Social Injustice's of Women in India
Violations Against Women in India
Women all over the world are affected by social injustice. In many countries rules and laws have been put in place to ensure the equal treatment of women. Although these laws and rules have not kept things perfect they have helped to maintain a balance between men and women. This work towards equality does not function the same in all countries. There are still places where women are beaten, raped, and murdered without so much as a second thought. Some of these places even have rules in place to prevent these practices, but they are frequently overlooked. India is one of these places. A place that is both progressive on paper and in some urban areas but are also far behind in practice and in rural communities. What progress has already been made to protect women in India and what still needs to be done to ensure the equal treatment of women in all areas of India? According to the International Violence Against Women Act on Amnesty International’s site, “Violence against women and girls represents a global health, economic development, and human rights problem. At least one out of every three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates of domestic violence reaching 70% in some countries.” This abuse of women and their rights is something more developed countries are taking very seriously. Over 7,000 women in India will be murdered by their family or their husband’s family because of arguments about dowries. “Violence against women is rooted in a global culture of discrimination which denies women equal rights with men and which legitimizes the appropriation of women's bodies for individual gratification or political ends. Every year, violence in the home and the community devastates the lives of millions of women.” (Amnesty). The study of why and how women are treated they way they have been is a fairly recent study. Purkayastha explains when this study arose,
Women all over the world are affected by social injustice. In many countries rules and laws have been put in place to ensure the equal treatment of women. Although these laws and rules have not kept things perfect they have helped to maintain a balance between men and women. This work towards equality does not function the same in all countries. There are still places where women are beaten, raped, and murdered without so much as a second thought. Some of these places even have rules in place to prevent these practices, but they are frequently overlooked. India is one of these places. A place that is both progressive on paper and in some urban areas but are also far behind in practice and in rural communities. What progress has already been made to protect women in India and what still needs to be done to ensure the equal treatment of women in all areas of India? According to the International Violence Against Women Act on Amnesty International’s site, “Violence against women and girls represents a global health, economic development, and human rights problem. At least one out of every three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates of domestic violence reaching 70% in some countries.” This abuse of women and their rights is something more developed countries are taking very seriously. Over 7,000 women in India will be murdered by their family or their husband’s family because of arguments about dowries. “Violence against women is rooted in a global culture of discrimination which denies women equal rights with men and which legitimizes the appropriation of women's bodies for individual gratification or political ends. Every year, violence in the home and the community devastates the lives of millions of women.” (Amnesty). The study of why and how women are treated they way they have been is a fairly recent study. Purkayastha explains when this study arose,
Cited: Amnesty International. "Women 's Human Rights." Amnesty International USA. Amnesty International, 2001. Web. 11 April 2010. Ganguly-Scrase, Ruchira. "Paradoxes of Globalization, Liberalization, and Gender Equality: The Worldviews of the Lower Middle Class in West Bengal, India." Gender and Society 17.4 (2003): 544-566. Web. 2 Apr 2010. Jejeebhoy, Shireen J. "Convergence and Divergence in Spouses ' Persoectives on Women 's Autonomy in Rural India." Studies in Family Planning 33.4 (2002): 299-308. Web. 9 Apr 2010. Moursund, Anne. "Individual and Community Effects of Women 's Education and Autonomy on Contraceptive Use in India." Population Studies 57.3 (2003): 285-301. Web. 2 Apr 2010. Purkayastha, Bandana. "The Study of Gender in India: A Partial Review." Gender and Society 17.4 (2003): 503-524. Web. 9 Apr 2010. Ray, R., and A.C. Korteweg. "Women 's Movements in the Third World: Identity, Mobilization, and Autonomy." Annual Review of Sociology 25. (1999): 47-71. Web. 9 Apr 2010.