UPSC Mains Answer: Women's movement in India has not addressed the issue of women of lower social strata. Substantiate your view.

Difficulty Level: Hard

Pre-requisite: A foundational understanding of the evolution of the women’s movement in India, including its colonial roots, post-independence legal reforms, and the emergence of feminist organizations. Familiarity with key concepts like intersectionality, caste-class-g

Sub-category: Society (Indian Society: Role of Women and Women’s Organizations)

---

The women’s movement in India, since its inception, has been a pivotal force in advocating gender equality and challenging patriarchal norms. However, a critical examination reveals that it has largely failed to address the concerns of women from lower social strata, including Dalits, Adivasis, and economically marginalized communities. This oversight stems from historical, structural, and ideological limitations within the movement itself.
Historically, the women’s movement in India emerged from the elite and middle-class circles during the colonial period, with figures like Savitribai Phule and Pandita Ramabai laying early foundations. Post-independence, the movement gained momentum with campaigns for legal reforms, such as the Hindu Code Bills and anti-dowry laws. However, these initiatives predominantly reflected the priorities of urban, upper-caste women, often sidelining the intersectional oppressions faced by lower-caste and tribal women. For instance, while the movement successfully advocated for laws against domestic violence, it inadequately addressed the specific vulnerabilities of Dalit women, who face caste-based sexual violence and economic exploitation.
Structurally, the leadership and discourse of the women’s movement have been dominated by privileged groups, leading to a homogenization of women’s issues. The concerns of lower-strata women—such as land rights, manual scavenging, and access to education—have been relegated to the periphery. Grassroots movements like the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) have made efforts to include marginalized voices, but their reach remains limited compared to mainstream feminist discourse.
Ideologically, the movement has often adopted a universalist approach to feminism, assuming that gender oppression is experienced uniformly across classes and castes. This fails to account for the compounded discrimination faced by women at the intersections of caste, class, and gender. For example, the Devadasi system, which exploits Dalit women, has received far less attention than issues like workplace harassment, which primarily affect urban women.
To create a truly inclusive women’s movement, there must be a conscious effort to amplify the voices of lower-strata women, integrate their concerns into the broader agenda, and challenge the structural inequalities that perpetuate their marginalization. Only then can the movement claim to represent the diversity of women’s experiences in India.