Tag: political science

Women's Movements have taken a prominent place in the Modern era. Such movements attempt to bring equality, freedom, basic civic rights etc for women who have been victims of gender discrimination ever since. Many activists and organizations have launched several women's movements in order to spread awareness regarding the issue of gender discrimination, fight this discrimination and demand justice wherever required. In India, such activities have been brought under the ambit of the Feminist Movement of India.

In 2005, with the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, domestic violence was defined broadly as any form of violence against women in the domestic sphere by her biological relatives or her husband and his relatives. Any form of physical, mental, emotional, sexual, verbal or economic abuse was to be treated as Domestic Violence. Thus, both mental and physical abuse in the domestic sphere form a part of the the legal definition of Domestic Violence.

Pressure from the family and society points towards their negative influence on a person. Teasing or bullying is one such evil that refers to provoking an individual using unfair verbal or physics tactics. Demands made by elders, is also a form of pressure as it can manipulate the subject indirectly because of societal pressure. Both of these are forms of harassment.

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 was passed in 2005. This law was implemented in 2006. This gave women protection from domestic violence.

Campaigns to fight discrimination and violence against women are an important part of the women's movement.Campaigns have also led to new laws being passed. Efforts made by the women's movement led the Supreme Court to formulate guidelines in 1997 to protect women against sexual harassment at the workplace and within educational institutions.

In the 1980s, women's groups across the country spoke out against 'dowry deaths' - cases of young brides being murdered by their in - laws or husbands, greedy for more dowry.Women's groups spoke out against the failure to bring these cases to justice. They did so by coming on to the streets , approaching the courts, and by sharing information.

• Literacy rate among women in 2011 was 65%
• Literacy rate among men in 2011 was 82%
• Literacy rate of India in 2011 was 74%.

Rashsundari Devi was apparently the first Indian woman to study history. She was a writer by occupation and is the most well known for her autobiography called Amar Jiban, which was published in 1876. She was among the first few Bengali writers who had written autobiographies.

With regard to sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions, the Supreme Court formulated a set of guidelines called the Vishaka guidelines in 1997. An act concerning the same issue was later paased by the legislature in 2013.

• Literacy rate among women in 2001 was 54%.
• Literacy rate among men in 2001 was 76%.
• The literacy rate of India in 2001 was 65%.