Kamlesh Choudhary, BBA. LL.B (H), University of Petroleum and Energy Studies
Introduction
We Indians never realised the true importance of the term "Bharat-Mata," which we Indians used to designate to our country. Every Indian's mother, Bharat-Mata, is someone we should cherish and defend. Women make up about half of the world's population. Indian women are revered as goddesses of prosperity, knowledge, and power, such as SARASWATI MAA, LAXMI MAA, DURGA MAA, according to the Vedas and Purana.
Women have long been viewed as inferior in India and throughout the world. Before gaining independence, women had to deal with several social ills, including polygamy, female infanticide, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and Sati Pratha. Other social ills included child marriage, the prohibition of widow remarriage, the Purdah system, the dowry system, and no education for girls. While some have disappeared, others still persist in our culture, such as female infanticide, domestic abuse, and women's maltreatment. Like many traditional societies, Indian society was patriarchal in structure. Thus, it may be said that women were not given equal opportunities in school to demonstrate their abilities alongside the male students. The patriarchal system gave women a lower standing. The family's male members were expected to give orders and enforce rules, while the women were expected to obey the same. The idea that only men raise their families is the foundation of the patriarchal family concept. Even yet, before the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the British monarchs implemented several legal reforms at the behest of Indian social reformers Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Jyotirao Govindrao Phule. There have been instances of women participating in the nation's fight for independence from British domination. Since the country acquired independence, the All India Women's Conference, a non-governmental organisation founded in 1927, has been involved in empowering work for women. Since independence, there has been an increased awareness of women's rights, which has resulted in laws promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.
