How to use adverbs effectively - Emphasis

How to use adverbs effectively How to use adverbs effectively Adverbs convey information about how things happen, as well as when, where and to what extent. As the name suggests, they modify verbs but they can also modify adjectives, other adverbs and whole sentences, writes Cathy Relf. For example, in the sentence I need to see you urgently, the adverb urgently tells us about the verb need. But in Recently, weve been incurring a lot of delays, the adverb recently tells us about the whole sentence. However, informative and descriptive though adverbs certainly are, you should still use them with thought and moderation like all language. We tend to use a lot of fairly meaningless adverbs in conversation, to emphasise certain points, create rhythm and elicit empathy from the listener. But good, clear writing is more about communicating your meaning efficiently than banging your point home and that means only using adverbs that add genuine, useful information. Whenever possible, show, dont tell. Some adverbs are used so frequently in speech that they have become little more than verbal tics, and these are the ones you should be particularly suspicious of if they turn up in your writing. Below are five such words, each of which you should sternly interrogate before deciding whether to grant it a place in your final draft. Interestingly Interestingly, many writers like to introduce facts with the word interestingly. Interestingly, its often followed by something that isnt. If you have an interesting observation to share, let it speak for itself. And if you have a dull but necessary fact to convey, dont try to pep it up by calling it interesting. Youll lose your readers trust, as well as their attention. Heres what happened when we asked a group of editors on Twitter how they felt about sentences beginning with interestingly. Warning: its not pretty. Use it: in speeches, to create a moment of suspense before delivering a genuinely interesting point. Dont use it: to add interest where there is none. Significantly Much like interestingly, the thing about significantly is that most truly significant things can speak for themselves. Pinpoint the reason that you know your fact is significant do you have a statistic, for example? If so, can you use that instead, and let the reader be the judge of its significance? Instead of UK tourists pay significantly less for petrol, why not UK tourists pay 8.6 per cent less for petrol? Sometimes, however, youll have expertise that your reader isnt privy to, meaning you may be able to see significance where they cant. In this case, you can use the word to signal that a particular piece of information youre conveying is significant, and then follow up on how, or why, in the next sentence. Youre basically telling your reader hold on to this bit; youll understand why in a minute. Used like this, significantly can be a useful tool for creating reader engagement. Also, its worth noting that in statistics, significant has a specific meaning, with the significance level being the amount of evidence required to indicate that a result did not happen by chance. Too often, however, significant is simply used to create persuasive, attention-grabbing sentences that gloss over an absence of evidence. For example, see this headline from the Daily Mail: Less than 6 hours sleep significantly increases risk of a stroke even if you are fit and healthy. The article gives no information about the size of the increased risk it could be one per cent higher or 100 per cent higher. The reader is left none the wiser regarding the level of significance, and the same is probably true of the writer. Use it: to highlight facts that the reader may not immediately realise are significant. Dont use it: as a substitute for real information, or to make something seem more important than it is. Obviously Before you use obviously or clearly, ask yourself three things: firstly, if its obvious to everyone, do you need to make the point at all? Take, for example, the introductory sentence to this article in The Hindu: Quite obviously, the Reserve Bank of India, while reviewing the credit policy the mid-quarter review is scheduled for later on June 18 would take note of the recent developments affecting the economy. Once you unpick the sentence, it is obvious that a bank would consider economic developments when reviewing its credit policy. But did they need to say so? After all, if its obvious, is it news? Secondly, if its not obvious to your readers, how are they going to feel? Foolish, perhaps or, worse, patronised. And, thirdly, are you using obviously to discourage questioning? (After all, who would argue with something that has been declared universally obvious?) If so, take a moment to think about why youre using such a defensive tactic. It may be that there are holes in your own argument. Use it: as little as possible. Dont use it: if its likely that the information will not be obvious to some readers. Actually Actually is a useful discourse marker in speech. We use it for emphasis, surprise, contrast or correction (we thought it would be a good move, but it was actually a mistake, no, I live in Hove, actually, he was actually trying to take all the credit himself). However, in writing, actually should be used sparingly. If youre someone who writes like a demon in first drafts, itll often end up in there because your writing tumbles out structured like speech. Its actually a great way to get a first draft on to paper, but when you go back to edit it and actually look at the contribution each word is making, thats the time to question whether theyre actually adding any value or clarity. In the sentence above, wed delete the first two actuallys, but keep the third, which subtly intensifies the action of adding value. Use it: when it adds a useful hint of contrast or surprise to the sentence. Dont use it: just because you would when speaking. Literally This is, without doubt, the adverb with the most enemies. There are whole social media accounts devoted to pointing out inappropriate uses of literally. See @literallypolice on Twitter and The Literally Tsar on Facebook, if you dont believe us. The problem with literally is that it has developed a colloquial meaning that is the opposite of its literal, or dictionary, meaning. Often, when people say literally, they mean its opposite, figuratively. The footballer Jamie Redknapp has a particular fondness for the colloquial usage of the word, according to this Guardian article (he had to cut back inside on to his left, because he literally hasnt got a right foot). Despite all this fuss, only the most pedantic person would interrupt you in the middle of a story to question whether you were literally shaking like a leaf or literally chomping at the bit. But readers are pickier than listeners, and sentences such as these seem more incongruous in black and white. So, just to be completely literal about it, here are the definitions from Collins: Literal: in exact accordance with or limited to the primary or explicit meaning of a word or text. Figurative: of the nature of, resembling, or involving a figure of speech; not literal; metaphorical. In short, if it didnt really, literally happen, dont use literally. Use it: to describe things that really happened. Dont use it: for metaphors or exaggerated expressions. Want more advice on getting the most out of your business writing? Read about our in-company High-impact business writing course. Or, if you want to train only one or two people, check out our open course sessions. Then give us a call on +44 (0)1273 732 888, email us or tweet us at @EmphasisWriting.

