Background

Imagine you get a new job. On the first day of work, you're getting a tour of the office building, and
you notice something strange: only men work here! You wonder where the women are, and you ask
your new boss. He looks surprised at the question and says, 'What are you, some kind of feminist?' If
this happened to you, what would you think? Would you be offended by the implication that you're a
feminist? What exactly is feminism, anyway?
Feminism can be defined as the belief that men and women should have equal rights and
opportunities. Feminism is a belief in the right of women to have political, social, and economic
equality with men. It is a discourse that involves various movements, theories, and philosophies
which are concerned with the issue of gender difference, advocate equality for women, and campaign
for womens rights and interests. According to some, the history of feminism can be divided into three
waves. The first wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the second was in the
1960s and 1970s and the third extends from the 1990s to the present. Feminist theory emerged from
these feminist movements. It is manifest in a variety of disciplines such as feminist geography,
feminist history and feminist literary criticism.
While this basic idea of feminism seems simple enough, there are many people who misunderstand
what the goal of feminism is. Some people imagine that all feminists are angry, bitter women who only
want to subjugate men! Of course, this stereotype offends actual feminists. Why is there such a big
difference between stereotype and reality when it comes to feminists? The discrepancy is because
the term being misinterpreted in the first place.
In society, peoples perception of the term feminism varies greatly. Some people see feminism as
women fighting to be above men, some people believe in fair treatment of women but dont consider
themselves feminists, and some women think that all women should be feminists if they believe in
equality -- these variations in the foundation of the concept have the potential to skew the legitimacy
and possibility of feminism being widely accepted and embraced, which seems to be a problem in
modern times.
So what feminism actually mean to Indian society? Is it a constructor way of attaining equality
between the sexes or is it just another way to attain leverage over the other sex and to take undue
advantage of the term being misinterpreted in order to accomplish ones own selfish goals.

Objective of the report

To clarify what is feminism
To describe how feminism has emerged
To describe different types of feminism
To describe what is the condition of feminism in India
To describe what is the thinking of people about feminism
To clear the misconceptions about feminism.

Origin of feminism
Historians of feminism have identified three waves of feminist thought and activity.The first wave, in
the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focused primarily on gaining legal rights, political power
and suffrage for women. The second, in the 1960s and 1970s, encouraged women to understand
aspects of their own personal lives as deeply politicized, and was largely concerned with other issues
of equality, such as the end to discrimination in society, in education and in the work place. The third
arose in the early 1990s as a response to perceived failures of the second-wave, and a response to
the backlash against initiatives and movements created by the second-wave. Throughout most of its
history, most leaders of feminist social and political movements, and feminist theorists, have been
middle-class white women, predominantly in Britain, France and the US. At least since Sojourner
Truth's 1851 speech to US feminists, however, women of other races have proposed alternative
feminisms, and women in former European colonies and the Third World have proposed alternative
"post-colonial" and "Third World" feminisms.

History of Feminism
A 1932 Soviet poster for International Women's Day.
Feminism comprises a number of social, cultural and political movements, theories and moral
philosophies concerned with gender inequalities and equal rights for women. In its narrowest
interpretation, it refers to the effort to ensure legal and political equality for women; in its broadest
sense it comprises any theory which is grounded on the belief that women are oppressed or
disadvantaged by comparison with men, and that their oppression is in some way illegitimate or
unjustified.
The term feminism originated from the French word feminisme, coined by the utopian socialist
Charles Fourier, and was first used in English in the 1890s, in association with the movement for
equal political and legal rights for women.[6]There is some debate as to whether the term feminism
can be appropriately applied to the thought and activities of earlier women (and men) who explored
and challenged the traditional roles of women in society.
Contemporary feminist historians distinguish three waves in the history of feminism. The first-wave
refers to the feminism movement of the nineteenth through early twentieth centuries, which dealt
mainly with the Suffrage movement. The second-wave (1960s-1980s) dealt with the inequality of
laws, as well as cultural inequalities. The third-wave of Feminism (1990s-present), is seen as both a
continuation of and a response to the perceived failures of the second-wave.

1. First-wave feminism
It refers to a period of feminist activity during the nineteenth century and early twentieth
century in the United Kingdom and the United States. Originally it focused on equal legal rights
of contract and property, and opposition to chattel marriage and ownership of married women
(and their children) by husbands. A Vindication of the Rights of Women, written by Mary
Wollstonecraft in 1742, is considered a germinal essay of feminism. Wollstonecraft protested
against the stereotyping of women in domestic roles, the failure to regard women as
individuals in their own right, and the failure to educate girls and women to use their intellect.
By the end of the nineteenth century, activism focused primarily on gaining political power and
women's suffrage, though feminists like Voltairine de Cleyre (1866 1912) and Margaret
Sanger (1879 1966) were active in campaigning for women's sexual, reproductive and
economic rights. In Britain the Suffragettes campaigned for the women's vote. In 1918 the

Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, granting the vote to women over the age
of 30 who owned houses. In 1928 this was extended to all women over eighteen.
In the United States leaders of this movement include Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.
Anthony, who each campaigned for the abolition of slavery prior to championing women's right
to vote. Other important leaders included Lucy Stone, Olympia Brown, and Helen Pitts.
American first-wave feminism involved women from a wide range of backgrounds, some
belonging to conservative Christian groups (such as Frances Willard and the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union), others representing the diversity and radicalism of much of
second-wave feminism (such as Stanton, Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and the National
Woman Suffrage Association, of which Stanton was president).
In the United States first-wave feminism is considered to have ended with the passage of the
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1919), granting women the right to
vote.

