Women's Rights in India
India, with a population of over a billion people houses vast cultural diversity and is home to a predominantly young population. India has, along with the rest of the world, has made significant strides in recent decades to improve the livelihoods of women. Still, as it is unfortunately common in the world, women in India continue to face numerous challenges in achieving equality and empowerment.
Historical Perspective
Women's status in India has fluctuated along with its cultural history. In ancient India, known as the Vedic period, women and men were seen equally, as represented in the Vedic texts as the “two wheels of a cart.” It is known that in this period, women were allowed to pursue education and participate in intellectual pursuits along with their male counterparts, as gendered constructs and constraints were not a part of society. Political participation and social roles including the right to ownership was also equal amongst all.
The advent of foreign invasions and the rise of caste-based hierarchies in the 6th-18th countries led to a decline in women's status. Although it is difficult to pinpoint what led to women’s social restrictions, a likely indicator is the advent of foreign invasion. Women faced restrictions on their movement, education, and social participation. Oppressive practices like sati (widow immolation), child marriage, and purdah (veiling) were prevalent in this time, although the status of women varied across different regions and time periods.
As the political and social landscape of India changed in the British colonial period (18th-20th century) women’s rights changed in tandem. The British colonial rule imposed both western values and its ideas about women’s rights, introducing some education for women. At this time, women’s organisations and activists emerged, advocating for women's rights and social justice. Most notably this politically active period was marked by a rise in nationalism in response to colonial oppression. Women played a significant role in the Indian independence movement, fighting for both national liberation and women's rights.
The Post-Independence Climate
Post-Independence India (1947-Present) has seen progressive movements for legislative reforms that ensure equality between men and women. However, patriarchy is a global phenomena that has only increased in pervasiveness as globalisation makes distances seem all the shorter. Hence, women in India continue to face significant challenges that are worsened for women with other intersecting marginalised identities. Women are often stereotyped as less capable, which can limit their opportunities for education, employment, and decision-making, causing both a material and psychological impact. Given the latter stereotypes, women suffer harmful practices like child marriage. According to UNICEF, 27 per cent of all young women in India were married in childhood as of 2020; this is a decline from prior years, where 47 per cent of all young women were married in childhood. The practice of dowry, still prevalent, where families of brides are expected to pay a substantial sum of money or gifts to the groom's family, can lead to financial hardship, domestic violence, and even dowry deaths.
Women suffer from political and economic disparities, following a limited access to education, particularly in seeking higher education. Women are often underrepresented in the workforce and earn lower wages than men. They also have limited access to property and financial resources. According to Pew research centre, 80% of the population agreed that, in the case fewer jobs are available, men should have preference. Women in India continue to face violence, including domestic violence and sexual harassment.
Progress
The women in India who face these challenges, have also made significant strides in promoting women's rights. Women's organisations and activists have played a crucial role in raising awareness of women's issues and advocating for change, challenging harmful social norms that have led to structural changes. For example, those that gathered in New Delhi in December of 2012 in response to the gang rape of 23 year old student Jyoti Pandey. Indian women have taken collective actions against oppressive conditions for years previous to that highly documented event, for example, in the 1972 case of young woman Mathura who was raped by two police officers. This case led to a national outcry against rape that continues to be one of the largest women-led mobilizations in India.
Following important moments of empowerment for women, India has enacted structural changes to improve the status of women. The government has enacted laws to protect women from violence, ensure equal inheritance rights, and promote gender equality in education and employment including constitutional guarantees and legislative reforms. Several laws have been enacted to protect women's rights, such as the Domestic Violence Act, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, and the Hindu Succession Act.
Although the road towards women’s equality for all women is a hard road, Indian women have proved through their unrelenting collective spirit, that this change is possible through collective actions, structural reforms, and working to change patriarchal attitudes. Still, we must remember that women’s rights are not only a fight for women, but it is a fight for all humans.
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