IS INDIAN PATRIARCHICAL SOCIETY READY FOR GENDER EQUALITY LAWS? - BOONS AND BANS OF GENDER NEUTRALITY IN INDIA

Abstract

Even though the Constitution of India 1950 which is considered as supreme law of land confers “Right to Equality” to all persons irrespective of any form of discrimination under its Article 142, equality in terms of gender has always been a mirage image in the Indian patriarchical society. Women constitute almost 48.5% of the population in India i.e., almost half of the population of India, however is still considered as unequal when it comes to their comparison with men. From the very beginning women have been conferred with an inferior position to men in the Indian society and the infamous practice of Devadasi and Satipratha are significant examples of the same. It is not out of place to mention that women have always been considered as the “House Makers” while men are always considered as the “Bread Earners”. There has always been a long lost presumption against the women that- “women are weak and fragile, they are meant to serve household needs only while men are muscular, strong and responsible for the maintenance and welfare of women. Women’s role was restricted to being a daughter, wife, mother above all a Homemaker.