2. Second-wave feminism
Second-wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity beginning in the early 1960s and
lasting through the late 1980s. It was a continuation of the earlier phase of feminism which
sought legal and political rights in the United Kingdom and the United States.Second-wave
feminism has existed continuously since then, and coexists with what is termed third-wave
feminism. Second-wave feminism saw cultural and political inequalities as inextricably linked.
The movement encouraged women to understand aspects of their own personal lives as
deeply politicized, and reflective of a gender-biased structure of power. While first-wave
feminism focused upon absolute rights such as suffrage, second-wave feminism was largely
concerned with other issues of equality, such as the end to gender discrimination in society, in
education and in the workplace. The title of an essay by Carol Hanisch, "The Personal is
Political," became a slogan synonymous with second-wave feminism and the women's
liberation movement.

3. Third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism has its origins in the mid 1980s, with feminist leaders rooted in the
second-wave like Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks, Chela Sandoval, Cherrie Moraga, Audre Lorde,
Maxine Hong Kingston, and other black feminists, who sought to negotiate prominent space
within feminist thought for consideration of race-related subjectivities. The third-wave of
feminism arose in the early 1990s as a response to perceived failures of the second-wave, and
a response to the backlash against initiatives and movements created by the second-wave.
Third-wave feminism seeks to challenge or avoid what it deems the second-wave's
"essentialist" definitions of femininity, claiming that these definitions over-emphasized the
experiences of upper middle class white women and largely ignored the circumstances of
lower-class women, minorities and women living in other cultures. A post-structuralist
interpretation of gender and sexuality is central to much of the third-wave's ideology. Thirdwave feminists often focus on "micropolitics," and challenge the second-wave's paradigm as to
what is, or is not, good for females.
In 1991, Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas, a man nominated to the United States Supreme
Court, of sexual harassment. Thomas denied the accusations and after extensive debate, the
US Senate voted 52-48 in favor of Thomas. In response to this case, Rebecca Walker
published an article entitled "Becoming the Third Wave" in which she stated, "I am not a postfeminism feminist. I am the third-wave."

Indian feminism
With the rise of a new wave of feminism across the world, a new generation of Indian feminists
emerged. Increasing numbers of highly-educated and professional Indian women have entered the
public arena in fields such as politics, business and scientific research. Contemporary Indian
feminists are fighting for individual autonomy, political rights, social freedom, economic
independence, tolerance, co-operation, nonviolence and diversity, abortion and reproductive rights,
divorce, equal pay, education, maternity leave, breast feeding; and an end to domestic violence,
gender stereotypes, discrimination, sexism, objectification, and prostitution. Medha Patkar, Madhu
Kishwar, and Brinda Karat are some of the feminist social workers and politicians who advocate
women's rights in post-independent India. In literature, Amrita Pritam, Sarojini Sahoo and Kusum
Ansal are eminent Indian writers (in Indian languages) who link sexuality with feminism, and advocate
women's rights. Rajeshwari Sunder Rajan, Leela Kasturi, Sharmila Rege, Vidyut Bhagat are some of
the essayists and social critics who write in favor of feminism in English.

The Purpose of Feminism

This year has been a tough one for women. It seemed that there was a story every week about the
rape, murder, torture, and violation of women around the globe. From the graphic images of the
victims of acid scalding in India to the kidnapping of over 250 schoolgirls in Nigeria, the media was
filled to the brim with stories of grisly and unforgivable acts against the fairer sex.
Violent crime affects every gender, race, religious and political group on the planet. Both opulent and
destitute feel the sting of it, and so it can be said that everyone must be forever empathic towards the
struggles of those who are affected by violence, in all of its ugly forms. But for some reason, the
statistics stand mainly unmoved in the category of violence against women. If there has been any
change, sadly, the statistics are climbing.
The basis of this type of violence is rooted in the belief that women are lesser than men. Inequality is
a problem for many social groups in the world, but the work for equality between genders has been,
in some ways, especially daunting. As the 20th-century rolled on, women demanded a greater
standard of living and a more prominent place in society. They wanted to work in high-powered
positions, become part of political parties, fight for their country, act on the silver screen, and run
international business alongside their male counterparts. The journey wasnt easy, and in some ways,
it is never ending.
The depressing part is apparent; all of these changes didnt start happening until the 19th-century. In
fact, a large majority of the changes were made less than a hundred years ago. Considering the
roughly 200,000 years that humans have inhabited this planet, its nearly agonizing to see such
languid progress in basic rights. 199,999 years is a rather demoralizing number of years to not be
considered a person in by societys standards.
Though matriarchal reign has not been unheard of in the realm of human history, the predominant
force in leadership has been patriarchal in nature. In a country that prides itself on offering salvation
and opportunity to all, there are still people who believe that equality amongst genders is impossible,
that men are meant to be the superiors and that any man who allows a woman to truly speak her
mind isnt worthy of being called a man. These people like to assert that this is the truth. If this is
truth, then I would honestly rather live a lie. At least the lie makes sense.
North America has grown lazy and stupid. The people who desire to keep gender equality in the
imagination are the same people who blame feminism for problems in modern relationships, stating
that veering away from traditional relationship dynamics is turning women into men and men into
homosexuals.

