STUDY OF MATERNITY BENEFITS IN INDIA IN LIGHT OF LIBERAL FEMINIST APPROACH WITH REFERENCE TO SOCIALISM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Feminism is the anti-thesis of masculist.^[1] To put it simply, feminism means rekindling the prowess of women and bracing womanhood in ways and means that were condemned in society in earlier times.^[2] The pervasive norms concerning menstruation, childbirth and menopause have been dynamically inculcated recently, owing to feminism. Feminism can be defined as a movement to end the gendered dichotomy which has restricted women to beholden within the four-cornered domain of their sex and its apparent assigned role. This paper attempts to throw light on the works of feminist jurists who have put forward their opinions on maternity benefits and the conception of liberal feminism, which seeks women's equality in both social and professional and interpersonal spheres. The paper furthermore endeavours to discuss the legislation on maternity benefits in India and abroad, especially USA, UK, Singapore, and Australia. The paper penultimately concludes the feminist debate and lastly provides suggestions for the inculcation of liberal feminist views in the legislation.

^[1] Jackson E, “Feminist Legal Theory” (1997) 5 Feminist Legal Studies 121 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02684861>

^[2] Jesseman C, “Nancy E. Dowd and Michelle S. Jacobs (Eds.), Feminist Legal Theory: An Anti-Essentialist Reader; Wendy McElroy (Ed.), Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the Twenty-First Century” (2004) 12 Feminist Legal Studies 113 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/b:fest.0000026116.49542.29>