Answer: 

Introduction:

The women’s movement in India has played a crucial role in fighting for women’s rights, gender equality, and empowerment. Though efforts were made to uplift the status of women prior to independence, the women’s movement in India gained prominence in the 1970s and 80s. These movements have tried to bring the women specific issues in the public domain. Saheli, Manushi, Stri Shakti, Stri Mukti Sangathana, Pennurimai Iyyakam etc. are some known women’s organizations.

Body:

However, it has been widely argued that the movement has not adequately addressed the concerns of women belonging to lower social strata. This is because:

• Mostly women from the upper and middle class led these movements: Activists within the movements were largely from urban, western, and middle class. They were not aware of the lives of thousands of poor, rural, underprivileged women all over India and thus these movements are more concerned with gender issues affecting women of similar socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Example: Early leaders like Pandita Ramabai, Kamini Roy, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, etc and later leaders like Medha Patkar, Ela Bhatt, Madhu Kishwar, etc belonged to the upper or middle class.
• Limited focus on economic issues: The feminist movement in India has primarily focused on issues such as violence against women, representation in politics, and reproductive rights, among others. Issues of women domestic workers, women agricultural laborers and women manual scavengers have been largely ignored.
• This is important because women from lower social strata are mostly engaged in informal and unorganized sectors where they face exploitative working conditions and low wages.
• Ignoring the caste aspect: The caste aspect is highly relevant for women from lower strata as they are the ones who face its brunt. But the feminist movements in India have largely ignored this aspect.
• Ignored additional constraints faced by Indian women from lower strata: Women from the lower strata did not have access to education, property, etc. and they had to provide for their family as well. The elite class activists failed to provide alternatives for them.
  • For instance, the language used by the feminist movement is mostly inaccessible to women from lower social strata who are often illiterate.
• Some issues are given big coverage while others are ignored: Several movements have raised the gender issues through temple entry movement, triple talaq, etc. But temple entry movements are restricted to the specified places only, and triple talaq makes up just 4% of divorce cases among Muslims. These are not issues that are of much concern for women in lower strata.
  • On the other hand, sexual and domestic violence is mainly perpetrated against the women from lower caste and poor women but this issue has not acquired center-stage in the discourse of women movements.
  • For instance: Women’s organizations such as Shramik Mahila Sangathana took up the issue of rising prices of essential goods, adulteration, etc. The political parties mobilized women to achieve their own political gains but then left the matter as it is.

Conclusion:

The women’s movement in India has made significant strides in advancing women’s rights and empowerment. However, barring a few examples like Ela Bhatt’s SEWA, these movements have not adequately addressed the concerns of women from lower social strata. To achieve gender equality and social justice for all women, the feminist movement in India must adopt a more inclusive and intersectional approach that addresses the concerns of women from all social backgrounds.

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