CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgment

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

(A) Contemporary Indian Women Movement

(B) Empowerment of women and Law

(C) Problem of Implementation of the Laws

(D) Reservation for women

CHAPTER TWO

Gender Equality and Protection Under the Constitution

(A) A Question of dependence

(B) Strategies

(C) Provisions of Indian Constitution

(1) Preamble

(i) Political Rights

(ii) Economic Rights

(iii) Social Justice

(2) Fundamental Rights

(i) Equality

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 (a) Relation of Article 15 with Article 14 of the

Constitution

(b) Co-relation of Article 15(1) & 15(3)

(c) Co-relation of Article 16(1) & 16(2)

(d) Gender Discrimination

(e) Right to Maintenance

(f) Harmonious Construction of Articles 14, 15 &

16

(g) Reservation of Seats for Women

(h) Sexual Harassment at Workplace

(i) Right to Personal Liberty vis-a-vis Privacy

(j) Right Against Exploitation

3. Directive Principles of State Policy

4. Fundamental Duties

5. Women’s Representation in Local Bodies

CHAPTER THREE

The Property Law and Women's Entitlement to Property

(A) Inheritance

(B) Observations/ Recommendations of the Committee on Status of Women

in India (1975) on Inheritance

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(C) Matrimonial Property

(D) Amendments recommended by the National Commission for Women

(1) Indian Succession Act, 1925

(2) Hindu Succession Act, 1956

(E) Amendments Recommended by NGO's

(F) Equality among unequals: A critical Look at Hindu Succession

(G) Declarations

(H) Reservation

(I) The Case of Mary Roy

(J) Big Step Backwards

(i) Muslim Women's (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986

(ii) Questioning the Act - Impractical and Unjust

(iii) Questioning the Act - Constitutional Validity

(iv) Shah Bano Case And the Muslim Women's Act - The Media's

Stand

(K) The Brighter Side With Its Dimmers

CHAPTER FOUR

The Procedural Laws and other Laws

(A) Demystifying the Law - It is Male Dominated

(B) The Oppression of the Patriarchial Family Value in Law

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 (C) Divorce, Law & The Indian Women

(D) Sexual Harassment and Rape Laws in India

(E) Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act

d) Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act

(2) The Rights of the Pregnant woman

(3) Inaccessibility of MTP

(F) Dowry Menace

(1) Some of the Well-known Cases

(2) How did the Guidelines Come About?

CHAPTER FIVE

Panchayati Raj System and Women Worker

(A) Political Participation and Panchayati Raj System

(B) Different Yojana and Programmes launched by the Government

d) The Swamjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana

(2) The Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana

(3) The Indira Awas Yojana

(4) The National social Assistance Programme

(5) The Restructed Centrally Sponsered Rural Sanitation

Programme

(6) The Rural Water Supply Programme

(7) Jawahar Rozgar Yojana

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 (8) CAPART

(9) The National Social Assistance Programme

(C ) Women and Local Government in Urban India

(D) India's nurseries of Politics - Political rise of women in India •

CHAPTER SIX

The Domestic Violence in India

(A) Forms of Domestic Violence

(B) Common Forms of Violence against Indian Women'

(C) Two-third Married Indian Women victims of Domestic Violence

(D) The Domestic Violence (Prevention) Bill

(E) Provision Under Indian Laws

(1) A Domestic Violence Law

(2) Indian Penal Code

(F) The Protection From Domestic Violence Act, 2005

(G) Note of Caution

CHAPTER EIGHT

Suggestions and Conclusions

(A) Fundamental Rights

(1) Right to equality

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 (2) Right to Freedom
•£
(3) Right against exploiation

(4) Right to freedom of religion

(5) Cultural and educational rights

(6) Right to Constitutional remedies

(B) Indian Constitution and special provisions for women

(1 Reservation of seats for women in colleges

(2)U.P. Court of Wards Act, 1912: Proprietorship relating to Property

(3) Constitutional validty of Section 437 of the Cr.P.C. 1973

(4) Granting licences for opening liquor shops

(5) The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 and the Indian

Constitution

(6) Women’s reservation in election to local bodies, employment

(7) Scope of Article 15(4) of the Constitution

(8) Mother can act as a natural guardian during the lifetime of father

(C) Directive Principles of the State Policy and women

(1 Principle of “equal work” is a Constitutional goal

(2) Men and women workers to be protected equally

(3) Equal justice and free legal aid

(4) Uniform Civil Code and gender justice, equality

(5) Conversion- Right as to Plurality of Marriage is not conferred on

husband

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 (6) Protection of women from prostitution and rehabilitation of their

children

(7) PIL regarding eradication of prostitution

APPENDICES

I Empowerment of Women

II Persisting Problems Requiring Priority Attention

III Approach to the Ninth Plan (2002-07)

IV National Commission for Women

V National Policy for the Empowerment of Women

VI Women’s Empowerment Year

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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