In the last decade, several international and national movements have focused their attention, on the long neglected areas of women's reproductive health.

Prior to 1983, every form of violence committed within the family, either in the natal or the spousal home, was not considered an offence.

It is now common practice to infer the social status of women from their demographic characteristics. Yet it is not so easy to read through demographic progress, in terms of declines in mortality and fertility, to make unambiguous judgments about trends in women's social standing.

Status literally means position in relation to others. The status enjoyed by women in any society is an index of the standard of its social organisation.

There is a growing recognition that gynaecological morbidity is an important health problem among poor women in India.