Women s Movement and Religion

Women's Movement and Religion Gabriele Dietrich DURING the International Women's Decade, the question of women and religion did not come to the forefront much. The main emphasis was on women's deteriorating economic situation, declining work opportunities, victimisation due to technological modernisation, self-help through sell employment schemes and on sexual and other violence against women, like rape, wife beating, dowry deaths and the like. Attention was also paid to women's health situation, family planning schemes, the effects of certain contraceptives like lUDs, Depo- provera, and NET-EN, etc. This does not come as a surprise since patriarchy in the feminist debate has been understood as exploitation of a woman's labour, sexuality and fertility. It is therefore only logical that primary attention should go to the economic aspects and to the actual pysical subjugation of women. The only aspect where religion has come into the picture is the demand for a secular family code which has been raised on and off and short of this, battles are today fought for Muslim women's rights to maintenance, for the right of Christian women to get a divorce, against extremes of discrimination in inheritance rights like the Tranvancore Christian Succession Act.