Women's Rights In India

Education Policy 1986 and PAD 1992), have laid due emphasis on women's education. Though all these efforts have helped a lot in improving the status of women and their educational position, vigorous implementation of various policies is required to remove gender bias.

The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State (Article 15(1)), equality of opportunity (Article 16), and equal pay for equal work (Article 39(d)). In addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women and children (Article 15(3)), renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e)), and also allows for provisions to be made by the State for securing just and humane

Many Indian Muslim women have questioned the fundamental leaders' interpretation of women's rights under the Shariat law and have criticized the triple talaq system.

In the 1990s, grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-oriented NGOs. Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) have played a major role in the advancement of women's rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of local movements; for example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

The Government of India declared 2001 as the Year of Women's Empowerment (Swashakti). The National Policy For The Empowerment Of Women came was passed in 2001. In 2006, the case of Imrana, a Muslim rape victim, was highlighted by the media. Imrana was raped by her father-in-law. The pronouncement of some Muslim clerics that Imrana should marry her father-in-law led to widespread protests, and finally Imrana's father-in-law was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The verdict was welcomed by many women's groups and the All India Muslim Personal Law

Slowly but definitely gender equations are melting, merging and reforming. But, sadly, it is a predominant urban trend. Urban women are becoming comparatively tougher and realistic. The Urban Indian women are no more emotionally vulnerable or submissive. They are now more political in dealing with Machiavellian brutalities of social life and professional ethics.

There is an inherent dichotomy between the economy and society, the two engines that ensure the peace of women empowerment. A growing economy with its benefits of economic prosperity do not accrue to the women in real sense, The Indian women's psyche and her social conditioning does not permit her to be professionally and economically active and future oriented. Gandhi's vision of associating women with the freedom struggle and giving them a sound socio-economic base diluted with the passage of time. The symbols of womanhood that Gandhi brought into practice, viz the 'Charkha' and 'Salt' were gradually replaced by symbols of premature modernity, - provocative clothing and disassociated from