International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research

Authors
Surabhi

Abstract
The principle of of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The Constitution does not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the state to adopt affirmative action for women empowerment. Within the framework of constitutional and parliamentary democratic polity, our statutory laws, development policies, plans and and programmes have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. In the 21^st century, strategies and goals have been shifted from welfare of women to empowerment of women. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. This paper discusses changing dynamics of women empowerment in India. Women make up nearly half of India’s population. Therefore, without active participation of women in decision making process India could not achieve goals in different areas. Women empowerment is multi-dimensional gaining self-confidence and meaningful participation in decision making process. Empowering women to make their own decisions without any limitations and treating them at par with men is imperative for the holistic progress of the nation. The term affirmative action originated from USA to prohibit unfair discrimination against certain groups or people. It is a set of policies that are designed to promote inclusion of all individuals by addressing concern about discrimination some form of present in society. The Bihar government has initiated affirmative action to address the issues and challenges for women empowerment. Since 2005, Nitish government has launched various programmes, plans and policies for empowerment of women. This study examines Nitish government’s affirmative action for empowerment of women in Bihar.