When it comes to sexual and reproductive health of women in India, rights-based discourse has largely been bypassed not just by the societal norms but also by the legal norms. Discuss.

Rights based norms - bypassed by societal norms :-

1. Patriarchal control over women's bodies and child rearing capabilities

2. The pressure to get married and have kids over rights to education and skilling

(3) Son preference - thus reproduce until son is born

(4) The nutrition of women is ignored as preference of food given to male member ↓ thus poor health of women, child (190th malnutrition MoHFW)

(5) Women lack awareness about proper practices due to lack of education ↓ thus trust home delivery by elders → leads to maternal mortality

Bypassed by legal norms :-

(1) Some States are mulling 2 child policy as seen in UP

(2) Emergency era forced sterilisation led to forceful family planning

(3) Laws like Maternity benefits Act etc are divided on basis of number of children thus lack of autonomy

(4) The workspaces are not conducive for childbirth and child care thus lack of autonomous decisions

(5) Discussion on increase of age of consent (18 to 21) leads to lack of privacy over sexualities.

In this situation, rights based approach would be :-

1. Awareness about sexual diseases and tools of contraception (Parivar Vikas scheme)

2. To put emphasis on better nutrition

3. Abide by Cairo consensus on wilful family planning not forcible