Devenderjit Kaur

The Changing Identities of Women in India:real and Imagined Devenderjit Kaur

This book examines the identity, role and constitutional rights of Indian women over a period of time. The transition from the agrarian to the industrial/technological era has had a significant impact on the identity patterns of women in India. It has created dilemmas for Indian women in holding the agrarian model of role taking and identity patterns and the emergent new aspirations and choices. A large number of laws have been passed, so as to protect the interest of women and uplift their status and position. Despite of Constitutional guarantees of equality of sexes, equality of opportunity, a woman continues to be victim of exploitation and discrimination. Even after six and a half decades of Independence the birth of a female child is regarded a curse and financial liability by some families. School enrolment ratio for women is only 46. Child marriage is still widely practiced in rural areas. There has been a constant rise in dowry death and bride burning in the country. The helpless investigating authorities and judiciary just watch it like a silent spectator because they rarely get a complaint. Under this background the identity of women as it stands today is focus of this work.