Some common characteristics are observed and classified as Yuga Dharma (the ethos of the era). Ours is the age of revolutions. Poets have proclaimed that victory is ours if we revolutionize, and they have named their era as Yuga Dharma, the age of revolution. Cheguvera (Che Guevara) said another thing: revolutionary conditions always exist. It is our duty to mobilize people and bring about revolution, he said. This highlights the importance of dynamic leadership.

When someone raises an issue first, it becomes a topic of discussion. Depending on their strength and capabilities, and based on the interests and needs of the people, movements take shape and expand. When similar movements occur in many places simultaneously, it is called Yuga Dharma.

In the 1980s, the United Nations declared that decade as the Women's Decade. Until then, many issues that had been buried came to the forefront concerning women and in favor of women. Women's equality, discrimination against women, the role of women in the family, women's roles in production and service sectors, their status, sexual discrimination, sexual freedom, unpaid labor, child-rearing, laws, necessary changes in laws, the ongoing patriarchy in culture and traditions, the patriarchal mindset, the continuation of patriarchal culture and values in the constitution, discrimination, employment, job opportunities for women, and other such issues all came to the forefront during that decade. These were the issues that existed up to that point.

Special attention was given to studying these issues. For some time, it was believed that declaring the Women's Decade was aimed at neutralizing revolutionary movements. However, it is also true that the declaration of the Women's Decade was part of the demands brought forward by women who had grown and were growing in all fields in socialist countries, Europe, and America. Over the centuries, feminism has developed in various dimensions. Following different philosophical ideas and movements, feminism has also expanded into multiple branches. It has grown like a vast tree, branching out across social classes, castes, countries, developed nations, underdeveloped nations, oppressed communities, middle classes, and affluent groups.

The common characteristics found in all these are referred to as Yuga Dharma. Thus, the Women's Decade brought forward a Yuga Dharma. In this way, issues that had been buried for centuries, accepted, subjected to patriarchal suppression, and perpetuated discrimination were brought forward for resolution. Numerous theories, philosophical debates, specific lifestyles, cultures, and values emerged from human relationships at an accelerated pace. These expanded into various movements. Depending on the local culture and conditions in different countries, they spread into literature, social, cultural, and artistic fields, as well as political movements. They were expressed in various forms. In countries where women did not have voting rights, movements for women's suffrage emerged. In countries where women lacked property rights, movements for women's property rights arose. Movements for reservation in jobs and political representation continued. Thus, the Women's Decade brought about numerous turns and stages at various levels across all countries worldwide. It emerged as a Yuga Dharma, addressing the primary issues, demands, and solutions for half of the world's population. As Che Guevara said, revolutionary conditions always exist. Mobilizing people and preparing for revolution is essential.

"There is no need to specifically emphasize how profound the statement is that it is our duty to mobilize and bring about revolution. The question arises: Why did the United Nations declare 1980 as the Women's Decade? When women began to acquire education and jobs and moved forward with social consciousness, their awareness blossomed, bringing the issue of women's equality to the forefront in the form of feminism. Simone de Beauvoir, the companion of Jean-Paul Sartre, published the book *The Second Sex* in the 1950s, which raised numerous questions. Before that, during the revolutionary movement in Soviet Russia, figures like Rosa Luxemburg and Alexandra Kollontai discussed women's equality as part of the revolutionary movement. In European countries, discussions about women's equality were brought forward both within and outside the revolutionary movements. Marx and Engels declared that the family system itself is the primary cause of women's oppression and inequality. They analyzed history and explained that patriarchy and the patriarchal system emerged, reducing women to second-class citizens. They also pointed out that before the patriarchal system, a matriarchal system existed, where the mother was the head of the family. In this way, the culture, human relationships, values, and traditions that continued under the matriarchal system are referred to as the matriarchal system and Yuga Dharma. The mother observed the process of reproduction from the hunting and gathering stage. She also observed the natural order of plants, birds, and animals being born and growing. It was the mother who discovered agriculture by sowing seeds and cultivating crops.

