Women’s rights, as a term, typically refers to the freedoms inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalized, ignored or illegitimately suppressed by law, custom, and behavior in a particular society.
Evolution of women’s rights in India
Position of women in ancient India
The women in Vedic period enjoyed equal status with men and independence in action.
The privileges that women enjoyed in the Vedic period were short lived and the position of women began to decline from the latter Vedic period onwards. In the Dharma-shastra women are unambiguously equated with the sudras. Moreover women lead a life in abject misery. The women were denied the right of equal opportunity in the field of education as well as in employment. The other evils which affected the women in ancient India were child marriage, female infanticide, Dowry system etc.
After Independence, most of the social evils like Sati system, child marriage, female infanticide etc which affected the rights of women adversely were abolished. More laws were enacted to provide women equal status with man in the field of education and employment opportunities, laws were also enacted for preventing discrimination against women on the basis of gender. Constitution of India also provides for provisions in order to protect the rights of women. The Indian penal code has also adopted stringent measures to deal with crimes against women. Penal punishments were incorporated for dealing with the crimes of rape, marital violence against women, prostitution etc. Recently a bill was enacted to prevent harassment of women in their work places.
International conventions for the protection and promotion of women rights
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women.
By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms, including: To incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; Establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.
States parties agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It affirms women’s rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. States parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of women.
United Nations Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
The declaration mainly aims at protecting women from torture.
ACLU Women’s Rights Project
Since 1972, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project has worked to empower women and advance equality. The Women’s Rights Project focuses on four core areas:
Violence Against Women WRP is committed to advancing battered women’s civil rights, assisting women in their efforts to keep themselves and their children safe, and challenging the housing and employment discrimination experienced by so many battered women, especially low income and women of color.
Legislations in India for the Protection of Women The major women specific legislations in India are the following:
Role of Media in the protection of women’s rights
Media plays the role of a saviour in whom the power to protect and enhance the rights of the women is arrogated. Media through its visual broadcasting should project the abject and miserable lives and living conditions of women in rural India. More documentaries and screen plays projecting women.s rights should be aired through visual media. Media plays an important role in coordinating the activities of social workers who play an important role in striving to establish women.s rights. Print media through various journals meant exclusively for women entails a place in this men dominated world. Media has certain forums specifically for the promotion and advancement of the interest of women folk. Media through its various agencies helps to agitate and voice against any intrusion into the rights of the women.
Negative effects of media on the rights of women
Media has both positive as well as negative effects on the rights of women. Media has been a cause for the increase in infringement of the right to privacy of a woman. Media through obscene publication and visual presentations have demeaned the dignity of women in the modern society.
Media laws and its Evolution in India
Historical Perspective of Mass Media Laws
as a fundamental right.
Media laws and its relation to the Rights of the Women
Media Law has its applicability in ensuring and preserving the rights of the women. Media has been regulated with regard to its right in publishing and broadcasting by enacting the media laws. These laws have a direct impetus to the protection of women.s rights. Media Laws through its enactments regulating the print media takes away from the press the absolute power vested in them previously. Media laws protect the women.s right by preventing the print media from publishing articles and journals that goes detrimental to the interest of the women folk and intrude their privacy.
Media Law and the Rights of Women in India
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