FEMINISM IN INDIAN CONTEXT

Feminism is not a concept rather than a movement in all over the world , different women group
are sacrifies their whole life to fought for their equal status in the societies as compared to men
and in india it also take place in the beginning of mid 19th century because in india there are
many more problem to a women as compared to their counterpart all over the world . In india
there are many problem like a women did not had have the gender equality , the women had
faced this problem everywhere like if there is a vacancies are their , A man is more preferrable
to that job without seeing about their abilities and also a women face the issue of not the equal
wages for their work . Indian women also fought for their cultural specific issues within Indian
patriarchal society and this all not the fault of the people of current generation , this is the fault of
our ancestor which made a intersection between men and women . They made them as a
customand taught their children and this tradition goes on period of time . Our ancestor also
make a tradition in the socialization process that they encouraged the boy are always brave ,
tough and intelligent but on the other side a girl encouraged for housebound and shy . They made
their boys like they are superior and they are going to rule in future and in other side a girl can
not encouraged any more . They just waiting their marriage age . Girl from the beginning of their
life people thought them to be gentle , in historical era , A women is just a doll for the societies ,
they do just their marriage and now you go to hell what happen to you its your luck and the man
who your husband decided their whole life after the marriage but these all bullshit thing stopped
slowly slowly when the feminism movement come in india , This movement taught people that
there are no difference between a women and a men. God gave equal abilities to both of them .
They concious the people about a women and their rights .
 HISTORY OF FEMINISM IN INDIA

Unlike from the western countries feminism movement where the women leads this movement .
in india this movement initiated by the men than later this movement joined by the women group
but feminism as a movement started in the later stage in the maharashtra when a women
advocates for women rights and education named Savitribai Phule , who started a school for a
girl in india in 1848 then , a writer who wrote a book which is known as india ‘s first feminist
book Stri Purush Tulana , In this book he made a comparison between the men and women .
Also the Bengali also gave their effort in this movement by abolishing the sati pratha , in which a
women is also had to die if their husband are died , abolishing the custom of child marriage ,
abolishing the different behaviour do by people the women which is widows , introducing the
concept of remarriage of widows , promoting the girl education , legal right for a women for
their own property . The 19th century is raising in the status of a women . This period saw a
majority of a women issues which are not in light before and for these issue reform making is a
also start for tackling these issues . By these reform the result are come to start and individual
directly affected by such campign and reforms , the people are thinking about their women
education . By the end of 20th century , the women gained much through the formation of the
independent women own organization , anb by the 30th and 40th century , a new concept is
evolved as women activism , the constitution of india also guarantee that equality between the
sexes which gave boost in the women movement .

First Phase Of Feminism In India –

The first phase of feminism in india started from 1850 to 1915 . The colonial era turn into the
modernity bought the concept of democracy , equality and right of the people The modernity
raised the concept of nationalism and also also the discriminatory pratices which was held in
country brought the movement of which is related to caste and gender relation , The first phase
of feminism in india initiated by a men which help in abolishing the sati system and allow the
widows remarriage and also stop the child marriage in the country and also work for the women
education and also ensure the right of a women . In addition , some hindu women have to follow

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some ritual under the Brahminical tradition which they had to constraint they stopped this
tradition also . However these effort are thwarted because of the nationalist movement take place
in india these movement resisted the colonial interaction in the gender relation in a area of family
relation . In the end of 19th century there are restraint on any colonial effort to modernizing the
hindu family . At that time several Indian state were also ruled by the women named as Jhansi
(Rani lakshmibai) , kittur (Rani chimauma ) and also Punjab ( Jind kaur ) .

Second Phase of Feminism –

Second phase of feminism started from 1915 to 1947 . in this period of time the struggle against
colonial rule are primary for all Indian and nationalism is cause of it ,. Claiming the superiority
become the tool of cultural revolvism resulting the model of womenhood in india . Gandhi ji
initiating the role of a women in his non violence movement . He exalt the role of women
because women are soo caring , sacrifices , and more tolerative than a man and also the women
play a important role in the rural satyagrah . By these times a women are facing a problem with
the issue of women participation in politics , and also in leadership role in political parties .
1920s is a era for a women because the women created their localized women association . This
association work for different issue of a women like education better livelihood , same working
status and the association also organized the national level women association , such as AIWC
which was closed affiliated by the Indian national congress . After the independence of the
country , the AIWC are operated and in the year of 1954 The Indian communist party form its
own women wing . However the feminism movement are less active after the independence
because the main agendas at that time to make the nation . In independence of india there are
also a critical role of the women and people are concious about the right of a women in
independent india . The Indian constitution also make provision for a women to upliftment of
their status in the society , thus women of india did not have to face struggle for their basic right
as the women did in west .