As preposterous as this notion is for anyone with fully-functioning cognition, the danger is in the
product; an army of dazed, uneducated alpha males who couldnt tell a woman from a house cat.
Asserting that all feminists desire to be men is like saying that everyone who believes in Allah is going
to bomb you, and suggesting that homosexuality is connected to this is just as ignorant.
And of course, in our splendid towers of glass and steel, we get mixed up in a myriad of nonsense
and forget why feminism is still in existence. Feminism is the voice when other voices are taken away.
It proves that the women I spoke of in the beginning of this article are worthy of a life free of torture,
isolation, and fear. Every human being deserves these very basic rights, and feminism ensures that
every single woman has a chance to experience them.
Understand, dear men and women of the modern age, that feminism is not here to drain you of your
resources. If youre a man who thinks that feminism is the cause of your lack-luster sex life, you
should thank whatever God you pray to that thats your greatest issue. There places in this world
where sex for pleasure isnt an option, and survival takes priority over every other human function.
We have cold reality to thank for that, so count your lucky stars that sex is still on your mind. Gain the
proper perspective and you will experience gratitude for that. As long as women are tortured and
labelled as worthless, feminists will march onwards.
The remedy for all ignorance is simple; compassion and education. If you come across a 21st century
alpha male basking in North American blindness, be kind. They are less-educated in the ways of
human behavior, and perhaps it is best to leave them to it. Pick up the torch, speak up, and educate
those who are willing to listen. Your voice has power. Never let go of the truth in equal rights.

FEMINISM IN MODERN WORLD

Throughout the 1950s, educated middle-class women heard advice like this from the time they were
born until they reached adulthood. The new suburban lifestyle prompted many women to leave
college early and pursue the "cult of the housewife." Magazines such as Ladies Home journal and
Good
Housekeeping and television shows such as "Father Knows Best" and "The Donna Reed
Show"
reinforced this idyllic image.
But not every woman wanted to wear pearls and bring her husband his pipe and slipper when he
came home from work. Some women wanted careers of their own.

As more and more women chose careers over housework, marriages were delayed to a later age
andthe birth-rate plummeted. Economic independence led many dissatisfied women to dissolve
unhappymarriages, leading to a skyrocketing divorce rate.
By the end of the 1980s another type of feminism came into picture. This is known as the third wave
feminism, which is going around today in the modern world.
Third-wave feminism refers to several diverse strains of feminist activity and study, whose exact
boundaries in the history of feminism are a subject of debate, but are generally marked as beginning
in the early 1990s and continuing to the present. The movement arose partially as a response to the
perceived failures of and backlash against initiatives and movements created by second-wave
feminism during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and the perception that women are of "many colors,
ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and cultural backgrounds". This wave of feminism partially
destabilized constructs from second-wave feminism. It attempts to expand the topic of feminism to
include a diverse group of women with a diverse set of identities. It has been allege that Rebecca.
Walker has become somewhat of a symbol of the third wave's focus on queer and non-white women.
Third-wave feminists have broadened their goals, focusing on ideas like queer theory, and abolishing
gender role expectations and stereotypes. Unlike the determined position of second-wave feminists
about women in pornography, sex work, and prostitution, third-wave feminists were rather ambiguous
and divided about these themes (feminist sex wars).
Third-wave feminism deals with issues which are perceived to limit or oppress women, as well as
other marginalized identities. Consciousness-raising activism, which has been referred to as "the
collective critical reconstitution of the meaning of women's social experience, as women live through it
The third wave was made possible by the greater economic and professional power and state
achiev--ed by women of the second wave, the massive expansion in opportunities for the
dissemination of ideas created by the information revolution of the late 20th century, and the
coming of age of
Generation X scholars and activists.
The movement of third-wave feminism focused less on laws and the political process and more on
individual identity. The movement of third-wave feminism is said to have arisen out of the realization
that women are of many colors, ethnicities, nationalities, religions and cultural background.
Proponents of third-wave feminism claim that it allows women to define feminism for themselves by
incorporating their own identities into their belief system of what feminism is and what it can become.

