चोर, शूद्र, पशु, नारी सारे ताडन के अधिकारी! (roughly translated – Thieves, untouchables, animals and women should be punished.

This was a very popular social tagline in India in last century.

Thanks to the reforms in our country and the Industrial revolution a woman is now looked at as a human. She also has got some social security, and promised equal opportunities to some extents. To reach where we are today, many fought and raised voices against the horrible traditions affecting women security.

It was due to the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy that Lord William Bentick abolished Sati system in 1829 by declaring it an offence.

Savitribai Phule was the first Indian lady teacher and her husband stood by her in a times when duty of a wife was just cooking and child bearing. He was the one who taught her and helped her to educate other women too.

Maharshi Karve did a great work for widow remarriage and so many others did a fabulous job for the empowerment of women and those efforts are still beneficial for the women of present as well as future India.

Now as we are in 21st century there are so many women related laws. So many policies for women empowerment. But the problem is lack of awareness among the women of India. There are so many awareness programs, different policies regulated by government but only 10% of women know about it and hardly 5% of them avail the benefits of it.

Enumerated below are a few such provisions of the law for reference: –

1. Birth – Identification of the sex of a fetus is a criminal offence. If found guilty, the mother and the person performing the diagnosis will be charged with 10,000 rupees fine and up to 3 years of imprisonment.

This law is important to protect a girl child because we live in a country where a birth of a boy is auspicious as it guarantees lineage and the birth of a girl is equated to financial burden of dowry and responsibility. A boy is considered as an asset whereas a girl is a liability to the family. He’ll also be the one who’ll give the next heir to the family. This led to skewed gender ratios in India to the extent that men could not find brides in their community.

2. Education – The education of a girl and her survival in the society is very important. Education helps her to be something she wants. It makes her independent. If not independent but at least she recognizes the difference between right and wrong and can raise a voice.

The National Scheme of Incentive to girls for secondary education scheme is a pan India scheme managed by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. It is primarily for the benefit of girls belonging to the backward classes of India. Once an eligible girl student has been selected, Rs. 3000 is deposited as a fixed deposit on her behalf. This amount can be withdrawn with interest after the girl student passes the class 10th exam and completes the age of 18 years.

The Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme is a Government of Maharashtra promoted scheme that is designed to help improve the condition of girl child among the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and other weaker sections of society. The girl child’s mother receives Rs. 5000 every year for the first 5 years after the birth of the girl child. Subsequently, financial aid of Rs. 2500 per year is provided till the girl child is enrolled in 5th class. After this, the financial aid is increased to Rs. 3000 per year till the girl child is enrolled in class 12. Once she attains the age of 18 years, she will receive Rs. 1 lakh annually for her education. Further payouts may be available to the girl child for further studies. In different states of India there are different policies according to the situations and requirements.

The finance for her education is the most important issue so the government has introduced Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. It is a special government-backed savings scheme that features a girl child as the primary account holder while the parent/legal guardian is a joint holder of the account. This account can be opened before the girl child is 10 years old and contributions need to be made for 15 years after opening the account. Returns with 8.5% interest can be used for education, marriage and personal requirements.

3. Marriage – Women in India has got the full right to marry anyone of any religion. Then too the marriage of an Indian girl is the worst and the best thing. The best thing because probably it’s the best day of her life and she gets her companion for the whole life. And the worst thing because just for the sake of that marriage her parents has to go through so much. It’s because of the dowry tradition in India but to end that there are strict laws introduced.

Dowry act 1961 is the most important one under this act Penalty for demanding dowry is If any person, after the commencement of this Act, demands, directly or indirectly, from the parents or guardian of a bride or bridegroom, as the case may be, any dowry, he shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both: Provided that no court shall take cognizance of any offence under this section except with the previous sanction of the State Government or of such officer as the State Government may, by general or special order, specify in this behalf.

4. Maternity – A woman gets maternity leave of 6 months and she gets the same position she was working on after the leave. No employer should assign any work to pregnant woman during 10 weeks before her expected delivery date which includes long hours of standing or any physical work which can affect her health in any possible way. She should be given her post when she returns to office after maternity leave. It is unlawful for an employer to discharge or dismiss a pregnant worker during or on account of absence due to pregnancy, delivery or any post-natal illness, or to give notice of discharge or dismissal, or to vary to her disadvantage any of the conditions of her services.

5. Abortion – It is now legal in India up to 20 weeks of pregnancy and with the consent of the woman herself. Any woman above 18 can do it with her consent and anyone below 18 will need a parent’s consent.

6. Equality – There are other few things mentioned in The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

She gets protection at her workplace also. She has got an equal rights and no one can deny her job just because she’s a woman. She also has right to equal pay so that no one will pay her less-than a male employee.

Following is the exact provision for her protection:

When the employer makes recruitment at unequal remuneration or discriminates of gender basis, the penalty is between Rs. 10,000 – 20,000, or the imprisonment is between 3 months to a year.

7. Inheritance – Women now get the share in property of their father and their husband too. Ancestral Property and Self-acquired property of her father has claim from girl child also after 2005. Wife has right over property of deceased husband also. Property of a woman belongs to her alone and can be transferred as per will. It is important because she should be able to protect what she gets from inheritance.

These are some of the important laws in India for the women, their empowerment, security and etc.

The change is slow but palpable. The responsibility lies upon us now to bridge the gap and ensure that each woman stands for herself and for the other women to make the world a safe place for men and women to co-exist.