Writers Block 13 Strategies That Work - Freewrite Store

Writers Block 13 Strategies That Work - Freewrite Store With that in mind - here are 14 of our favorite tips for curing writer's block. We’ve all been there. The right words won’t come out, if any at all, and you don’t have a creative cell left in your brain - you’re ready to call it a day. Of course, I’m talking about the dreaded  writer’s block. Writer’s block can be stressful when you have writing tasks that need to get done. Writer’s block is a myth Gasp! It cannot be true. If writer’s block is a myth, then explain what I’m feeling right now? When you attack it from the root cause, you realize writer’s block stems from four underlying causes. These four underlying causes were detailed by  Jerry Jenkins, famed author of the  Left Behind  series.   The Four Root Causes Of Writer's Block Fear - Fear can be paralyzing. The thought that  you’re  not good enough and that your work won’t be accepted. Procrastination - Nobody’s better at putting of deadlines than writers.  Set  your deadlines in stone and keep your daily workload manageable. Perfectionism - Perfectionism  can  be a good trait during the editing process; however, it is not as valuable while  writing. Distractions - In today's day and age, it’s nearly impossible to avoid distractions. So what can you do about writer’s block? Now that you know the four root causes of writer’s block, you can take some  actionable  steps to eliminate it from your writing for good. If you’re anything like me, you could probably relate to all four of the root causes. As you read along, you’ll find that more than a few of these actionable tips apply to you. With that in mind - here are 14 of our favorite tips for curing writer's block. 1. Writing Prompts If you aren’t familiar with writing prompts, they are simply guided writing assignments designed to stimulate your imagination and get the creative juices flowing. Put simply, writing prompts get you writing.   It may not be the topic you originally set out to write about, but it may help you find your muse. If you’re stuck finding a topic to write about, or lost finding a fresh idea to attack the blank page, writing prompts may be a good habit to implement into your writing routine.   The right prompt can open up new ideas.  They can illuminate new  ways of looking at things you aren’t able to see on your own. You can find writing prompts a variety of ways. Many are  free online, you can  buy a book of them, or come up with them yourself. Write them down to use at a later time.  You can even have writing prompts sent to your inbox, with Writing Time Fridays! Join here to receive a great writing prompt emailed or texted to you on Friday at 12pm EST. This is a great way to carve out time for writing and get inspired. You can dedicate time for writing on Friday, like we do at Astrohaus, or you can wait and use the prompt over the weekend. Related:  Writing Habits to Jumpstart Your Creativity and Keep You Focused    2. Don’t Be a Perfectionist   Does this sound like you? You want everything to be perfect before you ever begin writing. Every pen stroke must be streaked with gold. You try to formulate the perfect passage in your head, but you never do, so you revert to underlying cause #2, procrastination.   Perfectionism will only hinder your good writing. I’ve written a number of blog posts over the years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, nobody ever sees my first drafts. It sounds obvious, but nothing bad will come from writing words down. If you don’t like what you wrote, delete it. Leave the self-criticism for editing. 3. Stop Writing Sometimes,  It’s just not the right time to write. Your ideas may need a few more moments to formulate in your mind.   Surely, writing isn’t the only thing you ever do. You also need to eat, sleep, read, exercise, and interact with other people.   Even if writing is at the top of your to-do-list. Doing anything else, would be more beneficial than beating yourself up while staring at a blank page.   In a infamous  New Yorker  article, Ferris Jabr references overwhelming evidence that taking a walk can help you think through problems and be creative. Source: Elements of Walking Helps Us Think It’s ok to not always be writing, or thinking about your writing. 4. Change Your Writing  Medium Stuck in the mud? Try using Google Docs or Evernote instead of Word.  Put down the computer all together and try out your grandfather’s typewriter. What’s been most beneficial to me is freewriting in a journal or a piece of scrap paper. Any idea that comes to mind goes down on the paper. Often times, it doesn’t make any sense. 5. Eliminate Distractions This is one of the four core causes of writer’s block. In a world where we are faced with distractions left and  right, we no longer get to sit  in our log cabin in the woods and write in a quiet room. You have to take extra steps to create a distraction free environment in your mind.   5 Easy ways to eliminate distractions -  Turn off your cell phone- Unplug from the internet- Clean your desk- Let everyone know to leave you alone- Dim the light I’ve been using  Sprinter  by Astrohaus to focus on my writing. I even used it while writing this article.   6. Create A Schedule Every morning, I do two things. I wash my face, then I sit down at my desk and open my daily planner. I don’t check my phone, I don’t look at any emails, and I don’t talk to ANYONE. The second thing I do each morning is plan out my day. To paraphrase Jim Rohn, â€Å"If you don’t build a plan for your life, someone else will.†Ã‚   I plan my day down to the second, then I execute. It’s easy to say you†ll just get around to it, but taking the extra steps to plan out exactly when and for how long you’ll be writing, you’re that much more likely to do it.   