In the recent assembly elections, we were once again inundated with information about how much of a difference the women’s vote made to the outcome.

It was the tragic death by suicide that has laid bare the daily trauma of the three sisters from a landless household married to an affluent family with demands for dowry from impoverished parents.

The British first discovered female infanticide in India in 1789. Jonathan Duncan, then the resident in Benares province was asked by the Bengal council to settle the revenues in the province acquired by the raja of Benares.

India's efforts to promote family planning have produced a significant increase in the couple protection rate (CPR) which has increased by about 33 percent during the last 22 years-from 10.4 percent in 1970 to 43.5 in 1992.

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, is an Indian law enacted to prevent the giving or receiving of dowry in marriages.

The National Commission for Women Act, 1990, established the National Commission for Women (NCW) in India to safeguard and promote women's rights and address issues of gender equality.

The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, is an Indian law aimed at prohibiting the indecent portrayal of women through advertisements, publications, writings, paintings, and other visual mediums.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013, is an Indian law aimed at ensuring a safe and dignified work environment for women.

A fear of female sexuality and therefore, the need to control it have been felt in many societies and civilizations. This control has assumed different forms in different societies.

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) is an Indian law enacted to safeguard women from domestic violence within familial or domestic relationships.