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== परिचय || Introduction ==

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

Respect for women was another most cherished value of life from times immemorial in Bharat. Women were not considered as an object of physical pleasure by man, but were regarded as divine treasures for family life. In view of the role assigned by nature to mothers, and in view of the fact that the mother is the dearest person on earth to an individual and in view of the intense love and affection of a mother for her children, and her readiness to make tremendous sacrifices for the sake of her children the mother came to be regarded as God incarnate (Mata Pratyaksha Devatha). Further, as every woman is a potential mother, the cultural value evolved was to treat mother as God and to treat every woman except one's wife, as mother. As a result, every woman and even small girls, are addressed as Ma, Amma etc., which means mother.

The Bharatiya Parampara enumerates various virtues as fundamentals or characteristics of dharma that should to be practiced by all. Among them, 'respect for women' was one of the most cherished values of life. Women were considered as divine treasures for family life. For, they are entrusted with the responsibility of motherhood by nature. An understanding of the intense love and affection of a mother for her children, and her readiness to make tremendous sacrifices for the sake of her children led to the evolution of a cultural value of regarding mother as a devata (divinity). Furthermore, as every woman is a potential mother, even small girls came to be addressed with respect as Ma, Amma etc., that mean mother. Once the value that 'every woman is motherly' is ingrained in the heart of an individual, immoral thoughts of committing any offence against woman gets destroyed. Thus, this value, cultivated and inculcated diligently in the hearts of individuals, acts as the greatest protection for women against the immoralities prevalent in the society.<ref name=":2" />

 

This value appears to have been created and cultivated diligently. For, once the value that every woman is mother is ingrained in the heart of an individual, immoral thoughts of committing any offence against woman gets destroyed. There can be no doubt that inculcating such a value in the hearts of individuals is the greatest protection against the immoral desires of man.

The creation and maintaining of this value is really the most valuable contribution of our ancestors. Despite declining moral values in recent years, by and large, the said value is still acting as the greatest safeguard against atrocities on women.

The creation and maintaining of this value is really the most valuable contribution of our ancestors. Despite declining moral values in recent years, by and large, the said value is still acting as the greatest safeguard against atrocities on women.

== Rights of women members of joint family ==

== Rights of women members of joint family ==

Though women were not admitted to the membership of coparcenary, they were members of the joint family and the law gave them the right to a share equal to one fourth of the share of the brothers at partition though they were not given the right to compel partition.<ref>Justice Mandagadde Rama Jois (1997), [https://www.vhp-america.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DHARMA_Ram_Jois.pdf Dharma: The Global Ethic], Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.</ref>

Though women were not admitted to the membership of coparcenary, they were members of the joint family and the law gave them the right to a share equal to one fourth of the share of the brothers at partition though they were not given the right to compel partition.<ref name=":2">Justice Mandagadde Rama Jois (1997), [https://www.vhp-america.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DHARMA_Ram_Jois.pdf Dharma: The Global Ethic], Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.</ref>

== Misuse or dependence of the property of women prohibited ==

== Misuse or dependence of the property of women prohibited ==