Sometimes, you just have to put your head to the grindstone and write. If you’ve already done this before, then first address the root causes of writer’s block found above. If a pilot called his boss and said, â€Å"I have flyers block.† He would be laughed off the phone and probably told to hang up his wings. So, why do writers get to have writer’s block? 7. Find Some Inspiration Jack London once said, â€Å"You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.†Ã‚   Put bluntly, refusing to write until you feel inspired it futile - at best. As a professional writer, you can’t afford to wait several days to find your muse. The world isn’t waiting for you. Related: 25 writing tips from authors 8. Keep A Journal Journaling aids in fostering your creativity and helps develop ideas. Similar to freewriting or writing prompts, journaling literally opens a book of ideas. Turn your thoughts and feelings into words. What do you journal about? I like to journal about my goals and the things/people I’m thankful for  each day. As a part of my morning routine, I write down my goals  Ã‚  and three people I’m thankful for. It’s not uncommon for writer’s to keep journals with them at all times. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most unlikely and inconvenient times. Bottle that muse, and save it for later. â€Å"Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever.† -  Will Self 9. Go Outside I don’t just mean writing outside, but turning off your writing brain completely..   Nature offers an immediate boost to your mental and physical well-being. Sometimes, you have to slow down to speed up. A few benefits of going outside are: - Relieve stress- Improve short-term memory- Eliminate fatigue- Improve focus- Decrease blood pressure Combined, all of these things can help get the creative juices flowing. Maybe while you’re outside, you’ll find your inspiration.   10. Change Your Writing Space If venturing outside isn’t enough, maybe you need to change your work setting. Rotating your workspaces can increase your productivity and open yourself up to new ideas. Try a coffee shop, a library, bookstore, a park, or just a different room. Cultivate multiple spaces around you that foster your creativity and productivity . 11. Use Freewrite Every element of the Freewrite is designed to help you find your flow state and stay there. It works perfectly indoors or out, online or offline. Double your hourly word count, meet deadlines on time, and write better content. The Freewrite allows writers like you to create drafts without being distracted by notifications or the infinite possibilities on the internet. When it’s time to write, you can just write. If you're interested, you can head over to  the Freewrite store to learn more. 12. Create A Routine Ok, so you’ve burned through the previous eleven suggestions. You found one that worked, but it didn’t work the second time. What now?   You have to create a routine. As I mentioned in tip #6, I follow a strict morning schedule to get myself aligned with the tasks of the day. After journaling and planning my day, I spend 30 minutes on personal development. Today, I learned about copywriting from the legend Gary Bencivenga. I improved my craft and found some inspiration to apply to my writing. Lastly, that brings us to the granddaddy of them all... 13. Start Writing   You’ve exhausted every option on this list and have nothing left. Here’s the foolproof way to cure your writer’s block.   It’s this simple. Just start writing. You already know this, but evidently, the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do. It starts with one word, then another.   Solution   Personally, how did I cure my writer’s block? The root cause of my writer’s block was perfectionism. I expected myself to churn at a Pulitzer worthy 2,000 word article in less than an hour. Only once I embraced my full inner creativity was I able to write to free myself from the never-ending stuckness of writer’s block. My only hope is that after reading this tips, you are able to address your underlying cause of why you’re stuck so you can ditch writer’s block forever! Carlton Clark loves to write about business, baseball, and popular culture. A writer, marketer, and entrepreneur. At the age of 14, he founded the media company  ballplayerplus.com. Currently, Carlton helps businesses share their stories through social media and blogging. When he’s not writing or creating content, Carlton coaches youth baseball at his local high school and plays guitar. You can find him online on Instagram @itscarltonclark, and on Twitter @carlton_mukasa

No topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No topics - Essay Example Police crackdowns can target specific crimes, individuals, or geographic areas. They can involve an increased police presence, a commitment to more severe punishment, or other forms of legal sanctions. In Boston, Kennedy reported on how the local authorities would reach out to the gangs and communicate their intention to reduce violence by bringing every available legal tool to bear on them. This process of 'pulling levers' would dramatically increase the cost to a gang for committing acts of violence. Instead of just one member being arrested and prosecuted for a murder, the system would up the enforcement level of probation, outstanding warrants, and illegal street activities on all the gang members. Sherman reported that similar results were shown in regard to a variety of other settings and crimes. Sherman noted that increased enforcement and greater sanctions can reduce crime. However, the strategy needs to be flexible, because as the crackdown continues it may loose its effectiveness. It may be more effective to move geographical locations and targets on an ongoing basis. Reducing crime in New York City is a never-ending task, as officers put pressure on the streets and target selected criminals and criminal activities.

