UGC NET/JRF EXAM, September-2024 WOMEN’S STUDIES

• Kimberlé Crenshaw, a legal scholar and civil rights advocate, coined the term "Intersectionality" in 1989.

• This concept highlights how multiple forms of social stratification-such as race, gender, class, and others-interact and overlap, particularly in the experiences of marginalized groups like women of colour.

• Crenshaw introduced the term to explain how traditional feminist and anti-racist frameworks often overlook the unique struggles faced by women who fall into multiple minority categories.

• Her work has become foundational in both feminist theory and critical race theory.

• Marxist Feminism focuses on how the capitalist mode of production reinforces patriarchy.

• According to Marxist feminists, gender relations are not isolated cultural issues but are deeply embedded in economic structures, especially in the division of labour.

• They analyze how women's unpaid domestic labour (reproduction) and low-paid work in capitalist systems (production) perpetuate gender inequality.

• This approach seeks to uncover the roots of women's oppression in economic dependency and exploitation, thus connecting gender with class struggle.

• EIP stands for Entrepreneurship Indicator Programme.

• It is a framework developed to measure the entrepreneurship environment, performance, and outcomes within a particular economy or region.

• The aim is to help policymakers and institutions assess progress and design strategies to foster entrepreneurship, especially for underrepresented groups including women.

• This is not a training or implementation initiative but rather a measurement and evaluation tool.

The lack of legal awareness among working women often prevents them from claiming their rights under labour laws, such as:

• Equal pay
• Maternity benefits
• Protection from sexual harassment
• Workplace safety and welfare provisions

Despite the existence of laws like the Factories Act, Equal Remuneration Act, Maternity Benefit Act, and others, the implementation remains weak due to lack of knowledge among women workers, especially in the unorganized sector.

Empowering women through legal literacy is therefore critical to ensure they benefit fully from existing labour protections.

The trickle-down effect refers to the economic theory that benefits provided at higher levels of a system (such as government schemes, financial aid, or economic growth) will eventually "trickle down" to reach the lower levels or grassroots.

In the context of development or gender empowerment, this implies that policies and programs initiated at the top will eventually reach and benefit marginalized women and communities at the base.

However, in practice, critics argue that trickle-down policies often fail to adequately address ground-level inequalities without direct grassroots intervention and targeted policies.

Chronological arrangement of Indian education-related policies and initiatives postindependence:

D. National Committee on Women's Education - 1958: Set up to promote women's education and identify specific barriers faced by girls and women in accessing education.

C. Kothari Commission - 1964-66: Officially called the Education Commission (1964-66), led by Dr. D.S. Kothari. It emphasized the common school system and equal educational opportunity.

B. National Policy on Education - 1986: A significant policy initiative to modernize and restructure Indian education, including special emphasis on women's education and adult literacy.

A. New Education Policy - 2020: The latest policy that replaces the 1986 policy, focusing on holistic and multidisciplinary education, digital learning, and equity.

Postmodern theorists critique Women's Studies from the lens of identity complexity and inclusivity:

A. Women's Studies effectively addresses all aspects of identity including race and class - is challenged. Postmodernists argue that Women's Studies has not always fully addressed the intersections of gender with race, class, and other identities.

B. The concept of women's identity is coherent and clear - is criticized. Postmodern theory asserts that "woman" is not a universal category, but is fragmented across culture, race, class, and sexuality.

C. Women's Studies prioritize gender over race or class - is a common critique. It is said to privilege gender while marginalizing other forms of oppression, hence lacking intersectionality.

D. Women's Studies are only for women - is an oversimplification and not a valid critique under postmodernism.

Matching Schemes/Programmes with their launch years:

A. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) - I. 2007: Aimed to incentivize states to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors.

B. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) - III. 2006: Launched to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable healthcare facilities and to create AIIMS-like institutions.

C. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) - IV. 2015: Part of the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" campaign, it is a small savings scheme for the girl child.

D. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) - II. 2005: Launched under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to reduce maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional deliveries.

A. Gay and Lesbian Politics - included. Queer theory emerged from critiques within feminist and gay/lesbian movements.

B. Usefulness of gendered binary distinction - questioned. It challenges the binary notions of male/female, heterosexual/homosexual and advocates for fluidity.

D. Promotion of sexual identities - included. Queer theory supports pluralistic, nonnormative expressions of identity.

C. Promoting Homosexuality - is a misconception. Queer theory does not "promote" any one orientation, but rather examines how societal norms suppress diverse sexual expressions.

Chronological arrangement of key efforts by Government of India and UN toward Women in Development:

D. Shram Shakti Report - 1988: A landmark document that assessed the status of women in the informal sector and made strong recommendations for their upliftment.

B. National Policy on Empowerment of Women - 2001: Adopted by the Government of India to bring gender equality and empower women in all spheres.

C. National Rural Livelihood Mission - 2011: Launched to promote self-employment and organization of rural poor women into Self Help Groups (SHGs).

A. Millennium Development Goals - global initiative from 2000 to 2015: Though started globally in 2000, in terms of implementation phases, India's response aligned more visibly after domestic strategies like the ones above were initiated.