EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN KARNATAKA

Women’s issues have received a lot of attention in post independence period and the nation is party to all international covenants and conventions like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), CEDAW (1979), Protection of Rights of Children (1959, 1989) etc., Besides this the rights of women are guaranteed through the law of the land i.e. the Constitution through Right to Equality (Articles 14, 15, 16,), Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles of State Policy, etc., Apart from this, number of Commissions and Committees are also constituted to protect the rights of women and specially the Commission of Minorities, SC/ST etc., However, in spite of these pro active measures initiated by the state, we find that the position of women in general and minorities especially the Muslim women are in a deplorable position. The sharp disparities and inequalities present in the Indian society are not free from the influence of caste, creed, religion and gender. Gender gaps across all these layers make women and girls the most disadvantaged groups and deprived members of our society. Any discussion on the present situation of minority women would be incomplete without looking at the situation of women in general and specifically among the minorities and the disadvantaged sections of population