Women in Indian Society

Paper Code: 
WMS 201
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

To unlearn and relearn ways of looking at various spaces in status of Indian women in society transgressing from ancient to modern times. The students are encouraged to make new meanings of empowerment and create knowledge which will help them to enrich their confidence.

9.00
Unit I: 
Women in Society

Women in Society: Women’s representation in Ancient Indian History and Medieval history (Awadh)

9.00
Unit II: 
Women’s Formal and Substantive Equality

Women’s Formal and Substantive Equality in The Indian Constitution: Article 14-21

 

9.00
Unit III: 
Women’s Exploitation and Oppression

Women’s Exploitation and Oppression: Forms and Structures (Introducing Caste and Gender) – Notions of marriage

 

9.00
Unit IV: 
Women and Work

Women and Work: Organized sector, unorganized sector, self employed and unpaid labour (Ela Bhatt SEWA); Equal wages for equal work, Maternity related laws.

 

9.00
Unit V: 
Introducing Women related Laws

Introducing Women related Laws: Child Marriage abolition Act 2006, RenukaPamecha Anti Sati 1987, Domestic Violence Act 2005, Sexual Harassment at work place Dec 2013 based on Vishakha Guidelines, Anti Rape 2013, Equal wages for equal work: Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

 

Essential Readings: 

Unit I

Story of Savitri from Mahabharata, pp 55-65, Chaturvedi Badrinath, Women in Mahabharata, Orient Blackswan, Hyderabad 2011

pp.106-124 History, Women’s Studies in India, 2008

Chakravarti Uma, Beyond the Altekarian Paradigm: Towards a new Understanding of Gender Relations in Early Indian History

Kidwai Saleem, Of Begums and Tawaifs: The Women of Awadh.

Unit II

pp 96-143 Radha Kumar, History of Doing, An Illustrated Account of Movements for Women’s Rights and Feminism in India, 1800-1990, Kali for Women, New Delhi, 1993.

Unit III

pp 452-458, Rege, Sharmila, Writing Caste, Writing Gender: Dalit Women’s Testimonies; 466-475 Dube, Leela, Caste and Women; in WSI, 2008

Unit IV

p.2-3 Tripathy, S.N., Women in Informal Sector, Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi, 2003

In Mary E John ed. Women’s Studies in India, A Reader, Penguin Books, 2008

pp 168-174 Krishnaraj, Maitreyi, Women’s Work in Indian Census

pp.198-9, John, Mary, Feminism, Poverty and Globalization (about SEWA)

Unit V

Know Your Rights: A Legal Handbook For Women, School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 2011

References: 
  1. Shagufta Parveen, Women and Society, Anmol Publication, Pvt. Ltd. 2007
  2. Bhatty, Zarina, ‘Muslim Women in Uttar Pradesh: Social Mobility and Directions of Change’, in Alfred D’souza (ed.), ‘Women in Contemporary India and South Asia’, Manohar Publications, New Delhi 1980 pp 199-212 
  3. Dube, Leela & Palriwala, Rajani, (eds), ‘Structures and Strategies: Women, Work and Family’, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 1990
  4. Chakraborty, Dipangshu; Atrocities on Indian Women, A P H Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1999
  5. Altekar A.S., The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization, 2nd Edition, Motilal Banarsidas, Delhi, 1978
  6. Desai, Neera, Women in Modern India, Vora, Mumbai 1957
  7. Pardeshi, P, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Women’s Question in India, Women’s Question, Women’s Studies Centre, Pune, 1998
  8. Roy, K. Women in Early Indian Society, Manohar, New Delhi 1999
  9. Forbes, Geraldine, Women in Modern India, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996
  10. Atal, Yogesh, Changing Indian Society, Rawat Publication, 2006
Academic Session: 
2019-20
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