Women in Vedic Period:

 high status, property rights

 chanted Vedic hymns
Women in Sutra Period:
 women kept away from Vedas
 relegated to household duties
Women in Medivial Period:
 women saints Meera Bai
 muslims adopted early marriage dowry
 they were polygamous
Status of women in British Period:
 status deteriorated
 lost their rights
 Regained status due to English education
 women’s conferences, social reformers
Present day miseries:
 polygamy, enforced widowhood, dowry
 immoral traffic in women, discrimination
 female foeticide, female infanticide
 illiteracy among girls, violence against women
Gender inequality in India:
 difference in economic roles, cultural traditions
 restriction of movement, autonomy of women
 marriage and family practices
 sex ratio- for 1000 men 933 women, 2001 census
After independence:
 constitutional protections
 various legislations
Constitutional provisions:
 constitution accepted principle of gender equality
Article 14:
 assures equality before law
Article 15 and 16:
 prohibits discrimination
Article 15(A)(e):
 to renounce practices derogatory to dignity of
women
Article 16(1):
 equality of opportunity for all
Article 39(d):
 equal pay for equal work
Article 42:
 to provide for maternity relief
 to provide just and humane conditions
Atrocities against women:
 violence against women
 rape, abduction, murder, domestic violence
 dowry deaths, wife valtering, sexual abuse
 female foeticide, sati, dowry harassment
The Indian Penal Code, 1860:
offences and atrocities:
1. Dowry:
 Section 304-B of IPC
 imprisonment of 7 years
2. Causing miscarriage without consent:
 sections 312 to 318 of IPC
 for causing death- life imprisonment
3. Outraging modesty of women:
 sections 354 of IPC
 imprisonment upto 2 years
4. Kidnapping and abduction:
 sections 359 to 374 of IPC
 imprisonment upto 10 years
5. Sexual offences:
 sections 375 to 376D of IPC
 377 and 509 of IPC
 imprisonment of 7 years
Offences relating to Marriage:
 cohabitation with a women by deceit
 section 453 of IPC-imprisonment of 10 years
Bigamy during lifetime of a spouse:
 section 494 of IPC
 7 years imprisonment, fine
Adultery:
 section 497 of IPC
Laws made to arrest atrocities against women:
 Child marriage: The Child Marriage Restraint
Act,1929.
 Sati: The Commission of
Sati(prevention)Act,1987
 Dowry: The Dowry Prohibition Act,1961.
 Immoral traffic: The Immoral
traffic(prohibition) Act,1956.
Sexual harassment of women at workplace:
 considered as human rights violation
 welfare and safety of women- Factories
Act,1948
Social legislative measures to uplift status of
women in India:
Before independence:
 The Prevention of Sati Act,1829
 The Hindu widow Remarriage Act,1856
 The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929
After independence:
1. Hindu Marriage Act,1955: age of marriage 15 to
18 years
2. Hindu Succession Act,1956: equal rights in the
property of the father
3. The Dowry Prohibition Act,1961: the act for destroying
dowry system
4. The Equal Remuneration Act,1961: equal pay for equal
work for men and women
5. The Immoral traffic(prevention) Act,1956: punishments
for immoral traffic in women
6. The Medical Termination of pregnancy Act,1971: legalizes
abortion on medical grounds
7. The Commission of Sati(prevention) Act,1987: for
prevention of sati
8. The pre-natal Diagnostic techniques(Regulations and
prevention of misuse) Act,1994: to prohibit misuse of
pre-natal diagnostic techniques
9. The Family Courts Act,1984: for speedy settlement of
marital disputes
10. The Maternity Benefit Act,1961: to provide maternity
benefits to working women
11. The employees’ state insurance Act,1948: to provide
maternity benefits to insured women
12. Inheritance Act: provides equal share to women in
property
13. Amendment of Rape Law,1984:
 law is an instrument to remove social diabilities
 a tool for empowering women
India’s emphasis on welfare state has impact on women’s
status.