Social Feminism
IN THE 21st century, women of the working classes employed in the formal economy, the informal
economy, working in the countryside or doing unwaged labor have entered the global political
stage in an astonishing array of movements. Sparked by the capitalist war on the working class, the
enclosures sweeping peasants and farmers off the land or devastating their livelihoods upon it, and
the consequent crisis and intensification in patriarchal relations, these movements are creatively
developing socialist-feminist politics with much to offer the left as it gropes toward new
organizational forms and organizing strategies. We can think of socialist feminism very broadly to
include all feminists (whether or not they would identify with the label) who see class as central, but
would not reduce relations of power and privilege organized around particular identities (gender,
sexuality, race/ethnicity, nationality) to class oppression. Revolutionary socialist feminism is unwilling
to allow capitalism to set the horizon for what can be envisioned or struggled for. Socialist-feminists
start where most feminists begin: the emancipation of women must come from women ourselves, but
cannot be achieved by ourselves. From this starting point, socialist-feminists are especially interested
in building inclusive movements organized by and for working class, indigenous, and rural women.
Womens self-organization can be parochial or coalitional that is, it can either reproduce existing
social divisions among women or reach beyond them. The political vision through which socialistfeminists organize aims to develop activism and leadership, education and awareness, demands and
discourses, and an everyday politics that recognizes and works to overcome these deep divisions. In
this process socialist feminists look to developing a both/and politics that bridges what might be won
in the here and now to a longer-term project of social transformation. Feminism is very commonly
misunderstood as being synonymous with sexism against men, and there is now an unfortunate trend
where women are throwing on "feminist" as a label to justify their sexism and be openly discriminating
towards men and/or be angry at their patriarchal government. Feminism is misunderstood when
people believe it creates a net loss of privilege. Plenty of women misunderstand the aims of feminism
right along with men because these idiotic conversations about car door opening and paying for dates
take the place of conversations about equality. Feminism does not aim to create a society where
women are superior to men. Feminism does not equate with hatred of men. Men and women who are
afraid of feminism are doing so out of ignorance and cowardice.
Why feminism is misunderstood (academic way)?
Because it's hard. Feminism is a complex, multi-generational movement that's gone in many
directions, has many branches, some of which are in opposition to one another, and has some
elaborate post-modern philosophical foundations. Understanding the history alone is something you
could have a PhD in, much less the theory behind how spontaneously organized systems can form
and how feminists do class analysis and draw conclusions about power structures from that analysis.
Why is feminism misunderstood (social movement way)?
I think what you're actually asking here is "Why does feminism have marketing problems?" Why do all
these people have this notion that feminism is about hating men etc. Well, here's an answer for that.
1. Feminism has a complex history and branches that contradict one another. This is
confusing for casual onlookers.

2. There are some people with a vested interest in feminism not being successful, and
thus they actively promote straw men versions of feminism, and promote the most unsavory
elements.
3. The Dunning-Kruger effect. Many folks who think they understand feminism well enough
to talk about it passionately don't truly understand it that well, and thus explain it to others poorly.
4. There are a small number of extremely radical individuals who are prominent
specifically because they are radical. They get a disproportionate amount of attention and thus
mislead common understanding of the movement.
5. Feminism is a movement about identity, and thus attracts a disproportionate number of
people who have substantial identity and self-esteem problems, coloring the common experience
of the movement with those problems. By no means should it necessarily make an effort not to
attract these people, but it does cause marketing problems when a tremendous segment of your
adherents get off on Internet bullying.
Socialist feminism is the
union
of
two heavily segmented movements
rife
with internal
conflict socialism and feminism, the
definitions
of
both of
which have
evolved
tremendously over the past 120 years. There are thus many things "socialism" means, many
things "feminism" means, and several branches of "socialist feminism."
Let's consider Marxist feminism, which is
a branch of
socialist feminism. To paint in
broad
strokes, Marxist feminism characterizes
patriarchy as
a consequence
of
men
wishing to
control women by limiting their access
to wage
labor opportunities, which, while
an
oppressed position under capitalists, still offers more freedom than being deprived of that
opportunity altogether. Marxist class
analysis
identifies
distinct classes
of
people
and
advocates violent revolution to overturn the system. How you think of Marxist feminism will
depend heavily on the degree to which you think the identified classes accurately represent
power structures in the society in which you live, how much you agree with the analysis of
said classes, and how you feel about violent revolution.
Anarchafeminism is another branch of socialist feminism. Of the branches of feminism it is
probably the one most attached to queer theory (though believing in
queer
theory does
not
make you an anarchafeminist). While
sympathetic
to Marxist feminism, anarchafeminism
promotes radical decentralization of power, and free association, as the best mechanisms for
abolishing hierarchies, one of which is patriarchy. How you feel about anarchafeminism
will depend heavily on how comfortable you are with the total, radical abolition of all
hierarchical structures in society.
There are a number of smaller branches
of
feminism which I'm
honestly far
less
with than the two I mentioned, and even
with those
two I'm only casually familiar. I
my answer provides you with at least some insight.

familiar
hope

Feminism is more complex than some things and less complex than others.
It involves the notion of treating groups equally. But "treating", "groups" and "equally" are each
complex notions.
"Treating" - in everyday life? Legally? Professionally?
"Groups" - how, exactly, are the groups defined. "Men" and "women". What about kids? What about
adults who are neither? And does the group entail every individual in it? Do I have to treat nasty
women the same way I treat nice men? What about nasty men and nice women?

"Equally" - there's a tricky word! It's not the same as "identically". But, for all that, it's really not all that
complex.
IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR WOMEN IN INDIA
The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental
Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to
women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favor of women.
Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and programmers
have aimed at womens advancement in different spheres. India has also ratified various international
conventions and human rights instruments committing to secure equal rights of women. Key among
them is the ratification of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) in 1993.
1.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

The Constitution of India not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt
measures of positive discrimination in favor of women for neutralizing the cumulative socio
economic, education and political disadvantages faced by them. Fundamental Rights, among
others, ensure equality before the law and equal protection of law; prohibits discrimination against
any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and guarantee equality of
opportunity to all citizens in matters relating to employment. Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 16, 39(a),
39(b), 39(c) and 42 of the Constitution are of specific importance in this regard.

