women the societies dominated by muscle power and money power, men determined the conditions governing the terms of relationship between man and woman. Since men fought the wars and ran the enterprises of industrial production, they arrogated to themselves superior position and gave women a subordinate role in social and economic activity of communities. Marxists and liberal thinkers of the 19th and 20th Century raised their voice against the long standing harassment of women and advocated equality for women. It took long for these ideas to fructify in legislation.
Women were given right to vote in 1921 in the imperialist England. The first half of the Twentieth Century saw the emergence of a series of protest movements in many countriesof the world aimed at securing equality for women. In Europe and United States, women obtained legal equality. The Communist regimesof U.S.S.R. and China were committed to liberation of women and assigned greater role to them in ushering in an egalitarian society.
Women's participation in the labour forceregistered impressive increases. But the phenomena of emancipation of women passed by many conservative countries of Asia and Africa. Of late, a new way ofthinking has emerged in many democratic countries of the world seeking a more effective role for the woman in society. The accent of feminine movements has undergone a qualitative shift from the strategy of securing emancipation Of women to facilitating empowerment of women. Mere equality for women is not sufficient.
Since most of the institutions of society are dominated by man, the concept Of legal equality of women has not been able to demolish the traditionalprejudices •ntjrtured by man regarding unsuitability of women to hold top positions in Industry, business, politics,scientific establishments and even in academics and arts. The Physiologists and psychologists have repeatedly demonstrated through Scientific tests and experiments that women are not inferior to men in intellectual capacity or emotional stability and can perform as well as men in social and economic activities. Since the life and career of most women is still guided by men, they are not able to direct their lives and make sufficient efforts for impressive achievements.
