The Women and Law section will focus on Indian laws that concern women’s rights. We will publish judgments, legal letters, texts of laws, bills and amendments, and relevant recommendations and suggestions.
Sparking nationwide outrage from women’s rights activists, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday ruled that Section 498 (A) of the Indian Penal Code is used as “ weapon rather than shield by disgruntled wives” against the husband and his relatives. Copy of the judgment
Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgement delivered on April 1, 2013, rejected Novartis’ patent claim: Full text of the judgment
Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, passed by Lok Sabha on 19th March 2013 – Copy of the Bill
All women courts to hear cases of sexual assaults in Maharashtra: The Bombay High Court issued a circular assigning cases involving sexual assault against women exclusively to courts presided over by women judicial officers. The circular states that “It would be desirable that all staff members, that is bench clerks, stenographers, interpreter, typists, peons and police constables are women.” The circular
Rina Mukherjee vs The Statesman: In 2002, Dr Rina Mukherji, then a senior reporter working for The Statesman complained of sexual harassment. Soon she was fired from her job. Statesman refused conciliation proceedings and the labour suit moved to the Industrial Tribunal. In a landmark judgment, the Tribunal awarded her reinstatement with full back wages from the time of her termination in October 2002. Full text of the judgment – Here
Justice Verma Committee Report– Full text
Compilation of submissions to Justice Verma Commission Here
Laws Related to Women – Here
Urgent action needed
Very valuable listing to inform people about the robust response people have given to the serious matter of women’s rights and the sociatal degradation of women that leads to sexual crimes. In this regard, I may add, that since practically all shades of opinions are unanimous and willing to put heads together to find solutions, your listing should have been inclusive and not left out a list of 11 recommendations submitted to Verma Commission by Jamaat e Islami Hind. Let then join the debate. It serves no purpose to keep a big chunk of people who do have their own suggestions, and they should be summarily rejected or sidelined. As I am sure they will have to be part of the solution, even though at the moment they appear to be part of the problem.
Recently i read the news about giving women at home the compensation for the work they do at home. This is the kind of work without which a happy home can not sustain. And we need to show our gratitude towards housewives for their eminent work for a tension free environment in the house by managing it like it is solely their responsibility. We need legislation which binds every husband of a housewife to put money monthly in the account of the women so that she can use this money as a security for her future and can take out the money only when their is requirement of funds for the critical necessities but not for routine needs. The gifts she receives from her husband, her routine requirements, family spending or any other routine spending must not be considered in any way a part of her compensation which she is expected to be received monthly in her bank account. These are the duties of the husband to provide these things.
We have to take solid steps towards the empowerment of the women , for achieving this target and to have an environment where women can walk with their heads high women group need to come forward. Raise a war against insensitive men, leave the habit of living in fear because fear is worse than death. Women have to unite for this cause they need to come forward, demand what is rightfully yours and take it. And the whole world will come in your support.
Thanking You.
With regards,
Er. Anurag Agarwal
The root cause of inequality in india is money. The male makes money. He uses some of it to provide for the woman and children, but the rest is under his control. The women are considered as service providers who cook, clean, nurture, give sex, like sudras in the hindu caste system. women are considered equvivalent to shudras. To end this ultimate control of men over money or property, there should be laws that grant women equal right to property.
Now we have laws that grant girl children same right as the boys in the parental property. So the girls inheritance from her family is assured. When a woman gets divorced from her husband, she is entitled to half the property and maintenance from the husband. So a woman who leaves her husband is assured some financial safety.
Now coming to married life, If a women is not working, she has to live under the mercy of the husband. The husband controls the money and it belongs to him because he made it. Now with the same logic does the children only belong to the women because they bore the children ? no ? They apparently belong to both parents. I suggest that whatever income is earned or acquired by either husband or wife after marriage should be considered joint property while the marriage is alive also. According to the current indian laws, a wife has no right to the husband’s money or no control of whatever he does with that. Also another pitfall is a man can disinherit a wife by creating a will, in such a way that she may not get property after his death. A woman wishes to be companion in life. But she is degraded by indian men to be just second class citizens, and abused and raped and murdered for dowry allover the country.
The very marriage by definition is woman surrendering her identity to her husband and promising to serve the man, while he proivdes and protects her. This is symbolised by woman taking husbands name and leaving parents name. So demanding equality inside marriage doesn’t make any sense. A woman who believes that she is equal to men should not get married. Feminist, if they are honest, will demand freedom from male dependence and hence marriage. So what you are saying is at best manipulative.
I was terminated after reporting molestation by co-teacher (male) on minor teenage female students at an NGO Center in Delhi that provides Free English Classes (FEC) for economically backward classes.
My former employer has around 40 centers in Delhi, being one of them, where I was also teaching.
After sending voice recordings (to my seniors) of those girls (victims & witnesses), I requested them to conduct an independent investigation which they did. A week later, my center was shut down & I was terminated on false grounds; that I shouted & used abusive language at an adjoining health camp the day before center closure.