Women and Empowerment : Issues and Challenges by Dr. Deepak Sharma , Dr. Meghna Rishi , Dr. Moni Mishra , Dr. Rekha Kashyap

Empowerment' in totality enables women to take control over the circumstances of their lives, their well-being and over their resources and ideology. It offers greater self-confidence and can be best achieved through an inner transformation of one's consciousness to overcome external affairs. Empowerment hence can be defined as a person's capacity to make effective choices, that is, the capacity to transform choices into desired activities and outcomes. The extent or degree to which a person is empowered is influenced the capacity to make purposive choice and the institutional context in which choice is made. Empowerment amongst women reflected itself during the early 1930's when Smt. Lalita Shastri, wife of former Prime Minister of India, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, exhibited finesse and an undying zest to spread happiness. Chapter Two of this book showcases Smt. Lalita Shastri's Empowered being and highlights her innate qualities of prudence, acceptance and good judgment.ISBN - 9789350973509