Constitutional Privileges
I. Equality before law for women (Article 14)
II. 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))
III.

The State to make any special provision in favor of women and children (Article

15 (3))
IV. Equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or
appointment to any office under the State (Article 16)
V. The State to direct its policy towards securing for men and women equally the
right to an adequate means of livelihood (Article 39(a)); and equal pay for equal work for both
men and women (Article 39(d))
VI. To promote justice, on a basis of equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid
by suitable legislation or scheme or in any other way to ensure that opportunities for securing
justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities (Article 39 A)
VII.
The State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and
for maternity relief (Article 42)
VIII.
The State to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of
the weaker sections of the people and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of
exploitation (Article 46)

IX.
(Article 47)

The State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people

X. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the
people of India and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e))
XI. Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women
belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to
be filled by direct election in every Panchayat to be reserved for women and such seats to be
allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat (Article 243 D(3))
XII.
Not less than one- third of the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the
Panchayats at each level to be reserved for women (Article 243 D (4))
XIII.
Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women
belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to
be filled by direct election in every Municipality to be reserved for women and such seats to be
allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Municipality (Article 243 T (3))
XIV. Reservation of offices of Chairpersons in Municipalities for the Scheduled
Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women in such manner as the legislature of a State may by
law provide (Article 243 T (4))

1.

LEGAL PROVISIONS

Although women may be victims of any of the crimes such as 'Murder', 'Robbery', 'Cheating'
etc, the crimes, which are directed specifically against women, are characterized as 'Crime against
Women'. These are broadly classified under two categories.
(1)

The Crimes Identified Under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

(i)

Rape (Sec. 376 IPC)

(ii)

Kidnapping & Abduction for different purposes ( Sec. 363-

(iii)

Homicide for Dowry, Dowry Deaths or their attempts (Sec.

(iv)

Torture, both mental and physical (Sec. 498-A IPC)

(v)

Molestation (Sec. 354 IPC)

(vi)

Sexual Harassment (Sec. 509 IPC)

(vii)

Importation of girls (up to 21 years of age)

373)
302/304-B IPC)

(2)

The Crimes identified under the Special Laws (SLL)

Although all laws are not gender specific, the provisions of law affecting women significantly
have been reviewed periodically and amendments carried out to keep pace with the emerging
requirements. Some acts which have special provisions to safeguard women and their
interests are:
(i)

The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948

(ii)

The Plantation Labor Act, 1951

(iii)

The Family Courts Act, 1954

(iv)

The Special Marriage Act, 1954

(v)

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

(vi)

The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 with amendment in 2005

(vii)

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956

(viii)

The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (Amended in 1995)

(ix)

Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

(x)

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971

(xi)

The Contract Labor (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1976

(xii)

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

(xiii)

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

(xiv)

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983

(xv)

The Factories (Amendment) Act, 1986

(xvi)

Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986

(xvii) Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987

(xviii) The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

2.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES FOR WOMEN

(i)

National Commission for Women

In January 1992, the Government set-up this statutory body with a specific mandate to
study and monitor all matters relating to the constitutional and legal safeguards
provided for women, review the existing legislation to suggest amendments wherever
necessary, etc.
(ii)

Reservation for Women in Local Self -Government

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Acts passed in 1992 by Parliament ensure one-third
of the total seats for women in all elected offices in local bodies whether in rural areas
or urban areas
(iii)

The National Plan of Action for the Girl Child (1991-

2000)
The plan of Action is to ensure survival, protection and development of the girl child with
the ultimate objective of building up a better future for the girl child.
(iv)

National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001

The Department of Women & Child Development in the Ministry of Human Resource
Development has prepared a National Policy for the Empowerment of Women in
the year 2001. The goal of this policy is to bring about the advancement, development
and empowerment of women.

COMMON MISCONSUMPTION OF FEMINISIM

Feminists are all women
Just ask this lovely bunch of famous gentlemen, feminism is 100% not a female exclusive
movement. This is probably THE most common misconception about feminism; so often I hear
I wouldnt call myself a feminist, Im a man! But if you believe in equal rights for both men and
women, regardless of your gender, youre a feminist.

Speaking of men, dont all feminists hate them?

No! This seems pretty self-explanatory after that last paragraph, but just to reiterate, many
men are in fact feminists. Also, many feminist women are in happy, loving relationships with
men . The feminist movement is not anti-man so much as its anti the patriarchal society we
live in, which has historically favoured men. You can be a feminist and still love men as fathers,
brothers, partners, sons, friends, and fellow human beings.

Feminists do think women are better than men

Not only do us feminists not hate men, we also dont believe that women are better than them
either. Feminism is about equality between men and women, something that is yet to exist in
the world. Some people seem to think, perhaps because of the fem prefix, that feminism
seeks to bring men down from their positions of power, when in reality its about correcting the
power imbalance and affording women the same opportunities as their male peers.

Feminism and equality are different things

Actually, feminism and equality are the same thing. Being a feminist means believing that men
and women should be treated equally, regardless of gender. Sexism affects half of the entire
population of the planet, so naturally the fight for gender equality includes individuals who are
also victims of racism, homophobia, classism, and other forms of discrimination.

