Stages of the Women's movement in India.

Phase 1: The Early Reform Movements (1850s – 1915)

This initial phase was largely spearheaded by social reformers who challenged prevailing social evils. The focus was on improving the status of women within the existing social framework.

• Key Issues: Sati (abolished in 1829 by Lord William Bentinck), widow remarriage, female education, child marriage.
• Key Leaders: Raja Ram Mohan Roy (founded Brahmo Samaj), Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (championed widow remarriage), Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule (pioneers of female education in Maharashtra).
• Limitations: Reformers largely operated within a patriarchal framework and did not fundamentally challenge the existing power structures.

Phase 2: The Nationalist Phase (1915 – 1947)

This phase saw the integration of the women’s question into the broader nationalist struggle for independence. Women actively participated in the freedom movement, demanding political rights alongside national liberation.

• Key Issues: Political rights (suffrage), participation in the freedom movement, social reform.
• Key Leaders: Sarojini Naidu, Kasturbai Gandhi, Annie Besant, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.
• Impact: Increased political awareness among women, participation in protests and civil disobedience movements, and a growing demand for equal rights. The Indian National Congress, while advocating for independence, often sidelined women’s specific concerns.

Phase 3: The Post-Independence Phase (1947 – 1970s)

This period focused on securing legal and political rights for women within the newly independent nation. The emphasis was on enacting legislation to address discrimination and promote equality.

• Key Issues: Equal rights under the Constitution, property rights, marriage and divorce laws, dowry prohibition.
• Key Legislations: The Hindu Marriage Act (1955), The Hindu Succession Act (1956), The Dowry Prohibition Act (1961).
• Limitations: Despite legal reforms, social realities often lagged behind. Implementation of laws was weak, and patriarchal attitudes persisted.

Phase 4: The Autonomous Women’s Movement (1970s – 1990s)

This phase marked a shift towards a more independent and radical women’s movement, challenging patriarchal structures and raising issues beyond legal reforms.

• Key Issues: Domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, economic exploitation, communal violence against women.
• Key Events: The Mathura rape case (1978), the anti-rape movement, the Shah Bano case (1985).
• Characteristics: Emergence of autonomous women’s groups, focus on grassroots activism, intersectional approach recognizing the multiple forms of oppression faced by women.

Phase 5: The Contemporary Phase (1990s – Present)

This phase is characterized by a continued focus on issues of violence against women, economic empowerment, and political representation. The movement has also engaged with globalization and its impact on women.

• Key Issues: Gender-based violence, trafficking, discrimination in the workplace, political representation (33% reservation), reproductive rights.
• Key Legislations: The Prevention of Women against Violence Act (2005), The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
• Challenges: Increasing instances of cybercrime against women, the persistence of patriarchal attitudes, and the need for effective implementation of laws.