Laws For Women in India

Women Protection under Indian Penal Code 1860 and Women Protection under Special Provisions

      

Women Protection under Indian Penal Code 1860

In IPC 1860 every person is liable to punishment under this code and not otherwise for every act or omission contrary to the provisions thereof, of which, he is guilty within. In Indian Penal Code 1860 for women protection there are many important provisions which are as following:

Section 313:  Causing miscarriage without women’s consent.

Section 314:  Death caused by act done with intent to cause miscarriage.

Section 304B:  Causing Dowry death.

Section 306:   Abetment to commit suicide by women.

Section 354:   Assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty.

Section 354 A: Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment.

Section 354 B:  Assault or use of criminal force to women with intent to disrobe her.

Section 354 C: Capturing the image of a women engaged in a private act and watching her.

Section 354 D: Following a women and coming in contact with her and touching her and other amorous advances against her disinterest.

Section 366:   Kidnapping, abducting or inducing women to compel her marriage, etc.

Section 372:  Selling minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.

Section 373:  Buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc.

Section 376A: Punishment for causing death of rape victim or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim may end in death sentence.

Section 376 C:  Sexual intercourse by a person in authority and punishment may end in life sentence.

Section 376D: Gang rape and punishment may end in life sentence.

Section 376E:  Punishment for repeated offenders which may end in death sentence.

Section 498A: Husband or relative of husband of women subjecting her to cruelty.

Section 509:   Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

Section 326A:   Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc.

Women Protection under Special Provisions

Indian government has enacted several special laws to protect the women in India are as following:

  1.         The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948
  2.         The Plantation Labour Act, 1951
  3.         The Family Courts Act, 1954
  4.         The Special Marriage Act, 1954
  5.         The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
  6.         The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 with amendment in 2005
  7.          Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
  8.          The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (Amended in 1995)
  9.          Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
  10.          Indian Divorce Act, 1969
  11.          The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
  12.          The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1976
  13.          The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
  14.          The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
  15.          The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983
  16.          The Factories (Amendment) Act, 1986
  17.          Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
  18.          Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987
  19.          National Commission for Women Act, 1990
  20.          The National Plan of Action for the Girl Child (1991- 2000)
  21.          National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001
  22.          The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
  23.          The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
  24.          Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

Read also Laws For Women in Indian Constitution