Rights Every Indian Woman Should be Aware of

Indian constitution secures specific rights for every Indian women. Whether it's domestic violence, divorce or marriage. We take a look at rights every Indian woman should be aware of.

Rights of Women under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence, 2005 

1. Humiliating or insulting a women for not having a male child amounts to domestic violence 
2. Emotional and psychological abuse by husband is a form of domestic violence 
3. Repeated threats to cause physical pain amounts to domestic violence 
4. Depriving a woman of financial resources amounts to domestic violence 
5. Not allowing a woman to access jointly owned property amounts to domestic violence
6. Women have the right to marital residence whether they are married, divorced or separated 
7. While claiming maintenance the woman’s standard of living during marriage must be maintained 
8. Women have the right to receive free legal aid from the state legal authorities 

Rights of Hindu Women 

1. Hindu daughters can claim equal share in property as that of sons
2. Hindu wives are entitled to a share in their deceased husband’s property
3. Hindu unmarried daughters must be maintained by their father 
4. Unmarried Hindu women can adopt children 
5. Divorced/widowed Hindu women can adopt children 
6. Women can also be kartas- the head of a Hindu Undivided Family

Rights of Muslim Women 

1. Muslim women are entitled to Meher or maintenance amount from her husband during marriage
2. Muslim women can claim meher from her husband’s property

Rights Applicable to Women in Workplaces

1. All women have the right to equal pay for equal work 
2. Expecting women must have fully paid leaves as part of maternity benefits
3. Women are entitled to 26 weeks of fully paid leave under maternity benefit 
4. Women who are adopting children are entitled to 12 weeks of fully paid maternity leaves 
5. Women can exercise the option of work from home after 26 weeks of maternity leave 
6. Hostile or unsafe work environment is a form of workplace harassment 
7. Any form of unwanted physical contact or advance is workplace sexual harassment 
8. Any demand or request for sexual favours is workplace sexual harassment 
9. Commenting on a woman’s physical attribute is workplace sexual harassment 
10. Calling a women hot, sexy, beautiful or any sexually coloured remark is workplace sexual harassment 
11. Showing pornography is workplace sexual harassment 
12. Displaying pornographic material is workplace sexual harassment 
13. Any contact of sexual nature amounts to workplace sexual harassment
14. Any verbal or non-verbal gesture of sexual nature amounts to workplace harassment 
15. If a male senior promises to give special treatment to women in exchange of sexual favours it is workplace sexual harassment
16. If a woman is treated badly as a result of having denied a sexual favour it is workplace sexual harassment
17. Any form of behaviour which makes a women feel unsafe amounts to workplace sexual harassment
18. Women can claim for monetary compensation if they have faced workplace sexual harassment
19. Survivors of workplace sexual harassment have the right to keep their complaints anonymous 

Women and Rights in Criminal Law 

1. Women cannot be arrested before sunrise and after sunset 
2. A female constable always has to be present while arresting a woman 
3. Women can file virtual police complaints via email or through post
4. Women can file zero FIRs where they can file complaint at any police station 
5. Women can take legal action against any form of online and offline stalking