Include bibliographical references.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• To explore key factors affecting women empowerment in India and Israel • To analyze important measures adopted by India and Israel for economic empowerment of women. • To determine the impact of education on women empowerment in India and Israel. • To determine factors affecting political empowerment of women in these two
countries.
• To critically evaluate the role of both countries in enhancing health and well-being of women citizens. • To find out those factors which come in the way of gender parity in both states. • To critically evaluate overall measures undertaken by Indian and Israeli governments to foster women empowerment. • To compare the relative progress and current status of women empowerment in both countries.
This study is about India and Israel's women. As it is already mentioned both of these countries attained statehood towards the end of 1940s. It is also true that India got freedom from British rule whereas Israel established itself on the Palestinian land with the help of the United States of America's backing. There are certain differences between Israeli and Indian society. Israel is having a dominating military culture whereas in India it does not exist. The military culture of Israel has provided upper hand to its women citizen than their Indian sisters. During my Israel visit a professor suggested me not to undertake comparative study of Indian and Israeli women. But in my view this study would fill the knowledge gap which exists about women in developing and developed countries and
provide some insight to Indian policy maker to work properly for empowerment of Indian
women. The other variable which is significant to mention here is that South Asia 26 % of global population whereas West Asia is having only 3% of World population I'am not claiming that larger population is a major cause which comes in the way women empowerment.
living in the 21st century, women are still occupying secondary status 6,,,en though we are worldwide. It is pointed out by the United Nations that women have not achieved equality with men in any country. Of the world's 1.3 billion poor people, it is estimated that nearly women. A scholar, Yasmeen Mohiuddin also pointed out in his study "Women 70 occupy secondary status in almost every society, however, their status vary from one part of are inter-regional and inter-country differences in the status of the world to another. There women in all status indicators such as health, education, employment, domestic life, political representation and legal equality, and in the extent of the gender gap in these" (Mohiuddin,1996). Many theories and international institutions deal with the women empowerment, e.g., the developmental theory, sociological theory, dependency theory and feminist theory. In the case of institutions Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations and Social Institutions and Gender Index's approaches have been discussed in the thesis. One common factor in all these theories is education. Better achievement on this front speaks high of empowerment and an educational downturn trend shows the lowering of this empowerment. Another important factor in these theories and institution's approach is health. Better health indicators are signs of better production and of empowerment. The lowering health parameters indicate the downturn of social empowerment. Other parameters like entry in the labour force, trade, defence services, participation in the national political field, international political field, judiciary, gender equality and gender justice are also other relevant indicators of economic and political empowerment of women. A brief discussion of these in relation to women empowerment in India and Israel is undertaken below.
India got its freedom in 1947 and Israel came into existence in 1948 but Israel is far ahead India in almost every field. Even Israeli intelligentsia does not like the idea of comparative studies about Indian and Israeli women. They gave various reasons for it including that India is having larger population than Israel. India is far-far behind Israel in many respects particularly in cultural sense and to them Indian culture is near to Arab culture and does not Compare with Jewish culture.

Indian Council of Social Science Research.

English