Darakshan Hassn Bhat
Women’s empowerment is one of the most heated discussions these days, especially in Kashmir and regions where we still encounter traditional stereotypes or orthodox cultures. But are we only talking about women’s empowerment, or are we actually doing the work for it? Are our women empowered within their families across different roles? Do men owe women? Do men, in whatever capacity, respect the independent decisions of women? Do our men really want their female family members on the same page? ‘I cannot work now because I am married?’ ‘I am married, so I need to leave my job even while having the innate potential to do the work better than men.’ How are we looking at it?
Men, who sit at the centre of the family structure, can truly empower women only when they themselves are empowered with knowledge and awareness. In traditional social structures, a woman’s identity has often been defined strictly through relational roles: a mother, a daughter, a sister, or a wife. While these roles are foundational to family life, they often box women into domestic expectations, limiting their broader social and economic agency.
To bridge the gap between policy-level success and domestic reality, men must learn to perceive women beyond these traditional titles, as autonomous individuals with their own innate potential, professional ambitions, and constitutional rights. True male engagement in women’s empowerment is rooted in a structured framework of awareness, respect, and shared responsibility.
Empowerment begins with awareness. Men need a deep grounding in women’s legal and constitutional rights, recognizing that gender equality is not a concession, but a fundamental right. Alongside this, understanding women’s active participation in public life, governance, and the economy ensures that men do not view female success as an anomaly, but as a standard component of civic progress.
One of the most persistent barriers to women’s career longevity is the “double burden”—the expectation that a working woman must manage 100% of household chores alongside her professional duties. Men must actively share domestic responsibilities, assisting working women at home. Furthermore, mutual respect for work, whether it is running a rural enterprise through a Self-Help Group or leading a corporate board, validates women’s economic contributions.
Empowerment is incomplete without agency. Men must actively create space for women in family and financial decision-making, encouraging and supporting women to become independent decision-makers. This includes respecting women’s individual aspirations, wishes, and career paths, rather than steering them toward predefined societal tracks.
As highlighted by national campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, changing societal mindsets requires dismantling the archaic notion that women and children are property or secondary dependents. Families thrive when men view female family members as equal partners, sharing thoughts, ideas, and challenges of both the workplace and daily life.
When men embrace this evolved mindset, the benefits do not flow in just one direction; they create a profound positive feedback loop within the household.
Children model the behaviors they see at home. When a growing boy observes his father sharing household responsibilities, respecting his mother’s professional decisions, and treating her as an equal intellectual partner, he internalizes gender equality as a natural way of life.
In households where men support women’s financial independence, whether through micro-enterprises, formal banking, or digital commerce, family income diversifies. Studies consistently show that women reinvest a significantly higher share of their earnings back into the family’s health, nutrition, and children’s education.
Furthermore, the pressure to conform to rigid gender roles takes a heavy toll on men. The expectation to be the sole financial provider can lead to immense stress. Shared responsibilities create a partnership model of marriage and family life, reducing domestic friction and fostering mutual mental well-being.
At a macro level, shifting the mindset of men accelerates national development. India’s digital public infrastructure, ranging from digital identity systems and UPI to the Udyam platform registering over 3.5 crore female-owned enterprises, has built the rails for economic inclusion. However, digital rails and government schemes require cultural fuel to run effectively.
When men champion women’s participation, the barriers that keep talented women out of the workforce begin to dissolve. Safer workplaces, inclusive corporate cultures, and vibrant rural economies emerge naturally when communities reject patriarchal constraints.
As India marches toward its future, our message to the world and to ourselves must be comprehensive. We cannot urge women to become the architects of national development while leaving men anchored in archaic frameworks of control. By educating men on rights, sharing domestic labor, respecting individual aspirations, and championing true equality, we stop treating women’s empowerment as a separate women’s issue. Instead, we recognize it for what it truly is: a shared human endeavor that strengthens the family, enriches the community, and elevates the entire nation.
(The author can be reached at darakshanhassanbhat@gmail.com)