Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Women Rights in India.

Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar and Women's Rights in India

Progress for the society is measured by progress of women:

Words of 'Champion of Women's Rights in India' - Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on women:

* "I am a great believer in women’s organization. I know that what they can do to improve the condition of the society if they are convinced. In the eradication of social evils they have rendered great services. I will testify to that from my own experience. Ever since I began too work among the depressed classes, I made it a point to carry women along with men." ( In Tamil - பெண்கள் அமைப்பில் மிகுந்த நம்பிக்கையுடையவன் நான். அவர்களை மனம் ஒப்ப செய்துவிட்டால், சமுகத்தின் நிலையை உயர்த்திட அவர்களால் என்ன செய்யமுடியும் என்பது என்னக்கு தெரியும். சமுக அவலங்களை ஒழிப்பதில் அவர்கள் மிகபெரும் சேவை செய்திருகிறார்கள். எனது சொந்த அனுபவத்திலிருந்தே அதை நான் நிரூபிப்பேன். பட்டியலின மக்களிடையே நான் பணியாற்ற ஆரம்பித்த காலத்திலிருந்தே ஆண்களோடு பெண்களையும் உடன் இட்டு செல்லும் பழக்கத்தை மேற்கொண்டேன். )

* "If men have to bear pain like the pain of mother while in the Pre-natal condition and child birth, none of them who begets a child will comply another time in their life". ( In Tamil - குழந்தைப் பேறு சமயத்தில் பெண்கள் பட வேண்டியுள்ள வேதனைகளை ஆண்கள் பட வேண்டியிருந்தால் அவர்களில் யாரும் வாழ்நாளில் ஒரு முறைக்குமேல் குழந்தை பெற இணங்க மாட்டார்கள் )

* "I measure the progress of the community by the degree of progress which women have achieved." ( In Tamil - பெண்கள் அடைந்திருக்கும் முன்னேற்ற அளவை வைத்துதான் ஒரு சமுதாயத்தின் முன்னேற்றத்தை நான் அளவிடுகிரேன் )

* "Women liberation is the human liberation". ( In Tamil - பெண்கள் விடுதலை என்பது மானுட விடுதலையாகும் )

Firstly I wishing you all happy Women's Day with remembering 'Champion of Women's Rights in India' Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. His contribution was great in the field of women's empowerment who advocated for the liberation of women and gender equality in India. If there any persons worked for women's liberation in India, they were none other than Buddha, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, E. V. Ramasamy Periyar and Jyotirao Phule. Without Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, at least whatever so changes the position of Women today in India would be only question mark. There were many leaders fought for the women's Rights in India. Most of them were failed in their action. But Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was the only person who changed the effort via Law. While drafting the Constitution of India, he was the prime mover of the welfare of women. He made the Article 14 to 16 as equal status to woman and also framed many laws for women.

* Hindu Code Bill:
Women are the victim of this evil caste system. They have been carried caste from one generation to another generation. They are taught from a young age that they have to do this and that, are pressured, oppressed, suppressed, forced, whether it is mental torture or something else. In the name of the Caste and the religion, women are tied up with the bondage of superstitious which they carry till their death. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar tried to broke down it in the way of laid down the foundation of concrete by "HINDU CODE BILL".

As the first Law Minister of Independent India, he introduced Women rights as "HINDU CODE BILL" which paved equal rights to man and Woman. It was the greatest ever social reform in India. It is nothing but the declaration of women rights. They are Rights to property, Order of succession to property, marriage, divorce, guardianship. It was by any time a revolutionary measure and first step towards the recognition and empowerment of women in India. By these, a women will have property in her own right and able to dispose of her property. Unfortunately this revolutionary bill was partially dropped by then Prime Minister Nehru because of the orthodoxy Hindu members. Even the woman member Sarojani against for these women rights. Due to this Babasaheb had mentioned it was one of the reasons for his resignation from the Law Minister.

In the Statement by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in explanation of his RESIGNATION from Law Minister of India, " In the second place, I thought it necessary to stay on, for the sake of the Hindu Code. In the opinion of some it may be wrong for me to have held on for the sake of the Hindu Code. I took a different view. The Hindu Code was the greatest social reform measure ever undertaken by the Legislature in this country. No law passed by the Indian Legislature in the past or likely to be passed in the future can be compared to it in point of its significance. To leave inequality between class and class, between sex and sex which is the soul of Hindu Society untouched and to go on passing legislation relating to economic problems is to make a farce of our Constitution and to build a palace on a dung heap. This is the significance I attached to the Hindu Code."

Although Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar could not succeed in getting passed the full Hindu Code Bill, he successfully laid the foundation of equality for the women of India in all spheres of life. Due to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar efforts the women are now holding high positions in all fields.

