Women are about half of Indian race. They play a vital role in the society. Life line of the human race is women folk. Civilisation and culture of nation can easily be measured with the status of women. Men and women are two wheels of a carriage. Life of one without the other is meaningless and incomplete, because man and woman both develop the personality of each other and the women seek an integration into national main-stream in progress as equal partners.
In ancient India, women enjoyed full respect and honour. They were regarded as ‘better halve’, enjoying equal rights and liberties of a ‘Grahalaxmi’. A social custom, in the name of ‘Swayamvara’ gave full freedom to the girls to choose their husbands. No social and religious rites were complete without a woman, who was designated as an ‘ardhangini’. Sita and Sawitri are still considered to be ideal women. Equivalent to men, they used to participate wisely in the religious debates in the Vedic age.
But they were pushed into background in Brahmin age. With the coming of Islam, women compleltely lost their glory. They began to live within their houses and started to observe ‘purdah’. They became dependent on menfolk. All moral and social norms ignored their identity, integrity and status. Ill-practices and evils were inflicterd on them in the garb of customs, e.g., Sati polygamy, child-marriage and ban on widows’ marriage, etc. They had very limited right relating to inheritance adoption, maintenance and guardianship, etc.
Then the time had changed. The woman came out of the four walls of thier houses in the forefront of ‘national liberation movement’, which was the beginning of the new era and bright future of women in India. They took active part in fight for freedom of India. They revolted against the ‘purdah’ and gathered under the tri-colour flag. Laxmi bai, i.e. the Rani of Jhansi, Ahilaya bai, Chand Bibi, Sarojini naidu, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Aruna Asif Ali, etc.were the considered voice of the emergent Indian women. After Independence, smt. Indira Gandhi proved herself to be first mathcless and bold Prime Minister of our country.
After the independence of India, women tried to regain their dignity and status. The constitution of India also guaranteed equality before law and equal protection of law to the women, irrespective of caste, creed, colour , religion and sex, etc, which opened, a new chapter in history of women. As such, the concept of women playing a second role to men was principly rejected. They started to take active part in social, political, educatioanal, economical and cultural activities. Independent India and her Minsiters, members of parliaments, memeber of legislative assemblies, ambassadors, artists, scientists, engineers, doctors, ips and ifs officers etc. which is a galliant reassertion of Indian womenhood. Women are academcially progressive, socially active, economically wise and culturally smart. More and more women are becoming economically self-sufficient and taking jobs i n offices , schools and hospitals etc. both in public and private sectors. The women seem to be full of pride, confidence, and awareness regarding fast changing world of competition. Even they are accepting rough and tough jobs of motor-mechanics, drivers and newspapers correspendents, etc Woman have also achieved equality with men in practically all the spheres e.g. sports, games tv and film industries etc.
NOt only the legilsturs but the Judges also helped the women to raise thier downtrodden position. Now, there is no discrimination on the ground of sex. They are entitled to sue and to be sued independently ‘sati pratha’ and child marriage have not only been abolished but they have been made punishable offences. Giving and taking of dowry has also been declared to be ilegal. Laws relating to rape and dowry death have been made more strict and severe.
