Author(s): Parul Chaudhary

Abstract:
India is a country of people from diverse religions and backgrounds. As there are many religions, so there are numbers of religious laws too, that governs the people of different religions. Every religion has its own personal laws relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, guardianship and succession governing the Hindus, Muslims and Christians, etc. There is no uniform civil code in India. The women have fewer rights than the men under the religious personal laws. The religious personal laws give birth to many taboos; for instance patriarchy, early marriage, dowry, domestic violence etc. The society has plonked verdicts on the women. The women not only feel inferior but also helpless because the upbringing of the girls has been done in such a way that they do not raise their voices against such discriminations. Though the government has made the efforts to lift the status of women via implementing civil code, yet there is need to change the thinking pattern of people to give sense of credence to women about their potential. The present paper is highlighting the status of women in Hindu and Muslim religious personal laws and providing the glimpses regarding the effects of such religious personal laws on the lives of women.