MPSC State Service 2019 · CSAT · Question 8 of 72

Passage: Some experts have developed a framework in which “empowerment” and “social inclusion” are closely related but separate concepts. An empowerment is “the enhancement of assets and capabilities of diverse individuals and groups to engage influence and hold accountable the institutions which affect them. ” Social inclusion is defined as “the removal of institutional barriers and the enhancement of incentives to increase the access of diverse individuals and groups to assets and development opportunities. ” The empowerment process, in this case, operates “from below” and involves agency, as exercised by individuals and groups. Social inclusion, in contrast, requires systemic change that may be initiated “from above”. Empowerment emerges from “bottom-up” rather than “top-down”, gender equality or equity indicates the degree of equivalence in life outcomes for women and men. It recognizes their different needs and interests and requiring a redistribution of power and resources. Empowerment is a bottom-up process i.e.. the stakeholders have the first say. This way of understanding empowerment indicates that development agencies cannot claim to empower women rather they can provide appropriate external support and intervention, which may act as catalytic factor in empowering then or enhancing the process of empowerment. The individual focus of the term empowerment gives a jolt to major policy programmes of the Indian government which are mostly made at the central level and imposed at the local level taking no cognizance of the needs and issues of concern of the local people. Any government intervention can be successful only when it adopts not a top-down but bottom-up process. The assumption that planners can identify women՚s needs; runs against empowerment objectives that imply that women themselves formulate and decide what their interests are. Governments can ensure that their programmes work to support women՚s individual empowerment by encouraging women՚s participation, acquisition of skills, decision-making capacity, and control over resources. Therefore, an inclusive approach whereby the planners working towards an empowerment approach must develop ways enabling women themselves to critically review their own situation and participate in creating and shaping the society is suggested. Further empowerment should not be understood as a zero sum game wherein gains of one, leads to the loss of the other, i.e.. empowerment of women automatically results in disempowerment of men. Rather it is to be conceived as a process which leads to overall empowerment. What should be the role of government in the process of empowerment? a. supportive b. facilitative c. enabling d. direct help provider Which of the above is/are correct?

Reading Comprehension

1. AAll of the above
2. BOnly a, b and cCorrect
3. COnly a and b
4. DOnly d