Raising Awareness and Showing Solidarity

Since ancient times, women have faced discrimination in society. There were always some preconceptions in society that depicted men and women differently, both physically and socially. Women were thought to be incapable of working outside the home and should only do chores. They were also taught from a young age to be good housewives rather than having an education. Because of these assumptions, many women do not receive the same level of support from their families that males do.

Women in India have gone through a variety of stages. Historically, they have been through privileges as well as prejudices. Inequality and discrimination have always been a part of women’s lives in society. However, because of the persistent efforts of several social reformers, they were able to create awareness in society and gain respect and equality in society. due to their countless efforts, women have changed the world greatly. 

The Women’s Movement

The situation of women we see now was not always as it is, there were many disparities and prejudices in the society, that women faced throughout history. There were countless struggles and efforts that women made to reach where they are now. In such struggles, the women’s movement played a critical role in shaping the scene we see today. 

Women’s movement, sometimes known as feminism, is a collection of social movements and political activities aimed at reforming the condition of women in society. Gender disparity between men and women, women’s liberation, reproductive rights, domestic abuse, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence are among the social issues prioritized by the movement. The movement’s goal was to promote awareness in society, particularly among women, as well as to raise voices in opposition to these societal issues.

However, the movement evolved into the time’s most heterogeneous social movement. The women, both, collectively as well as individually worked to bring about changes in the struggle for equality countless women and women’s organizations collectively took part in the women’s movement. even many men supported the movement. Many diverse strategies were employed to raise awareness in society while also combating societal concerns such as discrimination, social and political disparities, and so on.

Raising Awareness

During the nineteenth century, when the women’s movement began to come into form, there were a number of women leaders who emerged from different parts of the country and took part in the process of raising awareness in society about women’s work and equality. They took part in different public gatherings and made the attention of the people bend toward the issues faced by women in society. These women took education as a tool to express themselves and even wrote many writings expressing the pitiful conditions of women.

 In this, the effort of Rassundari Devi is worth mentioning, a Bengali woman, who wrote ‘Amar Jiban’ a book that describes the condition of women, and appeals to women to stand up for their rights and fight against the injustice and destructive social conventions and practices. Not only her, but there were many other names that existed in history who took part in the awareness campaigns, and helped reform women’s condition. The list includes  Swarnakumari Devi who launched the Theosophical Society of India, Tarabai Shinde, who published ‘Stree-Purush Tulana’, Sarojini Naidu, and countless more. These women stressed that education is an important tool to pave the path to equality. However, there were some other strategies used to raise awareness in society. 

Methods for Raising Awareness

The main idea of the women’s movement was to raise awareness in society about women’s rights and gender equality for men and women. To fulfill the purpose, many methods were used, which are given below:

Campaigning

The women collectively worked to bring change to society. The campaigning played a major role in the process of raising awareness in the country.  Political campaigning is a part of the women’s movement, with the goal of reforming societal issues such as reproductive rights, domestic abuse, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. These concerns were addressed during the campaign.

The method of campaigning has proven to be a useful method, which led to the change of many man-centric stereos,  costumes, and practices. it also led to the changes and amendments of many laws related to women’s rights and safety as well as made of new laws. Such as:

• In 2006, the law passed, which gave women legal protection against domestic violence in the household. According to the law, women can now file a legal complaint against both mental and physical violence in court. 
• Similarly, with the efforts of protesters, and campaigning activities in the country, the supreme court launched the guidelines in 1997, against sexual harassment in the workplace and within educational institutes. 
• There was a case in 1980 when a women’s group spoke against the ‘Dowry Death’’, the cases of young brides being killed by their husbands and in-laws for the sake of their greed for dowry. The women’s group raised their voices to bring justice to these cases. They came out in the streets and even approached the courts and media. Eventually, the matter became a public issue, which led to the amendment of the Dowry law. 

Raising Awareness

The most important part of the women’s movement was to raise public awareness on the matter of women’s rights. They used various methods to get the attention of the general public on these issues. The methods include street plays, songs, and public meetings and gatherings. News and articles also played their roles. various women’s organizations worked to raise awareness. Many feminists also supported the movement. Initially, they succeeded in getting the public attention on the issue and got public support. 

Protests

Public rallies and demonstrations are a very powerful way to draw the attention of the public to injustice, and is used for years. there were many protests risen throughout the country against laws or policies that violated the welfare or rights of women. The women’s movement raised their voices and protested against the laws that were violating their rights or against their interests.  Both public demonstrations and speeches were actively employed to raise awareness while also combating injustice together.

Solidarity

The women’s movement also expresses solidarity with other women. They stood up for each other, and become one against injustice. The solidity was shown all over the country. They took a stand for every woman, regardless of location, community, or nation. They actively participated in the protests against crimes against women. They campaigned vigorously against society’s shortcomings and showed tenacity. Solidarity rallies were held across the country to show female victims that they are not alone.

On 8th March, international women’s day. women all over the world come together to celebrate and renew their struggle and show solidity. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What is Women’s movement?

Answer:

The women’s movement is a collection of social movements that took place in order to raise public awareness about women’s issues such as gender disparity, women’s liberation, reproductive rights, domestic abuse, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, among others. They employed many techniques to raise awareness, combat injustice, and seek justice. A campaigning, raising awareness, protesting, and showing solidarity are all part of these movements.

Question 2: How women movement affected the society?

Answer:

The women’s movement seeks to increase societal awareness of women’s social issues. They used a range of various tactics to raise awareness and fight discrimination. They attempted to raise awareness with street plays, songs, and public gatherings. Protesting consists of public rallies and demonstrations. Ireland has a highly effective method of raising attention to injustices. Which eventually affected society and women’s condition.

Question 3: What is the importance of solidarity?

Answer:

Solidity simply means being empathetic to others. Solidity was important during the women’s movement. Hundreds of women gather to seek justice, regardless of their geography, religion, or nationality. They took an active role in protests against crimes against women. They demonstrated strength, which had an impact on society.