Public Administration Theory application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Public Administration Theory application - Essay Example Included in the paper will be a theoretical perspective of the problem and theory selected. Various areas that may be specifically impacted and a problem analysis addressing the rates of graduation and test scores, additionally a solution analysis will be included with hypothetical returns based on current observations and available data. Ohio High Schools and the need for change Public education in Ohio In the school year ending in 2006 approximately 74% of all students in Ohio high schools graduated with a regular diploma. One contributing factor in this may be the earnings gap that exists with those not graduating generally making $10,000 less annually. (Alliance of an excellent education, 2009) In a 2008 report by the Americas Promise Alliance education group found that there was a large disparity in urban graduation rates versus suburban graduation rates, Columbus Ohio for instance averaged 40.9% graduation rate while the suburban districts had an average graduation rate of 82.9 % showing a glaring disparity in the two geographical areas. (Swanson, P.h.D, 2008 p. 12) This glaring disparity does bring the idea that there may be race related issues as well, though it is likely it is simply the result of economic changes and geographical location. As can be seen with the available information there is a difference between urban and suburban locations and school districts. Overall scores in the state of Ohio increased in the school year ending in 2008 from the school year ending in 2000; however, these scores were down from the school year ending in 2006 from 92.9 to 92.3. (Ohio Department of Education, 2008) More importantly the disparity in graduation numbers still exists, which while the test scores are improving the reduced graduation in urban areas remains a problem. There have been local attempts at improving the level of education and rates of students graduating specifically from Cleveland Ohio. One of those efforts encompasses the philosophy that livin g away from home may in fact assist with the student’s ability to learn. Educational Options LLC., offers a private solution for a public issue. The founder Ms. Simon offers a service which locates educational opportunities for teens with learning disabilities, from oppositional behavior through Autistic Spectrum Disorders. (Simon, 2011) Organizational theory, symbolic interactionism relating to the disparity of rates Symbolic interactionism as a theory focuses on the individual versus the more general societal implications of organizational theory. Within the public school system specifically within the Ohio High School public education program this approach would be a positive benefit. Sociologist Herbert Blumer defined the theory with three core principles. The first was meaning which states that humans act or react based on the meaning they have given those people or things they are reacting to. The second was language, which allows humans a means to negotiate through the meanings they have devised for the objects or persons. This further allows the basis for society as we understand it. The third principle is thought, each person’s thoughts changes the meanings of the symbols and or language. (Nelson, 1998 np) This administration approach applied within the school system would allow for a more specific approach which could assist in preventing the large disparity

Discussion on Women Education and Empowerment in India

Discussion on Women Education and Empowerment in India Women constitute almost half of the population in the world. But the prevailing masculine ideology made them suffer a lot as they were denied equal opportunities in different parts of the world. The rise of feminist ideas have, however, led to the tremendous improvement of womens condition through out the world in recent times. India being a developing nation and having huge tussles among its political, religious and administrative organs resulting into blocked development and the worst effect of that we can witness into women condition .They do not have proper chance to learn and grow and access to education has been one of the most pressing demands of womens rights . Women education in India has also been a major preoccupation of both the government and civil society as educated women can play a very important role in the development of the country. History of Women Education in India(4,6):Although in the Vedic period women had access to education in India but as the time grew they lost this right to avail education and academic exposure. However, in the British period there was revival of interest in womens education in India due to Britishers strong influence to the core Indian education system. During this period, various socio religious movements led by eminent persons like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar emphasized on womens education in India. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Periyar and Baba Saheb Ambedkar were leaders of the lower castes in India who took various initiatives to make education available to the women of India. They also ensured about their participation in the social gatherings and events by introducing them into polity and administration at all levels. However womens education got a fillip after the country got independence in 1947 and the government has taken various measures to provide education to a ll Indian women. As a result womens literacy rate has grown over the three decades and the growth of female literacy has in fact been higher than that of male literacy rate. While in 1971 only 22% of Indian women were literate, by the end of 2001 54.16% female were literate. The growth of female literacy rate is 14.87% as compared to 11.72 % of that of male literacy rate and is on growing path. Government has taken a step forward by making education compulsory and free to girl child till the age of fourteen. They are getting reservations in public sector exams and private sectors like Banks, Transport Services, Hospitality and Tourism, Healthcare etc. (4. Freedom Struggle By- Bipin Chandra Pal) Table The Literacy Rate in India 1901-2011 Percentage  Ã‚   of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literates  Ã‚  Ã‚   to  Ã‚   total  Ã‚  Ã‚   population Year  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Persons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Males  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Females 1901  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   9.8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.7 1911  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.1 1921  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.8 1931  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   9.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2.9 1941  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   16.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.3 1951  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   16.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  24.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.3 1961  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   34.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   13.0 1971  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   29.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   39.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18.7 1981  Ã‚           Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   36.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   46.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.8 1991  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   52.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   63.