The feminists of the 1960s burned bras

One of the most famous myths about 1960s feminists is that they burned their bras at a
protest, but this is not true! At the 1968 Miss America pageant, a group of feminists gathered to
protest the oppressive beauty standards of American society. They threw a whole bunch of
items that they deemed oppressive in bins; mops, Playboy magazines, make up, high heels,
girdles, and indeed, bras . . . But they never actually set fire to any of them!
Sexism is no longer an issue
I could write a whole separate story on why feminism is still an important issue and the ways in
which sexism still exists, but heres a summary. Women still earn considerably less than their
male peers. Women are underrepresented in politics, media, and business through a lack of
females in high positions in these fields. Womens rights to their own bodies are frequently
being questioned. And perhaps worst of all, the statistics for domestic violence against women
and girls are deeply disturbing.

Feminism has been misinterpreted and misrepresented in many different ways throughout the history
of the movement, but hopefully the increasing amount of exposure its getting will spread the word.
Feminism isnt a dirty word, it merely means equality.

The Ten Most Common Feminist Myths:

1. Myth: One in four women in college has been the victim of rape or attempted rape.
Fact: This mother of all factoids is based on a fallacious feminist study commissioned
by Ms. Magazine. The researcher, Mary Koss, hand-picked by hard-line feminist Gloria Steinem,
acknowledges that 73 percent of the young women she counted as rape victims were not aware they
had been raped. Forty-three percent of them were dating their attacker again.
Rape is a uniquely horrible crime. That is why we need sober and responsible research. Women will
not be helped by hyperbole and hysteria. Truth is no enemy of compassion, and falsehood is no
friend.
2. Myth: Women earn 75 cents for every dollar a man earns.
Fact: The 75 cent figure is terribly misleading. This statistic is a snapshot of all current full-time
workers. It does not consider relevant factors like length of time in the workplace, education,
occupation, and number of hours worked per week. (The experience gap is particularly large between
older men and women in the workplace.) When economists do the proper controls, the so-called
gender wage gap narrows to the point of vanishing.
3. Myth: 30 percent of emergency room visits by women each year are the result of injuries from
domestic violence.
Fact: This incendiary statistic is promoted by gender feminists whose primary goal seems to be to
impugn men. Two responsible government studies report that the nationwide figure is closer to one
percent. While these studies may have missed some cases of domestic violence, the 30% figure is a
wild exaggeration.

4. Myth: The phrase rule of thumb originated in a mans right to beat his wife provided the stick was
no wider than his thumb.
Fact: This is an urban legend that is still taken seriously by activist law professors and harassment
work shoppers. The Oxford English Dictionary has more than twenty citations for phrase rule of
thumb (the earliest from 1692), but not a single mention of beatings, sticks, or husbands and wives.
5. Myth: Women have been short-changed in medical research.
Fact: The National Institutes of Health and drug companies routinely include women in clinical trials
that test for effectiveness of medications. By 1979, over 90% of all NIH-funded trials included women.
Beginning in 1985, when the NIHs National Cancer Center began keeping track of specific cancer
funding, it has annually spent more money on breast cancer than any other type of cancer. Currently,
women represent over 60% of all subjects in NIH-funded clinical trials.
6. Myth: Girls have been short-changed in our gender-biased schools
Fact: No fair-minded person can review the education data and conclude that girls are the have-nots
in our schools. Boys are slightly ahead of girls in math and science; girls are dramatically ahead in
reading and writing. (The writing skills of 17-year-old boys are at the same level as 14-year- old girls.)
Girls get better grades, they have higher aspirations, and they are more likely to go to college.
7. Myth: Our schools are training grounds for sexual harassment boys are rarely punished, while
girls are taught that it is their role to tolerate this humiliating conduct.
Fact: Hostile Hallways, is the best-known study of harassment in grades 8-11. It was commissioned
by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in 1993, and is a favourite of many
harassment experts. But this survey revealed that girls are doing almost as much harassing as the
boys. According to the study, 85 percent of girls and 76 percent of boys surveyed say they have
experienced unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with their lives.
8. Myth: Girls suffer a dramatic loss of self-esteem during adolescence.
Fact: This myth of the incredible shrinking girls was started by Carol Gilligan, professor of gender
studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gilligan has always enjoyed higher standing
among feminist activists and journalists than among academic research psychologists. Scholars who
follow the protocols of social science do not accept the reality of an adolescent crisis of confidence
and loss of voice. In 1993, American Psychologist reported the new consensus among researchers
in adolescent development: It is now known that the majority of adolescents of both genders
successfully negotiate this developmental period without any major psychological or emotional
disorder [and] develop a positive sense of personal identity.
9. Myth: Gender is a social construction.
Fact: While environment and socialization do play a significant role in human life, a growing body of
research in neuroscience, endocrinology, and psychology over the past 40 years suggests there is a
biological basis for many sex differences in aptitudes and preferences. In general, males have better
spatial reasoning skills; females better verbal skills. Males are greater risk takers; females are more
nurturing.
Of course, this does not mean that women should be prevented from pursuing their goals in any field
they choose; what it does suggest is that we should not expect parity in all fields. More women than
men will continue to want to stay at home with small children and pursue careers in fields like early

childhood education or psychology; men will continue to be over-represented in fields like helicopter
mechanics and hydraulic engineering.
Warning: Most gender scholars in our universities have degrees in fields like English or comparative
literaturenot biology or neuroscience. These self-appointed experts on sexuality are scientifically
illiterate. They substitute dogma and propaganda for reasoned scholarship.
10. Myth: Womens Studies Departments empowered women and gave them a voice in the
academy.
Fact: Womens Studies empowered a small group of like-minded careerists. They have created an
old-girl network that is far more elitist, narrow and closed than any of the old-boy networks they rail
against. Vast numbers of moderate or dissident women scholars have been marginalized, excluded
and silenced.

