Law Relating to Women & Children

The 2nd edition of this much-acclaimed work by Mamta Rao is a well researched and systematically organised study of the law relating to women and children.

The new edition contains the following important topics of special significance:

1. Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 and Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2008.
2. Domestic Workers Welfare and Social Security Act, 2010 enacted to address the issue of exploitation of women and children.
3. Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 that grants women equal property rights in ancestral property.
4. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 which includes not merely physical violence but sexual, emotional, psychological and economic violence.
5. Irretrievable breakdown of marriage, which has received judicial attention in recent times and the need to include it as a ground for divorce.
6. Newly emerged concept of cyber-feminism.
7. Commission for Protection of Child Right Act, 2005.
8. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2006.
9. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2006.

The subject is of immense relevance today, and forms an integral part of the curriculum of LL.B and LL.M. Leading cases on the subject specified in the syllabus of law schools have been included.

The author has discussed the problems faced by women and the protection provided under various criminal, personal and labour laws in India. Issues such as child labour, trafficking of children, child abuse and juvenile delinquency have been analysed.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1. Thinkers on “women” 

2. Feminist theory 

3. Feminism 

4. Feminist awakening 

5. Status of women

6. Position of women 

CHAPTER 2: International Commitments

1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

2. Convention on the Political Rights of Women, 1953 

3. Convention on the Nationality of Married Women, 1957 

4. Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, 1967 

5. Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women,

6. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 1993       

7. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, 1999      

8. Commission on the Status of Women 

9. United Nations Millennium Declaration, 2000

CHAPTER 3: Constitutional Protection and National Commission for Women

1. Gender equality and protection under the Constitution 

2. National Commission for Women 

CHAPTER 4: Law Relating to Crimes Against Women

1. Rape 

2. Custodial rape 

3. Gang rape 

4. Marital rape 

5. Sentencing 

6. Allied provisions 

7. Sexual abuse of children 

8. Reflections of judicial sensitivity 

9. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2010 

10. Dowry deaths 

11. Prostitution 

12. Female foeticide 

13. Sexual harassment at workplace 

14. Domestic violence 

15. Law relating to obscenity and indecent representation of women      

16. Termination of pregnancy 

17. Sati 

CHAPTER 5: Personal Laws Relating to Women

1. Marriage and divorce 

2. Maintenance

3. Guardianship

4. Adoption 

5. Succession

6. Family courts 

7. Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 (No. 30 of 2010)          

CHAPTER 6: Women and Industrial Law

1. Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

2. Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 

3. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2008 (No. 15 of 2008) 

4. The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 

5. Factories Act, 1948

6. Mines Act, 1952 

7. The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 

8. Proposed Legislation

CHAPTER 7: Laws Relating to Protection of Children

1. International scenario 

2. Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959 

3. Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 

4. The World Summit for Children, 1990 

5. United Nations Conference of Environment and Development, 1992 

6. World Conference on Human Rights, 1993 

7. International Labour Organisation (ILO) 

8. Some other instruments 

9. Indian perspective 

10. Child trafficking and abuse 

CHAPTER 8: Juvenile Justice

1. International instruments 

2. Development 

3. Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 

4. Juvenile justice (care and protection of children) act, 2000

5. Some decisions 

Subject Index