Women in the country can hope for complete legal equality, with the Government making efforts to remove discriminatory legislations, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.
"We have moved closer to complete legal equality for women in all spheres by removing discriminatory legislation, amending existing legislation and by enacting new legislation that gives women equal rights of ownership of assets like houses and land," Patil said, addressing the joint sitting of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session.
She said amendments were being considered to the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.
Laws pertaining to bonded labour, plantation labour, factory and migrant labour will also be made gender-sensitive.
"Removal of age-old prejudices, particularly bias against women in society is the biggest challenge to achieve equality," said Patil, who made history by becoming the first woman President of the country.
"My government is committed to strictly enforce laws relating to dowry, female infanticide, female foeticide and human trafficking and to realise a gender-neutral India," she said.
The President also said empowerment of women through female literacy was the single biggest challenge in the social sector.
"The National Literacy Mission will make acceleration of female literacy its key goal," she said.
