Women Development : New Approaches and Innovations

Contents: Preface. 1. Political movement for women development. 2. Rural women development. 3. Urban working women. 4. Role of media in women development. 5. Education for women. 6. Equality towards men. 7. Role of technology in women development. 8. General education. 9. Education about population explosion. 10. Technology for rural women. 11. New approach to women development. 12. Importance of health in women development. 13. Religion in women development. Bibliography. Index.

"In the ancient India the position of women in the society was exalted. They were highly respected and the discrimination between the men and women was almost negligible. "Where women are worshipped God lives there". Such was the status. But with the passage of time their conditions deteriorated from bad to worst. The deterioration reached at its Nadir during the Mughal\'s rule in India. They were confined to the boundary walls of the house. Purdah system, child marriage, dowry system and a number of other jail evils surfaced. Women became the object of sex and were reduced to a status of a commodity.

During the British rule some efforts were due to improve the conditions of women by some public spirited political leaders and of course by the Britishers themselves. The context of the colonial situation created two sets of political authorities to whom even the women could appeal for their upliftment : the British Government and the educated Indian elite. During the first phase of the campaign to interests of the women movement and those of the political authorities coincided. In the second phase the political situation was more complex.

In the beginning the Indian women movement approached the suffrage campaign as a means of achieving social reforms. The leaders believed that the enfranchisement of the women would mean additional support for reform legislation.

With this perspective in mind an earnest effort has been done in the present volume to study the women development in India. Right from the political movement, the issues of rural women, urban working women, the role of media, the problem of their health and hygiene, education religion have been discussed." (jacket)