Democratic Politics

(b) Feminist Movements :
Role of women, especially in politics, in minimal is most societies. Earlier, only men were allowed to vote and contest for public offices. Women in different parts of the world organised and agitated for equal rights. These agitations demanded enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their educational and carrier opportunities more radical women’s movement aimed at equality in personal and family life as well. These movements are called FEMINIST movements. Political mobilisation has helped to improve women’s role in public life. In our country, women still lay much behind men. Ours is still a male dominated, PATRIARCHAL society.
Women face disadvantage, in various ways :
1. The literacy rate among women is only 54 % compared with 76 % among men.
2. Smaller proportion of girl students go for higher studies.
3. Parents prefer to spend their resources for their boys education. rather than spending equally on their sons and daughter.
4. On an average an Indian woman works one hour more than an average man every day, yet much of her work is not paid and therefore often not valued.
5. Inspite of the Equal Wages Act in almost all area of work, women are paid less than men.
6. In many parts of India parents prefer to have sons and find ways to have the girl child aborted before she is born.
Domestic violence : There are reports of various kinds of harassment, exploitation and violence against women. Both urban as well as rural areas have become unsafe for women. They are not safe even within their own home from beating and other forms of domestic violence.