This monograph is guided by f

Highlighted by sensational titles such as "The endangered sex" (Miller, 1981) or "More than 100 million women are missing" (Sen, 1992), studies have long drawn attention to the unfavourable life chances of females versus males in various parts of East and South Asia.

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.

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