Building a stronger future for Kashmiri women Premium

To empower women in Kashmir, it is imperative to build a future where every woman has the freedom to aspire, achieve and thrive

Every year, March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day to advocate gender equality and recognise the achievements of women in diverse sectors. The theme this year is “Accelerate Action”. The women of Kashmir have long struggled for economic independence and social empowerment, navigating conflict and structural inequalities.

To address the unique challenges faced by women in Kashmir, various schemes have been launched by government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Ambitious initiatives such as the Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme, the Nai Roshni Scheme, the Ladli Beti Social Assistance Scheme and the Janani Suraksha Yojana have the aim of empowering women and enhancing their educational standards and economic independence. However, these lofty initiatives have failed to deliver any substantial welfare for women. While the female literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) stands at 56.43%, only 21.9% of women in the 15-49 age group are currently employed. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020-21 estimated that only 4.8% of female employees in J&K held senior positions among the legislators, senior officials and managers. The Jammu and Kashmir Women’s Development Corporation is the primary implementing agency for Union Territory and central government development schemes aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of women, particularly those in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. In 2022, the corporation generated employment for a total of 3,513 women, amid an unemployment rate of 56.3%.

The major impediment in the implementation of these development schemes is the lack of a proper channeling of funds and a failure to promote these schemes in rural areas. The low participation of women in these welfare schemes is mainly due to their past failures in delivering results. More than 50,000 girls in Kashmir have crossed marriageable age despite the Ladli Beti Scheme being in operation.

The women in Kashmir are better off educationally when compared to women in rural settings in the rest of India. However, the persistent job crisis in Kashmir has led to distressed employment, forcing women into agriculture and increasing the burden of low income while limiting their participation in economic decision-making.

The absence of comprehensive social security measures and the denial of inheritance rights have prevented women’s access to justice in Kashmir. The key to empowerment of women lies in their economic independence. Economic independence empowers women and ends their dependence on men, which ultimately nurtures their ability to make better choices for themselves. It includes the ability of women to control resources, access markets and make economic decisions. Entrepreneurship can bring a paradigm shift in the economic independence of women. In February 2024, the Jammu and Kashmir Startup Policy was approved, aiming to establish 2,000 startups over the next five years. Data suggest that more than 230 startups have been spearheaded by women in Kashmir in the last five years. The saffron and handicrafts industries have long been the backbone of Kashmir’s household economy. Reviving these industries and encouraging women to establish startups based on them should be the government’s top priority.

With a 27.2 female Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education in J&K, expanding access to global academic institutions is essential. It would foster creativity, enhance research opportunities and empower Kashmiri women as self-reliant individuals, shaping a future driven by knowledge and confidence. Women’s engagement with global research platforms nurtures creativity, enabling women to contribute to Kashmir’s socio-economic development through innovative solutions, from technology to literature and social sciences. Kashmir has produced literary geniuses such as Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon and Arnimal, who gave Kashmiri literature international recognition, showcasing the exemplary brilliance of Kashmiri women. However, for decades, women have been subjected to dehumanisation and ostracisation by a brutal conflict. Their emancipation lies in restoring their agency and respecting their dignity as equal beings. Kashmiri women’s subjectivity, shaped by ostracisation, needs to be decolonised to reclaim their lost glory.

Mary Wollstonecraft, in her seminal work A Vindication of The Rights of Woman (1792), has argued that women should be seen as capable individuals rather than ornamental beings. Beyond political optics, gender equality depends not only on treating women on a par with men but also elevating their status to the higher standards where they feel themselves as masters of their emancipation. To empower women in Kashmir, it is imperative to build a future where every woman has the freedom to aspire, achieve and thrive, for the empowerment of a society lies in the empowerment of its women.