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Civil Society as the Guardian of Women’s Human Rights in India

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Abstract

The chapter reflects on the role of civil society in women’s struggle for equality in the post-colonial India. The chapter argues that even after seven decades of independence, women human rights are violated both in public and private sphere. After independence women’s grassroots movements with additional emphasis on economic and social rights of women came to forefront. This was followed by campaign against specific evils like dowry deaths, rape and sex-selective abortions ultimately forcing the governments to act. We have a robust legal system to ensure protection of women’s rights including Dowry Prohibition Act and (anti) Sati Act and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. However, their proper implementation is the call of the hour. Further, laws act only as a code of conduct to be followed, and they require public initiatives to bring about a change in the dominant social structure. It is imperative that legal and societal reforms go hand in hand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Bharti Chhibber

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  1. Bharti Chhibber
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

    Md. Nurul Momen

  2. Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Rajendra Baikady

  3. Department of Social Work, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Rajendra Baikady

  4. Department of Social Work, Shandong University, Shandong, China

    Cheng Sheng Li

  5. Dept of Economic Studies and Planning, Central University of Karnataka, Kadganchi, Karnataka, India

    M. Basavaraj

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Chhibber, B. (2020). Civil Society as the Guardian of Women’s Human Rights in India. In: Momen, M.N., Baikady, R., Sheng Li, C., Basavaraj, M. (eds) Building Sustainable Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2393-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2393-9_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-2392-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-2393-9

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

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