After the discovery of agriculture, women, burdened with additional natural responsibilities like childbirth and child-rearing, needed rest. Taking advantage of this, men established their dominance. Thus, after the discovery of agriculture, the patriarchal system..." took shape and became firmly established. During this phase, the culture, values, politics, arts, literature, and human relationships that continued under this system, along with discrimination and oppression, were questioned as part of patriarchal Yuga Dharma. To work towards women's equality, numerous theories and movements emerged in the form of feminism. Governments took action, enacting laws and special measures in favor of women's equality. Initiatives such as education for girls, protection of girls, paid maternity leave, and others were implemented with special attention. All these measures were highly necessary.

When the revolution succeeded in Soviet Russia in 1918 and the Soviet Union was formed, other countries did not recognize women's issues as the Soviet Union did. Even after the successful revolution in China in 1949 and the establishment of a socialist society, other countries still did not think about women's equality. After the formation of the United Nations, it took until the 1950s and 1960s for its ideology and necessity to be recognized by all countries.

Why wasn't the Women's Decade declared earlier? The reasons behind declaring the 1980s as the Women's Decade need to be specifically examined. Marxists, Leninists, and revolutionary social classes, inspired by the socialist camps of Russia and China, expanded revolutionary movements in many countries. After World War II, many colonial regions became independent nations. In African countries, revolutionary movements emerged as part of theological theories and religious propaganda. By 1965, globally, countries, states, political systems, industrial production sectors, and the development of science, technology, and commerce in America and Europe led to increasing unemployment and numerous crises. People, deeply dissatisfied, took to the path of movements. In France, students led movements that brought down the De Gaulle government. At the same time, in Cuba, movements continued under the leadership of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. In African countries, expanding revolutionary movements were on one side, while in Europe and America..."

Movements began opposing wars and attacks fueled by the arms race and dominance of nations. On the other hand, the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China supported revolutionary movements across the world, both directly and indirectly, by providing literature, ideologies, and even weapons. Anti-colonial and anti-monarchial democratic and socialist movements flourished globally.

During the time when Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were leading movements in Cuba, India witnessed the rise of the Naxalbari movement in 1965 under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar and Saroj Dutta from the CPM in Bengal. This was triggered by the Santal tribal rebellion, followed by the Srikakulam uprising in Andhra Pradesh.

The Naxalite movement advanced based on the ideology of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and Maoist thought. The CPM government, led by Jyoti Basu, brutally suppressed it, killing thousands. In Andhra Pradesh, under Kasu Brahmananda Reddy’s leadership, the Srikakulam movement was crushed violently. Many senior leaders of the movement died, while the survivors initiated similar uprisings in various states across India, just as in other parts of the world.

Movements began spreading across Bihar, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and neighboring regions like Nepal. The 1960s saw numerous uprisings in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, leading many countries to gain independence and draft their own constitutions.

At the same time, the United States experienced rapid expansion in transportation, with the automobile industry booming, increasing the demand for petroleum. This led to a crisis, as Arab nations united to independently set prices and sell their resources, asserting control over their oil reserves.

After the revolution succeeded, even in the Soviet Union and People’s China, the patriarchal mindset did not completely disappear. Although women gained education, employment, and social rights in socialist systems, their leadership in the centralized political structures remained very limited. This situation failed to fully resolve the challenges faced by women in society.

Similar to China, in the Soviet Union, although women had legal rights, traditional patriarchal attitudes persisted in daily life. Despite discussions by male political leaders about gender equality, in practice, patriarchal forces continued to maintain their dominance.

In this context, women’s movements entered a new phase. Women focused more on achieving equality in social, economic, and political spheres. These changes also influenced countries in America, Europe, and Asia. Legal measures were introduced to ensure equality. However, challenges to women’s rights within family structures persisted.

