Women’s Struggles & Women’s Movement in India: a Review

Abstract

Three phases of Women’s Movements: 19th Century Social Reform Movement, 20th Century Freedom Movement and Women’s Rights Movement in post 1975 period have brought to fore wide range of women’s concerns. There have been various ideological shades in the women’s movement. Old women’s organisations have an elitist bias. They do not believe in transcending the existing social order. In their personal lives, they abide by the rules of caste system and generally believe in maintaining the status-quo. During last 3 decades, women from marginalized sections-Dalit & tribal, workers and agricultural labourers, poor women in urban and rural areas have mobilised against violence against women in the community and in the family, witch-hunting of female headed households, mass rape of tribal and dalit women, dowry murders and alcoholism.