Sex ratio is perhaps one of the most important sociodemographic indices which reflect the socio-economic and cultural ethos of a country, more so with reference to the status of its women.

The high female infant mortality rates (Miller, 1985), the practice of female infanticide (Krishnaswamy, 1988), the neglect of female children with regard to access to health services, nutrition (Sen and Sengupta 1983) and education (Mankekar, 1985), and the sexual abuse of girls (Bhalerao, 1985)

Dowry has been a widespread social evil among the Hindus. Now it has spread to other communities also such as Muslims and Christians as well. The Parliament passed the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 with a view of eradicate the rampant evil.

We live in an era of paradoxes and contradictions - the reality was never so multifaceted, the issues never so complex. Everything around us seems to be melting and unfortunately the new forms acquired by the congealing of the molten mass leaves us little to rejoice at.

Recent studies examining British attitudes and ideologies which structured colonial policies towards 'outcaste'2 and 'deviant' groups in indigenous society, have suggested that the groups who were marginalised included those whose activities were conceived of as 'threatening' to new normative def

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, is a landmark piece of legislation in India that regulates the conditions under which a pregnancy may be legally terminated.

The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA), formerly known as the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act (SITA), is an Indian law aimed at preventing human trafficking, particularly for commercial sexual exploitation.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, is a landmark legislation in India aimed at addressing and prohibiting the practice of instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-bid'ah, within the Muslim community.

The Muslim Marriage and Divorce (Amendment) Act, No. 24 of 2013, enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, introduces reforms to the legal framework governing marriage and divorce within the Muslim community.