UGC NET/JRF EXAM, JUNE-2025 WOMEN’S STUDIES

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 marked a progressive step toward gender neutrality in legal language. Instead of using gendered pronouns like he/him or she/her, the Act adopts the genderneutral pronouns "she/her" to represent all individuals, regardless of gender.

This linguistic choice signifies inclusivity and challenges the traditional male-default language used in Indian legislation.

In her work "Gender and Nation" (1997), Nira Yuval-Davis explores how women occupy a contested and symbolic space within discourses of nation and nationalism.

She argues that women often serve as biological reproducers of the nation, cultural transmitters of national values, and symbols of collective identity-yet are frequently excluded from political and civic participation within national projects.

Chandra Talpade Mohanty, a postcolonial feminist scholar, is best known for her essay "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses" (1984).

In this work, she critiques Western feminism for homogenizing and universalizing the experiences of women in the Global South, ignoring differences of race, class, culture, and history. Her analysis urges recognition of diversity and intersectionality in feminist theory.

The street play "Om Swaha", performed in the 1980s by feminist theatre groups like Stree Mukti Sanghatana, dealt with the issue of dowry deaths and violence against women.

It highlighted the social pressures and economic greed leading to the exploitation and death of brides, sparking awareness and public debate about the cruelty of the dowry system.

The growth of women in agri-business is most directly supported by access to markets, credit, and training.

These factors enable women farmers and entrepreneurs to improve productivity, adopt technology, and scale their businesses.

Empowerment through financial inclusion, skill development, and cooperative networks strengthens women's participation and leadership in agricultural value chains.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, is considered the most comprehensive international framework for promoting and protecting women's rights globally.

Often described as the international bill of rights for women, CEDAW defines discrimination and sets up a legal and policy agenda to end gender-based inequalities.

According to Friedrich Engels in his classic work "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State" (1884), the subordination of women began with the rise of private property and class society.

Engels argued that the establishment of private ownership led to patriarchal control over women's labor and sexuality, marking the "world-historic defeat of the female sex."

Among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 5 focuses on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, while SDG 13 addresses Climate Action.

These two goals intersect in promoting women's leadership in climate resilience, recognizing that gender equality is vital for achieving sustainable environmental outcomes.

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) empowered women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by reserving 33% of all seats-including those for chairpersons and members at every level of local governancefor women.

This landmark reform enhanced women's political participation, leadership, and representation in grassroots democracy across rural India.

Women's development was first formally recognized as a distinct sector in India's national planning framework during the Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-1990).

This plan marked a shift from the earlier welfareoriented approach to a development-oriented one, emphasizing women's participation in economic and social spheres.

It introduced the concept of "Integration of Women in Development" (IWD), focusing on equality, employment, and access to resources.