Gender Based Violence – A Violation of Human Rights

Position of Women from ancient period

Some scholars believe that in ancient India, the women enjoyed equal status with men in all fields of life. However, some others hold contrasting views. Works by ancient Indian grammarians such as Patanjali and Katyayana suggest that women were educated in the early Vedic period. Rigvedic verses suggest that the women married at a mature age and were probably free to select their husband.Scriptures such as Rig Veda and Upanishads mention several women sages and seers, notably Gargi and Maitreyi.

Some kingdoms in the ancient India had traditions such as nagarvadhu (“bride of the city”). Women competed to win the coveted title of the nagarvadhu. Amrapali is the most famous example of a nagarvadhu.

According to studies, women enjoyed equal status and rights during the early Vedic period. However, later (approximately 500 B.C.), the status of women began to decline with the Smritis (esp. Manusmriti) and other religious texts curtailing women’s freedom and rights.

The Indian woman’s position in the society further deteriorated during the medieval period. Sati, child marriages and ban on widow remarriages became part of social life in India. The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent brought the purdah practice in the Indian society. Among the Rajputs of Rajasthan, the Jauhar was practised. In some parts of India, the Devadasis or the temple women were sexually exploited. Polygamy was widely practised esp. among Hindu Kshatriya rulers. In many Muslim families, women were secluded to Zenana.

In spite of these conditions, some women execeled in the fields of politics, literature, education and religion. Razia Sultana became the only woman monarch to have ever ruled Delhi. The Gond queen Durgavati ruled for fifteen years, before she lost her life in a battle with Mughal empror Akbar’s general Asaf Khan in 1564.

The Bhakti cults tried to restore women’s status and questioned some of the forms of oppression. Mirabai, a female saint-poet, was one of the most important Bhakti movement figures. Some other female saint-poets from this period include Akkamadevi, Rami Janabai and Lal Ded.

Rani Padmini Jahanara Begum and Princess Zebunnissa were well-known poetesses and they also influenced the ruling administration. Buddhist Nuns

Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhs preached the message of equality between men and women. He advocated that women are allowed to lead religious assemblies; to perform and lead congregational hymn singing called Kirtan or Bhajan; become members of religious management committees; to lead armies on the battlefield; have equality in marriage, and equality in Amrit (Baptism). Other Sikh Gurus also preached against the discrimination against women. Although reformatory movements such as Jainism allowed women to be admitted to the religious order, by and large, the women in India faced confinement and restrictions. The practice of child marriages is believed to have started from around sixth century.

European scholars observed in the 19th century Hindu women are “naturally chaste” and “more virtuous” than other women. During the British Raj, many reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Hyotirao Phule etc. fought for the upliftment of women. Raja Rammohun Ray’s effeorts led to the abolition of the Sati practice in 1829. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s crusade for the improvement in condition of widows led to the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. Many women reformers such as Pandita Ramabai also helped the cause of women upliftment.

            In 1917, the first women’s delegation met the Secretary of State to demand women’s political rights, supported by the Indian National Congress. The All India Women’s Education Conference was held in Pune in 1927. In 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed, stipulating fourteen as the minimum age of marriage for a girl. Though Mahatma Gandhi himself married at the age of thirteen, he later urged people to boycott child marriages and called upon the young men to marry the child widows.

Women played an important part in India’s independence struggle. Some of the famous freedom fighters include Bhikaji Cama, Dr. Annie Besant, Pritilata Waddedar, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Anjali Ammal, Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kriplani and Kasturba Gandhi. Other notable names include Muthulakshmi Reddi, Durgabai Deshmukh etc. The Rani of Jhansi Regiment of Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army consisted entirely of women including Captain Lakshmi Sahgal. Sarojini Naidu, a poet and a freedom fighter, was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.

Women in India now participate in all activities such as education, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc.

Gender based Violence

            Gender based violence is a serious, long-standing problem in most countries, with particular impact on women. Every year, thousands of women are beaten, ***** or psychologically abused by their intimate partners.

Abuses against women are relentless, systematic, and widely tolerated, if not explicitly condoned. Violence and discrimination against women are global social epidemics, notwithstanding the very real progress of the international women’s human rights movement in identifying, raising awareness about, and challenging impunity for women’s human rights violations. Millions of women throughout the world live in conditions of abject deprivation of, and attacks against, their fundamental human rights for no other reason than that they are women.

Harms suffered by women at the hands of private individuals or within the family have been placed outside of the conceptual framework of international human rights. Feminists have argued that a failing of international human rights norms is in not recognizing the ‘gendered’ consequences of their application they render invisible particular problems suffered by women.

Crimes against Women

            Police records show high incidence of crimes against women in India. The National Crime Records Bureau reported in 1998 that the growth rate of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth rate by 2010. Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma attached to **** and molestation cases. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women.

