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forms of discrimination against women in 1993. Women have been finding place in
local governance structures, overcoming gender biases.

• The Government also announced the National policy for empowerment of women in
2001 to bring out advancement, development and empowerment of women.
• The Government has also drawn up a draft National policy for the empowerment
of women which is a policy statement outlining the state’s response to problems of
gender discrimination.

• The passing of Pre-natal Diagnostic Tech Act in 1994 also is a step in removing gender
discrimination. This Act seeks to end sex-determination tests and female foeticide
and prohibits doctors from conducting such procedures for the specific purpose of
determining the sex of the foetus.
Girl children are vulnerable to human right violations and require additional protections.
Subjected to abuse and violence being involved in armed forces or being discriminated in
reason of disability, caste or social origin as the same time are at risk of discrimination and
violence. Discrimination faced at home, school, immediate community. Most vulnerable
when familial, social or community structure collapse when they are deprived of parental
care or familial support during humanitarian emergencies or armed conflicts.
Low value placed on girls subject them to exclusion, exploitation and violence particularly
exposed to social, psychological, physical, mental, emotional and material risk and harm
including neglect.
Commonly denied their Fundamental Right to education, to access to medical care, services
and information to involve in their communities. The girl child is denied most basic rights
such as their right to name, right to be born (female foeticide) and to live (girl infanticide).

• World wide more than 110 million children are not ensured in school. Nearly 60% of them are girls.
• By the age of 18 years, girls have received an average of 4.4 years less education then boys.
• Pregnancies and childbirth related health problems cause death of nearly 1,46,000 teenage girls each year.
• At least one in three girls and women worldwide has been physically or sexually abused in her lifetime.

womEn’s movEmEnt
The women’s movement in India is a rich and vibrant movement which has taken different
forms in different parts of the country over the centuries. India is a country of contradictions.
At the heart of the contradiction stand Indian women, for it is true to say that they are
among the most oppressed in the world, and it is equally true to say that they are among

the most liberated, the most articulate and perhaps even most free.

Women individually and collectively have struggled to bring about many favourable changes
for themselves. This struggle is known as the women’s movement. Many men have also
supported the women’s movement. The following are the methods of struggle that the
women’s movements have used to spread awareness, fight discrimination, seek justice or
to raise issues.

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