Overview of Policies and Acts

Constitutional provisions

The Constitution of India not only grants equality to women but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women for neutralizing the cumulative socio-economic, education and political disadvantages faced by them. Fundamental Rights, among others, ensure equality before the law and equal protection of law; prohibits discrimination against any citizen on ground s of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and guarantee equality of opportunity to all citizens in matters relating to employment. Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 16, 39(a), 39(b), 39(c) and 42 of the Constitution are of specific importance in this regard.

Constitutional Privileges

• Equality before law for women (Article 14)
• The State not to discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them (Article 15 (i))
• The State to make any special provision in favour of women and children (Article 15 (3))
• Equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State (Article 16)
• The State to direct its policy towards securing for men and wome n equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood (Article 39(a)); and equal pay for equal work for both men and women (Article 39(d))
• To promote justice, on a basis of equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or scheme or in any other way to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities (Article 39 A)
• The State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity re lief (Article 42)
• The State to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46)
• The State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people (Article 47)
• To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e))
• Not less than one - third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat to be reserved for women and such seats to be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat (Article 243 D(3))
• Not less than one - third of the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at each level to be reserved for women (Article 243 D (4))
• Not less than one - third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Municipality to be reserved for women and such seats to be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Municipality (Article 243 T (3))
• Reservation of offices of Chairpersons in Municipalities for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women in such manner as the legislature of a State may by law provide (Article 243 T (4))

Policies-Acts

1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006
2. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (28 of 1961) (Amended in 1986)
3. The Dowry Prohibition Rules
4. Guidelines governing the Adoption of Children 2011
5. National Policy for the Empowerment of Women 2001
6. The Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (Prohibition of Sex-section), 1994 and amendments
7. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005
8. Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
9. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
10. The National Policy for Children, 2013
11. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
12. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013
13. Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017
14. Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes - 2018

Maternity benefits

The Maternity Benefit Act 1961 protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a 'maternity benefit' - i.e. full paid absence from work - to take care for her child. The act is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 provides for the following.

• Maternity leave available to the working women to be increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children.
• Maternity leave for children beyond the first two will continue to be 12 weeks.
• Maternity leave of 12 weeks to be available to mothers adopting a child below the age of three months as well as to the “commissioning mothers”. The commissioning mother has been defined as biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo planted in any other woman.
• Every establishment with more than 50 employees to provide for crèche facilities for working mothers and such mothers will be permitted to make four visits during working hours to look after and feed the child in the crèche.
• The employer may permit a woman to work from home if it is possible to do so.
• Every establishment will be required to make these benefits available to the women from the time of her appointment.

Source: Portal Content Team