The United Nations’ declaration of the 1980s as the “Decade for Women” became a milestone for women’s rights struggles worldwide. The UN became a key platform for significant discussions on women’s issues. These movements impacted political policies in America and Europe.

In reality, discussions on women’s issues and feminism are not obstacles to revolutionary movements. Instead, they help deepen and broaden the revolutionary process. Only revolutions that oppose patriarchal perspectives can lead to comprehensive social, economic, and political equality.

Efforts could be made in all ways to achieve gender equality after the revolution’s success, as promoted by revolutionary leadership. However, women and feminist movements opposed this notion, stating that solutions are needed immediately across all fields, including within revolutionary movements. To achieve this, suitable forms of struggle need to be developed, and women’s representation should be increased. Discussions worldwide emphasized the need for creating new strategies for struggles that include women.

Books published by Hyderabad Book Trust, translating the experiences of women’s movements in African countries like Botswana, became significant resources. These books, along with studies on women’s roles in global movements, were not just examined by women’s activists but also by revolutionary leaders. Beginning in the 1980s, national conferences were held to bring up various issues for discussion, building alliances and embracing common concerns to encourage women’s participation in movements.

However, despite efforts, women did not join armed struggles for social liberation in large numbers. Instead, they focused on winning victories in contemporary life. Educated middle-class feminists brought discussions on revolutionary ideologies to the forefront. Feminist ideologies spread globally, developing an extensive theoretical base.

It became challenging for social activists from Marxist, Leninist, and Maoist thought schools to oppose, suppress, or halt feminist movements. As a result, attempts were made to integrate them, but recruitment from feminist movements into revolutionary ranks remained limited. A few individuals like Anuradha Gandhi from Maharashtra joined revolutionary movements.

Globally, feminism achieved victories in three phases during the Women’s Decade. The first phase focused on securing favorable changes for women in respective countries…

Laws, their representation, and various reforms being undertaken. Women are rising and progressing in all fields globally. Reservations and special opportunities have been expanded for representation in education, employment, politics, and social sectors. Women have engaged in internal discussions during three revolutionary movements. Instead of waiting for changes under tomorrow’s socialist revolutionary government, these changes need to happen in the present. Equality must be achieved, and cultural values must evolve. Feminist movements have brought forward this awareness. Over the past four decades, through peaceful transformations, feminism has achieved significant victories globally.

In simple terms, the world was different before the declaration of the Women’s Decade, and it has evolved differently since then.

After thousands of years, women, who constitute half of human society, have come forward demanding equal rights, equal opportunities, equal respect, and equal voting rights in all fields. New cultural values have emerged, linking women’s issues to the family system. Therefore, within the family system, issues like inequality, dominance, and suppression between husbands and wives, parents and children, love marriages, sexual relationships, and human relationships have been identified and highlighted. Feminist movements have demonstrated this and continue to do so. They demand that men must change. If they do not, women are willing to separate from families and establish family systems as single parents when necessary.

This trend gained momentum in Soviet Russia after the revolution and simultaneously in Europe and America. In other words, one of the consequences of World War I was the democratization of family systems.

Millions of young men perished during World War I and World War II, leading to changes in the male-to-female ratio. This became a problem. The labor force of women became essential and inevitable in industrial and agricultural production sectors. Their necessity increased, thus paving the way for women’s active participation in various fields.

Socially, economically, and culturally, women gained significant prominence. As a result, just as the single-parent system emerged from the family system in the Soviet Union under socialism, it developed similarly in Europe as well.

The aftermath of World War II, the emergence of India and China as independent nations, and the wave of independence sweeping across many countries led to the rise of significant social transformations. Cultural norms in Asia differed from those in Europe. Asian cultures retained certain matriarchal influences, with respect for mothers and women continuing as a cultural norm. In contrast, Europe and Arab countries had long maintained patriarchal family systems, which were further strengthened by warlords recruiting men for military purposes.

