The Role of Women Activism in Social Change: An Indian Perspective

The women's movement in India has a long and rich history. The presence of women in the public sphere has been significant, as their mobilization has been part of major event in the history of India. Ancient Indian text gives women a very respectful place in society. Furthermore, there are millions of ordinary women in the country who struggle to survive in order to remake their family and social lives; they are fighting for water, electricity, safety, literacy; safe contraception or resisting sexual harassment. There have been more changes in our contemporary society. They are fighting for oppressed classes and uplifting them in the mainstream of the society. The women movement in India has been heterogeneous in its different forms in diverse parts of the subcontinent. In present time, there are many women activists in the streets to demand right to dignity and respect for women. A woman activism in India has come in a full circle, where women are leading their own struggle against patriarchal structure of the society. The issues today are sexual harassment at the work place, the violence of development, caste and communal violence, lobbying for increased political participation of women in the highest levels of decision-making, etc. The list will go on as long as there is a women's movement. India has a rich and vibrant women's movement but it has still a long way to go to achieve gender equality and gender justice.