Women employment is key to economic progress
Tamil Nadu is the second largest contributor to the GDP of India, and one glaring fact is that the maximum number of 42% of all women employed in India, belong to Tamil Nadu, which also has the largest number of factories in India. This figure has been recently published in the Mint magazine.Tamil Nadu is a success story, only because 30 years ago, women were encouraged to study very well. In all families, at least one girl would have studied up to the plus 2 level, and those who had missed out are now given some chance to qualify as private candidates.
We also need to understand that when are self-employed, through hundreds of self-help groups, there is a massive opportunity for housewives to do something productive. This has also resulted in a massive spin off effect, as the excess disposable income goes to funding the education of children.
Every girl child in the Government and Government-aided schools is now provided with an incentive to study. This incentive is paid monhtly at Rs.1,000 which goes directly to the savings account of the child, after the sixth standard. Hundreds of thousands of girl children are the beneficiaries and the actual truth is that a massive number of servant maids are now determined to see that their daughters are graduates. Coupled with a rapidly declining birth rate, Tamil Nadu is right on top on so many human development indices.
Kerala and AP are also reported to be making massive progress. In Kerala, the simple truth is that the educated women go to different parts of India to become productively employed and this is another welcome development.