GS2 2025 Q6 10 marks 150 words Women empowerment

UPSC Mains 2025 GS2 Q6 — Women empowerment

Women's social capital complements in advancing empowerment and gender equity. Explain. (Answer in 150 words)

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Question Decoded — examiner's intent

Directive verbs
Explain
Scope keywords
Women's social capitalcomplementsadvancing empowermentgender equity
Implicit sub-parts
  • Define social capital in the specific context of women (SHGs, community networks, FPOs).
  • Demonstrate how social capital acts as a catalyst for economic and political empowerment.
  • Analyze how these networks bridge the gap toward gender equity (social standing and decision-making power).
  • Briefly mention challenges or limitations where social capital alone is insufficient.
Common pitfalls
  • Writing a generic essay on 'Women Empowerment' without focusing on the 'Social Capital' (networks/relationships) aspect.
  • Confusing social capital with human capital (skills/education) or financial capital (loans).
  • Failing to distinguish between empowerment (agency) and equity (fairness/structural change).
  • Neglecting to provide contemporary Indian examples like Kudumbashree or SEWA.
Dimensions required
Economic (Financial inclusion via SHGs)Political (Collective bargaining and local governance)Social (Norm change and community support systems)Psychological (Confidence and collective agency)
Marks allocation hint

Spend 30 words defining women's social capital. Allocate 60 words to the 'Empowerment' aspect (economic/political agency) and 40 words to 'Gender Equity' (breaking systemic barriers). Reserve 20 words for a forward-looking conclusion or a brief mention of institutional support.

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