Issues Related to Women

Issues Related to Women

Facts - 

•  In order to awaken the people, it is the woman who has to be awakened. Once she is on move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves - Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru.
•  Women need the 3C’s Confidence, Capabilities, access to Capital. Men need to understand that women are their equals.
•  The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Actions serve as an important action plan for women’s right, gender equality and female empowerment all over the globe. 
• The three mantras – “leave no one behind”, “do no harm”, and “nothing for me without me” – should be the guiding principles for the strategy to improve social security of women.  

Constitutional Provisions: 

• The Preamble starts by saying that we, the people of India – which includes women of India also. 
• The Constitution of India not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. 
• Equality before law for women (Article 14). 
• The State not to discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them (Article 15 (i)). 
• The State to make any special provision in favour of women and children (Article 15 (3)). 
• Equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State (Article 16). 
• The State to direct its policy towards securing for men and women equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood (Article 39(a)). 
• Equal pay for equal work for both men and women (Article 39(d)). 
• The State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief (Article 42). 
• It shall be the duty of every native of India to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women [Article 51-A(e)]. 
• 73rd Constitutional Amendment - One-third of seats in every Panchayat and One-third of the number of offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats shall be reserved for women. 74th Constitutional Amendment - One-third of the seats in all Municipalities shall be reserved for women and offices of Chairpersons in the Municipalities  

Key Supreme Court Judgements: 

• Vishaka Vs State of Rajasthan - Guidelines to prevent sexual harassment against women in work places. 
• Shayara Bano v. Union Of India (2017) - Supreme Court had set aside the validity of instant talaq (talaq-e-biddat), thus rendering its pronouncement ineffective in dissolving a marriage.   

NGOs working towards Women Empowerment: 

• CARE India - working for over 65 years to empower women affected by poverty and social discrimination. 
• Bharatiya Grameen Mahila Sangh - for women empowerment and education.