Women in the country have struggled for centuries for their rights, freedom and ownership. It seems history has been quite unfair to the women. From various rituals to ancient texts, everything was against women. For example, if you ever read Manusmriti, you will realise how wrongly and degradingly it has portrayed and treated women. But before diving deep into these ancient texts, let's understand the difference between shruti and smriti.Shruti are divine revelations, mostly in the form of the four Vedas—Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. They are eternal and flawless according to Hinduism.
Smriti, however, contains writings of sages on the basis of social traditions, practices, and interpretations of Shruti. They are the Dharmaśāstras (law books), Itihāsas (epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata), and Purāṇas.
Among the most famous Smriti texts is the Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu law code traditionally ascribed to Manu, the legendary ancestor of mankind.It was perceived as a book of social organisation, ethics and law of ancient India. However, its conception about women created much controversy throughout history.

How Manusmriti Degraded Women: Problematic Verses and Their Implications
Manusmriti comprises several verses putting women in subordination, robbing them of their autonomy, education, and equality in the world. A few of the most objectionable and problematical remarks about women are the following:

1.Women Need to Be Reliant at All Times (Manusmriti 9.3)
"She should submit to her father while she is a kid, her husband when she is a young woman, and her sons after her husband passes away. She should never be left on her own.
Why It's Problematic: This verse views women as perpetual dependents rather than as agents of their own, openly denying them any independence at any point in their lives.
.2. A Woman Without a Husband Has No Worth (Manusmriti 5.156)
"Women have no right to study the Vedas. Their duty is to serve their husbands."
Why It's Problematic: This verse prevents women from getting an education and religious learning, upholding patriarchal domination over intellectual and religious life.

3. Women Are Untrustworthy by Nature (Manusmriti 9.18)
"It is the nature of women to seduce men in this world; for that reason, the wise never remain unguarded in their company."
Why It's Problematic: This verse presents women as inherently deceptive and risky, nurturing suspicion and reinforcing constraints on women's liberties.

4. A Husband Is a Woman's God (Manusmriti 5.151)
"A woman must worship her husband even if he lacks virtues and is immoral."
Why It's Problematic: This encourages the notion that a woman must accept even the worst marriage without speaking out or putting her own welfare first.
Moreover, Manusmriti also contributed to the system of caste, which positioned Brahmins at the very top of the hierarchy while positioning Shudras and Dalits at the very bottom. This doubling of oppression as a result of both caste and gender forced lower-caste women into double disenfranchisement from both society and economy.

Changing the Narrative: How Modern Women Are Reclaiming Their Rights
The antiquated gender roles of Manusmriti are incompatible with the principles of contemporary empowerment and equality. These antiquated notions are being aggressively contested by women today by:
1. Empowerment and Education
Women are demonstrating that intelligence and talent are not gendered by achieving academic success and shattering stereotypes in previously male-dominated fields.

2. Reforms in the Law
Many of the beliefs of the Manusmriti era have been destroyed by laws like the prohibition of child marriage, Sati, and the criminalisation of domestic abuse.

3. Reinterpreting Religion and Culture
Women scholars and activists are reinterpreting Hindu texts, extracting empowering narratives and reviving their spiritual potency.
Women are demonstrating that intelligence and talent are not gendered by achieving academic success and shattering stereotypes in previously male-dominated fields.

4. Leadership in Politics
Women have powerful political roles, demonstrating their ability to govern countries and effect meaningful change.

5. Dispelling Preconceptions
Today's women are reinventing femininity and rewiring expectations by rejecting being defined by marriage and by defying conventional standards of beauty.

In conclusion
Women were methodically treated as second-class citizens by the Manusmriti, the former supreme legal text. The modern world has transcended its ancient standards, even though it may have shaped societies in the past. By rewriting and reframing their own stories, women today are demonstrating that their value is determined by their own accomplishments and goals rather than by antiquated texts.