Laws to help women: 8 laws every Indian girl must know

Here are 8 frequent injustices that take place, especially against women, and the laws against them:

• Eve Teasing: Sections 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) prohibit any individual or group of people pass any kind of offensive comment or execute any such gesture towards a girl of any age

• Child Marriage: This is not just for girls. However, the incidents reported indicate towards the underage girls. The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, prohibits a girl who is not 18 (age defined by the Hindu Marriage Act) to get married

• Improper Police Procedure: Under the high court directive, every police station must have a lady officer, not of a post below that of Head Constable, available round-the-clock and the police shall also help the victim of sexual assault of any degree with counseling assistance and further aid towards the betterment of the victim. Besides, a woman can only be searched by a lady officer and can be arrested only in the presence of a lady officer. A woman cannot be arrested before sunrise or after sunset, however, exceptions can be made under the directive of the magistrate

• Minimum Wage: According to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Government of India has set minimum wages for every section of profession that must be paid to any skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. The minimum wage for a skilled worker in Delhi is Rs 423, be it a man or a woman

• Succession of Property: Under the clause of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, any person who is entitled to be the heir of a property of ancestor, should get the property regardless of gender

• Dowry: Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, says that if any one gives or receives or even helps the exchange, he or she will face a jail term five years or more and a fine of Rs 15,000 or the sum of dowry, whichever is more

• Domestic Violence: This falls under Section 498A of the IPC. According to this law, any person can complain about any incident where a family member has offended him or her cruelly or with the intention of cruelty. This law is applicable for or against any member regardless of gender

• Offensive Propaganda: The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, prohibits any individual or organisation to publish or help post, publish, exhibit or advertise - online or offline - any kind of representation of women that can be considered to be indecent.

 Sources: National Commission for Women, Wikipedia