Top 10 Laws for Women in India

INTRODUCTION:

Crime against women happens every moment in India. Women are not safe, regardless of whether it is in their homes, open spots or at their workplace. Your wellbeing in your grasp seems like a worn-out aphorism to rehash. Given the number of crimes that have been committed against women, it has now become very important that women are aware of the laws that are made to protect them.

[1]65% of Indian men believe that women are ought to be inferior and tolerate violence to keep the family together, and women some of the time deserve to be beaten. In January 2011, the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) Questionnaire announced that 24% of Indian men had committed sexual violence eventually during their lives.

In Indian culture, women possess an imperative position and admirable place. The Vedas celebrated women as the mother, the maker, and one who gives life and loved her as Devi or Goddess. Women in India, today, are turning into the most powerless and vulnerable section to the extent their wellbeing and security is concerned. Brutality against women can fit into a few general classifications. Some of them are assault, aggressive behavior at home, inappropriate behavior, female child murder and so on.

Our nation must have the biggest number of laws, apparently for the benefit of women. The Constitution and the various Acts made by the Union Governments and the states give special protection to ladies. But in spite of all these efforts and laws, the condition of women in India is improving at a very slow rate.

LAWS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN:

1. DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961[2]

Dowry Prohibition Act was enacted on May 1, 1961, to prevent giving and taking of Dowry. Under the Dowry Prohibition Act, dowry incorporates property, goods, or cash given by either party to the marriage, by the guardians of either party or by any other person regarding the marriage. The Dowry Prohibition Act applies to people of all religions in India.

The Indian Penal Code was likewise amended in 1983 to set up specific crimes of dowry-related cruelty, abetment of suicide and dowry death. These enactments punish the violence against women which is done by either their husbands or their relatives when proof of dowry demand is shown.

It is one of the real challenges that our general public is grappling with. Women straightforwardly complaining about it have gotten the message out and urge other women to stand firm.

2. INDIAN DIVORCE ACT, 1969[3]

The Indian Divorce Act was drafted into the Indian legal network in the year 1869. In India divorce rules and procedures differs as according to the community of couple. As expressed above divorce among Christians is represented by the Indian Divorce Act, 1869, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Muslims by the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, Parsis by the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936 and the common and the civil and inter-community marriage by the Special Marriage Act, 1956.

The Indian Divorce Act has been enacted for the dissolution of marriage, nullity of marriage, mutual consent, judicial separation and restitution of conjugal rights.

3. MATERNITY BENEFIT ACT, 1961

The object of maternity benefit is to secure the dignity of motherhood by accommodating the full and solid support to women and her kid when she isn’t working.

This act regulates the work of women and maternity benefits commanded by law. It expresses that a women representative who has worked in an association for a time of at least 80 days during a year proceeding the date of her expected delivery is qualified for getting maternity benefits, which incorporates maternity leave, nursing breaks, restorative remittance, and so on.

4. PROHIBITION OF CHILD MARRIAGE ACT, 2006[4]

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 came into power on 1 November 2007 in India. In October 2017, Supreme Court of India gave a milestone judgment condemning sex with a child bride, thus removing an exception in India’s criminal law which had up to that point concurred lawful assurance to men who assaulted their minor wives.

According to International Research Center for Women, around 47 percent of young girls are married before the age of 18. At present, India ranks 13 in the world in relation to child marriage. Since child marriage has been soaked into the Indian culture and convention since hundreds of years, it has been tough disposing of it.

5. SPECIAL MARRIAGE ACT, 1954[5]

The main objective of this act is to give – a special form of marriage in specific cases, to provide for divorce, and registration of marriage in certain cases. In a nation like India and with the assorted religions and cast, when individuals from various beliefs and caste chose to get married they do it under the Special Marriage Act.

6. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN ACT, 1990

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India, built up in January 1992. Lalitha Kumaramangalam was appointed as its Chairperson in 2014.

The NCW speaks to the privileges of women in India and gives a voice to their issues and concerns. The National Commission for Women Act means to improve the status of women and worked for their economic empowerment.

7. EQUAL RENUMERATION FOR WOMEN ACT, 1976

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976[6] aims to provide for the payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers and for the prevention of discrimination, on the ground of sex, against women in the matter of employment and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. According to the Act, the term ‘remuneration’ means “the basic wage or salary and any additional emoluments whatsoever payable, either in cash or in kind, to a person employed in respect of employment or work done in such employment, if the terms of the contract of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled”. Nothing in this Act shall apply:- (i) to cases affecting the terms and conditions of a woman’s employment in complying with the requirements of any law giving special treatment to women; or (ii) to any special treatment accorded to women in connection with the birth or expected birth of a child, or the terms and conditions relating to retirement, marriage or death or to any provision made in connection with the retirement, marriage or death.

8. THE INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN (PROHIBITION) ACT, 1986[7]

This Act restricts indecent portrayal of women through ad or in distributions, compositions, artistic creations, figures or in some other way.

9. SEXUAL HARRASMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION, AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is an administrative demonstration in India that seeks to protect women from inappropriate behavior at their work environment. It was passed by the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) on 3 September 2012. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) on 26 February 2013. The Bill got the consent of the President on 23 April 2013. The Act came into power from 9 December 2013.

Sexual harassment at workplace also includes – the use of language with sexual overtones, invasion of private space with a male colleague hovering too close for comfort, subtle touches and innuendoes.

10. MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT, 1971

An Act to provide for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered Medical Practitioners and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto[8].

It plainly expresses the conditions under which a pregnancy can be ended or aborted and indicates the persons qualified to conduct the same.

CONCLUSION:

Indian women have had a very troublesome time developing under the oppression of male dominated society, class and religion. But now it’s an ideal opportunity to end quietness. Women are qualified for gaining the respect. Even though the women are equal to men in all spheres of life still the crime rate against women is increasing day by day. Government has enacted many acts, laws and plans for the benefit of women which each and every women should be aware of.

[1]http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/1818/Women-Protection-and-Changing-Laws.html- Women Protection and changing Laws

[2] https://www.britannica.com/event/Dowry-Prohibition-Act- Dowry Prohibition Act,1961

[3] https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/indian-divorce-act/- The Indian Divorce Act

[4] https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/girl-child-protection-gender-equality-women-empowerment-supreme-court-child-marriage-4901798/

[5] https://indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1387?view_type=browse&sam_handle=123456789/1362- The Special Marriage Act, 1954

[6] https://archive.india.gov.in/business/legal_aspects/equal_remuneration.php- Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

[7]https://www.google.com/search?q=Indecent+Representation+of+Women(Prevention)+Act%2C1986&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN853IN853&oq=Indecent+Representation+of+Women(Prevention)+Act%2C1986&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2.9200j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[8] https://mohfw.gov.in/acts-rules-and-standards-health-sector/acts/mtp-act-1971- MTP ACT, 1971

This article is authored by Priya Pandey, student of B.Sc LL.B at New Law College Bharati Vidyapeeth University.

Also Read – Gender Neutrality of Laws: The Future of Social Justice in India

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