Online published on 14 May, 2018.
This paper argues that in India, women's rights are violated frequently in day-to-day life, in the family, in households and in the public domain. In a patriarchal society, women often suffer in silence, deprived of personal liberty and bound by rules made by the allegedly superior males. According to Article 15 of the Indian constitution, discrimination cannot be made among citizens on the grounds of religion, race, caste or sex. There is an elaborate system to protect the rights of Indian women including the Dowry Prohibition Act, the (anti)Sati Act and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. There is however a need for proper implementation. Moreover, laws do not automatically change the social structure but rather only set a code of conduct.