Survey results

Conclusion:
To find out the result of the situation a survey was conducted and people of all backgrounds were
involved in it. There were a good number of responses from teachers, students, employees, social
workers, etc. Fortunately the survey was answered by nearly equal number of men and women which
was better for drawing out a good conclusion. So let us see what does the survey put in our minds,
whether the word misinterpreted or rightly justified?
Civil rights, liberty, opportunities should be available to every individual regardless of gender. A good
number of people believe in it but there were few who do not accept it. In many cases it is found out
that in some fields women are not taken or in some fields men are not preferred. But at a point of time
today when men and women stand equal in all backgrounds of society it should be taken into

consideration. 48% of people were found in support of feminism and their number is increasing as
years passing by, which is good as these social movements are helping out women to get their rights
equally. But are the people making an appropriate use of the term Feminism? A big question stands
in front of all of us.These are the views of people who do not support feminism:

61% say that they believe in gender equality but dont feel that feminism accurately
represents their views. This might be because people do not agree with some concepts
which are being misused.

18% dont believe in gender equality.

19% say none of the above

2% have given other reason of their own.

Among the males who support feminism, only 56.5% of them accept it publicly. Many men find it
difficult to accept it publicly. Surely the reason for this might be some sort of criticism which may make
them ashamed. And it was found that 53.3% of males have received criticism for identifying as
feminist. 58.3% people say that feminism is creating positive difference in world today and has helped
in the women empowerment.
This gender equality movement has been given names as Feminism or Feminist and 62% people
say that the terms given are right. Whereas 38% people say that the names given should be
changed, there should be different terms.75% say that achieving gender equality goal is possible.
And a huge number of people say that even if this goal is not achieved yet, there has been an
improvement as the years are passing by. This means that one day gender equality will be accepted
by each and every individual.
Feminism has been largely influenced by celebrities and this is very much in the favour of feminism.
This is because a lot of common people try to imitate their favourite celebrity. Even if politicians
declare themselves as feminist a lot of their followers become in favour of feminism, which actually
helps feminism. It is observed that most of politicians identify themselves as feminist so as to get a lot
of votes from women side.
53% people accept that feminism is well represented by the journalists and voices writing in the main
stream media. 67% people say that men are being made the victim because of misunderstanding of
feminism concepts. Due to wrong concepts in feminism, people misuse it in some way or the other.
As it is a womens empowering movement, men are largely affected by it. 59.5% say they believe that
men experience sexism on a par with women. A huge number of people say that sexism is not only a
womens problem but its a problem of each and every individual to change. Truly it is a part of
everyone to contribute for a change. A change that will never need a social movement for gender
equality.

6 Common Arguments Against Feminism & Every Way You Can Shut Them Down
When asked to describe myself, I often lead with the word "feminist." Feminism is important to me on
a personal level (my life improved tremendously after I had my "feminist awakening"), and I also feel
strongly that it's an important social priority. All that said, I know that we feminists can deal with a lot
of flack from those who don't share our enthusiasm for gender equality. It can be draining to
constantly have people shooting us down and questioning the validity of our desire for equality. It isn't
easy. Sometimes when someone wants to challenge our ideals, it can be hard to respond because
we're so offended by their arguments. And often, our beliefs are so much a part of us that we can

forget how to break them down and explain them to others. Even if we don't always want to engage in
debate, it's still important to know how to shut down arguments against feminism.

"Women Already Have Equal Rights"

This is one of the arguments I hear the most often. A
discussion gets going about the status of women, and
someone will chime in to declare that rights between men
and women are already equal. The first thing I notice when
I'm confronted with this argument is that the feminismopposer almost always operates on the male/female gender
binary, and that's already a problem. Discounting trans,
gender nonconforming, and gender fluid folks is no way to
have any conversation about gender equality, and we need
to keep this in mind when we're having any discussion about
feminism. It's certainly not true that women and other non-cis male genders have equal protections
under the law. Trans individuals can't even necessarily use the bathroom for their gender, and women
still do not have clearly stated constitutional rights that protect against gender discrimination at work.
When someone throws this one at you, remind them first that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
has not yet been passed. This amendment would make it unconstitutional to discriminate on the basis
of sex at work. Men already have this right; women do not. Further point out that there is a difference
between our rights and how we are treated in society. Constitutionally, people of all races have the
same rights in the United States, but black people still consistently deal with race-based
discrimination. Let's suppose women did have equal protection under the law (which we don't, yet)
that doesn't automatically ensure that women are treated as social equals.

