Legal Milestones

Women’s Suffrage: 1950

Equal Rights: Granted under the Constitution,
under Articles 14 & 15

CEDAW Ratified: 1993

Women’s Commission: Created in 1992

Legal Age of Marriage: Women – 18 years; Men – 21 years

Abortion: Only legal if performed for economic or social reasons; fetal impairment; rape or incest;
to preserve mental health; to preserve physical health to save the woman's life

Emergency Contraception: Legalized for over-the-counter purchase in 2005

Homosexuality: Criminalized by the Penal Code

Indecent Representations of Women in the Media: Criminalized by the Penal Code in 1986

Domestic Violence: Criminalized by the Penal Code in the Protection
of Women from Domestic Violence Act in 2005

Sati: A punishable offence, Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act passed in 1987

Dowry: Taking and giving of dowry is a punishable offence since 1961

Trafficking: Prohibited by the Constitution*

Child Labor / Forced Labor: Prohibited by the Constitution*

Education & Literacy

Adult Literacy (2001): Women – 47.8%;  Men – 73.4%

Girls' Share of Primary Enrolment (2005): 47%

Third-level Students (women and men, % of total) (2006): Women – 39%; Men – 61%

Political Participation & Labor

Women's Share of Parliamentary Seats in Single or

Lower Chamber (2007): 45/545 – 8.3%    

Women's Share of Parliamentary Seats in Upper

House or Senate (2007): 26/216 – 12.0%

Parliamentary Seats (women and men, % of total, 2007): Women – 9%; Men – 91%

Female Labor Force Participation (2006) – 34%

Reproductive Rights

Contraceptive Use (ages 15-49, % of currently married women, 2005) – 56%

*Note: In spite of the prohibition of trafficking by the Constitution, India remains on the Tier 2* Watch List due to trafficking of persons for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.

[Data from various online sources.]