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   39.2 2001  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   65.38   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  76.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   54.0 2011(Recent data) 74.04 82.14 65.46 The above table shows that there is an improvement in women literacy in India during the years. But when we compare it with male literacy it becomes a concern area. (9. Censusindia.gov.in) Importance of Women Education in India(7):Women education in India plays a very important role in the overall development of the country. It not only helps in the development of half of the human resources, but in improving the quality of life at home and outside. Educated women not only tend to promote education of their girl children, but also can provide better guidance to all their children. Moreover educated women can also help in the reduction of infant mortality rate and growth of the nation. Education is a potent tool in the emancipation and empowerment of women. Its true that greatest single factor which can incredibly improve the status of women in any society is education. It is indispensable that education enables women not only to gain more knowledge about the world outside of her shell and home but helps her to get status, positive self esteem, and self confidence. It imparts necessary courage and inner strength to face challenges in life. Apparently it also facilitates them to procure a job and supplement the income of family and achieve social status. Education especially of women has a major impact on health and nutrition as an instrument of developing a sustainable strategy for population control. Moreover educated women can play an equally important role as men in nation building. Thus there is no denying fact that education empowers women. For example the different organs of the United Nations and experts on womens liberation argue for womens education as the basic step to attain equality with men. ( 7. Saraswathi Mishra, Status of Indian Women,Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, 2002) Obstacles:As we have discussed earlier to improve women education and condition in India various initiatives and corrective measures have been done but still a lot is expected to be accomplished. THE ROOT CAUSES FOR LOW LITERACY AMONG WOMEN IN INDIA Women education is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. No single factor or cause can be held responsible for very low literacy rate of women in India. Subsequently it is associated with combination of many factors including social, cultural, economic, educational, demographic, political and administrative and so on. The following are the some of the important factors which could be attributed for the present poor state of affairs of womenfolk in education. The Lower Enrolment: The lower enrolment of girls in schools is one of the foundational factors which stand as stumbling block for women empowerment in India. Reliable sources indicate that more than 50 % of the Non-Starters (those who have never been to school) are girls.   According to the latest statistics, two out of every ten girls in the age group of 6-11 are still not enrolled in schools. (1) Higher drop-out rate among girls from schools: The incidence and prevalence of drop -outs among girls especially in rural, tribal and slums areas seem to be quite high. According to available sources, occurrence of drop-out and stagnation amongst girls is nearly twice that of boys all over India. (1) Girl Child as Second Mother:In many families girl children play the role of second mother by shouldering the responsibilities of household work such as looking after the sibling, fetching water, collecting firewood, bringing fodder for cattle, cleaning and cooking etc.   In rural India especially in poor families this traditional sex role makes girl child handicapped and conditioned by the attitude of mother and the family and discourages girl child to go school as it becomes secondary and unimportant. Hence girl child is getting deprived of her basic and fundamental right of education and freedom. (8) Bonded Labor System: This social evil is a quite discouraging phenomena which stand as barrier for girls education in rural areas for the underprivileged families of washer men and agricultural labor , scheduled caste and scheduled tribes. Caste System as a Barrier : Children belonging to low caste families are forced to learn skills and work ways and not encouraged to go to school due to various factors. Strict instruction /threat from high caste communities for their selfish motives of keeping them as domestic servants and child laborers in the farms or factory. We can witness this through the stories of various factories and farm houses in industrial cities of India. Media is also playing a crucial role here in promoting as well as resisting these mishaps. (8) Bane of Dowry:Dowry system and other social practices act as main causes of the neglect of the girl child and discrimination against girl child including the deprivation of right of education. In many families especially poor and down-trodden think that if their daughters are educated more, they have to accumulate more assets and properties to provide as dowry in large proportion at the time of marriage, so prefer rather to either stop their children with average education and so on but never higher education. This prevails more in underprivileged families and communities. (1) Child Labour Practice:A large segment of child population in India is engaged in child labour practices. According to UN sources   India is the most child labour populous nation in the globe with more than 50 million child labourers indulged in beedi works , carpet making , bricks,   mining , quarrying ,glass, bangles, match and fireworks, gem polishing ,handloom works. zari,   embroidery ,coir industry, domestic works, construction etc. In most of these industries girl children are preferred for high productivity and low cost. (8) Poor School Environment for girls: In general the school environment for girls in India is not really interesting and encouraging. The subjects taught in schools are also not related to the environment of girl children. The methods of teaching are mostly out dated, rigid and uninteresting. There are still hundreds of schools with poor basic amenities such as drinking water, latrine and toilet facilities, improper building, and inadequate number of teachers especially female teachers preferable for any parents for safety of their girl children from different types of exploitation and abuse. (7) Female age at marriage: There is high association of female literacy with female age at marriage.   By and large the female age at marriage of 18   ( recently 21 years ) as prescribed by various legislations not at all followed in India .It is very much ignored and neglected by the families of parents with low literacy and illiteracy background. This obnoxious practice discourages female children to continue their schooling and higher education as they enter into family life at the early age which is not advisable from the physical and mental health point of view and also of social development. (7) Inferiority, subservience and domesticity:The female child in Indian culture especially in rural, tribal and poor families is expected to develop the qualities of inferiority; subservience and domesticity which place sever limitations on her education and development. They are considered to be lesser important for getting knowledge of outside world and exposure to education and liberty. (6) Poverty as a Barrier: In many poverty stricken families, children especially girls are considered as economic  Ã‚   assets as they bring income for livelihood as well to save from economic crises due to death or incapacity of parents (sick/ handicapped/aged). Ineffective Law Enforcing