Women's movements in India were started for the upliftment of women in India by some progressive men. Indian society is deeply rooted with the patriarchal system that leaves fertile ground for various atrocities against women disguised in the dab of rituals and cultural traditions. For instance, since ancient times practices like Sati( forced immolation of a woman after the death of her husband), Purdah system ( Veiling), Polygamy were prevalent in Indian society. Issues regarding such discriminatory traditions and others like widow remarriage, child marriages were taken up in these movements. This comes from the notion that girls are a burden to be born, if born are nothing but a marriage material and are ruined if their husband dies. Society decides how she has to live, her wishes are not to be talked about, they are suppressed, brutally killed.
The first push of women coming out of their domestic sphere to the political sphere comes from within the nationalist movement of India. We see a large number of women joining the struggle under Gandhi leadership. To mark, he was not such an inherent advocate of women's rights as he was often heard to relegate women to their domestic homes only but still when he emphasized on the inner strength of women in the satyagraha strategy, it was not really women coming out of their homes but women becoming devotees of a saintly figure. This however was taken as natural, because it still confines the women within the same godly moral sphere set forth by patriarchy. On similar grounds, the Swadeshi movement also saw women participating in large numbers picketing foreign goods, etc. Even deification of women as "Bharat Mata'' rejects the british allegation against India of women being considered inferior in savage communities( colonial strategy to colonise on these grounds) but still that on a subtle note made "deification" as a new strategy to explain radical women that can easily have even women's acceptance to it.
Despite this, it somehow shaped grounds for women's agitation. We can even boast that our country has women's demands in the political sphere even before independence. The demand for equal voting rights by women have also been reverberating for so long and it is not nothing to have equal rights for women consequently inscribed in our constitution. We are now to test it on social grounds so when Ambedkar, one of the pioneers for the advocacy of equality put forward the "Hindu Code Bill", the religious groups protested against it on the grounds that it would put their religious ideology in jeopardy which is considered necessary for the just governing of a pan hindu community. Ambedkar resigned so it ended there and it was presumed that it is maybe not the right time & after independence good things will automatically follow.
After independence, new women organisations came up owing this very dissatisfaction. Though even in the 40s, there was the Telangana movement and the Tebhaga movement against the landlords in which women joined and even raised issues oriented to them. Then in 1972, Shahada movement in Maharashtra sprang up. People started cultivating unknown land due to famine. Women played a large role in it, and did not just talk about land but also focussed on issues like wife-beating and alcoholism. Then in Gujarat, Ela bhatt took the initiative of establishing the Gandhian trade union; inception of the famous organization SEWA ( Self Employed Women's Association) was also done under her. SEWA spreads consciousness about the exploitation of women in the field of work and helps to provide them new skills and ensures regular work. Following this, a report called "Shram Shakti" was also made regarding women working in the unorganized sector. The importance lies in the fact that most women in our country work in the unorganized sector. After this, another important development took place as a movement against price rise in Maharashtra and Bihar. These demanded fixation of prices of essential commodities and also wanted to ensure their proper distribution.
In 1974, we had Gujarat's "Navnirman" Movement against price rise, black marketing etc. It also protested against the government's undemocratic policies & police action. This was also influenced by a Gandhian Jai Prakash Narayan's "Total Revolution" movement who tried to recalibrate the focus from "Rajneeti" to "Lokniti" and emphasised on the corruption prevailing in politics. It also spoke against the caste system and called for change in family relations that indirectly brought women at the centre stage. This triggered a change in the traditional men-women relationship within the family setup. Although, it is still an open question if this revolution is against patriarchy as such but it certainly provided a strong surface for further movements. But soon the "Nav Nirmaan" movement too died down.
Then we have the first women oriented organization of contemporary India in Hyderabad namely the "Progressive Organisation of Women". It spoke of gender discrimination, patriarchy and set up a connection between equality & feminism. It also spoke for feudalism and the seclusion of women. It is making connections that had never been made before in public discourse and that also with much clarity. During this time, an important international event took place. The United Nations declared the decade of 1975-85, International Women's Decade.
Now the women's organizations of India started to talk about the two main structures of exploitation of women, sexual division of labour and the culture that rationalizes it. Women are considered weaker and inferior than their men counterparts and thus are relegated to domestic arena only. The anomaly that domestic work is as tiring as working outside is omitted with the help of culturally defined rules & regulations who make sure no dissent is made. To end this, women started to attack on economic dependence & private work at home and then spreading the idea of equality which is a typical Marxist interpretation. Then we have another organisation in Pune which is a Maoist one by nature, the "Purogami Stree Sangathana" which connected anti-caste dalit movements with feminism. As feminism has been criticized with something created by urban middle class women who are allegated of being unaware of the ground realities of women doubly oppressed, first by caste and then by being a woman, it brought a tremendous amount of change that way. Though activists like Jyotiba Phule & Ambedkar have also emphasized it before. Ambedkar had also founded an organization called " Mahila Samata Sainik Dal" with the objective of safeguarding the rights of all oppressed sections of Indian society.
