with
wellness or quality of life (QOL).
ü The changeover of the processes of
Development from Welfare to Empowerment is facing several challenges and still
the benefits of developmental shift from welfare to empowerment have not
reached to majority of the population in general and particularly women and
affected with marginalization, isolation, migration, unhealthy environments and
poor quality of life (QOL).
ü At this stage, the need of the hour is to
accept these challenges with realties and look for alternatives as a
solution.
ü The opportunities clearly reflect that
challenges of the processes of shift from welfare to empowerment can be
minimized with added strength of technologies for empowering the people to live
in an inclusive, accessible and healthy environments with better sustainability
and quality of life (QOL).
ü In addition, such measures will equip the
people & community to face the unhealthy activities or consequences of
hazards and disasters known as disaster risk reduction (DRR).
ü The initiatives are very much practical
with local inputs and are available, accessible & affordable (3As) for
better implementation with better solutions with difference in living standards.
ü The limitation of Government and Private
(PPP) working either individually or together can be minimized with the
addition of third player in the form of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs –
also known as NGOs) can be minimized with better efficiency both at production
and productivity.
ü The partnership of GPC is expected to work
on empowerment with the model of design, implementation, monitoring &
evaluation (DIME) for better participation, accountability, responsibility
& transparency (PART).
ü The partnership of Government, Private and
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs or NGOs) should start at the level of Gram
Panchayat as it is considered as the basic administrative unit.
ü The models, strategies and interventions
are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable matching the
dynamics of the given environment.
Recommendations
The shift from Welfare to
Empowerment has gained priority and the study need to be continued. The
recommendations made include:
- All
the measures on the basis of charity, popularity and welfare should be
shifted to the model of Empowerment.
- The
service delivery systems should be need based and the benefits of
development should be made available, accessible & affordable for the
People in general and particularly women living
all over the Nation.
- The
students should be encouraged to take up the research study on the models
of empowering the people in general and particularly women with innovation
and creativity.
- All
the Educational Institutes should work in collaboration with the
Industries for development of need based curriculum and skills and further
to improve employability.
- CSOs
or NGOs should be supported to work with the Government and Private on
partnership basis (GPCP) at all levels.
- The
model of Empowerment should be started at Gram Panchayat level as GPs are
the pillars of the Nation’s Development.
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LOOKING FORWARD