Machinery:Indian constitution and various legislations pertaining to education to children assure free and compulsory education all children of this nation but unfortunately the enforcement machinery fail to discharge its duties and responsibilities to the satisfaction of the public interest and welfare of women. Due to this wrong implementation of right policies also women of our country is getting severely affected. (5) Demographic Factors:The high population growth rate, rapid urbanisation, migration etc also attribute immensely for the poor literacy level of women and girls in India. In these frequent transition girl Childs and women are getting neglected, uncared and unheard. (5) Poor Political Will and Conviction: Government officials, policy makers, politicians etc of our country have neither political will nor conviction for the empowerment of women in general. The only think about their personal benefits and money making ignoring the welfare of the community for whom and by whom they have reached to that position. It is a very sad and disappointing aspect of Indias democracy. (5) Gender discrimination:It still persists in India .Male are still dominating and commanding the social structure of the nation and lot more needs to be done to improve womens participation in this regard e.g. womens education. The gap in the male-female literacy rate is just a simple indicator. While the male literary rate is more than 75% according to the 2001 census, the female literacy rate is just 54.16%.Prevailing prejudices, low enrollment of girl child in the schools, engagements of girl children in domestic works and high drop out rate are major obstacles in the path of making all Indian women educated. (6) Poor Academia:Another reason for poor quality of women educationhere is the poor quality of teachers ingovernment schools .Government schools are unable toattract good quality teachers due toinadequate teaching facilities and low salaries. The government currently spends only 3% of its GDP on educationwhich is inadequate and insufficient. Toimprovethe quality of education, the government needs tospend more money from its coffers on education. (4) Steps to improve their Participation: A A significant development in recent years has been the mushrooming of community-based organizations and initiatives at the local level for women. Reports indicates that self-help programs, often in the form of savings and credit or micro credit schemes, have succeeded in changing the lives of poor women, enhancing incomes and generating positive externalities such as increased self-esteem. Micro credit is about much more than access to money. It is about women gaining control over the means to make a living. It is about women lifting themselves out of poverty and vulnerability. I is about women achieving economic and political empowerment within their homes, their villages, their countries. (5) In this whole paper we have discussed about women condition in India in terms of access to education, opportunity to learn and grow and problems in achieving the same and at last some of the measures to rectify the errors and making things happen. B-One more initiative taken by the government is the voucher system. Under the voucher system, parents are allowed tochoose a school for their children and they get full or partial reimbursement for the expenses from the government. But however, the voucher system has also a draw back because it will further aggravate the problem of poor quality of educationingovernment schools. Such a system will shift resources from government schools toprivate schools. This will worsen the situation of government schools which are already under-funded. Moreover, if the same amount given as vouchers can be used tobuild infrastructure inschools then the government can realize economies of scale. (6) C-The government of India has also felt the need to put in place an appropriate institutional mechanism to look after the Education Rights of Women and thus instituted the formulation of All India Womens Conference, National Womens Commission and State Womens Commission. At the same time government has approved special grants and allowances to NGOs working for the cause of women upliftment and social mobility. Self Help Groups have also been constituted at Panchayat level to provide a platform for the rural women to discuss issues such as family planning, child marriage, widow remarriage, Sati, domestic violence. Mother Teresas Women Universityhas greatly helped in the cause of women empowerment who received Noble Peace Prize for her genuine social work. (6) D -India is getting a great help from World Bankfor the betterment of women education and their empowerment in the country .It has approved funding for Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Programme (APRPRP) thus garnering international supportfor the upliftment of women. Womens reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha has gained momentum with Govt. of India promising the reservation of one-third seats in Parliament for the women. (8) E -One of the recommendations of National Policy on Education (1986) by the Government of India is to promote empowerment of women through the agency of education and it is considered to be a land mark in the approach to womens education of illiterate. The National Literacy Mission is another positive step towards eradication of illiteracy in the age group of 15-35 years. Women education has assumed special significance in the context of Indias planned development, as it is incorporated in every Five-year plans as the major programme for the development of women. Universalization of elementary education, enrolment and retention of girls in the schools, promotion of balwadies and crutches, raising number of schools and colleges of arts , science, and professional for girls , Politechniques, girls hostels, multipurpose institutions and adult education programmes are some of the steps being   taken by both central and state governments in India to boost-up womens education. (5) F    Since the prevailing situation of poor or less enrolment of girls in schools closes the doors for development and prosperity of future generation of women, concerted efforts must be initiated jointly by the government, parents and civil society to achieve universal enrolment for girls without any compromise. The enrolment can be made even mandatory for every girls by the government in the realm of compulsory education. (5) G -The Ministry of Education both at Centre and State level should work out strategic steps to stop firmly the ongoing high drop -outs among girls especially in rural, tribal and slums areas with the serious involvement of voluntary organisations in every locality to realize zero drop-out among girls. (7) H -The poverty stricken families can   be identified through proper research and necessary poverty alleviation   services be provided to strengthen the income   thereby to enable the families to send their children to schools and colleges without much financial difficulties I -Bonded Child labour and Child labour   practice must be abolished with strict administrative measures and the relieved children form bondage   should be integratedinto schools with suitable defence social mechanism. J Appropriate steps should be taken by the educational authorities with the participation of communities in order to bring the girl children to the main stream of education and development at every level including family and community. K -The female child in every Indian family irrespective of socio-economic status should be moulded to overcome the challenges of inferiority; subservience and domesticity which place sever limitations on her education and development. Every family irrespective its socio-cultural and economic background can take it a challenge to bring up their girl children as dignified