Development of Feminist Movement and Gender Equality in India

Abstract

            Feminist movement, which aimed to raise women's muted voices in order to exercise their right of vote and, later, to elevate their status in a patriarchal society. The legitimacy of feminist discourse in today's globalised society has been evolved in the form of different stages and waves. If we talk about the ‘Feminist Fourth Wave’ for a moment, in a time when there is no clear definition of what feminism is?, in the twenty-first century entails- in a time when everything from a march against an accused rape to an advertisement for a female sanitary pad can cause a high-heeled feminist to raise her threaded eyebrows - the validity of such a reference is questionable. In due course some feminist ideas and the women's movement came into existence worldwide. India’s women movement took cognisant and started realising the issues and developed the close link with each working groups to inspire and better the other. Socio-cultural-political movements, ideas, and moral philosophies that are concerned with issues such as gender inequity and the accomplishment of equal rights for women, among other things, are referred to as feminism in India.

            Many issues have been important to the women's movement since India became an independent country in 1947. These include dowry and women's work; price increases; land rights and political participation; Dalit women's rights; growing fundamentalism; and the representation of women in the media, to name a few. Several NGO’s have taken this issue up, and a lot of people have also taken this issue up. The history of women's rights activism in India has led to women's studies, which has now evolved into gender studies.Various ‘Women's Studies Centres’ have been started. Even there is huge work to be done and many barriers to overcome before this ideal can become a reality for the majority of women, the women's movement has brought female issues to the forefront of public debate and increased their exposure.