Feminist Theoretical Models: Questions from the Indian Context (original) (raw)
In common parlance, a theory is mostly an idea or thought, a set of concepts or principles clarifying how some aspect of human behavior or performance is organized. When we talk of feminist theories, we understand it to be an extension of feminism into theoretical or philosophical discourse. The label ‗Indian' when used for feminist theories implies a political and cultural specificity. Indian feminism is clearly a response to issues concerning Indian women and the debates that have centered on the status of women. To explore how this debate has taken shape over the years this paper will explore the inevitable association with western feminism, the position of women in colonial and post -colonial India, and the challenges posed by globalization and the right wing ideology, the writings of prominent Indian academics and activists as they discuss feminism in the context of Indian culture, society and politics and explore its theoretical foundations in India. Feminism in India can be seen as a set of movements, legal reforms, social and cultural changes that have taken place over a period of time aimed at establishing and defending equal political, economic, social rights and equal opportunities for women in India. Apart from issues like right to work for equal wages, right to equal access to health and education and equal political rights feminism has also found culture specific issues within Indian patriarchal society. It has grappled in the past with issues such as the inheritance law, practice of widow immolation, child marriage, Dowry deaths and of late problems of domestic violence, sexual harassment at workplace, rape, honor killings, abortion and pro-life pro-choice debates, LGBT issues, the definition of family and the questions of family values, sexuality and religion, discriminatory practices against women in the unorganized sectors, isolation of the tribal and dalit women from the so called mainstream feminist agendas among other such issues.