The Declaration of Emergency in 1975 brought a break in people's movements of all kinds due to suspension of civil liberties and so they all had to go underground.
End of Emergency in 1977 found most feminists organizations coming up in cities who were drawn from the left who saw feminism as seen in the western countries-- feminism as bourgeois. Then the interesting debate followed of gender oppression having roots in biology or culture? Is it a remnant of feudalism or present as an altered form of capitalism? Though there is a lack of homogeneity, both ideological as well as practical point of views were discussed thoroughly.
By late 70s, Mahila Dakshata Samiti, a party based socialist women's organisation was set up in coalition with Janata Party. Another such organization was "All India democratic women association" which was affiliated to Marxist Communist Party who took the cause of poor majdoor women. Even Congress and BJP started some women's organizations. Though it made women's concern serious and equally political there are limitations to these party based organizations as there have to follow the party line even when there is gender discrimination existing within the party hierarchy. Still many left parties worked with the working class women and took up issues like maternity leave, equal wages, etc.
Autonomous women's organizations like Chattisgarh Mahila Mukti Morcha also played an important role in raising issues like domestic violence, alcoholism, housework but did not discuss women working outside.
In the 1980s, all women's organization took a common ground on dowry related murder who are passed as suicides. Organizations in Delhi collected formidable evidence on such murders in which police did not take up any action considering them as family matters. Then, the "Dahej Virodhi Chetna Manch" mounted pressure on the government which was followed by a study by the law commission that put forward the setting up of a joint committee to review the 'Dowry Prohibition Act' of 1961. Hence, amendments were made in Indian Penal Code in 1983. Article 491A was added that made cruelty against wife a non bailable offence with a punishment of 3 years imprisonment. Both mental & physical cruelties were included. Article 174 is amended to the effect that death of a woman within 7 years of marriage would put the burden of proof on the in-laws. In 1980, we see the infamous incident of custodial rape in the Maya Tyagi Case. High court found the offenders guilty but it showed a dramatic reversal when they were acquitted by the supreme court. Four eminent lawyers wrote an open letter to the CJI protesting against the judgement and women's organization crystallized the issue. Then the Mathura case of 1979-80 saw the overlapping of class, caste and gender issues. Mathura was a dalit girl who was brutally raped. These made way for amendments in criminal law that included equal protection of the victim in all stages of investigation. In case of grave offences the burden of proof has been shifted against the accused. A new category called "custodial rape" was added. In 1983, article 228A under IPC made it an offence to disclose the identity of the victim. In 1990, the Bhanwari Devi case of Rajasthan came into limelight. The government ran in the favour that upper caste men could not do such an offence. It got nationwide agitation by women organizations.
Girls are considered as a burden on their parents, so the sex of the unborn child is determined using medical techniques and the female foetus is aborted. This saw a dramatic mismatch in the male to female ratio and finally the government has to come up with Pre natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Regulation & Prevention of misuse) or Detection of Sex of Foetus Act. In 2002, it was amended and renamed as Pre conception & Pre natal diagnostic technique (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act abbreviated as PC & PNDT Act but still the sex ratio continue to decline.
Autonomous women's organizations started coming up and are joined by not just members but by common women. "Vimochana" a forum against oppression & violence is one such organization.
Then once again in 1987, we see the violent death of a young widow Roop Kunwar in Rajasthan and it was said that she was a willing Sati. People were found to even worship the immolation, it was even supported by the government. Nationwide agitation resulted in Commision of Sati( Prevention) Act of 1987. It not just prevented Sati but also any glorification of it as such was made illegal. After this matters like the concept of consent in Rape and definition of dowry were widely discussed whose redefining resulted in the amendments of 1984 & 1986. Act regarding foeticide was also redefined.
Even after these drastic changes in law, the patriarchal system did not move much. To question this system on a foundational basis, women studies were introduced in almost all the universities. Veena Majumdar, one of the pioneers called these as the academic arm of women activism.
Movements against sexist & discriminatory advertisements in popular culture happened questioning the women subordination in traditional family structures and culture. A strict restriction on expression of any kind of such ads was made. In case of sexual harassment at workplace "Vishakha" guidelines were made by the supreme court. In 2013, Sexual harassment at workplace( prevention, prohibition & redressal) Act was passed following the case of Bhanwari Devi who was gangraped by men of his own village. A writ petition for the enforcement of fundamental rights of working women was filed under Right to Equality, Article 19 that provides freedom to move freely & exercise any profession & Right to life. After this, instructions were made to the employer to redress complaints regarding sexual harassment during a fixed time period. Workplace was defined in a more comprehensive way that now includes educational institutes, hospitals etc. It has been made mandatory to set up an "Internal Complaints Committee" with 10 or more employees. It has to exercise as a civil court in gathering evidence and if the matter cannot be resolved then & there, then the case has to be transferred to the police for criminal proceedings.