human being with empowerment in physical , mental, economic and social dimensions of life. (7) L The Midday meal scheme and other educational supportive services like free text books,   Note books , Fee uniforms , Free Bicycles, Free bus , scholarships Free bus pass and so on   as done in the state of Tamil Nadu can be provided in all states and union territories to lift up the literacy level among girls. (6) M -As social evils like dowry, child marriage , caste system and other practices deprive rights of education for children belonging to poor and underprivileged families and communities, they should eliminated through well-designed packages of mass awareness programmes and social welfare measures with full support of   public, political parties, NGOs and government agencies. (7) N -The electronic and print media can play significant role in building a good and positive image about girls and women in general in the society by giving no focus for such advertisements and news fetching commercial gain at the cost of depicting women as an object. This would help in changing the society s attitudes towards girls and their roles to treat every girl or woman as human being with self respect and dignity. (7) O -Government, voluntary sector and philanthropic organisations and individuals should come forward to provide free education for poor girls and provide free   hostel facilities   for girls studying in schools and colleges in every state of India. This will certainly encourage children of poor families to pursue good and higher education without much impediments. (6) P -The schools of social work, departments of women studies, Women Universities and other educational institutions in hand with   NGOs   and social service organisations such as Rotary Clubs , Lions Clubs , women lib organisations associations can work together to improve the educational status of the womenfolk in this country on mutual respect and understanding. (7) Q -The parents of children belonging to poor, underprivileged families   must be specially educated with proper social formula to help them   to understand the significance of education   for their girl children as foundation for empowerment. (1) R -Government, NGOs and public should work hand in hand to implement the minimum age at marriage (21and above) Awareness should be created to institutionalise it as a traditional practice cut acrossing castes, religions, community etc. (5) S Government officials, policy makers, political parties and others should have adequate political will and conviction to empower women in India without double standard mind T -The law enforcing machinery should be made really effective with efficient monitoring vigilant system to implement the constitutional and legislative provisions and administrative measures to assure free and compulsory education for all children of this nation without any gender discrimination. (7) Its true that there is great deal of requirement to uplift women education in India at the grass root level because majority of the female population live in the rural areas .They do not avail the basic things in their life and to get education is still a distant dream for them. However Indian government is coming up with various scheme in their five year plan to make the situation healthy and encouraging for these women. In 1990s, grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-oriented NGOs(3). Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed WomenHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEWAHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEWAs Association (SEWA) have played a major role in womens rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of local movements. For example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Companies like NIIT Ltd. (2) has come up with the project called Affirmative Action where they are taking girls from the down trodden areas and training them about English language, basic computer knowledge and after that helping them to get jobs in Retail, BPO ,Hospitality sectors. In this way the are educating them and by providing jobs women are getting empowered in taking decision, participating in family income and by helping their kids to make the future bright and opportunity oriented. (2 , 3) There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence. Empowerment is a major step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational context. A clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of womens emancipation both from the government and women themselves. Efforts should be directed towards all round development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share. The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the bad phases of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been on better track. In modern India, women have acquired high offices in India including that of the President, Prime minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition, etc. The current President of India is a woman. (5) A review of governments various programmes for women empowerment such as Swashakti, Swayamsidha, Streeshakti, Balika samrudhi yojana and another two thousand projects reveal that little has been done or achieved through these programmes. The discrepancy in the ideology and practice of the empowerment policy of women in India constitutes its continued social, economic and social backwardness. Women make up 52% of our countrys population. Hence there can be no progress unless their needs and interests are fully met. Empowerment would not hold any meaning unless they are made strong, alert and aware of their equal status in the society. Policies should be framed to bring them into the mainstream of society. It is important to educate the women. The need of the hour is to improve female literacy as education holds the key to development. (2 , 3) There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence. Empowerment is a major step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational context. A clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of womens emancipation both from the government and women themselves. Efforts should be directed towards all round development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share. I believe with the likes of Pratibha Patil, Sonia Gandhi, Indra Nooyi, Chanda Kochar etc. bagging the top jobs, it would not be long when India would be boosting of its Gender Equality Index (GEI) and Gender Development Index (GDI).Lesser will be the social stigma of women exploitation which have haunted it for many years gone by. Summary: Empowerment can be defined as the totality of the following or similar capabilities: Having decision-making power of their own Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.) Ability to exercise assertiveness collective decision making Having positive thinking on the ability to make change Ability to learn skills for improving ones personal or group power. Ability to change others perceptions by democratic means. Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated Increasing ones positive self-image and overcoming stigma Conclusion: From these discussions we can say that the most common explanation of womens empowerment is the ability to exercise full control over ones actions. The last decades have witnessed some basic changes in the status and role of women in our society. There has been shift in policy approaches from the concept of welfare in the seventies to development in the eighties and now to growth in the nineties and now trumpet of empowerment. This process has been further accelerated with some sections of women becoming increasingly self-conscious of their discrimination in several areas of family and public life. They are also in a position to mobilize themselves on issues that can affect their overall position.