Sexual Harassment

            Half of the total number of crimes against women reported in 1990 related to molestation and harassment at the workplace. Eve teasing is an euphemism used for sexual harassment or molestation of women by men. Many activists blame the rising incidents of sexual harassment against women on the influence of “Western culture”. In 1987, the The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act was passed to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner.

            In 1997, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of India took a strong stand against sexual harassment of women in the workplace. The Court also laid down detailed guidelines for prevention and redressal of grievances. The National Commission for Women subsequently elaborated these guidelines into a Code of Conduct for employers.

Dowry

            In 1961, the Government of India passed the Dowry Prohibition Act, making the dowry demands in wedding arrangements illegal. However, many cases of dowry-related domestic violence, suicides and murders have been reported. In the 1980s, numerous such cases were reported

            In 1985, the Dowry Prohibition (maintenance of lists of presents to the bride and bridegroom) rules were framed.According to these rules, a signed list of presents given at the time of the marriage to the bride and the bridegroom should be maintained. The list should contain a brief description of each present, its approximate value, the name of the who has given the present and his/her relationship to the person. However, such rules are hardly enforced.

            A 1997 reportclaimed that at least 5,000 women die each year because of dowry deaths and at least a dozen die each day in ‘kitchen fires’ thought to be intentional. The term for this is bride burning and is criticized within India itself. Amongst the urban educated, such dowry abuse has reduced dramatically.

Domestic violence

            The incidents of domestive violence are higher among the lower Socio-Economic Classes (SECs). There are various instances of an inebriated husband beating up the wife often leading to severe injuries. Domestic violence is also seen in the form of physical abuse. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 came into force on October 26, 2006.

Role of United Nation to Protect Women Human Right

            The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – proclaimed in 1948 by the General Assembly of the UN and the foundation of the UN’s human rights system – states that everyone should enjoy human rights without discrimination and affirms the equal rights of women and men. However, in practice gross violations of women’s human rights have often been ignored and structural discrimination against women not challenged.

The Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch fights against the dehumanization and marginalization of women. We promote women’s equal rights and human dignity. The realization of women’s rights is a global struggle based on universal human rights and the rule of law. It requires all of us to unite in solidarity to end traditions, practices, and laws that harm women.

Role of Indian Government to Protect Women Right

            Now the Government of India has been taking good steps to improve women position in India. With the help of private organization the women welfare ministry is conduction so many awareness programs to women. Today women are participating in all the fields.

            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), 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 conditions of work and for maternity relief. (Article 42).

Role of Education in Women development

            According to 1992-93 figures, only 9.2% of the households in India were female-headed. However, approximately 35% of the households below the poverty line were found to be female-headed

Though it is gradually rising, the female literacy rate in India is lower compared to the male literacy rate. Compared to boys, far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, many of them drop out. According to the National Sample Survey Data of 1997, only the states of Kerala and Mizoram have approached universal female literacy rates. According to majority of the scholars, the major factor behind the improved social and economic status of women in Kerala is literacy.

            Under Non-Formal Education programme, about 40% of the centers in states and 10% of the centers in UTs are exclusively reserved for females. As of 2000, about 0.3 million NFE centers were catering to about 7.42 million children, out of which about 0.12 million were exclusively for girls. Currently, in engineering, medical and other colleges, 30% of the seats have been reserved for females.

According to a 1998 report by U.S. Department of Commerce, the chief barrier to female education in India are inadequate school facilities (such as sanitary facilities), shortage of female teachers and gender bias in curriculum (majority of the female characters being depicted as weak and helpless)

Work participation

            In rural India, agriculture and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89.5% of the total female labour. In overall farm production, women’s average contribution is estimated at 55% to 66% of the total labour. According to a 1991 World Bank report, women accounted for 93% of total employment in dairy production in India. Women constitute 51% of the total employed in forest-based small-scale enterprises.

One of the most famous female business success stories is the Shri Mahila Griha Udyog, the makers of the Lijjat papad. In 2006, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who started Biocon – one of India’s first biotech companies, was rated India’s richest woman. Lalita Gupte and Kalpana Morparia (both were the only businesswomen in India who made our list of the Forbes World’s Most Powerful Women), run India’s second-largest bank, ICICI Bank.

Conclusion

            Through education it is possible for overall development of women in India. Education gives knowledge, wealth and health. Education is solution for all types of problems in the society. It is the duty of Education and Home Science and Social Work departments that to conduct awareness programmes for the welfare of women. It is necessary to establish women welfare cell in the universities. It is necessary to conduct monthly seminar to discuss about position of women in the society. I feel that it is necessary to publish at least one journal in the year for the welfare of women.

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