Women’s RIghts in India

• Modern Slavery

  An estimated 14.3 million people are slaves in India in 2014.

  This includes trafficking for sexual exploitation, early forced marriage and forced labour.
• Property ownership

  Women have few rights in ownership of land and property; inheritance is patriarchal
• Violence against women


  52% of women in India think that a man should beat his wife (via UNICEF).

  Women who do not conform to gender norms or agree to arranged marriages are subjected to honour killing by their families.

  Deeply entrenched patriarchal and customary practices.

  Increased dowry killings and increases in rape and violence outside the home (e.g. for using public transport).
• Employment opportunity

  Women have limited access to employment opportunities and often are expected to be stay-at-home mothers and work in subsistence farming, especially in the rural poor.

  Women who have received secondary or tertiary education still do not enter the work force, finding it hard not to conform to social norms of marriage and immediate motherhood.
• Discrimination in the workplace

  Common practice.

  Maternity benefits are denied by many employers.

  25% of married women returned to work after childbirth, including those who can afford to pay for child care.

  Social norms say that women should be stay-at-home mothers.
• Political Participation

  Make up 11% of the Lok Sabha (lower house)

  Make up 10.6% of the Raiya Sabha (upper house)

  General lack of women in government at national, provincial and local level.
• Health care

  1/3 households in Bihar do not have access to government health services (CARE International).

  29% of doctors in India are women; this leads to gender bias when men treat women.

  Women are subject to sex selective abortions with a desire for more male offspring.

  Many women are coerced into sterilisation schemes.
• Access to education

  Nationally 70% of girls attend primary school, but this declines by secondary school.
• Context

  India is one of world’s fastest growing economies.

  Grew from US$863 to US$1165 from 2008 to 2014 GDP.

  Total value of exports increased from US$15 billion to US$28 billion.

  Ranked 114 out of 142 countries in WEF’s GGGI.

  Ranked 135 out of 187 countries in UN’s Gender Inequality Index.
• The consequences (marriage)

  Women are subject to murder and disfigurement (mostly burning) when their family cannot meet the demands for a dowry by the husband.

  Marriage is used to obtain property and assets by the husband from his wife’s family.

  8233 dowry deaths in 2012.

  Effects is disproportionate on the lower castes and tribes such as Dalit and Adivasi women.
• Indian Government

  The Goverment agrees to incorporate international laws (e.g. UDHR) into their own laws, and uphold them.

  Joined UN Treaty Bodies such as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

  Passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006; The Dowry Prohibition Act, 2008; Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act and Rules, 2013.
• On the ground approach

  Practical, hands-on approach to addressing an issue
• Anti-trafficking portal launched by Indian Ministry of Home Affairs in 2014


  1. Anti-trafficking police units established

  2. Specific training of police units

  3. More accurate reporting of crime

  4. Victims support programme including temporary accommodation

  5. Co-operation with Bangladesh at the border
• Larger companies implementing child-care facilities
• NGO intervention

  1. ICRW (International Center for Research on Women) working in Delhi neighbourhoods

  2. Setting up a 'Safe Cites' project working in partnership with UN Women, Indian government and Jagori (NGO)

  3. Resulting in higher reporting of crimes
• Delhi police actions

  1. Increasing number of women police officers in 2014

  2. Increasing overall police presence in outer districts of the city