What irritated me so longer whenever I remember my Twelfth standard Class (2009), English 2nd Lesson "Gandhi - The Ceaseless crusader for women's Rights" of Tamil Nadu Text Book. Mr. Gandhi who life long stinker of orthodox Hindu and Mr. Nehru both they were denied Women's Rights. But today both Gandhi and Nehru shown as Crusader for Women's Rights in India. None of the women organization talks about the contributions of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Even not a single line we can't see such like in the school text books about Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. I never read such like anywhere in my Tamil Nadu Text School books.

Let see what Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's immense striven hard efforts for liberation and empowerment of Indian women. He framed many laws for Women in India as follows,

1) Women Labour welfare fund,
2) Women Labour Protection Act,
3) Maternity Benefit for women Labour bill,
4) Leave Benefit to Piece Workers,
5) Revision of Scale of Pay for Employees,
6) Restoration of Ban on Women Working Underground in Mines,
7) Maintenance allowance from husband on getting legally separation,
8 ) Equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex:

8a. Maternity Benefit Act:
I don't know how many Indian women knows the contribution of Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's major role for the Maternity Benefits bill in the Bombay legislature in July, 1928 itself for the factory women workers. In fact it was the first Maternity Benefits Act passed in India in 1929 by the Bombay legislature. On this regard he said, "I believe that it is in the interests of the nation that the mother ought to get a certain amount of rest during the pre-natal period and also subsequently. I am prepared to admit this fact because the conservation of the people's welfare is primarily the concern of the Government. And in every country, therefore, where the maternity benefit has been introduced, you will find that the Government has been subjected to a certain amount of charge with regard to maternity benefit. I think, therefore, the benefits contemplated by this bill ought to be given by this Legislature to the poor women who toil in our factories in this Presidency." Subsequently the Madras Maternity Benefit Act was passed by the Madras Legislature Council in 1934 and subsequently in other provinces of India.

As a Labour Minister in the Viceroy executive council between 1942 and 1946, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was instrumental in bringing the Mines Maternity Benefit Bill for women in all over India. Under this act, a woman working in the mine is entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 8 weeks. This period of 8 weeks is divided into two parts of four weeks each, one part preceding delivery and another part succeeding delivery. Later all the acts of Maternity Benefit of various states were repealed and a common Maternity Benefit Act-1961 was adopted by the Central Government for all states in India.

Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar and Maternity Benefit for Women

8b. Equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex:
Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was the first person who brought "Equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex" in India in terms of Industrial workers as a Labour Minister in the Viceroy executive council. On this regard he said, "We have also taken care to see, and this is an important point, that women shall be paid the same wages as men. It is for the first time that I think in any industry the principle has been established of equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex." ( In Tamil: "ஆண்களுக்கு அளிக்கப்படும் அதே ஊதியம் பெண்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்பதில் நாங்கள் கவனமாக இருந்தோம். இது ஒரு முக்கியமான விசியமாகும். பால் பாகுபாடின்றி சம வேலைக்கு சம ஊதியம் என்னும் கோட்பாடு வேறு எந்த தொழிலும் இல்லாதவாறு இத்தொழில்தான் முதல் முறையாக நிலைநாட்டப்பட்டது" )

While drafting the Indian Constitution, Dr. Babasaheb played major contribution for embodied the Article 39(d) relates the state to strive for securing equal pay for equal work of both men and women in the Part IV of the directive principles of the State Policy.

Voting Rights To All Indian Women:
Even I don't know how many Indian Women's know the contribution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar who fight for equal rights for women and for their voting rights. Today Our constitution granted voting rights to all Indian women as a right because of him. But before Independent India, it is not easy task for everyone 'right to vote' even men also. Mostly the Right to vote was given only to those the rich, the landed and the tax payers.

E. V. Ramasamy Periyar's contribution for the upliftment of Women also great one. He condemned the lower strata of Women's on the name of superstitious in Religion. He wanted women should be given equal right along with men. On these, he reformed many like Self-respect marriages, Widow-remarriage, Abolition of Child marriages.

However rape, violence against women, gender discrimination, physical abuse are all problems that face more by women in India now-a-days. National Crime Records Bureau, 2001-11 reports that the extent of atrocities committed against Scheduled Class is enormous. It highlights that there have been 15,917 Scheduled Class women raped. How many laws may come these atrocities will be end only when women themselves destroy all these shackles of slavery. I strongly believe that social education and political elevation of women are the foundations for all this change. That’s why Dr. Babasaheb insisted on the education of girls. He strongly believed that if a boy gets education, he is the only person to get educated in a family. Perhaps, if a girl child is educated in a family, the whole family is benefited.

With regards,
Ambeth,
Dharmapuri,
Tamil Nadu.

Reference:
1. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches:
* Volume - 2 : Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Bombay Legislature (1927 to 1939)
* Volume - 10: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council (1942 - 1946)
* Volume - 14: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Hindu Code Bill.
* Volume 17, Part-III.
2. National Crime Records Bureau, 2001-11 reports.

Jai bheem..!
Long Live Ambedkarism....!!