The Constitution of India ensures gender equality in its
preamble as a fundamental right but also empowers the state to adopt measures
of positive discrimination in favor of women by ways of legislation and
policies.
India has also ratified various international conventions and
human rights forums to secure equal rights of women,” such as the ratification
of Convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in
1993. Women have been finding place in local governance structures, overcoming
gender biases.
Over one million women have been elected to local Panchayats as
a result of 1993 amendment to the Indian Constitution, requiring that 1/3 rd of
the elected seats to the local governing bodies be reserved for women. The
passing of Pre-natal Diagnostic Tech Act in 1994 also is a step in removing
gender discrimination.
This Act seeks to end sex- determination tests and female
foeticide and prohibits doctors from conducting such procedures for the
specific purpose of determining the sex of the fetus. The Government also
announced the National policy for empowerment of women in 2001 to bring out
advancement, development and empowerment of women.
The Government has also drawn up a draft National Policy for the
empowerment of women which is a policy statement, outlining the state’s
response to problems of gender discrimination. As persistent gender
inequalities continue, we need to rethink concepts and strategies for promoting
women’s dignity and rights. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has stated, “Gender
equality is more than a goal in itself.
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