Women's Movement

The genesis of the women’s movement in India can be traced back to the social reform movement in 19th century British India. Like the women’s movement in other parts of the world, it primarily focussed on the upliftment of the position of women in society. But unlike other prominent women's movements in America and Britain, discourse on women's issues in India was started by enlightened men during British Rule. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar, and MG Ranade are some of the prominent social reformers who tried to bring the women’s issue to the centre stage. But as time progressed, women also found their voices and raised some important issues, such as women’s education, voting rights, gender equality, etc. After independence, the constitution makers addressed some of the issues of equality and empowerment in the Indian Constitution. But many issues, such as violence against women, exploitation, oppression, and discrimination, still lingered in society. To address these, some important movements took place in post-independent India that led to recognition of women’s rights. However, the women's movement is an ongoing process not only in India but also globally, and now the discourse has shifted from women’s advancement and gender equality to women’s empowerment.

Before delving into the reforms that took place, it is important to know what the position of women was in ancient and medieval India.

Position of Women in Ancient India

• In the Vedic age, the position of women was equal to that of men. They had the right to education, and no mention of any oppressive practices such as child marriage, sati, etc has been found. Since there was constant conflict between tribes, women looked after household activities.
• But after the Vedic position of women started to deteriorate. They were considered secondary to men and were confined to household activities. Education opportunities became limited, and practices such as child marriage started to uphold the caste system. The overall nature of society became patriarchal.

Position of Women in Medieval India

• The status of women in Medieval India further deteriorated. In this period, caste rigidity grew further, and women faced the consequences of it. Women were seen as a symbol of purity and chastity and hence bore the responsibility of maintaining them.
• This was also a period of foreign invasion, which resulted in the interaction of Indian culture with foreign Islamic culture. There were efforts made to protect Indian culture and women from Islam. Hence, the status of women became inferior.
• Women were glorified as ideal mothers and wives. The Purdah system was prevalent, and child marriages were encouraged to avoid inter-caste marriages. Widow remarriage was banned, and sati practice became more widespread.
• Women's education became rare, and women were confined to the four walls of the house. Hence, the quality of life for Indian women was miserable.

The advent of the British in India did not substantially change the condition of women in society. Like other colonial powers, they were primarily concerned with retaining their control over the country and largely ignored social reform. It was the efforts of enlightened Indians who nudged the British to enact legislation or executive orders and started the social reform movement.

Due to the reform movement of the 19th century, women's education increased, and other social evils were neutralised. It paved the way for western educated middle class women to enter the national political movement. The entry of Mahatma Gandhi into the national movement also led to a mass movement, and women were inspired to take matters into their own hands.

• Article 14: Equality before law
• Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination based on sex
• Article 15(3): State shall make special provisions for women for women’s upliftment
• Various laws enacted for women welfare and gender equality such as Hindu Marriage Act of 1956, Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, etc.

• The World Conference on Women was held in Mexico in 1975. It declared 1975-85 as the ‘International Decade of Women’.
• The Indian Government formed a National Committee on the Status of Women to inquire into the status of women.
• This committee came out with the report titled ‘Toward Equality Report’. The report detailed the miserable status of women in India due to the problems persisting in society such as the declining sex ratio, economic marginalisation, increasing female mortality etc.
• This report is important as it highlighted that the legislative and constitutional reforms have not brought out the desired result in the society. The issues highlighted by this report became a focus point for the movements in the coming decades.

• Leadership: Early leaders like Pandita Ramabai and later activists like Medha Patkar were mostly upper or middle class. This can lead to a disconnect with the realities of poorer women.
• Focus: The movement has focused on issues like violence against women, reproductive rights and political representation. Issues faced by women agricultural workers or domestic workers haven't received as much attention. E.g. Movements against temple entry restrictions might not be relevant to women struggling for daily necessities.
• Caste Ignored: Women from lower strata, especially Dalit women, have less political voice despite reservation systems. The impact of caste on women's struggles, especially those from lower castes, hasn't been a central focus.
• Marginalised Voices: of women from tribal areas or backward areas are lost due to their political disenfranchisement.
• Illiteracy among lower-class women makes it hard for them to access resources the movement offers.

• The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts provided for the reservation of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Municipalities, which led to political representation of women at the grass-root level.
• The Family Planning Programs empowered women to take control of their reproductive rights.
• The PCPNDT Act of 1994 banned prenatal sex determination to stop female foeticide and increase the sex ratio.
• Vishakha guidelines by the Supreme Court and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act to stop women harassment at workplace.
• Other important legislations are Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, etc

• Patriarchy
• Gender stereotyping
• Low Female Labour Force Participation and glass ceiling
• Violence against women
• Cyber bullying and harassment
• Harassment at workplace

The women’s movement in India has gone through several changes, from the nature of leadership to the issues it dealt with. There were lots of obstacles in the way, but the women in India stayed on course and persisted in achieving the desired success. A lot has been achieved, and women are now thriving in their respective fields of work. But still, there are glaring gaps in gender equality, and women empowerment is far from being achieved. Apart from this, there are several new emerging issues such as online harassment, violence against women, glass ceilings, gender stereotyping, etc. that are cause for concern. Intersectional women’s movements which take into account the plight of women from across the country, caste, class and religion must be the focus. As India enters the Amrit Kaal, it is of paramount importance that it achieve gender equality and empower women in the true sense not just theoretically. Dr. BR Ambedkar has rightly said that the progress of the community is measured by the degree of progress that women have achieved.