Maida on the Work of O’Connor – Light and Enlightenment

Maida on the Work of O’Connor Jordan Hollowell English 103 Professor Kuzmenkov October 6, 2012 (2) The main idea of Maida’s article is to tie together and explain the common literary devices apparent in Flannery O’Connor’s short stories.There are four reoccurring devices in O’Connor’s work: first, the eyes, which reflect an individuals innermost thoughts and emotions; then the tree-line which symbolizes the division of understanding between the world understood by an individual and the world beyond their comprehension; then the color purple which represents emotional or physical trauma which is often evoked alongside the Sun, which represents divine intervention.In describing these devices Maida also describes the arc of O’Connor’s characters as one in which they begin their journey with a sinful or selfish understanding of life and ultimately are bestowed with an enlightened understanding of life after embracing the love of God , Christian values, or both. (3) Maida’s writing is a brilliant exploration of the subject matter.From the citations given throughout the article it seems apparent that the core idea would not be lost on any reader, but after having been provided with a thorough examination of the O’Connor ‘s symbology her writing can now be appreciated to it’s full extent. For instance, a symbol like the Sun might be mistaken for a moment of clarity to someone unfamiliar with O’Connor’s other works. (4a) Maida (1976) asserts that the Sun is unmistakable as God’s active force, due to its ability to violate the laws of physics concerning its shape and movement (p. -3). However, since it is used as a metaphor its movement or changes could be interpreted as imagined movements that reside only in the mind of the character to whom they apply. The Sun as metaphor would then represent the comprehension of a life lesson as it eludes or is absorbed by the chara cter. This understanding would recast the role of God from one which is shown to be an active participant spurring characters’ ultimate realizations, to one in which the character must grasp the truth of God and life more independently.While the story would still make sense, the nuances of God’s love and patience would be lost. (5) My claim that Maida’s examination of O’Connor’s symbolism enable’s readers to understand the authors writing to it’s full extent stems from my personal reluctance to embrace the idea that God is active in peoples lives. I know that I would miss the message which (4b) Maida continues to stress, â€Å"Although man is thwarted by his lack of vision, the light remains a hovering presence-ready to pursue if necessary, the recalcitrant† (p. ) Were I to read O’Connor’s works I feel that I would choose to believe that the characters have their notions shattered and come to enlightenment through introspection, that they come to their own conclusions about God independently of Him. I would choose to view the Sun not as something that pursues, but rather something which as always been with the character, but never accepted or explored until the time wherein the individual was ready for it. References (1a) Maida, P. D. (1976). Light and Enlightenment in Flannery O'Connor's Fiction.In Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Retrieved from http://www. fofweb. com. proxy1. athensams. net/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE54;SID=5;iPin= BLTSAR011;SingleRecord=True (1b) Maida, Patricia D. â€Å"Light and Enlightenment in Flannery O'Connor's Fiction. † Sin and Redemption, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. October 6, 2012. ;http://www. fofweb. com. proxy1. athensams. net/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE54;SID=5;iPin= BLTSAR011;SingleRecord=True;.

Dying to be Beautiful The Risks of Cosmetic Surgery

An extremely amount of people around the world do not feel comfortable with the face that they were born with and feel uncomfortable to show it. They believe they are ugliest people in the world and they feel like that whatever the people say is the truth. They believe that they have no other escape but to go in for cosmetic surgery. An enormous amount of men and woman go in for cosmetic surgery to make them look younger or fix a part of their face that they are unsatisfied with or they want to reshape something that to them is a disorder. They go into surgery without knowing the consequences they are going in for and they face high chances of never seeing their original face never again. Certain celebrity and model’s career have†¦show more content†¦All that enormous amount of money she spent on her surgeries, could have gone towards the poor ad to people that need that help or even give that money to the people that need the face surgeries just to live. The process of going in for cosmetic surgery is tiresome and expensive. If you just want to go in for a lip injection, the total will be around $499 and if you want a face-lift, it would range from $4000-$7000. It is an incredulously amount of money that person will be paying for plastic surgery and they do not even know if the surgery will be successful. All that money they will spend for the surgery can be used for something even better other than plastic surgery. A counterargument from healthy beauty states, â€Å"cosmetic surgery won’t change your life. It won’t solve personal problems or make you look like someone else. But it may give you greater self confidence and add to your sense of well-being†. Yes, to some people cosmetic surgery can give them confidence but to others, it will leave them unsatisfied and wanting even more surgery until their face is completely different and barely even recognize themselves. Other people have had some successful surgeries and loo k even better than before but to others, have had unsuccessful surgeries and they try to go back to fix it and it just becomes worse and at the end, the face that you always wanted, became the nightmare that you never wanted to have in the first placee. Cosmetic surgery isShow MoreRelatedCosmetic Surgery: A Risky and Costly Procedure1355 Words   |  6 PagesIf one is considering cosmetic surgery I suggest reconsidering. Research shows cosmetic surgery can be a risky and costly procedure. Society is pressuring people to look more attractive. Media shows actors to be flawless and the public feels that one should be compared to these actors. Cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular is today’s culture. People are turning to cosmetic surgery for many reasons, some of them are not healthy. 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