Over the centuries, societal and historical developments gradually pushed family systems toward becoming democratic. Respect and consideration for family members’ feelings became more prevalent. The joint family system had endured for centuries, driven by agriculture, cottage industries, and traditional caste-based occupations. However, with the expansion of industrial sectors, the joint family system began transitioning into nuclear families.

The emergence of modern education and industrial systems, which required specialized skills, led to the formation of independent nuclear families. As women increasingly demanded and achieved empowerment across all fields, changes emerged in concepts of love, marriage, and family structures. Legal, social, cultural, and literary protections for individuals living independently and autonomously grew stronger.

By the 1930s, single-parent families led by women had become common in the Soviet Union and Europe. Over 20% of families were led by mothers without a father figure, and in some countries, this number reached as high as 30%.

This modern development, along with advancements in the industrial sector, redefined traditional societal structures.

As long as education and modern culture continue in this manner, similar patterns will unfold in all countries, though at varying paces. Revolutionary movements persist globally during this phase.

This is not the revolutionary era of the 1960s and 70s seen in China, Russia, Cuba, and other nations. That time has passed. Now, women, who constitute half of the population, seek equal participation in development, power, education, and politics. They aim to achieve these goals peacefully and lawfully.

In the past, under patriarchal family systems, men mobilized for revolutionary movements. When a man left his family to join a revolution, the responsibilities inevitably fell on his parents, wife, or children. This facilitated the recruitment of men for revolutionary causes.

We belong to the era of revolutionary movements that emerged after the two world wars. This era was shaped by the rise of socialist societies in the Soviet Union, China, and Eastern countries.

While we have carried out revolutions and continue to do so in many nations, it is essential to recognize that after the Women’s Decade, the revolutionary era has transitioned into a feminist era. This could be seen as a women’s revolution or, from a patriarchal perspective, a counter-revolution. Regardless, it concerns half the population. Therefore, revolutionary movements must now align with feminist ideals.

The patriarchal, male-dominated system gave rise to joint families and rural self-sustaining economies. Systems of caste, hierarchy, and patriarchal dominance have persisted since then, along with discrimination against women. Thus, caste, class, and gender inequalities have a common root.

Without addressing this root cause, feminist, socialist, and democratic societal reforms cannot succeed. Hence, caste, class, and gender issues must be tackled collectively and in coordination.

Opposing patriarchal dominance requires dismantling caste and religious ideologies along with the philosophical and cultural foundations that uphold them. This demands patience and a deep understanding of social dynamics.

By embracing the principles of the Indian Constitution and fostering awareness through literature, media, films, television, and educational materials, societal change becomes possible.

Simply seeking personal well-being is not enough to resolve women’s issues or achieve gender equality. Caste discrimination and social hierarchies will not fade on their own. Democratic revolutions and social reforms, focused on liberation from oppression and socialism, are essential for the emancipation of humanity. These need not always involve armed struggles.

Peaceful revolutions can occur if awareness and consciousness are first developed. Armed struggles may arise if deemed necessary. A self-centered approach that focuses solely on personal development does not change society; it merely perpetuates the status quo. The oppressed castes, women, activists, and those seeking societal transformation must recognize this truth.

This is the call of the current era — to change the system and transform society for everyone’s betterment. Writers, artists, and creators play a crucial role in this process.

Only when literature and art incorporate perspectives on feminism, caste discrimination, and the struggles of oppressed classes and laborers do they become realistic and impactful. Works that ignore or fail to portray these issues lack authenticity and fail to depict real life. Stories and novels confined solely to family relationships often belong to specific caste groups and do not represent the whole of society.

By portraying the cultural dynamics and relationships between castes, writers can expose caste and gender discrimination. When artists and writers approach their work with this understanding, they provide society with guidance and direction, becoming its torchbearers and pathfinders.