Women Change the World

UPSC GS2 — Women's Legal Rights:

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA):

• First comprehensive law recognising domestic violence as a crime
• Covers: Physical, sexual, emotional/verbal, economic abuse; also covers live-in relationships
• Protection orders, residence orders, monetary relief
• Key distinction: Civil law (protection orders) as well as criminal provisions
• Implemented by Protection Officers in each district; National Legal Services Authority provides free legal aid

Criminal Law Amendments after Nirbhaya (2012):

• Nirbhaya gang rape (December 16, 2012, Delhi): Triggered nationwide protests; led to Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013
• New offences: Stalking, voyeurism, acid attack
• Minimum sentences increased for rape
• Death penalty for rape leading to death or leaving victim in persistent vegetative state
• POCSO Act (2012): Protection of Children from Sexual Offences; gender-neutral; covers boys and girls under 18; mandatory reporting of offences

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017:

• Extended paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children (private sector establishments with 10+ workers)
• Mandatory crèche facilities for establishments with 50+ employees

Equal Remuneration Act (1976):

• Equal pay for equal work regardless of gender
• Amended by Code on Wages (2019): Now part of the Wage Code; broader equal remuneration provisions

Women's Reservation Act (2023) — 106th Constitutional Amendment:

• 33% seats reserved for women in Lok Sabha, state Vidhan Sabhas, and Delhi Vidhan Sabha
• Takes effect after delimitation of constituencies and next census (effectively ~2029 elections)
• Rotated every election cycle
• Applies to reserved SC/ST seats too (1/3 of those reserved for women)

UPSC GS2 — Women's Political Representation:

Current representation (as of 2025):

• Lok Sabha: ~78 women MPs (14.4% of 543) in 17th Lok Sabha (2019–24); 18th Lok Sabha (2024–29): ~74 women (13.6%) — marginal decrease
• State assemblies: Average ~10–12% women MLAs nationally
• India's global ranking: ~141st out of 190+ countries in women's parliamentary representation (IPU 2025 data)
• Contrast: Rwanda (64% women in parliament); Scandinavian countries (40–45%)

Local body representation:

• 73rd and 74th Amendments mandated 1/3 reservation for women in PRIs and urban local bodies
• Many states have increased to 50% reservation (Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh)
• ~14.5 lakh elected women representatives at local body level
• This "training ground" has produced significant political leadership

Obstacles to women's political participation:

• Lack of financial resources for campaigns
• Safety concerns (political violence against women candidates)
• Patriarchal party structures (tickets not given to women)
• "Proxy representation" — women elected in reservation seats but their husbands/"pradhans' husbands" (Pradhan Pati syndrome) exercise power

Women in constitutional offices:

• President: Pratibha Patil (2007–2012); Droupadi Murmu (2022–present) — first Adivasi President
• Chief Ministers: Several women; Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), YS Sharmila, others
• Chief Justice of India: No woman CJI as of 2025; but Justice BV Nagarathna is likely to be India's first woman CJI in 2027

[Additional] POSH Act 2013 — Full Framework (GS2 — Governance / Social Justice):

POSH Act 2013 — background and key dates:

Sexual harassment — five defined forms of conduct:

1. Physical contact and advances
2. Demand or request for sexual favours
3. Making sexually coloured remarks
4. Showing pornography
5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature

Internal Complaints Committee (ICC):

Local Complaints Committee (LCC):

Statutory timelines under POSH Act:

Penalties for employer non-compliance (Section 26):

Annual report requirement (Section 21/22 + Rule 14): ICC must submit annual report to employer; employer files it with the District Officer. Content: (1) complaints received in year; (2) complaints disposed of; (3) cases pending > 90 days; (4) awareness programmes conducted; (5) nature of action taken. Must be filed even if zero complaints.

