Men need not decide for women, they are well capable: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that women are capable of taking care of themselves and men shouldn't think it is they who know better about how women can make progress.

At a programme organised to launch the study 'The status of Women in India', conducted by an RSS-affiliated organisation, Drishti, Bhagwat said men should not harbour overconfidence that they can decide how women can be empowered and added that the decision should be left to women.

The Sangh, in its last coordination meeting held in Pushkar, Rajasthan, had decided to focus on women, especially those belonging to the tribal population. The study was reviewed at the meeting and its findings led to the RSS asking its frontal organisations to work for the upliftment of women. Many projects have already been initiated in this regard.

Recalling that he was often asked about the role of women in Sangh, Bhagwat said the work done by women is for all to see. He said even for this particular study, the work was done by women while men only "cheered" for them.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who attended the event, said, "Based on Western concepts, we are told women are in a disadvantageous position. This study showed that they are empowered. This doesn't mean women don't have disadvantages."

Sitharaman said women do not want token participation. She further said while women may require legal provisions to have opportunities, it is also important that they come forward. "We should come out of comfort zones to give proof (of competence)," she said. There are three aspects to empowerment: access, opportunity, and women speaking out, the minister added.

The study found that the literacy rate among women has increased since the last census of 2011, where it was recorded at 64%. The study claims that it stands at 79.63% now. Illiteracy was highest among tribal women, followed by those belonging to the scheduled castes.

The female unemployment rate was the highest in the general category and among the scheduled tribe women. The tribal women also faced the highest instance of sexual harassment, the study revealed.