Women Studies Syllabus 2025: Semester Subjects, Electives, Books, Specializations

Introduction To Women's Studies

This subject explains the major concepts of gender studies. Besides, students will also get to know about the challenges, scope, and needs of women's studies.

The subject's primary objective is to develop the knowledge and capabilities of students in the areas of women's movements, gender issues, women and the environment, and commissions and national committees for women. Besides, it also covers other important topics like gender disparity, deprivation, sex ratio, and more.

Gender Socialisation

This subject talks about how gender socialisation can influence the lives of women as well as men. You will understand how it affects people's beliefs about their career choices, abilities, rights, and more. This subject also focuses on a gender perspective, gender mainstreaming, gender equality, and more. After going through this course, students will develop a robust knowledge of gender analysis, gender budgeting, and gender auditing. The topics covered in this may vary based on the college you choose.

Gender and Development

This subject talks about the current gender disparities in the development process. Students will understand how women are contributing to development. It covers a detailed analysis of women in rural development, agriculture, and Informa sector-gender development. Besides, it also covers information about different programs and schemes that help in women's development.

Social Construction of Gender

This subject talks about a theory in feminism. Besides, it also covers sociology about the manifestation of mechanisms, cultural origins, and expression, as well as corollaries of gender perception in terms of group and interpersonal social interaction. The subject also gives insight into gender roles, gender stereotyping, and nature versus culture.

Basics Of Social Research

Students will learn how to conduct social research while creating a systematic plan that should include both quantitative and qualitative observational methods. It also teaches about different factors, like text analysis, market, and observation. Besides, you will learn the important steps of social research.

Women and Political Process

This subject primarily focuses on women's role in today's political process. Besides, it also gives an insight into women's participation in the electoral process. You will also understand the political parties' approach and attitude towards women's issues. What's more? This subject also talks about the reservation rights of women in the political arena.

Women and Institution of Social System

By going through this subject, you will learn more about different family types, marriage types along with different roles of women.

Furthermore, the course also talks about class, culture, caste, social system, and culture, as well and gives a detailed analysis of different types of initiatives carried out for the empowerment of minorities.

1

Feminism

Feminist Theories and Thinkers

Students will get to learn about different types of feminism, such as liberal feminism, socialist feminism, radical feminism, eco-feminism, Marxist feminism, and more. Besides, it also covers different new feminist debates, LGBT, transgender, intersex movements, and more.

2

Gender and Education

Gender and Education

This subject talks about women's education. Students will learn about gender disparities, diversities, and more. Besides, you will understand how gender roles, family, identities, and culture affect education. Students will also know about the current educational system designed for marginalised women.

3

Women and Technology

Women and Technology: A Historical Perspective

Students will learn why technology is considered a masculine culture. Besides, this subject covers medical technology, household technology, reproductive technologies, and how recent technological changes have influenced women.

4

Status of Women

Differential Status of Women

This subject primarily focuses on the status of women. You will learn more about rural women, minority women, tribal women, Dalit women, domestic workers, urban women, and more.

5

Women's Movement

Women's Movements in India

This subject talks about women's movements and social movements. Students will get to know about the participation of women in colonial India and their role in the social reforms movement. Besides, it talks about the Narmada Bachao movement, the Chipako movement, violence against women, and more.

5

Women's Rights

Women and Human Rights

There are different policies and laws that prohibit women from enjoying equal access to housing, property, and land. Besides, social and economic discrimination has made women choose a poorer lifestyle. This subject talks about all these things while educating students on different rules and laws created to protect women's rights.

6

Entrepreneurship

Women and Entrepreneurship

The subject helps students to understand the process that can help women to start a business. It allows them to know how to obtain all the required resources and manage their businesses. It also discusses how women entrepreneurs can help in increasing the economic stability and growth of a country.

7

Women and Health

Women and Health

It discusses different issues of women's health and programs and policies created by the government to address those issues. Besides, the subject also talks about the women's agency with respect to enhancing their environment and health.

8

Gender and Culture

Gender, Culture, and Mass Media

It talks about the relationship between race, mass media, and gender. You will get to know about mass communication theories, the process of studying gender, class, and gender in mass media, and more.

Gender and Socio-Economic Terms

· Feminisation of poverty

· Relative deprivation

· Commoditization of women

It talks about how gender equality can affect one country's economic growth. It also discusses women's access to education and employment opportunities.

Technology Transfer

· Appropriate technology for women.

· Adaptability process

· Women and value orientation

This specialisation provides the students with a deep insight into how technology transfer is impacting women. It talks about different technologies serving and replacing women. You will learn the basic principles of different techniques used in the women's development process.

Women and Law

• Fundamental duties

• Women-personal law

• Labour laws

It talks about different laws created to protect the legal and social rights of women in different places. Students will get to know about the fundamental rights and duties of women.

Gender and Women

Handbook of Gender and Women's Studies

Kathy Davis, Judith Lorber, and Mary Evans

This book presents detailed as well as engaging reviews of the recent developments in this field. Besides, the book talks about the feminist and masculinity implications of postmodernism. Besides, the book offers a critical analysis of gender and women's studies in work, education, religion, family, and more.

Sociology

Sociology of Gender: The Challenge of Feminist Sociological Knowledge

Sharmila Rege

The book contains different research carried out in India considering the issues of family, caste, work, state, education, and other issues. Besides, this useful book comes with important essays that carefully examine the contributions made by feminists toward the engendering mainstream sociology in India. Every student should go for this book.

Womens' Studies

Womens' Studies: Various Aspects

Basabi Chakraborty

Written by Basabi Chakraborty, this book has different articles focused on Women's Studies. Besides, different aspects of women's studies, such as feminist politics, theories, women's movement in India, and more, have been discussed in datils. Furthermore, the book also covers law, human rights, health, and other major topics that will help the students to enhance their knowledge of women's studies.

Women's Studies Theory

Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory

Chandra Talpade Mohanty

This book, written in English, allows the students to learn everything about Western and Eurocentric developmental discourses as well as the racial, sexual, and theory-based assumptions of western feminism. After going through the book, you will get to know about reorienting feminism, decolonising feminism, and demystifying capitalism.

Women Rights

Law and Gender Inequality: The Politics of Women's Rights In India

Flavia Agnes

This book talks about the current gender inequality issues along with the politics of Indian Women's rights. Besides, the book provides the students with a detailed analysis of the debate on the Uniform Civil Code. You will get to know about the current women's rights condition under Hindu law and Islamic law.

What's more? A portion of this book talks about the importance of the personal law of the Parsi community for women's rights.