The preface discusses the significance of women's involvement, empowerment, and the improvement of their lifestyles as crucial elements in enabling them to take control of their lives and transform society. It emphasizes that the quality of life and well-being of individuals is profoundly influenced by their lifestyle choices. Historically, women have been viewed as the most vulnerable and oppressed segment of society, despite India being a land where numerous female deities are worshipped for wealth, wisdom, and power.
Strikingly, in this country, women have often been subjected to humiliation, abuse, exploitation, and violence. For ages, women from the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) in the Hindu social hierarchy have endured mistreatment. Social disadvantages have hindered their access to education, social opportunities, economic resources, cultural participation, and political engagement. The framers of the Indian Constitution were aware of the dire and deplorable conditions faced by these women, who had lagged far behind in national and social life. Consequently, the Constitution of India safeguards certain privileges for these sections of the population, including additional benefits concerning education, employment, and political participation for women belonging to SC and ST communities.
Following India's independence, its legislature took proactive steps to reform laws and implement various measures aimed at improving the status and dignity of women in the country. Women are recognized as legal citizens with equal rights to men throughout all ages. However, due to a lack of specific practices and effective implementation of government schemes and programs, women in our country have often been deprived of the benefits they are entitled to.
India is undergoing a transition toward a knowledge-based economy, and its competitive advantage will depend on the ability of both men and women to create, share, and utilize knowledge more effectively. The government has enacted numerous acts to uplift the dignity and status of women in India, including the Factories Act of 1948, the Employees State Insurance Act of 1948, the Mines Act of 1952, the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, the Hindu Succession Act of 1956, the Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act of 1956, the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, the Beedi and Cigar Workers Act of 1966, the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, the Commission of Sati Prevention Act of 1987, the National Commission for Women Act of 1990, the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act enacted in 1994, and the Domestic Violence Act of 2005, among others, to protect and promote the rights of women.
