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remains in social, economic and political fields, and efforts must
be made to cut the root causes of discrimination and deep-rooted
biases against women and girls. Since its inception, AIWC has
played an active role in initiating and campaigning for legislative
reforms to do away with many social evils and customs plaguing
the lives of women, such as Sati and child marriage.
AIWC helped in getting the following Acts passed:
• Sarda Act (1929), raising the age of marriage to 18 years
• Special Marriage Act, 1954
• Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act, 1955
• Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956
• Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956
• Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women Act, 1956
• Maternity Benefits Act, 1961
• Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
• Devadasi Act, 1982.
Gender equality can be achieved only when women’s funda-
mental rights are ensured – including the right to property,
inheritance, land rights, equal pay, safety at home and in
the workplace, and freedom from domestic violence. To
ensure such rights AIWC campaigned and helped to pass
and amend a number of Acts favouring women, including the
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, Protection
of Children Against Sexual Offences, Prohibition of Child
Marriage, and the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques Act to curb female feticide.
The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment in 1992 gave
women political empowerment by reserving one-third of seats
in legislative bodies, from the village level tier of local govern-
ment (Panchayat) to parliament. Equal political participation
will help in influencing government policies and planning.
AIWC and women’s organizations are still fighting for 50 per
cent reservation for women for a 50:50 planet.
AIWC founded a number of pioneering institutions, many
of which now function as autonomous apex bodies in their
respective fields. These include:
• the Lady Irwin College for Home Science, New Delhi
(established 1932) which now offers graduate and
postgraduate courses in a variety of subjects
• the Family Planning Centre (established 1943), now the
Family Planning Association of India
• the Save the Children Committee (established 1943), now
the Indian Council of Child Welfare
• the Cancer Research Institute (established 1952), Madras
• the Amrit Kaur Bal Vihar for Mentally Retarded Children
(established 1964), New Delhi, now run by the Mentally
Retarded Children’s Society
• Working Women’s Hostels in many parts of the country for
women who have to leave their homes to take up careers
• short-stay homes giving assistance and shelter to
distressed women
• AIWC’s Old Age Homes which offer refuge, dignity and
comfort to women in the sunset of their lives.
AIWC has been actively participating in the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women since the Beijing world
Conference in 1995. Every year its delegates organize side
events in collaboration with other organizations, present civil
society’s concerns and give recommendations to improve the
status of women and empower them. It also presents its own
good practices that help in improving women’s status. AIWC
is a partner in several international agencies dealing in special-
ized development areas.
Empowering rural women
Another aim of SDG 5 is empowering the rural poor. About
half of the 90 million rural population dependent on agricul-
ture and related occupations are women who are deprived of
basic needs. They suffer the greatest hardship from poverty
and lack of access to a better life. AIWC has initiated numerous
programmes to enhance women’s capabilities through train-
ing and generate employment opportunities. This approach
enhances women’s dignity by doing away with the perpetual
donor-recipient cycle of welfare schemes for the poor.
Branches receive financial support for training and setting
up enterprises by women. This is returned by branches in
instalments as the enterprise progresses. An added component
is basic education, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and leader-
ship training. Skills training of women is conducted at district
level, in subjects relevant to the area such as dairy farming,
food processing, tailoring, store-keeping, credit management,
herbal gardens and medicinal products.
A major step towards raising the status of women is organ-
izing sales of the work of women artisans at handicraft and
cottage industry fairs and festivals. At Shilpkala Utsav, the
annual crafts bazaar organized by AIWC, women artisans
from all corners of the country are sponsored to bring their
goods for sale. A dazzling variety of handicrafts, textiles and
artwork is displayed and sold at the three-day festival. The
purpose is to provide women a platform to showcase their best
work and learn about new and popular designs and trends.
AIWC has initiated programmes to enhance the skills of rural women and
generate employment opportunities
Image: AIWC
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