EVOLUTION OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

National Commission for Women Act 1990 is the first major step in the dissection of women’s
development. The idea of establishing a national commission for women is not
1 new . The
united nation commission on the status of women in its 25th report recommended to all member
states the establishment of National Commission or a similar body with a mandate to review,
estimate and recommend measure and priorities to ensure equality between men and women
and the full integration or women in every sphere of national life, Acting on the resolution and
on the demands of several women organizations the govt. of India setup a committee in 1971
known as the committee on the status of women (i) to evaluate the changes that had taken place
in the status of women as a result of constitutional, legal and administrative measures adopted
since independence (ii) to examine the impact of the complex process of social change on
various sections of women (iii) to suggest measures to enable women to play their full and
proper role in building up the nation. In 1974 the committee submitted a comprehensive report
with a summary of its recommendations on (i) the social – cultural setting of women’s status,
(ii) women and the law, (iii) role, regent’s and opportunities for economic participation (iv)
educational development and (v) political status. In order to ensure the / implementation of
various measures, the committee recommended the constitution of statutory autonomous
commission at the centre and the
2 status .