Another concern for women's organizations is Reservation for women in Lok Sabha & all Legislative assemblies up to 33 percent but some important voices from within the women's movement have spoken against the bill. Even those who oppose it accept it as a precondition to reform, they believe feminization of parliament would improve quality of decision making and even have faith in capabilities of women to implement already made laws. There are also those who accept quotas for ST, SC & OBC women within this 33% quota but still the bill has not yet become an act shows lack of political will. There has also been discussion on Uniform Civil Code since independence that says one law for the entire country in personal matters of marriage, divorce, abortion etc. In the Shah Bano case, even the SC ruled in favour but still due to muslim fundamentalist outcry and government recapitulation it received a setback. Then, Shayara Bano filed a writ petition questioning the legitimacy of Triple Talaq which once again made Uniform Civil Code the focal point. Shayara was part of "Bhartiya Muslim Mahila" movement which is also supported by women's movement spanning the entire country. As a result, SC made Triple Talaq unconstitutional and illegal and passed an act for its enforcement.
It is however a difference of opinion among the women's organizations that any reform must come first from within the religious groups. Another allegation against feminists is that they are mostly urban middle class women who cannot identify with working class women, rural women & majdoor women. Even the issue of caste is said to have not been addressed adequately. National Federation for Dalit Women forced feminists to look into it thoroughly. They say most feminists cannot identify with their realities because they are very different from what theirs have been. The amalgamation of class, caste, language and religion also reduces solidarity of women's organizations. Many laws were passed but the ground realities are still the same. This implies laws are not enough to change the patriarchal system. Although, it is entirely wrong to say that nothing has been achieved so far. The 73rd & 74th Amendment called for 33% reservation in local self government for women. Women are gaining valuable experience through this. It cannot be denied that it is entirely free from loopholes though. Some women candidates are merely puppets of the male members of their family but it is still better to have something than having nothing at all. Now, political parties consult women organizations for policy making. They even have their own women's wings. This has certainly notched up the level for the ongoing debate on women rights.
Postscript :
Why are we even discussing the women's movement at all? Why such an outcry about feminism? Now every other woman says she is a feminist. When women are getting on pretty well at par with men, what's the utility of all this? Everyone suffers, so what? Just go and get it, that's what everyone irrespective of their gender does. Feminism has ruined the balance in society, now even women started misusing the law for purely selfish reasons against men. Men are victims too. Feminism is nothing but an excuse.
These are the allegations you are attacked with, when you say you are a feminist. Nowadays, feminism has become a slur. In urban cities, when you wake up and step outside maybe you won't realise that the society is unequal. You would see working women as well as men. Even you could be made to agree that how it is easier for a woman to get away with than it is for men. A woman just has to look pretty and voila you would be provided for your entire life. Those who are pretty ambitious can just go and get it, they say. One ponders, is it really so? Is feminism just a hoax? No, it is not. Sometimes what we see is not the reality what we don't is. When we look in a more subtle way, how it is, in an equal society, we only see men after 9 PM? Do all women prefer the comfort of their cosy homes or are they scared? Are all homes cosy? Why does the stats point to crime against women rising every day? Why are there less women as compared to men in jobs? Do all women want to sit back at home and raise kids? Why is there so much disparity between girls dropping out of school than boys? Do women prefer illiteracy more than men? I am sorry but I can't help but to be partial. Stepping out of home is still not a luxury to me. I would be married off, they say when I would be of appropriate age no matter if I want it or not. Neither am I allowed to choose what clothes should be in my wardrobe and nor who I should be friends with. Are boys privileged you would ask? Do they have it easy? I would indisputably say yes. No matter what class, what caste what religion they belong from; they would always be the one getting what they want. No one decides for them, they decide for themselves. It doesn't matter they are capable or not, they would be the one selected for any on-site project because they can do it they say I can't irrespective of my qualifications because I would still have to ask for permission which is a bit procedural and moreover my safety would be a double burden. Then, they say society is equal now! Just go and get it !
It is natural for a women to be beaten up and still being adviced to adjust. If you don't want to adjust, get a divorce. Divorced women are considered as a taint, they say, your parents would refuse to accept you, they say, it is easy for the men to do so, they say, men are men after all.
I can't do late night shifts because I am scared of being raped. I desperately need money but living with the slur of being raped is better than to die. Women are not allowed to stay up late and I don't feel safe among men when there is no woman around.
Many girls from my town are dropped out before they even complete their high school. They are married so early that the next thing I hear is that they are pregnant. Consent in a marriage is nothing but a sham, they say. Even the law says, it is so.
My aunt cried when she got a baby girl, my grandmother cursed her.
I am a 21st century woman. I don't think patriarchy has changed much. I need feminism. I need women's movement to fight for the cause. You just can't decide, when out of 100 cases two cases are false and the other two are won because the women are from the privileged sections of society, if I should keep my mouth shut or be vocal about it. Feminism is considered as men bashing, I would refute it with the claim that patriarchal society is unjust towards both sexes. Feminism is more about equality as such and men can be feminists too.
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