Women In India

704 Words3 Pages
One can judge the worth of a civilization by the place that is given to women in the society. One of several factors that explain the greatness of India's ancient culture is the honourable and respectable place granted to women. The Muslim influence on India worsened the position of women. They were deprived of their rights of equality with men. Raja Ram Mohan Roy initiated a movement against this inequality and suppression. The contact of Indian culture with that of the British also improved the status of women. Mahatma Gandhi who induced women to participate in the Freedom Movement also played a major role in the revival of women’s position. There is no denying the fact that women in India have made a significant progress in the last fifty…show more content…
This is most apparent in two areas: the inheritance laws, and divorce and maintenance laws. In reality, however, nearly all personal laws, be it Hindu, Muslim, or Parsi, differentiate against women. In notion women are constitutionally assured the elementary right to property. In exercise, the liberal nature of the constitution is compensated by a similar system of personal law that limits women’s inheritance, protection, and maintenance rights. Inheritance laws are a noticeable example of gender injustice in the control and circulation of properties. But passing of law is one thing and its absorption in the collective thinking of society is quite a different matter. In order to prove themselves equal to the dignity and status given to them in the Indian Constitution they have to shake off the shackles of slavery and…show more content…
The agnates are preferred over the cognates. Succession to a female intestate's property depends on the type of property. In the absence of children, property inherited from the female intestate's parents gets transferred to her father's heirs and the property inherited from her husband or father-in-law would go to the husband's heirs. In the case of female intestate's self-acquired property, a gift, or property received under a valid will would go to her children and her husband. In the absence of children and husband, the property devolves upon her husband's heirs and then upon her parents. Once again, concepts of gender inequality can be seen as the devolution of a woman’s property still remains biased towards her husband’s heirs against her natal family. Widows' property rights: A widow has the right to inherit property from her husband's estate, but her husband can transfer the property to a third person through a will and she cannot oppose him. After the death of the husband, a woman can be maintained by father in law only if the woman cannot maintain herself through her parents, children, or their estates. If the woman remarries to someone, she cannot get the maintenance from the in laws. She gets maintenance from the in laws only in case her parents are financially unable to maintain their

More about Women In India

Open Document