"You're Too Angry And Aggressive"

Yes, I am angry. I'm angry that I get harassed on the street
about half the time I leave my home. I'm angry that my male
counterparts are compensated more for the same work I do.
I'm angry that politicians are constantly trying to repeal our
constitutional right to safe abortions. I'm angry that half of all
transgender people will be sexually abused in their lifetime.
These topics are painful and difficult, and sometimes you really
just don't want to deal with them anymore. It can be
exceptionally frustrating. So yes, feminists, like all people, will
get angry sometimes. There's

nothing wrong with being angry, and so long as our arguments are solid, our feelings don't make us
wrong.
When people tell me I am too aggressive in my approach to feminism, I tell them that as part of a
movement, I don't have time to hold anyone's hands. Hundreds of women die a year due to genderbased violence in Argentina. Mothers in the United States don't have a legal right to time paid off from
work after they give birth. Ninety-eight percent of rapists will never be held in prison, or even in jail. Of
course we are angry. And yes, we will be aggressive. People's lives are at stake; urgency is the only
appropriate response.

"I'm A Man, So I Cant Be Feminist"

Anyone can be a feminist. It's a common misconception
that to be a feminist, one must be a cis woman, but this
is far from the case. Feminism is a worldview and way of
life that anyone can adopt. Personally, I define feminism
as the belief that all genders ought to be treated as
equals in every sense, and a desire to replace the
harmful aspects of patriarchy with systems that
empower, celebrate, and respect women, trans
individuals, gender fluid and gender nonconforming
people. Being a man in no way precludes a person from
holding these beliefs and ideals to be true.
Yes, men have a different path to walk than women when it come to feminism. Men can be feminists
and allies.
A man's role in feminism is to
1) recognize and fully accept that they carry gender privilege,
2) listen to women and others who are oppressed by patriarchal systems and values,
3) use their privilege to benefit those who do not share that privilege, and
4) call out misogyny when they see it.
You're a man and your guy friend tells a sexist joke? Tell them it isn't okay to say or think those things
about women. Do you have the opportunity to use your male privilege to empower a trans individual?
Go for it. Just remember that while you have an instrumental part to play in this movement, the
movement does not belong to you.

"Feminism Is A Lost Cause"

I am not an optimist. I don't think that we will necessarily
see gender equality in my lifetime. But the same way
feminism doesn't belong to men, it doesn't belong solely to
my generation, or to me. The struggle is for the benefit of
all women; not just the ones I might meet while I'm alive.
It's important that we push for equality, even if we won't
necessarily see our hard work come fully to fruition. What I
tell others (and even myself, because I get frustrated with
slow progress, too) is that the end goal of feminism isn't
always necessarily to turn the world into a feminist
paradise. We have different goals at different times.
Sometimes the goal is to pass the ERA, sometimes it's to get safe housing for LGBTQ kids, and
sometimes it's to tell our little sisters not to let the boys at school pick on her because she's just as
good as they are.
See? Progress doesn't seem so far-fetched now, does it?

"Feminism Is Sexist Against Men"

I hear this a lot. I bet you do, too. It's one of the first things
someone who doesn't understand oppression will claim in an
attempt to tear down arguments for gender equality. The only
real way to address this assertion is to have a discussion
about how oppression works. Basically, oppression flows in
one direction only, from the privileged oppressor to the
oppressed. It's a socially and culturally supported misuse of
power that keeps one group at the top and others beneath
them in many senses financially, physically, etc. Can
women be biased against men, say rude things to them, or
treat them poorly? Yes, no doubt. But because women are not in a greater position of social power,
these are incidents of discrimination, not oppression or sexism. Sexism is when a certain sex or
gender (in the case of contemporary society, this gender is women and trans* people) is
systematically discriminated against, to the point that they are treated as subordinate or otherwise
less than the dominant group. As long as men are the dominant group, they can't be the victims of
sexism.
I know that sounds kind of heady, but it's just not possible for men to be the victims of sexism. We are
all hurt by misogyny and patriarchy (there are unfair expectations of men in our society as a result of
patriarchy), but men are not culturally, socially, or legally oppressed by women.
"I'm A Woman, And I Don't Need Feminism"
Well, we all need feminism. A woman who says this might need to be reminded of her own privilege
before she makes this kind of judgement. She might be in a position of greater privilege as a woman
(white, upper-class, educated, straight, cis) and have not necessarily experienced some of the more

brutal effects that a patriarchal society dishes out. But

she has definitely experienced sexism, whether she
realizes it or not. Ask her whether she knows how much
the men at her workplace make, and if it's the same pay
as hers. Do men dismiss her opinion and interrupt her on
a regular basis? Does she get catcalled walking down
the street? Has she ever been coerced into or forced to
have sex?

CONCLUSION:
Thus , Feminism is a good thing or at least intended to be one. Feminism is not about woman
privileges neither is it about downgrading men. But due to instances of misinterpretation of the word
and its meaning people have started to think that feminism is a bad thing and is only a woman related
change when its not. Feminism is the idea of men and women having equal rights and equal status
but due to problems in understanding this woman think feminism is their right where they get a
preference over men. While men think that all feminist ideologies are against men.Because this
discrepancy exists real gender equality can never be achieved and although we have come a far way
in giving equal rights , we still are long way away from achieving a true sense of equality.