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POST 1947 Of Feminism –

After the independence , many feminist women want extent in their right to which a women are
allowed to work and equal wages for their work . Before the independence women are not much
aware about their gender discrimination in the workplace . However in 1970s they fought for
inequalities in the workplace like they did not get equal wages as compared to men for the equal
services , they thought that the women are unskilled and they did there job for free , this is the
main goal for movement at that time the women had paid for their services as equal to men .

At that time a women is also had conscious about that they not only faced inequality in between
men and women but also within the caste , languages , religion etc. The also faced a challenges
for feminism while their campign as they had to focus on fulfilling the demand of one group
would not created the inequalities for another group , they have to maintain the balance . Now in
the 20th century the movement has goes beyond the treat women as a useful member of the
society but also gave power to choose their own livelihood , and this movement bought a several
change in india like in india first female prime minister of india was a women named indra
Gandhi and they took their charge for continuous three consecutive term , women are
participated in the government role also and they do very well in it .

In 1991 , a famous sabrimala case held by supreme court where the women are discriminated on
the ground of their gender and age , in this temple women in mensuturating age do not allowed
to entry in the temple . The court lifted this ban on the women in 2018 , court said that any
discrimination against a women is unconstitutional . The kerala state show very progressive
result for this movement in the state among india . kerala maintain the highest literacy rate of a
women and also highest rate in the health of the women as well as greater rate in the female
property right , this result showing that there are improvement in the female wellbeing and
capabilities and also reduced risk of domestic violence . In 2005 , a law was enacted by Indian
parliament which define the domestic violence first time in india , this definition not only cover
the physical violence but also the other types of violence like verbal ,sexual or economics abuse .
In may 2013 ,the supreme court made restriction on the two finger test on a rape victim because
it violate its right to privacy as come under art 21 and also asked for different medical procedure
for this things . As this change are going at time to time for creating a society where every people
treated as same no matter whether he or she .

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 IMPACT OF FEMINISM IN INDIA

Before the independence , the feminism movement are not soo popular in india but when the
India independent and adopted the democratic government , Indian constitution then enacted the
concept of equality , freedom from discrimination based on gender and religion and also worked
on plan that provide a women to work , health , education , welfare .

Employment – In a general , In the rural section of a Indian society , which form a big
percentage in the total population of india . for the previous time a women are seen as burden on
the socity and family , their contribution in everywhere are seem to be invisible whether is it
workplace or house . Indian women contributing in agricultural and in other work also . women
also suffered discrimination on the workplace , they paid very less to a women as compared to a
men and a women had not get any promotion in their work too . the government of india also
tried to eliminate this type of discrimination in the workplace

Education – The main reason in india about a low women literacy is that a mother start teaching
to their children , and give them basic education but in india illiterate mother can not do this type
of things , they also learnt for their childhood that they depend on their men and they also taught
same to their girl child and these tradition is going on . also another reason is that family think
that afterall a girl is going to stay on home and they had to spend money on them because of this
the family do their marriages and also people belief that early the marriage of a women should
produce early children but when the feminism movement come in india an after independence
when it grow in india the government created two scheme for the empowerment of women as
National policy for education and Mahila Samakhya , they educated women so they do not
depend on anyone and choose their livelihood as they want to live . in many area of the country
this scheme are showing good result there are increment in the enrollment of girl in school also
female teacher are increase in school by 2001 , the female literacy rate is increase by 50% in
india , though these result are very low as compared to other part of the world but government
are still making their effort to improve in the women education and empowerment .

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 CONCLUSION

form the history of india , the women are always suffered many problem because they are soo
courageous and more sacrifice as compared to a man but in other part a man think that a women
are born for suffering in the world and satisfying the need of a man and these thought are going
on until the feminism movement come to india . In the historical period the women upbringing in
that way that they have to calm and shy , they do not getting angry and they have to in cover ,
they should depend on their men for any need . People are not considering for their education
because they had a thought that girl not need education they are born only for marriage and
producing children and stay in home . But when india got independent and government adopted
the democracy for the country and also the feminism movement at that time they made people to
think about a women and they show their abilities to the whole country . When the government
enacted a law for educating the women and equality of a woman then people aware about that
they think about that and slowly slowly they admitted their girl in school and give all the access
to their girl child and they also proved that if they found proper resources as boys they have the
capabilities as the boys have . And for this things a many women are fought in various time .
women are want nothing privilege form the society they should only want that society treat them
equally as men and no discrimination should take in the society and by the feminism movement
it is possible . Feminism movement helped the women to structuring a society where both are
treated as equal and no discrimination should have between a men and women in anyway .

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 REFERENCES

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2021.
2. Singh ,S. and Singh p.(2011) Shobha De. : Deconstructed for Mavervick feminism .
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3. Criminal law (amendment) act 2013 , (pdf.) . Government of india . retrieved (6jan ,
2021).
4. http://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-3468-feminism-and-the -society.html.
5. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/331159357_domestic_violence_against_women
6. Raman, Sita Anantha. Women in India: A Social and Cultural History, pg 236. Praeger,
2009 .