SHe-Box portal:

• Full name: Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (NOT "SHRI portal")
• Launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development (2017)
• Women can file POSH complaints online; centralised repository for ICC details
• Per Supreme Court direction in Aureliano Fernandes v. State of Goa: all workplaces including private organisations must register their IC on SHe-Box
• Website: shebox.wcd.gov.in

UPSC synthesis: POSH Act = GS2 Governance + Social Justice. Key exam facts: POSH Act = Presidential assent April 23, 2013 = in force December 9, 2013 = replaces Vishaka Guidelines; ICC threshold = ≥ 10 employees = Presiding Officer = senior woman employee = 50% women members = 1 external NGO member; LCC = for < 10 employees + domestic workers + complaints against employer = constituted by District Officer; inquiry must complete in 90 days; employer action in 60 days; penalty = Rs. 50,000 first offence + licence cancellation for repeat; SHe-Box = MoWCD portal (2017). Prelims trap: ICC investigation timeline = 90 days (NOT 60 days — 60 days is the employer's deadline to act on the report; 90 days is for ICC to complete inquiry); SHe-Box (NOT "SHRI portal"); LCC is constituted by the District Officer (NOT by the employer — employers constitute ICC; the District Officer constitutes LCC for each district); the threshold for ICC is ≥ 10 employees (NOT ≥ 50 — the maternity/creche threshold is 50; POSH ICC threshold is 10); both Presiding Officer AND 50% members must be women (two separate requirements — not just the Presiding Officer).

[Additional] Nirbhaya Fund, BNS Provisions, POCSO 2019, and Women's Reservation Bill History (GS2 — Social Justice / Polity):

Nirbhaya Fund — complete data:

One Stop Centres (Sakhi Centres) — current data:

IPC → BNS: Key women's provisions:

POCSO Amendment Act 2019 — key changes:

Women's Reservation Bill — 27-year journey:

Key features of 106th Amendment:

• 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha, State Vidhan Sabhas, and Delhi Vidhan Sabha
• Applies to SC/ST reserved seats too (1/3 of those reserved for women)
• Rotation every delimitation cycle
• Does NOT apply to Rajya Sabha or Legislative Councils

Women in 18th Lok Sabha (2024):

• Women MPs elected: 74 out of 543 seats = 13.6%
• Down from 78 women (14.4%) in 17th Lok Sabha (2019) — a decrease despite the 106th Amendment
• India's global ranking: ~141st out of 190+ countries (IPU 2025) in women's parliamentary representation
• Rwanda leads globally at 64% women in Parliament

UPSC synthesis: Nirbhaya Fund + 106th Amendment = GS2 core topics. Key exam facts: Nirbhaya Fund = Union Budget 2013-14 = total Rs. 7,712.85 crore = non-lapsable = ~76% utilized; OSCs = 854 (July 2025) = 12.20 lakh women aided = 100% central funding = Nirbhaya Fund via Mission Shakti SAMBAL; Section 498A IPC → Section 85 BNS (cruelty by husband/relatives); POCSO 2019 = aggravated penetrative sexual assault = death penalty (Section 6); Women's Reservation Bill = first introduced 1996 (81st Amendment Bill, Deve Gowda) = 108th Amendment Bill 2008 = passed Rajya Sabha 2010 = finally enacted as 106th Amendment Act 2023 = also called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam = 33% in LS + Vidhan Sabhas = effective after delimitation post-census; 18th Lok Sabha = 74 women MPs = 13.6%. Prelims trap: The Women's Reservation Bill first introduced = 1996 (NOT 2010 — 2010 is when Rajya Sabha passed the 108th Amendment version); the bill enacted in 2023 was introduced as the 128th Amendment Bill but enacted as the 106th Amendment Act (amendment number ≠ bill number); 106th Amendment does NOT apply to Rajya Sabha or Legislative Councils (only Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabhas, and Delhi assembly); Nirbhaya Fund = non-lapsable (unspent amounts carry forward — NOT lapsable); OSC = also called Sakhi Centre (both names used; Sakhi is the popular name); Section 498A IPC = Section 85 BNS (NOT Section 86 — Section 86 defines cruelty; Section 85 is the offence provision corresponding to old 498A).