Postmodern criticism towards inclusion of socially constructed groups like gender or other likewise pointed out lacunae in historical writings. The argument was historians have attempted to describe the shared experience of large numbers of people with the notion that their experiences are homogenous and uniform. Multiple sections of people in the society must have experienced life diversely across all periods depending upon their caste/class or gender variants. However, the social history till late colonial age has not considered them as unique or distinct. Thereby attempts to capture these narratives have become crucial. Thus, came up many branches of historical writings.
Most importantly or even as the beginning of this trend are the subaltern studies whose focus was to reclaim the history of the underrepresented sections of the society based on class, caste, gender, race, language, culture etc. They tried to capture voices that were not heard till then. "Deconstruction to reconstruct History" has been the inner quest of these subaltern historians. Emergence of thoughts like "The New Left" and "non-Marxist" in social history during 1960s has given rise to efforts for a "history from below" which provided these characters with a voice. An important person in this group of historians has been Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak who tried to bring in the Marxist and feminist theories in historical writings. Her paper, "Can the Subaltern Speak" (Morris 2010) has transformed the analysis of colonialism using deconstructionist methods. Spivak's essay details the historical and ideological factors that prevented the possibility of being heard for those who inhabit the periphery.
However, there were many arguments and different opinions on this thought process of historical writings. Questions like "who can be subaltern", "are all the oppressed sections become part of subaltern groups" surfaced. Sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos (Toward a New Legal Common Sense 2002) emphasized notions of context, time and place to determine the groups of society. Based on this argument the discrimination and oppression of women in the society at various periods of time and space and the notions of gender inequalities can be analysed.
By 1970s, the consciousness of exclusion of certain sections of society in historical writings/research has been well recognized. Historians began documenting ordinary women's expectations, aspirations and status. Declaring 1975 as the "International Year of Women" helped in bringing to light the hitherto unheard realities about the position and status of women across the world. It led to the plan of action towards recognition of women's contribution to world peace and securing women's human rights. The period from 1975 to 1985 marked as "International Women's Decade" further strengthened these arguments about oppression and violence on women pointed out by feminists and contributed towards many United Nations' conventions on the issue. Subsequent feminist and women's movements too brought in revived focus on uncovering women's oppression and discrimination.
By 1990s' the international community began to accept women's situation and oppression, thereby treaties/action points for the world began to emerge. Most important among them is the Beijing platform of action, 1995. For the first time women's rights are recognized as human rights. Women's empowerment and their full participation based on equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are recognized as fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace. The members pointed out that equal rights, opportunities and access to resources, equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women, and a harmonious partnership between them are critical to their well-being and that of their families as well as to the consolidation of democracy.
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